For Her Honor (26 page)

She did and took his extended hand to sit on his lap.
Slowly, he bent over towards the wildflowers so they could see the long drop down. She immediately recoiled and held onto him for dear life. “Taz!”

“Ain’t gonna drop you.
Just want you to see down there. It’s where I am. You made me crash bottom, sweetheart. Woke me up and got me lookin’ at things differently. I meant what I said that I wanted to marry you no matter if you were carryin’ or not. Let’s plan it. Whatever you want.”

She shook her head.
“I don’t want anything fancy. I’m far past what I’m supposed to do. My dad shelled out almost fifty grand when Shelia got married.”

“Holy fuck!” Taz looked sick.
“You kiddin’ me?”

“Nope.
Reception was about two hundred per head. Lobster tails. Filet mignon. Three different flavors of sorbet.”

“Sor…..
what
?”

“It’
s like sherbet, only lighter and cleaner. It’s meant to cleanse your palate between the salad and the main course.”

“A’ight,” he held up his hands.
“You lost me. We ain’t doin’
sorbay
. And if I wanna cleanse my
pallet
, two fingers of Jack’ll do just fine.”

She continued.
“Then of course there was the orchestra – not a band, but an orchestra – photographer, flowers, cake, invitations. Oh, and her gown was five grand alone.”

He looked about to really fall over the edge.
“Tell me you don’t want that because I’ll have to rob a bank. Then it wouldn’t matter, cuz you’ll be marryin’ me in jail.”

“No.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “I don’t. In fact.” She looked around and felt such a calming peace where they were sitting - just the two of them. No club, no jobs, no bullshit. It was beautiful. It now had the meaning of how he’d realized he loved her. “Let’s get married right here. In this spot.”

He smiled
, all devilish and dimpled, which made her want to throw him down on the ground. “You serious? Gonna be cold.”

“I’ll deal with it.
It’s already the third week of September. We should do it by the end of October – before Eva has her baby. I don’t want anything running into that.”

He wiggled his brows mischievously
. “Halloween’s still open.”

“Are
you
serious?”

“What?
It’s perfect. Temperature won’t be too bad. Leaves will still be turned and about ready to fall. We can have the reception at the clubhouse. We’ll have piped-in music so we won’t need a damn ‘orchestra.’ Invitation is word of mouth. Ma’ll bring the cake. And, trust me - you don’t want photographic evidence, especially if Doug gets too wasted. And,” he pulled her close and smiled against her lips, “no
sorbay
.”

She didn’t like the sound of it.
She loved it. “Deal. Just one pressing matter.”

He nuzzled her neck, breathing in deep.
“What?”

Damn, they
had better square things away and get back home. They’d only had sex twice since her surgery, as he was afraid to bust something, even though the doctor assured she was fine. The only precaution Karen was given was not to ‘try’ for at least a month. That wasn’t a problem, as he’d made it clear he wasn’t putting a cupcake in her Easy Bake oven – as he so eloquently put it - until they were legally wed.

“I have to make a tr
ip to Cincinnati. Soon. I need to tell my parents in person.”

He lifted his head and took her chin.
“One condition. I come with you.”

Relief swept through her.
“I was hoping you would.”

Nibbling her neck, he stood up with her in his arms a
nd walked to his bike. “You just want me there to keep you from using your gun.”

~~~***~~~

The element of surprise was in her corner. Calling her parents ahead of time to say she was driving over for a visit would’ve either driven Betsy to call the caterers or the family for an intervention. Karen didn’t want either. She didn’t plan an all-day visit anyway. It was the first Sunday in October, and traffic was pretty clear. They’d make it in three hours – just in time for her dad to finish singing at the ten o’clock mass, then eleven-thirty brunch at the country club, then home by two. Her dad would resort to the family room to read the paper while her mom puttered with something mindless.

Fortified
by a large iced coffee, they pulled into Loveland Estates, a private subdivision consisting of only fifteen homes. A majority of them were mainly made of brick – due to the flatlands and lack of mountains for protection in a storm. The Hansons’ dwelling was a French Provincial style, with a sweeping front lawn, neat shrubbery and very little color other than a deep red front door. Karen directed Taz to park on the street instead of the driveway, which had several cars in it. “That’s where you grew up?”

“It’s where I grew out of.”
There was a somber lilt in her voice that wasn’t so much regret, but disappointment. It had taken several months in a small town, where a quarter of the population could probably fit in this house. “This may not be pretty, Taz. And judging from those cars in the driveway, I think they may have company. The engine may not have a chance to cool off before we leave.”

He took her hand and kissed it, a favorite gesture of his.
He had a bit of chivalry under that black hair and face full of metal. “Ready when you are.”

This was going to be like a Band-Aid which had to be ripped off quick.
She got out and he followed suit, pausing his hand by the back door handle. She knew what he was contemplating. “Put it on.”

Opening the door, he pulled his cut out and shrugged it on.
He had explained to her that he never wore it in a cage – another term of his. It was a club rule. Other than that, he was never without, except when working or home. He wasn’t the type of man to hide who he was for appearances, but he’d figured this day would be difficult for her and didn’t want to make it worse. Her dad already knew he was a biker, so it wasn’t a secret. And Karen could care the fuck less about appearances. She would not end up like her mother.

Ed Hanson answered the door with the business section of the newspaper still in his hand.
His astonished eyes immediately went to his daughter, then to Taz and back. “Karen? What…?”

“Hi
Dad.”

Ed stepped outside in order to receive a hug and a kiss from his daughter.
He then met Taz’s quiet stare, clearly indicating he was stepping back and letting Karen take the lead today. Ed gave the unconventional-looking biker a once-over before holding his hand out. “Gabriel.”

Taz took the offered hand.
“Mr. Hanson.”

“I’m sorry for not calling ahead.
I didn’t want to give mom a day to prepare for some kind of all-out assault against me. We won’t be long, but…..I have to talk to the both of you.”

Ed turned to look inside the house then back again.
“Karen, your mother’s hosting her book club today. Was a last minute change of plans.”

Karen felt her heart initially start to pound, but then she eased.
“Perfect. Then we really won’t be long. Can we?”

“Of course.”
Ed swept his hand inside as Karen and Taz entered. From the sweeping staircase to the crystal chandelier, imported area rugs, Italian marble foyer and colorless furniture, the house hadn’t changed. Betsy conformed in a lot of ways, but she had no desire to redecorate or change things up, for fear she’d do something wrong and be in the social doghouse. She played it safe. She didn’t take chances to wind up the topic of gossip.

Making her way through the familiar layout,
Karen followed the fake cackle of her mother’s friends to the sitting room. It was done up in faint powder blue with sheer curtains and thinly striped wall covering. Positioning herself in the archway, she gave the ladies a wide smile. “Good afternoon everyone.”

From a cream-colored Queen Ann
e-style chair where she held court, Betsy Hanson shot to her feet. “Karen……dear.” It was a pleasure watching Betsy swallow her shock and feign joy over seeing her daughter in front of her friends. With carefully orchestrated movements, she put down the book and brandy glass she was holding. It was the same as they all had –
The Scarlet Letter
. How ironic, Karen thought. Hands free, she walked over – arms held out like a loving mother welcoming her cherished daughter to the fold. “How good to see you, darling?”

Karen
was enveloped in her mother’s stiff embrace. Good. It probably killed her to be taken out of her comfort zone and put on her nice act. “Thank you.” Karen then smiled again at the ladies in the room. “Will you excuse us for a moment?”

“
Karen.” Betsy looked politely aghast. “Why don’t you visit with your father first? As you can see I have company.”

All that could be heard was a quiet murmur amongst the ladies in the room
, which must’ve sent imaginary fume out of Betsy’s ears. They were no doubt wondering the status of the daughter who’d barely escaped a scandal and had had to ‘go away for a while’ until things were settled. She’d been rusty, but she knew how to charm her way around these women. “Ladies, will you excuse me while I steal my mother away for a spell?”

Before they could give their permission, Betsy cleared her throat.
“Give us just ten more minutes, then I’m all yours.”

“This will only take……”

“Hey….sweetheart?”

Karen heard that familiar voice behind her
, while her eyes watched Betsy Hanson nearly fall backwards. “What? Who? Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?”

Her mother lost all sense of propriety when she saw Taz come up behind Karen.
He didn’t answer, letting Karen do that. “It’s why we need to talk, mother. Now.” Her eyes narrowed and her voice a bit more stern. “Excuse us, ladies.”

Karen left, taking Taz by the hand.
She didn’t have to look to know that Betsy was offering some kind of an apology for the scene before following them out. All four of them wound up in the kitchen, done up in the same Provincial style, with oak floors and stainless steel fixtures. Her dad was leaning up against the center island while she and Taz moved to the side. The three of them watched Betsy stop short upon entering, her eyes fixed on her daughter’s hand clutched to the stranger beside her. She held her hand out, palm up, towards Taz. “
Who
is this?”

“Mom, this is Taz.”

Betsy glared at her husband. “Is
this
the one you were talking about? When she came to see you at the seminar?”

Ed looked as if he was numb to his wife’s theatrics and demands.
“The very one.”

There was a deep sucking in of breath on Betsy’s part.
“And why are they here?”

“Don’t talk like I’m not here, mother.
Address
me
. We’re here to tell you we’re getting married. On Halloween, in Tippitt.”

At first, Betsy’s eyes bugged before she shook the cobwebs out.
“Okay, I get it. This is some joke to get back at me from that little visit I took with Shelia.”

“This isn’t a joke, mother.
It’s very real. We’re getting married at the end of the month and would like you, Dad, Shelia and Sam to be there.”

Realization hit Betsy like a freight train
,as well as the fact she still had a room full of women who were no doubt straining to hear what was going on. That fact alone made Betsy turn crimson with anger. “Over my dead body.”

No, it wouldn’t be, Karen jokingly thought.
She’ left her gun home. “Your call, mother.”

Betsy’s eyes flared to Taz.
“
You
did this to her. You and that single-minded town….”

“No!”
Karen tore away from Taz’s side and found herself dead in front of her mother. “
You
did this to me. You made me so ashamed for what happened. It’s like you were punishing me because you could never fully bend me to your will like you did Shelia. I don’t want to throw dinner parties. I don’t want to host book clubs. I don’t want to make forced conversation over brunch at the club. I don’t……,” she paused to take a breath, “I don’t want to make my daughter feel bad because she didn’t live up to some pre-formed mold.”

Karen just let the words spill out, knowing she had the advantage that Betsy would not lash back with company in hearin
g distance. Instead, she screwed up her face and stepped back, making some room between them. “So that’s it? That’s why you’re marrying……him? You’re pregnant?”

“Yes and no. I lost the baby.” For a brief moment, Karen thought she saw sadness in her mother’s eyes, but was unfazed by it.
“And, yeah, Taz wanted to marry me because of it. But guess what – he still wants to. Because he loves me. Because I love him. Because I found something in Tippitt. I found myself. I found that independence you made me feel guilty over. I found a home and people who couldn’t give a rat’s ass what brought me there, whereas I feel like a complete stranger standing in the very place I grew up in.”