Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Jayne glanced up as the man walked away, her gaze caught by the view of the biker’s sexy, jean-covered ass as he walked across the park. The emblem on the back of his leather vest caught her attention. A golden lion’s head stood out from the black background, the shiny threads gleaming and sparking in the sun. She continued watching until he ducked under a gazebo in the line of booths that were entered in the chili cookoff.

Once he disappeared from view, she turned back to her tables and finished placing her creations.

“These are cute,” a rough, deep voice had her turning and taking a step back.

Another biker, this one looked like he had walked through a war, despite his comment about her stuffed friends.

She swallowed hard and tried to smile, though fear skittered through her like a mouse fleeing a pair of barn cats. “Thank you.”

“Did you make them?” He seemed very interested, so she took a deep breath and ordered herself to calm down.

“Yes, I made everything on the table.”

“You’re very talented. These will be perfect for the toy run we’re doing next week.” He turned when someone called. After waving an acknowledgement, he turned back and picked up three of her biggest bears. “Could you hold these for me? I’ll be back for them before the end of the day.”

“I can do that,” Jayne said as she took the trio of bears and set them on her chair.

He handed her a wad of cash before walking away. She stared from the money to the biker, noting the emblem on the back of his vest was the same golden lion.

Interesting.

After bagging the bears, she counted the money and only took the cost of the three bears out. The rest she slid into the bag before setting it on the dolly at the back of her allotted space. Then she recorded the sale in the notebook she used to keep track of the creatures and whether they sold or were given to various charities.

“Well, that was a great start to the day,” she said with a smile as she set three more bears out on the table. “Now to find new homes and friends for the rest of you.”

Just after noon, when the crowds shifted from the various vendors around the park to the competition tents for the chili tasting and buying, Jayne took a moment to stretch before sitting down with a sigh.

She’d just about settled in the chair when the biker, who had not left her thoughts all morning, stepped up to the table. He looked over the tables and then looked at her.

“Good morning?”

“So far so good,” she answered as she pushed out her chair again, wincing as her sore feet protested.

“I was wondering if you’d join me for lunch?”

Though her stomach was cramping with hunger pangs, she sighed. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I don’t have anyone to watch the booth.”

The biker nodded in understanding. “How do you like your chili?”

“Low heat with sour cream, cheddar cheese and corn chips,” Jayne answered.

“Soda or iced tea?”

“Iced tea. Why?”

“Since you can’t come out to lunch, I’ll bring lunch to you.”

Jayne blinked in surprise. Grabbing the small, zippered pouch she used to hold the money, and other things she found necessary for these kinds of shows, she pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “Here.”

Though she couldn’t see his eyes, she knew he was frowning at her. “Put your money away.”

Before she could argue, he walked away, his round, firm ass once again snagging her attention.

King spent the morning keeping the prospects from adding anything further to their chili, and watching the pretty woman across the way as she smiled and greeted everyone who passed by her tent. By the time the tasting and judging began, he was more determined than ever that he wanted her in his life.

She may be older, but he didn’t care. Age had never mattered to him. Looks didn’t matter. It was that spark of something extra that pulled at him, making him want to know the woman better.

He wanted to kick himself for trying to take her away from her booth during the middle of the festival. Of course, she had no one to back her up. But that did not mean she could not eat lunch with him. He would just have to get creative about how.

Grabbing a tray from his tent, he filled two cups with iced tea, snapped lids on them and then poked straws into them. He slid plastic spoons into his back pocket before adding a couple packages of sour cream, a small cup of cheddar cheese, and one of hot sauce to the tray. Stepping out the back of the MC’s tent, he worked his way up and down the line, getting two tasting bowls of their mildest chili from each vendor.

Once the tray was full, he worked his way around the thickest of the crowd and then crossed the lawn to her tent. As he walked, he made a mental list of information he needed to learn. Her name, phone number, and home address were at the top, followed by everything else about her.

“Lunch is served,” he said as he stepped through the small space between her tent and the one beside it.

“Oh my, that’s a lot of chili,” she said, looking at the tray.

“Not really, but what we don’t eat, I’ll give to my guys to finish up. Don’t worry, it won’t go to waste.”

She made room on one of her tables so he could set the tray down. They then tucked into lunch.

“So, I have a question,” he said after they’d eaten their way through two of the small servings of chili.

“Oh?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not if you’ll go out with me, though I still would like an answer to that one. What is your name?” he asked as he reached for another cup of chili.

“Jayne Sawyer. And you are?”

King chewed on the spoonful of chili before swallowing and answering. “Call me King.”

“Is that your name or your title?”

King chuckled as he set that cup back and picked up another one. “My road name, but everyone uses it. I’m the president of the Golden Lions motorcycle club.”

“The president. Impressive,” Jayne said as she chose a new bowl and added some cheese to it.

King shrugged. Since his father had started the club years ago, his was an inherited position, not one that he’d had to fight for.

“So, do you have an answer to my question yet?” he asked as he grabbed one of the small bags of chips and opened it.

Before she could answer one way or the other, shouting from across the park caught his attention. It seemed a couple of Marines were facing off with some of the locals.

“Stay here,” he ordered, moving quickly from her tent.

As he crossed to where tensions were rising by the second, he whistled loudly, and watched as all the Golden Lions except those under their tent responded. In minutes, his brothers, and members of other local clubs, had the young men surrounded.

“Gentlemen, I think it’s time you all headed out,” King said.

“Get fucked. This jarhead insulted me.”

King rolled his eyes and stepped between the men. He was bigger than every one of them, but the Marines had the tired look he’d seen on men who’d just been rotated back from war zones. The locals reeked of alcohol, meaning they would not be so easily dissuaded from a fight.

Facing the Marines, he said in his most authoritative voice, “Thank you for your service. It’s time to return to base.”

The duo looked from him to the rednecks behind him and then back to him again. “Yes, Sir. Thank you for intervening. We’d hate to hurt civilians.”

With that the two turned and left, slipping between his men, and disappearing into the crowd.

“Hey, where’d they go?” The leader of the trio of drunk rednecks frowned at King.

“They’re no longer your concern. My men will be walking you out of the park so you can walk home or to the nearest bar or wherever you want to go, away from here. Or would you rather get a ride from the police?”

Five minutes later, the drunks were gone, King had assured the police officers acting as security that all was well, and was on his way back to the tent where his woman waited.

Only she was busy dealing with several families who had found her cute stuffed animals. He changed directions and headed back to the club’s tent and spent the rest of the afternoon serving chili, talking bikes with some of the visitors, and trying to keep his eyes off the tent across the way. He could not wait until the day was over and he could confirm a time and place for his first date with Jayne.