Lucky's Choice
Page 3
“No, they didn’t see anything. If they had, they would have said something.”
“They didn’t do it. Whoever trashed mine and Razer’s bikes did this.”
“I figured that out too late. I let my temper get away from me when I saw that word,” Lucky confessed. When Shade didn’t say anything, Lucky added, “I’ll stop by in a day or two to apologize since I don’t think she wants to hear anything I have to say right now.”
“I don’t think that woman wants to ever see you again, much less hear anything you have to say,” Shade said wryly.
“I won’t be getting a cupcake from her anytime soon; that’s for sure,” Lucky agreed glumly.
“I’ve had Jenna’s pussy and Willa’s cupcakes. I know which one I would’ve chosen, but you were never the smartest brother in the club.”
Lucky had to silently agree with him, even if he hated it when the fucker was right.
Chapter 1
“May I get you something to drink?” Willa jumped at Rachel’s voice behind her.
“No, thanks.” Willa turned to face the woman who had talked her into coming to Lily’s baby shower despite her intention to stay away.
Willa felt an unwanted flash of envy at Rachel’s red hair. Her hand unwittingly went to her own lackluster brown hair to make sure it was still in a neat knot at the nape of her neck, wishing belatedly that she had left it loose.
“The cake is beautiful, Willa. You outdid yourself.”
Willa smiled, blushing. She had taken extra time to make the cake special for Lily who was being released from the hospital after being kidnapped by her adoptive father. The State Police had led a search for several days to find the town’s former pastor before releasing a statement that they had found evidence that Saul Cornett had managed to escape the country.
Not only had Lily and her husband Shade had to deal with her kidnapping, but their home had been wrecked by a storm that had swept through the town. The baby shower today was to replace the items that had been destroyed.
Willa had never been in The Last Riders’ clubhouse before. She had somehow expected broken-down furniture and beer cans sitting around; instead, it was clean and furnished with leather furniture that actually looked very comfortable. There was a bar at one end of the room and a pool table with several other tables with chairs positioned around the room.
Winter came down the stairs from the upper floor, approaching her and Rachel. The wife of Viper, the club president, looked pretty in a blue maxi dress that showed off her slim figure.
Willa always felt huge and graceless when she was near the other woman. Not only did she outweigh Winter by over eighty pounds, but her own five-foot-eight height made Winter seem even more diminutive.
She was angry at herself for her envy of other women that went to the extent of constantly trying to reinvent her own appearance. Her hair had gone through several color changes recently from blonde to different shades of red to finally admitting defeat and returning to her plain brown hair color. Her makeover attempts hadn’t stopped at hair, either. Trying to transform her large body into their dainty sizes had been another failed attempt.
“How are you coping with the children?” Winter questioned, her friendly gaze making Willa feel even guiltier for yearning to be as attractive as they were to the men who filled the motorcycle club.
Willa couldn’t explain to herself why she felt that way, though. The Lord knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the attention from the alarmingly lethal-looking bikers.
“It’s been a transition for them,” Willa admitted carefully, not revealing how difficult it had been to go from living a solitary life to one filled with tantrums and broken china, some of which didn’t stem from the toddlers she was caring for until a relative could be located. The older children were proving to be the bigger challenge.
“I’m sure it has been,” Winter said sympathetically.
Willa glanced away from Winter’s astute gaze. The school had notified her two days ago that, unless Sissy quit missing school so often, she would be moved to the alternative school where Winter was the principal as well as a member of the committee that placed problematic children in the school. As a result, Winter was probably more knowledgeable about Sissy’s academic failings than Willa was as her foster parent. However, she didn’t say anything about the child in front of Rachel, which Willa was grateful for.
The problem was that Willa had never had any idea Sissy hadn’t been in school. Although she had dropped her off each day with Leanne at the high school, the girl had been sneaking out and skipping. Leanne had known, yet hadn’t told on her sister.
When Willa had confronted Sissy, the girl had gone upstairs to her room, locking Willa out, and now Willa was at a loss on how to deal with the girl.
“Cash needs some help. Excuse me.” Rachel left, going to her husband’s side as he haphazardly stacked baby presents on the bar.
“Any advice on how to deal with Sissy would be appreciated. I’m ashamed to admit I’m not handling her very well,” Willa confessed to Winter as soon as Rachel moved away.
“Be patient. If you like, I could try to talk to her,” Winter offered.
“I’ll take any help I can get. I’m afraid, if she gets into anymore trouble, Child Services will reconsider my ability to foster the children. The sheriff and the state are trying to find Georgia and Lewis’s half-brother. As soon as they find him, I won’t have to be so worried about having them broken apart.” That fear had been keeping her awake at night.
“Don’t worry; I’m sure it won’t be much longer.” Winter touched her arm, and Willa instinctively drew away.
“Hi, Willa.” Evie and King stopped as they passed through the crowded room.
“Hello,” Willa responded, suddenly becoming aware the women in the group were trying to make her feel comfortable. It wasn’t going to happen with Dean—or Lucky, as everyone was calling him now—in the room. She forced herself to keep her eyes averted from where he was standing, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt like the rest of the men except King, who wore his usual slacks and dress shirt.
“Your cakes are selling well at the restaurant, Willa. We need to talk about increasing our order.” King was one of the few men who had the power to get under her guard and make her feel relaxed.
“I can’t. I can hardly keep up with the orders I have now.” Willa bit her lip, not wanting to disappoint her most lucrative customer.
“You could take the diner off your list. I could buy what you’re selling them,” King offered with a suave smile that had Willa considering the option for a brief second.
Willa shook her head regretfully. “That wouldn’t be fair. I’ve sold my cakes and pies to them for years.”
“I would pay you more,” King tempted.
Willa could definitely understand how he had managed to steal his wife Evie away from the men of The Last Riders.
“It isn’t about the money,” Willa refused. “If I have any openings during the week, I can make a few extra desserts. We can do it on a week by week basis.”
“They didn’t do it. Whoever trashed mine and Razer’s bikes did this.”
“I figured that out too late. I let my temper get away from me when I saw that word,” Lucky confessed. When Shade didn’t say anything, Lucky added, “I’ll stop by in a day or two to apologize since I don’t think she wants to hear anything I have to say right now.”
“I don’t think that woman wants to ever see you again, much less hear anything you have to say,” Shade said wryly.
“I won’t be getting a cupcake from her anytime soon; that’s for sure,” Lucky agreed glumly.
“I’ve had Jenna’s pussy and Willa’s cupcakes. I know which one I would’ve chosen, but you were never the smartest brother in the club.”
Lucky had to silently agree with him, even if he hated it when the fucker was right.
Chapter 1
“May I get you something to drink?” Willa jumped at Rachel’s voice behind her.
“No, thanks.” Willa turned to face the woman who had talked her into coming to Lily’s baby shower despite her intention to stay away.
Willa felt an unwanted flash of envy at Rachel’s red hair. Her hand unwittingly went to her own lackluster brown hair to make sure it was still in a neat knot at the nape of her neck, wishing belatedly that she had left it loose.
“The cake is beautiful, Willa. You outdid yourself.”
Willa smiled, blushing. She had taken extra time to make the cake special for Lily who was being released from the hospital after being kidnapped by her adoptive father. The State Police had led a search for several days to find the town’s former pastor before releasing a statement that they had found evidence that Saul Cornett had managed to escape the country.
Not only had Lily and her husband Shade had to deal with her kidnapping, but their home had been wrecked by a storm that had swept through the town. The baby shower today was to replace the items that had been destroyed.
Willa had never been in The Last Riders’ clubhouse before. She had somehow expected broken-down furniture and beer cans sitting around; instead, it was clean and furnished with leather furniture that actually looked very comfortable. There was a bar at one end of the room and a pool table with several other tables with chairs positioned around the room.
Winter came down the stairs from the upper floor, approaching her and Rachel. The wife of Viper, the club president, looked pretty in a blue maxi dress that showed off her slim figure.
Willa always felt huge and graceless when she was near the other woman. Not only did she outweigh Winter by over eighty pounds, but her own five-foot-eight height made Winter seem even more diminutive.
She was angry at herself for her envy of other women that went to the extent of constantly trying to reinvent her own appearance. Her hair had gone through several color changes recently from blonde to different shades of red to finally admitting defeat and returning to her plain brown hair color. Her makeover attempts hadn’t stopped at hair, either. Trying to transform her large body into their dainty sizes had been another failed attempt.
“How are you coping with the children?” Winter questioned, her friendly gaze making Willa feel even guiltier for yearning to be as attractive as they were to the men who filled the motorcycle club.
Willa couldn’t explain to herself why she felt that way, though. The Lord knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the attention from the alarmingly lethal-looking bikers.
“It’s been a transition for them,” Willa admitted carefully, not revealing how difficult it had been to go from living a solitary life to one filled with tantrums and broken china, some of which didn’t stem from the toddlers she was caring for until a relative could be located. The older children were proving to be the bigger challenge.
“I’m sure it has been,” Winter said sympathetically.
Willa glanced away from Winter’s astute gaze. The school had notified her two days ago that, unless Sissy quit missing school so often, she would be moved to the alternative school where Winter was the principal as well as a member of the committee that placed problematic children in the school. As a result, Winter was probably more knowledgeable about Sissy’s academic failings than Willa was as her foster parent. However, she didn’t say anything about the child in front of Rachel, which Willa was grateful for.
The problem was that Willa had never had any idea Sissy hadn’t been in school. Although she had dropped her off each day with Leanne at the high school, the girl had been sneaking out and skipping. Leanne had known, yet hadn’t told on her sister.
When Willa had confronted Sissy, the girl had gone upstairs to her room, locking Willa out, and now Willa was at a loss on how to deal with the girl.
“Cash needs some help. Excuse me.” Rachel left, going to her husband’s side as he haphazardly stacked baby presents on the bar.
“Any advice on how to deal with Sissy would be appreciated. I’m ashamed to admit I’m not handling her very well,” Willa confessed to Winter as soon as Rachel moved away.
“Be patient. If you like, I could try to talk to her,” Winter offered.
“I’ll take any help I can get. I’m afraid, if she gets into anymore trouble, Child Services will reconsider my ability to foster the children. The sheriff and the state are trying to find Georgia and Lewis’s half-brother. As soon as they find him, I won’t have to be so worried about having them broken apart.” That fear had been keeping her awake at night.
“Don’t worry; I’m sure it won’t be much longer.” Winter touched her arm, and Willa instinctively drew away.
“Hi, Willa.” Evie and King stopped as they passed through the crowded room.
“Hello,” Willa responded, suddenly becoming aware the women in the group were trying to make her feel comfortable. It wasn’t going to happen with Dean—or Lucky, as everyone was calling him now—in the room. She forced herself to keep her eyes averted from where he was standing, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt like the rest of the men except King, who wore his usual slacks and dress shirt.
“Your cakes are selling well at the restaurant, Willa. We need to talk about increasing our order.” King was one of the few men who had the power to get under her guard and make her feel relaxed.
“I can’t. I can hardly keep up with the orders I have now.” Willa bit her lip, not wanting to disappoint her most lucrative customer.
“You could take the diner off your list. I could buy what you’re selling them,” King offered with a suave smile that had Willa considering the option for a brief second.
Willa shook her head regretfully. “That wouldn’t be fair. I’ve sold my cakes and pies to them for years.”
“I would pay you more,” King tempted.
Willa could definitely understand how he had managed to steal his wife Evie away from the men of The Last Riders.
“It isn’t about the money,” Willa refused. “If I have any openings during the week, I can make a few extra desserts. We can do it on a week by week basis.”
