The Biker's Fate Chapter 409

Grace

Sunday afternoon, I pulled on my fourth shirt and stared at myself in the mirror before tearing it off and trying another one. Flea was picking me up in an hour to take me to his sister's for dinner. I was a mess. Not because it was at Katie's… I'd met Katie hundreds of times… but because I would be meeting their mother for the first time. I didn't do well in first meetings. I was awkward and tongue-tied and kind of a goob.

Grams was currently napping, Finch was watching a game on television, and I was pacing my room, wishing I had time to run to the mall. My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby. You okay?"

"No."

Flea's voice got serious. "What's wrong?"

"I have nothing to wear." He snorted, and I let out a frustrated groan. "This is not funny."

"Grace, it's my sister and mom. You could come in a potato sack. They won't give a shit."

"She's your mom," I countered.

"Yeah, I get it, honey, but she won't care."

"Fleabio, your mother will care. She'll care about everything."

"I'm about three minutes away," he said. "Why don't you show me what you've got, and we'll go from there?"

I sighed. "Fine."

He arrived about five minutes later, and since Grams was still asleep, he headed straight to my room.

"I don't have everything here," I complained. "So, I'm limited."

"You're forgettin' something, Grace."

I settled my hands on my hips. "What?"

His hand slid to my neck and he tugged me forward to kiss me. I relaxed against him, slipping my arms around his waist.

"Better?" he asked, running his nose against mine.

"No."

He chuckled. "Okay, baby. Show me what you've got."

In the end, I wore the first thing I'd tried on. Jeans, knee-high boots, and a soft, long-sleeved T-shirt. Since Flea was wearing his typical motorcycle club gear, I didn't feel underdressed, but still worried my shirt as too low or my jeans were too tight.

"Can we take my car?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because I just got my hair to behave. Smashing it in a helmet will ruin all of that work."

He rolled his eyes. "Grace—"

"Please, honey. Let me have this."

He reached out and stroked my cheek. "Okay, baby, you can have this."

"Thanks." I handed him my keys and overnight bag, said goodbye to my brother (Grams was still asleep), then followed Flea out to my car.

Flea's sister lived in a little condo next to the Pearl. It was in an historical house that had been converted into four condos, and although the place was small, the layout was comfortable.

As we stood on the little porch, I gripped Flea's hand like a talisman, and leaned into him. He held the dessert and bottle of wine I'd insisted we buy, along with a bouquet of flowers for his mom.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No," I whispered. "We should have a code word."

"For what?"

"For if… no, when, I'm being a total moron, you need to warn me."

"What the fuck?"

I huffed. "The confident, vivacious, ass-kicking wonderment of female glory standing before you is all merely a façade. You may as well know it now. I'm a phony and a fraud."

"Aren't those the same things?"

"Don't interrupt me… but that brings up a good point. I'm also ignorant."

"Baby, if you weren't smart, pretty sure you wouldn't use words like ignorant and vivacious."

"You don't know, vivacious could have been today's word on my word of the day calendar."

"Do you have a word of the day calendar?"

"No." I cocked my head. "See? That's another flaw, I'm also a compulsive liar."

"Honey, you're spiraling."

"Of course I am… that's what emotionally unstable people do."

He dropped his head back and laughed just as Katie pulled open the door. "Why are you standing out here? Come in."

Shit. We didn't get a chance to come up with a code word.

Flea laid his hand on my back and gently pushed me forward.

"Mashed potatoes," I hissed.

"What?"

"Code word," I ground out under my breath.

He chuckled again and patted my butt as I followed Katie into the kitchen. I scowled at him over my shoulder. I didn't want his mom to think I was a total whore, allowing her son to grope me in public.

Flea and Katie's mom looked like a woman trying to hold onto her youth. She had to be in her mid-fifties, but she looked much older. She had short, spikey, platinum blonde hair that was reminiscent of the "I'd like to speak to your manager" style, but she smiled, and it softened her features a little.

I hung back while Flea hugged her, trying to figure out what to do with my hands. If I put them in my pockets, I'd seem disengaged but if I crossed my arms, I'd look closed off, so I grasped them behind my back and tried not to fidget.

"And this is Grace," Katie said, grabbing my arm and tugging me forward.

I held my hand out and their mother gave me a limp handshake. You know, the kind where they grasp the end of your fingertips? I forced myself not to shudder. So creepy.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too, Mrs. Jameson," I said.

"Oh my god, Gracie," Katie said with a chuckle. "Call her Jan."

Jan glanced at Flea and then smiled at me, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes. Call me Jan."

Flea wrapped an arm around my waist, but I moved away from him and waved my hand toward the kitchen. "Can I help with anything?"

"No, we're just about ready," Katie said.

"You could pour some wine," Jan countered.

"I'd be happy to."

"Got beer?" Flea asked.

"In the fridge," Katie provided, but their mother waved him to the table.

"I'll get it for you, baby," Jan offered.

Katie rolled her eyes as Jan opened the fridge.

"He's the favorite," she mouthed, and I tried not to crack a smile. Merrick was always my mom's favorite, too.

Katie pulled three wine glasses out of the top cabinet and handed me the corkscrew. I opened the wine and poured, then put the corkscrew back in the drawer Katie had taken it from.

I handed a glass to Jan, and Flea reached his hand to me, but I shook my head. He raised an eyebrow in challenge, but I took a sip of wine, keeping my distance.

He rose to his feet and I widened my eyes in warning. He either didn't understand, or didn't care, and closed the distance between us, wrapping his arm around me and kissing my temple.

Jan glanced at us, and I felt heat creep up my cheeks, but Flea held me a little tighter. I felt like he was making some kind of point and I wasn't sure if it was for the benefit of his mother… or me.