Ride to Restoration (Ride Series Book 2) Page 8

“Morning, Cuz.”

  “Morning, Gio. When do you fly out?”

  “We not leave, we stay. I make sure you OK.”

  “I’ve got this, I really do. It’s just going to take time. Besides, what can you do that I can’t?” My phone whistled, notifying me of a text message, interrupting my conversation as well as my train of thought.

  It was from Marcy. I glanced it over before reading it aloud to Gio. “Found Major at Borderland Pet Resort, call me.”

  Gio could detect the excitement in my voice, “It’s good, yes? You leave message. He call me, I tell him story.”

  He has a point. Much better odds for D to call him than me. “Great idea, Gio. I am grateful you’re staying for a while. Hold that thought. I need to call Marcy back. Excuse me for a moment.”

  I pressed send. “Girl, you really wanted that trip to Calgary, didn’t you? How long did it take you to find Major?”

  “I did. But more than anything, I want you to be happy. D seemed to make you happy. I found his dog at the third of five kennels on my list. I hope he still wants you. Candice, what’s the message you want me to leave with them?”

  “Tell them that D needs to call Giovanna, ASAP. Hold on a sec, Marcy.”

  “Gio, do we dial the country code along with your number when you’re in the states?”

  “Hmm ... think so, Candice.”

  “Marcy, I’m back. Write this number down, along with the country code. Read it back to me. Thanks. Can you leave them a hundred dollar tip ensure they won’t forget to give him the message when he calls in?”

  “I can. Anything else, Candice?”

  “Not at the moment, girl. You’ve earned that trip to Calgary and more. I just remembered. The family has to attend a masquerade benefit for All Children’s Hospital two weeks from today. Can I fly you down here for that weekend?”

  “Let me check my work schedule and make sure I can get someone to cover for me. If I can, I’ll fly myself down late Thursday or Friday morning.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. After all you’ve done, I owe you. I’ll send the plane. Call me back with your schedule and we’ll work it out from there. Bye, Marcy.”

  I ended the call and said, “Gio, now that you and Mile are staying for a while, would you like to attend a benefit ball two weeks from today at the Marriott Waterside? It should be fun. We can even dress in costume. Marcy’s coming, I hope. Would you like to attend if you’re still here?”

  “We be here till D come. You see; he come soon. Party good I think. We be bikers. OK?”

  “OK ... I left all my biker babe stuff in Canada. But, I do have a brand new red dress. I could be Pretty Woman, aka biker babe. Maybe my prince charming could swoop in and carry me away on a motorcycle.”

  “We go shop, Candice. Always use more.”

  “Whatever you say, cuz. Whatever you say,” I agreed without thinking. I was lost in the moment, realizing for the first time we might be able to get a message to D sooner rather than later. Will he come for me or has he moved on and out of my life? Questions compounding questions consumed me and there were no concrete answers to settle my already troubled mind.

  Chapter 20

  Over a scrumptious late lunch of beef and broccoli with fried rice at Jamie’s Chinese Restaurant, it seemed like a good time to plan the next leg of our journey home. “Speaking of the ride, how’s your butt holding up so far, girlfriend?”

  “Pretty good, not counting the welts from this morning,” I replied, sheepishly.

  I laughed. “It’s decision time. Are we going the long fast route or the long, long fast route home?” Option one is to ride south through Williston, ND and the Bakken oil fields, which will be crowded with trucks and oil rigs. Or do we ride due north and then east to Winnipeg, Manitoba before heading south to Sioux City and home? Regardless, we’re three days out hard riding through North Dakota and possibly even five days out with stops through Winnipeg.”

  Only time will get Candi out of his head. “Choices, choices. Have you been both routes before? Which is the most scenic, D?”

  “North, for sure. There are thousands of lakes in southern Saskatchewan filled with millions of ducks and geese heading south this time of year. Plus, you’ll most likely see quite a few white tail and mule deer, a couple of moose and maybe even a bear or two.”

  “Ooh. I’ve never seen a bear in the wild before and I’ve sure never seen a moose, except on TV. Let’s go north, if that’s OK with you.”

  “North it is. If I can remember the name of an outfitter friend from up there that I hunted with a while back, maybe he can put us up for a night. That is, if he’s still in business. I’ll look him up on your iPad when we get back to the room. Speaking of moose, I’ll run you by the city’s claim to fame, Canada’s largest moose on the way to the resort.”

  “First the teepee, now a moose. What is with the Canadians having to have the biggest things on display?”

  “Cold winters, baby — cold, cold winters. What else do they have to do on those long winter nights, but dream, dreams and make up big things?”

  “D, I could think of a wide array of things to do on a cold winters night ... with you.” I winked ... He so caught my drift.

  We arrived at the resort late in the day; it was too late to think of eating again, but not too late to drink. “No more Molson’s for me today. I’ll be a good boy and split a bottle or two of wine with you if that’s OK, girlfriend?”

  “D, surely you know by now, you don’t have to get me drunk to take advantage of me.

  “I do. Tonight, I’ll try to forgo getting in your pants. I’m rather hoping to get in your head.”

  “Oh...” Imagine that. He wants in my head?

  After numerous searches, I found Greg’s number in Tisdale, SK and made the call to his office. No answer. Another voice mail! Rarely, does any human voice answer the phone anymore. Is it like that for everyone or just me?

  “Greg, It’s Jon David, don’t ask. I’m an asshole; I got it. A lot has happened since Texas. I’ll fill you in later. My lady lawyer friend and I are in Moose Jaw on my bike. We’d like to stop by. She would really like to see a wild bear or moose in the woods if at all possible. We’re not hunting mind you, this trip we’re tourists. If we shoot anything it will be by camera. I’ll pay you whatever you need to make it happen if you can pull this off on such short notice. Leave a message on this number. It’s a sat phone, which I check periodically. Thanks, Pal. We’ll catch up tomorrow if you’re around. Or not. Later.”

  Vic and I snuggled on the bed and drank our wine as we watched some chick flick on HBO. We were each waiting for the other to bring up the events from earlier in the day. Sleep crept up on us, silencing the demons we would eventually still have to face.

  My alarm went off at dark thirty. I hit snooze, realizing I was completely clothed and cold. Vic on the other hand, sometime in the night managed to snuggle under the comforter without me. “No fair, why didn’t you wake me?”

  Rousing faintly, “I tried. You were out like a light. Do you know how loud you snore on your back? I finally managed to push you on your side so I could go back to sleep. What time is it, anyway?”

  “Dark thirty. I’ve never heard myself snore. I’ve heard I can raise the roof, especially when I’m tired. I’m sorry. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to their gym and grab a quick workout. You’re welcome to join me.”

  “I’m fine right here, thank you. I will consider a ... joint ... workout if you’re not too stinky and sweaty when you get back,” I countered, before rolling over and dragging the comforter over my head.

  Twenty minutes on the treadmill at its highest incline at only 3 mph gets your heart pumping at 80%. Twenty minutes on the nautilus afterwards didn’t slow it down either. I returned to the room untouchable, stinky and sweaty on both counts. After a quick shower, I emerged from the bathroom to find Vic awake and patiently waiting for me, gloriously clothes free. Not one to miss an opportunity, I accepted her subtle, non-verba
l invitation. We romped and rolled just long enough for my hair to dry, but not long enough to stop the sweating. “We should have wrestled first, girlfriend. I left way too much of me in the gym.”

  “By the feel of things, you left quite a bit in here, too,” I acknowledged, rather candidly.

  “You make joke, funny girl. Share another shower with me. I’ll clean you up for free. Then we pack, we eat, we ride.”

  Chapter 21

  And ride we did, pulling out of the parking lot just after 7:30, heading west on the Trans- Canada Highway before going north on Canada Highway. 6. In a little under two hours we made it to Quill Lakes. Stopping to stretch at a wildlife viewing area, I grabbed my binoculars and gazed out over the thousands of ducks and geese, swimming and feeding in the lake. “Here Vic, look through these,” I said, offering her the glasses.

  “Wow, there are millions of them, D. And they will all fly south for the winter? I wonder if any of them will come through Iowa?”

  “This is a main staging area for the Central Flyway. Seems like most group here and head south following the food as they go. I’m sure many will wind up passing through Iowa.”

  Handing D back the binoculars while tugging at his sleeve, “I have to pee ... bad.”

  Looking around, I opened my arms wide, “The world is your throne, girlfriend.”

  Seriously, D, don’t you pick up on the important things? “Uh, I don’t do natural. I’m a girly-girl, remember?”

  “I do remember quite a bit about you, especially your exceptional skills, both with your clothes on and off. None of which have anything to do with your aversion to peeing in the great outdoors.”

  Grabbing some Kleenex from my saddlebag, “this is the best I can do. Turn towards the lake, drop em and let it fly. The bike will shield you from the road. Besides, it’s not like there’s bumper to bumper traffic today.”

  “OK,” I relented, “but look away. I’ve got to take off my jacket, undo the chaps, unbuckle the jeans, wiggle down my underwear...”

  “Quit talking about it, Vic. Like Nike says, ‘Just do it!’”

  Off in the distance, I noticed an 18-wheeler approaching fast. This could be fun. Timing is everything. With Vic bent over in all her glory, her milky white cheeks contrasting nicely with her black leather, I let the bike quietly roll backwards, grabbing my phone to capture this memorable Kodak moment.

  Making eye contact with the truck driver, I pumped my right arm up and down giving him the universal signal to lay down on his booming air horn. Rapid-fire pics from the iPhone captured what transpired over the next few moments. The horn, startling Vic forward in the middle of her business, then she lurched backwards and fell butt first onto the ground, right into her recently created wet spot.

  Looking over her right shoulder, her face flushing multiple shades of pissed, “Damn you, D. Damn you!” was all she managed to say before breaking out in laughter. “Ahhhhhhh—” was the last thing she muttered, before finishing up her business where she sat.

  “Girly-girl, no more!” I shouted. “You’ve just received a taste of country, along with a greater appreciation for the words, wet spot.”

  Asshole. “Yep, that’s me. A little taste of country, among other things, on my ass, my jeans, her chaps. At least I don’t have to sleep in it. Quit laughing. Don’t just stand there. Get off the bike and help me up. ... Now!”

  “Gladly,” I replied, grabbing a micro fiber windshield cloth from my bag, to wipe her off as I went. “I’m glad you can laugh at yourself. You’ll laugh even more when you see the pics.”

  “OMG, pics, for our eyes only, period. You upload them and I’ll castrate you while you sleep. Just a thought. Remind me to stop at a bathroom every hundred miles or so from now on, will ya?” I had to laugh, it was funny. I grabbed the cloth and cleaned the mess. “You owe me big time. What am I saying? I owe you, big boy. Paybacks are a bitch!”

  Our little roadside sideshow behind us, we made it to Melfort, SK just in time for lunch at a local haunt that’s famous for their burgers as well as their Sushi. I remember thinking, yuck, what a combination, yet the food was outstanding my last time through. Thankfully, we were not disappointed. Vic and I both had bacon Swiss burgers and fries, leaving the Sushi for the locals.

  “Next stop, Tisdale. You have a chastity belt with you?”

  “What are you talking about, D?” Like I need one?

  “You’ll see. Plus, I believe there’s another world’s largest something in Tisdale awaiting you.”

  “I can’t wait. About that chastity belt—”

  “Can’t explain it. You’ll just have to experience it firsthand.”

  Riding east on Canada Highway 3, we passed farm after farm that stretched for miles and miles. Slowing down enough to talk over the road noise, “Vic, did you know farmers up here can start harvesting grains in the morning until late at night for a solid week and never cross the same ground twice? That’s just how big these farms are here.”

  “Bet it’s a lonely place to live in the winter.”

  “Yep, that’s why they have such big...”

  “Things, I got it. Even then it would get old, huh?”

  “Ice hockey is big up here, just like football is at home. Communities come together at least once a week during the season. It’s a long season, too. There’s a photo op coming up on the right. I expect you to help me make a memory. Close your eyes girlfriend. Don’t open ’em till we stop.”

  Pulling off the road in a well-traveled wide spot, I stopped. “You can open your eyes now, Vic.” By the looks of things it was a jaw dropping moment.

  WTF? “Are you serious, D? What were they thinking? A man did that, no doubt. No woman in her right mind would ever have approved this sign. Yep, this is a serious photo op. Hell-o, it’s a photo worth hanging on my wall. How do we do this for maximum effect?”

  “Well, you could start by standing there with nothing on but your chaps. That would surely get my attention.”

  “Be serious. Stop thinking with your little brain.” The one I’ve recently grown fond of.

  “I always think with my little brain first … before jumping on to my big one.”

  “Bet you wish that was reversed don’t you, little pecker?” I asked, patting him on the crotch before assuming the position. “How’s this?”

  Both hands outstretched, palms up, just to the right of the sign said it all, as in WTF? The wide angle lens of my digital camera captured it perfectly,

  Welcome to Tisdale, the Land of Rape and Honey

  “Now to explain, Victoria. Rape stands for rape seed which is where canola oil comes from. It’s grown here religiously as a cash crop and usually more valuable than wheat.”

  “And the honey?”

  “Bees are used to pollinate these crops. Hives are everywhere, thus the honey and a statute of the world’s largest bee. OK, maybe the second largest,” I confessed.

  Shrugging my shoulders as if to ask what’s next, “I’m glad you clarified that to me. I’d hate to brag about seeing the biggest bee, just for somebody to tell me I was wrong. I’ll take the sign over the honeybee any day. Can you imagine being welcomed into a town like this at home? Bubba would have a field day.”

  “Would make for an amusing argument for the defense.”

  “Not hardly, that is unless Bubba went both ways. Which, come to think of it, I’ve heard he does. Now that would be an amusing defense.”

  “That even hurts to think about it.”

  “My point exactly. Thanks for stopping, I think.”

  “Girlfriend, just a few more miles, conservatively speaking, and we’ll be there.”

  “Great. I can’t wait to shower and wash off all that remains of this lingering wet spot.”

  Chapter 22

  Making memories, that was my goal today. Forty-some minutes later, I pulled into Mistatim — population 73 — made a left across the railroad tracks and pulled up to the Mistatim Hotel and Bar.

  “What’s this, D
?” Surely, we’re not stopping here. Maybe D wants a beer.

  “Our home for the night.”

  “You’re joking, right? This place is a hole in the wall and I don’t even know what that means.”

  “You’re about to find out. Let’s go inside and see if they have any rooms.”

  “After you.” Be good, Victoria. D has a method to his madness. Or so he says.

  Sauntering inside and up to the empty bar with Vic reluctantly in tow, I inquired, “Bartender?”

  “Name’s, Will.”

  “Sir Will, I'm D. Do you have a suite available for tonight for me and my beautiful, scrumptious friend?”

  Looking around the room in the motionless bar, Will replied, “you’re in luck, we’ve just had a cancellation. All our rooms are suites, so pick your poison,” he continued, throwing down a half dozen keys onto the bar top.

  I spoke up, “Will, is it? Good to meet you. I’m Victoria. Can we see the rooms first, especially the ones with a tub?”

  “Miss, I’m not sure what you’re expecting, but you’re welcome to look around. You do know where you are, Ma’am?”

  “I know we’re in Canada. I know we’ve just come through the land of ... rape and honey. And now we’re here.”

  “D, right? You’d best show her the rooms on your own. I wouldn’t go up there with her for no amount of money.”

  “Come, Vic. Will is right as rain. I’ll be glad to show you the rooms.” Walking up the creaky wooden, L-shaped staircase, eventually turned us down a long narrow blank hallway with white painted doors, half missing their numbers. “Quaint, isn’t it?”

  “Hell-o! Quaint is not how I’d describe it, D. More like a boarding house I’d picture sitting next to the Bate’s Motel.”

  “Give it a chance. Will ya? Let’s at least look at the rooms.” Rummaging around in my hand, I found the key to room number 6. “Here let’s check this one out.”

  “I hate to tell you, D, but this is room nine.”

  Flipping the number right side up the way it was supposed to be before it lost a screw, “see I told you it was a six. It just needs a screw.”