Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 115

CHAPTER 72-1

The day started like every other day at Lawson Customs, but it ended in a way I never saw coming.

I was bent over the workbench finishing paperwork when Jace walked into the office carrying two

cups of coffee.

“You’re done.” He said and I looked up.

“No, I’m not.” I said.

“Yes, you are.” He said and I glanced at the stack of paperwork.

“Jace, I still have invoices.” I said.

“You’ll finish them tomorrow.” He said.

“I have schedules to update.” I said.

“Tomorrow.” He said.

“I have parts orders.” I said.

“Tomorrow.” He said and I narrowed my eyes.

“Why do I feel like you’re not giving me a choice?” I asked and his grin widened.

“Because I’m not.” He said and Mia appeared in the doorway.

“Please go.” Mia said and I looked at her.

“Traitor.” I said.

“Absolutely.” She said as Ben pointed toward the exit.

“We can survive one afternoon without you.” Ben said.

“I sign your paychecks.” I said.

“You sign them tomorrow.” He said.

Everyone had apparently decided to gang up on me so I crossed my arms.

“What’s happening?” I asked and Jace held out his hand.

“Date night.” He said.

“A real one?” I asked.

“A real one.” He said.

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The smile that spread across my face happened before I could stop it.

An hour later I was showered, dressed and standing outside the garage while Jace waited beside his motorcycle.

For once neither of us was rushing anywhere. For once nobody needed help. For once there wasn’t

a crisis waiting around the corner and the ride out of town felt peaceful.

The evening air was warm and the setting sun painted the sky in shades of gold and orange as we followed the winding roads toward the lake.

When we finally arrived, I found myself staring at a small restaurant sitting near the water.

String lights glowed above the outdoor patio. Soft music drifted through the air. The entire place

looked comfortable and welcoming.

“You found this?” I asked and Jace nodded.

“A few weeks ago.” He said.

“You’ve been planning this?” I asked.

“Maybe.” He said and I laughed.

“You romantic idiot.” I said and his hand settled against my lower back.

“Come on.” He said.

The restaurant overlooked the lake and our table sat near the water’s edge. The view was

beautiful and the company was better.

For the first half hour we talked about everything except problems. No Black Reapers. No

Charlotte. No family drama and no business disasters. Just us.

I couldn’t remember the last time life had felt this normal.

At one point Jace reached across the table and took my hand.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked and I smiled.

“How weird this feels.” I said and his eyebrow lifted.

“A date feels weird?” He asked.

“A peaceful date feels weird.” I said and he laughed.

“Fair point.” He said.

The waitress brought our meals and we continued talking while the sky slowly darkened above the

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MPTER 12 1

lake.

Eventually the conversation shifted toward the future. The topic surprised me.

Maybe because I had spent so many years focused on surviving that I hadn’t thought much about what came after.

“What do you want?” Jace asked quietly and I looked at him.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Five years from now.” He said and I thought about it and then I looked toward the lake.

“I want Lawson Customs to grow.” I said and his expression softened.

“Yeah?” He asked and I nodded.

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