Willa took her time answering, trying to come up with exactly why she hadn't believed in the man all the parishioners had taken into their hearts.

"I have an uncle and several cousins who are pastors. I was raised in the church."

"So were Beth and Lily, and they were just as surprised when I left the church." The women's father had been the pastor Lucky had taken over for after his 'death.'

"Saul Cornett wasn't a real pastor. Thank G.o.d my parents weren't some of the fanatics who followed him."

Lucky's voice turned grim. "I won't disagree with that a.s.sessment."

Willa took a drink of her ice water. From his expression, he was still waiting for her to answer his question.

"You did everything perfect: gave the right sermon, were gentle with the children, even when their crying disturbed your sermons..." Her eyes went to Caroline and Chrissy who were playing contentedly next to him with their toys, chewing on the french fries he had given them. The other three children were sitting, listening quietly to their conversation.

Charlie had lost his angry expression and was awestruck by the large biker sitting at the table. Sissy wasn't awestruck; she was eying the bikers as if they were her dessert. Thankfully, the bikers didn't return her flirtatious smiles.

"You never paid too much attention to the women parishioners, even when they threw themselves at you. I couldn't find fault with anything you did. That was the problem. n.o.body's that perfect; we all have weaknesses."

Lucky's mouth twitched in humor. "What's your weakness, Willa?"

Willa gave a wry twist of her lips. "I think that's obvious."

He frowned at her answer. "Enlighten me ... because, from what I've observed, you place yourself on a moral high ground."

Willa paled at his harsh a.s.sessment of her. "Is that what you truly believe?"

Chrissy began to try to climb out of the highchair Willa had placed her in, but Lucky deftly unsnapped the front tray, lifting the fussy toddler onto his lap and giving her the toy she had dropped onto the floor.

"If you believe your weight is a weakness in G.o.d's eyes, then, yes. Believe me, He has much more d.a.m.ning sins to forgive than worrying whether you have a cheeseburger or grilled chicken for lunch."

Willa stared back blankly at Lucky, not knowing how to respond to him. From the time she was Caroline's age, she remembered her mother being critical of her size. As she grew older and began school, it was obvious she was bigger than the other girls her age-another criticism her mother pointed out.

Her mother was small and delicate. Willa would try to emulate her so hard, yet despite her efforts, she was never able to achieve her mother's approval. Then her father and mother would argue over her, making her feel worse for causing contention between the usually loving couple.

As an only child, she had felt like she was an interloper in her own home. The loving couple had planned on not having children, so she had been an accident and stolen her mother's freedom, something her mother had reminded her of frequently. Willa had tried to be a good daughter, striving to please her mother and father. However, each parent resented the time she took away from the other; as a result, Willa had learned early not to make demands on her parents' time.

Had she unknowingly developed the same critical att.i.tude she disliked in her mother? Willa hoped not. She wanted to be liked, not resented.

She stared down at her half-eaten plate of food, placing her fork on the table, unable to eat another bite.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" Willa raised her eyes, unaware they were filled with hurt, to meet Lucky's surprised gaze.

Lucky shook his head. "That isn't what I meant, Willa."

"You practically called me a self-righteous b.i.t.c.h." Her bottom lip trembled.

Lucky's eyes narrowed on her mouth, and Willa shivered in sudden awareness. Jumping up from her chair, she bent over, s.n.a.t.c.hing Caroline from his lap and handing her over to a startled Leanne who had risen when Willa had. Then she unsnapped Chrissy's highchair and picked up the little girl who started crying when she dropped her toy. Lucky reached over, picking it up and giving it to her.

"Thanks for helping with the children."

Willa motioned the rest of the kids to the register where she paid before exiting the diner. As soon as the door closed behind her, she felt a rush of relief, despite the knowledge that she had made a fool of herself in front of Lucky again.

"What's wrong, Willa?" Leanne asked, shifting Caroline to her other hip.

"Nothing," she prevaricated. "Caroline and Chrissy are ready for their naps. Let's get them home."

Charlie and Leanne moved toward her minivan, but Sissy held back. "You like him, don't you?" The observant seventeen-year-old stared at her with pity.

"Of course not," Willa denied.

"Good, because I don't think he likes you back."

Willa's chest filled with hurt. Sissy wasn't being ugly; she was actually trying to be nice to her for the first time.

Willa turned away from her, wishing with all her heart she had reacted differently when he had stared at her. She had acted like the frightened virgin she was. Now Lucky was probably inside, laughing his a.s.s off at her.

She bundled the kids inside her van before driving them home, and all the while, her mind played the last few minutes in the diner over and over. Had it been a figment of her imagination? For a second, she could have sworn she saw a spark of desire in Lucky's eyes. If it was desire, though, what was she going to do about it?

What she always did when she became frightened-run.

Lucky returned to the table where Razer, Shade, and Viper were sitting. He motioned for the waitress to reheat his coffee.

"What did you say to her to send her running like a scared rabbit?" Shade asked after the waitress left.

"Nothing," Lucky pretended innocence, which he knew d.a.m.n well didn't fool any of the experienced men surrounding him.

Shade wasn't about to let him get away with it, though. "She reminds me of Lily whenever I frightened her."

"There's a big difference between Lily and Willa," Lucky said, taking a drink of his hot coffee and nearly burning his tongue off.

Shade arched a brow, waiting for an explanation.

"Lily was afraid of her s.e.xual attraction to you because of her past. Willa doesn't want to be attracted to me because she doesn't like the type of man I am."

Shade gave a bark of laughter. "Lily hated me at one time. She definitely didn't like the man I was when she stumbled into that Friday night party."

"Willa's attracted, all right, both to the good and bad in you. The question is are you going to do anything about it?"

"No." Lucky threw some money down on the table then got to his feet, leaving the restaurant before Shade could ask more questions he didn't want to answer, either to them or himself.

Instead of going to his bike, he crossed the street to the police station. The older woman sitting behind the desk gave him a wink. She had overly-tanned skin that had the appearance of dried leather. She was at least sixty and was wearing a tight dress that showed she weighed maybe ninety pounds. When he had been a pastor, she had attended church regularly, her behavior always respectful. However, since he had re-joined The Last Riders, she stared at him like he was one of Willa's cupcakes.

"The sheriff isn't busy; he's in his office."

Lucky avoided her appraising look, briefly knocking on Knox's door before entering to find Knox sitting behind his desk, staring at a computer screen.

"What's up?" Knox leaned back in his chair.

Lucky didn't beat around the bush. "Have you found out any information on Georgia and Lewis's next of kin?" The only way he could help Willa was to try to get the children off her hands.

Knox folded his hands across his stomach. "Found Lewis's ex-wife, the younger three children's mother. She's in a state mental hospital. She can't take care of herself, much less the kids. From what little her doctor told me, Lewis practically beat her to death when he found out she left him. She took off with the kids, but Lewis found her, took the kids back, and left her for dead."

"Why weren't charges filed against him? The son of a b.i.t.c.h should have been sitting in a jail cell instead of terrorizing Willa."

Knox's face was grim. "No witnesses and she refused to press charges."

"What about Leanne and Sissy?"

"Georgia never told anyone who the fathers of the girls were."

"f.u.c.k. No other relatives are able to take the kids?"

"There aren't any. The only other relative we know about is Georgia and Lewis's half-brother, Clay Meyer, whose mother took him then disappeared years ago. She died twelve years ago in Tennessee. I'm trying to track Clay down, but it's like he's disappeared off the face of the earth. I have a couple of men searching for him, but so far, they aren't making any progress."

"What's Willa supposed to do, keep them indefinitely? It would be hard for any set of parents to keep up with that many children."

"Maybe that's why Lewis was trying so hard to get Willa."

Knox's words struck Lucky's temper, and his foot kicked at the chair Knox was leaning back in, nearly toppling the large man over.

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h! I'll throw your a.s.s in one of the cells!" Knox threatened as he stood.

"You can try." Lucky braced himself as Knox scowled, sitting back down.

"I've talked to Willa. She understands this is going to take some time. Even if I find Clay Meyer, he's never met those kids, so why would he agree to take them? I advised her to let me find foster homes for them."

"I don't have to guess what she said."

"She feels too guilty over killing Lewis," Knox confirmed.

"The b.a.s.t.a.r.d would have killed Rachel if she hadn't shot him."

"We both know that, and Willa knows that, but she feels like she's doing the right thing. Maybe she is. They're better off with Willa than in foster care. It's her decision to make; that's for f.u.c.king sure."

"Offer the men you have searching more money to find the uncle. I'll pay their fee."

"It's your wallet. I'll give them a call." Knox reached for his phone. "You going to tell me why you want to help Willa out?"

"She used to be a member of my church. I just want to help; that's the only reason."

"Keep telling yourself that, brother, and maybe you'll start to believe it."

Lucky left Knox's office, going to his bike, while Knox was on the phone with his investigators. The other brothers were sitting on their bikes, waiting for him.

"Find out what you wanted to know?" Viper questioned.

"Anyone want to make a bet that it concerned Willa?" Lucky didn't have to see Shade's eyes behind his sungla.s.ses to know they were mocking him.

"Kiss my a.s.s!" Lucky snarled, already p.i.s.sed off at Knox's laid-back att.i.tude toward helping Willa.

"No, thanks."

Lucky sat down on his bike. "Shade, one day, you're going to push me too far. You've had a problem with me since I was discharged, and I'm getting f.u.c.king sick of it. Either tell me what the beef is or get the h.e.l.l off my back."

Shade's face, as always, was impa.s.sive unless he was with his wife. "You're not ready to hear what I have to say. When you are, believe me, brother, I'll let you know."

Lucky's hands tightened on his handlebars as he backed his bike up. "You're a f.u.c.king a.s.shole. I don't know what Lily sees in you."

His anger didn't faze Shade. "Probably the same thing Willa sees in you. At least I was smart enough to catch my woman. I thought Rider was the dumb f.u.c.k in the club, but you proved me wrong."

Lucky roared out of the parking lot, leaving the three men behind.

One day, he promised himself, I am going to kick Shade's a.s.s. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d would have to be drunk off his a.s.s, and Lucky would have to leave town for a few weeks afterward to give Shade time to cool down, but it would be worth the beating Shade would give him to even the score. Some things in life were priceless, and getting one over on Shade would be one of them.

He eyed the street Willa lived on as he pa.s.sed. Getting his mind off the curvy woman would be another. He hated to admit it, but he was beginning to believe Shade was right-he was a dumb f.u.c.k.

He was sitting at the kitchen table later that night when Viper called a meeting. The brothers gathered in the room next to the kitchen, filling the two large rooms.

Viper's hand went up, quieting the room. "The brothers from Ohio will be coming in this weekend. We have two new recruits who are ready to be initiated. Also, Moon wants to stay here. He wants to get out of Ohio for a while."

"Why?" Rider asked from the back of the crowded room.

"He's feeling the heat. The mayor's daughter wanted to join the club because of Moon, so now the mayor has the cops constantly watching the place. He's hoping that, if he leaves, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d will leave the club alone."

Train groaned. "Don't tell us we have another Brooke on our hands."

"Not hardly. Moon says the woman's not the problem; it's the father. She's moved on, but the mayor's holding a grudge. Guess he doesn't want to be reminded that his daughter was f.u.c.ked by a biker," Viper reasoned.

"It'll be nice having another member taking a shift at the factory," Rider gloated. Lucky wondered if Rider would use his additional free time to renew his pursuit of Willa.

"I'm due some time off, so I get first dibs." Lucky glared at a crestfallen Rider.

"That's up to me," Jewell spoke up, quelling the budding argument between the two members.

Jewell had taken over managing the factory from Shade and had been doing a good job. Lucky promised himself he would f.u.c.k her senseless tonight. When he was finished with her, Rider would be working the next two weeks without a day off. Of course, Lucky saw the same determined expression on Rider's face.

Jewell sat on her chair with a grin on her lips.

As soon as Viper concluded the meeting, Lucky moved to Jewell, taking her hand and tugging her closer to his body until her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were pressed to his chest.

"Let's go to my room," he murmured seductively.

Rider came up behind her, pressing his c.o.c.k against her a.s.s. "Mind if I join you?" His mouth went to Jewell's neck.

"Yes, I do. I'm not in the mood to share tonight. Pick another woman."