Winter came down the stairs from the upper floor, approaching her and Rachel. The wife of Viper, the club president, looked pretty in a blue maxi dress that showed off her slim figure.
Willa always felt huge and graceless when she was near the other woman. Not only did she outweigh Winter by over eighty pounds, but her own five-foot-eight height made Winter seem even more diminutive.
She was angry at herself for her envy of other women that went to the extent of constantly trying to reinvent her own appearance. Her hair had gone through several color changes recently from blonde to different shades of red to finally admitting defeat and returning to her plain brown hair color. Her makeover attempts hadn’t stopped at hair, either. Trying to transform her large body into their dainty sizes had been another failed attempt.
“How are you coping with the children?” Winter questioned, her friendly gaze making Willa feel even guiltier for yearning to be as attractive as they were to the men who filled the motorcycle club.
Willa couldn’t explain to herself why she felt that way, though. The Lord knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the attention from the alarmingly lethal-looking bikers.
“It’s been a transition for them,” Willa admitted carefully, not revealing how difficult it had been to go from living a solitary life to one filled with tantrums and broken china, some of which didn’t stem from the toddlers she was caring for until a relative could be located. The older children were proving to be the bigger challenge.
“I’m sure it has been,” Winter said sympathetically.
Willa glanced away from Winter’s astute gaze. The school had notified her two days ago that, unless Sissy quit missing school so often, she would be moved to the alternative school where Winter was the principal as well as a member of the committee that placed problematic children in the school. As a result, Winter was probably more knowledgeable about Sissy’s academic failings than Willa was as her foster parent. However, she didn’t say anything about the child in front of Rachel, which Willa was grateful for.
The problem was that Willa had never had any idea Sissy hadn’t been in school. Although she had dropped her off each day with Leanne at the high school, the girl had been sneaking out and skipping. Leanne had known, yet hadn’t told on her sister.
When Willa had confronted Sissy, the girl had gone upstairs to her room, locking Willa out, and now Willa was at a loss on how to deal with the girl.
“Cash needs some help. Excuse me.” Rachel left, going to her husband’s side as he haphazardly stacked baby presents on the bar.
“Any advice on how to deal with Sissy would be appreciated. I’m ashamed to admit I’m not handling her very well,” Willa confessed to Winter as soon as Rachel moved away.
“Be patient. If you like, I could try to talk to her,” Winter offered.
“I’ll take any help I can get. I’m afraid, if she gets into anymore trouble, Child Services will reconsider my ability to foster the children. The sheriff and the state are trying to find Georgia and Lewis’s half-brother. As soon as they find him, I won’t have to be so worried about having them broken apart.” That fear had been keeping her awake at night.
“Don’t worry; I’m sure it won’t be much longer.” Winter touched her arm, and Willa instinctively drew away.
“Hi, Willa.” Evie and King stopped as they passed through the crowded room.
“Hello,” Willa responded, suddenly becoming aware the women in the group were trying to make her feel comfortable. It wasn’t going to happen with Dean—or Lucky, as everyone was calling him now—in the room. She forced herself to keep her eyes averted from where he was standing, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt like the rest of the men except King, who wore his usual slacks and dress shirt.
“Your cakes are selling well at the restaurant, Willa. We need to talk about increasing our order.” King was one of the few men who had the power to get under her guard and make her feel relaxed.
“I can’t. I can hardly keep up with the orders I have now.” Willa bit her lip, not wanting to disappoint her most lucrative customer.
“You could take the diner off your list. I could buy what you’re selling them,” King offered with a suave smile that had Willa considering the option for a brief second.
Willa shook her head regretfully. “That wouldn’t be fair. I’ve sold my cakes and pies to them for years.”
“I would pay you more,” King tempted.
Willa could definitely understand how he had managed to steal his wife Evie away from the men of The Last Riders.
“It isn’t about the money,” Willa refused. “If I have any openings during the week, I can make a few extra desserts. We can do it on a week by week basis.”
King grinned. “I’ll take what I can get.”
Evie leaned against her husband’s side. “Isn’t that the truth?”
Willa blushed from witnessing the sexually heated look between them. Thankfully, Shade brought Lily into the room at that moment, providing a welcome distraction.
Whenever she saw Shade and Lily together, it brought a lump to her throat. She was fortunate to have seen several extremely happy marriages in her own family, but what Lily and Shade shared was beyond explanation. Their love was a gift. It was special. It also reinforced her own sense of loneliness.
She had thought she would have been married by now with a couple of children, not alone and taking care of five children who belonged to two people who had made her childhood and adulthood miserable.
She had originally taken in the children as her penance for taking the life of Lewis, the father of the three younger children and the guardian of Leanne and Sissy, his sister Georgia’s children, but it had evolved into her having a genuine care for all of them.
Willa stayed toward the back of the crowd as Lily began to open her presents while Shade held his small son in his arms. The harsh, azure-eyed man was smiling down at his wife indulgently.
Unable to keep watching without feeling envious, Willa moved to the large table set up with drinks where Bliss, an attractive blonde, was watching with a pained expression she was unable to disguise. Willa could sympathize with her. She constantly wanted what she couldn’t have. Every night, she prayed to be a better person, but so far, her prayers had gone unanswered.
Willa took a bottled water, moving to stand next to Bliss so no one would overhear. “I brought you some of the peanut butter candy you like. I hid it in the kitchen cabinet by the back door.”
Bliss looked at her in surprise. “You brought it for me?”
Willa nodded. “I remembered how much you like it. Did you use the last batch to bribe Rider?”
“Yes. He fixed the garbage disposal and cleaned the gutters.” Bliss laughed.
“I made you a double batch. You can keep it for yourself or share.”
“No one will take it from me. Everyone’s pissed off at me because I said something I shouldn’t,” she blurted out, surprising Willa with the confidence since the club usually kept all their relationships private.
Willa watched the sensual woman who was staring unhappily at Shade and Lily. “Did you tell them you’re sorry?” She didn’t have to ask if it was Lily she had offended. Everyone loved the soft-spoken woman and would rally around her if they thought she was hurt. The party surrounding them was proof of their love for her.
Bliss gave a bitter laugh. “It’s not the first time I’ve put my foot in my mouth, and the club is getting tired of me saying I’m sorry. They don’t believe I mean it when I keep doing the same stupid shit.”
“Then prove them wrong,” Willa said gently. “Do you really think Lily and Beth are capable of holding a grudge?”
Bliss stared back at her, startled. “You know what happened?”
Willa smiled wryly. “No, they don’t confide in me, but I overheard you at the hospital telling Jewell they’ll never forgive you.” At Bliss’s worried expression, Willa attempted to soothe her fears. Since The Las
t Riders made it a point to keep their business private, and Bliss was already in trouble with the club, Willa wouldn’t want them to think she was gossiping. “I only heard that before I went in to see Lily. I don’t make a habit of snooping.” Bliss relaxed at her words. “Go talk to Lily. Avoiding her isn’t going to make it easier.” Willa gave Bliss a small nudge in Lily’s direction. “By the way, she loves the peanut butter candy, too. She was constantly asking for it when she was pregnant, but because she was eating so many cupcakes, Shade drew the line at the candy.”
“That’s why you made a double batch? So I could bribe Lily into forgiving me?”