“Not a chance,” I shot back, forcing a smile.
* * *
“Braden,” I looked up at the sound of my name being said in a sultry purr, my brows furrowing as they landed on Chuck’s niece.
“Melissa,” I responded with a touch of irritation. “What can I do for you?”
“I brought you coffee!” she cooed, stepping towards me. “I remembered how you liked it,” she added as she held out the tray to me.
“Thank you.” I took the nearest paper cup out of the tray.
“My pleasure,” she said breathily. She looked at me and bit her lip seductively.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you…” Melissa’s face perked right up at my words. “How’s Chuck been doing?”
“Not so well,” she answered, sighing sadly. “It’s his heart. His cholesterol is really high, and if he doesn’t change his diet along with his work habits…” she trailed off and sighed. “Anyway, now that you’re here he can relax a little bit.”
“Yeah, well. Glad to be back.” I replied, shifting on my feet. “Look, I’ve got to get to work on that Cruze. Thanks for the coffee, I’ll catch you later.” I added, wanting to be rid of her.
Melissa nodded and thankfully left me to do my job. While I worked, my thoughts drifted to Elle again.
Seeing her again at the announcement dinner had only solidified everything I already suspected; I was hopelessly entangled in her. I considered it my penance for the actions of my past. I didn’t deserve to be unaffected by her presence. I didn’t deserve a second chance, but I wanted it.
She’d left town again before I had a chance to talk to her, not that Tessa had wanted me to do that. “Give her time, Braden. She’s not going to be receptive to what you’re saying right now, she’s still mad and hurt,” she’d told me after I expressed my interest in driving out to Barrie to talk to her.
So, I’d stayed away from her. I buried myself in work and focused on fixing the things that I could.
Twenty-minutes later, I emerged from the garage. Chuck was in the office, ordering parts from the distributor. Melissa wasn’t behind her desk, although a quick glance at the clock told me she was likely on her lunch break.
I nodded at my boss and disappeared into the staff bathroom to take a leak and wash my hands. By the time I came out of the bathroom, Chuck was finished on the phone. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand against his whiskery gray beard.
“Everything alright?” I asked, arching a brow towards him. He looked up at me and grinned.
“Oh yeah, just catching up on some office work while you’re here,” he answered, stretching out the muscles in his thick neck.
“I thought that was Melissa’s job?”
“She’s a good receptionist, but the girl is clueless when it comes to placing part orders,” Chuck shrugged with an indulgent smile.
I said nothing, merely choosing to nod in acknowledgement. “Melissa told me about your health issues.”
“Did she now?” Chuck looked back up at me, his expression unreadable.
“I think you should hire another mechanic.” I cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably on my feet. In all my years working for Chuck, I’d never told him how to run his business. He raised his eyebrows at me.
“You planning on quitting again?”
I shook my head, frowning. “That’s not it. You know that I love the garage, Chuck. You’ve given me a job twice now when I needed it the most. You’re a great boss and friend, I just think it’s time for you to slow down a little bit. Hire another mechanic. I’ll show them the ropes and we’ll cover the repairs while you relax.”
Chuck let out a heavy sigh. His tired eyes assessed me before he nodded. “I’ll give it some thought.”
Elle
Ten Months Later…
I stared down at my suitcase, packed and ready to go for my ‘vacation’. My stomach flipped and rolled with dread and nervousness.
I wasn’t ready for this; ready to face the memories I’d long since struggled to keep away. Those memories, that person—they belonged in the past, but I knew that going home for the wedding would just drudge it all up again, exactly like the last time I saw him. Unlike the last time, I wasn’t as strong. A lot had happened in the last ten months.
