Bikers and Pearls: A Summerbrook Novel

By Vicki Wilkerson

Bikers and Pearls by Vicki Wilkerson

Who said tempting a sweet Southern belle would be easy?

When rebel biker Bullworth Clayton gets tangled up with pastel-and-pearls-clad April Church, sparks fly. Sure, April would clearly rather work with anyone else, but if teaming up with Bull means a successful charity event for a sick little boy they both care about, then so be it.

April is baffled at how drawn she is to the leather-wearing, tattooed Bull—he just doesn't fit with her simple, safe, country-club life. And as much as the handsomely rugged man tempts her, she still can't shake the images of the tragic motorcycle accident from her past, which left her scarred and her father broken.

Bull tempts her to don a pair of leather pants and go for a ride with him, while April desperately tries to resist her attraction to the wild side and keep her exploits hidden from her small town. Will they be able to navigate their differences and find a middle road to love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Aug 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781622661947

Book preview

9781622661947_500.jpg

Bikers and Pearls

Vicki Wilkerson

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Vicki Wilkerson. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Edited by Libby Murphy

Cover design by Jessica Cantor

Ebook ISBN 978-1-62266-194-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition August 2013

The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Ford Taurus, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Town Car, Jaguar, BMW 700 Series, Harley-Davidson (Road King Custom, Fat Boy, Softail, Roadster, V-Rod, Cruiser), Yamaha, Honda, NASCAR, Vance and Hines, Polo, Ann Taylor, Calvin Klein, Brooks Brothers, Armani, We’ve Only Just Begun, Born to Be Wild, Amazing Grace, You Raise Me Up, That’s What Friends Are For, Z Z Top, Steppenwolf, The Carpenters, Brut, English Leather, Neosporin, Jell-O, Ping, Clemson, GQ, Golf Digest, Business Week, Gone With the Wind, Shag, The Food Network, Anne Rivers Siddons, Meals on Wheels, Daughters of the American Revolution, National Highway Transportation & Safety Administration, Oscar’s Restaurant, Oaks Country Club, Slightly North of Broad.

To Thomas, my soul’s echo…

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter One

Motorcycles were everywhere. April Church had never seen so many in one place in her entire life. Row after row and side by side, they had been lined up like opposing armies. Was there some kind of biker rally in town that she didn’t know about? No. That couldn’t be. Surely, something like that would have been announced in the Summerbrook Gazette.

She looked for a well-lit parking spot near the door of the buffet steakhouse, but after circling the bikes three times, she finally squeezed her car into the last space at the rear of the dark lot. Motorcycles flanked both sides of her car. Flames embellished the tank of the bike immediately to her left and razors decorated the one to her right.

She was trapped.

Trapped like she had been in her father’s car the night he’d accidentally hit a motorcycle—the night the dead man’s pack had surrounded them like wolves. And here she was again, encircled by bikes. She looked toward the building. In that steakhouse were the same kind of people who had left her father with a limp, bound to a cane for the rest of his life.

Why on Earth did she tell Mr. Houseman that she’d go to the meeting? Well, for many reasons, but the most important was Ben. He was special. Every time he saw her, he gave her a hug. Started out when she first helped him learn to climb a tree when the Humanity Project volunteers built his home. When he dropped down from that tree and into her arms, he also dropped into her heart. Ever since that day, he drew pictures of trees and gave them to her as gifts. Yep. He was special, and she had to do something to help the little boy’s parents with the mounting medical bills. Mr. Houseman was her mentor at the Humanity Project, and she owed him, too. She also thought about Miss Adree, the sweet, elderly lady in her condo building who taught Ben music lessons every Thursday evening. April loved picking up the little guy and remembered Miss Adree doing the same for her when she was a child. It was time to return favors.

Inside would be all the civic-minded organizations from town that were helping Ben, including the Summerbrook Ladies League. The bikers were probably at the restaurant for a completely different reason—some ride or party they had to plan. She glanced around at all the motorcycles again. There were so many.

Taking a deep breath, she gingerly opened the car door. But before she got the chance to put her foot on the asphalt, the painted flames on the motorcycle next to her pitched—almost imperceptibly at first. Or perhaps she was simply denying what was happening.

Down it went. The mirrors tilted and flashed the light of a distant streetlamp over the body of the beast. Stop! Somehow, it appeared to have picked up momentum on its way to its death. And then it crashed against the pavement, the clang grating up her spine as it hit. No! She couldn’t have touched that bike. She had been so careful.

As she stepped outside the car, a shiver iced down her spine in a cold gust of March air. The motorcycle lay there like a fallen soldier. The crash had amputated its rearview mirror, which was now in the middle of the lane. She looked all around her.

For a brief moment, she thought about bolting. But she’d never do that. She worked at a local insurance company as a risk assessment manager. Assessing her own risk, she determined that she was in real trouble.

She knew she could analyze her way out of this. Maybe she could set the bike upright again and no one would notice. That might work.

Fighting some awful thing inside that wanted to paralyze her, she drew up every bit of her strength, bent down, and grabbed the handlebars. With her eyes closed, she strained and jerked with all her might. But the beast wouldn’t budge.

Maybe she could at least fix the mirror. Though her hand shook—probably from the cold—she picked it up and tried to attach the cracked piece to the bent chrome on the side of the bike. She pushed and twisted and rocked the thing. Nothing worked. Now what was she to do?

She could call the police. But it wasn’t a traffic accident. She still didn’t believe that she’d touched the bike. No matter. What could she do but try to find the owner and tell him? Dread rose up in her. She would offer the biker her insurance information, and she could let her company argue the claim later. And if the bike’s owner grew angry with her here, she assumed the bystanders in the steakhouse would provide some protection.

Glancing around the dark lot, she noticed several other bikes with flames on their tanks. Great. Now she’d have a band of angry bikers come after her when she would announce that she’d knocked over a motorcycle festooned with flames.

Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of the images of that night so long ago. But this was very different. No one had died. And she would accept complete responsibility, unlike her father, who’d blamed and angered the drunken bikers from Rebel Angels the night they’d played chicken with him.

Still holding the metal thing, she had an idea. The mirror was a totally different shape from the others around her, and it had a sticker with flames on the back. That would help. She’d find Mr. Morrow and a few of the people there for the fundraiser, and with their assistance, she’d approach the bikers with the mirror.

So she summoned all of her courage and bravely walked toward the entrance where a giant fake cow stood with an ominous look in his eyes. It watched her every step.

When finally inside, the scent of old coffee and burned grease assailed her. A gap-toothed hostess greeted April. Welcome to Carolina Cow Steakhouse, she said in a particularly slow Southern dialect—the brogue of her small town.

Not immediately seeing the people from the Summerbrook Civic Club, she turned to the waitress. Umm, I’m supposed to meet a group here.

The hostess perked up and smiled. Are you here for Ben Evans’s Leukemia Fundraiser, too?

April nodded and glanced around again, still hiding the broken mirror behind her back. She spotted members of the motorcycle crew secluded away at a couple of tables in a shadowy corner. Oh, boy. In a few short moments, she’d have to face them and confess what she’d done. Well, at least they weren’t going to be a part of the civic club meeting. After she gave them the broken mirror and her insurance information, it would all be over.

You’ll have to wait here a minute ’cause I’m moving everyone into the larger banquet room. Y’all have more people than we expected, the hostess said as she grabbed a few more menus and walked away.

April backed up against the wall to better hide the crooked chrome she held. Of all the stupid things that could happen.

With her free hand, she brushed at the pleats on her skirt to straighten them. Then she switched the mirror into her right hand and smoothed out the other side. Everything was under control.

What do you have there? inquired a low, masculine voice from above her head.

She snapped to attention like she was about to undergo a military inspection.

A handsome, muscular man in a black bomber jacket towered above her, larger than life. His shoulder-length hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. Golden streaks highlighted his nut-brown mane. His indigo-colored eyes perused her face. Is something wrong?

She twisted the strand of pearls that draped from her neck between her fingers with her free hand. No. Everything’s fine, she said. It would be as soon as she could meet up with Mr. Morrow or some of the other members from the civic organizations.

Then what are you hiding behind your back?

He had seen. Oh, no. He had seen.

Just a little mishap. I’m going to take care of it.

You ride? The left corner of his mouth curled up. In a skirt?

No. She hoped her voice didn’t sound strained. No, I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before, she said calmly.

He narrowed his eyes. Then why are you walking around with a Harley dome billit mirror?

That was a good question. Why was she? She held out the broken piece of the bike in front of her. I don’t know how it happened. I was opening my car door, and then—

He took it from her, examined it, and gave it back. Let me guess. It just fell. He tilted his head, exposing a strong, angular jawline. All by itself.

That’s right. It really did happen that way. Exactly. He probably didn’t believe a word she said. And she couldn’t blame him. She heard unlikely stories like hers from claimants at the insurance company all the time.

Ahhh, I see. Sure it did, he said. But the left side of his grin inched upward again. His eyes radiated light like the mirror in her hands. Believe I know who owns that. ’Cause of the sticker on the back there. He nodded at the chrome and took a step toward her. Won’t be too happy, though. You want me to take you to him?

A spicy scent replaced the old coffee and burned grease in the air. She looked around, half expecting to see one of the men from the Summerbrook Chamber of Commerce or the hostess with a can of air freshener. But April hadn’t ever experienced anything like that fragrance—not on a businessman or from a can. No, thank you. I’m meeting some people here for a fundraiser first. They’ll help me.

I know where they are, too. It’s where I’m headed. He touched her elbow. A warm tingle ran up her arm.

The hostess said to wait here.

We don’t have to wait.

But— Before she could protest, he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the large, open restaurant and around a corner. With each step she took, her pulse beat faster.

They stopped at a door, which had a sign on it that read Banquet Room.

You sure you don’t want me to handle that for you? He arched his brow and glanced at the mirror.

No, thank you. I’m going to ask Mr. Morrow to walk back with me. To tell those people in the corner of the main dining area.

He opened the door. Be my guest.

As soon as she walked into the room, she knew she was in trouble. The large table in front was filled with people sporting leather fringes, rivets, Harley insignias, and long hair. Motorcycle people. But what kind of motorcycle people were they—the weekender kind who had regular day jobs, like the safe ones they insured at her company? Or some other kind?

A guy with a Z Z Top-looking beard stood up and said, Hey, that’s my mirror.

The packed room became silent.

April wanted to sink through the floor. I’ll pay for it. I have insurance. I don’t really even know how it happened.

The whole room stared at her like she was a liar. Trapping the mirror between her arm and side, she fumbled in her purse to get one of the copies of her insurance card she’d made at work in case she might ever have the need for it.

"She was probably standing there and it just fell over," said one of the bikers at the table.

All the people at the table laughed. She turned to see Mr. Morrow standing silently behind the lectern, looking at his notes. Why wasn’t he backing her up? Surely he recognized her. She wanted to say, It’s me. April Church. In case he didn’t remember. But he only stood there looking unconcerned.

The tall, handsome guy who’d walked her back took the broken mirror from her and tossed it toward the biker with the long beard. "Okay, let’s go, Slug. I’ll give you a hand to upright your bike. This time. But you’d better fix that kickstand before that old motorcycle falls over again—with the next stiff breeze. The handsome man looked at her. Might accidentally hurt a pretty young lady next time."

The group laughed more. Slug kept his eye on April as he inched around the table. She didn’t see anything funny. She’d known she hadn’t hit the motorcycle with her car door. But she’d been discombobulated all the same.

The man in the bomber jacket gave Slug a reprimanding look and then turned to her. Slug here’s real sorry he hasn’t fixed that old kickstand. Even though we’ve been warning him about it for months. Right, Slug?

Yeah. I’m sorry and all, said Slug. He reached out his tattoo-covered hand and snatched the mirror.

The two men left with the twisted chrome.

Slug didn’t sound very sorry. Even if the broken mirror wasn’t her fault, she didn’t want to face him alone in that dark parking lot. She was staying right where she was for the time being.

She wanted to do this for Ben. She’d have to stay no matter what.

Mr. Morrow said, April, if you’ll take a seat, we can get started.

So now he knew who she was.

Glancing across the room, she saw the ladies from the group she wanted to join all decked out in their Lilly Pulitzer sweaters and pearls, cozily talking around a couple of the round banquet tables they’d pulled together on the other side of the room. Shoot. All the other chairs were filled—except for two at the table with the bikers. The evening couldn’t possibly get any worse.

An older man with long, gray hair and a woolly beard stood up and said, Here’s one, miss.

Things had just gotten worse. All she could do now was to sit. She clutched her purse tightly against her body and eased her way between the tables to one of the two empty seats.

Nothing was going to happen. Everything would be fine now that her little mirror emergency was over. These people had to be good people, right? They were here to help Ben, too. And Ben needed lots of help.

April fidgeted with the pearls at her neck. She knew there was no good reason for her insides to be so tense. These people weren’t the same rioters from Rebel Angels who’d burned down her father’s old hardware store for revenge. She straightened the pleats again on her skirt, trying to forget about the unfortunate event that had divided the town. But how could she possibly forget with all the reminders at the table? The earthy scent of leather hung all around her.

She wound her arms around her purse and sat up straight. If only she could leave. But she wouldn’t know what to tell Mr. Houseman. She had already promised him she was going to help.

She moved her seat closer to the empty chair, but as soon as she had, the man in the bomber jacket returned. Without Slug. And he’d spotted the empty seat.

Nothing she could do now. She scooted her chair back to its original position and closed her eyes. Take deep breaths. Take deep breaths. With her next inhalation, her senses were filled with the most heavenly fragrance. Spicy and aromatic.

She opened her eyes to find the striking stranger sitting next to her. She turned to look at the table behind her.

The hostess closed the door. April was simply going to have to make the best of the situation. For now. Maybe later she could somehow wiggle her way over to the Lilly Pulitzer table. April also had an ulterior motive to help with the fundraiser. This was going to be her magic ticket into the Summerbrook Ladies League—something she’d always wanted—and something her mother had always wanted for her.

Her best friend, Jenna, had automatically joined the league years ago with all the other young debutants in town. Right after the big ball. April wanted to be a part of it—all the cookbook committees, the parties, and the fashion shows. She and her BFF would do them all together. If only she could get in. But she wasn’t a debutant and her family didn’t have the pedigree that Jenna’s did. Jenna didn’t care, though. Never had cared that April had her…past, and she loved Jenna for that. It wasn’t going to be so easy, however, for April to enter the cliquish league.

Mr. Morrow, president of the Summerbrook Civic Club, tapped a butter knife on the wooden lectern at the front of the room. Thank you all for coming tonight. I guess you know why we’re here.

She heard some stirring, and she caught a glimpse of a woman near the lectern nodding, but April didn’t move. She stared ahead and hoped to blend in with the others at her table. But how her pleats and pearls were going to fit in with all the rivets and leather she didn’t know exactly.

Mr. Morrow looked down. When Ben Evans’s grandfather came to me and told me about Ben’s leukemia and his medical bills at the Children’s Hospital, I knew that all the Summerbrook civic organizations had to get involved in a big way. We’re all going to work together like we haven’t before.

The handsome biker with the blue eyes and hard, angular jawline leaned in his chair and closed the space between them. She clutched her purse even tighter to minimize her presence at the table. She turned her attention back to Mr. Morrow.

We’re all going to undertake multiple projects as quickly as we can for Ben. Those medical bills aren’t going away after only one fundraiser. Each table or team will choose a date for their event and the type of project they want to sponsor, Mr. Morrow explained.

When Mr. Morrow finished, an old, woolly-bearded man in leather chaps stood up. Jim, most of you know that Ben is my grandson. Oh, for those of you who don’t know, I’m Patch Evans.

She’d had no idea who the man was—even though she knew Ben’s family well. Ben’s dad, Purvis Evans, had recently been laid off at the local car dealership, and his mom worked at April’s bank as a teller. She wouldn’t have guessed that Ben had motorcycle riders in his background. Not that that was bad or anything. It’s just that people in small Southern towns usually shared similar interests with their family members. Families were tightly woven units below the Mason-Dixon. Take a family who likes country club living…well, they all usually belong to the club. Take a family who likes NASCAR, well, mostly they’re hanging out together at the local racetrack.

She broke away from her thoughts when the old man choked out a few

Reviews for Bikers and Pearls

[msromanticreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I read the blurb for Bikers and Pearls, I had to read the book. I love stories about the good girl meets the biker bad boy. There are bound to be sparks and sizzle while trying to fly under the radar, especially when the small town loves to gossip and one minute you could be in and the next you're out. The question then becomes what is more important? Love or reputation?

April Church was a good girl with a big heart whose volunteer work brought her together with a young boy fighting leukemia. She would do anything to help Ben and his family raise money to pay for his treatments and the mounting medical bills. April also desperately wanted to be a part of the Summerbrook Ladies League, and the fundraiser was to be her way in because what she lacked in pedigree, she could make up for in volunteer work for the community. But her big heart was about to be tested when she was teamed up with a group of bikers. She couldn't have imagined anything more nightmarish than having to work with a "gang". To make things worse, one of them seemed to have his eye on her, Bullworth "Bull" Clayton, and she had to work with him as a team. Even though she felt the stirrings of attraction, her deep rooted fear of bikers and gangs caused her to pull away or try to ignore him. Especially after she learned that Bull used to be a member of the Rebel Angels, a vicious biker gang. When he rescues her one night from a group of drunken, preppy college boys, everything she thought she knew about who the good guys and who the bad guys were was about to be questioned.

Overall I enjoyed the story and seeing their relationship go through the motions from being cautious to interested to seeing past the outer shell. The characters were very likeable, perhaps Bull more so than April, but only because he didn't make a big deal out of how others perceived him. Their chemistry didn't burn up the pages, but I felt like they became friends first which made their budding relationship much sweeter. The push and pull between them felt realistic and believable to me. They seemed to have more in common than not, and seeing them come to that realization was a fun journey. I thought the story kept up a good pace, and I was eager to keep up with the main characters and how they would find a way to get their HEA.

Unfortunately there were several things that pulled me out of the story, one of them being unnecessary repetition:

1) Why the Rebel Angels scared April
2) Jenna's insistence that April stay away from Bull and his biker buddies because Bull used to be a member of Rebel Angels
3) How the fire ruined her father's business/the town
4) Why April wanted to join the Ladies League and
5) "... for Ben". Almost every thought or reasoning behind one of April's actions ended with "for Ben", and it appeared 60 times in just 16 chapters.

If the reason was to drive a point home, I felt that the point was established within the first couple of chapters. If "for Ben" was part of the heroine's pep talk to remind herself why she was doing certain things, it made her sound like was using Ben as a crutch for her inability to cope with her feelings. Fortunately, the plot in general, some well placed humor and April's ability towards the end to self-analyze made up for the shortcomings. My favorite scene of all was at the end between Bull and her parents. That left me with a smile on my face. I would re-read this again and I would read the next book in the series.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4


Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

[mindaf_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First of all I just have to say WOW! This book is a wonderful sweet romance with a lot of emotion. I'm so pleased I was given an opportunity to read Bikers and Pearls in order to share my thoughts with you.April Church is a young woman who has been through some VERY traumatic events that have shaped her life. She has tried to make her life as safe as she possibly can. She's also holds some giant fears about Bikers and their Bikes. When she meets Bull (a proud Biker) she thinks there is no way she can handle working with him and his friends to help Ben. However she has vowed to do whatever it takes to help her little friend Ben get better. The more she gets to know Bull the more she does want to work with him. There is a strong connection between these two that they fight hard. Bullworth Clayton lost a brother to cancer in childhood and has had to fight his own demons from the past. When he meets April he thinks she is nothing but an uptight snot. The more he gets to know her the more discovers he was wrong and wants to get to know her better.This truly is a story of how if love is strong enough it can truly overcome any obstacle or fear placed in it's path. Nothing can come between two people who love and need each other so much. I loved how Bull is exactly what April needs to pull her out of her comfort zone and to be able to forgive, forget, and lead a full life.April is what Bull needs to complete his life and help him deal with his past and show him that he does have a place he belongs. This is one of those wonderful stories that has left me speechless, I want to tell you how fabulous this story is but I just don't know if I have the words to describe all my feelings when I finished this book.Vicki Wilkerson has created characters so touching, charismatic, compassionate, caring, and loyal, that I would love to sit down with them and maybe have one of those chili dogs at the bait shop. I adored all the characters but I felt the deepest connection with April. I just adored her and so felt for her in so many of the situations she was in. Bull of course, who could not possibly love Bull, I know I sure did. That fellow is one wonderful biker, he's hotter than hot, and has huge heart. I also liked Jenna (April's best friend) she soon found out that you have to look beyond the outside package to see what is on the inside. If you enjoy a book with a lot of emotional scenes, some sweet romance, with a little humor thrown in here and there, I think you will enjoy this book. I know I certainly did. I believe I see that this has a series name and number one after it. Ohhh I do hope that means that Ms. Wilkerson is working on another fabulous book. I will be anxious to see what she has in store for us readers next.If you get a chance to read this book, please come to my blog and let me know what your thoughts are.

[readyourwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed by Kimfor Read Your Writes Book ReviewsFor a first time author, I think Vicki did a wonderful job of telling a story. While I won’t say the book grabbed my attention and didn’t let go until the very end, I will say that it kept me wondering what was going to happen. Most of the Bliss books I’ve read have included “behind the door romance”. Meaning the action is alluded to. Bikers and Pearls is what I call a truly sweet romance. The most you are going to get is kissing, which is fine.Bikers and Pearls is a book about first impressions and realizing that impressions can generally be wrong. What you see isn’t really what you get... That sometimes, you have to look within yourself to understand that the problem isn’t with the person in front of you, but with the person you see looking back at you in the mirror.Bull Clayton is a biker through and through. He dresses the part and acts the part. But there’s more to Bull than meets the eye. He is truly a person you can’t judge by outward appearances. Bull has a past. One he isn’t proud of, but has worked very hard to overcome. April Church is a heroine in desperate need of evolving and stepping out of her comfort zone. April desperately wants to be a part of “high society” i.e. the Ladies League, but she doesn’t have the pedigree to get in automatically and has to work for it. Due to a tragic and traumatic event as a child, April likes to live her life in her own comfort zone. She’s the Risk Assessment Manager for a local insurance company and assesses the risk in everything she does. If it’s too risky, she doesn’t do it.These two people from different backgrounds are brought together by one little boy. Together the journey they each set out on will change their perceptions of each other and those around them. Their chance meeting will also be the catalyst for their own self discovery and growth. Their journey is truly an enjoyable read.Rating: 3.5 Star (Liked it. It was enjoyable. You should give it a try for yourself.)Source: Publisher