Ride to Restoration (Ride Series Book 2) (27 page)

Chapter
51

V
ic
was dead on when she said she gave her all. She gave me her heart, her mind,
her soul. That’s what kindred spirits do. “That’s what I love about you,
Victoria. You’re either all in or all out. There’s no such thing as in
between.” Speaking of that, someone else, as I recall, was much the same
way — Candi.

I
left a Franklin on the table for a seventy-dollar tab and escorted Victoria
outside to our waiting ride. Wrapping my left arm around her in the cab, Vic
laid her head on my shoulder while we rode in shuttered silence back to the
hotel. Back in the room, I sensed Vic had something profound to say by the
longing in her eyes so I sat down on the bed and waited.

“
D, I
’
m so going to miss you. These last two weeks have given me
a renewed sense of purpose and direction. You
’
ve challenged me, encouraged
me, and pushed me to be the best I can be. I thought I was good, but you
’
ve made me much better. You
’
ve made me hurry up and wait
patiently for life to come to me. It did with the ducks, it did with the bears,
it surely did with the stars scattered amongst the northern lights. I will
never be able to repay you. This I promise, whenever there is an opportunity to
pay it forward, rather than allowing it to slip through my fingers, which is
what I
’
d
normally do, I
’
ll embrace it and think of you.
”

“
That
’
s more than enough, girlfriend.
”
Running my fingers through her beautiful auburn hair, I
continued,
“
It
’
s only fitting that we end this ride the way it began. I
’
d like to hold you and just
sleep with you tonight. In my tank there
’
s nothing left to give.
”
The darkness enveloped us, both literally and figuratively.
Sleep came quickly for me.

I
turned away from him as he snuggled into me. Lying beside me was the man of
many a woman
’
s dreams; my dreams too, damn it. A man who dreamed, not of
me, but of another. Filling my lungs for possibly the last time with his scent
complimented by his Allure cologne I
’
d recently grown fond of, I
cried until I had no more tears left in me. Sleep this night was my enemy. The
events over the last few weeks with D played out over and over in my head.
What
could I have done differently? What could he? Would Candi save their
relationship or would he somehow find his way back to me in his quest to find
peace in some mystical town called Mayberry?
Somewhere after two, I drifted
off.

My
phone vibrated, annoyingly announcing 5:30 a.m. I turned it off. In the
stillness and quiet of the morning, I planned our day. Breakfast, followed by a
three-hour ride, should put us in Sioux City before eleven o
’
clock. I
f I drop her off
to pack and repack while I go load the bike on the trailer, she should be able
to catch a flight out anytime after one. I don
’
t care where it goes on her
way to Atlanta as long as it takes her far and fast away from here.

I
grabbed my sweats and shoes and dressed in the bathroom, doing my best not to
disturb my girlfriend. I found the adequately furnished workout room on the
ground floor empty and dark. Turning the flat screen on to local news, I
sweated profusely for twenty minutes on the elliptical, followed by ten minutes
of free weights. That
’
s all the time I could spare and be on the road by eight.

Making
us a coffee and tea had become a morning ritual that sadly after today would
end.
I like her, maybe even love her, if I care to go there. But I can
’
t, not now with so much left
unsaid between Candi and me.
With a little luck, Major and I could make Tampa by
Saturday with a week to spare before the all-important ball. I needed a plan.
Over the next fifteen minutes, wandering the vacant halls of the hotel I got a
resemblance of one. Gio, and possibly others would have to be enlisted to make
it come together. Returning to the room, I kissed Vic on the cheek waving the
fresh brewed coffee under her nose that I
’
d picked up along the way.

“
Hmmm, that smells wonderful, D. Guess that
’
s my cue to rise?
”

“
Yep, I
’
m sorry. I wish I could let you sleep longer, but we
’
ve got much to accomplish
today and little time to waste. I
’
m gonna grab a quick shower.
Drink your coffee and for your reading pleasure, I brought you a USA today to
peruse.
”
My solitary
shower completed, I found Vic dressed and ready to ride.

“
Don
’
t ask. It
’
s no fun showering alone. I
’
m ready when you are.
”
But I wasn
’
t.
I don
’
t want to leave, not this
way, not like this.
Last
night we crashed hard, landing in the reality of his making. We were no longer
playing make believe, we were no longer living a dream.
D is fighting for
his life; he
’
s also fighting for mine.

Chapter
52

A
quick breakfast, compliments of the Holiday Inn behind us, I strapped the bags
on the bike and we were on the road ten minutes shy of eight The crisp morning
Dakotan air was refreshing, if not exhilarating, cruising south on I-29 at 80
mph. Prairie turned into plains and plains turned into cornfields, silently
signaling our closing proximity to Sioux City.

I
changed my mind. Vic was not leaving my sight. Exiting onto 4th Street a few
minutes after ten, I weaved my way to the Crown Plaza, where I found my truck
and trailer exactly where I
’
d left it many weeks before.

“
Wish I could say we
’
re home, but that would be
an understatement. Again, I
’
m sorry, Victoria. It is what it is.
”

“
No apologies, D. I told you I have no regrets. I have a new
career path, more than enough assets and you. I
’
m set. Just promise me you
will take care of you.
”

Loading
the bike on the trailer, I quickly tied it down while Victoria tossed our bags
in the back of the truck. Her last statement deserved an answer, but not before
I climbed under the truck looking for any strange device or object that might
have appeared while I was gone.

Seriously, all I see are his
feet sticking out from under the truck.
“
Uh... umm
 
... lose something?
”

Confident
no one had attached a tracking device or possibly an IED (Improvised Explosive
Device) to my truck, I emerged, shaking my head no, before replying.
“
I promise. Second, I was
making sure I would honor that promise, beginning here, beginning now.
”
The fifteen-minute drive to her house in my truck took some
getting used to. No handlebar to hold onto, no wind in my face, no bugs in my
teeth ... rough life ahead I guess.
“
Vic, how long do you need to
transform from a biker babe to a lady of leisure?
”

Lady
of leisure, sounds like he
’
s calling me a
—
I smiled.
“
Thirty minutes, give or
take. I do need to go next door and pick up my mail.
”

Watching
her walk away without her ever present leathers reminded me so much of Candi.
Hopefully
soon, Candi
…
soon. We
’
ll see if Humpty Dumpty can
put us back together again. If not, there
’
s always Victoria,
who was screaming my name
over and over again in real time.

“
D, wake up! You could help you know.
”
Geez, men
!

I
looked up to see Vic, dragging two large boxes, her mail scattered across the
ground. I jumped from the truck and offered my assistance, gathering her
wayward mail, before tackling the heavy cardboard boxes.

“
They
’
re clothes, D, Candi
’
s and mine. You might as
well open them and put Candi
’
s in your truck, along with her leathers I left in the
back. Bring my bag into the house. I
’
ll repack it. Then we can
leave. Want something to drink?
”

“
Water, please.
”
Her well-appointed house, I assumed awarded to her in the
divorce, was a
’
60s red brick Craftsman in a quaint neighborhood with
manicured lawns. Not the kind of place for singles like Vic, but families with
kids or possibly retirees. Hardwood floors, solid core doors, and ornate crown
moldings highlighted an interior that was sparsely furnished. Compliments of
the divorce I am certain.

“
I
’
m sure I have that,
”
I winked, rummaging around in my near empty refrigerator.
“
When does my plane leave?
”

“
Hold that thought. I
’
ll let you know before you
’
re through packing.
”
I summoned
Siri
,
flights and times departing Sioux City, Iowa this afternoon. Ahh, technology. A
powerful tool, and an even more powerful enemy, creating the mostly sedentary
society to date.

I
tossed him a bottle before I peeled off my days old clothes and jumped into my
very own shower, breathing a welcome sigh of relief. With little time to wash
and dry my hair, I was perfectly content to scrub my body clean with my own
body wash for a change. Beaming from my instantaneous makeover, I was out the
door in twenty, repacked and ready to ride ... I mean fly.
“
So when does my plane leave,
D?
”

“
One Ten, going to Chicago O
’
Hare, I
’
ll book your next leg at the
airport.
”
At
least I hoped I could.
“
It
’
s 12:15.
 
We
’
d better go, girlfriend. You
need to make any stops along the way?
”

“
I do, lots of them. But they can wait. The quicker you see
me off, the quicker you
’
ll be on your way.
”

“
If you need to make stops, I
’
ll find you a later flight.
It
’
s
OK.
”

I
thought long and hard about his generous offer.
“
Will you leave me at the
airport to catch a later flight?
”
I
knew the answer before I asked
.

“
Nope. I
’
m staying until you
’
re on the plane, wheels up.
”

“
I thought so. Never mind.
”

I had us at the American Airlines
desk at 12:40 where I bought Vic a ticket to Chicago and a voucher that would
put her on the first available flight with open seats to Atlanta. “Here you go
girlfriend with twenty minutes to spare. By the way, did you call your cousin
and tell her you were coming? Just wondering.”

“
I did not. Didn
’
t exactly know if and when I
’
d get there. Will call her
from Chicago. Give me a hug and a kiss, Jon David. Then get your ass on the
road.
”

I
obliged wholeheartedly.
“
Thank you, Victoria, for being there for me ... in so many
ways. I
’
ll
miss you, girlfriend.
”

“
I
’
ll miss you.
…
Now go, before I start getting teary-eyed.
”
Too late, the tears cascaded across my cheeks while I tried
to walk away.

Catching
her arm, I spun her around and wiped her tears off with my fingers before
resorting to my sleeve. I whispered,
“
We created something
special, you and I. That can never be taken away. Remember that, Victoria. ...
In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger,
‘
I
’
ll be back.
’
You can count on it, girlfriend.
”
Vic pulled away, kissing me one last time on the cheek
before passing through security and out of my sight, leaving me with a hollow
feeling in my stomach and a lump in my throat.
I hope you know what you
’
re doing, D.
I didn
’
t. I really wished I did.

I
exited the short-term parking lot with my bike in tow and drove to the
cellphone waiting area. I made a call to Jim. ... and got his voice mail.

 
“
Jim, it
’
s D. Heading home ... alone.
Call when you can. I
’
ve got a days worth of windshield time ahead of me before I
stop.
”