Declan climbed into the driver’s seat and fired up the truck. I watched him from the shop, my eyes glued to his face until he pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared. It was like Samson didn’t exist once they walked away. I couldn’t look at anything but Declan.

There was something about him that drew me in. His icy blue eyes and sharp features were just the beginning. He was obviously in good shape with muscles that threatened to break free from his shirt, but it was more than that. It was more than just his physique, though that was sexy enough.

I couldn’t help but think that, if I was ready to date someone, it would be someone like Declan. He was exactly the kind of man I imagined myself ending up with. It wasn’t often that I let myself think about the future, especially my romantic future, but Declan was my type in every way.

When they left, I tried my best to shake Declan from my mind, but it didn’t work. I finished up the Suzuki and handed it over to the owner. The guy paid in cash, making both Garret and I happy, and then zipped out of the parking lot. Garret worked on the motorcycle the guy just brought in and after he was gone, I was left with nothing to do but think.

I went to work cleaning the shop while Garret took his lunch break. He left in a hurry, though I didn’t know why. I wondered if he was still upset about Hank. I’d let it go already, but it wasn’t uncommon for Garret to hold a grudge. His protective streak ran long, and it wasn’t easily deterred. He would have done anything for me, which was partly why my father appreciated him so much.

The shop was in perfect condition when Garret got back. I just finished sweeping the floors when he pulled into the parking lot and made a beeline for the office. I frowned after him, still not sure what he was so upset about. I thought about asking him. I even went so far as to put the broom down and started following him into the office, but I thought better of it. Garret would talk to me when he wanted to. It wasn’t my place to push him.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to.

Five minutes later, he walked into the shop with his laptop poised on top of his open palm. His jaw was set, and his forehead furrowed when he came to stand next to me.

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” I asked, laughing lightly.

Garret shot me a look that wiped the smile off my face. It wasn’t often that I saw Garret this angry. His eyes were narrowed, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

“Seriously,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Those guys that were here,” he said. “What do you know about them?”

“Declan and Samson?” I asked. “Nothing really. Just that they wanted to look around the shop. Samson said he’s been here before, but nothing other than that.”

“Did they make you an offer?” he demanded. “Are you selling the shop?”

I blinked and took a step back. Garret kept his eyes locked on mine. I waited for him to laugh or smile or give some indication that he was joking. But, he didn’t. He simply stared at me until I realized he was dead serious.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded. “Garret, how can you even ask me a question like that?”

“I would understand if you were thinking about it,” Garret said. “But, I hoped you would tell me first.”

“I’m not thinking about it,” I said firmly.

“You’re not?” Garret’s face relaxed slightly.

“Of course not!” I threw my hands in the air and shook my head. “Why would you think that?”

“Because Declan and Samson work for Gamble Realty,” Garret said. “They run the damn company.”

“Gamble Realty?” I frowned.

“Have you heard of them?” he asked.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Why? What does it matter where they work?”

Garret sighed and turned the laptop around for me to see. I squinted at the screen, more confused than ever. Garret had his web browser open to the Gamble Realty website. From what I could see at first glance, it was just a typical realty company. Nothing unusual about it.

“I don’t understand,” I said. I looked up at Garret. “What are you showing me?”

“They specialize in buying out businesses,” he said. He shut the laptop and tucked it under his arm. “They wait until the business is about to fold, until the owners are struggling to pay bills, and then they go in and make an offer. They convince the owner to sell, and then they refurbish the building and resell it at a higher cost.”

Understanding dawned on me like a bright light. I felt like I’d been blinded by the sun itself. Suddenly, I knew why Garret had been so upset before. Declan and Samson hadn’t just come by to check out the shop. They were there to scope out the property. They wanted to buy Tanner Bikes.

“Those little bastards,” I said under my breath.

I turned away from Garret and shook my head. My cheeks were hot from anger, and my skin felt like it was vibrating. I wished the Gamble brothers were still around so I could vent some of my rage onto them.

“They’re going to make you an offer,” Garret said firmly. “I promise you, that’s why they were here.”

“I believe you,” I said. “They’ll be wasting their time. I’m not selling, and I’m sure as hell not selling to people like that.”

“Are you sure?” Garret asked.

I wheeled around and glared at him. I was already angry enough. Garret doubting me only made things worse.

“I can’t believe you would even ask me that,” I snapped. “You, of all people, should know how much this shop means to me. The idea that I would sink so low as to sell it—”

“Okay, okay.” Garret held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I just got nervous when they showed up.”

“I don’t blame you.” I sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me who they were when they were here?”

“I thought maybe you called them,” Garret said, letting his eyes fall to the floor. “Which was stupid. I know.”

“Extremely stupid.”

I wasn’t mad at Garret. The shop’s finances were in dire straits. We both knew that. It wasn’t crazy for him to think I might sell. After all, my mother had brought it up a few nights earlier.

“I won’t ever sell,” I said, speaking more to myself than to Garret. “To anyone.”

“Good.” Garret nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Those assholes.” I shook my head. “They didn’t even have the decency to tell me the truth. God, I thought they were interested customers or something. I’m a fucking idiot.”

“No, you’re not.” Garret snapped. “That’s just how people like that do business. They’re ruthless.”

“Dickheads.”

“Exactly.”

I was still fuming when Garret went back inside the office. My head spun as I thought about my encounter with Declan and Samson. I hadn’t even asked why they were there. What was wrong with me? Of course, they weren’t there to check out the shop. They didn’t even have a bike with them.

I felt so stupid for buying into their routine. They probably practiced that a million times before. It was all an act and there I was, falling for all of it. Samson’s sweet, innocent personality. His interest in motorcycles and his anecdote about the new paint color , it was all fake.

And Declan.

When I thought about Declan, my stomach turned over. I thought he was just the strong, silent type, a real man who didn’t need to ramble on about trivial things to feel important. He barely said a word, and I thought it was sexy when really, he was just playing me too.

I spent the rest of the day scolding myself for being so stupid. When Garret and I closed the shop that night, I told myself to let it go. They didn’t matter anymore because I would never have to see Declan or Samson Gamble again. Ever.

* * *

Two days later, I got to the shop early. Too early. The sun hadn’t yet risen, but I was too wired to sleep. I unlocked the office and slipped into the back room. More bills were waiting for me on my dad’s old desk, and I knew I couldn’t ignore them any longer. If the Gamble brothers visit showed me anything, it was that things were way worse than I wanted to believe.

We were on people’s radar. The sharks were circling. It was only a matter of time before they became more aggressive. If it wasn’t Gamble Realty, it would be someone else. They would berate me and harass me until I had no choice but to give in.

I pulled the bills toward me and fired up my computer. As much as I wanted to avoid the monthly budget, I no longer had a choice. I gritted my teeth and got to work. My fingers flew over the calculator as I crunched the numbers over and over again.

No matter how many times I hit the equal sign, the answer was always the same. We just didn’t have the money anymore. Things were going from bad to worse, and I felt powerless to stop it.

I dropped my head into my hands and took a few breaths. There was always one option, but my father had made me swear I would never use it. I sat up and shook my head. My father wasn’t here, and it was the only thing I could do to keep the shop afloat.

Before I could think better of it, I logged into my personal savings account and transferred all the funds to the company account. It wasn’t enough to keep us going forever, but it would buy me some time.

After it was done, I felt sick to my stomach. I was disappointed in myself, and I was angry with the situation.

To take my mind off things, I looked up the Gamble Realty page. I didn’t know why I did it. Something inside of me forced my hand, but soon enough, I was perusing the website and getting angrier by the second.

“They bought out Grace’s,” I said to myself.

There was an entire page on the website devoted to the resale of Grace’s Antiques. I read it through three times, letting my anger build with each sentence. Those jackasses took advantage of Grace, and now, they wanted to do the same thing to me.

Without thinking, I jumped to my feet and stormed out of the back room. Garret was standing behind the front counter. He jumped when he saw me.

“What are you doing here so early?” he asked. “I didn’t see your bike out front.”

“I parked around back,” I said. “I’ll be back later, okay? There’s something I need to do.”

I took a few steps toward the front door, but Garret hurried after me and grabbed my arm. I spun around to face him. I was so angry that it didn’t matter who I argued with, I was just ready for a fight.

“Where are you going?” Garret asked gently.

“To Gamble Realty,” I said.

“Why?” Garret’s eyebrows drew together.

“Because I want to make sure they stay the hell away from my business,” I said. “This shop is mine, and no one is going to take it away from me. I won’t let them do to me what they did to Grace Bowman. I just won’t.”

“Okay, but -”

I didn’t wait for Garret to finish. I spun on my heel and marched out of the shop. My rage fueled me all the way to the Gamble Realty office.