Page 95 of Biker's Tribute: Property of Bear

My heart sinks to my stomach with an immediate pang of concern.

“I don’t know how I’m going to tell Mallory.”

We both laugh and I hold her in my arms again, swearing to myself that I won’t screw up this one shot with Amanda Yancey. The perfect woman.Myperfect woman.

“You’ll find a way,” I whisper. “I know that. Now come here, Doctor… I need a kiss from my old lady.”

“Your old lady?”

“It’s a biker thing. Nowcome…”

* * *

Thirty-Six

Amanda

The Wedding Plan

It all happens so quickly after I agree to Ethan’s proposal. I ask him if he just wants to elope, but suggesting elopement only frustrates him more than any of my other suggestions. He just wants the impossible to happen – a wedding before the next quarterly meeting of his biker gang. I mean, club. He insists I refer to those gang activities as “club” activities and I’m not trying to look for any more trouble with this man than I have already.

Do you think this club meeting happens to be situated at a convenient time in the future? No. I havefive weeksto plan everything and the woman I would have automatically chosen as my maid-of-honor just left Boston. If I didn’t know any better, I would say Ethan wants to induce a heart attack just as much as he wants to marry me.

“I’ll help you plan,” he says whenever I complain, as if I want to end up with a Kansas City Chiefs themed wedding in the middle of Boston.No, thanks.

After a week of trying to plan a wedding on my own, I allow Ethan to help. I should have trusted him from Day One, because he doesn’t bother trying to take on the details of wedding planning that are better suited for a more… gentle… touch. He brings in reinforcements. After leaving for a “quick ride” in histruck, which was an obvious lie, Ethan returns with a huge surprise – he surprises me with a battalion of Shaw women – Deb, his sisters-in-law, Vickie and Anna, who areblack women, a fact he never mentioned.

“There’s another surprise,” he says. “But trust me… I was just as shocked as you’re going to be.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about, but everyone keeps the secret until 9 p.m. that night, when the doorbell rings during our sparkling wine infused planning session. A tall, red-haired man built like a sequoia tree walks through our front door with… my cousin.Keyshawn.

“SURPRISE!” she shrieks, throwing her arms around me while I just stand there with a dumb expression on my face. The redhead walks in with a black leather jacket covered in patches.Same motorcycle club.I am too dumb-founded to speak. How the hell did Ethan figure this out and… why didn’t I?!

After hugging it out, Keyshawn and I try to catch up on our story lines while Ethan leads her big ginger into the other room for a drink of water. We spend all night drawing up vision boards, writing down phone numbers and coming up with a loose plan for how we’re going to get this wedding done in such a short space of time.

I don’t think I would be able to do it alone and… I didn’t expect to do it without Mallory.

* * *

The Wedding Day

I haven’t seen Ethan for over 24 hours. We thought the time apart before our actual wedding day would make the ceremony and our wedding night more romantic. For our honeymoon, we’re heading out west to a town called Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I don’t know much about it, but Ethan promises me I’ll have fun “even if I don’t ski or snowboard”. Not exactly comforting words from your white husband-to-be, but at this point, I’m committed to trusting this wild man and allowing him to drag me on a crazy adventure.

As long as there are no rattlesnakes and I can get a hot shower… I’m sure I’ll make it just fine.

Keyshawn wakes me up the morning of my wedding with a delicious green smoothie and coffee. It means a lot to have her here, but I wish Mallory were here too and feel guilty for allowing the one person I don’t have with me to mess with my mood when everyone else put their lives on hold to plan the perfect wedding for me and Ethan.

It’s like Keyshawn can read my mind.

“Is this about your bestie who ran off?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, girl. If my husband wasn’t drunk right now, I’d send him to get her.”

“From where? She disappeared and honestly… Maybe it’s for the best. Her family is part of some crazy ass Italian mob and… let’s just say the bikers seem more tethered to reality.”

Keyshawn laughs, but nods along with me. “As crazy as it is for me to be saying this… agreed. They have their flaws but at the end of the day, who doesn’t want to get drunk and play a little poker.”

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