Chance Encounter: Gage and Melanie (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Three) (Companion to the Over You series)

by Christine Kersey

  Ashleigh frowned. “I don’t blame you.” She set down the knife she’d been using to chop vegetables. “Can I see the note?”

  Melanie sighed. “Sure.” She pulled it from her purse, which sat on a nearby counter, then held it out to her sister.

  Ashleigh read it over, then she burst out laughing.

  That was the last reaction Melanie had expected and her eyebrows slammed together. “What’s so funny? This idiot damaged my car.”

  A barely suppressed smile formed on Ashleigh’s mouth as she held out the note. “Mel, don’t you know who this is?”

  Melanie snatched the note from her hand. “Yeah. The dipwad who hit my car.”

  Ashleigh shook her head. “No. Well, yeah, but don’t you remember Gage Bennett?”

  An image of a short, skinny boy with glasses and braces jumped into Melanie’s mind, and her eyes widened. “That Gage Bennett?” The Gage who had been in front of her in line looked nothing like the boy she remembered. “Are you sure?”

  Ashleigh smirked as she nodded, obviously knowing Gage had changed a bit over the years. “Uh-huh.”

  “He’s the one who hit my car?”

  “Evidently.”

  “Mommy, I want to cook too.” Avery said beside Melanie.

  Melanie squatted in front of her daughter, brushing her long blonde hair away from her sweet face. “Sure, baby girl. You can help me put the salad together. Let’s wash your hands first though, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Melanie pulled a chair up to the counter and helped Avery wash her hands, then she showed her how to tear the lettuce before putting it in the bowl.

  Avery’s little hands tore at the lettuce. “Where’s Daddy?” she asked with an imploring look at Melanie.

  Melanie’s gaze shot to Ashleigh before she looked at her daughter.

  Explaining that Kyle had chosen Jessica over the two of them had been difficult, and not something that Avery had understood. At all. To his credit, Kyle had tried to remain in Avery’s life, but after a while they had all realized it just wasn’t going to work. He wasn’t her father, and now that he had a wife, he never would be her father.

  Even though Melanie had done all she could to convince him that he should adopt her.

  She tried not to think about that horrible time and instead focused on Avery and her question.

  “We don’t live by him anymore.” She couldn’t bring herself to call Kyle Avery’s daddy—he wasn’t her father. At least biologically. He’d been in her life since she’d been born, but he had no obligation to either one of them. Avery had started calling him Daddy all on her own, and she couldn’t understand why he was no longer in their lives.

  Melanie had learned her lesson, and the man she’d dated after Kyle—Zach, her rebound boyfriend—had spent very little time with Avery. Now though, she’d sworn off dating indefinitely. All it had ever brought her was heartache. The only good thing she’d ever gotten out of a relationship was Avery herself—although the man whose DNA Avery shared had disappeared the moment he’d learned Melanie was pregnant. Just another man in a long list of people who had abandoned her.

  “But I want Daddy,” Avery whined.

  Fresh anger crashed over Melanie. If only Jessica hadn’t shown up, Melanie would be the one married to Kyle.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Melanie said with a glance at Ashleigh, who was frowning. “Would you put these tomatoes in the salad and then toss it some more?”

  Though her lips pulled down into a sulky frown, Avery did as her mother asked, and to Melanie’s great relief, she stopped asking about Kyle.

  After Melanie had put Avery to bed, she sat with Ashleigh in the living room.

  “Does she ask about him often?” Ashleigh asked as she leaned her head against the heel of her hand. She was turned sideways on the couch, her feet tucked beneath her.

  “She’s asking less and less, thank goodness. But every time she does, it tears me apart.” Melanie shook her head, her long blonde hair swinging with the movement. “Another good reason that we moved away. Running in to him would just make it harder for her.”

  “What about you?” Ashleigh’s voice was soft.

  “For me too.” Though she’d come to accept that Kyle would never be hers, Melanie still loved him. He was such a great guy, and he’d been so wonderful to both her and Avery. At least while they were dating. Suppressing a sigh, Melanie reminded herself that she was better off alone. No one would disappoint her or abandon her if they were never there in the first place.

  They were quiet for a moment, then Ashleigh said, “Are you gonna call Gage? About your car?”

  Exhausted after a long day, and having to deal with thoughts of Kyle on top of that, Melanie didn’t have the energy. “I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  “Or, you could stop by his bakery and talk to him in person.”

  “His bakery?”

  “Yeah, he owns the bakery in town. Sprinkles of Joy. Have you seen it?”

  Melanie tried to picture the shops that lined Main Street. “Yeah, I think I have.”

  “So?”

  “So, what?”

  “Are you going to talk to him in person?”

  Melanie knew Ashleigh too well to think her suggestion was innocent. “Don’t tell me. He’s single.”

  A wide grin curved Ashleigh’s mouth. “Now that you mention it, I believe he is.”

  “Then I should definitely leave it to a phone call.”

  Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “Come on, Mel. He probably feels bad about hitting your car. I mean, he did leave a note.”

  That was true, but what did that have to do with anything? “What’s wrong with a phone call?”

  “Look. He’s a friend of mine, and I just…I don’t want there to be hard feelings. He has no idea it was your car. He’ll make it right regardless, but if you go see him in person it will let him know you don’t hold it against him.”

  Melanie laughed. “Who said I don’t hold it against him?”

  “It’s just a car. One that he’ll fix.”

  “Maybe you should talk to him.”

  Ashleigh frowned. “I will if you want me to.”

  “No, no. I was just kidding.” Melanie sighed. “I’ll go see him after work tomorrow.” Talking to Gage in person would probably be a better way to handle this anyway. And she was sure it had nothing to do with wanting to get a better look at the man who had evolved from the boy she remembered.

  Chapter 3

  Melanie parked in front of Sprinkles of Joy and climbed out of her car—her damaged car. Reminding herself that she was there to give Gage Bennett a piece of her mind rather than to check out the way he looked, she strode to the door and pulled it open.

  A bell tinkled as the scent of warm baked goods flowed over her, and her mouth began to water. Maybe she would pick up some fresh donuts while she was there. Better yet, maybe she could get Gage to throw in a lifetime supply of donuts to make up for the inconvenience he was causing her. Then she thought better of it. Donuts would not be good for her figure.

  “Can I help you?” a woman asked. Her name tag said Nicole.

  “Is Gage available?”

  “He’s in the back. Just a sec and I’ll get him.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sudden nerves swarmed over her. Why was she nervous? He’d told her to contact him. He was the one who was in the wrong. So what if he’d changed a bit since high school? Anyway, she hadn’t gotten a very good look at him at the store. Maybe he wasn’t as good-looking as she remembered.

  “Can I help you?” he said as he stepped into view.

  Uh, yeah. He was actually more attractive. Now that she was looking at him straight on she could see just how well he’d aged. Well, he wasn’t that old. He had to be Ashleigh’s age, so around twenty-six. But still, he looked good—dark blonde hair, masculine jaw, perfect stubble. And those eyes. She’d never noticed his eyes behind the glasses he’d worn way back when. But she noticed them now. Light gra
y eyes that demanded to be noticed.

  “Hi,” she said once she’d found her voice. “You, uh, you ran in to my car yesterday. At the store?” She almost felt bad telling him. Like it was somehow her fault. Which was ridiculous. She’d been inside the store when he’d hit her.

  “Oh. Yeah. I’m so sorry about that.” He looked genuinely contrite as he came around the counter to stand in front of her.

  Gage had been wondering when the owner of the car would get in touch with him. But in all his imaginings of how the conversation would go, he’d never thought it would be a beautiful woman who would waltz into his bakery. A woman who made the space come alive with possibilities. A woman he thought he recognized. But, no. It couldn’t be her. Not after all these years. What were the odds?

  “What did you say your name was?” he asked, suddenly desperate to know who this lovely creature was.

  “Melanie,” the woman said. “Melanie Hopkins. I’m Ashleigh’s sister.”

  It was her. A memory filled his mind. A memory of a girl two years ahead of him in school—the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. She’d been way out of his league. Not only older, but too stunning to even notice he existed. Gage had been a runt and a nerd back then. He’d worked hard to improve his looks in the years since. Nearly as hard as he’d worked to build his bakery.

  “I remember you,” he said. “From high school, I mean.” Well, of course he did. But what difference did that make?

  She nodded. “You said to contact you about my car.”

  Okay, so she was all about the business at hand. He could understand that. “Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t come find you, but if we exchange our contact info and such, I’ll make sure it gets fixed.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  When she gave him her cell number, he tried not to smile. It wasn’t like they were exchanging numbers so they could go out. Still, he had Melanie Hopkins number. Who would’ve thought?

  “So,” she said. “Now what?”

  Offer to take her out? Would that make up for his hitting her car? Then he realized how ridiculous that was. She was Melanie Hopkins, the beauty from his youth. If she hadn’t been snapped up by some amazing man by now, he would be shocked.

  “Uh, I’ll contact my insurance about paying for the damage,” he said. “They’ll probably suggest a place for you to take it.”

  Annoyance slid into her eyes as she frowned. “I really don’t have time for this.”

  “The insurance company will get you a rental while your car’s in the shop.”

  “Great. Arranging for a rental car. Because I have so much free time in my life.”

  “If a rental’s too much trouble,” he began, the words leaping from his mouth, “maybe you can borrow my car.” What? Borrow his car? His baby? What was he thinking? Had he lost his mind?

  A spark of interest lit her eyes. “What do you drive?”

  Tempted to lie, he cleared his throat. “A…Camaro.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  Hoping she would decide borrowing his car was a little over the top, he nodded. “Yeah.”

  Melanie had always had a fondness for cool cars, though she’d never owned one. Her practical nature hadn’t let her. But the idea of driving Gage’s Camaro while her car was in the shop put a grin on her face.

  She dug into her purse and pulled out her key ring, then after taking off the key to Ashleigh’s house, she held up the keys to her car. She could see the reluctance on his face, which only made her grin grow.

  Served him right. If he’d been paying more attention in the parking lot this wouldn’t be necessary.

  “I just need to get the car seat out first,” she said, and to her delight, his face actually blanched.

  Yeah. I have a child. And she’ll be riding in your car.

  Melanie had a kid? And this kid would be in his Camaro? Not good. Would she let her husband drive his car too?

  The thought of her family joyriding in his dream car made his stomach clench.

  “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” he said.

  She laughed. “No. It’s a great idea, because I have a feeling you’ll expedite this whole repair thing.”

  Yeah. No question there. He wouldn’t even wait for the insurance company. He’d pay out of his own pocket if that would speed things up.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said.

  Her beautiful smile made him momentarily forget his angst over loaning his car to her, but as he watched her stroll out of his bakery and that smile vanished from sight, he sighed and shook his head.

  “Did you just tell that woman she could borrow your Camaro?” Nicole asked from the other side of the counter, her voice laced with disbelief.

  Embarrassed that she’d overheard, he slowly turned to face her, a half-smile tugging up one side of his mouth. “I’m afraid so.”

  Amused laughter burst from her mouth. “Wow, boss. Why don’t you ever let me drive it?”

  “All right. Enough of that.”

  Smirking, she shook her head, then she looked behind him.

  Gage turned around in time to see Melanie walking back through the door of the bakery, a car seat in her arms.

  “Okay,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “Where’s my ride?”

  He didn’t have to do this. He knew that. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to tell her no. What was up with that?

  “It’s parked in back,” he said as he gestured with his head. “Follow me.”

  Was it wrong that Melanie was enjoying this so much? Chuckling softly, she followed him past the counter and into the back where an unfrosted cake sat on a raised platform. He pushed open a door that led to a small parking lot where she saw a brand-new blacked out Camaro—black paint, black rims, tinted windows—that made her heart skip a beat. Yeah, this was going to be fun to drive.

  “You know,” she said as she tried to smother another grin, “there’s really no hurry to get my car fixed.”

  His eyebrows shot up as he released a bark of laughter. “Oh no. There’s definitely a hurry.”

  Then a new thought occurred to her. “What’ll you drive while my car’s in the shop?”

  His gaze slid to a van that had Sprinkles of Joy stenciled across the side. “My work van.”

  This time her grin would not be suppressed. “Sweet ride.”

  One side of his mouth lifted. “Yeah.”

  “Is that what you hit my car with?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Walking to the front of the van, Melanie looked for any indication it had collided with her car. Moments later she saw a small dent in the bumper. “Are you going to fix the damage?”

  “Naw.” Gage shook his head. “It’s not worth bothering with.”

  Smirking, she pointed to his Camaro. “Good thing you weren’t driving this beauty.”

  A muscle tightened in his jaw. “Yeah.”

  She could see the worry on his face. “I promise I’ll take good care of her.”

  He looked skyward as his head shook from side to side. “I can’t believe I’m letting you do this.”

  Me neither, she wanted to say, but instead she smiled. “Keys?”

  A loud sigh left his mouth, then after a brief pause, he reached into his pocket and extracted a set of keys. He removed a few from the ring, then he pressed the key fob. The exterior lights flashed briefly as the doors unlocked, then he opened the passenger door before facing Melanie.

  “It’s pretty tight in the back seat. Are you sure you want your kid to ride in this car?”

  Melanie strode over to where he stood. She set the car seat on the ground, and after Gage moved back a few steps, she leaned into the car to take a look. Avery was only three. She would fit just fine.

  “Yeah,” she said as she faced him. “I’ll just move the passenger seat forward all the way.”

  Gage’s head tilted. “Won’t that make it hard for your…passenger…to fit?”

  Ah, he thought she was married. Well, she had a ch
ild so it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. His question made her think of Kyle, which wiped the smile from her face.

  Avoiding Gage’s eyes, Melanie reached for the car seat as she said, “I’m single.”

  Single? Really? Interesting. That information made Gage look at Melanie differently. Knowing she would be driving his car all by herself—well, with her kid in there too—changed the way he felt. He still wasn’t thrilled to let her take his car, but at least he didn’t have to imagine her gallivanting around with another man while she was using it.

  Staying quiet, he watched as she expertly positioned the car seat in the back before strapping it in. He stood only a few feet away from her, and as she stood and faced him, the subtle scent of her perfume slipped into his nose, making his heart skip a beat. Taking a step back, he watched as she closed the passenger door before facing him.

  She held out her open palm, a sly smile curving her mouth. “I need to get going.”

  Gage hesitated before handing her the keys.

  “You have my number,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Let me know when my car is done.”

  Her face seemed to glow, and Gage was drawn to her more than he’d ever been drawn to her when they were in high school. And now that he knew she was single… “I will.”

  With a final smile in his direction, she sailed around the front of the car and opened the driver’s door before sliding inside.

  Gage hurried around to the driver’s side as well. Melanie hadn’t closed the door yet, so Gage took the opportunity to give her some last minute information. “Are you familiar with the head’s up display?”

  Her eyebrows bunched. “No. What’s that?”

  Fresh worry that she wouldn’t be able to handle his car swept over him. Then she burst out laughing.

  “Of course I know what it is, Gage.” She patted the dashboard. “I told you I’d take good care of her.”

  Why oh why had he suggested this? But he knew why. This was Melanie Hopkins. And his attraction to her had made him lose his mind long enough to offer up his car.

  “See ya, Gage,” she said, then she closed the door, started the engine, and slowly drove out of the parking lot.