Page 188 of Ice Mechanic

‘I won’t, Derek. You’re still fired and I’m taking the first flight back to Lucky Falls.’

‘You’re not an idiot, Chance. You worked so hard to get back on top. Why would you give it all up for a woman?’

I guess he really believed that I wouldn’t.

The PR manager refuses to answer questions after the conference ends. It’s a smart move, and I follow suit, slipping out of the nursing home while the residents are occupied.

In my car, I text April and ask her to meet in the parking lot when she’s finished with her dad.

Time ticks by, but I promised April I would wait and do so patiently.

Hours later, April jogs out of the nursing home’s front doors. I watch the way her hair floats behind her in the evening breeze and my lips curl up in a smile. Everything about the woman makes me incredibly happy.

April climbs into my convertible and, though it’s impolite, I can’t stop staring. She’s the only woman I know who can make a mechanic jumpsuit look stunning. The translucent glow of her skin, the thick fall of her silky brown hair, and the freckles that adorn her face is more than I can take.

I have to remind myself to breathe.

“Are you… not going to say anything?” April asks, reaching for one of my fidget spinners in the console.

She’s nervous, I realize.

“How’s your dad?”

The tenseness in her shoulders seeps away. “He’s sleeping.” There’s a long pause. “The manager seems a little embarrassed about reporting him missing when he was so close by. To be honest, so am I.” She folds her hands and sets them in her lap. “I had the entire town looking for dad.”

“The entire townchoseto look for him,” I tell her.

She bobs her head. “I guess what matters is that he’s safe. I already sent a text to the neighborhood group chat. They’ll spread the word.”

I nod.

“Thank you again, Chance.”

“No need for that. I’m happy it ended the way it did.”

April looks straight ahead. “I’m not just thanking you for today. The nurses said you checked in regularly for a long time, long before we… before you and I…”

“Got together for real?”

She smiles slightly and my world brightens.

To my surprise, April places a soft hand on top of mine. It’s warm to the touch with a hint of callouses from all her years of working on cars. It’s a beautiful, feminine hand and I immediately turn my palm over to capture her fingers.

“Chance,” she says softly, “I’m sorry about that night.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I should have been there. This all started because I wasn’t.”

“Not necessarily.” She draws in a steadying breath. “I think… I was waiting for a reason to run away from you. I let my fear take over at the first sign of trouble.”

I lean forward, listening to every word.

“It’s true that I’ve never been in a long-distance relationship and that part was a little difficult for me. It’s also true that I felt like I was competing with hockey for your attention, but when I thought about it, you made every effort you could to keep in touch with me.” She stops and squints. “Except for that time I was in the hospital.”

“I can explain what happened.”

She waves it away. “My point is… even a machine isn’t perfect. Humans definitely aren’t perfect, so, logically, relationships can’t be either.”

I frown a bit at her conclusion. As someone who aims to be the best at whatever he puts his mind to, I do want a perfect relationship. At least, as close to perfect as it can get. And I want that for April too.

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