10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
P erhaps he was different.
Was it possible she’d jumped to the wrong conclusion about Owen?
Late Sunday afternoon, Maxi rested on her aunt’s couch and replayed her confrontation with Owen. It hadn't gone as she'd originally thought. In fact, he was not at all how she'd imagined.
He was more open-minded than a lot of the men who'd crossed her path. He was surprised but accepting that she was a mechanic. Why had it taken her so long to meet a guy like him?
Not that she had any intention of spending more time with him. Besides, he probably already had a girlfriend. It was hard to imagine someone as handsome as him with a sweet personality being single for long.
"What are you smiling about?" Her aunt's voice drew Maxi from her meandering thoughts.
She was smiling? She hadn’t realized. She immediately forced her lips into a firm line. There was no way she was telling her aunt she’d been thinking about one of her aunt’s former students. Her aunt would immediately start making wedding plans. Maxi resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"I was just thinking about having leftovers. I think that was the best chicken and dumplings that you've ever made. Thank you. You spoil me."
Color rose on her aunt’s cheeks. "Oh. It was the same as I always make you. Do you want me to get it for you?"
Maxi shook her head. "Not yet. And I can get it."
"Or you could have something else for dinner."
"That’s not necessary. There are a lot of leftovers, and I don't want you going to the bother of making anything else. You've already gone to so much trouble."
"But I don't mind. I love to fuss over you. I don't get much chance to do it."
Knock-knock.
Aunt Bonnie's brow rose. "I wonder who that might be."
"I'm not expecting anyone."
"Me either." Aunt Bonnie headed for the front door. She swung the door open. "Oh, hi. I'm so glad you stopped by."
Maxi wondered who was on the other side of the door. If she had to guess, she’d pick one of her aunt’s friends. Maxi scooted to the edge of the couch. She would go upstairs and let them have the room.
"Hello, Mrs. Walters." The familiar male voice made Maxi freeze.
"I keep telling you to call me Bonnie."
"Sorry. Old habits are hard to break."
"I totally understand." Aunt Bonnie swung the door wide open. "Please, come in."
There were footsteps, but she couldn’t see him from her spot in the living room. She didn’t know what she should do: sit back and relax or slip away into the kitchen.
"I was wondering if Maxi was here,” Owen said.
"Sure, she is. Come this way."
Oh no . Maxi immediately scooted back on the couch. She used both of her arms to adjust herself on the cushion. She forgot she'd taken the sling off. Her shoulder protested, causing her to grimace in pain.
"Are you all right?" Owen rushed to her side and knelt down. His brows were knitted together with worry.
Maxi breathed in and blew out the pain. "I'm fine. It’s just my shoulder."
"Do you need to go back to the emergency room?"
She shook her head. Over his shoulder, she saw her aunt with a worried look on her face. "Would you guys quit worrying. I'm fine. It’s just a bruise. No big deal. Although I wouldn't mind some Tylenol."
"I'm on it." Aunt Bonnie rushed out of the room.
Maxi's gaze moved back to Owen. Every time she looked at him, he grew even cuter. How was that possible?
And then she realized he was kneeling down on one knee in front of her. Her heart leaped into her throat. No one had ever gotten down on one knee for her. For just a moment, she imagined him with a ring in his hand.
The image startled her to the core. Was that something she wanted? She’d never really given it much thought. She was always working or exhausted after working long hours. And truthfully, there weren’t any guys in her small town who wanted to date a woman with grease under her nails.
She glanced at Owen again. He was still down on one knee. Not that he was intentionally on one knee to ask for her hand.
She had to fix this situation right away. She patted the couch cushion next to her. "Have a seat."
He straightened and took a seat a comfortable distance from her. "I'm sorry to bother you. I didn't have your phone number."
"Is something wrong with the car?" And then realizing the ridiculousness of the question, she rushed to add, "I mean in addition to what I already saw."
He shook his head. "No. The car is the same as it was when you saw it earlier."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Then what did you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to bring you this.” He withdrew something from his pocket.
When he held his hand out to her, she did a double-take. There in his palm was her heart pin—the one her mother had given her many years ago.
She took it from him. “Wow. I can’t believe you found it.” Her gaze rose to meet his. “Where did you find it?”
“On the sidewalk outside the church after Aunt Carol and Harvey’s wedding. It was right after we bumped into each other.”
“You mean when you stopped me from falling down the church steps.”
He nodded. “Anyway, the pin must have come loose and fallen off as you walked away.”
Her gaze moved from the pin in her hand to his eyes. “And you’ve had it all this time?”
He nodded. “At the time, I didn’t know your name or that you had a relative on the island.”
“So, you just kept it and hoped that you’d see me again?” When he nodded, she said, “Well, thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t see it again.”
“I’m glad I was able to help. I also stopped by to see how you would feel about leaving your car in my parents’ garage."
"Why would I do that?" The tone of her voice wasn’t agitated, just curious.
"If you’re serious about wanting to work on it, you can't do that in the school parking lot. For one thing, there isn't any access to electrical outlets. And unless you travel with all of your tools, you'll need to borrow some."
She arched a brow. "Why does it feel like you're trying to talk me into keeping my car in your garage?"
He gave her a sideways smile as he shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I am."
Aunt Bonnie rushed into the room with a tall glass of water and a couple of pills. She handed them to Maxi. "I'm going to be on the back porch if either of you need anything."
Her aunt rushed out of the room but not before giving Maxi a mischievous grin. Oh boy . Her aunt was already jumping to all the wrong conclusions about her and Owen. She would set her aunt straight a little later.
She turned her attention back to Owen. "Why are you being so nice to me? You hardly even know me."
He glanced down at his blue jeans and rubbed his hands down his thighs. "I don't know. I guess I feel bad for wrecking into your car."
"But I already told you that I don't blame you. If anything, it was my fault for cutting across the lane in front of you. So, why?" Her gaze searched his face. She wasn't used to strangers being so outgoing toward her.
He shrugged. "Would you believe me if I said I just want to be nice?"
Normally, she would readily dismiss his words, but she couldn't help but believe him. Was it possible this guy was really that good of a person? Or had she bumped her head in the accident, and she wasn't thinking clearly?
"Listen," he said. "I have a proposal I'd like to discuss with you."
"I'm listening." She was very curious to know what he had to say.
He shook his head. "I was thinking this would be better said over a couple of burgers and fries."
He was asking her out? Wow. That was fast. And now she didn't know what to say.
"Hold on." He waved his hand at her. "That didn't come out the way I'd meant it to. I'm not asking you out." The disappointment must have shown on her face because he rushed on to say, "Not that you aren't beautiful or anything. It's just that I wanted to talk like, uh...like friends."
"Well, I don't know." She glanced toward the doorway that her aunt had exited through. "I was supposed to have dinner with my aunt."
Suddenly, her aunt appeared in the doorway with a grin on her face. “I don’t mind if you go out with Owen.”
Maxi gaped at her aunt. Had she been standing there, listening the whole time? Maybe Owen was right. Maybe they should go somewhere else to talk.
Not sure what to make of her aunt’s unusual behavior, she turned back to Owen. “Okay. But let's keep this simple."
"Simple works for me." He got to his feet. "Good. Let's go."
"Whoa. Not so fast."
The smile slipped from his face. "You already changed your mind?"
"I didn't say that, but I can't go anywhere looking like this."
"Looking like what? You look fine."
She frowned. "Fine isn't good enough. I'll be right back."
She grabbed her sling, which was lying over the arm of the couch.
Then she rushed to the kitchen. After Maxi told her aunt the plan, her aunt didn't even bother to hide her delight.
Maxi insisted that this was nothing but two competitors grabbing a bit to eat.
She didn't think her aunt heard anything after she said they were going out to eat.
As Maxi rushed upstairs to change clothes, she couldn't help but think that her aunt would have their wedding planned by the time she got home. Oh my!
This wasn’t a date.
And yet that’s exactly what it was starting to feel like.
Owen had a hard time not staring at Maxine.
She'd switched from baggie shorts and a T-shirt to fitted jeans and a pink cotton top that flattered her.
Instead of her hair being pulled back in a ponytail, she wore it down past her shoulders.
His fingers tingled with the desire to reach out and run them through those silky strands.
He gave himself a mental shake. What was he thinking? Maybe it was best he didn't think—at least not in that moment with Maxine seated in his cart. Her presence had a way of short-circuiting his thoughts.