“Now, that is beyond cool.” And brilliant. Dare had given Kenny a goal. The club was a great incentive for any kid to stay out of trouble or if they went looking for trouble, as Dare had long ago, to remind them there was a better life waiting for them.
“Did you know that Tiny is the president of the club?” Kenny asked.
“Tiny isn’t just the president; he’s the founder,” Billie corrected him. “And my dad is the vice president.”
“Whoa, really? My dad would never drive a motorcycle,” Kenny said.
“That’s okay,” Dare said. “They’re not for everyone, and it sounds like your father knows his limits, and knowing your limits is a good thing.”
“Even for daredevils like you guys?” Kenny asked.
“Especially for daredevils,” Dare said.
Billie hadn’t realized she’d get to see Dare in action as a therapist. He really was good at his job, taking every opportunity to help steer Kenny toward a safer future, while also teaching him to respect other people’s decisions. Did he even know he was doing it? Or was it second nature?
“Are you ready to get down to business?” Billie asked.
“Heck yeah!” Kenny held his fists out, rolling them forward and making revving noises.
“Slow down, Speed Racer,” Billie said. “First you need a safety lesson and to get familiar with your bike.”
Dare put a hand on his shoulder. “You pay attention to everything Billie tells you, you hear?”
“I will. I promise. I’m just excited.”
“I am, too,” Billie said, and Dare looked at her curiously. She was excited for Kenny, and maybe even a little for herself. “I’m going to put the bike into neutral so you can push it out to the track. On a dirt bike, neutral is between first and second gear. You’ll need to disengage the clutch, which is here.” She showed him the clutch, then crouched to show him the shifter peg. “When you’re sitting on the bike, your foot will be on the pedal and your toes will move over or under the peg, depending on which way you’re shifting.” She moved the shifter into first gear. “Hear that click? That’s first gear. Now listen to the difference when I put it in neutral.” A softer click rang out.
“I heard it. That’s like a half click.”
“That’s right.” She looked at Dare, who was nodding. “Why don’t you give me your helmet, and you can walk the bike out to the track while we talk.”
“Is this the kind of bike you drove when you were a pro?” Kenny handed her the helmet.
“No, this is a dirt bike. Motocross bikes are lighter so they can go faster. Maybe one day I’ll show you my racing bike.”
“Really?” Kenny asked. “Awesome!”
As they made their way to the track, Billie went over the general safety measures, and when she was done, she had Kenny repeat them back to her, to be sure he was paying attention. She knew how it was to be so enamored with a bike, nothing else mattered. But Kenny had paid attention, and he recited everything back to her perfectly.
Once they got to the track, Dare stood back, strikingly rugged in his jeans and cowboy hat as she went over the parts of the bike—clutch, choke, kick starter, throttle, brake, et cetera—and how to use them. Kenny asked smart questions, and after they were done, she had him recite back each part and its use.
“You’re doing great,” she said. “Climb on, and we’ll practice while the bike is stationary. It’s important to take your time while learning so you don’t learn bad habits.”
“Like what?” Kenny asked.
“Clutching the handlebars too tight, bad finger placement, not using your hips to help steer the rear tire, not looking far enough ahead. Believe it or not, there are a lot of little nuances that might feel comfortable to you at first, but they’ll bite you in the butt in the long run.”
“I want to know everything I shouldn’t do,” Kenny said.
“You’re my kind of guy,” she said.
Kenny beamed at Dare.
He practiced shifting gears, proper driving form, foot positioning, and everything else she could think of. “How does it feel?”
“Great,” Kenny exclaimed, looking comfortable on the bike. “What’s next?”
“I’m going to have you take a trip around the outside lane of the track. But I don’t want you going anywhere near the obstacles or jumps. Can I trust you to do that?”
Kenny nodded.
She stood beside the bike, holding Kenny’s gaze. “Here’s the thing, Kenny. I know just how exciting it is to get on a bike for the first time. You’ll want to go as fast as you can. Don’t. You’ll feel more confident than you should be, and you’ll want to go over the obstacles or try a jump. Don’t do either. A dirt bike is cool and fun, but it’s also dangerous. I need to hear you give me your word that you won’t try to go faster than I tell you to.”
“I promise. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Okay, I trust you. Remember what I said about the clutch and the throttle?”
Kenny nodded. “If I give it too much gas, when I release the throttle, the bike will shoot forward and leave me on my butt. And if I let the clutch out too fast without enough gas, the bike will lurch and kill the engine.”
“That’s right. And if you feel like you’re going too fast?”
“Let go of the throttle.”
“And the brake?” Billie asked.
“I should try to use the foot brake, because hand brakes can grab and throw me over the handlebars.”
“I’m impressed,” Billie said. “Okay, hotshot. Let’s give her a go. Take her around the track one time, no faster than twenty miles per hour, and remember, stay on the outside track.”
“Twenty miles per hour, outside track. I won’t let you guys down,” Kenny said.
She handed him his helmet and stepped back with Dare as he started the bike. Kenny looked over, clearly proud of himself for not stalling, and Dare said, “Good job,” as Billie gave him a thumbs-up.
Kenny started off slower than Billie had expected, but she’d rather see that than have him take off like a bullet train. He rode confidently, shifting a little roughly at first, but he got it.
“You have a knack for teaching. How’d it feel?”
“Incredible. As soon as we started talking, all my nervousness went away. I didn’t even think about it again until just now.” She laughed softly. “And unless he’s really good at bullshitting, I think he truly doesn’t want to let you down.”
Dare put his arm around her, both of them watching Kenny like hawks. “He doesn’t want to let either of us down. I’m so proud of you, darlin’.”
“I didn’t do anything but talk.”
“You did a hell of a lot more than that. You connected with him, and you were thorough and demanded he respect the bike and you. Who’d’ve thought Badass Mancini was a natural teacher?”
“Obviously you did, or you wouldn’t have trusted me to do it.”
The rumble of a motorcycle drew their attention, and she glanced around quickly, seeing Dare’s parents cruising down the walking path on Tiny’s shiny black Harley. Tiny dwarfed Wynnie, who was waving.