Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 118

CHAPTER 74 1

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CHAPTER 74-1

By the time Monday morning arrived, I was beginning to think Lawson Customs had somehow become impossible to kill.

Every time somebody knocked us down, we got back up. Every time somebody caused damage, people showed up to help fix it. And every time I thought I couldn’t possibly be surprised anymore, this town proved me wrong.

I pulled into the garage parking lot just after sunrise and I immediately noticed something unusual and the lot was already half full.

At first I thought customers had arrived early. Then I recognized several familiar faces. George Miller stood near the front entrance holding a coffee cup.

Mrs. Jenkins from the bakery carried two large boxes. The owner of the hardware store unloaded supplies from the back of his truck and several other local business owners were already gathered near the workshop.

“What is happening?” I asked as Jace climbed off his motorcycle beside me and smiled.

“I think the town beat us to work.” Jace said.

The moment people saw me, they started waving and George walked over first.

“Morning, Paige.” George said and I looked around.

“George, why are there thirty people in my parking lot?” I asked and he laughed.

“Closer to forty.” He said.

“That wasn’t the question.” I said and his grin widened.

“We’re here to help.” He said and my chest tightened immediately.

“You don’t have to do that.” I said.

“We know. That’s why we’re doing it.” Mrs. Jenkins said as she appeared beside me.

I looked around again and people kept arriving. Families. Business owners. Customers and

neighbors. People I barely knew but that I recognized instantly.

All of them were here. For us. For the garage and emotion immediately began building in my chest and Jace noticed.

His hand settled against my lower back and the simple touch grounded me.

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“Take a breath.” Jace said and I laughed softly.

“I’m trying.” I said.

Within minutes the entire property became a hive of activity and the damaged fence was removed.

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The burned debris disappeared while fresh materials arrived. People started measuring, cleaning, organizing and repairing as nobody waited for instructions.

Nobody expected payment. They just simply helped so I stood in the middle of the organized chaos and tried to process what I was seeing.

A few months ago I had felt completely alone but now it seemed like half the county was helping rebuild my business.

Mia walked out carrying a clipboard. Naturally.

She looked at the crowd and immediately entered full management mode.

“Okay.” Mia said and everyone turned toward her.

“If you’re standing around, I’m assigning jobs.” Mia added and several people laughed but Mia

pointed toward different areas.

“You two are helping with fencing, you three are painting and George, stop pretending you’re

retired.” Mia said as George groaned dramatically.

“I knew volunteering was a mistake.” George said and laughter spread across the lot.

For the first time since the fire, I smiled. A real smile. The kind that reached my eyes and Jace

noticed immediately.

“There she is.” Jace said and I looked at him.

“What?” I asked.

“That smile. I’ve been waiting for that.” He said and his fingers brushed mine briefly and my chest

warmed.

Sometimes the smallest comments meant the most.

As the morning continued, the number of volunteers kept growing. Even more surprising, the club children arrived shortly after lunch.

The moment they saw what was happening, they wanted to help.

Unfortunately, very few of them possessed useful construction skills but that did not stop them

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and Emma quickly solved the problem.

An hour later a folding table appeared beneath a canopy. Markers, paint, poster board and

stickers.

Enough art supplies to invade a small country and the children immediately got to work. I wandered over while they painted.

“What are you making?” I asked and a little girl held up a sign proudly.

It read:

WE LOVE LAWSON CUSTOMS

Another child lifted his own.

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