Nick and Eve Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Blurb

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  If you enjoyed NICK AND EVE, check out these other North Pole Unlimited Romances

  CONFETTI SQUARES

  CHOCOLATE DROPS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS BY ELLE RUSH

  NICK & EVE

  A North Pole Unlimited Romance

  By

  Elle Rush

  Blurb

  Nick’s plan: dodge his grandmother’s matchmaking attempts by claiming Eve is his date for Christmas. He probably should have asked Eve first.

  Although Nick Klassen is grateful when Eve rides to his rescue after he breaks down outside of December, Manitoba, he can’t run fast enough when his meddling grandmother tries to set him up with the pretty tow-truck driver. Then he gets an idea.

  Between juggling extra hours at work and a never-ending Christmas to-do list, Eve LeBlanc doesn’t have time for a new man in her life. But ever since she picked Nick up on the side of the road, she’s been running into him everywhere.

  His flirtations started innocently enough but when his grandmother invites “his girlfriend” to the family’s Christmas dinner, Nick realizes if he wants to stop pretending about Eve, he must come clean. Once Eve learns of his deception, he’ll need Santa’s help to turn their fake relationship into the real thing.

  Join Elle Rush’s newsletter to keep up with her latest releases and other news.

  Copyright © 2018

  Copyright and Published by Deidre Gould

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, places, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  Nick

  “Oh, the weather outside is—” Nick Klassen jabbed the power button to the radio to silence the perky voice coming through the truck’s speakers. He knew exactly what the weather was like. The bright sun blazing off the snow-covered fields and the clear skies made it look like a nice, warm day, but the weather station and his cold nose told him the air was more frigid than normal in the month before Christmas.

  The view was nice enough that he wouldn’t have minded the cold if his heater worked, but it, like the engine, had died. Nick tugged his toque lower on his head, pulled up the cuffs of his mittens, and settled in to wait for help to arrive.

  It didn’t take long. He spotted the tow truck in his rear-view mirror. When it got closer, he turned in his seat to stare directly out the back window to ensure he wasn’t hallucinating.

  The bar of yellow caution lights and twin spotlights on the roof were festooned with red and gold garland. A wreath the width of his forearm was wired to the front grill. He couldn’t see into the cab well enough to give a description of the driver, but he was certain he saw a plush red hat with a white brim and pompom.

  He was being rescued by Santa Claus. He’d never live this down at the office.

  The tow truck pulled to a stop in front of his dead classic. When the driver’s door opened, Nick was surprised to see a woman half as tall as her vehicle hop out. She checked for traffic before she approached his window. “Hi. Are you Nick?”

  She had the same voice as the caroller on the radio, but he liked this one’s cheerful nature. “You bet. Wow, you’re fast.” He’d called for service ten minutes ago. It had felt like an hour, but the time on his phone said differently. She must have left the second she got his request. “I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. I’m Eve. Do you know what went wrong with your awesome truck?” she asked.

  It was an awesome truck; he was happy she recognized the fact. Driving the heavy beast from the 1940s was like driving a tank, but Nick loved the classic lines. The flawless red paint job and gleaming chrome drew looks, too. He got comments every time he drove her into the city. Unfortunately, looks only got him so far; the maintenance was killing him. “I know the battery works. It’s new. It must be the engine.”

  “I could have helped you with the battery,” she said. “For anything else, I can hook you up for a tow and take you back to December.”

  “I’ll take the tow, but can I ask for a favour? I was on the way to pick up my grandmother and take her to the doctor. Her house is about five kilometres from here. Can you drive me there instead? She has a car I can use, and we can still make her appointment.”

  Eve considered his request for a moment. “If you’re comfortable leaving me your keys, we can do that. I’ll drop you off, then come back for your truck. Where do you want it to go? Webster’s Garage?”

  It was the only garage in December. Happily, it was the also the best one in the southern part of Manitoba when it came to classic trucks. “Webster’s is fine.”

  “Get into my truck and warm up. I’ll be there shortly.”

  Nick almost offered to help, but she was the professional, and he was cold. In the minute it took for his fingers to thaw as he held them over the blasting heat, Eve set reflective triangles around his vehicle. “Where are we going?” she asked as she jumped into the driver’s seat and held her hands over the vents on her side.

  The directions were simple—three kilometres down the highway and a left turn, which lead straight to his mother’s family homestead. They’d long ago sold the farmland, but they’d kept the house and a few hectares around it. It was too much for one person, but his grandmother refused to leave. Nick and his cousins had encouraged her to move into town, especially if her medical condition kept her from driving permanently, but Adelaide was resisting. The appointment that afternoon would provide the final verdict on her licence.

  Eve rolled to a stop in the driveway. “This is impressive.” Strings of Christmas lights framed the two-storey house and circled the spruce tree in the front yard. Plastic candy canes stuck in the snowbanks lined the sidewalk, and a pinecone-studded wreath, twice the size of the one on the tow-truck’s grill, hung from the screen door.

  “You should see the inside. Can you wait till I’m certain her car will start? She hasn’t run it in a couple weeks,” Nick said.

  His grandmother must have been watching from the window, because the front door opened before they hit the first step. “Come in, it’s freezing out here,” she said.

  The entranceway and the adjacent living room were fully Christmas-bombed, from the reindeer-shaped sofa cushions to the double-decker, white candy bowl stand, which had a Frosty face and top hat stuck to the top of the wire frame. Nick held back a snicker as Eve spun in a three-sixty and breathed a quiet, “Whoa.”

  “You’re not kidding,” he whispered back.

  “I’m Adel
aide Klassen. Who might you be?” his gran asked. She was dressed for her appointment. After a lifetime of seeing her in business suits at the office, it was always a shock to Nick’s system to see his grey-haired grandmother in jeans and a plaid flannel shirt.

  Eve gave Adelaide’s hand a hearty shake. “Eve LeBlanc, tow truck driver.”

  A thoughtful look crossed Adelaide’s face. “LeBlanc. Are you Paul’s daughter?”

  Eve winced. “I’m Helen Gauthier’s daughter.”

  Adelaide’s look turned confused. “I could have sworn Paul said his daughter drove a tow truck. Anyway, it’s lovely to meet you. Are you a special friend of Nick’s?”

  Nick sighed. She was starting, and they’d only been in the house for thirty seconds. “No, Gran, she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “I just picked him up on the side of the road. I must say he is the cutest stray I’ve come across in a while,” Eve added with a smile.

  “Don’t encourage her!” But it was flattering to know Eve thought he was cute. “Gran, can I have your keys? We’ll have to take your car, since Eve is taking my truck to the shop.”

  Adelaide pointed to a key hook behind the door. “Be sure to take it to Webster’s Garage. Their mechanics have been fixing the old girl since my husband used to own it.”

  “I will,” Eve promised.

  That was sweet of her, going along like she was following his grandmother’s suggestion and he and she hadn’t already come to that decision.

  “Nick, you’re early. Do we all have some time for cocoa?” Adelaide raised her hand, fending off his protest before he could voice it. “My doctor okayed it. It’s made from skim milk and artificial sweetener, but it’s better than nothing. Barely.”

  “I really need to be going. I have to hook up Nick’s truck, and every minute without a call is a break these days,” Eve said. She took off her red hat and pushed blonde bangs off her forehead. “Thank you, though.”

  “I have chocolate caramel shortbread cookies, too.”

  Eve hesitated before shaking her head. “Tempting, but I can’t.”

  “The least we can do is give you a snack for the road. After all, you didn’t have to drive Nick to my place. You could have insisted he go back to town with his truck. Let me get some for you.” The wily senior disappeared around the corner, and Nick heard a drawer open.

  “Take them,” he whispered. “Her shortbread is legendary.”

  “I never turn down shortbread. Don’t you have a car to start?” Eve asked.

  He did—a monster SUV made for Manitoba winter driving with an engine that put his to shame, but it had sat in a garage for an extended period. He hoped it wouldn’t have any problem turning over.

  It didn’t.

  He left it running and returned to the house. Eve was putting a bag of cookies into her coat pocket. “All good?” she asked.

  “No problem.” He handed her his truck keys. “Tell Gordon I’ll stop by later this afternoon.”

  “Will do. Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll text you when I drop it off?”

  “That would be great.” Even if the garage didn’t have time to look at it today, he’d know it was safe on the premises. Nick quickly programmed his number into the proffered cell phone, and Eve immediately sent him a text to ensure he got it.

  “We have a plan. Thanks for the cookies, Mrs. Klassen.” She slipped her hat onto her head, adjusting the pompom so it hung just above her right ear. “Merry Christmas.”

  And as suddenly as she’d arrived in his life, Eve was gone. The last thing he saw before she pulled out of the yard was her setting the bag of cookies on the dashboard and taking one out.

  His grandma poked him in the shoulder with a bony finger he felt through his coat. “What was wrong with that one? You aren’t getting any younger, you know.”

  He’d heard that refrain often since his grandmother’s retirement. There was nothing wrong with Eve. She was pretty, and kind, and strong, and smart enough to be a successful independent contractor in a primarily male business. He respected all of that, but none of it mattered when he’d scheduled himself to work overtime tonight in order to be able to drive Adelaide to the doctor. He simply didn’t have time to date. “She has poor judgment.”

  “That girl?”

  “She picks strange men up on the side of the road,” Nick said.

  “She picked you up.”

  “Aren’t you the one who is always saying I’m the strangest boy you know?” he countered.

  She huffed and puffed but, in the end, she laughed like he knew she would. “Get in the car.”

  Chapter Two

  Eve

  Eve lay her mittens on the radiator by the front door, hoping they’d dry out in her brief interlude at home. All she wanted was to crawl under an afghan on her sofa, watch the cooking show she’d recorded the night before, and doze until it was time to go to bed. She’d had midnight call-outs for the last three days.

  But she couldn’t. She’d made plans.

  Her phone beeped with an incoming text. “Still up for an Operation Retriever update?” her BFF Amanda asked.

  “Yes, see you at PP at 7,” Eve replied.

  Operation Retriever was the only thing that could motivate her to move. It had been running for three months, and the team members had decided to let it continue till the end of the year. Each meeting was more depressing as they limped along, running out of hope and time.

  In a small town like December, Madison Hill and her constant canine companion were greeted by name everywhere the little girl went in her wheelchair. Business owners didn’t hesitate to allow the support dog into their stores whenever the spunky cancer fighter came for a shop or a visit. Sadly, Madison’s golden retriever, Bucky, had gone missing at the start of the school year after he ran away from the kennel where they’d boarded him while she underwent a multi-day treatment in Winnipeg.

  Nobody knew if the dog had run away or had been stolen, but Madison insisted Bucky would come home someday. Despite the feel-good ending of Homeward Bound, which Madison referred to often, Eve didn’t believe a runaway dog could survive four months on its own in such harsh conditions. She was certain Bucky had to be long gone by now. But for a sick little girl, they continued to look. Tonight would be a progress meeting. At least it would be a short one.

  One particular icon on her phone screen continued to blink at her. It had been flashing since lunch, but Eve had done her best to ignore it. It was time to rip off the bandage.

  She recognized the number, so the voice and the message weren’t a surprise. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry, but I have to cancel our supper plans. You know I wouldn’t do that unless—”

  She spoke along with the next words. “—it was really important.”

  Her father continued to offer recorded platitudes. “My boss is sick and asked me to sit in on a last-minute meeting for him. I can’t get out of it. I know you understand, Evie-bear. We’ll get together soon.”

  Eve punched the little red DELETE key on the phone a little harder than necessary to rid herself of this latest parental disappointment.

  She had only lied a little bit to Adelaide Klassen. Biologically, she was Paul LeBlanc’s daughter, but he had disappeared so early in her life, it was more accurate to say her mother had raised her single-handedly. Helen Gauthier was the one who’d taught her to drive and change a tire. She was the one who had gone to the school to insist they make room for Eve in the shop class when Eve had tried to enroll in it.

  Eve didn’t know why her father was back in town, but she’d finally listened to her mom’s plea to be a good daughter and agreed to meet him. It was more than she owed him.

  He’d let her down. She wasn’t surprised. It was why she’d purposely double-booked herself that night. Still, Eve had given him a second chance. She wouldn’t waste her time on a third.

  Her phone rang while she was juggling a hot bowl straight from the microwave. She didn’t get to it in time, but it rang a second
time a minute later. “Hello?”

  “Don’t forget you have a meeting tonight,” her sister said in greeting.

  “I’m on my way, Emily.”

  “I wish I could be there, but I have a big test coming up.”

  “Don’t worry about it. School is more important. I’ll tell you everything that happens. I’ll even take notes,” Eve promised.

  “Can you get me one of the Pumpkin Patch’s Imperial cookies and drop it off with your notes? Later tonight? It’ll help me study,” Emily wheedled.

  “Yes, I’ll drop off my notes and the cookie tonight. Now go study, brat.”

  Her phone beeped again immediately with a text from a new contact. “Gordon says he’ll get to my truck tomorrow. Thanks.”

  After downing her leftovers, Eve tackled her outdoor gear again. She left her Santa “work” hat on its hook and grabbed her hand-knit toque instead. She wound the matching cranberry red scarf around her neck twice before pulling on her coat. After spending all day in her truck, she thought a walk would do her good despite the cold. The Pumpkin Patch was only ten blocks from her little, tiny apartment.

  She was right. There was something magical about strolling in the dark when the world was covered in snow. At this time of year, all the houses were lit with coloured Christmas lights, which reflected on the snow like little fairies dancing in the yards. By the time she got to the restaurant, her face tingled from the cold, but her mind was clear of all the clutter.

  There were four restaurants in town. The December Motor Inn Dining Room was attached to the largest motel in the area; it was open from noon till nine daily and had a one-page menu that hadn’t changed since it opened in the seventies. Garland’s Pub was attached to the dining room but had its own kitchen; it offered pub-style snacks and meals. Norma’s Buns was a breakfast-and-lunch joint which closed every day at two; their offerings changed with the seasons, but Norma had been warned if her cinnamon buns ever disappeared, there would be riots.

  Last was the Pumpkin Patch. Realistically, it shouldn’t have survived. On paper, December didn’t have the population to support a casual restaurant. When it opened a handful of years earlier, it had filled a gap the town hadn’t known existed. The Pumpkin was more than a coffee shop or diner, and less than a formal dining room. It was a fun place that also served as a popular gathering spot. It didn’t hurt that the owners encouraged groups using it as a meeting place during it is off-hours, from the Tuesday morning cribbage club, to the last Friday of the month book club. Eve had never attended either, but their existence meant the staff had no trouble letting Operation Retriever push a couple tables together every two weeks for meetings.