Best Friend Next Door (Love Next Door Book 2) *Rough Draft*

Chapter 6

Melanie was never the type to walk anywhere. Thank goodness her car was fixed, but she was given the choice of asking Dee or walking. She chose walking than being cooped up in a small space with her. She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to be. As much as she loved her sister, she had a serious attitude problem.

She was so used to riding bikes to Main Street she had mis-calculated the hike. Once again her mode of transportation clashed with her fashion sense. Her feet were screaming at her in her pink tie up wedges and with her peach wrap skirt would cause the wrong wind gust and would tell all of her business. She had clearly gotten too 'city-fied' and forgotten that a country mile was longer than a city mile. She cradle the cramp on the side of her abs and tilted her body to take pressure away from it. Kicking herself for not bringing a bottle water.

"Going my way doll-face."

She didn't know why she'd though the car pulling up was Christian's. The black BMW was clearly not Christian's style.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be walking by herself."

She pushed her hands on her hips still out of breath. "Handsome devil like you shouldn't have to use bad pick up lines to pick up a girl."

His smile dropped and his light eyes widened making him look more sincere. "Seriously, you look like you need a ride, sweetheart."

She blew out a breath surrendering. Really, what could he do to her? He was the town good guy and had a reputation to protect, not that it stopped him in high school from harassing Shaggs. Still between her sisters and her new big brother Christian she had reinforcements, if she needed.

She strolled around the car. When the door clicked, she waited a moment. He just looked at her. She opened the door and slid in the seat. No wonder he was still single. She thought. Mr. Abe would have opened the door, so would Christian. She just shut the door as he put his hand on the back of her headrest causing her to self-consciously pull her leg closer and tug her skirt.

His bright eyes found hers. He seemed friendly enough, but then again Jack the ripper could have seemed friendly. She shook it off. She was just riding to Mr. Abe's shop not to a dark secluded place or even to his house. "So where you headed beautiful?"

Wow! Now she was beautiful. In high school she was invisible unless she was in his face for picking on her best friend, or ex-best friend. "Trusty's. I need to pick up my pinto." She said in a stale but playful tone to lighten the suspicious thoughts floating through her head about the town physician.

He chuckled. "Wow! You just got here and you're car is already on the fritz." His white smile even revealed a dimple on the side of his face with his light peach fuzz.

Melanie shrugged. "Well, Roger has gotten me through a lot. I just hope he'll give me a few more good years." Thank goodness she knew a mechanic, and soon he would be family. Than again he might as well have been.

He smirked peeking over at her, "You name your cars too?"

Her eyes rolled toward him. It was almost typical that he would be the type to name his car. He probably had a name for his penis too. She bit back a laugh.

"I call mine Francine."

She spewed out the chuckle she was holding, "You named your car after your high school girl friend."

His lips thinned and curved again, "What's wrong with that? I can't even believe you remember that."

Who forgets the bitchy cheerleader that gave her the horrible nickname that followed her through high school and would slap her her tray out of her hands and tell her to eat up like the 'animal' she was? "How is she?" She said between her grit teeth.