He wasn’t a player like Travis Parker, out to get what he could from a woman before casting her aside. His parents had raised him to respect women and to look out for them, a protective streak that had grown even stronger once he became a father to a little girl.
Which brought him back to Maddie and the newest dilemma that kept him from driving straight to Darcy’s house and offering her the apology she deserved.
After one meeting, his daughter seemed as taken with Darcy as he was.
When can we go to Darcy’s house to see the puppies?
What did Darcy name the puppies again?
Do you think Darcy would let me teach the puppies to fetch?
Maddie’s obsession with the dogs he’d anticipated. Her fascination with Darcy was something that caught him completely off guard. He should have seen this coming. Wasn’t Maddie’s rush toward her preteen years and her need for a female presence the reason Nick had finally taken stock of his own life and admitted his own longing for someone to share his life with?
“Do you think Darcy will like my folder?”
Nick glanced over at the passenger seat. His daughter was bent over the purple folder they’d purchased earlier that day, still planning out the perfect placement for each and every sticker.
“It’s your folder, Maddie. All that matters is whether or not you like it.”
Slanting him a glance from the corner of her eye, she sighed, his answer clearly not the right one.
“You know, your aunt Sophia is back from her trip, so you can show her your folder tonight,” he said, hoping to appease his daughter’s need for a woman’s presence. “And your grandmother will want to see it, too.”
Maddie sighed again, but after a moment’s pause asked, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Lasagna.”
“Yum, Grandma’s lasagna is the best.”
That was one thing he and his daughter could definitely agree on. He could practically taste the layer upon layer of hearty pasta and melted, stretching cheese. The scent of made-from-scratch sauce—tomato, oregano, onion, garlic—would fill the whole house, and the food would be second only to the love and laughter filling the Pirelli table.
His mouth was already watering when his thoughts flashed back to the lone and lonely frozen container of cardboard pasta in Darcy’s basket.
He should have invited her.
The offer had been on the tip of his tongue while they’d stood together in the back-to-school aisle. The crazy thought arrowed through his head again, striking with a certainty that defied all logic, all reason, all sense of self-preservation. And yet the image of Darcy, alone, eating nothing more than a few squares of tasteless ravioli from a plastic tray had grabbed hold and refused to let go.
Not that he blamed her for wanting something quick and easy. He’d seen for himself how tired she was. Her hair had been caught back with a dark blue bandanna, revealing a face wiped free of makeup. Even without artifice, her skin had been flawless, making the dark circles beneath her eyes more apparent.
But she still looked more beautiful than any woman he’d ever known.
She had good reason to be exhausted, he thought as he slowed to drive by her shop. Even from outside the building and with only the faint security lighting from inside, he could see parts of what she’d accomplished so far. Spackle polka-dotted the walls and new lengths of baseboard and half-sheet paneling leaned against the front counter, waiting for installation. He wondered if Darcy planned to handle those jobs, too, if she really thought she could do it all.
Why would I call you?
Her question hit him like a sucker punch even though he damned well deserved it. But he was the oldest, the responsible one. A guy people looked up to and did call when they needed a hand, not just in his own family but in Clearville, too. Knowing Darcy wouldn’t ask him for help because of the way he’d treated her left a sick feeling in his stomach.
He’d done his share of remodeling and knew how dirty, sweaty and just plain hard that kind of work was. Carol, for all her love of redecorating, didn’t believe her part in the process should involve anything more than flipping through a magazine, clicking a mouse or writing a check. The thought of doing any of it herself would never have crossed her mind.
His mother had taught him long ago not to judge a book by its cover, but Nick couldn’t help wondering if he’d done Darcy a greater disservice. Was he not only judging her by her looks, but judging her by his ex-wife? Two city girls, cut from the same designer cloth?
The similarities were there; Nick couldn’t deny that. But there were differences, too. Darcy’s bravery in facing her fears. Her determination to make her mother’s dream come true. Her longing to find some connection with her past. Her easy laughter and the way it reached out and shook something loose inside him....
Pulling up to a stop in front of Bonnie’s Bakery, he told his daughter, “I’m going to run in and pick up the cake. Do you want to come in?”
“Can I stay here? I’m almost done.” Maddie held up the folder, which he had to admit had been a great idea. The once boring notebook was now a colorful collage of all things Maddie.
And Darcy would love it.
Holding back a sigh of his own, he said, “I’ll be right back. Stay in the car.”
Normally, the safety reminder would have drawn another eye roll and an I-know-Dad response, but instead, Maddie simply nodded. She studied her project, a frown of concentration pulling at her brows as she debated over her few remaining stickers.
So serious...
No one needed to tell Nick where his daughter got that tendency from. It was passed down from his DNA as obviously as his dark hair and olive skin had been. But Nick didn’t want his daughter to take after him. He wanted her to have fun, to be a kid, but if teaching by example was the best way to go, he didn’t even know where to start. It had been so long since he’d relaxed; some days he wondered if he still knew how.
Shaking off the thought, he climbed from the car and walked toward the bakery. He expected to see Debbie behind the counter, but instead one of the teenagers from the high school was manning the register.
“Hey, Doc,” the young girl greeted him as the ring of the bell over the door faded away. “Debbie said you’d be coming by.” She slid a white cake box across the glass counter, and he could plainly see his name written in black wax pencil across the top along with the words piña colada.
“I ordered her chocolate fudge cake,” he pointed out. He always bought chocolate cake.
The teen grinned. “Debbie said you liked this one better.”
How could he argue that point? The coconut-pineapple combination was the best cake he’d tasted in, well, ever. It was all the things he had said it was—unusual, different, exotic. But that wasn’t what he wanted...was it?
The cashier’s smile started to fade when Nick didn’t respond, and she tentatively added, “She said it’s on the house...or I can box up another cake if you’d like.”
All he had to do was ask, and he could take the same cake he always brought to dinner. Chocolate fudge meant no questions would be asked, no explanations needed to be given. He’d be doing what was expected, same as always, nothing unusual.
Maybe it was only dessert, but he couldn’t expect things to change if he kept following the same path and making the same decisions he always made, could he?
His heartbeat kicked into overdrive as he tucked the box under his arm and hurried back to the SUV.
Maybe it was time for something out of the ordinary.
* * *
One of the benefits of having a houseful of beauty products was indulging in them, Darcy thought during her long, hot soak in a tub filled with lavender-scented bath salts. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she allowed the warm water to soothe the ache in her muscles and the one in her heart.
Later, determined to let her worries drain away with the water from her bath, she slipped into a pair of silk pajamas, even though it was still early, and twisted h
er hair into a messy bun. As she smoothed on the tropical-scented moisturizer she always wore, she felt better than she had in days.
Her TV dinner awaited her, but she bypassed the freezer on her way to the laundry room. She filled the dog bowl with kibble and set it a few feet away from the kiddie pool. The mama dog warily stepped out, keeping one eye on Darcy while gulping down the meal. The few seconds barely gave her enough time to place fresh towels in the makeshift puppy kennel. The three-foot distance was part of the truce between them, but Darcy had formed a habit of talking to the dog, mimicking Nick’s low murmur.
“From what I’ve read, these guys can start eating a little food soon. Bet that will make things easier on you.”
Not that it would be easy on Darcy, seeing as she needed to talk to Nick about the best way to introduce the puppies to something other than their mother’s milk.
So far, she hadn’t found anything that could wipe Nick from her mind. Physical challenges certainly hadn’t been enough. Each time she heard footsteps outside her shop, her heart would skip a beat.
Which was ridiculous since he’d said and done nothing to make her think he would come by. In fact, hadn’t just about every conversation they’d had ended with one or both of them agreeing they didn’t want any kind of relationship? Sex didn’t change that. Not even really amazing sex.
With her focus on the mama dog, an unexpected knock at the door made her jump. Walking into the living room, she ran her hands down her thighs. She hadn’t anticipated company when she’d pulled on the matched set of silk pajamas—a pale blue camisole, shorts and knee-length robe.
She was still debating over answering the door or asking her visitor to wait on the porch while she went to change when the knock came again, followed by a quiet voice. “Darcy? It’s Nick.”
Indecision gone, she hurried to the front door and pulled it open. The summer sun had yet to set, the final rays peeking through the trees and casting a warm glow on the side of his face. He’d changed from the clothes he had on earlier—the button-down shirt and slacks that comprised his office wardrobe—to a soft gray T-shirt and well-worn jeans.
“Nick, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?” The words were out before she could stop them, and she felt a rush of heat flood her face. As if she would be the one the strong, self-assured vet would come to in an emergency!
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Despite the reassurance, the shift of his weight on the balls of his feet made Darcy think he might bolt at any minute.
“Would you like to come in?” She opened the door a bit wider, and he glanced over her shoulder inside and then back out to the SUV at the end of her drive.
“I can’t. Maddie’s in the car waiting.” Running his hand through his hair to grasp the back of his neck, he seemed to come to some kind of decision. “See, the thing is, my family’s Italian. Right now, my mother is likely pulling out a lasagna pan roughly the size of your kitchen table from the oven. It’s enough food to feed my whole family with leftovers to share, and she would slap me upside the head if she knew I let you eat that frozen cardboard pasta instead of inviting you.”
“I’m not sure I like the idea of you ‘letting’ me eat anything.” It was all a little too Marie Antoinette, which had Darcy thinking of cake. And of Debbie Mattson, the pretty blonde baker, who’d made Nick’s dessert for the evening. Who may or may not have something going on with the handsome vet.
“You know what I mean. So have you already eaten?”
“Not yet.” She tried to eat healthy most nights, but she’d been too tired lately to bother making an entire meal just for herself. Somehow, the single-serving frozen meals didn’t emphasize that she’d be eating alone nearly as much as dishing up one plate from a recipe meant for four.
“Then come with me.”
“To your family dinner?” She didn’t think anything could have surprised her more, but shock wasn’t enough to keep her questions at bay. “What are you doing, Nick?”
A corner of his mouth kicked up in a crooked grin that did ridiculous things to her heartbeat as he admitted, “Something I damn sure didn’t plan, I can tell you that much.”
“The last time we did something unplanned, you ended up regretting it, and I don’t want to be the reason—”
“I don’t regret it. Not one second of it.” The half smile was gone, replaced by the seriousness more in keeping with the man she knew. “Only the way I acted afterward,” he added.
“We made a mistake.”
“I made the mistake by not telling you how...incredible it was between us. So incredible that for a while nothing else mattered except the two of us.” He stopped for a moment, his gaze searching her face as if trying to judge her willingness to listen to what he had to say, her willingness to trust him. “But you have to understand that, for the last five years, the only ‘two of us’ in my life has been me and my daughter.”
It was his love for his daughter that did it every time, Darcy thought with a sigh. How could she stay angry with him for putting Maddie first?
“I get that, Nick, I do.” And she appreciated it more than he could probably understand. “You told me from the beginning you don’t have room for anyone else.”
He winced a little at that. “I said a lot of things, but what I’m asking for now is a chance to start over. To welcome you to town instead of trying to push you away.” Reaching up, he brushed back a loose strand of hair from her cheek. “You’ve had a rough week, and sometimes there’s no better cure than a home-cooked meal.”
The caring in his gaze washed over her with the same warmth as her earlier bath, leaving her skin feeling flushed and damp. And crazy or not, she said, “Okay, I’d like that.”
He didn’t actually smile, but the spark in his eyes made it clear he was glad she’d agreed.
“And Sophia will be there, so it’s not like you’ll be surrounded by strangers.”
Nick’s sister had been one of the first people Darcy had met when she moved to town. The petite brunette had stopped by within hours of Darcy signing the rental papers on the shop. So excited by how close she was to making her mother’s dream come true, Darcy had spilled everything to the other woman—her hopes for The Beauty Mark, her need for a new start after her broken engagement. In return, Sophia had talked about her fiancé, Jake Cameron, their plans for their upcoming wedding and their own excitement over Sophia’s pregnancy.
Since then, Sophia and Darcy had talked every few days, but with Sophia being out of town visiting her future in-laws for the past few weeks... Well, a lot had happened in that time. Not that Darcy would have shared everything with Nick’s sister.
“I should also tell you that I may have told Maddie we could come back here and see the puppies after dinner if it’s okay with you.”
Remembering the little girl’s excitement, Darcy nodded. “Of course she can. And now I better go change.”
“It is just family, nothing fancy.”
“I still think this might be a little too casual,” she said, flicking the hem of her robe with her fingers.
“You wouldn’t hear me complain,” he murmured. “But then again, neither would my brothers, so yeah, you better go change.”
“I’ll be right back.”
As Darcy backed from the room and hurried down the hall to her bedroom, she heard her front door shut and the sound of voices from outside the house. Maddie gave a delighted shout, and Darcy smiled as she searched through her tiny closet. The little girl was likely far more excited about seeing the puppies than she was about Darcy joining them for dinner, but that was okay. She felt excited enough—and nervous enough—for both of them.
Dinner with Nick’s family.
Memories of her first meeting with Aaron’s parents jabbed at her thoughts, threatening to break the bubble of Nick’s invitation. The Utleys had been coldly polite during the formal dinner at the five-star restaurant Aaron had taken them to, and she should have realized then she could never live up to the expe
ctations they had for their son’s future wife. And that was before they found out she was the result of an illicit affair between her teenage mother and a prominent, powerful and married businessman.
Shoving aside those thoughts, she grabbed a wraparound dress with a blue-and-brown geometric print. Nick had said casual, but she wanted to make a good impression.
On Nick’s family, her conscience goaded, or on Nick?
Because while there was nothing overly revealing about the dress, she’d always liked the way the crossover style hugged her waist and how the V-neckline arrowed between her breasts. Refusing to stop long enough to think about her choice, she added a chunky amber-colored necklace and matching bracelet and slid on a pair of strappy sandals.
Her hair, fortunately, was almost dry, so she wasted little time brushing it out before sweeping it back up in a large clip. Not wanting to leave Nick and Maddie waiting any longer than necessary, she dusted the bare minimum of powder and blush on her face. A single swipe of eyeliner on each lid, followed by a brush of mascara and dab of lip gloss, and she was ready to go.
Just as she was finishing, she heard the front door open again and called out, “I’m almost ready.”
“No hurry. I called my folks to let them know we were running late....”
Nick’s voice grew louder as she followed the sound down the hallway and into the kitchen, but the words came to an abrupt halt as she stepped into the room. She smiled, somehow not surprised Nick had sought out the stray dog—or maybe it was the other way around—and was kneeling on the floor, petting her.
He rose slowly, his gaze making the same gradual climb, starting at her sandals and working his way up. “You look...”
His voice trailed off again, and Darcy started having second thoughts. Her city-girl outfits stood out amid the casual cotton and denim wardrobes most of the town favored. “It’s too much, isn’t it? I—”
He caught her hand when she may well have backed out of the room and darted into her bedroom to change again. “You look amazing,” he finished.
There was no mistaking the male appreciation written in his expression or her answering response as a small shiver raced down her spine. His gaze lowered to her lips, and she instinctively parted them on a breath of anticipation. Still holding her arm, Nick drew her closer and her pulse pounded as she waited for the heat of his mouth against hers...
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