“Meeting a friend.”

I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Okay. Stretching the truth just a bit.”

“Why is that so funny? Aren’t we supposedly trying to be friends? That was your idea.”

“I use the term friend very loosely. Sort of like—oh, I don’t know—girlfriend.”

“I’m not your girlfriend.”

“No, you’re my fucking wife.”

“Chance…”

“Relax. I’m kidding.” Not really. “Look, my point is, you can convince yourself that this is innocent for now, but I doubt Dick would want you spending time with a supposed friend whose ultimate goal is to steal you from him. Said friend also happens to have a key to your place when he doesn’t. Don’t think I didn’t catch that. Make no mistake about it, Aubrey. Stealing you away from him is my ulterior motive in case I hadn’t made that crystal clear. I’m your friend for now, but that’s not enough for me. Never will be. I want you beneath me every night and across from me every morning at the breakfast table. Fuck that, I want you for breakfast. I won’t be satisfied until I own all of you.” Pissed at myself for losing my composure on what was supposed to be a peaceful trip for pie, I pulled at my hair and looked down at my empty plate. My voice lowered. “I’m sorry. I just can’t fucking pretend.”

Taken aback, she was quiet but nodded in understanding. “It’s okay.”

After my awkward outburst, we needed a change of scenery. I got up out of my seat. “You want to take a walk around, see the sights, before we head back on the road?”

“I’d love to.”

We went for a stroll and ended up stopping inside a small bookstore that also sold trinkets. Aubrey was eying this bracelet that had some Buddhist peace symbol on it. When she became immersed in a Deepak Chopra book, I took one of the bracelets to the register and bought it.

Once we stepped outside, I handed it to her. “Here. I wanted to get you something so that you remember your first trip by motorcycle. I hope it’s not the last.”

“As if I could ever forget this day,” she said. “But that was really sweet of you. Thank you. I love it so much.”

“I know. I saw you looking at it. I was looking at you, because I can’t keep my eyes off you. So…” I put my hands in my pockets and looked around as my words trailed off.

She placed it on her tiny wrist. “Maybe this will help channel some much needed peace in my life.”

As we stood there on the sidewalk, it really hit me that this situation was equally hard on her. I spent so much time immersed in my own fears that I had a tendency to forget what all of this might have been like for Aubrey. To have me come back practically from the dead just when she was getting her life in order. It turned her world upside down.

So tempted to hold her hand, I grinded my teeth and refrained. Instead, I said, “Hiking is big around here. If we had more time, we could have stayed at one of the cabins, made a weekend out of it. I know you have to get back.”

“Maybe another time.” She smiled.

“Yeah.”

About an hour later, we were back on the open road. Something about the tone of the ride home was much different than the first trip. As the reddish sun was setting on the horizon, her grip on me had definitely relaxed a bit. We were both quiet, and about halfway through, Aubrey rested her chin on my back. It was a small gesture but sent what felt like electricity through me. It meant everything. It was easy to envision us taking trips like this every weekend. There was nothing like the feeling of having your woman on the back of your bike.

She was my woman. Whether or not I was her man was the question that remained.

When we pulled up to her bungalow, the sound of crickets replaced the roaring engine of the bike as I shut it off. We both sat there in silence. She wasn’t getting off and hadn’t let go of my waist, so I didn’t move.

Finally, she spoke. Her voice was quiet. “I won’t string you along forever, Chance. I promise. It’s not fair. I have to figure this out.”

I lifted her hands that were still wrapped around my waist and clutched them tightly around my chest. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, Princess.”

She let out a deep breath and jumped off the bike while I stayed on. I could see Pixy in the window watching us. Blind goat, my ass.

I tugged at the front of her leather jacket flirtatiously. “When will I see you again?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Think about it.”