Chapter Twenty
ZANDER WALKED INTO the clubhouse Wednesday night like he was heading into battle, his shoulders back, his chin up, and tension straining every muscle.
The room was alive with conversation, heckling, and laughter, but Zander couldn’t even fake a smile.
The last two days had been riddled with too many questions and opinions he had no interest in hearing.
At least his parents and Zeke had kept the news of his and Shauna’s plans in the family as he’d asked, but fuck.
He couldn’t believe none of them had his back, and now Shauna wanted to meet them.
When they’d spoken earlier, she’d been excited that Cap had agreed to be their witness and relieved that he’d forgiven her about Brian.
She’d been through enough emotional roller coasters.
There was no way he’d put her in his family’s crosshairs when they were acting like people he didn’t recognize.
He wondered if they’d act that way if he were one of his siblings, and gritted his teeth, knowing the answer.
They all had opinions aside from their concerns about his history of a revolving bedroom door, and they all boiled down to the same thing.
They thought he was too impulsive and short-sighted to get married, even as a temporary favor.
It didn’t seem to matter that he didn’t shirk his responsibilities at work or with the club, or that he’d always been there for the family, no matter what else he had going on.
The only one who gave him an inch of slack was Baz, who said he’d gone through life-altering changes when he’d met his fiancée, Emerson, and he knew if Zander wanted to change, he would succeed.
But Baz had still given him a laundry list of reasons he should consider options other than marriage because he agreed with Zander’s parents about the sanctity of marriage.
It was infuriating that the rest of them couldn’t see him as anything other than that impulsive guy. But Shauna did, and that was what mattered.
He stepped out of the way as a couple of guys came through the door and saw his brothers and cousins sitting in their usual spot on the far side of the room. Gunner and Blaine looked over. Gunner lifted his chin in a silent hello, the tension in Blaine’s jaw mirroring Zander’s.
In no mood to get more shit, Zander headed for a table on his side of the room, where Rubin “Justice” Galant, the sharp-witted attorney who had handled Zander’s case for the accident and a single father to an adorable little girl named Patience, was thumbing out a text.
“Hey, man, how’s it going?” Zander pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Not bad. Just scheduling a playdate for Patience and Gracie.”
“Gracie? Starr’s little girl?” Their friend Starr was a single mom who waitressed at the Salty Hog.
“Yeah. Patience and Gracie have been taking dance classes together, and we’ve had a few playdates for them.
” Justice pocketed his phone. “You should’ve seen the girls last weekend.
One minute they were playing with their dolls on the patio, and the next they’re making brownies out of mudpies.
It was hours of unstoppable giggles and messy chaos. ”
“Sounds like they had a great time.”
“They did. They’ve been begging for a sleepover. That’s what we’re working on setting up.”
Zander sat back, picking up on Justice’s use of we’ve and we’re referencing him and Starr.
Justice was not only a loving father, but he was also a handsome man with rich brown skin and an affable demeanor that could put anyone at ease.
Zander could see him with the attractive, snarky, tattooed blonde.
“So, will this sleepover be for Patience and Daddy?”
Justice grinned and shook his head. “No, man. I’m taking it slow. We’ve got little kids. It’s not the same as freewheelers like you.”
“My freewheelin’ days are coming to an end,” he said, testing it out.
It felt good to say it with the excitement he felt about helping Shauna instead of hiding it like it was a big, bad secret.
But his timing was lousy, because his brothers and cousins were heading their way, and Blaine and Tank looked like they were ready to give him hell.
He’d warned them not to tell anyone the marriage wasn’t real, and if they blurted it out and fucked it up for Shauna, he was going to lose his shit.
“Really?” Justice asked, drawing him back to their conversation. “Did you meet someone worthy of a second date?”
The comment grated on his nerves despite the fact that his father was right. He’d not only earned that reputation—he’d fucking flaunted it. But he was going to make damn sure that Shauna and their temporary marriage were treated with respect.
“I met someone worthy of marrying,” Zander said as Blaine, Maverick, and Tank blew past the table, making a beeline for Preacher and Conroy, who had just walked into the clubhouse.
Zeke, Baz, and Gunner stood a few feet away from Zander. Gunner held his hands up and said, “Is it safe to come over there, or are you going to chew us out again?”
“That depends. Are you all here to give me more shit?”
“Not me, man,” Gunner said. “I value my life.”
“We know you’re a stubborn bastard, and you’re going to marry her no matter what we say,” Baz added.
“Damn right, I am. Take a seat, assholes.” As they sat down, Zander eyed Zeke, still standing a few feet away. “You got something to say?”
“Yeah,” Zeke said tightly. “I don’t have to think it’s a good idea for you to marry a woman you’ve only known for a week in order to have your back. You bleed, I bleed, bro.”
Zander nodded in acknowledgment. “I appreciate that.” He held out a fist, and Zeke bumped it with his own.
As Zeke sat down, Zander stole a glance at Preacher, Conroy, and the others, huddled by the front door. His brothers’ and Tank’s backs were to him. Preacher’s gaze shifted in Zander’s direction, as serious as ever. Zander looked away, sure they were talking about him.
“Dude, you’ve known this woman for only a week and you’re marrying her?” Justice asked. “That’s not even enough time for you to have knocked her up. Did you sign up for some kind of reality show or something?”
“No. She’s the EMT who pulled me out of the wreck. We were meant to be, and we just don’t want to wait. We’re tying the knot Friday morning. I got her a ring, took her shopping for a wedding outfit, and her boss is going to be our witness.”
“Damn.” Justice shook his head. “I never thought you’d settle down. She must be something special. What’s she like?”
It didn’t go unnoticed that neither Zeke nor their cousins offered to attend the wedding, much less be their witness.
Zander tried to push that irritation away enough to focus on describing Shauna.
Smart and strong were too easy. Shauna was anything but easy.
Beautiful was an understatement, and not because of her curves or her gorgeous face, but because her heart bubbled over into everything else about her, and that made her shine like nothing he’d ever seen.
Finally, he said, “She’s like a midnight ride on your favorite bike, and I don’t mean that sexually. She’s bold and unstoppable, roaring on the straightaways, grounded and stable on the curves, and able to handle whatever life throws at her without losing traction.”
“Damn, bro,” Zeke said. “I didn’t know you were that deep.”
Zander held his gaze. “Maybe you should stop underestimating me.” He glanced at Justice and cocked a grin. “Shauna is all that, with killer dimples, thick thighs, and a great ass.”
“There he is!” Gunner cheered, and they all cracked up.
Zander’s laughter faded as Preacher announced the start of the meeting, and Blaine, Maverick, and Tank headed back to their usual table without as much as a glance in his direction.
The next hour and a half were a living hell. Zander stewed over the huddle and the cold shoulder he was given. By the time the meeting ended, he was ready to bolt.
“You hitting the Hog with us tonight?” Gunner asked. “Sid’s meeting us there.”
Zander pushed to his feet and said, “Not tonight. I’m taking off.” He headed for the door, excited to go home and see the one person who wouldn’t be judging him.
“Zander.” Preacher’s deep voice cut through the din of the other members.
He looked over, and his jaw snapped tight as he spotted Blaine, Maverick, and Tank standing behind Preacher, their arms crossed. What the hell is this? He threw his shoulders back, meeting their steely stares as he stalked toward them.
“What?” he gritted out.
“I know you’re going through with your plan on Friday no matter what any of us think,” Preacher said. “At least do the right thing and bring this woman by the house to meet your mother and the rest of the family tomorrow night.”
Zander narrowed his eyes, searching their faces. There wasn’t a fissure among them. “She has a name. Shauna. Are you all going to treat her right? Because if you make her feel anything less than welcome, we’re going to have problems.”
Preacher nodded curtly. “Understood.”
Zander pointed at the others. “That goes for each of you, too.”
They lifted their chins in acknowledgment.
“Fair enough.” Zander headed for the door, weaving around the other members, and came face-to-face with his uncle Conroy.
“Hey, Zan. I heard your news, man. Want to talk?”
His aunt and uncle were the only two who hadn’t reached out to him, which told him everything he needed to know. If they’d supported his decision, he’d have heard from them.
“Not even a little.” Zander stepped around him, blazing a path through the tension, and disappeared into the night.