Ride to Redemption Read online

  All I could do was nod. The passion and the depth of her kiss was both humbling and exciting. With each breath, I breathed her oxygen into me, and with each exhale, she breathed my air in return. The longer we kissed, the hotter the air we exchanged became. Suddenly the iron hold I’d had on my emotions broke, and I felt like maybe, just maybe it was possible for me to experience love again.

  Taking Candi’s hand, I led her to the porch swing on the lower deck. Moving behind her on the swing, I began to rock her back and forth, while running my fingers through her luxurious, wavy hair. I buried my face in her hair, nuzzling her neck and breathing in the sweetness of her perfume. I placed a lingering kiss on her neck and felt her heartbeat race.

  “Come here, baby,” Candi said as she turned into my embrace. This time when we came together, our hands roamed and caressed. Our touching was frantic, like we were afraid we’d never get enough of this feeling.

  Please don’t let me spoil this moment, I thought. Let this be real and not just the lust of the lonely. I’d really like this to be something, I was surprised to find myself silently pleading.

  “What did you say?” asked Candi, smiling warmly.

  Apparently my pleas weren’t quite as silent as I thought! “I don’t want to screw this up,” I said sheepishly, feeling the grin on my face. “Forgive me please, Candi, but it’s been a very long time.”

  “It’s been a long time for me, too,” she said as she took my hand.

  I led her up the stairs and into the den. We sat down on the leather sofa and then Candi climbed into my lap. She’s apparently a take-charge type of girl, I thought. I like that!

  Candi unbuttoned my shirt and kissed and bit my neck, while running her fingers across my chest. “I’ll only go as far as you want to go,” Candi breathed.

  This reversal of roles had the teenage boy in me saying, “Yes! Please, yes!” while the man said go slow so that this indescribable feeling never ends.

  I unbuttoned her silk blouse with my left hand and unclasped her Victoria Secret bra with my right. Her bodacious tatas bounced willingly out of captivity, spilling onto my chest and into my hands. Because of their magnificent size, I was able to press them together and tease them wickedly with my lips, all the while caressing her back and shoulders.

  Candi whispered, “Awesome, D, please make this feeling last a long, long time.”

  Our passionate kisses and caresses continued, but neither of us ventured further into the abyss. This was more than enough for now … for both of us.

  Chapter 2

  Days had passed since I dropped Candi off at Starbucks and I could not get her out of my mind. We texted daily, emailed relentlessly and talked on the phone almost every night. This was nice, but I longed for her physical presence. I missed her smile, the softness of her hands, her perfume … I had to see her again!

  Against my better judgment and without informing the powers that be, I jumped in my M3, put the top down, and headed south — balls to the wall. My small brain was in the driver’s seat, but my intellect was willing to let him take the wheel. I had a pressing need to see her and be with her again.

  I called Candi at the children’s hospital in Chattanooga where she works and asked her to run away with me. After a long pause, her voice now filling with excitement, she agreed to meet me later that afternoon. Since I had some time on my hands, I picked up two bottles of Pinot Noir, along with another bouquet from Blossoms. The latter, I learned does not hold up very well with the top down, cruising at 80+ miles an hour down Highway 111. Fortunately, much to my chagrin, there were a few stout petals left on the stems when I slid into the patient pick-up zone at the hospital. Found a quaint B&B near Cloudland Canyon State Park; just an hour’s drive southwest. According to the information I looked up on the iPhone, it looked like a historically significant antebellum mansion, overlooking the canyon. I called and booked the only suite, which Kay, the owner, assured me was the best room her home had to offer.

  Candi was nervously pacing outside when I arrived. She was dressed professionally in a red and black linen suit that complimented an ivory silk blouse, which was unbuttoned just enough to tease.

  “Awesome, baby!” I exclaimed using the term she’d used for me before, anticipating another milestone in our budding relationship. I jumped out of the car with the nearly petal-less bouquet in hand and presented her with what only could be described as a flowerless bundle of blossoms.

  Without a pause, Candi’s lips met mine. After a long and lingering kiss, she whispered in my ear, “It’s the thought that counts, baby.”

  As I put her things into the car, she asked, “Just where are we going?”

  “Into the sunset, darling … I’m just certain. Close your eyes and dream of all the unfinished business we have left. We’ll be there before you know it.”

  It’s absolutely amazing, just how many parts of a passenger’s body you can reach, touch and caress in an M3.

  “I love the feel of the wind in my hair,” plied Candi, all the while reciprocating each caress.

  “If only …” I uttered under my breath, but evidently loud enough for Candi to hear.

  “If only what?”

  “If only you were commando, baby,” I sighed.

  She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and an evil grin on her face. I’d unleashed the dragon buried in Pandora’s box! Suddenly her Victoria’s Secret thong was secret no more. With a flip of her hand, it was off and tossed to the wind. Thankfully, my M3 has a built-in windscreen meant to reduce wind noise and buffering … and as of today, it also catches flying thongs.

  Emboldened along the winding two-lane road that offered little to no traffic, my hand moved to the inside of her thighs, deep beneath her skirt. Candi melted into the leather seat, while keeping her skirt modestly covering her most intimate parts. Seeing the excitement in her beautiful brown eyes, I could barely focus on the road. I longed to pull over at the next semi-secluded wide place and be sixteen again.

  Okay, this has to stop or we’re going to crash and die! I murmured. Caught up in the moment, I couldn’t even remember where we were going. My sudden memory loss might have something to do with the unmanageable constriction in my jeans, coupled with my ever-present desire to take her now. Thankfully, I had programmed my GPS earlier, whereby it displayed our destination, we were minutes to arrival. Only 15 minutes … surely I could make it that long.

  After what seemed like the longest fifteen minutes of my life, we arrived at our destination.

  “Beautiful,” Candi exclaimed, as we pulled up to the massive front entrance featuring four large stone columns reaching 30 feet toward the arched roof.

  Kay, the owner greeted us and shared that her family had owned the home since long before the Civil War. She welcomed us warmly and showed us to our suite, located atop the winding staircase. The suite encompassed half the second floor.

  The room included a king-sized four-poster bed, a Jacuzzi tub for two, a four-person tile shower with dual controls, and a hand-hewed stone hearth complimenting a working fireplace. Pictures on the walls displayed Confederate War Generals from Robert E. Lee to Stonewall Jackson. Crossed Confederate swords hung over the fireplace and books of the Civil War were stacked and staged on the bookcases throughout. To my surprise, I realized that I’d booked the General’s Suite.

  “If you need anything, just ask,” Kay said. “Breakfast will be served from 7 to 9 a.m. Homemade desserts are available after 6 p.m. You’ll find them in the main dining room downstairs. Feel free to help yourself.”

  “Thank you, Kay, for your kindness and genuine southern hospitality. I’m sure everything will be just fine,” I said, just before Candi almost slammed the door in Kay’s face. Apparently she was in a hurry for something more than Kay could currently offer.

  I realized I was still holding the two bottles of wine nestled in my arms, as I stared at Candi with the excitement in my pants growing even more painful. Trying to seem like I wasn’t totally desperat
e, I asked innocently, “Should we sit for a while?”

  Candi coyly answered with a question of her own, “Just what are your intentions for the evening, baby?”

  Before I could muster up an answer, she pushed me back onto the bed and down into the feathered comforter. Her body rested squarely on mine, our lips locked, as our tongues danced, much like our first kiss. Though, unlike our first encounter, we couldn’t maintain our sense of control and our clothes were effortlessly shed.

  “Candi?” I asked. “Will you lay back and close your eyes for me? I want you to feel each sensation as I explore every inch of your body.”

  We made love for hours until we were trembling and spent from our efforts. Completely satisfied, we snuggled together and sleep came quickly. My day closed much differently than the countless empty ones before it, and with a kindred spirit nestled in my arms, I realized that for this moment at least, I was with someone I honestly adored.

  Chapter 3

  I woke long before daylight and watched Candi while she slept soundly beside me. Eventually, I decided to get moving and eased myself out of bed. I made my way to my workout clothes, slipped them on, and headed out the door to greet the sunrise. I knew there were some great nature trails with inclines in this area, and I hoped I could get a good solid hour of cardio in, before Candi woke up.

  Hiking along the top of the ridge toward the rim of Cloudland Canyon, I could see a vast carpet of white along the canyon floor. Daybreak is the best time for me to focus on the day and dismiss any negative thoughts. On this day, however, I didn’t have any negative thoughts, only fond memories of last night and great hopes for what might come.

  On my return, I made my way to the dining room where I found fresh-baked pastries, along with an assortment of coffees and teas. I made two black teas and grabbed a rose from the fresh flower arrangement on the table in the foyer, then headed to the room. Just as I opened the door, Candi opened her eyes. With a tender and quiet voice, I said, “Here, baby. This rose is for you.” I placed it softly by her head and kissed her on the cheek. “Good morning, my lady. It’s time to rise and shine. I’ve got tea for you. You should drink it while I shower.”

  I hadn’t been in the shower for more than ten seconds, when I felt a sudden breeze. I turned and saw Candi, stepping inside. She was just as beautiful as the night before, and offered to wash me with the lavender scented body wash, graciously provided by our host. She paid particular attention to the now rigid parts of my body.

  “Awesome, baby. Awesome,” she whispered, satisfied and content that she had accomplished what she had set out to do. “Breakfast awaits, my darling.”

  When we sauntered into the dining area, Candi and I discovered that Kay was not only a great innkeeper, but also an excellent cook. The breakfast spread included fresh strawberries and cream, apple cinnamon scones, spinach frittatas with bacon and cheddar, and German pancakes, called Dutch Babies. It was a breakfast feast befitting a princess and the frog that tagged along.

  We finished our meal and gathered our things to make our journey home. “It’s reality check time, Candi. Back to the world as we know it.” I gave her a woeful smile before asking my next question on my mind. “Can you drive a stick?”

  “Of course I can,” she replied, beaming with confidence. “My first car was a stick.”

  “Excellent, baby. You drive,” I shouted as I jumped in the passenger seat and dropped the top.

  Candi settled into the driver’s seat and said, “You’ll have to be patient for a moment while I get used to this. It’s been a while.”

  Just as I said, “No problem,” the M3 hopped forward like a rabbit and stalled.

  “Hang on! I got this. I got this!” Candi yelled. “Hang on, baby. Choo-choo here we come!”

  It didn’t take long for Candi to get used to the sensitivity of the clutch. She relaxed and ran her fingers through her hair, letting it flow in the constant breeze. “I love the wind in my hair, D. It’s invigorating.”

  “You must love a good motorcycle ride, then.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never ridden one,” Candi replied. “The closest I’ve ever been to a motorcycle is when I was an ER manager and we were pulling out leftover pieces of the bikes that had been removed from our patient’s bodies. We call you biker guys ‘organ donors.’”

  “Oh, not all bike trips end like that, I assure you.” I tried to schmooze her just a little, as I laid out my long-range plans. “Ever thought about a cross-country trip on a bike? If you love that wind in your hair, there’s no better way!”

  She gave me a sly grin and asked, “Just what are you trying to say, Big Boy?”

  “Well, I’ve got a proposition for you. I’m leaving in two weeks for a 21-day bike ride through the western states and Canada. If you agree to go, I’ll fly you in and out anywhere along my route. That way you can pick where you want to visit and fly out when you need to get back to work.” I fully expected her to tiptoe around the question and find an easy out. However, to my surprise, she jumped in feet-first!

  “I’m in!” she cried. “When do we leave?”

  “In two weeks, baby. I hope that’ll give you enough time to settle your schedule and get things together.” I could see the feminine wheels turning in her head before I’d finished my sentence. I knew what she was thinking before she breathed her next words.

  “I have to go shopping!”

  Question after question, rolled across her lips and I tried my best to prepare her for the worst case scenario we might encounter along the way, while hoping only for the best.

  “First things first,” I said. “You need a helmet that fits snug and expensive leathers.”

  The helmet Candi understood, but the puzzled look on her face about the leather comment sent her mind elsewhere.

  “Not kinky bedroom stuff, baby,” I laughed, “but functional leather wear: jackets, chaps, and boots. You need leather made strong enough to protect your body from road rash in the event we have an unwelcome encounter with the road.”

  A purposely, long and slow, southern “Ohhhh,” was Candi’s only response to that statement, so I tried to change the subject quickly as possible.

  “I assure you that we will both go shopping for your gear. And yes, we can look for some of the kinky stuff, too!”

  The next item on our agenda was booking her flight. Sioux City, Iowa, was the most logical choice because that’s where I planned to leave my truck and trailer. I’d been riding motorcycles since I was nine, and I’ve never enjoyed going the same way twice.

  “The return flight can be wherever you choose,” I explained. “You can fly out of Calgary or ride with me through Saskatchewan and return through Sioux Falls or Sioux City.”

  “Do I have to decide this moment?”

  “No, baby. It can wait. We might leave that open-ended. Your saddle sore behind might change those plans while we’re riding.”

  The discussion of our trip and looking at the Atlas spread out in my lap took up the whole ride back to the hospital. By this point, Candi, was bubbling over with excitement. “Thank you for an unforgettable getaway, and thank you for inviting me to join you on your ride.”

  “Enough with the thank-yous,” I told her, gazing into her eyes. “I’m happy you’re going with me.”

  We parted with a long hug and a sweet kiss. Gazing from afar, I watched Candi walk back into the hospital with a newfound bounce in her step. Heading due north on Highway 111, I was feeling more focused than yesterday. I realized I had just two weeks to wrap up a construction remodel and complete my community service, grand finale. Plus, I had to find time to take Candi shopping. Just the thought of Candi in a red thong and black leather chaps almost caused me to make an immediate U-turn and take care of that today. “Focus, D, focus. Life, in spite of what you're feeling right now is not all play.”

  As I passed through two mountains just north of Chattanooga on my way to Dale Hollow, I was reminded of Candi and her most desirable anatomical fe
atures. An anatomy I was growing increasingly fond of. It’s funny how the most unrelated things continually lead me back to her.

  Beautiful women with willing and receptive Woo-hoos have always been my Achilles’ Heel.

  Chapter 4

  I got back to the lake before noon and went straight to the job site of my latest renovation. Thankfully, this project should finish up before the trip. My current customer, R.J. Ayers, is a country music mogul from Nashville, who built an 8,000-square-foot home here about 8 years ago. His goal at the time was to watch his children grow up with him, far away from his hectic schedule and musical lifestyle, even if it was only on the weekends. His kids are grown now and he’s changing things to suit himself.

  My own obligations with children were quite different, than R.J’s. Thinking back, I, at least had the privilege to get my military obligation behind me before the births of my kids. After spending six years in the Air Force, assigned to Special Ops, I was more than ready to settle down and start a family. Even though I traveled, I always managed to be at every event, every activity, and every game that my kids were involved in growing up. Sadly, even that was not enough to prevent their eventual distance and disappointment in me because of the long and drawn out divorce. Alas, even now, I’m still sorting through those raw emotions and trying to find the elusive silver lining, if there was one to be found.

  In Mr. Ayer’s case, his children are grown and are moving on in their lives, R. J. now loans his home out, almost weekly to his clients and their families. And, as I’ve come to realize over the last three months, many of his clients take advantage of his generosity by coming mid-week, accompanied not with family, but beneficial friends. It’s another fine example of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

  Even the layout and fashion of the humble abode, make it more inviting for its latter inhabitants. There are few windows for the world to see in, making almost a retreat, within a retreat. It amazes me how people go to all the trouble to locate and buy the perfect site, specifically for its beautiful outdoor location and then build a home with extensive solid walls and just a few ornate windows, to take advantage of the awe-inspiring views. My life’s mission through the years, has been to bring the inside living space outdoors, while capitalizing on the surroundings that brought the client here to begin with. Not everyone, however, shares my views.