Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 346

CHAPTER 191-1

Paige’s POV

By eight that morning, Lawson Customs was already alive with the sounds of engines, tools, and Ben arguing with Aiden about where a missing socket had disappeared.

I stood behind the counter with my coffee, watching them work, and i could not help smiling because something about Ben seemed different.

He wasn’t the nervous apprentice who had walked through our doors months ago, and he no longer waited for someone to tell him what needed doing. He knew the workshop, understood the work, and trusted himself.

Mia stepped beside me and followed my gaze.

“You are looking at him like a proud mother.” She said.

“I am not that old. They’re actually older than me.” I said.

“I didn’t say you were old, but you’re definitely proud.” She said.

“I am proud. He has worked hard for this.” I admitted, because there was no reason to deny it and Mia nodded toward the workshop.

“He has earned it.” She said.

She was right, because Ben had spent months learning everything we could teach him, and he never complained when a repair took longer than expected/or when he had to redo something because he had made a mistake.

Instead, he listened, learned, and tried again.

That was exactly what Uncle Will had always valued in a mechanic.

He used to tell me that being good with engines was only part of the job, because a great mechanic needed patience, honesty, and enough pride to admit when something had gone wrong.

I glanced toward Uncle Will’s old office, and I could almost imagine him standing there with his arms crossed while pretending he wasn’t impressed.

The thought made me smile again.

“Paige.” Mia said.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“You should probably tell him.” She said.

“Tell him what?” I asked.

Ben had walked over, wiping his hands on a rag, and his suspicious expression made Mia laugh.

“Nothing.” She said as Ben looked between us.

(CHAPTER 10+

That usually means something.” Berrsaid.

set my coffee down and reached for the folder beneath the counter.

“Come with me.” I said as his eyebrows lifted, but he followed.

Aiden noticed what was happening, and Mia stepped away from the counter while several employees gathered around the workshop.

Ben stopped when he realized everyone was watching.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” Ben asked.

“Because you’re apparently incapable of recognizing a celebration.” Aiden said as Ben looked at me.

“What is going on?” Ben asked as I held out the folder.

“You completed your apprenticeship.” I said as his eyes dropped to the paperwork.

“I passed?” He asked.

“You passed every requirement, completed your assessments, and proved you can handle the work without someone standing over you.” I said.

His expression changed as the meaning sank in.

“You’re officially a qualified mechanic.” I said.

The workshop erupted into cheers, and Ben stared at me as though I had just told him something impossible.

“Seriously?” He asked.

“Seriously.” I said as Aiden clapped him on the shoulder.

“You earned it.” Aiden said.

Mia hugged him, and Ben laughed while shaking his head.

“I can’t believe it.” Ben said.

“You should believe it. You worked for it.” I told him.

He looked down at the folder again, and his expression became emotional.

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