“Have a good day,” I said. “I love you.”

“I love you too!” Mila said.

“Don’t forget your lunch.”

I handed her the lunch box as she hopped out of the truck. She shut the door, and I rolled down the window to watch her walk up the sidewalk. I smiled at the way her backpack hung down too low over her legs. She never looked smaller than when I dropped her off at school.

“If you see Alex today, tell her hi for me!” Mila called out, turning around to wave one last time.

She turned and ran inside. I stared after her, her words still echoing in my ears. She already liked Alex so much.

A short honk shook me back to reality. I waved an apology in my rearview mirror and quickly pulled forward. I left the school parking lot, heading straight to Tanner Bikes. My meeting with Alex was in twenty minutes, and I didn’t feel at all ready.

I’d managed to keep my nerves in check until Mila’s request. She wanted me to say hi to Alex for her. She didn’t even know I would see Alex, and yet, she still wanted me to say hi just in case. I couldn’t believe how quickly Mila had warmed to Alex. In all her life, Mila had never taken to a woman that way before. She was a tomboy, the kind of girl who was more comfortable surrounded by guys than in a nail salon.

I knew why, of course. Growing up with a dad and an uncle as her only role models naturally pushed her toward all things boy. It made sense. And her fascination with Alex also made sense. For the first time, she’d met a woman who was just like her.

Mila was wild and unrefined. Alex, while graceful in her own way, was the same. Neither of them put much stock in their appearances. When Mila looked at Alex, she saw someone like herself, and she was drawn to her because of that.

Still, it scared me more than I wanted to admit.

I pulled into the parking lot at Tanner Bikes to see Alex and Garret both standing in the garage. Another man was there too. He looked to be about Garret’s age. He stood beside a beat-up old Harley. They were all smiling, but Alex’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was worried.

I thought about staying in the truck until the man left, but eventually, I decided not to wait. Alex’s body looked wrong. Her shoulders were tense, and her hands were balled into fists. Her smile was tight on her face, and the green of her eyes was darker than ever.

“Hey, Declan,” Alex called before I reached them. “I’ll meet you inside.”

She nodded toward the shop and gave me a meaningful look. A protective instinct overwhelmed me. It was as if my feet had cemented themselves to the ground. I didn’t want to go inside. I didn’t want to leave Alex alone in that garage.

It didn’t make sense. The sudden surge of protectiveness didn’t match the situation. Alex was just talking to Garret and a customer. Obviously, nothing was wrong, and yet, I couldn’t make myself move.

“I can wait for you,” I said, keeping my tone casual.

“That’s okay,” Alex said firmly. “I’ll meet you inside.”

Garret nodded his head once, and Alex stared at me with a just-do-it expression. I wrenched my feet off the concrete and walked inside. My stomach was churning as I settled into a chair that faced the garage. There was a window that separated the office from the garage, and I stared through it while Alex finished her conversation.

While she talked, her already tight smile slipped off her face. She talked quickly to the customer and then, with a glance at Garret, she hurried toward the office. I jumped to my feet as she stepped inside.

“Sorry about that,” she said quickly. “You ready?”

“Sure,” I said. “But first, is everything okay out there?”

“Oh.” Alex shook her head. “Yeah. That’s nothing. Just an unsatisfied customer.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“He’s been coming here for years,” Alex said. “We always gave him a discount. But, I can’t afford to do that anymore, and he’s pretty angry about it.”

“He doesn’t want to pay full price?” I asked.

“In his defense, he hasn’t paid full price in over twenty years,” Alex said sadly.

“Still,” I said. “He doesn’t need to be a dick about it.”

Alex looked at me with surprise. I started to apologize, thinking I’d insulted her, but she laughed and shook her head.

“It seems like everyone’s being a dick these days,” she said.

“Well, I’ll try my best not to be,” I said.

She smiled and gestured toward the back office. I nodded and followed her back. It was a tiny office, tucked away behind the front counter. There was barely enough space for a desk and two chairs.

Alex slid behind the desk while I sat down in the second chair. When our eyes met, I could tell she was nervous. I hadn’t been very clear with her the night before. When I suggested the meeting, even I didn’t know exactly what kind of help I could offer.

Other than buying her out, which we both knew Alex wouldn’t agree to, my options were limited. I remembered Samson’s suggestion to buy the business but keep Alex on to run it. It seemed like the best option for everyone involved. Samson would love it. Alex would get to stay on. Win-win.

“So,” Alex said. She cleared her throat. “What’s this about?”

“The shop,” I said simply.

“Obviously,” Alex said. “You mentioned wanting to help me. What did you mean by that?”

“Honestly,” I said. “I didn’t know when I offered.”

“Then, why did you ask to meet with me?” Alex frowned.

“Because I knew I wanted to help,” I said. “I just didn’t know exactly how I could.”

“Okay,” Alex said slowly.

She still didn’t understand, and I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t making sense. Everything I said sounded confusing even to my own ears.

I cleared my throat and sat up straighter. It was time to go into business mode. I’d been running Gamble Realty for over five years. I knew how to negotiate. I knew how to behave in a business meeting. All I had to do was separate my emotions and put on my best professional demeanor.

Looking into Alex’s green eyes made it hard, though. All I wanted to do was hand over the money she needed to save her shop. I didn’t want to buy it from her. I didn’t want to own it.

“I thought about this a lot last night,” I said. “And, if you’re still hell-bent on not selling the property to us for us to renovate—”

“Absolutely not,” Alex said, anger flashing in her eyes. “I thought I made myself clear about that.”

“You did,” I said quickly. “I understand completely. But, that doesn’t leave me very many options.”

“You don’t have to help me,” Alex said. “I never asked you for anything.”

“I know that,” I said. “Just hear me out, okay? I’m not here to convince you of anything. I’m just here to make you an offer.”

“No amount of money will—”

“It’s not about the money,” I said.

Alex fell silent. She eyed me suspiciously, but I could see a trace of hope twinkling in her eyes. She wanted to believe I could help her.

“I’m listening,” Alex said.

“Gamble Realty would like to buy Tanner Bikes,” I said. Alex opened her mouth, but I kept going. “Not to resell. But to own.”

“Own?” She frowned. “You want to own a repair shop?”

“Not particularly,” I said. “My brother does. This was actually his idea.”

“Samson?” Alex asked.

I nodded. “He suggested we buy the property and keep it as it is,” I said.

“I would still have to sell,” Alex said.

“Yes.” I nodded again. “But, we would keep you on to run the garage. You would be in charge. Like a manager but more.”

Alex stared at me. She looked more confused than ever. I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t doing a very good job of explaining myself.

“Listen,” I said. “We both know you’re in trouble, all right? If something doesn’t change, you’re going to lose this place anyway. If we buy it, we’ll fix it up. We’ll expand the garage, get some proper signage out on the main road, and amp up the advertisement. Business will pick up in no time.”

“And Gamble Realty will own it,” Alex said with finality.

I could hear the doubt in her voice. She was already saying no, and I hadn’t even finished my sales pitch. I was either losing my touch or Alex was just that stubborn.

“I can’t sell,” Alex said. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but the answer is no.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because,” Alex said. “Handing over my business is just not an option. I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.”

“You would still be in charge.” I reminded her. “We would own it, yes, but the day to day decisions would be yours.”

“That’s not the same thing,” Alex said, shaking her head. “This shop… it’s mine. Even if I ran the garage, there are still a million other decisions you and Samson would make without me. I couldn’t handle that. It would be too hard.”

“You’re going to lose the shop anyway,” I said. “If you don’t figure out a way to pay your bills, the bank is going to seize the property. At least this way, you won’t lose it completely.”

“How do you know that?” Alex asked with narrowed eyes.

“We have people all over town,” I said casually. “It’s our job to know which businesses are in good financial standing and which aren’t.”

“That’s shady as hell,” Alex said.

“I know.” I sighed. “I didn’t say I liked it, but you asked.”

“So, you don’t like your job?” Alex asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but quickly thought better of it. We weren’t there to talk about me or my job. We were there to talk about her and hers.

“Listen,” I said. “I want to help you, and I can’t just hand over a wad of cash. All I can do is buy this place and keep you on to run it. And from where I’m sitting, Alex, that looks like a damn good deal.”

Alex shook her head and looked away. My stomach tightened as I watched her. Her forehead was furrowed, her eyebrows pulled together. Her lips were pressed into a tight line of worry, and her eyes were dark. And still, she was gorgeous.

“I can’t,” Alex finally said. “Thank you for the offer. I appreciate it. But no.”

“Alex…” I began.

“No.” She shook her head. “That’s my answer. Even with the bank hanging over my head, I can’t just hand over my shop. I’m sorry.”

“I understand,” I said, even though I didn’t.

Alex smiled sadly and stood up. The meeting was over. There was no longer a reason for me to hang around, and yet, I didn’t want to leave.

“Thanks for meeting with me,” I said.

“Of course.”

Alex smiled again and walked me out. I waved as I climbed behind the wheel of my truck. Pulling away from the shop took all my strength. I hated how hard this was for Alex. I hated that she wouldn’t let me help her.

The thought of her losing something she loved so much made me miserable. For the first time in over five years, I finally understood how Samson felt about our job. Watching people lose the one thing they’ve spent their entire lives working for, it was horrible.