"She was muttering something about freaking pirates."

Lucky felt Shade's quizzical gaze as Shade poured himself and Lily both coffee. Lucky was able to keep his expression impa.s.sive, but Rider sat, glowering from his chair at the table.

"Everyone must be having a bad day." Shade sat down at the table, observing Rider. "What's wrong with you? Someone steal one of your motorcycles?"

"Is Rider angry he couldn't have one of those cupcakes Willa was carrying?" Lily asked.

"That's it, exactly." Lucky laughed at the glowering brother.

"I'm going to go find Jewell. Tell Willa I better see some peanut b.u.t.ter candy when I come down to dinner." Rider stood up in a huff and was about to leave the room when Shade's voice stopped him.

"Jewell's at work and so are the rest of the women. Not everyone took a long lunch today like you and Lucky did. Whatever you're packing will have to wait until they get off this afternoon."

Lucky braced himself at the expression on Rider's face. It wasn't often the brother's temper came out, but when it did, it made Willa's look like a tornado in a bottle, while Rider's were of hurricane proportion, leaving a path of destruction that took days to clean up.

"Tell Willa she better put extra peanut b.u.t.ter on my candy," Rider snarled, leaving the kitchen with the door swinging angrily behind him.

Lucky didn't have time to relax, and Lily was still sitting with her mouth open when Rider barged back into the kitchen, going to the counter and picking up the sword he had left behind, shooting Lucky a vindictive look before leaving the room with another swoosh of the kitchen door.

"Was that a sword?" Lily's voice trembled in fear.

"No," both Shade and Lucky answered at the same time.

The room grew quiet except for John playing with the small motorcycle that Shade had given him.

Lucky cleared his throat, broaching the subject that had been tearing at his conscious. "I talked to Beth a couple of days ago, but I haven't had a chance to talk with you yet. I would have never married Beth unless-"

Lily raised her hand, stopping his next words. "I was going to leave Shade when Brooke threatened him. I can't imagine you living with Bridge's threats for years. You're the one who guided Razer toward Beth. I know you, and you would never have done anything to make Beth unhappy, just like I always knew you would be my pastor again," Lily said happily.

"Really? And how did you know that? I didn't even know it myself," he said wryly.

"I never lost faith," she said simply. "You were always there for me, even when you left the church. You gave of yourself to everyone in town. You started a donation drive to fix the football field, went to the hospital twice a week to visit the sick patients, and if anyone lost a relative, you were the first one there by their side. You were also the one who organized the clean-up in town to help when homes were destroyed during the storm. Being a pastor is being more than standing behind a pulpit; it's standing beside the parishioners in their time of need. You were always there anytime I needed you, not only as a pastor, but as a friend."

Lucky lowered his head, looking down at the floor. "Lily, when I stepped away from the church, I did things no pastor should do..."

"Romans 12:2 'Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' You needed time to find out what G.o.d's will was for you."

Lucky's hand went to the bridge of his nose, pressing hard to regain his composure. Lily, with one quote, had healed the last open, raw wound in his soul.

When he was sure he wouldn't break in front of Shade, he walked forward to Lily's chair, crouching down and taking her hand in his.

"You have the soul of an angel; do you know that?"

Lily stared down at him, her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g 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 G.o.d 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 p.i.s.s 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 a.s.s."

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 c.o.c.k."

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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 and everyone in the room bowed their heads.

"Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to serve you, for giving me not only Willa, who I will spend my life cherishing as my wife, but a holy home where we can share our love of You with others.

"John 4:18: 'There is no fear in love.' You have shown me that I do not need to fear losing my way. Your love will always light my path, carry me when I stumble, and You gave me Willa to walk it with until we find our way home to You. Amen."

Lucky gazed at the room filled with everyone he loved, his hand tightening on the worn Bible in his hand that his father had pa.s.sed down to him, and he would pa.s.s on to his son.

Willa wiped a tear away as she leaned against him, sharing her love and happiness for him without words. He had never been more thankful than he was at this moment in time.

Lucky stiffened, turning around to make sure Shade wasn't standing behind him. He could have sworn he heard, "You're welcome."

Epilogue 1 "Why am I not surprised to see you?"

Lucky turned at Bridge's snide comment as he was escorted into Knox's office. Knox shoved his prisoner forward into the office, slamming the door closed behind him and leaving Lucky alone with the man it took all his control not to kill.

"If you're expecting me to-"

"Shut up, Bridge. I'm done listening to the s.h.i.t coming out of your mouth. I came by for only one reason, and it's to tell you that Willa's refusing to press charges. Sissy won't, either; she thinks she's in love with you."

At Lucky's disgusted expression, Bridge went on the defensive. "I didn't touch that girl. I only gave her a room to sleep in while she hid out from everyone. I only wanted to use her to get to Willa. I didn't intend to throw her, but she was biting the h.e.l.l out of me. Her family's already f.u.c.ked her up enough."

"She needs counseling, which Willa tried to get for her, but she refused. She's ready now, so hopefully it can help her. If not, she'll walk the same road as her mother and uncle, and she won't have anyone to blame but herself."