He chuckled. “Already a step ahead of you. Plan to lay down the law today.”
My eyes widened in horror, and I could picture him gathering the men and telling them not to come near me. The thought brought a blush to my face. “Oh, please don’t do that. It would be embarrassing. I doubt I’m their type, anyway. I’d rather you not call attention to—”
“Honey,” Vera said, winking, “you’re every man’s type.”
I wasn’t used to being complimented like that. In my world, we were taught not to praise each other’s appearances because it put the focus on fleshly things. To be honest, I didn’t know if she was being sincere or just trying to make me feel better.
Vera and Carl exchanged a look and then Carl cleared his throat. “Well, if you don’t want me to talk to them, I won’t. It’s important that you’re comfortable here, but the second one of the men gets out of line, I’m stepping in.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
A large burly man with brown hair and a bushy beard joined us. Vera linked her arm through his and turned to me. “This is my husband, Aaron, or Moose if you like nicknames.”
“Nice to meet you, Aaron,” I said, deciding to call him that at the last second. Mom never liked nicknames, so I’d always used a person’s given name.
He nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet Tank’s granddaughter. You ever need anything, just tell me or Vera, and we’ll be there to help you.”
My eyes moistened at the kindness of Carl’s friends. First the hug from Vera, and now this man was willing to help me in any way he could. I didn’t know what I expected, but, so far, everyone had been more than welcoming. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.” I glanced at Carl. “You go by Tank?”
“Yep. Always been a bit on the sturdy side.”
Before I could reply, more people came through the door and made their way to the kitchen. A few extended their hand to shake while others drew me into a hug as Vera had. I met Jester and a few older guys who Carl said had been with the club since its inception, and then a young guy with black hair sauntered in. He was very attractive, and he seemed to know it.
He took my hand and bowed his head ever so slightly. “I’m Cass. You must be the lovely Tirzah.” He smiled, and I had a feeling that smile broke a lot of hearts. Remembering that Vera had said to keep him away from me, I tried not to allow my lips to curve upward, but it was pointless. He had an easygoing manner that made me like him right off the bat. “Nice to meet you.”
“One of our other members, Dex, couldn’t make it today,” Carl said, “but he’ll be by tomorrow.”
I nodded absentmindedly. It was hard to keep track of everyone. After that, the house filled with so many people I walked around in a daze, doing my best to make conversation. I’d never seen such a lively group all in one space. It was like being in another world as my eyes fell on their jeans and biker boots and leather vests. Some had tattoos and piercings, and it made me uncomfortable, but I did my best to be nice to all of Carl’s friends.
Mom would have had a fit if she caught wind of the crowd I was mixing with, but she wasn’t here, thankfully. Earlier, I’d thought about how I wanted to be less sheltered. I only hoped I could handle myself out here. The last thing I needed was to loosen up my values and go home changed in some way. It would horrify Pastor Dale if that happened—if he saw the people I was brushing shoulders with. I would just have to make sure I didn’t let it affect me. I would be nice, but I wouldn’t get close to anyone.
Once everyone left, I helped Carl clean up in the kitchen. He washed while I dried. Using a scrub brush to wash a small plate, he glanced at me with thoughtful eyes. “I hope you aren’t feeling overwhelmed right now. Every person who walked through that door has my back, which means they’ll do everything in their power to watch out for you.”
I was feeling overwhelmed, but his confession made my heart skip a beat. “You don’t think they’ll need to step in, do you? Mom and Dad were very careful they weren’t being followed when they took me to the airport. I’m sure this Harry guy has no idea where I am.” I hesitated, my forehead creasing as I contemplated the possibility that he might locate me at some point.
Carl inhaled and let out a breath. “I doubt he knows where you are, but I’m not taking any chances. You’ll have someone with you at all times.”
My eyebrows lifted. “You really think that’s necessary?”
“I do.”
We were quiet after that, both lost in our own thoughts. I finished drying a plate and then glanced up at him. A question had been floating around in my head ever since I met the members of his club, but I was hesitant to ask. I didn’t want to offend Carl, but at the same time, I wanted to understand where he was coming from. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“How is it that you belong to a Christian biker club? Aren’t the two concepts opposed to each other?”
Carl smiled and handed me a new dish to dry. “That’s a good question, and the answer is complicated. They can be opposed, but it all depends on the mission and heart of a group. The first rule of our club is that we each have a personal relationship with Jesus, and second, we’re all a part of a church so we have accountability. Our mission is not to party. Our mission is to build each other up as brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, we have a few common interests: motorcycles and riding for one, but that’s not the only thing we do.”
I listened to him intently as I dried a cup and placed it to the side. He had this light in his eyes as he spoke, and I could tell his club and the people in it took up a huge place in his heart.
“The Bible says, ‘For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’ I believe that’s found in 1 Samuel 16:7.” He met my gaze and there was concern in his eyes as if he really wanted me to understand his point. “It’s not how a person looks that’s most important. It’s right here that matters.” He patted the place next to his heart. “God wants our devotion, our lives. There are plenty of people who clean up quite nicely in a suit or dress, but their hearts are divided.”
“What do you mean by divided?”
“The Lord wants our all. He wants us to love Him with everything we have, and He loves us in a way we can’t even begin to comprehend. Now, if I have that kind of relationship with Him but I wear jeans, a biker jacket, and grow my hair a little longer than the average Joe who attends church…that doesn’t make me any less a Christian.”
I nodded and thought about what he said. “Thank you. That’s what I wanted to know.”
The phone rang and Carl left to answer it. He came back a minute later. “Tirzah, it’s your mother. She wants to talk to you.”
I followed him to the living room and took the phone. “Hi, Mom.”
“Tirzah, oh, honey… I’ve been so worried. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Carl is nice. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Well, thank goodness for that. Is his home okay? Is it dirty?”
“No, Mom.” I tried not to laugh because of all things, she was worried about a dirty house. “The house is clean, and Carl is really cool. He even knows how to make a Bundt cake.”
“Did you meet those bikers yet?”
“Yes, he had a few over for lunch.”
“You just remember how we raised you. Don’t let their ways rub off on you. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, there’s something I need to tell you.” She paused, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like whatever she planned to say next. “Peter is flying to Los Angeles tomorrow for a business trip. He’ll only be there one day, but he’d enjoy taking you to dinner before he heads back to the airport.”
I was so stunned it took me a while to recover. “What? Are you serious?”
“Of course, I’m serious.”
“He just so happens to have a business trip in L.A.? That’s awfully coincidental,
don’t you think?”
“It’s not a coincidence, it’s the Lord’s providence.”
“I don’t want to see Peter. We’ve talked about this.”
“Tirzah Rebecca Olsson, you will see him, and you will report back to me afterward.”
“Why is this so important to you? I’m never going to be able to get over what happened that night.”
Mom sniffed like she was crying. “Peter is sorry for leaving you. He will make it up to you.”
“So, you admit he left me. Last time we spoke about it, you and Dad blamed me for not staying right behind him.”
She hesitated. “I wasn’t there, but I do know one thing. Peter comes from a respectable family, he has a good job, and he will make you a good husband.”
How could she even think that? Peter was…ugh…God didn’t want me to have thoughts like that. He was a jerk, and that was being nice. “I don’t want to argue about this.”
She began to cry so hard that Dad had to take over the phone. “Tirzah, you’ve upset your mother. All we ask is that you have dinner with Peter tomorrow night. He has something important he wants to talk to you about.”
I did not want to see Peter, and nothing Dad said would change my mind. Peter showed me his character the night that man nearly assaulted me, and that was enough for me. But not wanting the conversation to go on and on, I kept my mouth shut.
“We’ve given him Carl’s address, and he’ll stop by at five. Give your Mom a call when you’re done.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. It almost sounded as if Peter planned to apologize and then ask me to marry him. If he did, it would only be because of the pressure our parents put on him. He didn’t love me. I knew that. Even more importantly, I didn’t love him.
“Hey, aren’t you worried Harry might get ahold of your phone records and trace my location that way?”
Dad cleared his throat. “I’m using John’s phone right now.” John was Peter’s father.
“Oh, so you’re with them, plotting for Peter and me to get back together.”
“Not plotting. Planning for your future. We know what’s best for you.” He said something to someone in the background. “I have to go. Call us on Avery’s phone tomorrow. You have the number.” Avery was Peter’s mother.
“Okay.”
After we both hung up, I put my head in my hands. What if they tried to force us to get married? I reminded myself that I was of age, and they couldn’t force me to do anything. Still, I’d never defied my parents, and I didn’t want to start now. I would just have to convince them that Peter wasn’t the right man for me.
“Everything okay?” Carl asked.
I let out a long breath. “Apparently, my ex-boyfriend, Peter, is flying out for the day, and he’ll be coming by tomorrow.” I explained that Mom and Dad wanted us to marry, but Peter and I weren’t in love with each other.
“Hmmm. We’ll have to pray about that, won’t we?”
I nodded, swallowing back my frustration. “I don’t want to see him. It will bring up bad memories…things I don’t care to think about. He didn’t treat me well, and no matter how much I tried to explain that to Mom and Dad, they just keep insisting he comes from the right home, therefore we’re perfect for each other.”
Carl frowned. “I’m interested in meeting this Peter. What time did you say he’s coming?”
“Five.”
Carl nodded and seemed to contemplate that. “Five it is.”
Chapter 5
Tizzy
Peter would be here any minute. My stomach tightened and clenched as I slipped on a long, flowy tan skirt and pastel blue blouse. I wore a brown headband to hold my hair back and pulled the rest into a tight bun.
Carl knocked on my bedroom door, and I sucked in a breath. It was almost time.
“Come in,” I said.
He peeked his head in. “We only have a few restaurants out here. That is if you want to eat somewhere local. I can give you directions.”
“Okay, thanks. Maybe when Peter gets here, we can talk about it more.”
He nodded and left.
I was going through the motions of getting ready, but my brain was still trying to figure out a way to get out of this. Earlier, I’d thought about sending Peter a text from Grandpa’s cell phone, telling him not to come, but each time I considered it, I pictured Mom’s disapproving eyes and Dad’s disappointment. It was just one dinner. I could do it. After that, I didn’t plan on ever seeing him again.
I heard the rumble of a group of motorcycles and moved the curtains aside to look out my bedroom window. Many of the guys I had met the day before were parking their bikes. They didn’t seem in a hurry to go inside, but stood, talking in a leisurely manner. I wondered how Peter would respond to all of this. Would he freak out like Mom?
Right on cue, I spotted a car slowly pulling up the driveway. Peter parked and got out, glancing around warily like a squirrel scouting out danger. Carl walked over and extended a hand. Peter stared at it for a long moment before putting his hands in his pockets. My heart sank because if it was obvious to me that Peter was slighting Carl, it had to be obvious to everyone else as well.
I walked out of the house, dread filling me as my eyes met Peter’s.
“Tirzah.” Peter cleared his throat. “You ready to go?”
“What’s the hurry?” Carl asked. “Stay for a minute so we can get acquainted.”
Peter’s brows drew together. “Tirzah, can I talk to you?”
I reluctantly closed the distance between us. “What is it?”
He placed his hand on my back and directed me to a place on the lawn away from the others. “Who are these people?”
“Didn’t my parents tell you Carl leads a motorcycle club?”
He stared at me blank-faced. “No, but I’m starting to put the pieces together.” He crossed his arms and bent his shoulders forward in a self-protective stance. “I can’t believe your parents would have you in this kind of environment.”
“Carl is a good guy, and I met most of the others yesterday. They’re nice people. They may be a little different from us but—”
“This is wrong, Tirzah, and you know it.” He glanced around and then took a step closer. “You’re better off going home than staying here.”
I reared back. “How can you say that? You’re aware of the threat to my life, right?”
Peter scratched the side of his face and glanced away. “Yes, but in my opinion, you’re not trusting God. He’ll protect you. You have no business being with these people.”
“Trusting God doesn’t mean making foolish decisions. It was foolish for me to stay—my parents were in agreement about that.”
“If we’re getting married, you need to start listening to my advice.”
“We’re not getting married, Peter. I haven’t changed my mind about that.”
He leaned down so his face was close to mine. “We all have to make sacrifices. Do you think I want this? No. But I’m aware that the world doesn’t revolve around me. This is what our parents, our pastor, our church want. We need to submit to their authority.” His face turned red, and he grit his teeth. “Go get your stuff. I’m taking you to the airport.”
“No, I won’t do that.”
Animosity radiated off Peter’s tense body. “Don’t defy me.”
“Stop talking to me like I’m your child.”
“Is everything okay?” Carl approached, hands at his sides, eyes watchful as he took us in.
“We’re fine,” Peter said, shrinking away as Carl stepped closer. “We’re going to dinner, and then I’ll bring Tirzah back to collect her things. I’m finding her a flight home tonight.”
Carl flinched as if someone had just slapped him. He glanced at me. “Is this true?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m not leaving.”
There was a loud rumble as a man on a motorcycle pulled into the driveway and stopped a few steps away. He took off his helmet and our eyes instantly locked. My
mouth fell open. It couldn’t be… I thought I’d never see him again. I sucked in a deep breath, ordering my heart to slow down and my lungs to stop constricting.
It was him. The man who’d saved me three years ago when a riot broke out during that strike. He looked almost the same: dark brown hair, pronounced cheekbones, firm jaw, but now he had a beard. I’d almost convinced myself he existed only in my dreams. I didn’t even know his name.
He stared at me with such intensity it felt as though a fire ripped through the space between us, threatening to consume every inch.
Carl leaned close and whispered, “Do you still want to go with Peter on this date?”
It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. I shook my head and brought my lips to his ear. “No. I can’t go with him now. He’ll take me to the airport.”
He nodded once. “Peter, Tirzah won’t be able to have dinner with you tonight. Turns out, she has another date.”
My eyes widened. “I do?”
“Yes,” Carl said, tightening his jaw. “A blind date. Dex here is taking you to dinner instead.”
“Dex,” I repeated, bringing my eyes back to the man who stared so at me so intently, I had to grab hold of Carl’s arm to steady myself. “Dex is your name?”
He didn’t reply, but he didn’t take his eyes off me either.
“Dex,” Carl said in a loud voice, and that appeared to wake him up.
He shook his head as if clearing it. “Yes, that’s my name.” He tipped his chin up. “Hop on.”
I glanced back at Peter who was nearly hyperventilating at this point.
“I…I remember you.” Peter pointed a finger at him. “How are you here? Are you stalking her?”
Dex scowled, eyeing Peter like he was a termite he could easily squish under his boot. “I don’t stalk anyone.” His voice was deep, controlled. “This is my territory. Why are you here?”
Peter didn’t respond. Instead, he turned to me. “Don’t go with him. If you do, we’re through.”
We were through a long time ago.
At my hesitation, Peter’s face contorted into a sneer. “If you don’t marry me, what will people think? Consider your reputation at church. You’ll never have another chance at a courtship.”
Blind Date with a Billionaire Biker (Blind Date Disasters Book 3) Page 5