Learn to Fly (16 page)

***

When Luke woke up
the next morning, Lenny was already gone. The buses had stopped
sometime around dawn but he wasn’t sure when she had left. He
wasn't too surprised. He knew he was pushing every boundary she had
set up between them since the beginning. But he couldn't help it,
from the moment he had first met her, he couldn't resist her. When
he found out he could offer her the peace she had been lacking, he
jumped at it.

He had tried to stay
awake as long as possible, just enjoying the feel of her in his arms.
Her softness and warmth, it was a closeness he'd never experienced
with anyone. It was terrifying. And perfect.

Luke tried to push
the burning apprehension in his gut further downward. He hoped she
wouldn't feel weird around him today. He wanted this to be a step
forward, not back.

He joined the guys
after his shower and they began to speculate what plans Lenny might
have for them. They discussed skydiving, water skiing or maybe even
makeovers.

“
I’d
be down for a makeover.” Harrison looked at his hair in the
reflection of the chrome on the side of the bus and primped a little,
“As long as I get to keep my hair.”

Lenny pulled up in a
rented van and they all piled in. They chattered the whole time,
trying to get Lenny to tell them where they were going. She remained
secretive for the whole forty minute drive out of town. Then the van
pulled onto a gravel road that wound up into the gorgeous Smokey
Mountains. She stopped at a ramshackle cabin with a saggy roof.

As the guys quietly
piled out of the van, an older gentleman came out of the cabin and
approached Lenny. His hair was gray and thinning at the temples but
he moved with the energy of a much younger man. He was obviously fit
and carried himself with a dignity that had been earned.

“
Lenny
Evans, it really is you!” He grabbed her in a hug. “I
haven’t seen you since…oh, it’s got to have been
four or five years now.”

The band looked on,
silent. They knew each other?

“
Last
time you were here you had that friend of yours with you, what’s
her name? Cody? Did she come along this time?” The old-timer
looked around.

Lenny laughed and
shook her head, “Not this time, Dale.”

Luke frowned as a
stray memory tried to connect in his brain. Cody? He knew that name
from somewhere…

“
Guys,”
Lenny addressed her group, “This is Dale Larson, he owns this
shop and he’s agreed to set us up for the day.”

“
For
what?” Harrison asked, surveying the surrounding mountains.

“
Mountain
biking. All day.” She said it like she had expected them to
have it figured out already.

The guys were
definitely surprised. Maybe a little nervous but Lenny seemed
confident that they were going to do just fine. Dale set them up
with bikes and helmets and various supplies like water and snacks.
He gave all of them different degrees of instruction but nothing
really specific, then he turned them over to Lenny.

“
Whatever
happens, keep your eyes on the lead dog,” he rested his hand on
Lenny’s shoulder, “That’s this girl, right here.
She’s the best I’ve ever seen on a trail and she’ll
show you how it’s done.” With that, he bid them farewell
and retreated back into his cabin.

***

Lenny wasted no
time; she climbed onto her bike and headed down the road. The guys
had no choice but to follow. She tried not to push them too hard at
first. She had extra energy she was trying to burn off and she
didn't need to take it out on them.

Waking
up in Luke's arms that morning had left her feeling a combination of
unparalleled rejuvenation and bewilderment. She had slowly peeled
herself out of his embrace and promptly begun avoiding him and any
conversation having to do with him. She had no idea what was going
to come of this new development in their friendship. But she was
pretty sure that they were dancing on the edge of the traditional
definition of
just
friends
.

Blake caught up to
her first, “Hate to bust your balls but I think I know how to
ride a bike.”

Lenny grinned and
ducked off the main road and onto a narrow trail heading uphill. She
kept glancing behind her to make sure she hadn’t lost anyone.
She laughed to herself every time she heard one of them holler in
surprise. She pushed them to what she knew was their limit, but
nothing too risky or dangerous. As they continued their climb she
heard grumblings in the back for a water break. She knew there was a
place that leveled off up ahead and she would let them rest when they
reached it.

As the last member
entered the clearing, Lenny took her helmet off and released her
sweaty hair from its tight ponytail. She smoothed it back and
replaced the elastic. Then she passed out sandwiches and water,
making sure the guys stayed hydrated.

“
How
much further?” Harrison puffed.

“
You
wanna head back?” Lenny offered.

“
No,
we’ll keep going.” Luke answered; he was barely winded
and grinning from ear to ear. He patted Harrison on the back, “The
fresh air is good for you.”

“
It’s
a good thing none of us are smokers,” Sway joked.

“
Yeah,
Carl would be dead by now,” Blake laughed.

Lenny smiled at her
band of tattooed misfits. They had quickly become her favorite
people in the whole world.

She finished her
sandwich and walked over to a ledge overlooking the forest below.
Mike walked up next to her and whistled.

“
That’s
an amazing view.”

Lenny agreed. Mike
studied her expression quizzically and asked, “What other
extreme sports do you take part in?”

Lenny took a deep
breath of the mountain air and smiled. She turned toward the group
and answered, “I hang out with rock stars.”

***

Luke pulled his bike
up next to Lenny’s and handed her her helmet. “Ready,
Captain?” He asked her, testing the waters of their
friendship. Not knowing if she regretted trusting him the night
before with her secrets.

“
Ready.”
She buckled the chin strap and smiled up at Luke. If she was
ashamed, she wasn't showing it.

“
You’re
gorgeous,” he blurted out, not really thinking.

“
You
too,” she teased back. “You seem to be doing pretty good
on the trail,” she complimented.

“
I
like a challenge,” Luke winked.

Lenny raised her
eyebrows and mounted her bike, “Well then, I’ll race you
to the top.” And she was off.

Luke shook his head
and sped after her. He had never met anyone with so much passion for
everything they did. He loved the way she never stopped going after
something and how she managed to completely master something new. He
wanted to see how fast he could teach her guitar. Besides, that
would offer more opportunity for them to be alone together. He tried
to shake off the excited feeling he got when he thought about sitting
with her, alone, just talking.

He thought about
kissing her all the time. Constantly. But he wasn't about to make her
uncomfortable. It would be alright, he would be patient until she
trusted him. He was enjoying every minute they spent together
anyway. That included hanging with a bunch of people or talking late
into the night on the bus.

Lenny beat him to
the top and took off her helmet with a big smile.

“
Was
that challenging enough for you?”

Luke nodded, trying
to catch his breath, “Well done.”

They had a few
minutes alone as they waited for the rest of the group to catch up
and Luke plunged ahead with his just-born idea.

“
You
should ride on the Blue Bus with us after tomorrow night's show. I
want to try to teach you how to play.”

“
Play
what?” Lenny’s brows frowned.

“
The
guitar.” Luke answered like it was obvious.

“
Why
do you want to teach me the guitar?” Lenny’s frown
deepened.

“
You’re
good at everything you do. Not just good, you’re the best. I
wanna see how fast you learn it.”

Lenny shrugged, “I
suppose it’s worth a shot.”

“
And
then maybe you can teach me something I don’t know how to do.”
He was trying to be subtle but he still wanted her to pick up on the
undertone of his suggestion.

If she did, he would
never know because the guys came huffing and puffing their way up the
trail.

“
So
it’s settled, you’ll ride with me and Mike after
tomorrow’s show?” He wanted her confirmation, knowing she
wouldn’t go back on her word.

“
You
got it.” She smiled openly at him and then greeted the
stragglers, “Hello, Lovelies. How do you feel?”

“
I’m
not gonna lie, Len, I feel like a man.” Blake confessed and
they all laughed out loud. “Good job, mama,” he
complimented her as he patted her back.

Lenny let them rest
and enjoy the scenery for a while before turning them back down the
hill. The ride to the starting point was quiet and Lenny took it
easy on them. When they got back to the cabin, they thanked Dale for
the loaned equipment and collapsed into the van. They were all too
exhausted to even think about going out later. Which, Luke
suspected, had been Lenny's plan all along.

Lenny took a longer
drive through the mountains instead of driving straight back to the
venue. Most of the guys fell asleep right away and the radio played
soft country music as she wound her way along the tight mountain
highway. Luke sat in the front seat with her and watched her face as
she drove along carefully.

“
I
miss the mountains.” She said it so quietly Luke would have
missed it if he hadn’t been looking at her.

Luke reached over
and took her hand gently in his. He didn’t say anything and
she didn’t look at him. He kept her hand in his, resting on
the middle seat between them. His thumb softly stroked the tops of
her fingers. When they pulled into the parking lot, she tugged her
hand free of his grasp.

As she parked, she
smiled apologetically at him. He nodded at her in understanding. He
had no problem being the guy who brought her comfort on her own
terms.

The guys all piled
out groggily and onto their buses, thanking Lenny along the way.

“
Thanks,
mama,” Blake hugged her shoulders, “You made me feel like
a man and kicked my ass at the same time.”

***

The sun was
beginning to set, and there was some discussion of getting a pizza
and turning in early. Harrison placed a delivery order and gave Lenny
the cash. She walked to the gate of the parking lot to wait for the
driver. Famous rock stars couldn’t just get their own pizza;
she smiled to herself at the thought. They were crazy famous to the
whole world, to her they were her family.

She sat down on the
curb and enjoyed the peaceful calm of the evening. The sky was
turning from blue to purple to red with highlights of gold and pink
mixed in. She breathed in the clean mountain air and felt the tension
in her shoulders ease. She marveled at the strange turn her life had
taken in the last month. She had planned on getting as far away from
her previous life as possible and now she was feeling the weirdest
tingle of homesickness.

She missed her
family and the open skies of Wyoming. Tomorrow was David’s
birthday. She knew they would probably have a big family dinner.
Scott and Nathan would be there, as well as David’s wife,
Felicity, and their four little boys. Lenny would be the only one
absent. She should call to wish him a happy birthday. She pulled
out her phone and looked at it. She decided to send a text instead;
if they were busy she didn’t want to interrupt.