wanted to. “I’ve never driven one of these before though.”
“You never do until you do,” he said and tossed them my way. “Seth and I will ride in the backseat.”
Nicole climbed into the seat beside the driver and Seth turned to me. “Precious cargo in the front, okay? So, don’t crash.”
We pulled helmets on and I turned to Liam. “Okay, Mr. Risk Assessor. What’s the risk with riding these?”
Liam snapped on his helmet and then grasped the buckle under my chin. “Well, rollovers happen sometimes. You could be crushed or tossed. There’s actually a lot of danger with ATVs and UTVs.”
I fanned my face. “Wow, you’re so hot when you talk about risks.”
Laughing, he snapped the buckle under my chin and tapped the front of my helmet. “That’s why we wear these.”
“I’m surprised you own two of these side-by-sides, considering their inherent risks.”
“Well, Will was always driving out to California to ride ATVs because he could get a cheaper rental there. I thought if I bought one, we would spend more time together here, when I was in town. I couldn’t keep doing our twice-yearly friend trips, not with my unpredictable work schedule, so I thought I’d bring some adventure home. And then Chad and Naomi got together, so Will and I split the purchase on that second one.” He pointed to the one Vince was starting. “We just don’t use them enough, now that everyone has scattered.”
He bought this vehicle in order to spend more time with his friend. Knowing Liam, the thoughtfulness didn’t surprise me. But it still touched me that he did it at all. I loved my friends, but I couldn’t imagine plunking down thousands of dollars just to spend time with them.
“You got this,” Nicole said, buckling in. Seth sat in the seat directly behind me and Liam sat behind her. He showed me how to start the vehicle and taught me the basics of operating it.
“You sure you trust me to drive this?” I asked him. Excitement thrummed through me but knowing that this wasn’t just like driving a car on a paved road gave me pause.
“Yes.”
His one-word answer, again, fluttered through me. He trusted me. I mean, I knew he did on some level. But he trusted me behind the wheel of a vehicle I’d never driven before. He was either out of his mind, or completely with it. I didn’t know which scared me more.
But it turned out that I had psyched myself up for nothing. The dunes weren’t as difficult to navigate as I’d expected, and Liam coached me through driving up and over them. Nicole squealed the whole time, giving me the confidence I needed to go faster when I might have gone slow.
There was something about driving a fast vehicle like this in such a wide-open space. There were no speed limits, no road constraints, no traffic lights forcing us to comply. It was just us and the dunes and it was exhilarating.
We stopped for lunch near where Liam had parked his truck and ate sandwiches that Chad and Naomi had picked up at a shop. We shared a few bags of chips as we sat on the side-by-sides or in the back of the truck. Nicole told me about her job as a social worker, and how she was working on getting her masters. When the topic of my job came up, I told her what I’d told Liam, about feeling aimless.
“I think that’s normal,” she said. “I don’t even know if social work is something I want to—or can do—forever. It’s hard work. Some people aren’t meant to do one job for the rest of their lives.”
I felt seen by her remark.
“She helped Bob out with his computer last night,” Liam said. He raised his sandwich to me. “Maybe you could do something like that.”
“Oh, for sure,” Nicole said enthusiastically. “Think of how many seniors jump to technology to stay in touch with their loved ones, only to feel overwhelmed by it. You could help them out. Teach them.”
“I don’t know,” I said. The idea was intriguing. “I’m not a very patient person.”
“Says who?” Liam asked, jumping off the back of the truck and coming closer. “I’ve seen nothing but patience from you.”
I looked at him quizzically.
“You want examples? Fine. That Katy person—seems like it would take a saint to put up with her whining, and you did without telling her off. And knowing how easily Bob is confused—like with his grill—it takes a lot of patience