Page 4 of A Biker's Tiny Present

He doesn’t cry much, only when he’s hungry. He’s an overall very happy baby, so I hope he doesn’t give you too much trouble.

I packed a few days’ worth of clothes and diapers, but feel free to call my sister and ask her for more. Her address and phone number are at the bottom of this letter.

Tell Nicholas I love him so much and that I’m sorry.

For what it’s worth—thank you Tiny. Thank you for giving me such a precious gift. I hope to see you both soon.

—Taylor

“What the fuck?” This time I can’t hold back the swear word. “Who is the hell is Taylor?”

CHAPTER THREE

RILEY

I make it two minutes down the road and turn around. I don’t know why, but something is telling me to check somewhere else before I go to the clubhouse.

Yesterday I saw a sign hanging on the community activity bulletin board at the grocery store about a winter open house happening at The Lodge today. I know the bar slash restaurant is owned by the MC, and there is no guarantee that the mystery biker I’m looking for will be there, but now that the idea is in my head, I have to check it out.

The clubhouse is west of town, a few miles down a curvy road, but The Lodge sits just past the Tellison village limits sign to theeast. I pass through one of the two sets of stoplights our little town has, the other being on the west end of Maple Street, and two minutes later turn left into the restaurant’s parking lot. The Lodge sits adjacent to Moraine Craft Brewery, also owned by the club, and the already large lot is almost full. I find a spot in the row closest to the road and hustle toward the door.

The same sign from the grocery store is also taped to the front door.

Winter Open House 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Come visit Santa from 3 to 5 p.m.

Toy and Baby Clothing Drive—benefiting the NICU at St. Gerard Community Hospital.

Hot chocolate for kids and adults!

That sounds yummy. If I wasn’t on a mission to find Nicholas, I’d definitely be giving it a shot.

Glancing at my phone I notice it’s already almost seven-thirty, so I hope someone in charge from the club is still here, and if not, they better be ready for me to be visiting every club owned business I know of in the vicinity. I’ve wasted enough time calling anyone and everyone I could think of, so hopefully I won’t strike out again with this pit-stop.

Walking inside, I’m greeted by a blast of warm air, so I unzip my coat. There’s a light smell of greasy burgers, pizza sauce, and peppermint. It’s a very strange combination, but based on the growl coming from my stomach, it’s not a bad one. That reminds me, I haven’t eaten in coming up on eleven hours and I’m regretting skipping lunch. Hopefully I can find Taylor and Nicholas, get them back home quick, and stuff my face with at least a bowl of cereal before I crash headfirst into my mattress.

The open room is crowded with mostly parents and children eating dinner, although there are a few solo stragglers enjoying a beer at the bar, but I see no sign of my sister or nephew.

There are three ladies mixing drinks behind the bar and I head straight for the one across from the first empty stool I find.

“Excuse me,” I call out, holding my phone with the screen forward. “Have you seen this woman and her baby today?”

A pair of the darkest eyes I’ve ever seen, I swear they are black as a starless night, snap between the picture I’m showing her and my face. Her jaw drops as she sets down the glass she’s currently wiping. I feel her eyes inspect me top to bottom, and I swear I can almost feel her looking into my soul. I see a confused look, mixed with a little judgment, as she takes me in. But just as quick as it appears, a smile fills her face. Waving her hand, beckoning me to the right, she nods. “Follow me.”

I follow her parallel along the bar as she maneuvers around the other bartenders, until she pops out at the end. She wipes her hands on the small black apron tied around her waist and holds out her hand. “Hi. I’m Raven. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Riley,” I reply as we shake. “Do you know where my sister and Nicholas are?”

“Your sister, no,” she reveals and my heart starts to sink. But then she points down a dimly lit hallway, “but the baby is here. With his dad.”

“His dad?” So he is here. I guess my hunch was right. “What the hell is going on?”

Raven starts walking and I follow her with zero hesitation. “I think it’d be better to let Tiny answer that for you.”

“Who’s Tiny?” I ask as we stop in front of a closed door.

Lightly knocking, and not waiting for a reply, she uses a key and pushes it open. A tall man in all black, and a blonde woman with shoulder length wavy blonde hair and a fairly large baby bump, are the first people I see. She smiles and nods as the two slip past us and head down the hall.

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