by Rachel Cade
She turned her head slightly. “Why?”
“I have a deportation issue.” He stopped chewing. “My visa ran out. If I don’t do this, I’m on a one way trip back to Greece.”
Holy shit. He was serious and there was a reason? “Noa…”
“I’ll give you ten grand,” he rushed out.
That froze her.
“Five when we’re married, five once I get it sorted.”
“This is actually the truth? And a real thing you’re asking me?”
“Yes.” His eyes were clear.
“So,” she moved away from the counter a bit, “this is why you’ve been here? Why you asked me to the carnival and-”
“No.” Noa held his hands up. “No. Lyndie. I didn’t even find out about it until last night. I swear.”
Lyndie’s emotions were flip flopping as she responded. “I’ve just got to take your word on that?”
“I hope so.” His mouth unhinged before he closed it. “I know the timing of this is shit.” He winced, probably remembering Max. “I didn’t…” He paused. “I’m in a bind here. I thought we could help each other out.”
Lyndie saw sincerity in eyes that didn’t waver from hers.
Married.
Ten thousand dollars.
Thoughts of Will and his stupid envelope crept over her, the hens at the grocers and Craig. She wouldn’t have to worry about them for a while with that money. Maybe she could even do some repairs for the house. Fix up Max’s room and get rid of the scarred hand-me-downs.
She looked down at his hands, covered with rings except for the one he’d just given her. Some black some silver, yet none shadowed the scorpion whose tail curved at his thumb.
“What about-” she stopped herself with a long blink.
“What about what?”
As nice as Noa had been, he was still a stranger to her.
She saw Max over his shoulder; his tiny fingers were curling over the blanket.
Lyndie lowered her voice. “What about other things a husband and wife do?”
Noa seemed to freeze, but kept his stare direct. Whatever thoughts went on behind his eyes stayed hidden from her.
The mouth that had thoroughly explored hers the previous day opened. “Well, that’s up to you.”
Shit.
Just standing there, she remembered the feel of his hands on the back of her knee, adjusting her leg to his bike. On the nape of her neck…
What the hell would it be like having a man like this as a husband?
Questioning meant she was considering it.
Was she?
“Fifteen,” she said, her words raised his brow. “Seven and a half when we’re married, the rest after when you’re set for the visa.”
“I can do that. Is that a yes?”
Lyndie’s mouth tightened as the tatted biker with eyes like ocean water leaned forward.
“Yes,” she answered releasing a breath. “I’ll marry you.”
“Jesus.” Noa’s shoulders slumped as his head tilted back. Then he turned a bit on the stool to see Max. “You heard that?”
Lyndie felt her heartbeat accelerate.
“We need to do this quick.” Noa turned back toward her in the stool. “How fast can you be ready to go to Vegas?”
Lyndie’s eyes widened. Max started to get irritated.
She quickly rounded the counter as his small cries started to hit the air.
“I must have scared him.” Noa realized. “I’m sorry.”
Lyndie pulled her small bundle out of the car seat, hugging him to her so his head rested near her shoulder.
“It’s okay,” she answered quietly, softly patting his back.
She walked over to the stool with him, sitting down next to Noa.
Max began to quiet as he snuggled closer to her. On instinct, she kissed the top of his head.
Keeping her voice low, she began, “There’s a little more to this than running to Vegas.”
Holding Max always soothed her, but under these circumstances, she couldn’t completely relax.
Noa said nothing for a moment while he watched her holding her son.
She wished she knew what he was thinking.
Then his eyes met hers again. “Okay.”
Lyndie let out a breath. “Is there a way we can do this and keep it a secret?”
He didn’t hide his surprise, but quickly answered, “Yeah, if that’s what you want.”
“I just… people talk about me enough in this town already.”
“What do you mean?”
Lyndie wasn’t used to talking about herself. All the time she’d spent with Noa, she never shared how she interacted with most of the people in Amber Falls.
“Being a single mom isn’t really highly thought of around here.”
“Oh, so it’s the ‘50s in mentality too then?”
Lyndie’s huff replaced her laughter. “In some ways, yes.”
“If you’re willing to do this for me, I’m cool with keeping it a secret.”
Max was the primary person she was worried about.
She didn’t want to think of what would happen if Will found out she was married. And to a man like Noa…
She felt his hand over hers as she held Max’s back.
Her little boy’s restful breathing rose his body up and down. Noa’s hand didn’t move.
“You’re a good mom, Lyndie.”
She didn’t know what happened then; she felt the back of her eyes begin to sting, but managed to rein in the emotion.
Then she smiled, saying softly, “Thanks.”
*
As Noa got off the phone, he heard a knock at his motel room door.
He checked the peephole, then looked at his watch before opening it.
“Mr. Callas.”
“You got the name right this time,” Noa said as he held the door, imagining himself slamming it.
Across from him, almost at his same height, stood Sheriff Durand in full uniform.
They were polar opposites in almost every way, Noa stood there in worn fitted black jeans with holes in the knees and the Sheriff’s pants were pressed to creased perfection.
“Can I help you with something?”
“You can,” Durand began. “What’s your business in Amber Falls? When I met you on the side of the road, I expected you to be on your way.”
Small town cops were the fucking worst.
“This is Amber Falls?” Noa asked. “I haven’t seen a soul out here since I got the room except for the manager – and now you.”
“The motel is on the edge of town, but it’s still my jurisdiction.”
“Have I been disturbing the peace?”
A sour grimace was almost born on the Sheriff’s face, but he squashed it quickly.
“I asked what your business is here, sir.”
“Nothing.” Noa kept his voice light. “I’m just renting a room. I’m engaged, so I’m meeting my fiancée soon.”
“That’s nice. But what does your fiancée have to do with you trying to buy the property over by the gas station?”
Finally, the actual purpose of his visit. Noa figured there’d be some kind of blowback for the warehouse incident. “Is it against the law to purchase property here, Sheriff?”
Durand’s tight face flashed an even tighter smile. “Listen. I already know your kind-”
“My kind-”
“Yeah, your kind. A biker. Wherever guys like you roam, violence tends to follow. This is a good town with good people in it. You finish your little stay and you head out. This is the last time I say it.” His teeth flashed with his final words, just in case there was confusion about the threat.
Noa didn’t respond, and almost abstractly, he heard knuckles crack.
His own.
A voice came over Durand’s handheld transceiver. He didn’t immediately move to answer it until he was called a second time.
Reluctantly, Durand answered the call while slowly stepping toward his car.<
br />
Noa knew he wasn’t helping matters, but backing down from another man just wasn’t in his nature.
He never went back to check the warehouse again. With cops involved, it was too hot. But it didn’t take a genius to know there was some undercover bullshit going on in this town. And the likely ringleader was the pretentious piece of shit pulling away from his motel.
*
Lyndie walked up to the Lil’ Apple a few days later.
This time, she came prepared for the bike ride in jeans and a gray tank top.
And that was all she was prepared for.
In less than twenty-four hours, she would be Noa’s wife.
A man she’d known for little under a month.
It was strictly a beneficial arrangement, she kept telling herself. But the truth was more complicated than that. Their relationship hadn’t been completely platonic. In fact, it hadn’t been a relationship at all. She didn’t know what to call it.
They weren’t friends, but they weren’t lovers either.
Technically they weren’t even courting if you wanted to be old fashioned.
Max was at Peggy’s. Lyndie assured her she wouldn’t be gone longer than twenty-four hours and made sure he had plenty of diapers and milk.
This was going to work out. She was going to use the money to jump start a better life for him.
“Babygirl, you ready?” Noa came from the side of the building.
Black leather pants were stuck in his boots. A dark tank top revealed a good portion of his tattoos and upper body.
Lyndie wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans discreetly. “Sure.”
“Listen,” Noa began. She slowed down as she approached him. “I know all this is happening fast. But I want you to know I appreciate you doing this for me. I’m going to do right by you in this, Lyndie.”
“Okay.” His words didn’t do much to tamper her nervousness. Men’s words only had value if their actions backed it up. Either way, she was taking a huge risk with this. And while she considered the madness of her own actions, she was entirely too tempted to reach out and touch one of his nipple rings.
“You got Max okay? He’s straightened out?”
“I did.” She adjusted the strap on her knapsack. “He’s probably bouncing to Elvis right about now.”
Noa raised a brow. “Holy shit.”
*
An hour later, Deathstalker passed them smoothly by the “Welcome to Vegas” sign.
Actually, it said “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.”
Lyndie had never been here before. Even in daylight it was huge and beautiful, with so many buildings and signs drawing her attention, her grip around Noa tightened as her anticipation grew.
She was going to travel so many places with Max one day. She wasn’t going to allow him to be sheltered like she was.
Noa parked his bike in an underground garage with security and lead her back out to the strip. Even in daytime, the sidewalks were scattered with tourists. Lyndie was sure she looked like one herself as she craned her neck to look up at the casino skyscrapers. Las Vegas had a kind of quirky fast paced energy about it, like anything could happen here at any moment.
It was so opposite of Amber Falls she might as well have been on another planet.
A few sets of people took one look at Noa and made it a point to distance themselves. He noticed it too and glanced at her. She reached for his hand, holding it as they continued up the sidewalk.
A few minutes later, they walked into a hushed upscale jewelry store. The chandeliers over their heads gleamed enough to make her wince.
“I need an engagement ring and a couple wedding bands.”
She expected the lean man in the tailored suit behind the counter to show displeasure, but he beamed and walked forward to greet them.
“Which one do you like?” Noa leaned against the display case.
Lyndie was sure he didn’t mean it. These rings weren’t cheap. Each of them appeared to be a rock and sparkled like nothing she’d ever seen. “We could find something smaller.”
The salesman’s chin hit his neck. “In all my years, you’re the first one to ever say that.”
Lyndie wasn’t sure how to respond, saying, “I’m a simple girl.”
Noa’s tongue ran over his lower lip and his eyes swung to the man. “You have something with roses ingrained in it?”
The salesman pointed. “Taste. This one’s a keeper.” He held a finger up. “One moment.”
He left them alone as he went to the back.
“Noa,” she whispered. “You don’t have to spend a lot on a ring. It’s not important.”
He ignored her and the man returned a few minutes later with three boxes.
They were on a satin covered plate and he set them down on glass making a tiny ping.
Lyndie gasped seeing the rings; each one was larger than the ones in the case below and the one in the center was cut like a rose, the silver band around it ingrained with small leaves.
“That one.”
Lyndie could feel herself blushing. “Noa, j-”
His mouth was on her cheek, not quite kissing it. “It’s for you, okay?”
The feel of his lips combined with the bass of his voice sent a chill from her ear down the side of her neck.
She stared at him, his face about an inch from hers. All she could do was smile. And he smiled back.
The dress shop was next. Lyndie knew it was pointless to bring up that she brought her own dress.
The ladies in the shop seemed to freeze like mannequins when they walked in, then Noa seemed to get a consistent stream of looks. At first, Lyndie thought it was hilarious until she realized they saw what she saw.
“You know it’s bad luck for the husband to see the bride in her dress before the wedding?” one of the women said to Noa when he insisted on sitting in the bridal suite.
He just smiled, resting his arm on the back of the chair. “I’m already bad luck, ma’am.”
The dark-haired woman helping her choose a gown gave her a look.
Noa’s face dropped a bit when she emerged from the small dressing room.
The white mermaid shaped gown didn’t leave much to the imagination, being off the shoulder and more form fitting than Peggy’s dress.
Noa’s body remained still, but his head tilted deeply as he took her in.
Lyndie didn’t know what he saw. She thought the dress was pretty, simple, and feminine. It was still hard for her to believe he was going all out like this. A veil was offered to her in the dressing room. When she tried to decline, she was told Noa had requested it. Now, under his gaze, her breath was shallow in her chest.
Gesturing with his finger, he signaled for her to turn around.
She did, shuffling the fabric against the rug in the quiet room.
“Fuck,” she heard him say.
She felt the veil slipping and tried to adjust it, wondering if he didn’t like it.
When Lyndie turned on the podium, Noa was in front her, his chin almost touching her cleavage. His breath fanned out of the top of her breasts.
Then his eyes met hers. “Leave it on.”
Lyndie was oblivious to everyone else in the room. The heat that lanced her skin just being looked at by him could have set fire to the dress.
This man, with his piercings, leather, and Satan’s goatee, and all Lyndie wanted to do was lean forward and kiss him.
Evening was approaching, and the streets were filling even more. They left the bridal shop with Noa holding her old clothes in a bag and her hand in another. A few people clapped as they headed to the street. Lyndie was trying to keep up, but things seemed to be moving in a blur; all she could do was hold the veil down.
Noa hailed a cab.
A pretty nice gray town car pulled up to the curb. With Noa’s help, she was able to get inside first.
“Where’s the happy couple headed?” the driver asked as Noa closed the door.
“The Marriage Bureau first,
” he answered. “What’s the best chapel out here?”
It seemed like a few minutes after they received their marriage license, they were pulling into the driveway of a white building.
“Cupid’s Wedding Chapel,” the driver said. “It’s the perfect spot. I got married here,” he added.
“Aww,” came from Lyndie.
“Lasted about thirty days, but the wedding was great.”
Noa snorted and passed the man some cash. “Thanks, man.”
“Good luck to ya’ll,” he shouted before he drove off, leaving them on the sidewalk.
Noa took Lyndie’s hand. “You ready for this?”
“Yeah.” She squeezed his hand. “Ready Freddie.”
She was terrified.
Cupid’s Wedding Chapel had fake grass lining its entrance and a pink Cadillac parked on the fake lawn. The inside smelled like candy and perfume.
A young woman greeted them and took their paperwork. Before she could go into detail about the wedding packages they offered, Noa cut her off, letting her know they’d take the basic one.
Lyndie never thought her first time being married would be like this, sitting in the lobby of this quirky Chapel in Vegas. The diamond ring on her finger almost made her hand shake when she looked down at it. It had to be worth more than he was paying her to marry him.
Paying her.
A Greek and Samoan biker, a member of Death Skulls MC.
He was paying her to marry him.
She could’ve slapped herself sitting there. He could have had anyone he wanted, to marry or otherwise.
His leather covered knee almost touched the pristine white fabric of her dress. The pointed toe of her pumps peeked out under the hem. They almost put the diamond to shame.
Was this her life right now?
Not only could she not believe what she was currently doing, the future just seemed like a tunneled void.
With her paranoia daring to send her over the edge, she had to close her eyes and breathe deeply.
Then she saw her munchkin’s face.
She knew he was in good hands with Peggy. Lyndie was so thankful for her. Silently she hoped her grandmother was somewhere watching over her too.
“We can leave first thing in the morning so you can get back to Max.”
