5 Bikers for Valentines

“We don’t really know,” Tanner said.

“When we all left and ventured out on our own, she sold the house. We assume she’s riding around with her old friends, trying to pick up the pieces of her old life,” Tyler said.

“Have you guys seen her at all?” I asked.

“Not really. We sort of drifted apart,” Tanner said.

“Well, her from us,” Tyler said.

“Stop it. Mom had it hard,” Tanner said.

“But that defense only works so long. She had five boys that depended on her,” Tyler said.

“Okay. I think that’s enough of the family talk,” I said.

“Good, because there’s something we need to give you anyway,” Tyler said.

“You think this is a good time?” Tanner asked.

“Give me what?” I asked.

“Tanner and I own our own bike shop,” Tyler said. “All the brothers sort of set up their own deal, but we went in together.”

I narrowed my eyes, having a feeling where this was going. “We were talking last night, and we kept thinking about your business and the renovations you’ll have to do,” Tyler said.

“And with you wanting to move in so quickly, you need a lot more cash up front, especially if you want to pull inventory from your pocket,” Tanner said.

“Starting a business is tough, and starting a home is tougher. Debt is the worst thing you can have, and you mentioned something about still having it,” Tyler said.

“No, no, no. I’m not taking ten more thousand dollars from you guys,” I said.

“Well, good. Because that’s not what we’re giving you,” Tanner said.

“Good.”

“We’re giving you seventy,” Tyler said.

“What?”

Tyler pulled out a check from his pocket and handed it to me. And sure enough, it was made out to me for seventy fucking thousand dollars. That was two hundred thousand dollars these men had given me for this damn store.

“No,” I said.

“You said that last time,” Tyler said.

“And I mean it. I’m not taking any more money. Look, this is a serious amount of cash.”

“Do you not trust us when we tell you it’s a gift?” Tanner asked.

I looked up into his eyes and sighed as I swallowed hard.

“Everything is always more complicated when money’s in play,” I said.

“I agree. It always is,” Tyler said. “But we want to help you succeed. No one was there to help us, but we at least had each other. You’ve got Lindy, but no one else. And Lindy doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl to have the resources like this to help you.”

“No, she doesn’t,” I said.

“But we do. Look, you all but admitted to us that you cared about us last night. All of us. So, let us show you that we give a damn about you too,” Tanner said.