Page 43 of Come to Me

He made his way to the lodge for breakfast, stopping short when he heard laughter on the beach.

“Hey Patrick,” Sydney waved from where she sat with Brian digging in the sand.

“Hey. I didn’t know you were coming.” He joined her.

“Yes, well it was a last-minute thing. Mitch and Logan Kincaid decided they want to four-wheel. I figured Brian and I could come and enjoy the lake.”

“You should join them.” Michaela appeared out of nowhere as she often did.

“I can hang by the lake.”

Michaela rolled her eyes. “No, silly. Four wheeling.”

Syndey let out a not very complimentary laugh. “I’d like to see that.”

He was pretty sure he wouldn’t. The idea of navigating the rugged Virginia terrain on one of those machines made his palms sweat.

Michaela thread her arm through his, all infectious energy and enthusiasm. "C'mon, Dr.Andres, it'll be fun!And it’s safe…mostly. Logan and Mitch will go easy on you.”

“I’m sure they’re not interested in having to go easy. I’ll just?—”

“Hey, Pat, you coming or what?” Mitch called him. “We’re ready to go.”

Patrick looked down at his clothes. “I’m sure I’m not dressed right.”

“Do you have jeans?” Michaela seemed to genuinely think he didn’t. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

“I could grab an old pair of Logans?—”

“I have jeans.” He hadn’t known Michaela long, but he’d knew he wouldn’t get out of this new adventure she wanted to send him on. “I’ll be right back.” Maybe Mitch and Logan would get tired of waiting and leave without him.

He returned to his cabin, changing out of his khaki shorts and collared shirt into jeans and a t-shirt. When he stepped out, Michaela was waiting.

“Well, look at you all dressed down.” She thread her arm through his again leading up the path toward the lodge. “Don’t worry about anything. Take your time. Hold on. Have fun.”

“You make it sound like sex.”

She laughed and the sound of it lit him up inside. “It does, doesn’t it. Well, I know for sure then that you’ll be just fine four-wheeling because I know you’re very good at taking your time, holding on and having fun.”

He bit his lower lip hoping it would hide the blush.

While the Virginia wilderness offered a picturesque backdrop, Patrick wasn’t able to enjoy it as he was perched precariously on the four-wheeler, holding on for dear life as he bounced and slid over rugged, unforgiving terrain.

As the convoy kicked off,LoganandMitchzoomed ahead, their laughter and revving engines fading into the distance.Patrick, meanwhile, fumbled with the controls of his 4-wheeler, jerking forward in a stop-start motion like a teenager learning how to drive a stick shift.

The machine lurched beneath him. He gripped the handlebars tightly, his knuckles paling as he struggled to keep pace with the experienced riders.LoganandMitch's effortless maneuvers only served to highlight his own ineptitude, a bitter reminder that he was a fish out of water in this rugged, untamed landscape.

In front of him, Mitch and Logan were at ease, whooping and hollering especially when their vehicles tilted onto two wheels or splashing through water and mud. Occasionally they stop to check on him. Patrick could feel their amusement at his fumbling attempts to control the monstrosity. While Mitch and Logan’s bodies moved in sync with their machines, Patrick clumsily held on as each movement had him off-balance and nearly pitched onto the ground.

How could he, a man of science and reason, be so thoroughly out of his element? The disparity between his polished city life and this untamed wilderness had never felt more pronounced. Not that he felt he should excel at everything, but he couldn’t even manage a decent attempt. He felt like a slapstick comedian except only Mitch and Logan thought it was funny.

When the group approached a steep incline littered with rocks and roots,Patrick's grip tightened on the handlebars, as stress skyrocketed. There was no way he’d make it up without crashing.

"Remember to lean forward and throttle up!" Logan called over his shoulder. The advice only served to spikePatrick's heart rate further.

But Patrick wasn’t a quitter and so he followed Mitch and Logan up the steep incline. Patrick's machine wobbled treacherously beneath him.

Mitch circled back to him. “You’re doing great.” He offered Patrick and thumbs up.

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