Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 42

CHAPTER 26

Sunday mornings felt different now. Not long ago I used to wake up wondering whether Lawson Customs would survive another month and every unpaid bill waiting downstairs felt like another

weight sitting across my shoulders.

Not I woke up before my alarm simply because my body had grown used to early mornings.

For once, I dind’t mind.

Soft sunlight filtered through the apartment window as I stretched beneath the blankets before

climbing out of bed.

The garage below was closed for the day which meant I could actually enjoy the quiet.

I wandered into the bathroom, took a long shower, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a

loose ponytail before changing into comfortable jeans, a fitted gray t-shirt and an old pair of sand

shoes that had seen far better days.

There wasn’t a single spot of grease on my clothes yet and I considered that a temporary

condition.

Coffee came next. It always did and I stood by the kitchen window with a steaming mug in my

hand, watching the town slowly waking up while birds hopped across the roof of the workshop

below.

Lawson Customs looked peaceful and the freshly pained sign gleamed in the morning light, the

replacement windows sparkled and flowerpots I’d bought the week before I sat neatly beside the

front entrance.

The garage looked loved again and that thought made me smile.

My phone buzzed against the countertop.

Emma: Don’t forget the barbecue starts at noon.

A second message arrived almost immediately.

The kids have already asked whether you’re coming.

I laughed quietly while typing back.

That’s emotional blackmail.

Emma’s reply appeared a few seconds later.

It words though.

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I couldn’t even argue with that and after washing my coffee mug I made a large bowl of pasta

salad using one of Uncle Will’s old recipes before covering it with plastic wrap.

He’s always insisted that every barbecue needed enough food to feed twice as many people as

expected. And apparently that rule still lived in my kitchen.

Just before noon I loaded the salad into my truck and drove toward the Iron Vipers clubhouse.

The gates stood open welcoming members and visitors alike, while motorcycles filled almost

every parking space.

Country music drifted through the warm afternoon air, children laughed somewhere behind the clubhouse and the unmistakable smell of burgers cooking over charcoal reached me before I even

climbed out of the truck.

For a motorcycle club that supposedly terrified half the county, they certainly knew how to throw a family barbecue.

I had barely shut the driver’s door before several excited voice called my name.

“Paige.” They yelled.

Three children came charging across the yard at full speed and the youngst grabbed my hand

before I even had a change to say hello.

“Your here.” One of them said.

“I can see that.” I said.

“We need you.” One said and I raised an eybrow.

“That sounds serious.” I said.

“It is.” She said.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Our team keeps losing.” She said.

I glanced toward the backyard where two groups of children were running between trees carrying nrightly colored ribbons.

“So you’ve decided the solution is recruiting the mechanic.” I said.

“You’re fast.” One said.

“I appreciate the confidence.” I said and the little girl tugged harder on my hand.

“Come on.” She said.

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I looked toward Emma, hoping for rescue but she stood behind the barbecue turning burgers with

a spatula before offering me an apologetic smile.

“think your outnumbered.” She said.

“I’ve noticed.” I said.

Hunter walked past carrying a cooler cull of drinks.

“You’ve got no chance.” Hunter said.

“I was hoping someone would negotiate my release.” I said and he shook his head.

“Sorry. The tiny humans are in charge today.” Hunter said and I sighed dramatically.

“I knew this was a trap.” I aid.

The children burst into laughter before dragging me toward the backyard.

The next half hour disappeared in completely chaos and apparently I had been assigned to a game

of capture the flag despite having absolutely no idea what the current rules were.

Every child seemed convinced they were different from the rules explained five minutes earlier.

“You can’t go behind that tree.” A girl said.

“Why not?” A boy asked.

“Because that’s the invisible river.” She yelled.

I looked at the perfectly dry grass beneath my feet.

“I completely missed the flood.” I said.

“You have to jump over it.” She said.

“I’ll do my best.” I said and a little boy folded his arms.

“You jumped in the river.” A boy said.

“I think I stepped on a leaf.”

“The leaf was floating.” A boy said and I laughed so hard I had to stop walking.

“My defense lawyer is going to have a terrible day.” I said.

The children ignored my protest and immediately sentenced me to spending thirty seconds inside what they called the volcano.

The volcano turned out to be a picnic table and I decided not to ask questions.

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