"You must be Courtney," Owen said, smiling and reaching out to shake my hand once I was settled into the seat next to him. I went to shake his hand but changed my mind and instead went straight for a hug. He let out a little laugh at the impromptu change of plans, but he easily went with it and seemed thankful that I was content to skip the formalities. He smelled a little like his brother and I smiled, thinking that all the Bishop boys must smell good.
"I'm sweaty, sorry," he said after we hugged.
I giggled. "I was just thinking that you smelled good."
He let out a little laugh. "You must like the smell of motorcycles. I'm just getting off work."
I was so nervous that I didn't know what to say next. I wanted to say something about his scar being handsome, but I knew that would just be putting my foot in my mouth, so I kept quiet. Thankfully, Daniel climbed into the truck, offering some distraction.
"Owen offered to take your bags to my house," Daniel said. "He'll drop them off for you. It might be a few of hours before we get back there, so if you need to get anything out of them you should probably go ahead and get it now."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see," Daniel said.
Rather than exiting the airport, Owen made a circle and got in the lane that was marked 'short-term parking'.
"Where are we going?" I asked again.
"I knew you would have bags with you, so I couldn't pick you up on it," Daniel said.
He pointed out the front window of the truck, and my heart dropped. In the distance, on the far side of the parking garage, I saw a motorcycle. It was a simple, matte black two-seater. It was clean and shiny, and it looked like it had just been driven off of the showroom floor.
Owen pulled up and parked right next to it, and I leaned over Daniel so that I could get a good look. It was the most beautiful motorcycle I had ever seen. It was perfect and simple, and it looked like it had been made just for Daniel. There was a silver emblem on the gas tank that said Bishop Motorcycles, and my heart swelled with pride when it sank in that his family had made that thing.
"Is that yours?" I asked with wide eyes.
Daniel nodded. I was tempted to mention the fact that I thought he didn't ride, but again, I thought better of it in present company.
"Are we going to ride it?" I asked instead.
Daniel smiled and nodded at me as he opened the passenger's door. We climbed out, and Daniel held the door open so that he could talk to his brother. I instantly started inspecting the motorcycle and imagining myself riding on the back of it. I wasn't nervous about it at all. I absolutely couldn't wait. There was nothing I could do to stop a huge smile from spreading across my face.
Daniel had been standing there saying something to his brother while I was preoccupied with checking out the bike, but I came up next to him, staring at him with excitement.
"Are we really getting on this?" I asked.
He smiled and nodded, pulling me close by wrapping his hand around my back. It gave me chills.
"Right now?" I asked.
His smile broadened. "Right now." He reached out and slapped the top of his brother's truck. "Just leave her bags in my living room, if you don't mind," he said. "We'll meet you at Mom's in an hour or so."
Owen nodded, and Daniel started to close the door, but he hesitated.
"Don't tell Ivy," he added. "She doesn’t know Courtney's here. I want to surprise her."
Owen smiled and waved as Daniel closed the door.
"It was so nice to meet you!" I called as the door closed. I cringed, knowing Owen only heard about half of my sentence, but he rolled down the window, smiling at me.
"It was great to meet you too, Courtney," he said. "I'll see you over at the house when you're done with your ride. Y'all have fun."
Chapter 16
Owen backed out of his parking spot and drove off, leaving Daniel and me standing next to the black motorcycle. I was so overwhelmed that I didn't even know where to begin. I wanted to say about five different things at once. I gawked at him as I absentmindedly pointed in the direction of Owen as he drove away.
"That was Owen," I said.
Daniel grinned and nodded at me.
"He's so handsome."
"He's a Bishop," Daniel said with an irresistibly confident smile and shrug.
I couldn't resist—I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I missed you so much," I said.
"How much?" he asked, pulling me close.
"The most," I answered.
"I missed you at least that much," he said.
I cut my eyes toward the beautiful motorcycle that was parked next to us.
"Don't worry," he said. "I've been practicing."
I made a disbelieving face. "I'm not worried," I said. "I'm excited. I can't wait."
He grinned. "Are you ready, then?"
My face lit up as an answer to his question, and he smiled as he let go of me and walked over to the bike. I followed and stood by his side, watching as he stepped over the seat, straddling the bike. He seemed totally comfortable and confident, and I started to get on, but he said, "Let me get it started first, and then you can get on."
He had two helmets hanging from the handlebars, and he put one on and made me do the same. There was a little leather pouch on the side of the motorcycle, and he stashed our caps inside.
"I'm gonna start it now," he warned.
I took a step back and watched as Daniel started the engine. It revved to life with a loud, low rumble that startled me and made me giggle. Daniel grinned at the site of my reaction and then he motioned with a flick of his head for me to get on. He held the bike steady while I stepped on it and then he turned and explained what parts of the bike would be hot and that I should avoid touching them. He also explained that I should hold on tightly to his waist, which was an absolute pleasure, obviously.
"You ready?" he yelled over his shoulder. I could feel his stomach flinch when he called to me, and I closed my eyes, feeling way too giddy.
"Yes!" I said.
And without another word, Daniel took off.
He drove slowly since we were in a parking garage, but it was still such a thrill. I had never been on the back of a motorcycle, and the feeling of him balancing it underneath me was exhilarating. The low sound of the engine echoed in the parking garage, and I smiled when we got to the exit and he started going faster.
There wasn't a whole lot of traffic at the airport, and soon we were on city streets. I marveled at how different the atmosphere felt when riding a motorcycle rather than driving a car. Memphis was different than L.A., but it wasn't just that. I felt almost naked, like everyone was looking at us, which they sort of were.
I wasn't sure how long we had ridden, maybe 10 minutes or so, before we got out of the city and into the countryside. Daniel was a careful driver, but he drove fast enough that the wind whipped all around me, almost taking my breath away. I couldn't stop smiling. I was smiling so much that my cheeks would, no doubt, be sore from it.
Daniel drove into the woods. It was late afternoon, and the cover of trees made it even darker than it already was. The roads began to wind and bend as we climbed a hillside, and I breathed in the crisp, woodsy smell of the forest.
Finally, after we had driven some ways into the woods, Daniel found a landing near the side of the road and pulled off onto it. He stopped the bike, killed the engine, and put down the kickstand before looking over his shoulder at me. I stretched up and placed a kiss on his cheek causing our helmets to touch. This made him take his helmet off, and I did the same. He hung them from the handlebars before turning to face me again.
"Come here," he said. He swiveled at the waist to take hold of me.
"Come where?"
"Up here."
He held the bike steady with his legs while using his arms to lead me where he wanted me to go. I wound up in the driver's seat. He scooted back, taking my old seat and letting me have his. He positioned me on the front of the
bike where I was facing him instead of the road. My legs laid over his—our thighs crossing each other. It was glorious. I reached out and grabbed one of his hands, bringing it up and placing it palm-down on my chest.
"This is how I feel right now," I said, referring to my pounding heart.
"Because of riding a motorcycle?" he asked.
"And because of my driver," I said.
He looked at me like he was checking me out, and I felt nervous because of it. I had been wearing a hat and the hairpiece followed by a helmet, so I was relatively sure my hair was in disarray. I ran my hand through it, shaking it out before focusing on him again.
"You're amazing," he said. "It's hard for me to believe you're on the front of my bike right now. You're like something a man would dream-up in his wildest fantasy."
"What about this man?" I asked, pointing at his chest.
He caught my hand, staring at me and lifting an eyebrow like he was a predator who had me in his trap. "I don't have to dream you up," he said. "I've got you right here."
I was so in love with him, so blown away by my current situation on the front of his bike, that my heart absolutely rattled in my chest. I was so stirred up that I had to make an effort to stop my teeth from clacking together. I bit my lip.
"You okay?" he asked sweetly.
"So okay," I said. I touched the side of his face. I was in absolute awe. "I don't know if I've ever been so okay, honestly, Daniel."
He touched the side of my face with his finger as he stared at me. "I don't know if I've ever been so okay either, Courtney."
We leaned toward each other, letting our faces get closer and closer. We moved at a torturously slow pace, closing the distance a millimeter at a time as we gazed into each other's eyes. I could barely breathe. Slowly, slowly, ever so slowly, we let our faces come closer together until we were only an inch or two apart. My lungs were barely functioning. I realized that Daniel and I were so close that we were sharing the same breath. His gorgeous, full lips were so miraculously close to mine that I could literally feel him breathing. We stayed there, letting our breath mingle and enjoying the beautiful, torturous moment for several long heartbeats.
"I think I love you," I whispered as I stared into his dark eyes.
The corner of his mouth turned upward into a slow grin. I was looking directly into his eyes, but I could see his cheeks move and knew that he was smiling at me.
"Me too," he said.
"You what?" I asked.
"Love you."
"Say it to me," I whispered.
"I love you, Courtney."
Our mouths were so close that he nearly brushed up against me when he spoke. This caused a feeling of warmth to spread inside me and I squeezed his hand.
"You do?" I whispered.
"Uh-huh."
"Enough to introduce me to your family?"
"Yep."
"Enough to take me on a motorcycle ride?"
"Yep."
"What else?" I asked.
"Anything you want."
"Enough to kiss me?"
"Uh-huh," he said.
"Really?"
He nodded.
"I heard I was your first kiss," I said.
"You were," he said. "And my second."
"And your third, and eighth, and all the way up to forever?" I asked hopefully.
"I think so," he said with a little smirk.
"Good," I whispered.
We stayed in that same position for a few more seconds until it was just too much temptation for me. I leaned forward, letting our mouths finally make contact. I reached up and grabbed his face, holding him securely as I let my lips softly and gently mold to his. I kissed him over and over again—all soft, tender kisses that reflected how genuinely relieved I was to see him. I didn't realize I had begun leaning into him until I broke the kiss and realized that our bodies were pressed against each other. Daniel was holding me by the waist like he never planned on letting me go. Our faces were still only about an inch apart, and he smiled at me and glanced around at our surroundings.
"We better get going," he said. "My mom is expecting us for dinner."
I pulled back and ran my hands through my hair, putting it in a ponytail with the hairband that was wrapped around my wrist. "How am I supposed to meet your family looking like this?"
"You mean looking like a gorgeous, flawless, famous rock star?" he asked, teasing me.
I playfully scrunched my face at him before getting off of the seat, and he helped me steady myself next to the bike. I turned and glanced at my reflection in the rearview mirror. There was nothing rock star about how I looked after a plane ride, a motorcycle ride, and a kiss, but I didn't have anything between my teeth or sticking out of my nose, so it would have to do.
"Who's all gonna be there?" I asked.
"Ivy's the only one of us who still lives at home. I expect her to be home, but I'm not sure because I didn't tell her you were coming. My mom and dad will be there for sure, and Owen. I wanted you to meet Aunt Jane and Uncle Gray, but they're in Nashville for the weekend. The whole family would've come if I would have told them, but that could amount to about fifteen or twenty people, and I didn't know if you would be up for that on day one."
"I want to meet them all," I said. "But I'm happy to get to see your parents first—and Ivy and Owen."
I put on my helmet and Daniel did the same before I stepped back to let him start the engine. I was definitely not graceful at getting onto the bike, but he held it securely and made it as easy as possible for me.
He turned the motorcycle around and we headed back the way we came—through the woods and down a long country road before we entered Memphis again. We drove through a section of the city before entering a nice neighborhood where all of the houses were set back off the road with huge yards and lots of trees. He drove slowly and pointed at one house as we passed it.
"My grandparents live right there," he said, yelling over his shoulder.
"Michael and Ivy?" I asked, making sure I had their names straight.
"Yeah. It looks like they're home, but I'm not gonna stop right now. You'll meet them soon."
I stared at the house as we passed. I couldn't see much of it from the road, but I could tell it was a gorgeous brick home with tons of charm. We hadn't even gone another mile down the road before Daniel pulled into a long driveway. There was a beautiful, light-colored wooden house at the end of it, and my heart started beating like crazy when I realized his family was waiting inside. I squeezed him and leaned up to speak near his ear.
"Is this it?" I asked even though I knew the answer to my question.
He turned to look at me from over his shoulder with a nod. "This is where I grew up," he said. "Do you like it?"
"I love it," I said.
Chapter 17
"Ivy's not here," Daniel said once he parked the motorcycle and killed the engine.
We had driven around to the back of the house so Daniel could park by the garage. The garage doors were open, and he gestured inside, indicating that the empty spot was how he knew Ivy wasn't home. I glanced at the vehicles that were parked inside—a truck and a SUV along with at least four motorcycles. Owen's truck was also there, but it was parked outside.
I was so nervous about meeting his parents that I could hardly breathe. I smiled, trying to pretend I was calm. I handed Daniel my helmet, and he hung it from the handlebar along with his before getting off of the motorcycle.
"Who all's here?" I asked, unable to hide my anticipation.
"It looks like it's just Owen and my parents." He took me by the hand and began pulling me inside through the garage.
"We're going in this way?" I asked.
I was somewhat surprised that he wanted to hold my hand, but I was thankful for it, and I held onto him tightly.
"We go in through the garage most of the time," he said as we walked. He pointed at the door leading to the house. "This leads to a mudroom and then into the kitchen," he said, glancin
g at me.
I gave him a thankful smile for the explanation. Daniel could see that I was nervous, and he stopped in front of the door and used his finger to tilt my chin so that I would look at him.
"They're going to love you," he said. "And you're gonna love them."
"I'm pretty picky," I said, joking.
Daniel grinned as he opened the door, heading inside. His description was accurate. We passed through a hallway that had a mudroom feel to it and was attached to a laundry room. We kept going until we reached the kitchen. It was bigger than I expected, opening up into a grand living room. I could see Owen standing in the living room with another man, but both of them were facing the television, which was switched to a baseball game.
"Oh my goodness, I didn't even hear y'all pull up!" a woman's voice called.
I glanced toward the right side of the living room to see a beautiful woman heading in our direction wearing a huge smile. There were two huge rooms separating us and she already had her arms outstretched like she was coming in for a hug.
"I saw them pull up, but I didn't hear them come in," said the man who I assumed was Daniel's dad as he turned to smile at us. "I thought they were still outside."
All three of them came our way, wearing welcoming smiles as we met in the kitchen.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, I assume." I said the words as she reached out to hug me tightly.
"Rose, baby, please," she said.
"And Jesse," his dad said, hugging me once his mom let me go.
"Owen said you met at the airport," Rose said, motioning to her son.
I nodded, and gave Owen a slight bow, but he reached out to hug me as well, so I returned it gratefully. "Good to see you again," I said.
He smiled. "I brought your bags to Daniel's."
"Thank you," I said. "I really enjoyed taking a ride. I've never done that before."
"Pretty fun, huh?" Rose said with a big smile as she cozied up next to her husband.
"I can't believe you guys built that thing. It's so neat seeing your last name written on it."
So Happy Together (Bishop Family Book 4) Page 11
