“No, I’m going to make this painless.” Rider slid the bills to the side, then tore off the yellow paper until he came to a clean page. Picking up the bills, he folded the sheath of papers and bills together, placing them in his jacket pocket that was hanging off the back of his chair. “You now have a clean slate.”

Rider rose, getting Jo another glass of juice, then setting a prescription bottle down by it. “Take one. It’s an iron supplement.”

Jo took the pill, staring down at her juice. “I can’t accept your help. I called Drake after I received the letter. He’s having an appraisal done on the garage and most of my land. I should be able to make enough to at least keep the house.”

“What the appraisal showed was that you would be lucky to pay off half of what you owe.”

“How would you …? Drake told you?”

“That would be unethical, wouldn’t it?”

He didn’t deny nor admit it, but she must have figured it out when her head fell to the table.

“Lord, kill me.”

Rider couldn’t help laughing. “You’ve been spending time with Mag.”

Jo lifted her head to glare at him, which had him laughing harder.

“You don’t like her, do you?” she accused.

Rider reached out to remove a stray noodle that was stamped to her forehead, using the opportunity to see if she was running a fever. He was barely able to snatch his hand back before she tried to swat it away.

“I can’t stand the bitch,” he admitted.

“That’s just mean.”

“I can be mean when I have to be.” He shrugged, picking up his coffee cup. “In this case, I think everyone in town would agree with me.”

“Everyone in town loves Mag.”

“Name one.” When he saw she was going to name several, he cut her off. “Name one who isn’t related to her.”

Her mouth snapped shut, then opened. “Me. I love Mag, and I’m not related to her.”

“Name one besides you.”

When she didn’t immediately, he couldn’t help but smirk at her.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“I’m thinking,” she bit out, then snapped her fingers under his nose. “Mick loves her.”

“You think so? Let’s ask him.” Rider took out his cell phone, pressing Mick’s number.

“You’re not seriously calling him.”

His answer was another smirk as Mick answered.

Rider put it on speaker phone. “Mick? I have a quick question. Do you love Mag?”

“You high, Rider?”

“No, I’m not high. I’m not drunk either. I’m with Jo. I told her that I don’t like Mag, and I told her that no one in town loves that old bitch, other than those related to her. Well, except Jo. She said you do. I disagree with her. So, do you love Mag?”

The static crackled across the line as Mick hesitated. “I like Mag, but I wouldn’t go so far as saying I love the woman.”

Rider jerked the phone out of Jo’s reach when she tried to take it from him.

“Calm down, Jo. Me and Mick are just kidding around. Mick, you want to help Jo out? Can you think of anyone in town who loves Mag?”

“Do they have to be breathing?”

“Mick!” Jo yelled over Rider and Mick’s laughter.

“Jo, are you really there with Rider?”

“Yes!”

Rider couldn’t resist grabbing the tail end of the blanket she had wrapped around her when she got up to go toward the coffee pot. Tugging it, he made her sit back down.

“I was just joking. Me and Rider cut up all the time,” Mick tried to explain through a coughing fit. “I need to go and take my medicine …”

“Traitor!” Jo then, as if unable to help herself, asked, “Are you doing okay?”

“I will be with Beth and Razer looking after me. Greer brought me some of his cough syrup, so I’ll be back at work tomorrow night.”

“You’re actually taking it?”

“It knocks that flu right out of you. He makes a batch every winter. He uses horehound candy, rock candy, and 100% Kentucky Bourbon. I don’t have much left, but I can call Greer and get him to bring you some.”

“When did Greer give it to you?”

Rider’s shoulders started shaking when he saw Jo looking at the large bottle he had sent her.

“About an hour ago …”

“Mick, you’re only supposed to take a sip every four hours.”

“You have some? If you have any left, can I have it? You know, just in case I’m not feeling better by tomorrow. The first bottle is free. The son of a bitch charges thirty dollars after that, and it’s half the size of the free one.”

Jo shrugged the blanket off her shoulders and started rubbing her face. She was getting upset, so Rider decided to put her out of her misery and end the call.

“Thanks for your help, Mick. I’ll have Train bring over what Jo has left.” He disconnected the call to see Jo staring at him angrily.

“That stuff is going down the drain.”

At first, Rider thought she was laughing. When he saw tears sliding out of the corners of her eyes, he realized she wasn’t. When she saw that he could see her tears, she couldn’t hold her sniffles back.

“I feel like crap!” she wailed, reaching for the discarded blanket to hide her face again. It was either that or she was trying to use it as a tissue.

Rider immediately stood. Bending down, he lifted her into his arms, and her head fell to his chest as she cried a storm of tears that he would never have imagined her capable of.

“I hate being sick.”

“I know, baby. It’s the flu, and you’re not going to bounce right back.”

Rider tucked her back into bed, giving her the medicine the doctor had given her to relieve her fever. Sitting on the side of the bed, he then handed her several tissues and waited until she had her tears back under control. He didn’t have to check to see if her fever was spiking again. Her flushed face showed that it was.

The blue smudges under her eyes told him how sick Jo was. She had been working herself to exhaustion for so long that the flu had been able to strike with a vengeance. It was going to take a good deal of care to see her restored to full health.

“Can I get you something, except for coffee?”

“Can I have another glass of juice?”

“I’ll be right back.”

At her nod, he left her to make a glass of cranberry juice. She had finished the last of the orange juice. He would text Train and have him run to the store before bringing the truck back.

When he returned to the bedroom, he found Jo sleeping. Setting the juice down on the bedside table, he left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

He used the time she was sleeping to make a grocery and pharmacy list for Train. When he was done, he called Viper.

“How’s it going?” Rider asked without preamble as soon as his president answered.

“Moon and Diablo installed cameras on Aly’s property.”

“How is she?”

“Mad. She lied and said Jo made it all up when Shade and I confronted her. Then, when I told her Jo wasn’t the one to tell us, she blamed Ember and Stori. Said they were the ones who gave her the idea.”

“That bitch is a piece of work. I can see how she and Georgia were friends. She going to do what we tell her?”

“Yes. She may be a cold-hearted bitch, but she loved her parents and wants to find out the truth—if they were murdered or not.”

“Shade figure out why Curt wants that property?”

“Not yet. He gave that job to Greer. Shade has his hands full with the baby. John and Lily both have the flu.”

“Shade is taking care of the baby all by himself?”

“Yes. Most of the clubhouse is down with it, too. You, Moon, Train, Gavin, and I are the only ones who have escaped it so far.”

“Take plenty of videos of Shade waiting on everyone—”

“No, I like my new phone. Besides, Shade’s not letting anyone inside his house.”

“When did you get a new phone?”

“When Shade broke my last one after I videotaped him watching Dirty Harry with the baby while Lily was at church with John. I was stupid enough to say I was going to show her.”

“That wasn’t bright. Even I wouldn’t have been dumb enough to do that,” Rider gloated before realizing Viper had hung up.

He made sure to delete his own video of Shade mimicking Clint Eastwood with a cigar in his mouth. He had filmed it when Shade had come back to get Lily and the baby some clothes after Clint had been born. The brothers had all shared cigars together before Shade had gone back to the hospital. He hated to lose the video, but he loved his phone more.

Looking at his watch, he hurried back to Jo’s bedroom door, opening it slowly to make sure she was still sleeping. Then he closed it when he saw she was.

Going to the old refrigerator, he held his nose as he removed the only thing inside—the bottle of cranberry juice—setting it on the counter.

Heaving the refrigerator to the side, he then unplugged it before scooting it away from the wall. He had just finished when he heard a truck outside.

Opening the door before the delivery driver could knock, he signed his name on the electronic pad. Rider then stood on the porch as two men unloaded the new fridge he had ordered over the phone.

He had to go inside to grab his jacket when the wheel of the dolly went through one of the rotted boards of the steps. It took all three men to get it on the porch. Then Rider prayed the entire time they brought it inside that it wouldn’t sink through the sagging floors.

The delivery drivers were leaving with a generous tip when another truck pulled in next to the appliance truck.

The electrician got out of his van, going to the side to open the sliding door and coming out with a toolbox.

Rider took him inside to show him the fuse box.

“You don’t need an electrician. You need a match and a good insurance policy.”

“My old lady is attached to this house.”

“I’d get a new woman. You can have mine. My alimony payments are killing me.”

“Can you fix it or not?” Rider was getting worried that Jo would wake up and see what was going on behind her back.

The beady-eyed electrician looked like a shark that could smell blood in water. “How much are you willing to pay?”

“You related to Greer Porter?”

“No, but I know him. We share a beer every now and then.”

“We’re friends. He told me you’d give me a good deal.”

“You’re lying. Greer doesn’t have any friends.”

Rider could see the price going up every time he opened his mouth. Wisely, he knew when he was beaten. “Just fix it.”

“You got cash? I don’t take checks.”

“You take credit cards?” Rider had to bite his tongue. The electrician might not be related to Greer by blood, but they certainly were by greed.

The electrician set the toolbox down. “With my alimony payments? Believe it.”

He was congratulating himself for his iron control when he heard Jo call out from the bedroom.

Rushing to it, he opened the door to see Jo getting out of bed.

“You shouldn’t get out of bed!”

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

Rider took her arm, letting her lean on him as they walked out to the bathroom. He tried to stop her from seeing the man who was in the small closet, working on the fuse box, but Jo was sick, not blind.

She came to a stop. “Who’s he?”

“The electrician.”

“I thought you said you fixed the fuse?”

“I wanted to get a professional’s opinion.”

“I can’t pay for an electrician. Do you know how much they cost?”

As Jo’s voice rose, the electrician’s beady eyes met his.

“You paying or not?”

“I am.” Rider sent him a warning glance.

The electrician nodded, going back to work.

Rider heard Jo cursing under her breath as she went to the bathroom. He leaned back against the wall outside, waiting for her to come out. When the sound of water came through the thin walls, he took the opportunity to go back to the closet and warn the electrician to keep his mouth shut about money.

“It was supposed to be a surprise. When you’re done, I’ll go outside and pay you.”

“She didn’t look happy at her surprise. She looked like my ex, which is why I dumped her ass. We must have the same taste in women.”

“You and I are completely different.” Rider was so frustrated by the electrician that he was tempted to shove the expensive toolbox up his ass.

“You can say that again,” he mumbled into the breaker box as if it would agree with him.

Fed up, Rider was close to throwing out the electrician and calling the number that had promised emergency and prompt service. One that didn’t remind him of Greer with every word coming out of his snarky mouth.

The sound of water being turned off had him returning to his position by the bathroom door.

“Better?” he asked solicitously.

Her hair was damp under the towel she had wound around her head. The sight of the gray pajama top peeking out of the neckline of her robe showed she had also changed her night clothes.

“I need another glass of juice.”

“Go back to bed. I’ll get it.”

Not listening, she moved toward the living room.

Groaning inwardly, he tried to redirect her back to her room. Other than picking her up and carrying her there himself, he was left with no choice but to follow her.

“What is that?”

“What?”

Her widened eyes narrowed angrily at him as he went around her to take the juice out of the fridge.

“Where did it come from?”

“I bought it.” Pouring her a glass of juice, he then nodded in the direction of her room. “Go ahead. I’ll bring it.”

“I can carry a damn glass of juice myself,” Jo snarled. “What was wrong with the other fridge if you fixed it?”

“It had an odor.”

“Then don’t open the darn thing.” Jo pointed at the new refrigerator. “It’s going back.”

“No, it’s not. I paid for …”

She became so furious he could see her visibly shaking.

“I don’t need you to come here and fix things! I don’t need you to pay my bills!” Jo jabbed a finger to her chest. “Me, not you.”

Rider saw the hurt pride in her flushed face. “I agree. That’s why I’m keeping a tab on what you owe.”

“Huh?” Jo’s jaw went slack at his words.

“The money you owe Aly, your bills, the electrician, the fridge—all of it will be added to the loan The Last Riders are giving you.”

“The Last Riders are loaning me the money? I thought you said The Last Riders wouldn’t have lent me the money for the tow truck if they had known how deep in debt I was? The money I owe Aly is nearly twice that amount, and that doesn’t include my other bills.”

“That was when you had no way of generating a new income. The Last Riders are willing to lease your garage. We need to expand the factory. Rachel’s work with hydroponics needs more room at the factory than we’re able to give her. It requires her to be close to monitor the plants and equipment. We can’t give her that room now. But if we use your garage to house our vehicles and bikes, we could use that portion of the factory for her.

“You and Shade can hammer out a deal that will benefit both you and The Last Riders. Of course, we will take out the money we’re going to lend you out of whatever deal you agree on.”

Expressionless, he waited for her reaction. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she considered the offer.

“Not only would we rent the garage, but Train and I were talking about how convenient it would be to hire your services exclusively for The Last Riders.”

“Doing what?”

Rider carried the juice to the coffee table, not answering her question until she sat down on the couch. Going to the bedroom, he then grabbed a blanket before going back to the living room and laying it across her lap.

“Basically, doing the same thing you’re doing now, except being paid for it. Plowing the clubhouse and factory’s parking lot, Rachel and Cash’s driveway, the church’s, and Dr. Price and Dr. Matthew’s. You wouldn’t have to answer calls at all hours of the day and night. You could work normal hours.”

“Winter only lasts a few months; what am I supposed to do the other months of the year?”

Rider sat down on the coffee table and stared at her before saying, “I know, Jo.”

A puzzled frown crinkled her forehead. “Know what?”

He waited in silence for her to figure out what he was talking about. When she still looked confused, he prompted, “I know what’s in the garage.”

Jo looked down at the blanket in dismay. “You know?”

Rider could barely hear her whisper.

“How?”

If he wanted honesty from Jo, he was going to have to give her the same in return, or partly.

“Before offering you the loan, I thought I should check the garage out to make sure it would work with us housing our vehicles there. When you were sleeping, I took your keys and went inside. You have a cool setup there. It has plenty of room.”

“You saw your car, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I can’t lie and say I wasn’t surprised.” The lie rolled off his tongue so expertly she didn’t blink. That was always a good sign. Going slow, he lured her to the path he wanted her to go. “Does Carl use your garage to work on cars?” He knew damn well who was working in that garage, and it wasn’t Carl. He was testing her to see if she would tell the truth while withholding it himself.

“No, I do. I was going to tell you when I felt better.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when we were sitting at the table?”

“I was too embarrassed about talking about my involvement in Aly’s plan … and showing the number of bills I have to confess to that, too. I’m sorry.”

Rider looked away from her bluebonnet eyes and her mortified expression, steeling himself to get the rest out of her.

“You’ve been rebuilding my car?”

“Yes, and I did Killyama’s, too.”

“Who owns that sweet ride I saw in there?”

“I do.”

“You rebuilt that one, too?”

“Yes.” She brought her hand out from under the blanket, waving it toward the junkyard outside. “It’s not like I don’t have a yard full of spare parts.”

“I saw the setup for where you can even paint cars. That must have cost a pretty penny.”

“It did. I was hoping if I got the contract with the state vehicles, I could charge for repairs if any of the cars were in wrecks.”

“Why didn’t you just open a business working on cars?”

“How many men do you think would hire me to work on their cars in town?”

“I know several, in fact. Do you know how to work on motorcycles?”

“Yes. I may not know how to fix a fuse box, but I can do anything mechanical.”

“Train and I both hate working on our machines. We’d be glad to hand that job over to you. I have two bikes I’ve been wanting restored. Moon has one, and so does Cash. He wants the bike he crashed restored. It was his favorite ride.”

“They’d let me do it?”

“Without a doubt. That would give you something to do when it’s not snowing. You’ll even be able to use the tow truck to bring the bikes down from our Ohio chapter and bring them back afterward. You could do something you enjoy instead of sleeping with one eye open, waiting for Knox to call.”

“I could do both. That way, I could pay the loan back faster—”

“Whoa … That’s not up for debate. You either work exclusively for The Last Riders, or it’s no deal. You’re so exhausted Dr. Price doesn’t want you to go back to work for a while. You can’t burn the candle at both ends. It’s slowly killing you.”

“It’s just the flu. I’ll—”

“Either/or, Jo.”

“Who will do it if I don’t?”

“You’ll be forcing the council to hire someone else who can help out. You’ll also be giving someone else the chance to open their own tow truck business. Let them be the one having to sleep in a truck and respond to fatalities. Don’t you want a normal life?”

“To me, it’s normal.”

“Give it a chance. What have you got to lose? You may find out you love working in your own garage without the long hours. You would be creating a normal for yourself.” He paused. “Sometimes you have to step away from one life to discover a better one.”

Jo sighed. “What I’m doing now isn’t working, so I’m going to give it a chance. If Shade and I can come to a deal, then I’ll do it.”

Rider hit the palm of his hand against his thigh. “Good girl. Now, get back to bed.”

She stubbornly didn’t move. “Are you going to be one of my bosses?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m already getting tired of you bossing me around.”

“I won’t be your boss, but you’re going to wish I were,” he taunted. “You’re going have the same one I have … Viper.”

“He can’t be any worse than you.”

“I’ll remind you of that when you start working for us. Now, if I ask nicely, will you go back to bed?”

“Why? Is someone else going to show up to fix something while I’m sleeping?”

Rider smiled. Standing, he reached out to help her up. “No, I just want you to get better so you can take me out for a drive in your car.”