Chasing Dragonflies (7 page)

“Tom's dad.”

“Really?” her heart rate picked up, maybe he was suspicious. Had he come looking to confront her father? To tell him he knew where she was? To set her free at last?

“Yeah,” he said sadly, looking at the floor.

“What Dad? What is it?”

He rose to his feet and walked toward the door. “Maybe I shouldn't tell you,” he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.

Launching off her bed she narrowed the distance between them in one large step. Wrapping her hand around his bicep.

“Tell me Dad,” she pleaded.

With that he spun around into her face. A serious look crossing his features. She thought she might have even seen tears in his eyes. She had not known her dad to cry. Something had to be wrong.

“I'm sorry Maddie...he came to tell me Tom's dead. He was murdered. They found his body in the creek near the school...”

He said more, but she did not hear any of his words. Her head spun and her knees wobbled, stumbling she fell back onto the bed, that barely held her light weight.

“No. No. No.” She cried out, over and over again.

Her dad was still talking, but she brought her hands up to her ears. She did not want to hear what he had to say. How could this be? How could her Tom be dead? Her beautiful, youthful, fun, cheeky, smart, loving, beautiful Tom. It was their wedding day, this must be a joke. A cruel nasty joke.

Her father’s arms came to her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug, but she pushed him away. She did not want his comfort. How could he think to comfort her now?

“This is all your fault,” she screamed. Pushing at his strong chest with both hands, tears blurred her vision and stung as they ran down her cheeks. “All your fault.”

He fought her, trying to stop her from pushing him.

“No,” she screamed. “I hate you for keeping me here. This is all your fault. You took me away from Tom. I hate, you. I hate you. I hate you.”

He never left her side, as much as she wanted him too, but maybe she didn't. She didn't know. The world had stopped making sense to her weeks ago when he had slammed the door shut and fastened the locks. Eventually she collapsed into a fit of uncontrollable tears and her dad pulled her into his chest and hugged her close. Through everything he had done to her, she loved her dad. She knew he loved her. But the pain she felt in her chest, was unlike any pain she had ever felt. Was this what they meant when they talked about a broken heart?

Placing the list down beside her on the bed, she continued to rifle through the box. Buried under the old love letters Tom had sent her,
she found it.
The red envelope she was looking for, was still there. Peering inside she found what she had hoped would still be there. A wad of fifty dollar notes. She had saved for a year before the wedding for their honeymoon. They were to fly to Fiji for two weeks.

Maddie had finished school, but had not decided on what she wanted to do with her life. Tom had been at university, studying to be a teacher. Sport was his thing and ultimately he hoped to become a physical education teacher. For a moment she allowed herself to wonder if he had reached that goal, before quickly pushing it out of her mind. Did it even matter? She was angry at him for turning back up when he did. It would have been better if he had just stayed out of her life altogether.

Not only had her bedroom
remained untouched, but her car was still parked in the garage. Gosh she loved that car. She remembered the day her granddad had brought it around. She had thought he was buying it for himself when he had shown it to her at the car yard.

A 1964 baby blue mustang. She could still recall the look on her mum's face when Granddad had told her it was for her. Running her hand across the dusty roof she laughed to herself at the memory.

Peering through the window, she saw the keys still in the ignition. Time really had stood still in some ways, yet in others it had moved full-steam ahead. Lifting the door handle, she pulled and the door creaked open. She swung one leg up and slid into the driver’s seat, placing both hands on the steering wheel. The little red love heart with legs that Tom had brought her for their first valentine’s day, still hung from the rear-vision mirror. Taking it down, she held it in her hands, giving it a squeeze. She brought it to her face and gave it a sniff. It had been scented, the scent was now long gone. Memories of cruising down the highway, with the windows down came crashing into her. If she closed her eyes, she could still smell the sea air as they drove down along the beach. Some of her favourite memories were of time spent at the beach. Those were the days, she had been happy. When she had been in love.

Reaching out she fingered the keys in the ignition, a strong sense of familiarity washed through her. Steadily she turned the keys. Nothing. She tried again. Not even a click. What had she expected? She let out a long sigh. She would have to call a mechanic out to have a look at it.

***

“I'll get it,” Maddie called out, feeling annoyed that Patrick had not gotten out of bed even when there was someone knocking on the front door. It was past ten o'clock already.

She swung the door open and was stopped dead in her tracks. Standing on her door step was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. Six foot tall, big, broad shoulders, shoulder length dark red hair tucked into a black beanie, a short trimmed beard. Dressed in dark jeans and a dark button up shirt with 'Dexter's Mechanical' embroidered across the left pocket.

“Hi, you must be Maddie? I'm Dex, the mechanic. We spoke on the phone,” he said in a deep voice. Maddie was sure she just fell a little bit in love with this man.

“Um...yeah,” she was a little lost for words. Good one Maddie, she inwardly admonished herself. “It's out in the garage.” Well duh, it’s not going to be in the house is it? Jeez she felt an idiot all of a sudden. “Hang on two sec's yeah? I'll just get some shoes on.”

She charged off back into the house, frantically searching around to see where she had left her sandals. Suddenly realising she had just left the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on standing at her front door, she tossed over her shoulder, “Come in if you want.”

“Ahh found you suckers,” she said snagging her shoes from under a kitchen chair. Standing up she heard a deep chuckle.

“Do you always talk to inanimate objects?”

Oh she was so very embarrassed. “Only when I think no one is listening,” she giggled.

“Well you did say to come in.”

“Yeah, I know, sorry... okay, um, well I better show you to my baby then huh?”

He raised an eyebrow at her in question, then as realisation that she was talking about her car dawned on him, he nodded. “Lead the way.”

Maddie led Dex out the back door, down the stairs and out to the garage. The door was always hard to open and she didn't want to ask, so she grabbed the handle and gave it a hard pull. It didn't budge. She tried again, this time from another angle, this time it moved slightly. She heard a low laugh coming from behind her. How rude, she thought, spinning on her heel she looked up into Dex's eyes. Beautiful steel blue eyes, momentarily she almost forgot what she was going to say. Then he laughed again and it came back to her.

“If you think it's so funny watching me, why don't you be a gentleman and do it for me?”

Without saying a word he stepped forward nudging her out of the way and pulling the big heavy doors open. The slight contact of his big body with her smaller one make her skin prickle in a way that was not familiar to her and made her shiver. Standing back and folding his arms over his broad chest looking pleased with himself, he gave a low whistle.

“Now that is a sweet little number isn't it?” he said as he ran his finger over the back of her car.

“Yeah I like it, and I'd like to be able to drive it.”

“What's wrong with it?”

Maddie leant her hip against the side of her car. “Well you're the mechanic, aren't you meant to tell me that?” she asked with a smirk.

The sides of his mouth lifted in a half smile at her cheeky remark.

“I meant what's it doing? Is it just not turning over or...”

“Well it has sat here, and as far as I know it has not been started for six years,” she interrupted impatiently.

Dex raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Six years? Why has it been sitting here six years?”

Maddie was not sure she believed what she was hearing and stared blankly at him momentarily, waiting for him to recognise her face. When he showed no signs of recognition, she asked. “Don't you watch the news?” God knows she had been on every news channel for weeks. On the front page of every newspaper, every internet report. There had been no escaping the media circus that was chasing her.

Dex shrugged, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “Should I?”

Maybe he did not know who she was, “Wow, cool.”

“What?”

“No matter...” she smiled. Maybe she could have a normal conversation with someone for once. “So anyway, my brother bought a new battery for it, but he thought it best to have it checked over before he put it in, in case you know...” she shrugged. “In case something went wrong, he's not much of a mechanic.”

Dex laughed, a deep chuckle. Maddie liked the sound of his laugh. It was sexy and masculine.

“Okay, I will probably need to replace some hoses, change the oil and spark plugs, probably the belts.”

He turned and walked to the driver’s door and reached in pulling the lever to pop the bonnet. With the bonnet open he stood and scratched his chin, running his fingers through the short scruff that was there. Maddie's fingers itched to reach out and run her fingers through that scruff and she tucked them into her pockets.

“Given its age it might take me a few days to locate some of the parts.” He turned and faced her, steel blue eyes looking into her green ones. “Will that be okay?”

“Huh?” she asked absently, she had been busy checking him out and had hardly heard a word he said, something about hoses or something. Oops.

“I might have to come back later in the week....if that's okay?”

Maddie smiled, of course that would be okay, and he could come back any time he liked. “Yeah, yeah of course.....that will be fine. Do you think you will be able to get it going?”

Dex scratched his head, over the top of his beanie. “Yeah, I think I will.”

Maddie could barely hide her grin, she loved this little car, her granddad had bought it for her before he died. She had not had her licence long and it had definitely added to her coolness factor amongst her friends. Of course she was with Tom then and he had a car, but his was a beat up old Mazda.

“When can you start?”

He let out a low laugh, “You're keen to get it going aren't you? Well I can get a few things done today, if you like. I can take a few things apart and make a list of parts I need.”

She gave a little jump with glee, “Oh I would love that.”

Dex's eyes darkened and burned a trail over her body. “Would you now?”

It had been a long time, but she was no idiot, she could tell when a man was flirting with her and she liked it. She turned and leant her bottom against the grill of her open bonnet, giving him a shy smile.

Dex leant forward resting both hands on the grill only inches from her looking at the motor.

“Well then,” he said in little more than a whisper. “Where should I start?”

Maddie sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, biting down gently. “You could start anywhere you like.”

Another low chuckle, that sent vibrations right through her body. He turned his face to hers, without removing his hands, their faces were so close. It felt like he was staring right into her soul. In that moment, all rational thought left her mind, her lips ached to reach out make contact with his. Without any conscious effort she felt herself moving closer, slowly, she wondered how he would react, if he would reject her, he was not moving away.

“You out here Madd?”

Came a voice from the open shed door. Before she even had a chance to speak, Patrick was standing beside her.

“Ah you must be the mechanic. I'm Trick.” Patrick extended his hand.

“Dex,” Dex replied taking Patrick's hand in a firm handshake. “Ah yeah, I am the mechanic. I was just telling your wife, I should be able to fix her car, but it might take a week or two to get the parts, as it's an old vehicle.”

Patrick nodded.

What? Husband? Really? “Trick is not my husband.” Maddie spluttered.

Both men looked at her in apparent surprise, as if they had both forgotten she was even there. Why had Patrick not corrected him? Men.

“Well anyway,” Dex turned back to Patrick. “I will make a start today.”

“Cool, no worries man, let us know if you need anything,” he nodded at Dex, then turned to Maddie. “Can you come back to the house for a minute I need to have a word with you.”

Maddie was most annoyed, she would much rather stay out here with Dex, but she folded her arms across her chest and let out a huff. “Okay.”

She turned and smiled at Dex, “I've just got to go inside with him.” She rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb at Patrick, “Can you let me know before you go, when you might be coming back?”

“Sure thing,” Dex smiled and gave her a wink.

Maddie was sure her insides would melt. Standing there just smiling at him, for a moment longer, she probably looked like an idiot but didn’t care.,

Trudging up the stairs to the back door behind Patrick, she asked. “So what’s the rush Trick?”

“Ah no rush, I just thought it best if you come inside with me for a while.”

“Huh? Why?”

They reached the back door and Patrick opened it, gesturing for her to enter ahead of him. Once inside Patrick turned to her taking her by the shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes.

“I saw the way you were checking that guy out Maddie.”

Maddie shrugged, what was the big deal.

“Just be careful yeah?”

“Seriously Trick? I'm not a baby you know?”

He gave her a sad smile, “Yeah I know, but there are some men out there, that will take advantage of women that they see as...well, you know... vulnerable.”