Page 42 of Shared By the Mountain Men

We zoomed across the terrain at what felt like a breakneck speed. The suspension on my ATV absorbed most of the bumps; it was a surprisingly smooth ride as we soared across the hills, surrounded by meadows in all directions and with the sharp mountain looming over us.

I had gone skydiving before. The adrenaline rush of jumping out of an airplane was sudden and sharp, and ended just as quickly. This was a longer thrill, not as intense as skydiving but far more drawn-out. Every time I crested a hill, my stomach jumped up into my throat and pulled a child-like laugh from my lungs.

This wasamazing!

Jack led the way, twisting along a path that cut across the foothills beneath the mountain. When he pulled to a stop, my heart was racing and I was breathing hard.

“Glad you came along?” he asked.

I nodded emphatically. “Very much so. This is so much fun!”

Now he finally smiled. “It’s the only camp activity I actuallyenjoyleading.”

“You mean you’re not permanently grumpy? I feel like I’m meeting a completely different Jack…” I frowned. “I just realized I don’t know your last name.”

“Lyles,” he replied. “Jack Lyles.”

It kind of felt like I was meeting him for the first time.

The other tourists caught up to us. Jack asked if they were comfortable with the speed; everyone said that they were. The little boy in the group looked pale, but he nodded excitedly.

“We’re going to cut across the rest of these hills until we reach the east side of the mountain,” Jack explained. “After that, the path goes through the forest for a few miles. Be sure to drive slower in that section. And don’t bunch up.”

He shot away again, and this time I was right on his tail. We drove down a hill, then up the other side. It was thrilling: the speed, the wind in my hair, Jack’s muscular figure on the ATV in front of me, and the pleasing vibrations of the engine between my legs. I was having so much more fun than I expected.

I managed to stay close behind Jack, although it wasn’t easy based on how aggressively he was driving. Then we descended from one broad hill and reached the edge of the forest. Jack’s ATV slowed down, and I matched him as we left the open field and plunged into the darker forest.

We were now going half as fast as we had been in the open terrain, but itfeltfaster thanks to the trees whizzing by on either side of me. I could see why Jack had urged caution about the forest: one wrong turn and you could easily smash into a tree. I drove more carefully with that mental image in mind, always keeping Jack about thirty feet ahead of me.

He stopped at a clearing every few minutes to make sure the group didn’t spread out too far. And there was one narrow section where he warned us to go slowly, which turned out to be important advice since there were multiple hairpin turns as the path wove through the forest. Then the path emerged from the trees and we were back in the open meadows, with wildflowers spreading out in all directions.

Eventually, the path merged with a proper dirt road for about a mile. There was a delicious scent in the air, fried potatoes and some kind of roasting meat. So it wasn’t a surprise when we rounded a corner and reached a barbecue joint.

“We’re stopping here for lunch,” Jack announced. “A two-meat combo is included with the tour. It comes with two sides and a drink.”

“What if we wantthreekinds of meat?” the little boy asked.

“You might have to pay extra.”

“What about if I only wantonetype of meat?” he asked.

Jack’s jaw clenched. “Order whatever you want, and we’ll work it out later. You have thirty minutes to eat.”

“You’re good with kids,” I teased. “You’ll make a great dad someday.”

“I prefer kids who don’t ask stupid questions for the sake of asking stupid questions,” he growled as we got in line. “Having a good time?”

“I’m havingso much fun,” I said happily. “I didn’t expect it to be this exciting!”

“Like I said: it’s the only tour I enjoy leading.”

When we got up to the counter, I ordered chopped brisket and pulled pork, with potato salad and green beans. Before I could pull out my card, Jack held out a hand. “It’s on me.”

“Well, let me know how much I owe you for the ATV tour,” I said as we sat down at a table by ourselves.

“I already told you, you’re doing me a favor. Now I don’t have to take your four-wheeler out after the tour to make sure it’s running smooth.”

First he rescues me from a sprained ankle. Then he gives me a free cabin to sleep in. Now he was paying for my meal. Each act was meaningless individually, but put together, it painted a different picture.

---