It’s two weeks before the wedding, and there’s still so much to do! I’ve been around the MC long enough to know Dane is making a huge compromise by having a traditional wedding. It’s not something the club normally does, but I wanted a fairy-tale wedding, and he’s giving it to me. The reception is being held in Tourmaline’s Town Hall. We’ve invited just about the entire town to make up for the disruption to their lives. The press questions and harasses everyone we have ever spoken to, so the invites are to try and keep on the town’s good side.
“Kat, are you listening?” asks the town mayor, Justice Leaverton.
“Sorry, Justice, miles away. You were saying?”
“We have no problem with you having your reception here, but the concern is it’s not big enough.” I feel myself frown, and as I take in a deep breath to give him a piece of my mind, he raises both hands and continues. “All we’re suggesting is you also take over the park in front of the hall. You can put up a marquee there and add more tables.”
“For a moment, I thought you were going to cancel on me!”
“As if I’d do that to you. Besides, your future husband would probably string me up.” He flashes his gorgeous smile.
Justice is six foot five, built, and has model good looks. Most of the women in town swoon whenever he enters a room, but I’ve come to call him a friend and a business associate.
“Don’t use your smile on me.” I try to use a stern voice but fail. “And you’re right, Dane would string you up.” He chuckles. “Thank you for the suggestion. A marquee is a great idea. I was going to try to make everyone fit into the hall, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.” I look up at him.
“Happy to help, and so are most of the locals. You’re good for business, Kat.” He grabs me by the elbow and guides me toward the park.
“I’m surprised they haven’t tried to evict me by now. It’s not only all the guests, but it is all the crazies, too.”
“I’ve noticed your security detail has gotten bigger.” He gestures toward my four bodyguards, courtesy of the Savage Angels MC. “They don’t look happy, though.”
As I stare at them, Dirt turns around and frowns at me, then gives Judge a nod in my direction. Judge says something to him, and the others laugh, then he walks toward us. He’s six foot two and has a way of making you feel you’re the only woman on the planet. Over the last couple of years, he’s been my unofficial bodyguard, but with all the new people in town, Dane got him to pick three more of the brothers to look after me.
As he gets closer, he gives Justice a chin lift and places his arm around my shoulders. “Kat, sugar, you ready to roll?” He looks over at the brothers and says, “Dirt’s had enough for today. If you don’t feed us soon, he may bite someone.”
“There’s too much to do before the big day! Judge, can’t you tell them I’ll meet them at Bettie’s Café? I only need to go over a couple more things, and then I need to talk to Adelynn at The Country Inn.”
“No can do, sugar, Dane wouldn’t like it, and he’s been a tad aggressive lately.”
“Judge is right, Kat, too many unfamiliar faces in Tourmaline for you to be walking around by yourself.”
And as Justice finishes speaking, a reporter takes a photo of me with Judge’s arm around my shoulders. Judge takes two steps toward the photographer and grabs him by his shirt.
“Delete the photo now, or I’m going to help, and it looks like a really expensive-fucking-camera, which I’d hate to drop.”
“You can’t do that! Freedom of the Press!” the photographer yells.
“Fucker, you only took it to cause a problem with myself and the president of my MC, and I’m not going to let that happen. Delete. It. Now.” Judge leans into the frazzled-looking photographer as Dirt and the others surround him.
He would have to be my favorite MC member to hang out with, but it’s times like this I understand why Dane put him in charge of me. He’s gone from nice guy to I’m-going-to-put-my-fist-through-the-back-of-your-head in the blink of an eye. He can be deadly, and sometimes I forget how dangerous he can be.
“Judge,” I place my hand on his arm. “This nice man is going to delete the photos, aren’t you, honey?”
The photographer looks from me to Judge, then realizes he’s surrounded by three more of the Savage Angels and the town mayor.
“Sure, sure, if you’ll let me go, so I can do it?” Judge shoves him backward into Dirt, who pushes him forward.
The photographer pushes buttons, then finally says, “It’s done!”
“Now, you don’t think I’m going to take your word for it, do you?” says Judge. He takes the camera out of his hands and gives it to me. I go through the images, and there’s a stack of me on there, but none with Judge’s arm around my shoulders.
“It’s fine. You can let him go,” I say with a smile as I pass the camera back.
Judge takes a step back and says, “Enjoy your time in Tourmaline and remember to be respectful of all our citizens.” He’s back to being the joker as everyone laughs, but the photographer isn’t falling for it. He slowly makes his way around Judge, not breaking eye contact, and walks backward until he’s a good twelve feet away, then he turns and runs down the sidewalk.
“Judge, that wasn’t really necessary,” I say.
“Judge was right. Dane would’ve had a major fucking fit if he’d seen a picture of you two looking all cozy plastered across the front of some stupid-fucking-magazine or television. And, Judge, what the fuck were you thinking putting your arm around Kat in the first place? Brother, use your head.” Dirt looks pissed, and the smile on Judge’s face disappears. This could easily turn ugly if I don’t intervene.
“Okay! Time out. I’m starving. Let’s all go get lunch, and I promise, no more wedding stuff today!”
Judge glances at me, then back at Dirt. “Sugar, we both know you have to see Addy, and there are probably a few other things you need to do today.”
I step in between both men, holding my hands up just in case. “Yes, I do, but let’s do lunch, then I’ll re-evaluate what I need to do today, okay?”
“So more-fucking-wedding stuff?” Dirt mumbles, but when I look at him, he has a small smile on his lips.
“Yes, I lied, more-fucking-wedding stuff.” The group of men laugh, and I turn to face the mayor. “Do you have a marquee big enough to cover the park?”
“Yes, we do, Kat. Are you happy to let us put it up? We even have flooring to cover the grass if you’d like?”
“Thank you so much, Justice.” I grab his hand. “You saved me! I don’t suppose you have tables and chairs, too?”
“Yes, we do, Kat, for a fee.” He uses his smile on me again. Of course, there’s a charge.
“Now, Justice, you better give me a discount, but I’m happy to pay! Can I forward your details to the wedding organizer so that he can finalize everything with you?”
“Absolutely. Now, go and enjoy your lunch.” He nods at the brothers. “Gentlemen, you have fun now.”
Justice chuckles and moves back into the Town Hall. I turn around and link my arm through Judge’s and take my group of bodyguards to Bettie’s Café.
