Chapter 2: The Biker Who Kept His Promise
Emily accepted her diploma with trembling hands.
Principal Henderson smiled at her.
“Congratulations, Emily.””
“Thank you, sir.””
She turned toward the audience.
The Iron Wolves were still standing.
The silver-bearded giant was wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
Jace gave her a thumbs-up.
Emily laughed through her tears.
Then she noticed something strange.
The bikers weren't simply cheering.
They were holding signs.
One read:
*YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.*
Another said:
*THE WORLD IS BETTER BECAUSE YOU'RE IN IT, EMILY.*
A third, written in enormous red letters, read:
*YOUR MOM WOULD BE PROUD.*
Emily stopped breathing.
How did they know about her mother?
She looked at Jace.
His smile softened.
He mouthed two words.
Afterward, sweetheart.
The ceremony ended twenty minutes later.
Students flooded the aisles, hugging parents and posing for photographs.
Emily remained near the stage, clutching her diploma.
She wasn't sure whether she should approach the bikers.
They were strangers, technically.
Strangers who had somehow learned things about her that even some of her teachers didn't know.
Then the silver-bearded man walked toward her.
“Emily Carter?””
She nodded cautiously.
“That's me.””
He extended an enormous hand.
“I'm Hank. Most people call me Bear.””
Emily shook his hand.
His grip was surprisingly gentle.
“Nice to meet you.””
“Nice to meet you too, sweetheart. You did good up there.””
“Thank you.””
Bear looked toward the back.
“Jace! Quit standing around like a statue. The kid's waiting!””
Jace approached, carrying a small cardboard box wrapped in silver paper.
“Hey, Emily.””
She smiled.
“Hi.””
He looked her over.
“That's a nice gown.””
“Thank you.””
“Brooch too.””
Emily touched the silver flower pinned to her collar.
“It belonged to my mom.””
Jace nodded.
“I figured.””
She studied his face.
“How did you find me?””
“Long story.””
“I'm not in a hurry.””
Jace glanced at the other bikers.
“Then we'd better start with lunch.””
Emily blinked.
“Lunch?””
Bear immediately stepped forward.
“Absolutely. We've got enough food outside to feed a football team.””
Emily laughed.
“You brought food?””
“Sandwiches, fried chicken, fruit, cake. We weren't going to show up empty-handed.””
A woman standing behind Bear spoke.
She had short silver hair, glasses, and a leather vest decorated with small embroidered flowers.
“I'm Maggie,” she said.
“I brought homemade cookies. Don't let these men convince you they know anything about cooking.””
Bear put a hand over his heart.
“That's slander.””
“It's experience,” Maggie replied.
For the first time that morning, Emily felt something resembling excitement.
Then she remembered something.
“I don't understand why you're doing all this.””
Jace's expression changed.
He lowered the box slightly.
“Because three months ago, you stopped for a stranger when nobody else would.””
Emily shrugged.
“Anyone would have stopped.””
Jace looked at her for a long moment.
“No, kid. They didn't.””
His voice wasn't angry.
That somehow made the words heavier.
He continued.
“I spent twenty minutes lying beside that road. Cars passed. Trucks passed.
People looked right at me. You were the only one who got out.””
Emily looked down.
“I just didn't want you to die.””
“Exactly.””
Jace held out the box.
“This is for you.””
Emily carefully opened it.
Inside was a framed photograph.
It showed twenty bikers standing beside their motorcycles in front of their clubhouse.
But someone had added a new person to the center.
Emily.
The picture was from the highway incident.
She was wearing her yellow raincoat, kneeling beside Jace with one hand holding the towel against his forehead.
It was clearly a photograph taken by one of the paramedics.
Emily stared.
“Where did you get this?””
“One of the paramedics took it before they loaded me into the ambulance,” Jace explained.
“He sent it to me later.””
Emily traced the edge of the frame.
“Why would you frame this?””
“Because it reminds me that decent people still exist.””
Her eyes filled.
She quickly blinked.
Jace noticed but didn't comment.
Instead, he pulled a folded envelope from his jacket.
“There's something else.””
Emily looked at it.
“What is it?””
“Open it.””
Inside was a handwritten card.
The words were simple.
Emily,
You helped one of us when you had every reason to keep walking. We don't forget that kind of kindness.
You are welcome at our table, on our porch, and in our lives whenever you need a place to belong.
The Iron Wolves.
At the bottom were twenty signatures.
Emily read the card twice.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Bear cleared his throat.
“Don't start making us cry. We've got reputations.””
Maggie elbowed him.
“Speak for yourself. I've been crying since they announced her scholarship.””
Emily laughed.
Then Jace looked at her.
“Can I ask you something?””
“Sure.””
“Did you have anyone here today?””
Emily glanced toward the empty rows.
“No.””
“Anyone coming to celebrate with you afterward?””
She hesitated.
“No.””
Jace nodded slowly.
“Then we're taking you out.””
Emily immediately shook her head.
“I can't. I have to work tonight.””
“Graduation night?”” Maggie asked.
Emily gave a small shrug.
“My manager asked me to cover.””
Bear frowned.
“Doesn't your boss know you graduated?””
“He does.””
“And he still wants you there?””
“He needs someone.””
Jace's jaw tightened.
“Kid, you just earned a full scholarship. You can miss one shift.””
Emily looked uncomfortable.
“I can't afford to lose my job.””
That silenced the group.
Jace studied her face.
He recognized the expression.
It was the look of someone who had learned not to expect help.
“Okay,” he said quietly.
“We won't make decisions for you.””
Emily nodded.
Then he added, “But at least let us buy you dinner.””
She smiled.
“Okay.””
They walked outside together.
The sight of twenty motorcycles parked in a neat row attracted attention immediately.
Several parents stopped taking photographs.
A few students whispered.
Madison Blake stood beside her mother near the entrance.
When she saw Emily walking with the bikers, her eyebrows shot up.
“Emily?””
Emily turned.
Madison looked from Jace to Bear.
“Are these your relatives?””
Emily hesitated.
Jace answered before she could.
“Something like that.””
Madison's mother smiled politely.
“Well, congratulations, Emily. Those are quite some friends you've got.””
“Thank you.””
Madison leaned toward Emily.
“Seriously, where did you find all these guys?””
Emily looked at her.
“On the highway.””
Madison blinked.
“What?””
“It's a long story.””
Bear chuckled.
“Good story, though.””
They continued toward the parking lot.
A few minutes later, Emily sat at a picnic table while Maggie arranged sandwiches, fruit, and cookies.
Bear placed a paper crown on her head.
It said *GRADUATE* in glittering gold letters.
Emily laughed.
“You made this?””
“Craft department,” Bear announced proudly.
“Who made it?””
“Maggie.””
“Bear, stop taking credit for my work,” Maggie said.
Jace sat across from Emily.
He watched her take a bite of a sandwich.
“Good?””
She nodded.
“Really good.””
“Eat as much as you want.””
Emily glanced at the large group.
“Do you always do things like this?””
“Like what?””
“Show up for people.””
Jace leaned back.
“Not always. But we're trying to get better at it.””
He looked toward the motorcycles.
“Most of us have made mistakes. Some big ones. Some of us spent years thinking nobody would ever give us another chance.””
Bear sat beside them.
“Jace was one of those people.””
Jace rolled his eyes.
“Here we go.””
Bear ignored him.
“Before he became president of this club, he was a young man who thought being tough meant never needing anybody.””
“Bear.””
“What? It's true.””
Maggie smiled.
“Then he learned that sometimes the strongest thing you can do is show up for someone else.””
Emily looked at Jace.
He seemed embarrassed.
She smiled.
“I think my mom would have liked you guys.””
Jace's expression softened.
“I wish we'd met her.””
Emily lowered her eyes.
“So do I.””
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Bear reached into his jacket and pulled out a small photograph.
“Actually, Emily, there's something you should know.””
He placed the photograph on the table.
It showed Jace standing outside a hospital, holding his discharge papers.
Beside him was a woman in a nurse's uniform.
Emily recognized the woman immediately.
Her mother.
Her fingers went cold.
“Where did you get that picture?””
Jace looked at Bear.
Then he looked back at Emily.
“There's a reason I wanted to find you.””
He slowly turned the photograph over.
On the back, in faded blue ink, were five handwritten words.
*Rachel Carter saved my brother.*
Emily stared at the handwriting.
May you like
It was her mother's.
And suddenly, the highway accident wasn't the only reason Jace Miller had been searching for her.
