by Sara Fawkes
“Fully funded and ready to go! World, here I come! And to Prince Charming, wherever you are now, that offer’s still open.
Evan set the phone onto the tabletop with a clatter that drew a few raised eyebrows, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, let alone think straight. He ran a hand across his face, breath suddenly tight in his throat. What was his problem? He missed her, wanted to see her again? Or was it more than that?
His father’s voice rang through his head, the same words he’d heard all his life: Don’t screw this up. Only that morning, the older man had repeated the phrase to his son, albeit in a less firm tone than normal. Whether or not he had information Evan didn’t was irrelevant; there had been pride in the man’s voice but no affirmation in his words. Even thinking about it made him tense more.
You can be whoever you want.
That sweet voice echoed through his mind like a balm. He closed his eyes, laying his head back on the chair. God, he could almost smell her, feel her against his skin. His cock twitched, and he drew in a shaky breath.
Why the hell was he here?
Because years had gone into this journey, countless hours of careful planning and strategy to get where he was at that moment. Every move he’d made had led Evan here, to this point. Even though Evan was sure he’d failed Jeremiah’s test on the island, even though Preston had monopolized the other man’s attention, Evan still had a chance. All the planning of practically the last decade had come to this.
But whose planning, whose dreams? Who the hell was he anymore, anyway? The boy who’d enjoyed living on the edge, riding bikes on his grandfather’s property and across unknown trails with a wild blonde woman? Or the businessman for whom the pursuit of money was everything?
Chairs scraped across the floor as the murmuring subsided, and Evan opened his eyes to see Jeremiah enter the room. Behind him was his lawyer David, as well as his assistant-slash-fiancé Lucy.
“I’ll get right down to it, gentleman,” the CEO started before even reaching his chair. “It’s no surprise that I am looking to hand off Hamilton Industries. The hardest part, for me at least,” he shared a look with his lawyer, “has been trying to decide to whom will I leave it.”
Why am I here?
A rushing in Evan’s ears drowned out the rest of the man’s words. He balled his fists, the nails digging into his palms.
“So, I’ve decided...”
“Mr. Hamilton!”
Jeremiah stopped mid-sentence and stared at Evan. The younger man hadn’t even realized he’d stood, but looked down as the other faces on the board turned to look at him. Expressions ranged from mild disdain to incredulity for interrupting the notoriously touchy Jeremiah.
Evan’s mouth worked silently for several seconds. His mind was blank; he had no idea what to say. Then, it was as though peace settled over him, and he breathed out the words.
“I quit. Respectfully sir, I...quit.”
Immediately, the table broke out into louder murmuring, but Evan didn’t care. With those simple words, he’d sealed his fate. It didn’t matter if he took them back, played this off as a joke. There was no way he could go back to where he was before, no way he’d be believed or trusted to quite the same degree again.
Then again, there was no way in hell he was going to take them back.
Shoving his seat back, Evan bypassed all the other men on his way to the door, jerking it open and stepping outside. Away from the stares of the other men, he felt a final weight fall from his shoulders. Nobody even noticed him out here; phones rang and people bustled through their busy lives, not taking notice of the lone man standing outside the board room door.
It was incredibly freeing.
Pursing his lips to keep from grinning like a loon, he hurried across the offices to the elevator, which sprang open immediately. The ride down to the ground floor wasn’t nearly as immediate, but he hurried out of the elevator and through the lobby.
Taxis lined the front street, and he quickly hopped inside one. The driver set aside the newspaper he’d been reading and turned to look backwards. “Where ya headed, kid?”
Evan’s phone went off in his pocket, and without thinking he pulled it out to see his father’s stern face blazoned across the front.
His brain went blank. Oh, FUCK. Whether or not Gideon McQueen had heard yet what his son had done, he’d want to know what happened in the meeting. More than likely, word had gotten out already. Someone in the office could have texted, or any other myriad of options Evan didn’t know about.
It didn’t matter.
“Kid?”
“Just drive for a bit?”
Shrugging, the cabbie pulled out into traffic and Evan sat back, his mind roiling. What had he done? The buoyancy he’d felt only moment ago came crashing down around him. He’d really given up his entire life for this; there was no going back.
First thought: My father’s going to kill me.
Second thought: ...but I can do anything I want now.
God, what did he want though? Everything Evan thought he’d wanted for years was upstairs in that boardroom, and forever out of reach now. Walking out of there had, at the time, felt like one of the easiest decisions he’d ever made.
Living with the consequences though? That was gonna be the kicker.
“You doing okay back there?”
Evan snapped to attention at the cabbie’s voice, then looked outside. They’d gone further than he thought, even with the Manhattan mid-day traffic. He needed to make a decision soon on what to do next. Home? Not yet, he felt the drive to do something to, if not celebrate, at least commemorate this decision. What do you want?
Her.
The stress melted away. That offer’s still open, her message had said. Could he really do this?
“Is there a motorcycle dealer around here?”
The cabbie gave Evan an incredulous look, but shrugged. “Harley Davidson’s about six blocks away.”
Evan shook his head. He’d seen Dani’s bike, there was no cruiser designed that could withstand the roads she took. “Anything you can think of that’s more...” He struggled for a word. “Adventurous?”
A knowing smile lit the old cabbie’s face. “I know just what you need.”
*
“Dammit.”
Back in the board room, the hubbub died down at Jeremiah’s soft exclamation. The CEO was gripping the back of his chair, staring fixedly at a point on the table before him. People in the room looked at one another nervously, unsure what had just happened.
“Mr. Hamilton,” a familiar voice rang out, “you were about to announce who you’d chosen to take over for you?”
Jeremiah looked up to see Preston Maas watching him expectantly. The swelling in his nose had gone down considerably from his brief fight with Evan on the island, but there were still lingering dark circles beneath his eyes. That triumphant look that Jeremiah had learned to hate, albeit tolerate, was back;
What had Evan called the man? Maashole?
Even that memory wasn’t enough to make the CEO smile. Not now.
When the silence stretched again, people cleared their throats. Then, from Jeremiah’s left, Griffin chuckled. “His getaway from this job seems to have been a bit easier than yours.”
Across the table, Preston scowled. “You said there’d be a choice today,” he said, a petulant note in his whiny voice.
Jeremiah growled again. Heedless of the men around him, he dropped down into his chair, muttering under his breath. Beside him, Lucy put her hand on his shoulder, and he covered it with his own.
Griffin coughed. “This probably isn’t a good time to tell you that I’m retiring and moving to the Caribbean, is it?”
Jeremiah’s scowl deepened. “Dammit.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Three weeks later
“Oh my god, you’re really doing it.”
“Well, duh.” Dani rolled her eyes. “It’s what I’ve been building towards for over four months and today’s t
he day.”
“You’re finally leaving,” Rose repeated, biting her lip. Then Dani rocked backwards as Rose threw her arms around her friend, hugging her close. “Is it horrible that I’d hoped you would stay here permanently?” she murmured into Dani’s ear.
Dani hugged her friend back for a long moment. “No, it’s not horrible at all,” she said softly, meaning it. “If there was any place here I’d like to stay permanently, it’d be Eden. But there’s so much more out there I want to see.”
“Yeah,” Rose said, sniffing and letting go, “I guess.”
Dani turned to check on her luggage, making sure all the straps were still snug. Her cheeks had grown moist again, and she dashed at them with her gloved hands.
The folks at the resort had already given her a going away party long before, showing her with blessings and well wishes. Most had respected her wish not to be given gifts due to limited luggage space, but several had given hefty donations to her “beer fund” as well as small things like camping knives and pocket-sized flashlights. Rose had presented her with a brand new GPS, much better than the older version she had, and promised to pay for the service as long as Dani stayed safe.
Oh, how she loved her friends!
Rose had insisted on accompanying Dani on the ferry ride back to the mainland this morning, just to see her off. Dani had thought it impractical, but in hindsight she was glad the stubborn woman had insisted. A wave of homesickness for her island had threatened to overwhelm Dani the moment the ferry had pushed off the pier.
It was silly: she’d been there only a handful of months, but she’d fallen in love with the island and its inhabitants. Without thinking about it, she turned around and engulfed Rose into another big hug, one which the other lady happily reciprocated.
“Now, you’ll keep me up to date on everywhere you go, right?” Rose said thickly when they finally parted. “Be careful about those border crossings, you know things can get interesting. And check tire pressure every day, as well as your oil level...”
Dani laughed at hearing her own advice repeated back to her. “I got it. But you have to promise to keep me updated on everything that happens here.”
Rose gave her a watery smile and a big thumbs up. “Got it.”
Dani double checked her bags, adjusted her mirrors, then paused and looked up the road.
Nothing.
“You still miss him, don’t you?”
Dani rolled her head sideways. “Is it so obvious?”
Rose snorted. “As obvious as a Mack truck to the face.”
“Good grief, where do you come up with these sayings?” She sighed, laying her forehead against the duffle strapped across her passenger seat. “I’m being an idiot, aren’t I?”
“Girl, I hate to say it, but you haven’t heard from him since he left. He’s probably off in LaLa Land right now aboard some overpriced jet, flying to meet some bigwig who’ll give him fistfuls of money. ”
“Probably.” Dani’s arms felt heavy as she picked up the helmet, fingering the latches. The Caribbean sun was high in the sky, and if she wanted to get some miles in today she’d have to hurry. Her mesh riding gear, while it helped circulate the air better than her cold-weather gear, was shit-all protection from the heat radiating off the asphalt. “Okay, fine, but I want one more hug.”
Rose grinned. “I’ll always have more for you,” she said, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.
From somewhere in the distance came the subtle drone of another motorcycle. At first, Dani refused to look, not wanting to be disappointed, but as it grew louder Rose turned in that direction and shielded her eyes. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Dani followed her gaze as a bike and rider carrying way too much gear on the back pulled into the parking lot and made a beeline for them. She immediately recognized the make and model of the bike, a brand new BMW GS Adventure, and her heart sped up.
Don’t get your hopes up. It was impossible to tell through the layers of riding gear much about the newcomer, and she couldn’t make out his face in the helmet. Just a little bit closer...
The rider meandered through the cars until it reached the curb, then the engine shut off and they coasted to a stop. The awkward dismount made Dani cover her smile—there was too much gear on that bike for the rider to kick their leg over it all. She bit her lip as the rider unclasped the helmet and pulled it off...
“So I hear there’s a lady around here who’s doing this round the world trip.”
Dani’s face didn’t feel sufficiently wide enough to encompass her grin. She tried to hold back her happiness but it was impossible. Setting the helmet atop her bike, she took only a few steps toward him before he picked her up in his arms and held her tightly.
“I should have stayed with you.”
“No, you jackass, you should have called her sometime in the last few weeks,” Rose snapped behind them. “God, Dani, tell me you’re not going to let him get away with that shit.”
Dani however didn’t release her grip on Evan even an ounce, holding tight to the man of her dreams. Evan flinched at Rose’s words, and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry.”
“Shut up,” she murmured back, then captured his mouth with hers in a scorching kiss. Beside her, she heard Rose huff, but couldn’t find it in her heart to care. Evan was more than eager to reciprocate, crushing Dani to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Ten to one you two get a room tonight instead of camping out,” Rose muttered behind them, and Dani grinned against Evan’s lips.
Evan severed the kiss and laid his head against Dani’s, kissing the bridge of her nose. “Sorry I’m late.”
“What took you so long?”
“Hey, it’s not an overnight ride down to Florida from New York. Plus Ernesto, this cab driver I met, made sure I was ready and wouldn’t let me out the door a day sooner. Did you know he followed your blog, even before he met me? Apparently, you’re famous in the traveling community. He’s another motorcycle traveller and when I told him your planned route and that I needed a bike, he’s the one that recommended this—”
Dani shut him up again with a kiss, smiling against his mouth. Behind them, Rose snorted. “Okay, so I’m, uh, gonna go wait for the return ferry before I start gagging,” she said loudly, sounding as though she’d already started.
“I missed you,” Evan murmured against Dani’s neck as she waved goodbye to her friend. “I was so busy preparing to come down and meet you, and I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“It’s a surprise all right,” she murmured. God, he felt so good. Smelled good, too. “You’ve been staying in hotels every night coming down here, haven’t you?” she asked suspiciously, finally letting Evan go to see his face.
He had the grace to look sheepish. “Guilty, but I do have camping stuff and know how to use it. Ernesto made me practice, even took me out into the country in upstate New York and made sure I understood what roughing it was like.” A small smile crept over Evan’s face. “He and my grandfather would have gotten along well, I think.” He gazed down at her, tracing the side of her face. “I gave up everything for this, and being with you makes me forget any regrets I might have ever had.”
Dani stiffened at his words, but Evan shook his head as if reading her mind. “I’m happier, you have no idea how much happier. Until I did it, I didn’t quite realize just how unhappy I’d become in my life. Until I met you, I didn’t understand what happy even felt like. Yes, my family is angry with me but I have a healthy bank account and great work experience. Hell of a way to take a sabbatical, but if necessary I can get back on my feet.”
He tucked an errant strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “And I have you.” He grinned. “You should keep me in line better than anything.”
“Speaking of which,” Dani stated, poking his chest with one finger, “I do have an issue with your packing habits.”
Evan looked back at his bike, then the woman in his arms. “Seriously? I only brought what I thou
ght I’d be needing.”
“If you’re going to take a nearly six-hundred pound bike onto dirt roads, you definitely need to pack lighter than that.” She went up onto her tiptoes as far as the stiff boots she wore would allow and kissed his nose. “Come on, do you have communications in your helmet?”
“Same brand you used on the island equipment.”
“Let’s link them up and get out of here, we’re wasting daylight.” She gave him a sideways glance. “I need to put you through your paces anyway.”
She let him take that however he wanted, but could tell exactly where his mind went from the answering grin. “Yes, ma’am.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Sometimes books come from the heart, and “Queen’s Knight” is just such a story.
You may have read my bio and know I love riding motorcycles. Several of my heroes are women riders, ladies who’ve been around the world on the back of bikes, sometimes several times over. They’ve been in, and gotten themselves out of, some really grueling situations, all while riding solo. From Lois Price (“Lois On The Loose”) to Tiffany Coates, to all those in between, these women are role models and, well, just plain incredible.
One of my avid dreams is to someday get the chance to follow in their footsteps, to see the Salar de Uyuni, ride through the Gobi desert, stay inside a Mongolian yurt. In the meantime, I write, I dream, and I keep jumping on my motorcycle.
If you want to read more of the real thing, people (men and women) riding off into the wilderness or around the world, check out the following websites and follow along on the ride reports there:
ADV Rider: http://www.advrider.com
Horizons Unlimited: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara Fawkes has always loved spinning tales, but her romantic roots come from sneaking her mother's old Johanna Lindsay books from the dresser drawer. She's been writing stories since she was a little girl (and has the home made books from preschool to prove it), and loves creating stories and characters and interesting messes for them to get into. An avid traveler and adventure motorcyclist, her dream job includes selling everything off and leaving civilization to see the world on two wheels, writing in cafes in each country she visits, and living off her writing. In the meantime however, she lives in California with her menagerie of pets and, when not writing, loves to rebuild old motorcycles/cars with her Dude and plays with the characters in her head.
