9781618857569GettingitAllStorm (5 page)

Still,
she had picked up the phone. She had made the call.

“Sure,
one of the guys can take Sam out for a test drive,” Matt was saying. “Lucy, are
you okay? You sound a little nervous.
Don’t worry
, the
car probably just needs a little adjusting. And don’t worry about the bill.
We’ll work something out. Always do.
Gotta
keep my ladies rolling.”

“Oh,
that’s good. Thanks, Matt. About Sam, I mean.
Nervous?
No, I’m fine. You know how Mr. Anders can be sometimes. His clients…well, there
aren’t that many of them and…” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t want to put
Mr. Anders down. People had lots worse bosses.

“Yeah.
It can be tough these days. I’m really lucky. My customers seem to need their
wheels, no matter what. Still, Anders shouldn’t be taking his frustration out
on you. You want me to say something to Carmen? He’s usually pretty good
about—”

“What?
No! It’s not him. It’s me. I mean, it’s the car…”

“Well,
you bring Sam around. How’s this evening after work? I’ll stick around the
shop,
we’ll take the guy for a spin and see if we can figure
out what might be upsetting you.”

“That
would be great, Matt. That would be perfect.
A drive.
Yeah. ‘Bye and thanks so much.”

“Always my pleasure.”

Lucy
slumped onto the desk, head down.

What
on earth was the matter with her? Matt was just a man, she thought. It was just
a…contest. Oh, that sounded so awful. Why did she ever…

Because he was the best-looking man in town.
And the nicest.
And it was
time for him to start dating again. Yes, he was a little old for her, but…

If
it hadn’t been for that Christy…sometimes she just seemed so sure of herself…

Yeah,
Lucy frowned, still staring the phone. If only she had one teeny tiny bit of
Christy’s…sureness…her guts.

Groaning,
Lucy prepared to go back to work. The phone rang.

“Lucy
were
you asking me for a date?”

It
was Matt, he was chuckling. He sounded really up.

“What?
Of course not! Well, I mean…maybe…maybe for a little drive.” She was
breathless, her pulse raced.

“Christy
just called me and flat out asked me for a date. I thought you girls had given
up on me a long time ago. Has Buddy put you up to this? Is Dot in on this too?”
He was laughing out loud now. He didn’t sound upset at all. Lucy felt
light-headed.

“Yes!
Yes! That would be wonderful. Can we make it a date, Matt? Maybe we can go out
for a hamburger or something. We can talk. Would that be okay? That would be
great.”

“Well,
I don’t know…what about Sam? You think he might get jealous?”

“Sam?
Oh, you silly. He’s on my side. Whatever makes me happy makes him happy. He’s
the perfect companion.
Except when he breaks down.
Then I’m pretty much on my own.” She was being downright witty!

“I’ll
see you when you come by after work. We’ll check Sam out…and check each other
out. You’re right, Lucy. It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. I think I
might be ready to start bending your ear.”

“Are
you going out with Christy too?”

“Sure.
If I’m gonna start spreading my charms around, you two ladies will be me
starting at the top. But you know how Christy
is,
she
won’t let me get a word in edgewise. You and I will have a nice talk. Okay?”

Lucy
could hardly speak she was so filled with emotion. “Okay.”
So
filled with possibilities.

Again.

“Later.”

“Later.”

She
leaned back in the chair.
Heart pounding.
Eyes sparkling.

He
said yes.
She could take on anything
now.

Even that grumpy old Mr. Anders.

* * * *

“Lucy,
it seems Sam is okay...more or less." In the driver’s seat, Matt turned
and smiled, sending another shiver of anticipation through her. Anticipation,
in that, things seemed to be going awfully well, so naturally she would begin
to anticipate they would continue to go even better. Lucy was ever hopeful, if
also, by and large, ever disappointed.

The
so-called "test drive" to see how her very practical American sedan,
Sam, was running, had run its course. Sam had come through with flying colors,
more or less. She had not made a fool of herself in conversing with Matt. He
had been exceptionally pleasant and charming and now at the conclusion of his
automotive diagnosis had even seemed to be hesitating about ending the drive
and heading directly back to his shop.

All
of the above had not only given her a shiver of anticipation and hope, but had
physically begun to affect her. She was positively
warm
down there
.
Damp, even. Maybe,
just maybe, if things continued to go well, she'd dare to think about reminding
him of the “date” potential.

"He
maybe could use a tune-up, good ole Sam." Matt chuckled, his comforting,
deep tones producing a definite up-tick in the heat index
down there
.
"But then, I
guess most of us older guys could stand a little up-grading in how to handle
you young chicks. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean 'handle' like in ‘manhandle.’"
He laughed easily and shook his head. "See what I mean. I'm afraid I'm out
of practice in dealing with a lady on anything other than a professional
basis."

Her
startled look stopped him for just an instant before he broke into
full-throated laughter. "Okay. Okay. Looks like I'm putting my foot into
it every time I open my mouth. Why don't we just drive some place we can look
at the sunset and I promise to keep buttoned up and just listen to you regale
me with the exciting exploits of a professional woman...oh, damn!"

This
time they both whooped. Lucy was all but floating away with excitement at the
possibilities that seemed to suddenly be exploding around her, and inside her.

Matt
had decided on a drive without her having to suggest it. This would truly be a date.

"That
is, unless you have to be someplace?"

"No!
Goodness, no. I..." She gave a demure little shrug. "I think a drive
would be a wonderful idea, but I don't want to keep you away from your
business."

"'Bout
time I spent a little time away from the shop," he said, smiling at her,
putting Sam in gear and heading the car west. "Besides, I don't know a lot
about you, Lucy. Time we got to know each other."

It
was said offhandedly, she knew that. And he probably meant it offhandedly, but
it was enough to kick her fantasies into high gear. She had promised herself
she wouldn't allow that...any more...ever again. But Matt was...special. He
truly seemed to have no agenda in mind other than just getting to know her
better. Getting to know a
customer
better, she corrected herself. It would be good business. Like he knew the
other ladies that he did business with at his shop better.

That
is, if they could ever get past Buddy. She gave a little puff of resentment and
settled into her seat, arms firmly crossed.

"What
are you thinking about?" He looked at her closely...as closely as paying
attention to the evening traffic as he headed through some upstate town toward
the setting sun would allow. The test drive had taken them farther afield than
the routes in the area with which she was familiar. They were carefully driving
up a mountain. He seemed to know exactly where he was going.

"Penny?
Lucy?"

"I
was wondering why you're so nice. Most of the business people I deal with are
crazed. How do you…?"

"It's
the gasoline fumes. When you mix 'em with diesel it can just kick the bad
feelings right out of you." He grinned.

"Really.
I didn't know…oh, it's a joke." But she suddenly wasn't in the mood for a
joke. But she had better be
,
she reminded herself. She
was on a date, and guys were the ones in charge and they needed to know that
she knew it too.

Except
Matt wasn't “
they”
. He was
different from any man she had dated before. Older, yes, but mainly he was who
he was. He seemed so very comfortable in his very good-looking skin. She
blushed to herself at the thought of his...skin. She had somehow
expected...with his loss...with his age...

Except for his foot in the mouth gaffes, of course.
She giggled as they pulled into a scenic turnoff,
and then sighed with as much exhaustion as if she had driven up the mountain
negotiating the hairpin turns herself. Just like trying to negotiate all the
conflicting thoughts in her head. Although she wasn't all that sure exactly
what the term meant
,
she knew she was on a “slippery
slope”. She would have to look it up on the Internet.

The
mountain solidly backed them. They must be on the Taconic somewhere, she
thought.
Facing the sunset, rolling valleys in front.
If they had gone down to the river, the sun would have already been hidden
behind the hills on the other side of the Hudson. This was perfect. They got
out of the car and walked to the guardrail surrounding the area.

He
put out an arm inviting her into his embrace.
He was just being nice, she thought.
Though it
was beginning to get a little chilly.
His body heat was so
comforting,
she could have curled into him. His arm so
secure around her, she could have taken up residence.
Paid
taxes.
His heartbeat so solid, she could have wept with the peace and
safety that enveloped her.

"Nice, huh?"
The sound of his warm voice would have melted her
if she weren’t a puddle already.

She
could feel him looking down at her, but she was afraid to look away from the
impeccable sunset, all pink streaks and faraway clouds against a gradated blue
wash of fading sky. Maybe it was just a little blinding. Her eyes
teared
. She put up a hand to shield the rays. A gentle
finger touched her chin, turning her to him.

His
infinitely unreadable face came toward her, and he kissed her on the lips.
A feather touch—
although she didn't remember ever having
been kissed by a feather before.

He
lifted his other arm to shield his eyes from the sun too.

"Thanks
for coming here. This is a special place to me." He gave no further
explanation other than to conclude, "And now it's special for you too.
For us."

She
couldn't decide—rather, her traitorous body couldn't decide whether to break
into tears or scream with joy—at the gorgeous sight.
Of him.
And the sunset.
So she did neither. She just stood...and
wished that she could be glued to the spot with Matt forever.

* * * *

Christy’s
snappy SUV pulled into the small parking area of Matt’s small cottage, making
the gravel scatter. He was near the woodpile at the side of the front yard
splitting fireplace-sized logs some yards away. He waved.

Descending
from the sporty little car, she looked like a goddess deigning to prance among
the mortals. Matt felt very mortal watching her.
Extremely
mortal.
Visceral.

“When
the hell are you going to get this paved? This stuff is hell on high heels,”
she called.

He
grinned as she sashayed down the path toward him, skirts swirling around
spectacular legs. She was looking great…and she knew it.

He
was looking pretty damn good himself, he thought. Resting folded arms on the
upright ax handle, plaid flannel shirt unbuttoned, a muscular leg up on the
upturned chopping log, jeans stretched tight. Surely he was making a worthwhile
statement.
Very manly.

He
sure as hell was feeling more and
more manly
as she
approached.

“My,
don’t you look butch. Who would have thought the grieving widower would have so
much life left in him?” She pecked him on the cheek and reached through the
open neck of his shirt to tickle his chest hair. “Why, just
us
girls
woulda
thought it. That’s who,” she answered
herself, smugly. “We knew all along. Although it’s been several long, cold
winters, widower man.” She tweaked him under the chin and swiveled over to
settle into a two-seater swing hanging from a nearby maple limb.

“Damn,
woman,” he smiled. “You’re just as dangerous as you ever were. At least while
Alice was around she could kick me in the nuts when I started to drool over
you.”

“Alice
always did know how to handle her menfolk.” Christy’s high heels dug into the
ground to push
herself
off, the swing creaked
atmospherically. “I’m glad to see you’re back among the living. You weren’t
much of a legacy to leave behind, moping around for all those years. Grieving
is one thing. Being a pain in the butt is another.”