by Tee Smith
“Good bye Patrick.”
“Oh yeah...bye. Call me if you need me for anything okay?”
“Sure thing Trick,” she giggled to herself as she heard him leave the bathroom, then the house.
Dressing in a pair of shorts and loose tank top so as not to hurt her sunburnt shoulders, she wandered out the back, with a jug of water from the fridge and two glasses. It was hot and humid today and grey storm clouds were gathering. She hoped there was not a thunderstorm, she was not a fan of thunder. She recalled the stormy days and nights while in the shed. Her dad wouldn't come out on those days. She would be alone, hungry, left alone, sometimes for days.
Shaking away the memory she skipped down to the garage.
“Well hello you,” Dex called out with a smile. She loved that she could hear his smile coming through his voice before she could even see it on his face.
“Thought you might like a cold drink, sorry I've only got water.”
“That is awesome, thanks Maddie.”
“You're very welcome,” she smiled at him, placing the water jug on the work bench and pouring him a glass.
She spun around to hand it to him, just as he came up behind to her to take it, causing them to collide. The water splashed from the glass, the icy cold water to hitting his t-shirt clad chest and eliciting a hiss from him.
“Oh shit, I'm so sorry,” she gasped making a grab for his t-shirt. “I am sorry, I can see if Trick has a t-shirt that you can use, or I'll go to the house and get you a towel or...” she knew she was babbling, but he was making her nervous.
“It's okay,” a laugh rumbled from his chest.
Maddie, frantically brushed at his t-shirt with her hand, as if it would somehow help it to dry. Dex's hand came over hers and she stopped in her tracks, lifting her head and looking straight into those beautiful blue eyes that almost looked grey under the fluorescent light of the garage.
“It's fine, honest. It's pretty warm out here. It won't take long to dry.”
He wasn't wrong, she suddenly felt like she was burning up. His hand left hers and went to her forehead.
“How's your head? You have a bit of a lump there.”
Maddie caught a laugh in her throat. “I am on a roll today aren't I? I'm not usually this much of a klutz, honest.”
Dex's fingers lingered over her forehead, then tenderly trailed down the side of her face, his eyes bore into hers and she couldn't look away. Then without warning he pulled his hand away and turned back toward the car. It felt as if she had suddenly been stripped naked, she longed to feel his fingers on her skin again. Her breath quivered as she struggled to regain her composure. She wondered if he realised what effect he was having on her.
“So what are you working on today?” she asked placing her hands on the edge of the car and leaning over, trying to portray her usual confidence.
“I just need to get these hoses off,” he said pointing to the hoses in question. “I have ordered a new radiator from the local parts shop. So if I get everything ready, when it arrives, I should be able to just slip it in there.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Sure, if you want to hang onto this hose here...I will be able to undo the clamps, it will be great to have an extra set of hands.”
Leaning over the car, she reached for the hose he had pointed out. He reached over her, brushing against her hip. The touch sending tingles through her body. Maddie knew nothing about cars, but she was having a great time helping Dex and he happily explained everything as he worked.
They had been working for about an hour. The humidity inside the garage was making them hot and sticky, she was glad she had showered before she came out. The light from the open garage door was waning, as a storm rolled in. She should have expected it, but it still gave her a fright when a massive clap of thunder boomed overhead. Jumping back, she dropped the spanner Dex had her holding in place, sending a squirt of oil into the air.
“Ahh...” Maddie yelped as the black slick hit her face. “Oh shit, there I go again. Sorry Dex.” She felt such an idiot. He must think she was completely stupid.
Looking up into his face, she could see a smirk and couldn't help but laugh herself. She was having one of those days. Before she knew it they were both collapsing in fits of laughter. Dex snagged a rag from the workbench and attempted to help her clean up.
Another clap of thunder burst above them, the sound resounding through the garage, bringing her laughter to an abrupt halt as she recoiled at the sound.
“Hey, hey, it's alright.” Dex soothed, taking her upper arm in his hand.
“I'm such an idiot, you must think I am so stupid.”
“No, of course I don't think you're stupid.”
“Everyone is scared of something.”
“What you scared of?”
“Spiders.”
“Really?” she gaped, her mouth dropping open. She was surprised a big manly man like Dex would be scared of spiders.
“No,” he laughed.
That made her laugh too and when the next roll of thunder crashed she was expecting it and she felt comfortable and safe. Knowing she would be okay.
“What do you say, you go get cleaned up and I'll take you down town and we'll grab some lunch?”
“Yep, okay. Sounds good,” she beamed at him. He was taking her out.
She raced into the bathroom and met him at the back step, just as he was coming looking for her.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep, come through the house, so I can lock the back door.”
Maddie stepped back allowing Dex into the house.
“You missed a bit of oil,” he announced stepping closer.
“Oh really?” she fussed, wiping at her face.
“Yep, just right.....” he reached out and ran his finger along her jaw, “...there.”
He was so close, her heart rate picked up as she realised he was about to kiss her. Leaning toward him ever so slightly she could feel the edge of his beard tickling the side of her cheek. She closed her eyes, savouring the moment. Breathing in his scent, a mixture of grease, smoke, and soap. He smelt like man. Then his soft lips touched hers. Ever so gently, so soft, so sweet. Then they were gone. Opening her eyes, she saw him striding across the room toward the front door.
She wasn't finished yet. She wanted more.
“Coming?” he called back to her.
Letting out a long sigh, she grabbed the keys from the table and slipped them into her pocket before following him out the front door.
Thunder rolled above them in a long continuous roll as they made their way out the front of the house to Dex's truck. It was big and black, an F250 with an open back. He opened the passenger door and held her arm as she climbed in.
“Do you like burgers?” he asked as they pulled up outside a little lunch bar in town.
“Sure, who doesn’t?”
“Good, cause these guys make the best burgers around.”
She looked up at the sign. “Pete's Lunch Bar”. It used to be Kitty's Cafe. She used to come here after school with Tom. They made the best milkshakes. An old lady named Ada used to work behind the counter, she must be long gone now, she thought as they walked through the door, setting off the door chime.
“Maddie?” she heard her name. “Maddie Arnold is that really you?”
“Ada?” she was still here? Sure enough, old Ada came running around the counter and drew her into her arms. Pulling back she shook her head and clucked her tongue. “I can't believe what that man did you. I cried so much when I thought you were dead.”
Maddie's eyes shot to Dex, whose face paled. He had been telling the truth, he really didn't know who she was. That was a conversation they were going to have to have before much longer.
Chapter 10
“Well that's just stupid rules. I can't believe that.” Maddie yelled down the phone line. Before slamming the phone receiver back onto the cradle.
“Hey, hey chill...what's up?” Came
Patrick's voice behind her.
“Oh the stupid licensing centre, apparently they cancelled my licence, because I was 'dead'” she made air-quotes with her fingers. “Now I have to re-apply, which means I have to apply for a freakin' learners permit and sit my test again. Can you even believe that crap?” She threw her hands in the air in frustration.
“It will be alright,” Patrick soothed.
“How? How Patrick? How do you suppose it will be alright?” She thrust a hand to her hip and glared at him in challenge. “There are things I want to do. I want to be able to go shopping, get some clothes that fit me.” She said tugging at her clothes, then her hair. “Maybe get a haircut. I want to be able to feel normal. To have my life back again.”
“I can take you to the shop and to get your hair done.”
“I don't want you to take me,” she yelled.
Patrick took a step back from her, pain filling his features. She had hurt him again.
“I'm sorry Trick. I know you mean well, it’s not that I don't want to hang with you.” She scrunched her hands into fists. “It just makes me so damned angry that I am finally out in the world again and I can't even live my life the way I want. I might as well still be stuck in that damned shed.”
“So what do we need to do to get wheels under you again?”
“I need to go into the licensing centre to fill in paper work.”
“Well let’s do that then, hey? Then we can call past the mall and do some shopping. In fact why don't we pop into the city and pay Xavier and Asha a visit at the club?”
Maddie kept her head down, but peered up from under the hair that hung in her eyes. It had been years since she had a real haircut. Her dad had cut her hair a few times, or hacked it more like, when he had been angry at her for asking for some hair products.
“Would you do that for me?”
“Sure why wouldn't I?”
“Because you're a boy and boys hate shopping,” she giggled.
“Yes, well I can't say shopping is my favourite thing, but if it makes you happy.” He reached out and slipped a finger under her chin, forcing her to lift her eyes to his.
“What do you say?”
She gave him a smile, he was such a sweetheart. How could she say no to him?
“Okay, but let me get dressed first.”
He eyed her up and down, she was dressed in a pair of baggy old jeans and t-shirt. “Aren't you already dressed?”
“In clothes that fit me,” she huffed.
“Ah sorry,” Patrick laughed and shook his head, getting up and leaving the room she heard him mumble. “All these years and I still don't get girls.”
***
Several hours later, they were sitting in Ex's and Oh's having a few drinks. Asha sat with them at the bar as she had not returned to work yet. Her arm was still in a sling and would be for another month.
“Xavier told me you're getting your car back on the road Maddie.”
“Yep and you should see the guy that's working on it.” Maddie flashed Asha a huge grin and Patrick rolled his eyes. “He is gorgeous.”
“Really? Is he single?”
“Well...I haven't asked him outright, but I get the impression he is,” she giggled.
“Yeah, either that or he is a total sleaze.” Patrick chimed in. “The way he was pawing all over her the other morning.”
Asha nearly spat her drink out.
Maddie swatted at Patrick with the back of her hand, “Oh stop it would you, you're just jealous.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Hang on, wait a minute, back up here.” Asha waved her good hand franticly in the air. “What was going on?”
“I walked into the kitchen and he had his greasy hands all over her.” Patrick said scrunching up his face.
Maddie could not help but laugh, she was fairly sure Patrick had a bit of a crush on her. “I bumped my head, he was just making sure I was okay.”
Asha laughed. “Sounds interesting.”
“Was lucky I came in when I did, who knows what might have happened.” Patrick huffed out a long sigh.
“Yeah cause that would have been terrible wouldn't it?” Maddie laughed.
“What's going on? Who's been pawing at my little sister?” Came Xavier from across the bar.
“That brute she hired to fix her car,” Patrick called back.
“He bloody better not be.”
“What if I like it huh?” Maddie stood from her bar stool and leant over the bar.
“For goodness sake you two, let the poor girl be,” Asha tried to intervene. “Why don't we organise a barbecue at the house on the weekend and you can invite him along?”
“Yeah let’s meet this fella that thinks it’s okay to put his hands all over my little sister.” Xavier gruffed and Asha shot him a stern look.
“He didn't have his hands all over me, and so what if he did?” Maddie said her voice rising.
Xavier glared at her, his green eyes, piercing her own.
“Well maybe you better organise for us to meet this guy so we can check him out?
“I'll see,” she huffed. “It might be a bit weird since I hardly even know him.”
“Well, clearly you know him well enough that you let him touch you.”
“Xavier!” Asha scorned.
Xavier's eyes darted to his girlfriend, before returning to hers.
“Okay, Sunday's always good for me. You can get a gas bottle for the barbecue can't you Trick?”
Patrick nodded and that was it, it was set in stone. Dex was about to be initiated into this crazy wacky family that she had found herself thrust into.
Chapter 11
Dex
If Dex were honest with himself, he had been blown away by Maddison Arnold the second he had laid eyes on her. She had long flowing blonde hair, pretty green eyes, flawless skin. She was probably a little on the thin side, he tended to like his woman with a little more flesh. Not that he had a particular type. In fact he liked most women.
Since he had lost his wife he had not found another woman he felt much for. Sure they were fun and he had not been celibate in the years she had been gone. He was a hot-blooded Australian man, what was he meant to do?
Maddie, however, there was something about her that intrigued him. He had not known when he met her about her history. That her father had kidnapped her and kept her locked away for many years. She had asked him if he knew who she was. It was only after he had seen a news crew parked out the front of her house he had gone home and looked her name up on the internet. He had been blown away by what he read. It was hard to reconcile the photos that splashed all over his screen of this poor emaciated young girl, with the beautiful vibrant woman he had met when he went to her house to work on her car.
She was funny and outgoing. He had caught her talking to herself or inanimate objects on more than one occasion. Maybe that had been a tell-tale of all the years she had spent alone. He had not spoken to her about it. He figured it was none of his business, she would talk to him about it if and when she felt she wanted too.
He had his own demons, he would rather keep locked away and not speak to anyone about, so he was in no position to be pushing anyone else to talk about theirs.
He hoped he hadn't given her the wrong impression when he kissed her the other day. He had not set out too, it just kind of happened. It was just a brief moment. A very nice, but very brief moment and nothing else was said. They had both carried on like nothing had happened. They had enjoyed a burger down at Pete's together, laughing at the boys scooting past on their skateboards, attempting to show off for the girls. One of them had tried to flip his board and ended up landing on his butt. She had a great laugh, her whole face lit up when she laughed. Her pretty green eyes sparkled. He was not sure where things were heading with her and he was not sure if he was ready to find out. Getting involved with another woman was not in his master plan. Not right now, maybe not ever.
It had come as a bit
of a surprise, when she invited him to her house for a barbecue on the weekend. He didn't have anything else on, so figured why not. He knew the guy she was living with didn't like him hanging around. She had insisted there was nothing going on with Trick, but he was not so sure Trick felt the same way.
Oh well, what was the worst that could happen? He was a big boy, he could handle himself. If the hippy started anything, he was pretty confident he could finish it.
Sunday came around pretty fast, she had asked him on Friday, he had been working on the cooling system in her mustang at the time. She had come out and leant over the bonnet on the opposite side of the car. With her low cut little dress and her cleavage showing, he suddenly found it very hard to concentrate on exactly what it was he was meant to be doing. In fact he might have even forgotten his own name for a second or two there. She was a stunning woman.
“So Dex,” she had been smiling, and toying with her long hair, twisting the ends in her pretty fingers.
“Yeah?”
“Just wandering what you're up to on the weekend?”
“Well, I don't think I will have those other parts we need by then.”
“Yeah, I know, that's okay. We are having a barbecue here on Sunday, I was just kind of wandering if you're not busy, if you might like to come along?”
He was not really sure what to say to that. He looked around the garage, focussing on an old gasoline sign hanging over a tool bench. Taking in its rustic look, he wondered if it was genuinely antique or just made to look that way.
Whilst his mind was far away, Maddie must have moved from where she was opposite him, because when he looked back she was right beside him. Where had his mind been anyway? What was it about this girl that made his thoughts so scrambled?
“Only if you have nothing else going on of course.” Her eyes scanned his face, then wandered down lower over his torso, before returning back to meet his eyes.
He really had nothing planned for Sunday. Sure he had to see Shyla on the weekend, but he would probably do that tomorrow. But it was a bit weird, awkward even.
“Ah, yeah I guess I could drop in. Is it a special occasion?”
