Just His Type (Part Four) Page 7

My stomach lurched.

  "But what if I'm wrong?"

  "Then you risk changing the friendship you have with him." Adele tempered her bluntness with a kind smile. "So what you have to ask yourself is: Is it worth the risk for a chance to be with him?"

  I groaned again. The small noise of frustration couldn't even come close to expressing how tormented I felt.

  "Can I give you a little sisterly advice even though I'm not your sister?"

  I nodded.

  "Whatever you do, don't wait too long to make a decision, one way or the other. Take it from me, you shouldn't put your happiness on hold just because you're scared." She patted my shoulder then she rose up, casting me in her shadow.

  "Love is too good to be afraid of cherie."

  Adele walked away, giving me time to let her sentiment sink in.

  "What if I'm wrong about this?" I yelled at her retreating back.

  Adele spun around.

  "Then you do what I once had to do. You pick up the pieces of your broken heart and move on. Either way, it's better than never knowing for sure."

  ~~~***~~~

  Matt and I said little to each other over the next few days. He apologized for not being around on Sunday but he didn't ask about my date with Ryan and I didn't volunteer any information.

  Ryan called a couple of times and each time I managed to postpone our second date. To be fair, work had been quite steady around the garage with new jobs pulling up the second we finished the one we were working on. It was a nice change of pace—not so busy that it felt overwhelming yet busy enough that I lost track of time. Each night I'd get home well after dinner, answer the rare question from Dad about the shop then fall into bed completely exhausted. The days flew by and before I knew it the end of August loomed.

  It was a Thursday afternoon when Matt stuck his head in my office door.

  "Those two oil changes are done."

  I glanced over at the clock. "Already? That was fast."

  Matt gave me a broad grin, the old friendly one I hadn't seen in a while. "Piece of cake. Could do it in my sleep."

  I nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. Some jobs, like oil changes, were so routine they were practically effortless.

  Matt shuffled into the room, shifting from foot to foot. He took off his hat, ran his fingers through his thick auburn hair and settled his hat back on his head.

  "I... uh... I know we're busy," he began and then paused. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn't used to seeing Matt hesitate over anything and my imagination ran wild as I wondered what he was worried about asking me.

  "Do you think I could slip out for an hour or two this afternoon? I have to pick up my tux for Lil's wedding."

  Lilly's wedding! I'd forgotten all about it. I hadn't been out to Rhiannon and Joe's in a couple of weeks, despite Matt's invitations. There had been just been too much to catch up on at the shop and I worried he only asked me to go because everyone expected him to, not because he actually wanted me there.

  "That's this Saturday!" How did the day arrive so fast?

  "Yup. Makes me glad I moved out of the house when I did. It's chaos at the farm right now."

  I could just imagine. Lilly was a bit of a worrier, a trait which she inherited from her mother, if Matt was to be believed. And with the reception taking place at the farm I knew everyone had to be in a tizzy over the preparations.

  With an exasperated sigh I said, "So I guess you need Saturday off too." Even though Matt was generally off on weekends, he'd been making a habit of coming downstairs to check if I needed a hand with anything.

  "That's okay isn't it?" His ruddy complexion paled. "I did ask ages ago." Somewhere over the past three weeks, Matt had misplaced his sense of humor. He had absolutely no idea I was teasing him.

  I giggled, unable to keep up the joke. "Yes, Matt it's okay. I purposely didn't book anything for September Fourth."

  Matt's shoulders slumped. "Oh, thank goodness. Lilly would have killed me."

  "You can have tomorrow off too," I offered. "We don't have much on the books and I'm sure your family could use a hand getting everything ready."

  His sapphire eyes lit up. "Really? Thanks Flick, you're the best! I will be so damn happy when this wedding is over. I promise that by Monday everything will be back to normal."

  I opened my mouth to remind Matt that he asked me to go the wedding with him but my pride kicked in. He hadn't mentioned it, so I wasn't going to embarrass the both of us by reminding him of an unwanted obligation.

  "What are you working on?" Matt asked as he eyed the papers scattered across my desk.

  "Parts order. We've been going through them a little quicker than usual. I've run out of a few essentials."

  Matt did the awkward little shuffle again. "I guess that means that Ryan guy will be delivering to us."

  "Actually, delivery takes forty-eight hours," I said, trying to keep from laughing at Matt's not so subtle implication. "And I need the transmission fluid for a job tomorrow. Do you think you could pick up the order for me when you're in town today?"

  A triumphant smirk danced over Matt's face. Maybe he guessed I didn't really want to see Ryan. If I implied I did I'd have to give him a reason as to why I'd yet to agree to a second date.

  "Sure," Matt drawled, the cocky old attitude suddenly back full force. "Anything else you want me to pick up for you while I'm there?"

  Did he mean the dress Rhiannon was holding for me? The one I was supposed to wear to Lilly and Adam's wedding? The one he was supposed to buy for me?

  Matt had phrased the question so nonchalantly I couldn't be one-hundred percent sure it meant what I thought it meant.

  Two could play at that game.

  I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture which would have done Rhiannon proud. "Oh, feel free to pick up anything else you think I might need. I trust you."

  Matt's eyes narrowed but then he shot me a big, jovial smile—the one I loved.

  "All right then, I'm gonna take off," Matt said, sounding much more like his old self than he had in weeks. "I'll see you later."

  I nodded and then picked up the phone to put in the parts order so it would be ready by the time Matt arrived to pick it up. Then I got back to business. I still had a couple of repairs to finish before I could go home for the night. Despite the fact that I busied my hands with work and sang along to the songs on the radio, I couldn't get the image of Matthew Tanner in a tux out of my head.

  ~~~***~~~

  Matt's car was already gone when I got to the garage Friday morning. I knew he'd have a busy day helping get everything ready for the wedding. How nice it would have been to go. I really liked Adam and Lilly and I'd never been to a wedding before.

  I flipped the light switches and turned on equipment. Matt must have visited the garage at some point because the parts I asked him to pick up were stacked on the correct shelves. I wished I had the chance to ask him how the tux fitting went. Formal attire wasn't exactly the sort of thing that fell within his comfort zone. The thought of him having to endure being poked, prodded, and measured had me smiling.

  I stepped into my office, flicked on the light, then stopped dead in my tracks. A garment bag hung from the nail in the wall and a shoe box rested on top of my desk.

  I rushed forward, feeling like a kid on Christmas as I lifted the lid off the box. A pair of strappy silver heels lay inside with a note tucked between them. Flick was scribbled across it in Matt's bold handwriting.

  My fingers trembled as I picked the card up and unfolded it.

  Flick,

  You did say yesterday that if there was anything else I thought you needed I should pick it up for you. I think you'll need these. I hope you didn't think I'd forgotten. I'll see you at St. Andrews, Saturday at three. M.

  I squealed out loud. I plopped onto my chair and stripped off my work boots and socks. The gorgeous heels were a perfect fit. For the first time in ages my feet looked dainty and feminine. I pushed the shoe box aside and eyed the garment bag wit
h a mix of trepidation and excitement. Rhi had promised the dress was perfect for me, but I still didn't know what to expect. I'd never owned a fancy dress before.

  I held my breath as I slid down the zipper. The anticipation was better than any birthday, any Christmas. The moment almost made up for all the special occasions when I'd gotten nothing

  I gasped as I caught the first glimpse of the dress. At one angle it looked blue, in another it looked silver. It was so pretty I feared touching it in case my hands weren't clean, but I finally gathered up the courage to grab the hanger and strip the garment bag free so I could see the dress better.

  It was little more than a strapless tube of fabric, edged with beads and dark silver sequins along the neckline and hem. It was simple really, yet the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I'd never owned anything so exquisite in my life. It was almost too fine to contemplate wearing. I hated to think what it cost.

  I carefully angled the dress back into its protective bag and cast one last longing look at it before I zipped it up.

  At the bottom of the garment bag sat a piece of folded up paper. It had to be the receipt. I thought about leaving it alone but I needed to know how much Matt had paid for the dress. If it was too much, I'd find a way to pay him back.

  At it turns out, the small piece of paper wasn't the receipt after all. It was another note from Matt.

  You'll look beautiful. I can't wait.

  Chapter Five

  I woke up long before the first ray of sunshine streaked across my bedroom floor. The excitement of this particular Saturday made it impossible to sleep any longer. For a brief moment, I contemplated going over to the shop for a few hours. The hydraulic lift had been acting up again and it needed tinkering. I decided against it though, it had been much too long since I had a day off and I deserved one.

  So I got up and threw my robe on. The house was quiet as I made my way to the kitchen. Dad was still in bed and probably would be for hours, which meant I had plenty of time and privacy to get ready. I put the coffee on to perk and made myself some oatmeal. Then I took my breakfast outside to the porch swing and watched the morning bloom.

  After the damp weather we'd had all week I was worried it might rain, but the day dawned with sparkling brilliance. There wasn't a single cloud to break up the endless blue of sky. The color reminded me of Matt's eyes -- deep blue and beautiful.

  I daydreamed as I sat and swung, sipping my coffee and picking at my oatmeal. I'd never been to a wedding before, only seen them in movies and on television. I wondered what it would be like in person. I'd never been one of those girls who had their wedding planned since the age of eight. I never bought a bridal magazine, never given any thought at all to my own nuptials. There'd never been much room for girly things in my life. Heck, I'd only worn a dress on a handful of occasions.

  And now the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen was hanging in my bedroom. I'd lain awake last night marveling at how it looked like a silver-blue ghost in the darkness. I could hardly wait to wear it.

  The grandfather clock in the dining room chimed nine times. There was still more than enough time to do a little housework and laundry before I had to get ready. Tomorrow I'd be completely free to spend at the shop and get caught up on everything I'd miss out on today.

  I rose from the porch swing, collected my dirty dishes and went inside. The housework kept me busy until noon. Afterwards, I ran a nice long bath and soaked away the worries of the past week. I wrapped myself in a big fluffy towel and did the girliest thing I could think of - I painted my toenails. There wasn't much hope for my fingernails, not when I'd worked with my hands every day since I turned six, but I did moisturize from head-to-toe in hopes of smoothing some of the rough edges. I even put product in my short hair and made an attempt to style it.

  I had a few bits of make-up left over from when I used to have time to go on dates. There wasn't anything as advanced as foundation or powder, but there was a little charcoal eyeliner and a tube of rose-colored lipstick that didn't look too questionable. Thankfully I didn't need mascara; I tried using it once and only succeeded in almost poking my eye out. God had been smart to give me thick, dark lashes.

  The towel fell to the floor as I rummaged about in my dresser drawer for a pair of panties. There was only one pair I thought I could wear with the formfitting dress -- a low-rise baby pink thong that I'd once bought on a complete whim because they were so pretty and on sale; they were without a doubt the most feminine undergarment ever made... all lace with a tiny bow at the back. I'd never been brave enough to wear them. They seemed to suit the occasion though, so I slipped them on and tried to get used to the alien feeling of wearing a thong.

  It was then, as I was stood in the middle of my bedroom in nothing but tiny panties, that I realized with horror that I didn't own a bra I could wear with the dress. A glance at the clock told me I didn't have time to run all the way to the city to get one. It was already well after one. If I wanted to get to St. Andrews in time I'd have to leave the house by two.

  I eyed myself in the mirror. It's not like I needed a bra to hold anything up. I barely had anything to hold, and the dress had light padding in the bust. Maybe it would be okay if I went without.

  I carefully pulled the dress from the hanger and unzipped it. Then I stepped into it and slid the silver-blue fabric over my body. Thankfully the zipper was at the side or I might never have gotten it done up on my own. I had a flash of fear that the dress might not fit, but with one last tight tug on the zipper, I managed to get the dress on.

  When I turned to look at myself in the full-length mirror I almost fell over in disbelief.

  The dress was short -- not even falling halfway down my thighs. No shorter than most of the shorts I owned, but somehow the tube of fabric made me feel more exposed than shorts ever did. I'd never worn anything formfitting or strapless before, and this dress hugged every curve I didn't know I possessed. Against my pale skin the fabric looked more silver than blue, until it a ray of sunshine filtered through my bedroom window and it flickered blue again.

  Nervously, I ran my hands down the luxurious fabric, smoothing it against my body.

  I didn't look like me at all. I looked... sexy.

  Was this what people wore to weddings?

  The shoes sat on my bed, waiting patiently in their pretty box. I sat down and worked my feet into them, my usually capable fingers fumbled with the tiny buckles. All I could think of was Matt and his reaction when he saw me. I'd never been more nervous and excited in my life.

  I put my lipstick and my truck keys in the small silver purse that had been included with the shoes. At the last minute, I also decided to slip in a few tissues, just in case. I wasn't usually the crying type, but who knows what a wedding would do.

  Dad was sitting in his chair in the livingroom as I wobbled out of my bedroom. He eyed me uncertainly as I tried to master the art of walking in heels. Today was day two of another bout of sobriety. They were short-lived and sometimes I'd catch a glimpse of the father I used to know. Those were the moments I would broach the topic of his drinking, only to be met with a sort of defensive hostility or worse, silence. Then there were times I said nothing at all, just so we could enjoy the fragile normalcy in the house.

  "Where ye goin'?" he asked in a measured, flat tone.

  "To a wedding," I whispered. I couldn't remember if I'd told him about the wedding before, but the chances were slim that I had. It's not like we chatted about those sorts of things.

  He grunted and glared up at me. "Who's at the shop? Matt?"

  "Uhhh... no... it's Matt's sister who's getting married. I closed the shop for today."

  His grizzled, greying eyebrows shot up. "Ye closed the shop?"

  I nodded.

  "On a Saturday?"

  I nodded again, suddenly feeling guilty. It was something I probably shouldn't have done, but I really wanted to go to Lilly's wedding. Besides, I hadn't had a Saturday off in almost three years.

  "For
a wedding?"

  I hesitated in the doorway, thinking that maybe I should just get changed and forget the wedding. I expected Dad to start yelling but instead he just shook his dark, shaggy head.

  "Matt's sister? The pretty redhead?"

  I was shocked. I didn't realize Dad knew anything about Matt's family even though they lived fairly close by. The Island wasn't exactly a big place. Everyone on the north shore pretty much knew everyone else. I nodded again. Dad hadn't been too specific seeing as Matt had two pretty redheaded sisters, but there wasn't any reason to point that out to him, besides Violet would be a little young to get married anyway.

  "Well, tell her I said, 'Congratulations.'"

  I paused, unsure of what I heard.