Page 142 of Ice Mechanic

I frown at her. “Why’d you do that?”

“Chance wants to know what color your dress is so he can match his tux to it.”

“Chance? As intheChance McLanely?” the woman giggles. “He’s going to wear a tux that matches a dress frommystore?”

“Your store?” I ask, eyebrows climbing. “Are you the owner?”

“That I am.” She walks around the counter, bundles the jumpsuit and sets it in a branded bag. “We just opened a few weeks ago.”

“Congratulations,” I tell her.

May hands over Chance’s credit card.

The owner pushes it back. “It’s alright.”

Taking the card from May, I set it in her hand. “I know how it is when you’re just starting a business and things haven’t picked up as yet. Please take it.”

“Well… alright,” she mumbles reluctantly. “But at least take this necklace. It’ll go super well with the dress.”

Rebel inspects the necklace and nods her approval. “I like it. It’ll elevate the look.”

I accept the bags, the card and my receipt from her. “Thank you.”

“No, thankyou. You fixed my sister-in-law’s car when no other mechanic could. Now, she doesn’t have to worry about getting herself and the babies safely to and from home. That means the world to me.” She wraps her hand around mine. “Everyone might say you’re lucky to be with Chance McLanely. But my sister and I believe that Chance McLanely is lucky to have you.”

Something hot presses the back of my eyes, and I duck to hide the emotion.

Chance McLanely is lucky to have you.

I tuck her words deep in the pocket of my heart, somewhere I can easily reach it. Tomorrow, I’m putting on this jumpsuit and entering Chance’s world. To survive there, I’m going to need all the encouragement I can get.

CHAPTER

FORTY-ONE

CHANCE

I bookfirst class tickets for me and April and it feels amazing to treat her to this luxury. Plus, it’s cute the way she fumbles around with the hot towel the airline attendant delivers to us.

“What am I supposed to do with it?” she whispers to me.

“Put it on your face like this.” I demonstrate.

April places the towel on her face and yanks it off immediately. “It burns.”

I stifle my laughter.

Streaks of red course over April’s cheeks and she swats at me. “Don’t laugh. I told you it would have been better if I drove.”

“You’d be exhausted driving all the way. And I know you didn’t want to close your shop early or leave Rebel to do all the repair work alone.”

Her mouth opens and then slams shut. She can’t argue with the truth.

Throughout the flight, April continues grumbling about the plane’s amenities. I grin hard each time she discovers something new—like the fact that the wine is complimentary or that the seats can recline.

“I don’t think you should have shown me first class,” April says later, as we breeze past the crowds waiting in the general line. “Way to set the bar too high, McLanely.”

I chuckle at her scrunched nose and angry expression. My ultimate goal in life is to spoil April Brooks, and I’m just getting started.

---