Free Lone Rider (Motorcycle Club Romance) by Kelly Lawson Page A

something that gave me a thrill. This is why I’m here. So tell me, Caroline, what is there for me to do in this town?”
     
    “If you stick around for a couple of days then the annual Richard Sampson’s Festival is coming up. That’s always a fun thing.”
     
    “Richard Sampson’s Festival? What’s that?”
     
    “It’s a weekend of activities such as hot dog eating contests, bull riding, there will be a circus, and not to forget the apple pie competition. It was started when the founder of this town, Richard Sampson, died and the people wanted to celebrate what he had done for this town. It’s become a tradition since then, and it’s just a good laugh for the town. It gives us time to wind down.”
     
    “I think I’ll have to stick around for this, it sounds very interesting indeed. Is there a place where I can get a room for the night?” Tom stood up and smoothed his riding leathers down before turning to smile at Caroline.
     
    “If you head straight down the road and take the first left, there is a bed and breakfast you can stay at.”
     
    “Thank you very much, Caroline. I’ll be seeing you around.” Tom winked at her before leaving the bar and hopping back onto his motorcycle. Well, it looked like he had something to do this weekend other than drive around country lanes.
     
    ****
     
    Caroline watched as Tom walked out of her bar and slumped onto the stool again. She wasn’t sure why she’d told Tom about the Richard Sampson’s Festival. It was usually a thing that only the members of the town did, and it was very rare that people from outside participated.
     
    There was something inside Tom, though, that called out to her — That told her he could do with something to cheer him up. Obviously his adventures so far hadn’t been doing an awful lot of good.
     
    “Caroline, honey, can we have another pitcher of Bud Light over here?”
     
    “Coming right over, Mr Pearson.” She shook her head before turning around and filling the pitcher of beer for her regular customers, and tried not to think too much about the mysterious tattooed biker.
     
    ****
     
    Tom stretched his body the next morning in the overly large bed. It was nice to be able to sleep in a bed that was comfortable and he wasn’t scared of getting HIV or any other nasty illnesses from the rusty springs that were poking through the mattress and into his butt. He decided to spend the day looking around town and to see if he could find more information about this Richard Sampson’s Festival.
     
    He took a quick shower before dressing in jeans and a thin shirt, since the weather was ridiculously hot in this town, and he didn’t want to sweat his guts out before he’d even met the owner of the place that he was staying at.
     
    “Breakfast!”
     
    Tom managed to get down the stairs without tripping, his stomach growling angrily at him. The couple that ran the bed and breakfast were short and elderly. They fussed over him when he’d insisted that he had enough food and that he really needed to go. He didn’t bother using his motorcycle, preferring to walk if he could get away with it.
     
    It didn’t take him long to get into the town centre, but he was sweltering by the time he did. He picked up a cool drink before exploring the numerous random shops that littered the town. At around noon he found himself wandering into Caroline’s bar again, and taking the seat he had left last night.
     
    “The wayward traveller has returned.”
     
    “I was wondering if you could tell me where the Richard Sampson’s Festival is being held.” Tom leaned against the bar, a smirk on his face.
     
    “It’s way out on old Reynolds farm. If you stick around long enough and come back tomorrow morning I can show you the way if you’d like?” Caroline brushed her hair out of her face before smiling at him. Tom couldn’t help but track the way she licked her lips and tilted her head slightly to the side while she was waiting for his