Heavy Hogs MC

by Elias Taylor

  Christian nodded. He understood what Anthony was saying. Beth didn’t deserve the angry and bitter version of Christian who slept around and cursed all women. She deserved a better man than that. Christian had to be a better man to keep her.

  “All right, family dinner tomorrow,” Anthony said. “You should bring Beth.”

  Christian raised his eyebrows. Family dinners usually ended with him and his dad in a shouting match, not to mention it was very early to bring Beth to meet his family.

  “You sure that’s a good idea?” he asked.

  “Why not?” Anthony said. “We already know her from the club, and you and she are clearly hitting it off. Plus, it will be a good chance to show Dad that you’re capable of having a mature relationship.”

  Christian mulled it over. He could ask Beth, but he wouldn’t want to pressure her.

  “Lyssa will be there, so it’s not like Beth will be the only addition,” Anthony said.

  “All right, I’ll ask her,” Christian said.

  “Good,” Anthony said.

  The brothers finished their lunch and parted ways.

  As he drove back to his place, Christian pondered the situation. It was a huge thing to bring a girl home. He hadn’t brought anyone home since Tisha, and that had been back in high school. After one meeting, his family made it clear that they did not like Tisha, and she had hated them as well.

  After that, Christian had never brought a date home.

  He had moved on from Tisha and from his parents’ dislike of her. He was ready to prove it to his parents.

  More importantly, he was ready to prove it to Beth.

  Chapter Twenty-One: Beth

  Beth’s knees were shaking. She couldn’t remember the last time her knees quaked with nerves like this. Sure, she got nervous about things all the time, but nothing like this. This was more like when she had to give a speech in front of the entire middle school on Earth Day in the seventh grade. It was her own fault she felt this way again. She was the one who agreed to go to a family dinner with Christian.

  She was waiting on the sidewalk outside her building for him to pick her up. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking when she agreed. Christian made it very clear she could say no, but there had been something in his voice. Beth couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but she got the feeling he wanted her to say yes.

  In any case, when she had said she would love to, Christian seemed enthused. Beth could hear his broad smile through the phone. She was beginning to suspect she would do anything to make him smile. It was both thrilling and terrifying.

  Beth glanced down at her outfit once more. Dressing for his family was more intimidating than dressing for a date and definitely harder than dressing for a biker event. The Crowns had met her as a Road Warrior, but now they were meeting her as Christian’s date.

  Mel had been little use. She was ecstatic when Beth stayed the night, but even she thought it was crazy early to have dinner with the parents.

  Beth had finally gone with a light blue sundress with a flowy skirt. The straps tied at her shoulders, and she thought she looked really pretty in it. She figured she might as well use it while the summer still lasted.

  Beth passed the nice bottle of wine from one hand to another to keep her hands from trembling. Her mother had suggested the wine when Beth had called her that afternoon to update her. She left out the more scandalous details of the date, but Beth said it had gone well and that she was joining him for dinner with his parents. Her mom sensed her nerves and reminded her that she already knew the Crown family because of the Road Warriors. Barry had even been good friends with Beth’s dad.

  That calmed Beth down, but just a bit.

  What if they thought she and Christian didn’t work? They might like Beth, the biker daughter of an old friend, but would they approve of Beth as Christian’s girlfriend? Not that she was his girlfriend. They hadn’t made anything official yet. Beth wasn’t sure she was ready to make it official. Everything was moving too fast, and Beth was scared. It was as if she had gotten on a roller coaster when she had meant to hop on a golf cart.

  She was snapped out of her frantic thoughts by the sight of Christian’s car approaching.

  He smiled at her as soon as she got in, and his expression relieved her tension. How did he do that? How did he make her so relaxed and comfortable with his presence?

  “Thanks for coming,” Christian said. “I know it’s a lot, but my brothers really want to see you.”

  “Right.” Not having any siblings herself, Beth had always been intrigued by brothers and sisters. She wondered how close Christian was with his older brothers. “I’m excited to get to know them better.”

  In no time at all, they were heading up the walkway to his parents’ house. Christian gripped her hand, which helped calm Beth. Right before they opened the door, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Beth was smiling when Barry and Linda first saw her.

  She didn’t stop smiling the whole time she was there.

  The few times Beth had met Linda, she had always been sweet. She was an even kinder hostess. Linda beamed across the kitchen at Beth and Christian, all while offering Beth drinks and snacks, and anything else she might want. She gushed over the wine and told Beth she looked lovely in her dress.

  Beth was put more at ease once Anthony and Tyler joined them. They were jokesters who wanted to have a good time. Plus, Anthony had brought his girlfriend, Lyssa, so Beth wasn’t the only guest.

  As they settled around the big dining room table to eat, Beth realized she liked being around a big family. She adored her mom and stepdad, but it could get quiet with them. It was nice to have siblings bantering with each other and everyone talking over other people in a jovial manner. It was an experience she always longed for, and she was glad to finally see what it felt like.

  Beth sat between Christian and Tyler. The whole meal, Christian kept his hand on Beth’s knee or on the back of her seat. It was nice to know he was close. She sensed no matter what, he would make sure she was okay.

  She couldn’t believe how quickly she had let herself rely on him. Beth didn’t like depending on others. In her experience, people always let her down as soon as she started to need them. Perhaps, just for one night, she could let herself be taken care of.

  Beth didn’t talk too much during the meal. She preferred to observe the family dynamic. Barry was a good guy who cared about his children, but he definitely had a tough exterior. She sensed the tension between him and Christian, but she figured it was because Barry had a stern way of talking. He was tough, but he cared for his youngest son, there was no doubt about it. Beth remembered her dad had a similar vibe.

  As for Tyler and Anthony, they made her laugh the whole meal with all their stories about Christian as a kid and the Road Warriors.

  Christian got up to help his mom get dessert, and Tyler leaned over to murmur in Beth’s ear. “Everyone definitely approves, you know.”

  Beth blushed and smiled. “You guys are so nice.”

  “Well, we’re excited Christian’s finally bringing someone home,” Tyler said. “He never has before.”

  “What about...” She stopped herself just in time. She was about to ask about Tisha, but she didn’t want to ruin the good vibes by bringing up such a controversial person.

  “She who shall not be named?” Tyler quipped. “Yeah, she came once, was super rude, and we all hated her, so the meal ended early, and he never brought her around again.”

  Beth widened her eyes. How could Tisha have been rude to her boyfriend’s family? Especially when they were so nice. She considered her friend’s behavior, and Beth realized that Tisha often acted self-centered and sulky, especially when she would rather be somewhere else. Beth imagined her looking bored and giving one-word answers at the dinner table.

  Just then, Christian returned, and Beth turned to him with a smile. She was determined to not let the cloud of Tisha overshadow the wonderful meal. After Beth helped clear the table, Christian pulled
her out to the backyard. Barry and his sons started a bonfire.

  “We used to do this all the time when we were kids,” Christian said.

  “Christian went through a big phase of taking firelight photos,” Linda added.

  “Really?” Beth asked. “I bet those were cool.”

  “Eh, a lot of them turned out blurry,” Christian said.

  “It’s a tough business he’s in,” Barry grumbled.

  Christian frowned and turned away from his dad, and Beth followed Christian to a seat by the fire. She figured Barry hadn’t meant to be mean, but he clearly had reservations about photography as a career.

  “Did you do s’mores a lot, too?” Beth asked.

  “Of course,” Anthony interjected. “What’s the point, otherwise?”

  Beth laughed and accepted the beer Tyler handed her.

  They all sat by the fire for a bit, even after Barry and Linda went inside. Tyler and Anthony told stories about their childhood—most of which involved Christian tagging along and being a pain—and Lyssa told everyone how she and Anthony had met.

  After a while, Anthony dragged Lyssa over to the side of the yard to look at the stars, although Beth was sure they were doing other things, too. Anthony was totally smitten with his girlfriend.

  Tyler headed into the house to grab more drinks.

  “So?” Christian asked. “What do you think?”

  “I think your family is great,” Beth said. “I hope they like me.”

  “They adore you,” Christian said. “Did you see my dad’s face when you were talking about your landscape business? He literally wants to adopt you.”

  “He cares about you, you know,” Beth said.

  Christian sighed and wrapped his arm around her. Beth’s bare shoulders tingled where he touched her. “I know. We’re just so different.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Beth said. “Your dad might get frustrated or overreact, but at the end of the day, it’s clear he wants you to be happy.”

  Christian looked at her for a long time. Beth furrowed her brow. “What is it?”

  “You’re amazing,” Christian said. He reached up and put his hands on either side of her face. The fire crackled and sent flickering shadows over Christian’s eyes. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

  “I really want to give a relationship with you a try,” Christian said. “Do you think you might want that, too?”

  He spoke with confidence, but Beth heard the quiver of doubt in his question. He hadn’t done this in a long time, and she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Even if they got past the strangeness of his history with Tisha, Beth didn’t know if a serious relationship was right for her. She had so much on her plate with her business, plus, she already felt too strongly about Christian. It all seemed like a surefire way to get hurt.

  She knew what could happen when she cared too much about one person. She knew how much it hurt when that person was ripped away. The logical part of her brain told her to run—run far away before Christian Crown broke her heart. Except, at this moment, her heart was the problem. At this moment, it was yearning for Christian. She had hope that he wouldn’t break her heart.

  She buzzed with joy from the nice evening and all the laughter. And the fire was making everything light up in a soft haze. The whole night felt magical. Beth felt her resolve softening. She didn’t want to be careful. She wanted him.

  “Yes,” Beth said. “I want to try.”

  And there it was. His brilliant smile.

  Beth leaned her head on his shoulder. They snuggled together by the fire, and at that moment, they didn’t have to say anything more. They both knew that everything was just right.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Beth

  Beth stood and dusted the soil off her jeans. She and Mel had been working hard to get the shrubbery on their current job finished before the weather turned too cold. Freezing temperatures were never reached in southern California, but the summer had definitely come to an end.

  “Christian picking you up again?” Mel asked.

  Beth smiled and nodded.

  Over the course of two weeks, they had fallen into a routine. She had a lot of gardening jobs, and he had photography gigs, but they spent just about all their free time together. He would meet her when she was done at a worksite, or she would pick him up from an event. Then they would cook together or eat out. They spent the evenings talking about their days. Christian would listen to Beth talk for ages about all the minute details of landscape design, and she loved to hear him gush about photography.

  They fit together well. They even had similar timelines. They both wanted to be established with their own businesses before turning thirty, and they both wanted to stay close to family.

  Sometimes, Beth wondered how long it could last. The cautious side of her kept insisting that the other shoe was going to drop. No couple could be this happy. But the rest of Beth was too happy to listen.

  “Any wild Friday night plans?” Mel asked.

  “We’re gonna walk around downtown,” Beth said. “Grab something to eat, maybe catch a movie.”

  “God, you two are freaking adorable,” Mel said. “Makes me wanna throw up.”

  Beth laughed and started to pack up her tools. A honk from the front of the house alerted her to Christian’s arrival. “I’ll see you tomorrow for brunch?” Beth asked.

  “Sure thing,” Mel said. “Don’t let your loverboy make you late.”

  “Never!” Beth yelled. She ran over and hopped into Christian’s car.

  “Hey.” He leaned over and kissed her. He had kissed her dozens of times in the last two weeks, and still, each kiss sent a thrill right through her.

  After he parked downtown, they walked hand in hand down Main Street. There was a taco place they really liked, and they decided to grab food there. Christian put Beth in stitches by telling her about the bar mitzvah he worked today and how it was filled with awkward middle-schoolers.

  “Take it from a professional,” Christian said. “No one is less photogenic than twelve-year-olds.”

  Beth gasped for air between her laughter. Christian stopped short and pulled her close. He kissed her, right there on the street, in front of everyone.

  “I’m so happy that it’s finally fall,” Beth said. “I love the more temperate weather.”

  “Me too,” Christian said.

  “Plus, I can focus on planting shade plants, which I love because—” Beth stopped short as a familiar figure stumbled out of a wine bar.

  Tisha.

  A small, petty part of Beth was almost gleeful. She won, and Christian was now hers. For once in her life, Tisha lost. The rest of her was mortified, though. She was with her best friend’s ex. It still felt wrong. She and Christian hadn’t talked about Tisha in the last two weeks, but she was always there, lurking in the shadows of both their pasts.

  “Shit,” Christian muttered. He saw Beth’s distress and gave her hand a squeeze. Tisha wasn’t coming toward them, but Beth stood frozen in the middle of the sidewalk all the same while Tishan turned to yell at someone next to her.

  “Derek, you’re so ridiculous,” Tisha said.

  “Look, I don’t wanna make a scene,” Derek said.

  It was her fiancé, Beth realized. She had never met him, but Tisha had always insisted that she and Derek were the perfect couple. They didn’t look so perfect right now.

  “Why are you being so difficult?” Tisha cried.

  “I’m not being difficult,” Derek snapped. “And I don’t have time for your histrionics.”

  With that, he walked away at a brisk pace, leaving Tisha alone on the sidewalk.

  Tisha turned, and Beth wished that she could shrink and disappear.

  For a loaded second, Tisha stared at them where they were standing hand in hand. Beth forced herself to maintain eye contact. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She and Christian hadn’t done anything wrong.

  In one quick motion, Tisha reached up and wiped tears away before turni
ng and hurrying around the corner.

  All the air left Beth’s body as she sagged her shoulders.

  “That was ugly,” Beth said.

  She looked at Christian. His jaw was tense, but he focused on Beth. He was concerned about her, not Tisha, she realized. It was sweet and so touching, and Beth felt like crying.

  “Well, whatever it is, Tisha deserves it,” Christian said.

  His tone was cold, causing Beth to look up in surprise. She knew Tisha had hurt Christian when she dumped him, but for the first time, it was clear Christian still carried around a lot of anger.

  Beth didn’t want to talk about it, though. Seeing Tisha had been too alarming.

  “Tacos?” Beth asked.

  “Yeah,” Christian said.

  They continued to walk down the sidewalk, but Beth didn’t feel quite as lighthearted as she had a few minutes before. She wasn’t as angry as Christian. Tisha had been Beth’s friend for so long. It was hard to stop caring. The fight between Tisha and Derek had seemed so nasty, and Beth felt bad. She knew Tisha didn’t deserve her sympathy, but even so, Beth felt sorry for Tisha.

  Beth glanced up at Christian. He smiled down at her, and Beth wondered if she imagined the hardness behind his smile. There was tension in his walk, and she wondered if they would ever end up in a fight on the sidewalk.

  How long before Beth was left crying and alone?

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Christian

  Christian clicked again on the sunset wedding photo. He tweaked the shades just a bit.

  “Perfect,” he muttered to himself. “Gorgeous.”

  It was strange. Ever since he and Beth had started dating, he no longer minded all the gushy wedding shots he had to edit. It was one of the hundreds of ways she had improved his life. Now it wasn’t just his wedding clients, he was also getting sappy. Christian dragged the finished photo into the file he would send over once he completed the other shots.

  His phone rang, and he looked up with eagerness. He knew Beth was at work, but maybe she had finished early. It was Tyler, and he picked up with a smile.