Chasing Dragonflies Read online

  “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.”

  Maddie huffed and brought a hand to her hip. Her voice pitching as she spoke. “Is that how you see me Trick? Some precious little flower?”

  Patrick took a step back, as the force of her words hit him.

  “Well let me tell you a thing or two Patrick Harper.” She pointed her index finger into Patrick's chest. “I might have been locked away for the past six years, but I am not some precious little princess that people have to tip-toe around and quite frankly I am sick of people treating me like am.”

  “Hey, hey I'm sorry.” Patrick lifted his palms in front of himself. “I was just looking out for you.”

  “Well I don't need anyone to look out for me, and when I do, I will be sure to let you know.”

  “Okay, well, you do that. Sorry.” Patrick moved to walk away.

  Seeing the sadness flash across his face she felt a sudden pang of guilt, she should never have sp
oken to Patrick that way as he was not a bad guy. She was just so sick of people treating her like she was some precious little thing that knew nothing about life. In fact she knew stuff a lot of other people didn't. Being locked away for many years made her see life from a different perspective than most.

  Reaching out, she snagged Patrick's tattooed left arm. “Trick.” He didn't turn around. “Trick, please.”

  He turned back to her then, hurt written all over his face. Asha had warned her he was a sensitive soul, but she had not seen this side of him until now. She had caused him pain, and that made her feel bad. Brushing her fingers up his arm, she said, “I'm sorry Trick. Honest. Everyone has treated me like I am so precious since I've been back. They act like they can't say anything around me, in case they upset me or maybe they might say the wrong thing. No one even mentions my dad,” she let out a bitter laugh. “Other than the media of course, they won't shut up about him.”

  She dropped her arm to her side and shifted on her feet. “I just want people to treat me like a normal person. This thing... this horrible thing, happened to me. But I am a person. I may not be the same person I used to be and some things are new and confusing to me. But I'm working them out. You guys have to let me make a few mistakes. You can't wrap me in cotton wool and protect me. That's what my dad did for the past six years and look how that worked out.”

  Without warning, she was suddenly being squished in Patrick's embrace. Tentatively she brought her own arms up and wrapped them around his back. It felt kind of awkward.

  There was a clearing of a throat, her eyes darting to Dex, who was standing in the doorway. Patrick did not appear to notice, he carried on hugging her.

  “Ah...Trick,” she patted his back to gain his attention. “Trick,” she called a little louder and he finally pulled back.

  “I'm sorry Maddie, really I am,” he said, still with that sad look in his eyes.

  “It's okay, we'll talk about it later yeah?” she nodded and gestured toward where Dex stood waiting for her attention. “I need to speak to Dex right now.”

  Patrick finally pulled away and let her loose. Turning to Dex she apologised and invited him into the house.

  “Ah I won't come in, thank you. I just wanted to let you know I am going to go and will be back in a day or two with the parts I need to get started on your car.”

  “Alright, no worries, thank you. I should be here. I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon.”

  “Cool,” he gave her a sexy grin. He really was a good looking man. “I'll see you in a couple days then.”

  As he turned and walked back down the stairs she slapped Patrick on the arm. “Nice one you buffoon, now he definitely won't be interested in me.”

  Patrick shrugged and walked off into the living room, she was sure she heard him mutter “good” under his breath. Bloody Patrick.

  ***

  Later that evening, Maddie and Patrick were laying at opposite ends of the couch. Patrick sat with his feet on the floor and Maddie sat with her feet tucked under her.

  “Want another piece?” Patrick asked reaching for the pizza on the coffee table.

  Rubbing her stomach she replied, “Nah I'm good.”

  “I'm never going to fatten you up if you don't eat anything,” Patrick laughed reaching over and giving her side a light squeeze.

  Pulling the cushion from behind her, Maddie launch it at Patrick's head. Yelling, “contact” when it hit and collapsing into fits of giggles.

  Patrick retaliated by grabbing a piece of pizza and moving onto his knees beside her he proceeded to try to force it into her mouth. Maddie sucked her lips in, not giving him access, trying so hard not to laugh. Her sides ached and her chest hurt, as it still did when she exerted herself. A remnant of the double pneumonia she had endured. Pulling her knees out from under her, she tried to push him away with her legs.

  “Eat it, eat it, eat it,” Patrick laughed.

  “No...” she made the mistake of trying to talk and her mouth was quickly filled with pizza.

  As she munched on the piece of pizza, Patrick smugly put the remainder of the piece in his own mouth and took his place back on the couch. She had to admit, the pizza was good. Prior to coming back to the house, she could not remember when she had last eaten pizza.

  “So do you want to talk about it then?” Patrick asked around a mouthful of pizza.

  “What?” Maddie giggled. “Your bad manners?”

  He let out a cackle, “You are cheeky, you know that?”

  “Yeah,” she laughed, “I have been told that.”

  “What was it like? Being locked away all those years?” he asked a serious look coming over his face.

  Maddie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was not so much that she did not want to talk about it, but she did not know if anyone else really wanted to hear it. She let out a long puff of air.

  “You don't have to talk about it, if you’re not comfortable.” Patrick reached across placing his hand reassuringly on her forearm. “It was just that you said earlier...”

  “Yeah I know,” she looked up at him, his eyes so full of pity, she hated when people looked at her with pity. Oh well he asked for it. “Where do I even start? At first it was pretty bad. I hated my dad so much for keeping me locked up. He would say such hurtful things. You know about Tom right?”

  Patrick nodded.

  “Well he told me Tom was dead. Well actually at first he told me Tom didn't care I was gone and was running around with every girl in town. I didn't believe him. I thought Tom would come looking for me, of course he never did.”

  She looked down to her lap and rubbed her ring finger. Remembering the weight of the engagement ring that Tom had placed on her finger and how much it had hurt when he did not come for her.

  “Anyway,” she carried on, looking up at Patrick. “So a while after he told me Tom was dead, he said Frank had killed him, then he told me that he had killed him. I never knew what to believe. But I did believe he was dead. I guess I had to, thinking of Tom moving on with his life without me, was just too much to bear. He was the only boyfriend I had ever had and I loved him. We were engaged. That was part the reason...” she trailed off again.

  Memories of those early months flooded her brain, tears formed behind her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall.

  “Part the reason he locked you up do you mean?” Patrick prompted bringing her back to the present.

  “Oh yeah, sorry.” She shook her head, trying to shake loose those bad memories.

  “Was he violent with you?” Patrick probed.

  “Some... he would tell me he had to discipline me. He never did anything to me like he did to Asha.”

  Patrick face paled and she knew she had said too much. She knew he wouldn't be able to handle it.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, reaching out and rubbing her palm on his exposed knee. “Maybe that's too much already? Maybe we can leave it there for tonight.”

  His hand covered hers and he turned looking deep into her eyes. Not blinking, not moving, they sat there for several long moments.

  When Patrick finally spoke, his voice was husky and thick. “I'm glad Asha was taken, not because of what happened to her, but if it weren't for her, you might have died out there.”

  Maddie nodded, he was right. The doctors had told her that Asha had essentially saved her life. Had she been asked some six months earlier, she would have been happy to have died out there. For six long years, she had no life. Now? Now she was learning to live again.

  Patrick pulled her into his chest where she rested her face, listening to his heart beating. She lifted her legs up on the couch and there they sat for the rest of the evening, watching television together in silence.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, Maddie was just stepping out of the shower. Wrapping herself in a big fluffy towel, burying her nose into the fabric she breathed in the scent of the washing detergent. Freshly washed, fluffy towels, what a luxury. It was the small
things such as these than made her stop and think about how lucky she was to be out of that hell-hole. “Oh towel, you are awesome,” she smiled as she stroked it over her face.

  In the distance she heard a knocking and it broke her out of her trance. Where was that noise coming from? Straining to listen she heard it again. “Oh it's the door you idiot.” She reprimanded herself.

  “Okay, coming,” she called out.

  It was probably Xavier, he had text Patrick last night and said he would be around first thing. She must get herself a phone sometime. But then other than Xavier, she had no one to call anyway. There was always the phone connected to the wall in the kitchen. Her mind wandered back to seeing her mum, with the phone tucked between her chin and her ear while she worked away in the kitchen. She had been an amazing baker, her mum.

  Another knock. Why didn't he let himself in? Better yet, why couldn't slack-ass Patrick get out of bed before lunch time and do something?

  Wrapping the towel around herself and tucking the edge in at the top of her chest she scooted down the hall to the front door.

  “Sorry Xave' I was in the shower,” she started saying as she grasped the handle and pulled the door toward herself. She stopped dead in her tracks, it was not Xavier standing on the doorstep at all.

  “Ah Dex,” she whispered, her eyes widening as she took him in, the top of his shirt was unbuttoned, exposing a section of his bare chest. The weather had turned unusually warm for this time of year, the spring storms were starting early and the humidity was high.

  “Hi, sorry did I get you at a bad time?” Dex offered.

  Maddie bit her bottom lip and tore her eyes away from his bare skin that had momentarily caught her attention. Dragging her eyes up to his lips, that were turned up in a smile, then eventually his eyes. She was sure she had never seen a man so beautiful. In comparison Tom had been no more than a boy. Dex was definitely a man.