14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
S he was impressive.
The next day, Owen straightened with a hand to his lower back and a slight groan.
He’d been bent over the engine most of the day.
He normally enjoyed the solitude of working on his car.
It gave him time to just zone out or a chance to puzzle out a problem with the coding he’d written for the digital game he was working on.
But working alongside Maxi was a totally different experience.
All day, he’d been able to observe her. She moved around the car with such confidence. Owen thought he knew a thing or two about what was under the hood, but Maxi had shown him more than a thing or two.
“Did you write down the brace we need?” Maxi asked with her head still under the hood.
“Yeah. I got it.” He moved to the workbench and looked at the sheet of paper with a long list of parts. It wasn’t going to be easy to get it all. But he didn’t want to focus on it now. “Are you starting to get hungry?”
“Hungry?” She straightened and looked at him. There was a smudge of grease on her cheek.
He couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and wipe it away. He noticed how soft and smooth her skin was. His gaze dipped to her lips. He wondered if they were just as soft.
“What are you doing?” Maxi backed away.
“Sorry.” He lowered his arm. “You had a smudge on your cheek.”
“Oh.” She grabbed a rag from her coverall pocket and wiped it over her cheek.
“So, what do you want for dinner?”
She shook her head. “I don’t. I mean, I already have plans. I promised my aunt that I’d have dinner with her. In fact, I need to call her.” Maxi grabbed her phone from the workbench.
He tried not to eavesdrop as he cleaned up their tools and unplugged the trouble light that was suspended from the hood of the car. The conversation didn’t last long.
He turned to Maxi. “I’ll give you a ride home.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”
Just then his phone rang. He held up a finger to Maxi for her to wait. When he saw it was from Maxi’s aunt, he was confused. He pressed the phone to his ear.
“Hello.”
“Owen, I was wondering if you’re available for dinner?” Bonnie rushed on. “I made too much food for just Maxi and myself. You’d be doing me a favor.”
“Uh…” He did want to have dinner with Maxi.
It would give their story about being a couple more credibility.
Although, he wasn’t so sure about having a chaperone.
It would mean they’d have to be careful what they said in front of her aunt.
He knew Bonnie was a part of the gossip chain on the island.
Still, it would be odd for him to turn down the invitation. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After he hung up, Maxi gave him a strange look. “Is everything all right?”
He nodded. “At least I think so. It was your aunt.”
“My aunt? What did she want?”
“She invited me to dinner.”
Maxi’s blue eyes widened. “And you accepted?”
“What else was I supposed to do? We’re supposed to be a couple. Usually when relationships are new, people want to spend all of their time together. It would have been a little strange if I had turned her down.”
“But we’re not a real couple.” Her voice rose in frustration.
“Shh…” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure none of his family was around to overhear them. He could see that Maxi was having big doubts about this arrangement. “Fine. I’ll call her back and tell her I can’t make it.”
Maxi was quiet for a moment, as though thinking over his suggestion. When he pulled the phone from his pocket, she said, “Don’t. It’s only one dinner. How bad can it be? Let’s go.”
While she moved to the driveway, he turned off the lights and locked up the garage. This was going to be an interesting dinner. He just wondered if Maxi could get through it without telling her aunt the truth about their relationship.
He would be back soon.
Maxi had showered and then proceeded to change her outfit a few times now. After Owen had dropped her off at her aunt’s house, he drove to his place to grab a shower. And now he would be back anytime.
She’d actually enjoyed herself while working on the car with Owen.
While he had input into what should be done to the car, he respected that she was the expert.
She didn’t rub it in his face. She liked having someone to bounce ideas off of.
She hadn’t had that since her father was alive.
There was a pang in her heart as she thought of him.
She missed their brainstorming sessions.
By the end of the day, she’d had an easy rapport with Owen. The truth of the matter was that she was looking forward to having dinner with him. It would give them a chance to talk about anything other than the car.
As her nerves began to set in, she started to wish her aunt hadn’t invited him to dinner. In fact, she was surprised by her aunt’s actions. This was pretty bold, even for her aunt.
Maxi knew she’d promised Owen she would keep the details of the arrangement quiet, but she couldn’t keep her aunt in the dark.
In fact, she was going to tell her aunt the truth right now.
Maxi opened her bedroom door and rushed down the steps.
She’d just reached the bottom step when the doorbell rang.
She inwardly sighed. It was Owen. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he knew what she was about to do, and he’d shown up in time to stop her.
Maxi called out, “I’ll get the door.”
“Thanks,” Aunt Bonnie said. “Dinner’s ready.”
Maxi opened the door. She opened her mouth to tell him that she couldn’t keep up the charade—even if it meant he would back out of helping her repair the car.
But those words got lost somewhere between her brain and her lips.
All she could think was how handsome Owen looked.
His short dark brown hair was still damp from his shower.
He wore a casual light-blue button down with short sleeves, dark jeans, and white sneakers.
“Are you going to invite me in?” Owen’s words jarred her from her thoughts.
“Oh. Yes. Sure.” She stumbled over her words as she took a quick step back, pulling the door wide open.
She glanced down at her jean shorts and pink T-shirt and wished she’d picked out a nicer outfit. She considered running upstairs and changing clothes, but she wouldn’t let herself. She didn’t want Owen to think she was trying to impress him. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Hurry up,” Aunt Bonnie called out. “It’s going to get cold.”
“I, uh… Guess we should eat.” As she led him to the kitchen, she inwardly groaned. She sounded so foolish.
When they reached the kitchen, the table was empty. Maxi came to a stop. Owen practically ran into her. He put his hands on her shoulders in order to avoid colliding with her. He let go of her, but she could still feel the warmth of his touch.
“Sorry,” he said. “You stopped suddenly.”
Before she could think of what to say, Aunt Bonnie called out. “We’re eating in the dining room tonight.”
The dining room? Her aunt never used that room. She said it was for special occasions, and she preferred the kitchen. So, was she saying tonight’s dinner was a special occasion?
“Maxi, what’s taking you so long?” Aunt Bonnie sounded as though she were getting inpatient.
Maxi continued through the kitchen and into the dining room. There, the room was lit by an army of candles. Oh, my! What exactly was her aunt up to?
“I couldn’t wait to eat,” Aunt Bonnie said. “I’m too old for these late dinners. You two enjoy. I’m heading upstairs to do some reading for my book club.”
“Ah, thank you,” Owen said. “It smells really good.”
“I hope you enjoy.”
Maxi’s gaze took in the table with only two plates and not her everyday plates either. The table was set with her aunt’s china. There were two tapered candles in the center with serving dishes awaiting them.
Her gaze swung to her aunt’s retreating back. “Wait, Aunt Bonnie.” When her aunt turned back to her, Maxi said, “Are you sure you won’t join us?”
“Nah. After all, two’s company and three’s a crowd. And I really do need to finish reading this book before I go to book club next week. Good night.”
After her aunt left the room, Maxi turned back to Owen. “I’m sorry. I, uh… I didn’t know it was going to be dinner for two.” She lowered her gaze to the oriental rug as heat rose to her cheeks. “You, uh…don’t have to stay.”
“Are you asking me to leave?”
When she raised her head, he was staring directly at her. Their gazes met, causing her heart to launch into her throat. Not trusting her voice in that moment, she shook her head.
“Shall we eat before it gets cold?” He pulled out a chair for her.
She inwardly swooned a little. She sat down, and then he sat across from her. In the candlelight, it would be so easy to get lost in those dreamy blue-gray eyes. She glanced away before she fell under his spell.
She surveyed the food on the table. Her aunt didn’t hold back. She’d prepared fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. Maxi loved her aunt’s chicken. They quietly ate for a while. Both of them had big appetites after working hard all day.
She still had a lot of computer work to do that evening—looking for car parts. But she didn’t want to think about any of that now. When she glanced across the table and immediately met Owen’s gaze, her stomach dipped. Why was she letting him get to her? She would be leaving the island soon.
She focused on her plate. She moved the few remaining green beans around on her plate. “I’m sorry my aunt is playing matchmaker. She’s never done this before.”
“If her matchmaking always includes such delicious food, she can do it again.” He used his fork to scrape up the last of the mashed potatoes on his plate.
He was so handsome and such a good guy that she could imagine all of the mothers inviting him over to set him up with their available daughters. The thought left a sour taste in the back of her mouth. “You must be used to this?”