Joker stared.

Then he grinned. “Fuckin’ awesome.”

“Yes, Joke,” she said softly, watching him intently. “They said they want to interview the brothers who do the builds but with a focus on the brothers who do the designs. They sent me pictures of the builds they want to feature and asked for the brothers who designed those builds specifically. I just got their email.” She reached a hand to her computer. “And these are the builds they want to feature.”

She pushed her monitor around and he looked down at it. There was an email open with pictures on it. She put her hand to her mouse and scrolled down.

There were six builds. They were all his.

“In other words, Joke”—she said as he watched the images scroll—“they want you.”

He looked back to her.

“They’re sending Henry Gagnon,” she kept going. “And before you ask, he’s the freaking best photographer out there. He does celebrities. He does models. He goes to war-torn nations and he does that. He does everything. He had an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, and I dragged Tack to it and even Tack said the guy was the shit. Because he just is. And they want him taking pictures of your builds, you building them, and you.”

“If you’re askin’, tell ’em yes. It’ll be good for Ride,” Joker said to her. “But there’s more than just me to any build, Cherry. They come, they focus on all we do here.”

Her head tipped to the side, “I don’t think you—”

She didn’t finish because the door to the front opened and they both looked that way to watch Tack walk through.

He smiled at his old lady but then he looked to Joker and came direct to him.

Joker knew by the expression on Tack’s face and what came next that Cherry had called her husband with this news.

And what came next was that Tack walked right to him, lifted his hand, gripped Joker at the back of the neck, and yanked him forward.

At this, Joker went still.

He’d seen Tack do that to Rush, back in the day when Rush was a kid and Joker had stood at the fence watching, and he did it still.

He’d also seen Tack give to Rush what he did next.

Tack yanked him forward and their chests collided, Tack’s hand tightened rough on Joker’s neck as he wound his arm around and pounded Joker on his back, doing it hard.

But it felt good.

Then Tack fisted his hand in the back of his shirt and held him there as he said low and gravelly in his ear, “I knew it, brothers knew it. We wanted you with us because we wanted you with us. But Hop and Boz said straight out, you had the talent to take Ride to the next level. You did, and you didn’t fuck around doin’ that.” He pulled back but didn’t let go as he looked Joker in the eyes. “This is good seein’ as my woman’s baby crazy, and I reckon by the time we’re done I’ll be forkin’ out about twelve college tuitions.” He grinned big. “And you’re gonna make it so I can afford that.”

Joker could say nothing. Taking in the look on Tack’s face, gratification, pride, respect, feeling all Tack just gave him, his mind couldn’t bring up words.

Luckily, at this juncture, Cherry butted in.

“After Cut turned up the oven when I was cooking brownies and incinerated them and the pan they were in, I’ve decided I don’t want another child, because I may not cook often but my husband’s good at it and I like shoes, not to have to buy new kitchen items every other week. In other words, since we have our hands full, I’m pushing Shy to get his shit together so he and Tab can essentially give me a baby by having their own. That way, their kid can incinerate brownies and I get to laugh but my pans are safe.”

Tack let Joker go to turn to his wife and the look he’d been giving Joker was gone.

Completely.

Now he looked sick.

“Do not say that shit to me again,” he ordered.

“What shit?” Cherry asked, looking confused.

“Talkin’ to me about my baby girl pushin’ out a kid.”

“Tack, she’s gonna do it,” Cherry pointed out.

“Yeah, she is, and I’ll have to deal with it when she does. But I do not fuckin’ gotta talk about it before it happens,” Tack growled.

Cherry smiled huge at him.

Tack turned his pissed off mug Joker’s way and said tersely, “Proud a’ you, brother. This is gonna be huge for Ride. We had attention, not on this scale. You got us that with your talent. We knew it the minute we saw your drawings that you had it in you to make them real. Your builds are outstanding, Joke, and I’m fuckin’ thrilled they’re gonna get the attention they deserve.”

After that, with a scowl at his woman, he turned and stormed out of the office.

Joker stood unmoving, staring at the door.

“They are,” Cherry said quietly, and Joker forced his eyes to her. “They are and you are.” She went on. “I’ve seen a lot of cars and bikes come out of this garage, Joker, and they’ve always been spectacular. But your stuff is beyond the beyond.”

He didn’t know what to do with that or all it made him feel on top of all Tack made him feel, so he just said, “Thanks.”

“You giving Ride this, you’re doing a lot for your brothers,” she went on. “Tack does the books, and since you started your builds, income from the garage has risen twenty-seven percent. We always had a waiting list for clients but that was usually six months out. Now it’s over a year, so that goodness isn’t going to stop, and I suspect that Tack’s going to bring garage expansion to the Club table to be discussed soon before that gets out of hand. And that expansion is all about you.”

Joker’s throat suddenly felt scratchy.

“We do well, all the shops, the garage,” she continued quietly. “But everyone likes doing better, especially when that comes with getting more. You give your brothers more, Joker, and their families. You should know that’s lost on no one and it’s appreciated.”

Still not able to come up with anything to say, he just jerked up his chin and muttered, “Thanks again, Cherry. And set it up with that magazine. Whenever they’re ready, I’ll be here.”

“Okay, honey,” she replied softly.

Joker nodded to her and took off.

He went back to work liking a fuckuva lot what he was feeling.

He also got it.

It was about what he did, what he loved doing getting recognized. It felt good, that shit coming from out there, outside this garage, outside their world.