Lucky's Choice
Page 80
“At least until he gets out of prison,” Lucky agreed grimly.
“He won’t be giving you any more trouble, regardless,” Shade said.
Willa saw the silent battle between the men then found her attention diverted again.
“Is that my cookie jar?” Willa rose from Lucky’s lap, going to the counter to gently touch the glass cookie jar.
“Bliss found it on eBay and bought it for you.”
“I’ll have to thank her.” Willa blinked back tears of happiness. It wasn’t the same one, but it would bring back the same memories, and it was the memories she cherished, not the jar.
Willa noticed the sad looks on the women’s faces and the grim ones on the men.
“What’s wrong?” Willa looked around the crowded room. “Where is Bliss?”
“She’s out looking for an apartment,” Lucky finally answered when no one else spoke up.
“Why?”
“She was voted out of the club. Her behavior toward you was the last straw.”
Willa adjusted her sling carefully. “Then vote her back in. I don’t want to be the reason she has to leave.”
Viper shook his head. “It wasn’t because of you. It was because she showed disrespect to Lucky by hurting you. She’s also hurt several of the women who are members.”
“Was it the women members who voted her out?”
“No, it was the same men who voted her in.”
Willa blushed at his reminder of how the women were admitted to the club.
She could see why Viper had been made president. He showed no remorse for the decision the club had made. His stern expression also showed that the decision was written in stone and wouldn’t be changed.
“I was hoping she would decide to leave Treepoint and make a fresh start, but she wants to stay here.”
“Because all her friends are here,” Willa dared to take up for Bliss. The woman might have hurt her feelings, but she had ended up being the loser. Willa felt terrible for Bliss. “When Lucky left the club, you remained friends; he didn’t stop being your brother. Bliss deserves the same as a former member. She can still be your friend.” She looked at Jewell, Ember, Stori, and Raci.
“Maybe you’re right, Willa. We can keep an eye on her and still put enough distance between her and Shade so she can move on.” Viper brought out the elephant in the room—the real reason Bliss couldn’t remain.
Willa looked at Lily who was twisting her hands together until Shade took them in his. Lily looked up at her husband, but from his expression, he wasn’t going to give in to her silent pleas.
Willa sighed. Beth didn’t seem any happier with the decision. None of the women did. However, Willa could see in some ways that Viper was right. When Lucky had been seeing other women in town, she had been miserable, and she hadn’t even been with Lucky. He hadn’t even noticed her. As a result, Bliss must be in agony watching Shade and Lily together. Maybe she would stand a chance of finding what the other couples had when she moved into town.
“She’s going to be lonely living by herself after living with so many people…” Willa said, touching the cookie jar.
Bliss regretted her actions, or she wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of replacing the jar. Willa lifted the lid, deciding she would make—her eyes watered when she saw it was filled with oatmeal raisin cookies.
The baker in her had her lifting one out and taking a bite. Then Willa started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Lucky came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Those are mine. She must have bought them from the church store.”
“Bliss is going to be fine,” Lucky assured her.
“I know she will.” Willa leaned back tiredly on her husband, and her eyes caught something else on the counter. “Is that a new crockpot?”
“No.”
* * *
Willa pulled her jeans up, snapping them closed. She looked across the room at Lucky, who was standing in the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
“What’s wrong?” He stopped his hand. “Did we hurt your arm in the shower? Maybe you should call Donna back and tell her it’s too soon to release you.”
“I’m wearing a size sixteen,” she said in awe. “I haven’t worn a sixteen since I was in high school and had a crush on Drake. I starved myself all summer—”
“You used to have a crush on Drake? He’s a lot older than you,” Lucky snapped.
“Calm down. He didn’t even know.” Willa giggled as she went to the dresser mirror, twirling around.
She’d had these jeans in the bottom of her drawer. They were the size she had aspired to get into every single time she had started a new diet. Her eighteens had been loose, so she had taken the chance to try them on.
“I can’t believe it. I haven’t even really changed my eating habits. I’m working out with you, but we both know I only last twenty minutes. I wonder how…” Willa turned to look at her husband who hadn’t bothered to wrap a towel around his hips, and his perfect body still had droplets of water clinging to his tanned skin.
“What?” Lucky asked warily.
“I think I’ve finally found a way to lose weight that I enjoy.” Willa smiled at her husband seductively.
“I thought you had to get to work. Isn’t Lily waiting to drive in with you?” Lucky narrowed his eyes on his wife as she slowly began to unbutton her pink blouse.
“She can drive in with Ginny.”
Ginny had been working for The Last Riders for three weeks, and it had worked out surprisingly well. The women didn’t fuss as much about the other chores, each picking the ones they could live with.
Willa let her blouse slip to the floor.
“I’m going to need a nap. You kept me awake most of the night.” Lucky tossed the towel toward the hamper.
Willa shivered when he walked toward her like a predator stalking his prey. She took a teasing step backward toward the doorway as she slid her bra straps down her arms. Her fingers found the doorknob and she twisted it, opening the door.
“Where are you going?” Lucky’s voice dropped.
Willa felt herself get damp. Whenever he used that lethal voice on her, it made her—Willa refused to think of the word.
She put her finger in her mouth then glided it down the curve of her breast tauntingly.
“That does it!” he growled.
Willa spun around, throwing the door open, laughing as she ran down the hallway where she came to an abrupt halt.
Moon was sitting at one of the exercise machines, lifting weights. Willa didn’t see him that often, but Lucky had told her that he liked going back and forth between the two clubhouses.
Willa’s face flamed as the biker’s gaze dropped to her breasts that were barely contained by her bra. None of the men ever came downstairs before noon. That was why she had playfully run from Lucky. It did something to her insides when he chased after her.
“He won’t be giving you any more trouble, regardless,” Shade said.
Willa saw the silent battle between the men then found her attention diverted again.
“Is that my cookie jar?” Willa rose from Lucky’s lap, going to the counter to gently touch the glass cookie jar.
“Bliss found it on eBay and bought it for you.”
“I’ll have to thank her.” Willa blinked back tears of happiness. It wasn’t the same one, but it would bring back the same memories, and it was the memories she cherished, not the jar.
Willa noticed the sad looks on the women’s faces and the grim ones on the men.
“What’s wrong?” Willa looked around the crowded room. “Where is Bliss?”
“She’s out looking for an apartment,” Lucky finally answered when no one else spoke up.
“Why?”
“She was voted out of the club. Her behavior toward you was the last straw.”
Willa adjusted her sling carefully. “Then vote her back in. I don’t want to be the reason she has to leave.”
Viper shook his head. “It wasn’t because of you. It was because she showed disrespect to Lucky by hurting you. She’s also hurt several of the women who are members.”
“Was it the women members who voted her out?”
“No, it was the same men who voted her in.”
Willa blushed at his reminder of how the women were admitted to the club.
She could see why Viper had been made president. He showed no remorse for the decision the club had made. His stern expression also showed that the decision was written in stone and wouldn’t be changed.
“I was hoping she would decide to leave Treepoint and make a fresh start, but she wants to stay here.”
“Because all her friends are here,” Willa dared to take up for Bliss. The woman might have hurt her feelings, but she had ended up being the loser. Willa felt terrible for Bliss. “When Lucky left the club, you remained friends; he didn’t stop being your brother. Bliss deserves the same as a former member. She can still be your friend.” She looked at Jewell, Ember, Stori, and Raci.
“Maybe you’re right, Willa. We can keep an eye on her and still put enough distance between her and Shade so she can move on.” Viper brought out the elephant in the room—the real reason Bliss couldn’t remain.
Willa looked at Lily who was twisting her hands together until Shade took them in his. Lily looked up at her husband, but from his expression, he wasn’t going to give in to her silent pleas.
Willa sighed. Beth didn’t seem any happier with the decision. None of the women did. However, Willa could see in some ways that Viper was right. When Lucky had been seeing other women in town, she had been miserable, and she hadn’t even been with Lucky. He hadn’t even noticed her. As a result, Bliss must be in agony watching Shade and Lily together. Maybe she would stand a chance of finding what the other couples had when she moved into town.
“She’s going to be lonely living by herself after living with so many people…” Willa said, touching the cookie jar.
Bliss regretted her actions, or she wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of replacing the jar. Willa lifted the lid, deciding she would make—her eyes watered when she saw it was filled with oatmeal raisin cookies.
The baker in her had her lifting one out and taking a bite. Then Willa started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Lucky came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Those are mine. She must have bought them from the church store.”
“Bliss is going to be fine,” Lucky assured her.
“I know she will.” Willa leaned back tiredly on her husband, and her eyes caught something else on the counter. “Is that a new crockpot?”
“No.”
* * *
Willa pulled her jeans up, snapping them closed. She looked across the room at Lucky, who was standing in the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
“What’s wrong?” He stopped his hand. “Did we hurt your arm in the shower? Maybe you should call Donna back and tell her it’s too soon to release you.”
“I’m wearing a size sixteen,” she said in awe. “I haven’t worn a sixteen since I was in high school and had a crush on Drake. I starved myself all summer—”
“You used to have a crush on Drake? He’s a lot older than you,” Lucky snapped.
“Calm down. He didn’t even know.” Willa giggled as she went to the dresser mirror, twirling around.
She’d had these jeans in the bottom of her drawer. They were the size she had aspired to get into every single time she had started a new diet. Her eighteens had been loose, so she had taken the chance to try them on.
“I can’t believe it. I haven’t even really changed my eating habits. I’m working out with you, but we both know I only last twenty minutes. I wonder how…” Willa turned to look at her husband who hadn’t bothered to wrap a towel around his hips, and his perfect body still had droplets of water clinging to his tanned skin.
“What?” Lucky asked warily.
“I think I’ve finally found a way to lose weight that I enjoy.” Willa smiled at her husband seductively.
“I thought you had to get to work. Isn’t Lily waiting to drive in with you?” Lucky narrowed his eyes on his wife as she slowly began to unbutton her pink blouse.
“She can drive in with Ginny.”
Ginny had been working for The Last Riders for three weeks, and it had worked out surprisingly well. The women didn’t fuss as much about the other chores, each picking the ones they could live with.
Willa let her blouse slip to the floor.
“I’m going to need a nap. You kept me awake most of the night.” Lucky tossed the towel toward the hamper.
Willa shivered when he walked toward her like a predator stalking his prey. She took a teasing step backward toward the doorway as she slid her bra straps down her arms. Her fingers found the doorknob and she twisted it, opening the door.
“Where are you going?” Lucky’s voice dropped.
Willa felt herself get damp. Whenever he used that lethal voice on her, it made her—Willa refused to think of the word.
She put her finger in her mouth then glided it down the curve of her breast tauntingly.
“That does it!” he growled.
Willa spun around, throwing the door open, laughing as she ran down the hallway where she came to an abrupt halt.
Moon was sitting at one of the exercise machines, lifting weights. Willa didn’t see him that often, but Lucky had told her that he liked going back and forth between the two clubhouses.
Willa’s face flamed as the biker’s gaze dropped to her breasts that were barely contained by her bra. None of the men ever came downstairs before noon. That was why she had playfully run from Lucky. It did something to her insides when he chased after her.
