The Biker's Fate Chapter 225

What I'd failed to notice was she'd brought someone with her... someone I recognized immediately.

"Miss Church, I'm Candace Walker with Portland Seven News."

"Ah, hi," I stammered.

"Congratulations on your gold medal."

"Thanks."

"Can you tell me how long it took for you to train?" She shoved a microphone in front of me and I gave Knight a grimace as I hemmed and hawed for a few seconds.

"Oh, my daughter is such a hard worker," my mother crooned, forcing the reporter to focus back on her. "She's trained her whole life for this."

Knight turned to me and smiled. "Jump up, sugar."

"Huh?"

"Mount up. I'm gonna handle this, but you need to be on Fozzie when I do."

I nodded and mounted him from the ground (something I rarely did, because it was safer for both rider and horse to use a mounting block), but desperate times as they say.

"Ms. Walker," Knight said, oozing with charm. "I'm afraid you've caught us unprepared. We have an important task that needs to get done and now is not a good time for an interview."

"But I set all of this up!" Mom cried.

"I understand. However, you set it up without checking with your daughter first, and it's not a good time." He turned back to the reporter. "If you'd like to contact Kim directly at another time, I'm sure she'll fit you in as soon as she can."

"But—"

Mom didn't get another word out as Knight jumped onto Apollo and we took off toward the trail. Once far enough away from the prying eyes of cameras, we pulled the horses to a walk and I turned to Knight. "Ohmigod, she's insane."

He chuckled. "I don't disagree, sugar. Shit, she really thinks this is all about her."

"Do you still think she's twirly?"

"Yep. But I think she's delusional and twirly."

I smiled. "Twirlusional."

Knight laughed. "Nice."

"I just hope we can ward this off," I said. "I'm all for celebrating our win and being all Portland proud and stuff, but if we lose our anonymity, I might lose my mind."

"We'll figure it out, Kim."

"I'm holding you to that mister armor."

He grinned. "Ready to keep up?"

"Bring it, baby."

Knight took off and Fozzie and I followed with gusto.

A few days later, my mother called and I figured if I didn't answer, she'd just show up again. Knight was at the clubhouse, so I was on my own for the afternoon. "Hi, Mom."

"I don't appreciate being dismissed so rudely."

I bit back a retort and took a deep breath. "Mom, you hijacked my ride time with Aidan. If you'd let me know you were coming—"

"You wouldn't have shown up."

Well, she wasn't wrong.

"What can I do for you?" I asked, willing the conversation to end faster.

"I was wondering what you were planning on doing with my house."

"What house?" I asked, although I knew exactly what she meant.

"You know exactly which house, Kimberly."

"I'm not planning on doing anything differently than what I'm currently doing. Why?"

"Because I want to buy you out," she said.

I rubbed my forehead. "Mom, I haven't changed my mind. I don't want to sell because I eventually want to live in it."

"It's not your house!" she snapped.

"Mom, Gran left it to me and I'm sorry that upsets you, but I'm not going to sell it to you."

"You ungrateful, selfish—"

"Mom, I'm sorry, I have to go." I didn't wait for her response before hitting the end call button. My phone buzzed again. Determined to ignore it, I dropped it on the island, and pulled out the chicken I was going to cook for dinner. I didn't understand why the sudden interest in Gran's house, but I hoped Mom would take a hint and drop the subject.

One week later, life had calmed down a little. Knight had essentially moved in, I'd set up an interview with Candace, and I'd warded my mother off with a promise of lunch the following week. All had been quiet on the Fozzie front also. No one had attempted to get near him and I was growing more and more comfortable as the days went on. Stupidly thinking my life was nearly perfect and relaxing into a new normal.

"I'm back, sugar," Knight called, closing the front door with a slam.

"How was church?" I asked. Wednesdays were meeting nights for the club, and they referred to them as "church."

He met me in the kitchen where I was attempting to make spaghetti, leaning down to kiss me quickly before grabbing a beer. "Good."

"Good, good, or good but some issues you can't talk about?"

He smiled. "Good, good."

"Oh, yay," I said.

"How about you? How did your visit with Dani go?"

"Very well. Cash is so cute."

"Makes you want one, huh?" he asked, sliding his hand to my waist.

I wrinkled my nose. "Um, no. Not right now, anyway."

"Carter asked if we want to babysit Maverick next weekend."

"Fine by me. I love that kid."

Cassidy had Maverick when she was a teenager, but when she and Carter had gotten married, he'd adopted Maverick. Looking at the two of them, no one would ever guess Mav wasn't actually his.

"Good, 'cause I already told them yes."

I giggled. "Of course you did."

My phone rang just as I dropped the pasta in the boiling water and I reached for it. "Hello?"

"Kim?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Oh, honey, it's Linda Sadler, I hate to tell you this, but the house is on fire."

"What?" I snapped. "Are you okay?"

Linda was married with four kids, all under the age of eleven. "Everyone's out and safe. None of the outbuildings have been touched and the fire department has it under control, but I thought you should know."

"Ohmigod, Linda, I'm so sorry! Please get a hotel and I'll pay for it."

"You don't need to do that."

"I insist. I'm coming over."

"Okay," she said. "We'll see you in a bit."

I hung up and turned off the stove.

"What's goin' on?" Knight asked.