Natalie stepped back from the car to look around, mentally noting where the light switch was for after she finished. The overhead lights were nice and bright but still wouldn’t be much help for close looks under the hood. She removed a cloth from her toolbox to wipe her hands; naturally, some grime had already accumulated. Her eyes continued to roam until she spotted two electric lamps on long cords. Just what she needed.
As tempting as it was to hang them up and get started, she wanted to set up her phone and Bluetooth speaker first. She was going to listen to some recorded lectures while she worked, and had a playlist mixed with some musical breaks in between so she wouldn’t go crazy.
It only took a few moments to set up, and then she was back in front of the car with her toolbox. She frowned when she realized she still hadn’t replenished her supply of nitrile gloves. With a sigh and a shrug, she leaned over the engine compartment to see if anything could be salvaged.
Professor Baptiste’s lightly accented voice spoke crisply in the background as she got to work.
*****
Maddie sighed as she turned onto the small road that would lead home. The clinic hadn’t been incredibly busy so she’d been happy to leave it under the watchful eye of one of her junior partners.
A smile curved her lips. Up until a few years ago that had been her role, but when the elderly Dr. Tyson had finally retired she’d happily put the money up to buy him out. Years later, she still wasn’t used to having free time.
An unfamiliar vehicle in her spot made her purse her lips in displeasure, only for Maddie to chide herself when she remembered that Brittney’s friend was supposed to be working on Adam’s old car.
She slid into Adam’s spot with a faint smile, eyeing the older car with curiosity. It oddly fit the little she knew of Natalie. Though the vehicle was probably nearly as old as Maddie herself, it was well-maintained and obviously well-loved.
Maddie quietly opened her door, becoming distracted when she heard a distinctive male voice coming from the garage. She absently retrieved her purse and closed the door. Had Natalie received unexpected company? The voice wasn’t familiar.
The soft rubber soles of her shoes were quiet against the paved drive as she approached the garage. As she passed the threshold, she briefly hesitated as her eyes adjusted to the difference in light.
Natalie was bent over the front of the car, only her lower half visible from where Maddie was standing. She shook her head, unsure how Natalie could work in such tight jeans. Her eyes continued to move through the room as she tried to discover the source of the voice.
She couldn’t see anyone else, so she stepped further into the garage. The voice was going on about a Zeroth law of thermodynamics in application to… she blinked and shook her head. She drew closer to Natalie, more confused and curious than ever.
“Natalie?” she asked in a raised voice—only to wince when Natalie jerked, her elbow clipping the rod that held the hood up and nearly bringing the heavy metal slamming down on herself.
Natalie managed to catch the hood in time, though she flinched as the metal hit her hand.
“I’m so sorry, honey,” Maddie apologized as she quickly stepped forward to pick the rod up and hook it back into place. She noticed the moment Natalie’s strained muscles eased.
She pursed her lips as she glanced up and spotted an out of place glimmer of red on the hood edge. “Let me see,” she softly encouraged as she extended a hand to Natalie.
The muscles in Natalie’s jaw flexed as she subtly leaned away, one hand curled protectively near her abdomen. “My hands are greasy,” Natalie admitted gruffly.
“It’ll make me feel better if you let me look.”
Natalie still looked hesitant. Maddie pursed her lips.
“The sooner you let me look, the sooner I’ll leave you alone.”
That got the curled-up hand moving hesitantly in her direction, the barest hint of a smile on Natalie’s face.
Maddie’s lips twitched with the effort it took to suppress her own smile. Her amusement instantly faded when she saw the clean, sharp cut. She lightly squeezed the back of Natalie’s hand. At least it wouldn’t need stitches.
“Come on, we should get to the house. This needs to be cleaned and bandaged. Keep your hand curled up,” she instructed with a last flex of her fingertips against Natalie’s skin.
Natalie only inhaled deeply, staying quiet as Maddie led the way out of the garage and into the house.
Maddie was mentally inventorying the first aid kit in the downstairs bathroom. She paused and nudged Natalie in its direction.
“I’ll be right there,” she said as she climbed the stairs. The first aid kit in Brittney’s bathroom was bigger and more well-equipped thanks to Brittney’s tendency to run into things.
As soon as she had the kit, Maddie hurried back down the stairs.
Natalie was frowning down at the sink when Maddie arrived.
Maddie held up the white plastic box. “All set. Let’s get that taken care of.” She set the box down on the sink edge and then turned the water on.
Natalie frowned and opened her mouth to speak. Maddie shook her head to stem the protest. “I’m a doctor, Natalie,” she patiently reminded.
When Natalie closed her mouth with an audible click, Maddie carefully gripped and maneuvered the injured hand under the warm stream of water. She was gentle as she cleaned in and around the wound, knowing that the stubborn automotive grease wouldn’t come fully away. Her lips quirked up into a brief smile as she remembered the many times she’d patched up Adam.
Despite Maddie’s caution, Natalie remained tense. Maddie hummed under her breath in a subconscious effort to calm her.
Natalie’s stiff posture only slightly eased.
When the wound was as clean as possible, Maddie turned the water off. She patted the skin around the wound dry with a towel and opened up the kit, using an alcohol wipe to gently dab at the wound itself. To her surprise, Natalie only frowned at the sting.
“Thanks, Dr. Garret,” Natalie muttered as Maddie began applying ointment.
Maddie shook her head as Natalie’s hand softly twitched in her grasp. She waited until she finished applying the salve before voicing her own playful retort. “Keep it up, Natalie.”
“Will do, Doc.” Natalie smartly saluted with her undamaged hand.
Maddie heaved a sigh and began wrapping the wound with a roll of gauze, neatly taping it off a moment later. “All done, Miss Navarro. You can uncover it later when the bleeding has completely stopped.”
Natalie’s dark eyes seemed to twinkle. She cleared her throat and looked away from Maddie. “What time is it, anyway?”
“Hm.” Maddie checked her watch. “A little after two. Why?”
“Oh,” Natalie seemed genuinely surprised. “That explains a lot. I haven’t eaten since around five.”
“In the morning?” Maddie was aghast. Natalie had that in common with Adam, too. “I’m making you a sandwich. Is smoked turkey alright with you?”
Natalie pursed her lips, obviously wanting to reject her offer. “That’s fine.” She tilted her chin up, “but I’m going back to the garage. I left everything on and there’s no reason to waste electricity.”
Maddie narrowed her eyes, wondering if Natalie was always so stubborn. “I’ll see you in five minutes, then.”
“You and Brittney really are a lot alike, you know?”
The words caught Maddie off guard. Her lips parted. She could only stare at Natalie, her chest growing tight. She was certain the last, and perhaps only, person besides Natalie to have said that had been her mother.
“Five minutes,” she softly repeated.
Natalie chuckled and shrugged at Maddie before leaving the bathroom.
Maddie remained in the same spot for a few moments, absentmindedly washing and drying her hands until she remembered she was supposed to be making Natalie a sandwich. She turned the light off and headed to the kitchen.
“I think she could do wi
th a small side salad,” she mumbled to herself as she tugged her refrigerator open. Though Natalie looked to be in great shape, she hadn’t forgotten Brittney’s comment about poor eating habits.
By the time Natalie returned to the house to lean against the kitchen counter, Maddie had almost finished making the sandwich. She smiled at Natalie and finished slicing the bell pepper.
“You look like the kind of young woman who eats plenty of vegetables, but I know better. I thought it was a good time to force some fresh ones your way,” she freely admitted.
Natalie grinned and leaned further over the counter. “I’ll eat the vegetables, but are you going to eat with me? That’s a lot of salad.”
Maddie blinked down at the ceramic bowl, noting that she had definitely made way too much for one person. She recalled the handful of trail mix she’d had between appointments and made a decision. “Sure. I might as well enjoy the company while I can.”
Natalie lightly rubbed at her bandaged hand “Why’s that?” she asked with a small frown.
“Adam can’t make it back tonight. He called and told me there are problems at the site. They have to wait for a specialized part,” Maddie relayed with a wry smile.
Natalie nibbled her lower lip and scrutinized Maddie. “Hm. In that case, do you think I could squeeze dinner out of you, too? It’s Steven’s night to cook and I’m getting really tired of chili dogs.”
Maddie sent her a horrified look. “I think you just talked yourself into dinner. How does steak, baked potatoes, and baby carrots sound?”
“Much, much better than chili dogs,” Natalie replied with a wince. The wince morphed into a soft smile when their eyes met. “Thanks, Maddie.”
Perhaps Maddie should have been embarrassed at the obvious ploy to keep her from another lonely dinner, but Natalie seemed so genuinely grateful—rather than embarrassed, Maddie only felt content. “No problem.”
Chapter Four
When Maddie set the plates down at the smaller table in the kitchen, Natalie felt relieved. The dining room was too formal for her to feel completely comfortable in. She smiled as she hefted her sandwich up off her plate. Her mouth watered as she took in the thick, fresh bread and how fully loaded it was with turkey and cheese.
She hummed to herself with the first bite, groaning and swallowing as she put it down to spear up some of the salad Maddie had served. She was hungrier than she’d realized.
Maddie smiled around her fork, visibly pleased with Natalie’s healthy appetite. “Brittney couldn’t make it this weekend?”
Her voice was calm, though there was a hint of something else in her expression.
Natalie made a face and hurriedly chewed the large bite of salad and swallowed. “No.” She shot Maddie a contrite look. “She had a bunch of stuff to do and you know how she is… stressing way too much about it all to give herself any time away.”
“I remember how that goes. I never thought I would get out of school with all of the courses we were required to take. There’s just so much to learn.” Maddie idly used her fork to play with a green leaf of romaine.
“I’m sure she wanted to come—KTU is tough right before any kind of seasonal break. I swear our instructors have no lives outside of school,” Natalie grumbled good-naturedly, and was pleased when the hint of something else faded from Maddie’s expression.
Natalie knew Brittney loved her mom, but could also understand why Maddie was a little sensitive about their relationship. It wasn’t even that Maddie was blatant in how she felt, Natalie could just tell. She knew exactly how it felt to love someone who hardly remembered your existence.
She clenched her fork, hissing at the shock of pain that shot from her damaged hand.
“Careful,” Maddie warned with a concerned look, “you don't want to hurt yourself worse.”
Natalie turned her attention back to her sandwich, deciding that the salad could wait. “I can handle it,” she admitted with a shrug. Her gaze flicked up to Maddie as she took another bite.
Maddie silently watched her but didn’t comment, instead crossing her legs under the table. “So, tell me a little more about your roommates.”
With some relief, Natalie smiled. “Well, first there’s Reeve. He’s a year younger than me and a security guard at KTU. Sometimes he can kind of seem like a jerk, but he’s actually pretty reliable and generally cool.”
Maddie nodded and leaned forward, seeming interested.
“As for Steven,” Natalie’s head shook, “I don’t even know what to say. He’s a few years older than me and we met through his dad at work. Steven and Reeve are cousins, and both are like brothers to me.”
Natalie decided to brave using her fork again, spearing up some veggies from her salad. The crisp crunchiness of the fresh vegetables was satisfying. She swallowed a bite and shot Maddie a curious look. “What about you, Maddie? Any siblings?”
Brittney had never mentioned any aunts, uncles, or cousins but Natalie couldn’t contain her curiosity.
“I’m afraid not.” Maddie’s eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled. “Adam does have a brother back down in Texas, but they rarely speak.”
“Ah, bummer.” Natalie finished her sandwich and turned her full attention to the remainder of her salad. She’d kind of hoped that maybe Brittney would have a gaggle of cousins hidden off somewhere. As selfish as it seemed, she’d always wanted a friend with a big family, just to see what it was like.
When she glanced back up, Maddie was still smiling as she steadily consumed her own salad. Quality was better over quantity, anyway.
“I guess I’ll have to kill Steven’s hopes of Brittney having a hot cousin he can date.”
Natalie had to bite her lip when Maddie seemed surprised, though Maddie seemed to regain her composure quickly.
Maddie chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. “Why can’t he just date Brittney?”
As Natalie reflexively swallowed, a half-chewed bite of food made its way forcefully down her throat. She coughed uncontrollably for a few moments, her eyes watering and throat burning as she tried to regain control of herself.
“Are you alright?” she dimly heard, only to become aware that Maddie was up and standing next to her. The warm hand rubbing her shoulders and back was soothing, and she reached for her glass of water with a relieved sigh as the coughing finally ceased.
After a few careful sips, she set the glass down and gently leaned away from Maddie’s hand. “I’m fine,” she croaked out hoarsely.
Maddie’s presence at Natalie’s side lingered a moment before Maddie retook her seat. There was a twinkle in her eyes as she picked up her knife and fork to again work at the remnants of her salad.
“Is the idea of Steven and Brittney too much for you?” The delicate smile lines at the corners of Maddie’s pursed lips had deepened more than usual, betraying her delight.
“Yeah.” It wasn’t exactly untrue, Natalie told herself. “Steven is such a—I don’t know. And he’s just a mechanic, like me.”
Maddie raised her eyebrows. “So?”
The instant reaction pleased Natalie. She smiled. “It’s not just that. He’s kind of a tool… like a five-year-old stuck in a grown man’s body. Brittney considers him to be the equivalent of my annoying little brother even though he’s older.”
Maddie hummed, her eyes glimmering as she tilted her head. “I’ll just have to take your word for it, honey.”
Natalie relaxed back into her chair, happy to have the subject done with. She finished up her salad and looked at Maddie. “Well, this has been an awesome lunch but I really should get back to work.”
Maddie’s amused expression vanished, a small frown taking its place. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t.
“Don’t worry, Dr. Garret. I’m totally okay to work,” Natalie quipped as she stood and gathered her dishes.
Maddie’s lips pursed and she stood to tidy her own mess. “Just leave them on the counter, there’s no reason for you to get your bandage wet.�
��
Natalie was quick to comply, aware that Maddie was probably withholding a lecture. She waited until Maddie was facing away to grin.
Well, that’s one difference between her and Brittney. She carefully opened the door and paused after stepping out. Then again, Brittney waited to start with the lectures until she knew me better.
She chuckled to herself as she firmly closed the door. The thought of Maddie lecturing her the same way was oddly appealing, and she could just picture the narrowed eyes and crossed arms.
By the time she was in the garage and set up to work again, she was in an inexplicably good mood.
*****
Maddie had only been in her office an hour when a voice calling out caught her attention. She turned her already-low music down. “Natalie?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” came the faint response, followed by the thudding of footsteps. Natalie appeared in the open doorway a moment later.
“Hey,” Natalie said as she tucked a hand in a pocket, “I tried knocking but there was no response. I hope you don’t mind me coming in.”
Maddie tilted her head. “Not at all. I left the front door unlocked for you. What did you need, honey?”
Natalie rocked back and forth on her heels and sucked on her lower lip. She looked back at Maddie. “So, it turns out my friend wants to have dinner tonight.”
The mild pang of disappointment caught Maddie by surprise. She reached up to nonchalantly tug her reading glasses off. She would have been eating alone, anyway. “Oh, alright.”
Natalie stepped further into the office, both hands buried deep in her front pockets. “I was thinking… I’m not the type to cancel when I’ve already made plans, but I do want to see this friend. I know it’s kind of weird, but would it be alright if she came here? It’s okay if you want to say no, so please don’t feel pressured.” The last part was said in a rush.
The request puzzled Maddie. Would one of Natalie’s friends really be alright with an hour commute to eat dinner at the house of a stranger? The sense of hospitality ingrained in her from an early age wouldn’t allow her to deny Natalie’s offer outright. “Cooking for three is as easy as cooking for two, but are you certain your friend is alright with coming here? Please, don’t feel obligated into staying.”
Meeting Mrs Garret Page 4
