White Hot Christmas: A Heart of Fame Christmas Story Read Online Free Page B

the average Australian mechanic’s garage.
    “Do you think four hundred and five kilowatts is enough?” Mike said, given Nick a sideways grin.
    Nick blinked.
    “Of course,” Mike went on, scratching at the side of his face as his grin turned devilish. “Doesn’t matter how much power you’ve got in the supercharged V8 if there’s water in the petrol.”
    “I didn’t…” Nick stopped. He was about to say he hadn’t put water in the petrol tank but he figured Mike probably knew that already.
    Mike’s grin stretched. “I know. But those bloody big-smoke servo owners are notorious for getting water in their tanks. By your description on the phone, that’s likely what’s goin’ on. This however, doesn’t explain the battery. A new car like this should’n ‘ave battery problems. Gimme a sec to ‘ave a squiz to see what’s goin’ on there.”
    Nick nodded.
    Mike turned to look at him. “By sec, I mean a tick. Probably a while. If you’ve got one of those fancy phones, you may wanna fire up the Angry Birds or whatever it is you kids play on it now.”
    Chuckling, Nick shook his head. “My phone’s dead. Like the car.”
    Mike tsk ed. “That sucks.”
    “Yep,” Nick agreed.
    The old man dug his hand into the back pocket of his very baggy coveralls (baggy and covered in grease stains, Nick noticed) and then pulled out a mobile phone as ancient as he was. “’Ere,” he said, tossing it to Nick. “There’s no fancy games but you can at least call whoever’s wait’n for you to get home.”
    Nick looked at the communication device now in his hand—a mobile phone old enough to require flipping open to use—and then up at Mike. “I think I love you, mate.”
    Mike snorted. “No offence, but you’re not my type. Now go take a load off in me truck while I see if I can work me magic. I ran the air-con the whole way so it’s cooler in there than it is out ‘ere; bloody sun would suck the spit right outta your mouth, it’s that hot. There’s also an esky on the front passenger seat with a couple of bottles of water and some apples in it if you’re thirsty or hungry. Help yourself.”
    Before Nick could declare his undying love and devotion for the man again, Mike turned back to the exposed Range Rover’s engine.
    Flush with a surreal sense of elated achievement, Nick flipped open the mechanic’s phone and began dialing Lauren’s number, walking to Mike’s tow truck as he did so. He was thirsty. And an apple wouldn’t go astray right now. When was the last time he had something to eat?
    He’d just pulled open the truck’s passenger door when Lauren answered.
    “Hello?”
    Warmth and love and relief rushed through him, powerful enough to make his head swim. “Hey, babe.”
    “Nick?” Worry and an almost frantic confusion filled her voice. “Where are you? What’s going on? I’ve been trying to ring you and text you and nothing. I’ve called Josh and Chloe. Hell, I’ve even called Aslin and what the hell he’s going to do from LA is beyond me. Are you okay?”
    Climbing up into the truck and settling into the passenger seat, Nick laughed. “I’m okay. Honest. The Range Rover’s broken down on the M1, and my phone went flat.”
    A ragged sigh answered his explanation. He smiled at it, his chest tightening. “Don’t do that to me, you bastard,” she scolded, laughter in her voice. “I had you abducted by an insane fan, or run off the road by the paparazzi. I was about to call the cops. Jax even offered to fly up and down the coast in his helicopter, following the M1 looking for you.”
    Grin wide, Nick wriggled his butt on the surprisingly comfortable seat and closed his eyes. The interior of the truck was cool, the lingering artificially chilled air a relief from the baking heat he’d been waiting in. With all the windows down and a playful breeze streaming through them, slumping in the passenger seat was a wholly relaxing experience. “God, don’t let that happen. I’m still