Lily stared down at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Shade tells me that all the time.” Her impish smile was a thing of beauty.
Lucky said a silent prayer that he was fortunate enough to have this beautiful woman as a part of his life.
“Your faith gave you strength when you needed it most, Lily. I don’t know anyone who has a more beautiful, loving soul.”
Lily reached out to cup his cheek gently. “I do.”
Lucky saw Shade tense, but before he could say anything, he heard a sound at the door, and he turned, seeing Willa.
“I forgot my keys.”
Lucky rose as Willa went to the counter, avoiding his eyes.
“I’ll walk you to your van,” he said huskily, following her out the door.
They were halfway down the path before he took her arm and brought her to a stop.
“Willa, what I said to Lily—”
“Stop, don’t you dare take away from what I was just blessed to witness because you think my feelings are hurt. It was beautiful.” Willa swiped away a tear clinging to her lashes. “I don’t want to know what Lily’s had to endure in her life. I went to school with her, and there wasn’t a day that I didn’t see the pain in her eyes.” She leaned her head on his chest. “I honestly don’t know if I could have kept my faith like her. I pray to God I never find out. She’s stronger than I could ever be.”
“That’s not true,” Lucky replied.
“It is true. I’m weak, Lucky.”
“I don’t want to hear that come out of your mouth again. You’re strong, Willa.” Lucky couldn’t help letting his laughter escape. “Siren, you managed to scare The Last Riders into doing exactly what you want. We haven’t had to do the punishment bag in weeks because no one wants to piss you off.”
“That’s just because they don’t want to be written out of my will.”
“No, it’s because they don’t want you to whip their ass.”
Willa smiled, shaking her head up at him. “I can’t believe I used to be so afraid of them.”
“You’re not anymore?”
“No, I can’t imagine my life without them now.”
“Good, because Viper wanted me to ask you for a favor.”
She gazed up at him happily. “What?”
“He wanted to know if your company could give him a discount on a set of tires.”
Willa’s expression turned pained. “There’s something I needed to confess. We don’t make tires.”
Lucky plucked her up into his arms, twirling her in a circle, his heart filled with joy. He was no longer watching everyone else live their lives while he was trapped, merely watching. Instead, he had his own piece of Heaven. He was exactly where he was meant to be in this moment in time with this woman in his arms. The loneliness and sorrow were a fading memory. From the time he had looked up from his Bible and seen Willa, he hadn’t had a choice but to love her. No choice at all.
Chapter 38
“Explain to me why you wanted to make cupcakes tonight.”
Willa shot him a frazzled look. “Because I was in the mood to bake.”
“You don’t seem to be in the mood to bake. You seem more in the mood to punch someone.” Lucky leaned against the kitchen counter, drinking his coffee and watching as his wife carefully placed her creations on a cupcake tower.
“After I get this finished, I can relax.” She placed the last cupcake at the top, taking a step back to survey her accomplishment critically.
“Want me to taste-test your frosting for you?” Lucky teased.
“No, you’re not allowed to taste my frosting until I’m not mad at you any longer.”
“I could have sworn you didn’t seem mad last night when you were coming on my cock.”
She gave him a vindictive smile. “I told Shade you said he cried when he asked for permission to marry Lily.”
Lucky straightened. “You didn’t.”
“I did.” Willa wiped her hands on the dishtowel then folded it neatly. “He’s going to pay you back. You know that, don’t you?”
“You’re taking the imminent demise of your husband pretty well.”
“He won’t kill you.” She went to the oven, pulling out the huge tray of meatloaf she had made and setting it on the stove. “At least, I don’t think so.”
Lucky watched her go to the two crockpots she had sitting out, stirring the contents of each.
“Siren, I know the club eats a lot, but you’ve made enough to feed an army.” Lucky stared at the huge amount of food sitting on the counter. Beth had also helped by making a fruit salad, which she was sliding on the counter.
“That’s it. We’re done.” Willa stared down at her watch. “With three minutes to spare.”
“What—” The sound of the front doorbell ringing had Lucky raising a brow at the two women’s expectant faces.
Viper opened the kitchen door. “You have company.”
Lucky shot his wife a curious look, as it was obvious she knew who was there to see him. “It better not be Diamond. You promised me no more wills for at least six months.”
“It’s not Diamond,” she said, pushing him through the door.
Lucky walked farther into the club room, seeing a crowd of people he had never expected. The room was filled to capacity with the church members. It was so crowded people were lined up on the steps to the upstairs, and all the members of The Last Riders were lined up against all four walls, wearing their cuts.
“What’s going on?” Lucky asked.
Angus Berry moved to stand in front of him, and the rest of the deacons lined up behind him.
“We’re here to ask you to return as our pastor.”
Lucky had felt the loss of the church to his being, but he couldn’t return to the life that would take his sanity.
Lucky cleared his throat. “I can’t—”
Before he could continue, Angus raised his hand.
“Hear us out before you make your mind up. When you returned to the church, you told us you loved being a pastor, is that true?”
“Yes. I never lied about my love for the church or God, only my inability to walk the narrow path a pastor must walk.”
“A nondenominational church doesn’t have a path that narrow. They make their own, don’t they?” Angus Berry’s white eyebrows rose.
“Yes…” Lucky agreed, staring at the faces surrounding him.
“We voted to give up the Baptist church and become a nondenominational church. It’s time you quit fighting that war with yourself and come home.”
Lucky battled back the tight feeling in his chest. “What are you saying?”
“We’re telling you that we can’t sit through another long-winded sermon from a self-righteous pastor who wouldn’t understand the scriptures of God if the Almighty came down and explained it to him. We wouldn’t expect anything from you except what you’ve done the last few years, and that’s to be there when one of us is in need and give us a better understanding of God two nights and one morning a week. In return, we promise not to care if you want to drink a beer or ride that bike up and down the streets.”
“It isn’t anything we aren’t doing,” Myrtle muttered. “Well, except for the motorcycle. We’re too old for that.”
Lucky laughed. “You’re all sure?”
“Yes. We already told the windbag he’s done. Wasn’t too Christian the way he took it, but like we said, we’re not going to judge another man, even though I have to admit, it’s hard to do when I see him taking a twenty out of the collection tray every Sunday.”
“We would love to welcome both you and Willa back, Pastor Dean,” Myrtle spoke up, handing him his Bible that Willa must have brought upstairs.
His wife had known what the church was going to ask him and had made a feast for celebration. His wife had also known the answer he would give in return.
Reaching behind his back for Willa’s hand, he pulled her to his side as he