Chapter Eighteen
MONDAY WAS A bitch. It seemed like everything that could go wrong on the job did, and on top of that, Zeke was in a pissy mood, and Tobias, the guy who rarely smiled, was whistling like one of Snow White’s happiest dwarves all fucking day.
Zander considered waiting to talk to his parents about Shauna until tomorrow, but Shauna had brought it up again that morning.
She was a lot more anxious about it than he was, and he wanted to put her mind at ease.
But he’d only seen Preacher for a few minutes, when his father had stopped at the job site and said he’d heard about what had gone down over the weekend with Brian.
Zander had been in the middle of handling a cabinetry issue, so he’d quickly filled Preacher in about Brian and had said he’d swing by his parents’ house after work to talk to them.
He wasn’t worried about telling them he was helping Shauna.
For as far back as Zander could remember, his parents had ingrained helping others into him and his siblings by raising them with foster kids and helping families in the community.
As he climbed out of his truck in front of his parents’ house, the rambling two-story, with its wide front porch, gabled roof, and breezeway that led to a multicar garage, brought a sense of comfort.
He headed up to the house, and memories rolled in of running around the yard wreaking havoc with his siblings and cousins, wrestling in the grass, playing football and other games, while their parents barbecued or hung out on the patio.
He had many memories of waking up in the middle of the night to the roar of motorcycles and hearing his father’s hushed, deep voice as he held court in their living room when something had gone down in the community.
He had even fonder memories of sneaking out in the middle of the night looking for trouble, and finding it.
He thought about Shauna sneaking out to get away from her parents.
He fucking hated that she’d needed to get away from the people who should have done everything they could to protect her.
And her fucking grandfather turning his back on her?
That made Zander even angrier. Zander had often been a little jerk when he was young, treating everything like a joke, but he’d never once doubted that his parents would go to the ends of the earth for him.
Not when he was getting in trouble at school or when he was a mouthy teenager and said horrible shit to them.
He’d had a safety net his whole fucking life.
He still did, and it infuriated him, and broke his heart, that Shauna had never had one.
Until now.
He pulled open the kitchen door, and their parents’ dogs, Milo, a fluffy brown mutt, and Buster, a golden retriever mix, bounded over to greet him, their tails wagging.
“Hey, guys.” Zander crouched to pet them, happily accepting their slobbery kisses as his grandfather walked into the room.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. And here I was enjoying the peace and quiet.”
His grandfather’s craggy voice brought a smile.
Zander still remembered the burlier grandfather of his youth, whose authoritative presence captured everyone’s attention, the way Preacher’s did.
Neither had demanded that power, nor did they abuse it.
Their confidence drew respect, and the way they treated everyone like family kept it.
His grandfather was leaner now, his once-thick dark hair wispy and gray, his square jaw and strong features softened with wrinkles, but his blue-gray eyes were just as keen, always searching beneath the surface.
“How’s it going, old man? You here mooching dinner again? They ought to start charging you rent.”
“Let ’em try,” he grumbled, and embraced Zander, giving him a hard clap on the back. “Good to see you, boy. I heard you helped put a guy on the right path this weekend.”
“Hopefully it’ll do some good. Where are Mom and Preach?”
“They’re in the den, on the phone with Uncle Biggs and Aunt Red.” Biggs Whiskey was one of Zander’s uncles on his mother’s side. He’d founded and ran the Peaceful Harbor, Maryland, chapter of the Dark Knights.
“Everything okay?” Zander asked as they headed out of the kitchen with the dogs in tow.
“Yes, sir. Bear and Crystal are having another baby.” Bear was one of Zander’s cousins from Maryland. He and his wife already had an adorable little boy they named after their late uncle, Axel.
“Yeah? Good for them,” Zander said as his parents walked out of the den.
“Hi, sweetheart,” his mother said. “Did Grandpa tell you the good news about Bear and Crystal?”
“Yes, he did. I’m happy for them. That’ll be one lucky kid. They’re great parents.”
“You’re thinking better them than you, aren’t ya?” his father asked.
Zander grinned. “I wasn’t going to say it out loud.”
“You didn’t have to,” his grandfather said. “After what you said when you heard Baz and Emerson were expecting another baby, we know where you stand.”
“What are you talking about? I said I was happy for them, too,” Zander insisted.
“That was right after Zan’s accident. He was still in the hospital when Baz told him,” his mother said in his defense. “You probably forgot, honey, but I believe you said something to the effect of, Better you than me. I’m allergic to diapers and commitment.”
Zander laughed. He was about to say that was accurate, but he held it back, remembering why he was there. Apparently he wasn’t quite as allergic to commitment as he’d thought.
“You did offer to teach Baz how to keep that from happening,” his father said with a chuckle. “You sticking around for dinner, son? Zeke’s joining us.”
Normally he would stick around, but Shauna had to work tomorrow, and he wanted to ease her worries before she went. “No, thanks. I just came by to tell y’all that I’m getting married.”
“Not with those allergies, you’re not,” his mother said, and the three of them laughed.
“Yeah. You’re getting married, and I’m giving away my Trans Am,” his father joked, earning more laughter.
“I’m serious,” Zander said. “I’m getting married on Friday.”
His parents’ smiles faded.
“This ought to be good,” his grandfather said, rubbing his hands together as he lowered himself to the couch.
His father lifted his chin, his eyes narrowing. “Come again, son?”
“You heard me. I’m getting married on Friday.”
“I think we’d all better sit down,” his mother suggested, and she sat beside his grandfather.
Zander and his father remained standing, his father’s stern expression throwing him off.
“Why’re you looking at me like that? I’m helping Shauna, the girl who pulled me out of the burning car.
You know, the one who saved my life. She needs money for Brian’s rehab, and she’s got an inheritance from her grandfather, but she can’t get it unless she’s married for a couple of months.
I’m stepping in to help her out. We’ll be married for two months plus a few weeks so it looks real. Three months max. What’s the big deal?”
“Here we go,” his grandfather said, like he was watching the start of a race.
“What’s the big deal?” his father shot back. “Didn’t we teach you anything? Wickeds don’t half-ass things. Especially not an institution as sacred as marriage. That’s not something you jump into with a predetermined end date.”
“It’s really not that big of a deal. You know I’ve got no plans of walking down an aisle for real, and neither does she.”
His mother popped to her feet. “Then why do it, honey?”
“Because it’s the only way she can afford to help her friend. I offered to lend her the money, but she’s afraid she’ll never be able to pay it back since she never wants to get married. I also offered to give her the money—”
“Zander, have you lost your mind?” his father fumed. “What do you even know about this girl?”
“I know she saved my life. That’s enough for me, and it should be enough for you, too,” Zander implored.
“You’re not thinking this through,” his father gritted out.
“That’s nothing new,” his grandfather said under his breath.
“Jesus Christ.” Zander paced. “Don’t you get it? For once in my life I am thinking something through. This is a fake marriage for a few months to help out the woman who saved my life. How can the three of you, of all people, find fault in that?”
“Do I need to make you a list?” his father barked.
“You’re being reckless. I’m sure this inheritance comes with all sorts of caveats to protect the money from being handed out to a scammer.
How are you going to make everyone believe you’re suddenly so in love you’re getting married, when you’ve flaunted your affinity for one-night stands for the last decade? ”
Zander drew his shoulders back, holding his father’s stare. “There’s nothing I can’t do.”
“Honey.” His mother touched his arm, speaking more softly.
“It’s commendable that you want to help Shauna.
Your heart is in the right place, but marriage is not just a big deal.
It’s the biggest deal there is. You two might not think you’ll ever want to get married, but look at your brothers and cousins.
We know they weren’t saints, but when they met the right person, everything changed.
A marriage is something you can’t take back.
You can divorce or get an annulment, but it still happened.
You might fall in love with someone in a few years and wish you’d never said I do to someone else first.”
“That’s not happening for me, Mom, and I don’t think Shauna’s worried about that, either.”
“Boy, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” his grandfather said gruffly. “When the right woman snags your heart, you’ve got no say in the matter. You’ll be down for the count before you know what’s happening, and most of us never want to get back up again.”
“That’s you and the rest of them, Gramps. It’s not me. I’m not built for that forever shit,” Zander insisted.