I Stole the Alpha's Car (18+)|✔️

Chapter 42

"You know, they do have bike rentals..."

I turned to Jess, who looked back and forth between Tori and me.

"Bikes?" I asked.

She shrugged, "there's a bike path that leads into town – I noticed it on the trail maps yesterday." Placing her hand on Tori's shoulder, she continued, "Picture it – a quaint, leisurely ride through the woods that ends in a charming lakeside village."

Tori raised a single eyebrow. "Are you getting paid for this ad read?"

Jess tugged on her arm. "Come on! I haven't gone on a bike ride since I was a kid!"

Tori sighed, turning to look at me. "Any objections?"

Smiling, I shrugged. "Sounds fun!"

"Okay, bike ride it is."

Walking up to the guest services desk, I recognized Iris, the girl who'd checked me in.

"Hello! How can I help you?"

Tori asked, "Where would we go to see about bike rentals?"

"One moment," Iris pulled a resort map out from under the counter. "Our equipment rental center is down this path, past the pools." She marked the area with her pen, "it's located near the heads of some reasonably adventurous mountain biking trails, or we also have a more relaxed path that leads into town."

Jess spoke up, "We were thinking about trying that one."

"Perfect! I'll call down to the shop and let them know you're on your way!"

"Wait," I stopped her as she was picking up the phone receiver, "before we go, are there any must see spots in town? Like, if you had a friend who only had one day to check it out, what would you tell them to do?"

Iris quirked her mouth to the side, thinking. "Well, if you're into books-"

Jess leaned her elbows on the counter, "Go on."

Iris smiled, "There's this really cute bookshop on Main Street - Dog-Eared Books. It's massive, it's packed with all kinds of obscure titles, and one of its employees is a golden retriever whose only job is to greet customers and beg for ear scritches."

"And you said it's on Main Street?" Tori asked.

"It's right next to the town square – you can't miss it. You should also stop by Dierdre's; my roommate works there – it's part gift shop, part art gallery, and they've got all kinds of eclectic locally made stuff." Her brow furrowed, and suddenly she brightened, "Oh! You absolutely have to stop by Dulce – it's an ice cream shop that also sells homemade candy." Her eyes took on a dreamy radiance, "They have the best fudge I have ever tasted."

Tori chuckled, "And, like that, I'm sold – let's go!"

Giving Iris a quick thank you, they walked toward the door.

I was about to follow them when I turned back, "One last question – what do you think is their best type of fudge?"

After a moment's thought, she answered, "Their pistachio is to die for."

"Noted. Thank you so much for the advice!" Smiling, I gave a small wave and hurried to catch up with my friends.

Gliding to a stop, I dismounted and walked my bike up to Tori and Jess, who were busy locking theirs to the rack in the small city park.

As Tori stood and looked around us, she let out a low whistle. "Damn."

The square, lined with old, brick buildings, was the definition of "picturesque". Meticulously landscaped and cared for, it had the kind of small-town charm that would have made Norman Rockwell salivate.