Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 97

Summary for Chapter 97: Ride With Me (Paige and Jace)

Ride With Me novel Paige and Jace by Kylie K Chapter 97

CHAPTER 61

CHAPTER 61

hought I understood what family meant. I thought it meant sharing a last name. I thought it meant birthdays, holidays and old photographs sitting in dusty boxes and most of all I thought it

meant people who were supposed to protect you simply because they were connected to you.

Over the years, I learned that wasn’t always true. Sometimes family was the person who stayed when things became difficult.

Sometimes family was the person who showed up before you even asked. And sometimes family

arrived carrying paint brushes, coffee and enough food to feed an entire army.

By Saturday morning, Lawson Customs looked less like a damaged workshop and more like a

construction zone.

The broken front windows had already been replaced temporarily, the damaged motorcycles had

been moved into safe areas and every member of the Iron Vipers had turned the garage into a full

repair operation.

I stood near the entrance holding a clipboard while watching Hunter attempt to paint a wall

without getting paint anywhere except the wall.

He failed. Badly.

“Hunter.” I said and he looked over his shoulder.

“Yes?” He asked.

“How did you get paint on your boots?” I asked so he glanced down.

“I honestly don’t know.” He said and Ben walked past carrying supplies.

“You stepped in the paint tray.” Ben said and Hunter looked offended.

“I did not.” Hunter said.

“You literally did.” Ben said.

“I was testing the paint.” Hunter said and I laughed before I could stop myself which surprised me.

After everything that had happened, I expected to feel angry. I expected the broken windows and

Black Reaper symbol to stay in my mind.

Instead, all I could see were people rebuilding. Not just the garage. Me.

Emma and the other wives arrived around midmorning carrying containers of food, drinks and enough baked goods that nobody would need to cook for a week.

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“You didn’t have to do this.” I told Emma as she placed another tray on the table and she looked at

me like I had said something ridiculous.

“Yes, we did.” She said.

“I could have ordered food.” I said.

“That isn’t the point. People showed up for you. So we show up for you.” She said as she pointed

toward the workshop.

I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew I would lose. The children arrived shortly afterward and

within minutes the back area became filled with laughter.

They were given very important jobs. Very important jobs apparently included sweeping areas that had already been swept and painting small sections of the fence under careful supervision.

Diesel immediately became the official supervisor. He followed the children around with complete seriousness, occasionally checking their work before sitting beside them.

“He thinks he’s in charge.” Mia said as I looked at the German Shepherd lying proudly beside a pile

of brushes.

“He definitely thinks he’s in charge.” I said.

“He takes after Jace.” Mia said and I laughed.

“I am not telling him you said that.” I said.

“You don’t have to.” Jace said as he walked past carrying a piece of timber.

“He already knows.” Mia said.

The entire day moved like that. Someone repaired, someone cleaned, someone cooked and

someone laughed.

Every time I thanked somebody, they reacted as though I had said something strange.

By late afternoon I had thanked Emma at least five times, thanked Hunter for carrying supplies,

thanked Ben for organizing tools and thanked Mason for coordinating everything.

Eventually Mason caught me near the back entrance,

“Paige.” Mason said and I turned.

“Yes?” I asked and he smiled slightly.

“How many times are you planning on thanking everyone?” He asked and I looked away.

“I don’t know. Probably a lot.” I said.

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“I figured.” He said and I smiled awkwardly.

“Ljust don’t know what else to say.” I said and Mason leaned against the doorway.

“You don’t have to say anything.” He said.

“I do.” I said.

“No. Families help each other because that’s what families do.” He said.

He looked toward the yard where everyone was gathered.

The words hit harder than I expected and I looked across the property.

At Emma laughing with the other women, the children chasing Diesel and at Jace standing near the workshop with his hands covered in dust and grease because he refused to let anyone else do

more work than him.

“I didn’t really have this before.” I said and Mason’s expression softened.

“I know.” He said.

“I spent a long time thinking I had to handle everything myself.” I said.

“You did handle everything yourself. But you don’t have to anymore.” He said and I looked at him.

I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the damaged window frame. I hated crying, especially in front of people. But these weren’t people I needed to impress.

They were people who already accepted me and a few minutes later I stepped behind the garage

to get a moment alone.

The fresh air helped. The quiet helped until Jace appeared beside me.

“You okay?” He asked and I nodded.

“Yeah.” I said.

So he waited and I sighed.

“Okay, maybe not completely.” I admitted and a small smile appeared on his face.

“I figured.” He said.

“I just…I never expected this.” I said as I looked back toward the workshop and he stepped closer.

“What?” He asked.

“People caring.” I said and his expression changed immediately.

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CHAPTER 61

“Paige.” He said.

“know it sounds stupid.” I said.

“It doesn’t.” He said.

“I spent so long believing I only had myself.” I said as Jace reached for

“You still have yourself.” He said.

“I know.” I said.

my

hand.

“But now you have us too.” He said and that was when the tears finally escaped.

Clang

Not because I was sad but because for once, I wasn’t. Jace pulled me into his arms before anyone

else could see.

I rested my head against his chest while his arms wrapped around me, steady and warm.

“We’re not going anywhere.” He whispered and I closed my eyes.

“I believe you.” I said.

For several minutes we stayed there quietly until the sounds of laughter from the yard pulled us back. When we returned, nobody mentioned my emotional moment.

Nobody teased me. They simply made room for me again and as the sun began setting, Lawson

Customs looked different.

The damage wasn’t completely gone but the scars were still visible and somehow they didn’t feel like reminders of what had been taken.

They felt like proof of what had been protected and the final cleanup was almost finished when the sound of an unfamiliar motorcycle engine rolled into the parking lot.