Not My Type: Adele Ch. 05

The garage where Matt worked. That explained the plough—a definite necessity in the winter if there was a business parking lot to clear and a good way to make a few extra dollars if needed.

Apparently I didn't catch on quickly enough because the girl took a few steps forward and kept on talking.

"Don't let the name fool you though, there aren't any 'sons' to speak of. But Dad could hardly call it 'Stewart and Daughter-who's-never-been-anything-but-a-colossal-disappointment Automotive, now could he? You must be Adele."

The odd course of the conversation came as a surprise, but my manners kicked in and I held out my hand as she approached. "Adele Leclerc," I mumbled as my fingers wrapped around her own. "I-I'm sorry. You're rather unexpected. I don't mean to rude."

Felicity's hands were tiny but her grip felt ridiculously strong. I looked down at her and smiled automatically. She was even more striking up close with a flawless complexion and ice-blue eyes ringed with sapphire. She hardly came up to my shoulder, which meant she barely topped five feet.

She laughed. "That's okay. It's not rude. People always tell me I pop up when least expected. They never see me coming!" Felicity tilted her chin up at an exaggerated angle and met my eyes. "I bet they never say that about you!"

Her giggle was infectious. Normally I felt self-conscious about being tall, but with pint-sized Felicity in front of me it was more funny than embarrassing.

"I'm wondering how someone as little as you drives a truck as big as that!" I teased. "I would think Matt would handle it."

Felicity shrugged in a very Matt-like gesture. "It's my truck," she explained. "And anyway, Matt's crap at ploughing. He put it in the ditch three times last winter."

"You two work together," I said by way of clarification. Felicity nodded.

"Technically, Matt works for me, although he'd hate to admit it. It's my Dad's shop but he's off on medical leave, so I'm runnin' the place for now."

"You're a mechanic?"

The disbelief in my voice made Felicity laugh louder. "Yup. Had a wrench in my hand since before I could walk. Dad didn't know what else to do with me, so he taught me to fix things. You need something fixed, you just bring it to me."

"She's not lyin'," piped a voice from over my shoulder. I glanced back to see Matt bundling back into his boots and coat. He pulled mine from the coat rack and handed it to me. "There's nothing that Flick can't put to rights."

Matt trundled past me and gave Felicity a friendly cuff on the shoulder. He grinned at her with the same smile he gave Lilly or Violet, a big, open, brotherly one, but he was too far beyond her on his way towards the truck to catch the look she gave him in return.

Uh, oh.

"Flick?" I asked, pushing down the other question.

She pursed a pair of berry red lips and sighed. "That's what they call me."

Matt emerged from behind the seat of the truck with a couple of shovels. He passed one roughly to her. "I mean, Felicity? Really? Could a name be any girly-er?" He dug at the mountain of snow drifted against the fence. Playfully he tossed a shovelful in Felicity's direction. "And Flick's not a girl, are ya Flick?"

She easily dodged the shower of white fluff before glancing up at me with a wry, impatient look. "Apparently not," she muttered low enough for only me to hear.

I stood dumbfounded on the stoop with my coat still in my hands and oblivious to the cold while Felicity and Matt went to work clearing the walkway to Nate's front door. How could someone as flirtatious and charming as Matthew Tanner completely miss the fact that his co-worker was quite possibly the most gorgeous girl for miles and miles? Especially when it was obvious to me, a total stranger, that she didn't share his jovial, platonic regard.

"Oi!" Matt chimed, catching my attention. "Adele! You gonna stand there all day lookin' good or are you gonna help?"

My guilty eyes met Felicity's but she looked away. I threw on my jacket and tried to smile at Matt. "And what am I supposed to shovel with? My hands?"

"One of these might work better," suggested a low, throaty voice behind me. I whirled around to find Nate standing in the doorway with two snow-shovels in one hand and a pair of mitts in the other.

His eyes had faint shadows beneath them.

"Sleep well?" I asked, even though the answer was apparent on his face.

"Yes," Nate lied politely with a weary smile. "You?"

"Yes. Joe called at about two. Rhi had the baby, a little girl."

Nate's smile grew so wide the corners of his eyes crinkled. "I know, Matt told me. Sophie Adele. That's quite an honour."

"It is," I agreed. I felt myself smiling as I thought of her. It was as if the light of day had banished some of the heartache from the night before. And anyway, it was possible to be excited for Rhi and Joe and still feel sorry for myself at the same time.

I glanced up to find Nate watching me carefully. An awkward pause passed between us as we stood on his doorstep. A lot remained unsaid and I had absolutely no idea of where we stood with each other, but I wasn't very well going to get into that discussion with Matt and Felicity only feet away.

"You didn't need to call for back-up," I teased, shielding my hurt that he didn't want me here any longer.

Nate handed me the mittens and waited as I put them on before he passed me a shovel.

"I didn't call anyone. My phone's down along with the power."

I gasped. "Then how did they know where to find me?"

Nate cocked his head to one side. "I figure they put two-and-two together, sweetheart. Adam suggested you come out for Service yesterday. They all know I get stuck out here every time there's a storm. Last night you told Joe you were stranded with a friend. They're not stupid, you know. They are our friends, they were bound to figure it out."

"They might be our friends, but they're going to talk," I worried aloud.

"Let them talk. They're not going to say anything that isn't true."

He walked past me but I put out my hand to stop him.

"They'll think we slept together!"

"Then let them think that."

I blushed. "But we didn't."

Nate's expression changed from reverend to rouge and then back so quickly I almost thought I'd imagined it. Then he leaned down and captured my mouth with his.

"Whatever they imagine happened between the two of us will pale in comparison to when it actually does," he promised. Before I had the chance to react, Nate strode down the walkway and introduced himself to Felicity.

I stood numb and aching on his front step, too stunned to even move.

To be continued...