Break Away

by Diane Benefiel

  Zoey’s Prius was in its spot in front of her cottage. Going with the impulse, he stopped next to her car and leaned over to remove the extra helmet he’d hooked under the seat of the motorcycle, hoping she’d come for a ride with him. He climbed the steps to the porch, and once again Lucy announced him before he could knock.

  The door swung open, framing the woman who had started occupying an inordinate amount of his attention lately. Zoey still wore the dress, but he didn’t think that was what hit him like a sucker punch. The whole deal. The dark eyes, the mass of hair that seemed to go every which way, and the curvy little body he wanted to get his hands on in the worst way.

  She didn’t seem surprised to see him.

  “Levi.”

  “Zoey.” She gazed at him and he didn’t have a clue what she was thinking. He knew what he was thinking. How she made him feel more like himself when he was with her, that simply seeing her made his day better, and how he could get used to that.

  “Want to come for a ride with me?”

  Lucy nosed around Zoey to sniff his jeans, then lean her not insubstantial weight against his leg.

  Zoey lowered her brows and, call him crazy, but he found her instant suspicion a turn-on. “On your motorcycle?”

  “Yeah, on my motorcycle.” He motioned to the sky. “You see that?”

  She looked past him. “What?”

  He snagged her hand and walked her to the edge of the porch, Lucy following them. From there they could see the wide canvas of the western sky aglow with vibrant shades of pink and lavender, the granite peaks of the Sierras showing in an uneven silhouette.

  “Come with me. We’ll ride around the lake.” He held up the helmet, eyebrow cocked.

  She looked from the sky to Levi, then a smile bloomed. “Let me change into pants and a jacket. But, to make sure we’re clear, this isn’t a date.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Here, you’re wearing this on our non-date.” Levi held out a bulky jacket. His words were light, but he seemed to be trying to shake off a mood. Since Zoey was feeling a bit preoccupied, too, maybe an evening ride would do them good.

  In jeans and a jacket, she locked Lucy into the cottage. Levi returned from a quick trip to his cabin wearing black boots and pants with a leather coat over the body armor he’d worn before. Bad-boy sexy, and she appreciated the view.

  “I’m wearing my denim jacket.”

  “This one is reinforced with impact protectors. See?” He opened it to show her how protective plates were sewn into the garment. “It’ll be big on you but gives a lot more protection than what you’re wearing.”

  She shed her jacket, dropping it on the loveseat, and donned the reinforced one. Before she could zip it, he held it open. “See these?” He held up a strap. “This strap goes around the belt loop on your jeans. They’ll need to be cinched down since the jacket will be way too long on you.”

  “What’s the point of the straps?”

  “If you do hit the pavement, it keeps the jacket from pulling up and exposing your skin to the asphalt.”

  “Oh, that’s smart.” She attached the strap to a belt loop on the front of her jeans, then Levi moved behind her to attach the ones in the rear. Warm fingers brushed against the skin of her back, then she felt him go still until he traced a finger above the waistband of her jeans. “There’s the top edge of a tattoo here.”

  “Everyone does something dumb when they’re young.”

  “Getting the tattoo was dumb? Does it have an ex’s name or something?”

  “God no. Not that dumb. The tattoo is okay, but I guess I’ve outgrown it. I’m glad I stopped at one.”

  “You going to let me see the entire design?”

  She pulled the jacket more securely over her hips and turned to face him. “Is this the modern version of I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”

  His grin was quick. “Could be.”

  “I don’t think so, handsome. At least not right now. Besides, the sun’s going down and we’re going to miss the window for our ride.”

  “Right.” He handed her a helmet. “Put this on.”

  He put on his helmet, then pulled on thick black gloves. “Ever been on a motorcycle before?”

  “Does a moped count?”

  He snorted. “No, it does not. Motorcycles are in an entirely different class. A couple of pointers: Don’t be shy about wrapping your arms around me, that’s how you’ll stay on the bike. Lean into the turns. If I lean, you lean. Keep the face shield down unless you want a bug or rock in the face. Last thing, my helmet is Bluetooth enabled, yours is not, so if there’s an emergency, get my attention by tapping my shoulder. We won’t be able to talk once we’re moving.”

  “Got it.”

  They settled onto the seat and in seconds the rumble of the bike filled the air as they rolled down the driveway and onto the road. With her heart in her throat, Zoey rested her cheek against Levi’s leather jacket and wrapped her arms around his waist. She hadn’t anticipated the rush of acceleration. She didn’t think they were going any faster than they would have in a car, perhaps slower, but the sensation was wicked fast movement.

  They zipped down the winding road toward Hangman’s Loss. Levi pulled to a stop at the highway that turned into Main Street once in town. He raised his visor and shouted, “Loosen up. You’re stiff.”

  He flipped down the visor and took off. Zoey needed to stop worrying they were going to end up smeared on the road and embrace the adventure. Hugging Levi felt natural, and when she did as he’d told her and leaned with him into the curves, the movement of the bike felt less scary.

  Hangman’s Loss whizzed by in a blur. Once outside town, he flexed his hands on the grips and they zoomed onto the road with the wind whistling by.

  Once past Hangman’s Lake, Levi took the fork that brought them up and over a rise, and then down into the valley where they zipped past meadows bordered by dark pines, dotted by grazing cattle.

  The day had turned to dusk and the sky darkened to deep purple. The bridge over the creek rumbled as they crossed, and they sped past the campground at the end of the valley. The highway snaked into the mountains, and she’d learned to anticipate the movement of the bike so she and Levi were responding as a unit.

  Wrapped around him, she could feel his sinewy strength as he controlled the big bike. She tried to ignore the pull of attraction and reminded herself this wasn’t a date, and they were not going there.

  She loved the freedom of riding and being so close to nature. The bike slowed as they neared the top, then Levi pulled into a turnout.

  The single headlight sliced through the vast semidarkness as he rolled to the guardrail of a lookout. He set the kickstand and she loosened her hold, and following Levi’s motion, she swung her leg over the seat, then took off the helmet and shook out her hair.

  Levi secured the helmets to the bike, then held his hand out. “Come.”

  Entwining her fingers with his seemed like habit, and it took a moment before she considered what they were doing. She tried to free her hand. “We can’t hold hands. That would make this a date.”

  “A date involves dinner.”

  “We ate together at your mom’s place.”

  “Being at Mom’s place in the company of my entire family makes this most definitely a non-date. Holding hands can’t change that reality. Besides, you like holding my hand.”

  “Oh, really.”

  “Really. Because I’m a hot guy and you kind of dig me. That’s okay. I’m digging you too.” Despite his teasing, she detected undercurrents she couldn’t identify.

  “Were you born cocky?”

  He chuckled. “Seems like.” He led her along a stone walkway, and when they rounded the curve of the hillside, quiet enfolded them. Gone was the occasional sound of a passing vehicle, now all she heard was the wind through the pines and the twitters of birds settling for the night.

  Even though it wasn’t completely dark, Levi took out his phone and turned on
the flashlight. A few steps farther and they came to an alcove hollowed into the hillside. An intricately carved bench that looked as if it could have grown there was nestled into the protective embrace of the earth.

  Zoey ran her fingers over the grain of the wood. “This is beautiful. I had no idea it was here.”

  Levi shone the light on a small brass plaque. She leaned over to see it, reading the words out loud. “In loving memory of Ben Gallagher. We lived and loved, and you are missed every day. Love, Trish.” Emotion brought tightness to her throat. “Your mom had this bench placed here for your dad.”

  “Yeah. My motorcycle was his. He would take Mom for rides up here. This was one of their favorite spots.” When he spoke, his voice was a little rougher than usual. He pulled her to sit beside him on the bench.

  She gazed out at the incredible view. The lights of Hangman’s Loss glimmered across the dark expanse of the lake. The businesses on Main Street glowed brightly while warmer lights from the homes nestled into the forest gleamed like jewels.

  In the eastern sky a faint scattering of the brightest stars were visible. The altitude combined with night’s arrival made the temperature drop rapidly, and she was glad for the heavy motorcycle jacket. Levi stretched an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to him. “This make it too date-ish?”

  She leaned into him. “Maybe, but it’s nice.” She wouldn’t let herself think about just how right it felt to be here with him. There was a bare whisper of sound and the shadowy form of an owl glided past them.

  “Everything looks so pretty from up here.”

  “You’ve never been here before?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve driven by the turnout probably a hundred times, but never stopped. I’m glad you brought me.” She turned her gaze from the view to focus on the man beside her. Despite her vulnerability issues, and the fear of growing too close to Levi, she sensed he had something on his mind and figured she’d be friendly and ask. “You going to tell me what’s bothering you?”

  He stilled for a moment and was quiet. She didn’t think he was going to answer. Better that way, really. She didn’t want to be privy to his inner thoughts. Knowing him, he’d expect her to reciprocate, and that wasn’t going to happen.

  When she felt certain he was letting it slide, he surprised her by answering in a low tone. “I’ve come to the realization I’ve been running away for the past decade. Maybe I was running when I left Oakland PD.”

  She shouldn’t ask. She asked, “How so?”

  “As I go through it, I’m only beginning to understand. Like, I could’ve come home after college, and instead went into the police academy and joined the force in Oakland.” She felt his shrug against her shoulder. “I did good work there so it wasn’t a bad decision.”

  “Why do you think that was running away?”

  He loosened his grip on her hand but still held it in his, staring out at the view as he rubbed his thumb across her palm. She should’ve pulled her hand away, broken the intimacy, but was pretty sure he was caught up in the memories and wasn’t aware of what he was doing.

  “Because being home reminded me of my dad. I didn’t want to be in a place where every time I turned around there was someone telling me how sorry they were, or what a good guy Ben Gallagher was.”

  He sighed. “Then there was Brad. It felt like I couldn’t breathe without him getting on my case.” He shook his head. “I was a selfish bastard. When Dad died, I was so caught up in my own head, I didn’t care or pay attention to how hard it was for everyone else. Mom moved to LA to help Maddy after Lily was born. They’d both lost Dad too, then they were dealing with a sick baby. That was hard. As hard as it gets. I didn’t make it any easier on anyone.”

  “Weren’t Maddy and Logan going together?”

  “They’d broken up, and he went into the military. He didn’t know about Lily. Maddy made us swear not to tell him. Lily died, and it seemed like we’d just buried Dad, and then we were putting another family member in the ground.”

  Her heart hurt for him. For all of them. “You were a teenager. At the time, you think you’re all grown up, but really you were still a kid. You’re being too hard on yourself. Your family was going through an extremely difficult time. But from what I saw today, you supported one another as best you could, and have come out the other side pretty damn well.”

  He brought her hand up, pressing his lips to her knuckles, sending warmth rolling through her. “I wish I’d been more of a help than a burden. I was such an idiot. I never thought about how much Brad sacrificed. He left college to be home with me when Mom moved to LA.”

  “He loves you, and my bet, he’s proud of you.”

  “I might not have made it if it wasn’t for him.”

  “I think you would have, but maybe it would’ve been a rougher ride along the way.” His expression was grim as he gave a curt nod. Despite the raw emotion he’d revealed, she thought there was more. She’d seen the shadows drop over his eyes, seen how sometimes he seemed to be elsewhere even when she was only feet away from him.

  That she wanted to help alleviate his pain made her an idiot. Talk like this only deepened their relationship, and she was pretty sure she didn’t want that with him. Yet, as if her mouth wasn’t connected to her brain, she asked, “What made you decide to leave the Oakland PD?”

  His grim expression turned into a mask of stone. “It’s complicated.”

  She frowned. “I’d read about a questionable officer-involved shooting in Oakland several months ago. A cop shot an unarmed black man. Were you involved in that?”

  “Let’s not ruin our evening. Best to agree to disagree.”

  She nodded while wondering how big a violation of trust it would be to do an Internet search for “Levi Gallagher” and “officer-involved shooting.”

  She opened her mouth, but Levi held up a hand, head cocked. There was a rustling nearby, like something brushing against dry leaves, and a moment later a small shape emerged from the low brush at the edge of the clearing. Levi brought up his phone’s flashlight to reveal the tawny coat and pointed ears of a feline. “That’s a bobcat. A young one,” Zoey whispered. “He’s beautiful.”

  She watched, their hands still linked, as the wildcat saw them, froze, then darted back into the darkness.

  Keeping their hands clasped, Levi stood and pulled her up. Silently, they returned to the motorcycle and were soon winding their way down the mountain.

  As she laid her head against his back, Zoey felt the night cocoon them. Wrapped in their own world, they seemed to move as one through the curves and turns until they slowed to pass through Hangman’s Loss where the shops and restaurants were brightly lit. The road from the highway took them home, and Levi rolled slowly up their driveway, stopping next to her Prius. He steadied her with a hand to her arm as she swung her leg over the bike.

  They stood next to the motorcycle and she pulled off her helmet, handed it to him, then unzipped and unsnapped the jacket and held it out for him to take.

  She wasn’t sure if he was feeling the heightened intimacy between them. Probably it was all in her head, and for him this was exactly what she’d told him she wanted, a non-date.

  When she glanced up and caught the intense look he shot her, she knew he was feeling it too.

  She couldn’t invite him in. The impulse to do it was on the tip of her tongue, but she liked him too much, and the evening ride had been too magical. And really, sitting on the bench his mother had dedicated with love to his father while Levi had opened up about the time after his dad had died? Zoey was feeling a little too connected to him, and too vulnerable.

  If he came inside, they’d end up in bed, and it wouldn’t be a hookup.

  Lucy woofed her welcome-home bark, and Zoey never loved her dog more than in that moment.

  “Thanks for the evening, Levi.”

  He didn’t say anything, but his penetrating gaze had heat coiling in her belly. He didn’t act on that look. He gave her an abrupt
nod then turned to her porch.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To make sure nothing’s been messed with, that everything’s okay with your house.”

  She trailed him up the steps to where her furniture and the fresh flowers she’d picked to replace the others were as she had left them.

  “Keys?” She raised a brow when Levi held out a hand. “Humor me.”

  She dug out her keys from her pocket and dropped them onto his outstretched palm. He took them and unlocked the door. Lucy remembered her manners for once and sat while they entered the house.

  “We’re fine. Everything looks as it should be.”

  “Yeah. Guess Bear Dog wouldn’t be this relaxed if anyone had broken in.” He set her keys on the end table and gave Lucy a quick pet before turning to the door. “Good night, Zoey.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Zoey leaned back on the pillows piled against the headboard of her bed. Lucy lay in her own bed, which took up nearly a quarter of the floor space of the small bedroom. The phone on the nightstand chimed with an incoming text. Zoey chided herself for feeling disappointed when she saw the message was from Eva.

  E: Don’t check your LookBook status.

  Z: Why?

  E: Trust me. It’ll be down soon.

  Eva’s warning was like bait.

  Zoey opened her tablet and tapped on the LB icon. Her family and social circle were small. Usually, she didn’t have many notifications. The little bell dinged and “9+” came up. The drop-down tab showed a list mostly from people she knew: Eva, Maddy, Diego, Trish, as well as some names she didn’t recognize. They had commented on a post from the Hangman’s Loss community page.

  She tapped the screen and opened the page. A post by “Slut Patrol” popped up. She squinted to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing, then tapped on the image to make it larger. A woman wearing only a red thong and impossibly high heels, her naked breasts larger than Zoey could ever hope for, had one leg wrapped around a metal pole. Zoey’s face was plastered onto whoever’s body.