Unbreak Me (Second Chances #1) (19 page)

“Why?” Melanie queried.

“After that snowball to the back, he deserves it,” Katie glared.

“Katie Lewis, you will be nice to him,” Melanie ordered as she began to pack the cookies that were not burnt in a Christmas tin.

“I’m going to go change into something that doesn’t have flour on it, and then we can walk over to visit,” Melanie glanced down at her shirt brushing her hands against it.

After about fifteen minutes, she reemerged in a pair of jeans and a Christmas sweater.

Katie shook her head, “Mom, must you wear those crazy sweaters all the time?”

“What? I think it’s festive,” Melanie shrugged.

“Sure Mom, or dorky,” Katie mused.

“That’s my goal in life sweetie, to embarrass you every time I can,” Melanie laughed and carried the tin to the door. “You coming?”

Katie shrugged and pulled on her boots, “Sure.”

The two walked next door and knocked. They only had to wait a minute or two before the door swung open. A woman who looked to be in her late thirties answered the door with a baby on her hip.

“Hi, we’re your neighbors,” Melanie reached out to shake her hand. “I wanted to bring you this and say welcome. My name's Melanie and this is my daughter Katie.”

“Suzanne McKinley,” the woman stated. “Come in please.”

She moved out of the way as Katie and Melanie made their way inside, kicking off the snow from their boots.

“This is my husband Jason,” the woman gestured toward a man coming down the hall, “and this is Max our youngest. Patrick,” Suzanne yelled. “Get down here and meet the neighbors.”

“Coming Mom,” a voice shouted from above.

Patrick emerged from a door upstairs. He was dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. His hair was wet as if he’d just gotten out of the shower, and he was trying to towel dry it.

“Sorry, just got home from hockey practice,” he held his hand out to Melanie.

“Come have a seat,” Jason pointed to the family room.

“We can’t stay long,” Melanie answered. “I’ve got to go in to work later this afternoon.”

Katie kept glancing back at Patrick. This was the first time she’d seen him without his coat on. His arms and torso were muscled and the shirt clung to him, showing off the definition. His sweats hung low on his hips and his blond hair was mussed up from being towel dried. She tried to turn away but she couldn’t. Her body hummed as she perused his form.

Just then he walked by her and shouldered into her side, almost knocking her over. When she turned to glare at him, he just smiled a toothy grin and winked. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the conversation between her mom and Jason.

“It’s Dr. McKinley actually,” she heard Jason say. “I just took a job at Boston Memorial as a Neurosurgeon.”

“I’ll have to show you around then,” Melanie smiled. “That’s where I work.”

“Oh, are you a nurse?” he raised his brow.

“Hardly,” Katie groaned.

“Katie,” Melanie snapped. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m a pediatric surgeon,” she stated proudly. “I’m sure we’ll work together in the OR.”

Just then Melanie stood up, “Well, we need to get going. It was nice meeting you.”

“Same here,” Suzanne answered. “Patrick, aren’t you going to say goodbye?”

“Yes, nice meeting you,” he winked at Katie.

Melanie and Katie made their way to the door and Patrick followed. He leaned up next to Katie’s ear, “You better watch out the next time your outside. Payback can be a bitch.”

She glared at him, “Oh don’t you worry. I know how to take care of myself.”

She marched out of the brown stone heading back to her own muttering, “Show off.”

Chapter 17

The week had gone by pretty uneventfully. Katie had only seen Patrick in passing; a few times shoveling his own steps and a few times carrying a bag, which she assumed was hockey gear, out to his mom’s car. She was currently helping Melanie carry in groceries.

“
Can Hannah come over tonight when you guys are the hospital ball?” Katie asked out of the blue.

“It’s fine with me as long as Austin’s okay with it,” Melanie shrugged as she hoisted another bag into her arms.

Katie continued to lean into the car trying to reach the last one as Melanie began walking toward the steps. “I’ll lock the car up,” she called over her shoulder as she finally reached the last bag.

“Good idea, you wouldn’t want anyone to break in,” she heard the familiar voice behind her, causing her to jump and turn around, almost dropping the armload of bags she was currently trying to carry.

“Don’t sneak up on me,” she scolded as she shifted them in her arms.

“Sorry,” Patrick shrugged. “Let me help you,” he leaned over and grabbed the bags from her arms.

“I don’t need any help,” Katie crossed hers over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently on the icy sidewalk.

“Doesn’t look that way to me,” Patrick cocked his head to the side and placed the bags on the ground in front of him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, “I was just trying to be nice, but if you‘d rather,” he gestured to the bags at his feet, “feel free.”

“What do you want?” Katie looked at him skeptically.

“I want to be your friend, but you seem determined to keep me at arms length,” he shook his head.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she hung her head. “Here,” she handed him a bag. “I’d appreciate your help.”

He took the bag and offered a weak smile, “My mom taught me that you should always offer to help a lady in need.”

“Really. Your mom told you that?” she raised a brow.

“Yep, I’m not as bad as you think I am. Lead the way,” he gestured toward the house.

The two walked into the house and placed the bags on the kitchen counter, where Melanie was currently putting the other groceries away.

Patrick turned and headed back toward the door and Katie followed, “I’ve got a hockey game tomorrow afternoon. In honor of this friendship that we’re forging, I’d like to invite you to come watch. My team’s pretty good. You can bring Hannah if you want.” He offered her a soft smile and glanced at his boots while he waited for a response, suddenly appearing almost shy, and far from cocky.

“I’ll have to ask my mom, but I’ll try,” Katie smiled.

“Sounds great... friend,” he winked and smiled a toothy grin, and just like that, the cockiness was back.

“Yeah,
friend
,” Katie rolled her eyes.

When she walked back into the kitchen, Melanie smiled at her, “He seems like a nice boy.”

“Yeah, he’s determined to be friends,” Katie laughed. “He wants me to come to his hockey game tomorrow afternoon. He said to bring Hannah. Can I go, Mom?”

“Sure. I’ll have to see if Austin can drop you two off. I have to work tomorrow. I don’t see that being a problem, though,” she smiled at Katie. “I’m glad to see you doing things with your friends again.”

“Mom, don’t get any ideas. I don’t like him like that,” Katie crossed her arms and scowled.

“Well, I’m just glad to see that you’re finally getting past this ‘Zach’ thing. I was wondering when I’d get the real you back,” Melanie turned to place a few more cans in the cabinets.

Katie smiled as she walked out of the room, “I’m going to watch some TV.”

Melanie spent the rest of the day relaxing and reading. She wanted to be rested for the ball that night, and she had a surgery to be ready for the next afternoon. She had brought home charts and books to go over everything she would need.

oooooooo

She glanced up at the clock and realized that she only had a little over an hour to be ready.

“Katie, I’ve got to get ready for tonight. If Austin gets here before I get out, just have him wait in the living room, okay?” Melanie shouted down the hall.

“Sure, Mom,” Katie called back.

Melanie retreated into her bedroom and began to dress. She’d been able to go shopping this week, which she was excited about. She hoped Austin would be pleased with what she’d selected. She sat down at her vanity and began working on her hair. She had planned to wear it up, and had curled it earlier in the day, planning to pin it on top of her head. As she sat there and fussed over it, she began to get flustered. It didn’t look quite right and she wasn’t sure why. She finally decided to leave a few ringlets hanging at the base of her neck and around her face to soften the look. Since it was a Christmas Ball, she had decided on a red dress. The dress was simple, but elegant. She glanced over her shoulder at it again as it laid across her bed. After applying some red lipstick and blush, she stood from the vanity. She removed her robe and tossed it across the end of the bed. Just as she was stepping into the dress, there was a soft knock at her door.

“Just a minute,” she called out in a startled voice as she jumped slightly.

“It’s just me, Mom, Mr. Montgomery’s not here yet. Can I come in?”

“Sure sweetie, I’m almost ready.”

Katie pushed the door open slightly and gasped, “Mom, I didn’t even know you owned anything like that. Isn’t that a little skimpy for underwear? What‘s it supposed to cover?” Katie giggled.

Melanie blushed a deep red, “Katie, I need it for this dress. You have to wear the proper undergarments when you go to a formal dance. You‘ll understand when you‘re older.”

“Whatever you say, Mom, but that’s scandalous. Where‘d you buy it, Victoria‘s Secret?” Katie snickered as she pointed to the ‘barely there’ thong. She laughed harder as she moved back out of Melanie‘s reach. She figured she’d get a playful swat if she kept it up. She knew exactly what buttons to push to get a reaction out of her mom; after all she’d been doing it for years.

Melanie had paired a strapless bra with the thong in hopes of giving the illusion of ‘no underwear‘. The dress was clingy and had spaghetti straps. The slightest wrinkle would be visible. She had no intention of letting Austin anywhere near her underwear yet, but Katie seemed to think otherwise. She shook her head as she pulled on the dress. It was made of a silky stretchy fabric that clung to every curve of her body. It had a simple scoop neck and back, and the small spaghetti straps crossed right over her shoulder blades. It fell to the floor, was a deep red in color, and was covered entirely with small silver sparkles. The way the light hit them, made the whole dress twinkle. Melanie shifted and swayed in front of the mirror as she pulled on the high-heeled shoes she’d selected. They were the same color red as the dress, and had a heel so tall that it increased her height significantly.

“There, done,” she smiled as she smoothed her hands down the front of the dress.

“You look great, Mom,” Katie beamed.

Melanie grabbed her coat and clutch purse and made her way to the living room to wait on Austin. Before she sat down, she put her heavy coat on and tied the belt at the waist. She wanted to surprise Austin and couldn’t wait for his reaction. She was just getting ready to sit when she heard a knock at the door. She walked over to open it, and there he was dressed in a sleek black suit. He had on a red button down with a matching red tie.

He smiled softly at her, “You said you had a red dress, so I was trying to match. I hope this is ok.”

“More than ok,” she returned his smile.

“I brought you something for your decorations,” he held a small bunch of mistletoe.

Melanie blushed a deep red, “Thank you. Where did you find live mistletoe?”

“I have my ways. I have to keep some things a mystery, right?“ He held it up in the air with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist. “Come here,” he coaxed.

She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

“Merry Christmas,” she echoed in return as she looked up at him dreamily.

“Ok, you two, can I get in the door now?” Hannah laughed from behind him.

“Sorry, honey,” Austin chuckled as he moved out of the way, allowing her to pass.

Hannah made her way into the house and the two girls disappeared down the hall.

“Call if you need anything, we won’t be out too late,” Melanie called after them.

“Got it,” they answered and then giggled in response.

“Shall we?” Austin turned and raised his elbow to Melanie.

She wrapped her arm through his and they made their way down to a waiting car.

“I hope you don’t mind, I hired a driver for the night,” he smiled at her as he opened her door.

“Not at all,” she grinned in return.

On the ride to the hotel where the ball was being held, Melanie asked Austin about giving the girls a ride the next day to the hockey game. He said that he didn’t see it being a problem; he’d even pick them up and bring them back to his place to hang out until she got off work.

ooooooooo

Once they arrived, Austin helped Melanie out and gave instructions for the driver to come back in a few hours. She leaned into him as they climbed the steps, hoping to ward off some of the chill in the air. It was an exceptionally cold December night for Boston, and she was wearing very little clothing with the exception of her coat. When they got inside
they went to check their coats.

As Melanie untied the sash of hers, she glanced over at Austin, waiting to see what he might say to her. She slipped the heavy wool off her shoulders and handed it to him. When he turned in her direction, a lump formed in his throat. The red silk clung to her body in such provocative way that he didn’t have words at the moment.

“What do think,” she shimmied her hips from side to side.

“Wow, you look amazing,” he let out a low whisper. “I’m going to have to beat them off with a stick.”

“Excuse me?” she cocked her head to the side.

“The men,” he gestured towards the ballroom. “I’m gonna have my work cut out for me tonight. They’re not gonna stay away from you.”

“There’s only one man that I’m interested in tonight,” she smiled saucily.

“Do I know him,” he teased.

“I’m not sure. Come on, I’ll introduce you,” she giggled as they may their way to the ballroom.

ooooooooooo

It was decorated beautifully inside. There were candles everywhere, and holly and red berries adorned the tables. White china and crystal place settings were out on the tables and gold covers were on the chairs.

“
Wow, they went all out for this, didn’t they?” Austin gasped.

“Yeah, my father used to attend these all the time. It seemed every year they made them more elaborate,” she glanced around. “Whoever plans these must try to ‘out do’ the person from the previous year.”

“Melanie,” came a voice from behind them.

When Melanie turned around, she saw William walking forward.

“Hi William,” she smiled. “This is Austin Montgomery. Austin this is Dr. William Thompson. We’ve been friends since we were kids.”

The men shook hands and Melanie noticed Austin glare at William. She glanced between them and seeing the obvious tension decided that they should head over to the bar area. “Wanna go get a drink with me?“ she turned to walk with Austin over to the bar area. He was stiff as he moved along beside her and he pressed his hand into her lower back. When they reached the bar, he wrapped his arm more securely around her waist and squeezed her hip almost possessively like he was marking his territory.

“What’s wrong? I’ve never seen you act like this,” she whispered in his ear.

“I don‘t like the way he was looking at you,” he growled as he turned in her direction and she noticed a slight tick in his jaw.

“What? We‘ve been friends since we were four. You‘ve got nothing to worry about,” she smiled at him and ran a finger down his chest seductively. “I’m here with
you
, remember?”

“Well you might not see it, but he’s got a thing for you,” Austin kissed her on the cheek.

“Dance with me?” she cocked her head to the side.

Sighing, he relented and the two made their way to the dance floor and stayed there until dinner was served. When they made their way around the tables to find their seats, they noticed that they were seated at William’s table.

“Great,” Austin sighed as he ran his hand across the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry Austin, I asked to be seated with William. I didn‘t think you‘d object. I‘m telling you, you have nothing to worry about,” she rubbed his arm.

Minutes later, Jason walked up. “Hi, it’s funny seeing you here,” he smiled.

“Oh, Jason, how are you?” she grinned.

“Austin, this is Dr. Jason McKinley. He’s my new neighbor and a neurosurgeon at the hospital,” she leaned into him and placed her hand on his thigh.

“Nice to meet you,” Austin reached up and shook his hand, not wanting to stand and break the intimate contact.