When Darkness Falls

by Jennifer Youngblood

  He gave her a speculative look, his voice casual. “So, Glory tells me the two of you struck some sort of a deal.”

  Her heart began to pound, and she could feel the blood rushing to her face. “Glory! Just wait until I see her again.”

  Hank laughed at her horrified expression. “Oh, she’s harmless. She means well. The mother hen comes out in her sometimes. She’d like nothing more than to get me married off to some nice girl, as she calls it.”

  “Yeah, I can tell. She put quite the sale’s pitch on me where you’re concerned.”

  Amusement lit his eyes, making them look more blue than green. “Really? Remind me to thank her later,” he uttered in a low tone that sent a tantalizing shiver circling down her spine.

  Time seemed to slow when he leaned in, closing the distance between them. She was shocked at the wave of desire that rolled over her as she looked at his lips. The instant before his lips touched hers, an image of Dan flashed before her eyes, and she jerked back.

  He gave her a quizzical look. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, you didn’t,” she said quickly, feeling like an imbecile. She’d kissed Garrett a few times, but this was different. This felt permanent, like a commitment. “It’s not you, it’s me,” she said hoarsely, looking away to hide the moisture in her eyes. Was she so damaged that she would never be able to have another relationship?

  Hank touched her arm. When he spoke, his voice was surprisingly kind. “Hey, look at me.”

  She turned to face him as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Tenderly, he wiped it way. Then he brushed a strand of hair from her face. “It’s about Dan, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, not surprised in the slightest that Glory had told him everything. “I want to get past it, I really do. But I just can’t seem to will myself to do it.” She blew out a breath of frustration. “And it’s not just the Dan thing.”

  He tensed. “What else?”

  “You’re my boss.” There, she’d said it. She’d been thinking it ever since Glory had planted the silly notion in her head that she and Hank would be good together. “I don’t think we should get involved. It could confuse things. I really need this job.”

  His eyes locked with hers, and she felt herself getting lost in the depth of them. You have to fight against this, her mind screamed. The last thing you need is another complication! You have enough to deal with as it is! She knew she should heed the warnings, but all she could think about was that his eyelashes were thicker than any man’s had a right to be, and his features were so chiseled they might’ve been carved from stone. He really was handsome in a Captain America—save the world way. All thoughts of Dan or anyone else fled, and all she could think about was Hank. In that moment, she had the distinct impression that it was too late. Whether or not she admitted it, she was becoming emotionally attached. It had snuck up on her before she realized.

  “I promise you. Whatever happens between us will have absolutely no bearing on your job.”

  She searched his face to see if she could trust him. “Really?”

  “Really,” he said earnestly. “I give you my word.”

  She relaxed. From what she could tell, Hank seemed to be a man of his word. She had no doubt that he meant what he said, but it was easy to say it now—when things were good between them.

  He switched gears. “Getting back to Dan.”

  She went still.

  “I’ve been where you are. I know exactly what you’re going through.”

  “You do?” It went through her mind for a split second that he was talking about seeing Dan’s ghost, but then she remembered that she’d not told Glory about that … thank goodness!

  “Yeah.” He leaned back in his seat, his eyes taking on a distant look. “I once loved someone so much that I would’ve gone to the ends of the earth and back had she asked me to.”

  He had his hand on the steering wheel, gripping it for all it was worth. “What happened?” she prompted, wanting to keep him talking. She had to find out what made Hank Singleton tick.

  He gave her a sad smile. “She betrayed me. I went away for a while, and she didn’t wait for me. She found someone else—dumped me hard when I needed her most.”

  A thousand questions tumbled through Chloe’s mind, and she suddenly remembered Glory saying that Hank had been through a rough time. She hoped he would share more, but he didn’t. Silence settled between them. This time, she touched his arm. “I’m sorry.”

  He nodded. “Thanks. It happens. I’m not the only one,” he said, keeping his voice light, but she could tell from the look on his face that the betrayal still stung. His eyes locked with hers. “Obviously.”

  A smile broke across her lips. “Obviously.” The mood lifted as they chuckled.

  “I’d better get going,” she said, reaching for the door handle. Being in such close proximity to him was making her heady. A few more minutes alone with him, and she’d be throwing caution to the wind and kissing him. That would not be a good thing. Not good at all! He caught her hand. Her pulse increased when he began rubbing his thumb back and forth over the top of it.

  “About that date …”

  She raised an eyebrow. “What date?” she asked innocently. Her heart was pounding so furiously that she felt like it was trying to claw its way out of her chest.

  He flashed an angelic smile that was so stunning it left her breathless for a second. She realized then that Hank could be just as charming as Garrett when he wanted to be. “One date is all that I ask.”

  “One date, huh? You seem mighty sure of yourself,” she teased.

  “One date will be enough.” The words were spoken with such certainty that she believed him, and it scared her! She couldn’t go through another heartache again!

  “I don’t know,” she began, shaking her head.

  He trailed a finger along the curve of her jaw. “One date,” he murmured, capturing her eyes with his. The temptation to kiss him was so strong that she could hardly stand it.

  “Okay, one date,” she heard herself say as she quickly opened the door and got of the car before she made a complete fool of herself.

  Darbie broke into her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. “You seem mighty chipper this evening, over there smiling to yourself.”

  Chloe shook her head. “Was I smiling? I didn’t realize …” She looked at Darbie who was arranging napkins on plates. “I was just thinking about all of the projects I have going at work.”

  “Sure you were.”

  “I was,” Chloe responded, her eyes going wide.

  “Whatever.” The doorbell rang a minute later, and Darbie went to answer it.

  Panic gripped Chloe. “They’re early!” She still had to finish the mac & cheese and green beans! While she appreciated punctuality, arriving forty-five minutes before a dinner appointment was not good etiquette.

  When Darbie returned to the kitchen, there was a sly expression on her face.

  “What?” Chloe said.

  “The object of your thoughts is at the front door.”

  She made a face. “The object of my thoughts? What’re you talking about?”

  “I know you were thinking about him earlier, and now he’s here.”

  For a split second, she wondered if it were Hank at the front door. Then reality set in. Darbie didn’t even know who Hank was. “Garrett’s here,” she said flatly.

  “Yep. In the flesh.” Darbie flashed a coy smile. “Better not keep him waiting. Talk about eye candy. Wow!”

  Chloe wiped her hands on a dishtowel and turned off the green beans. Apprehension trickled down her spine as she walked into the living room where Garrett was sitting on the couch. He stood when he saw her as an easy smile spread over his face. “Hey.”

  “Hey, what’re you doing here?”

  His smile fell a notch. “I just came by to see you … since you’ve obviously been too busy to return my texts or calls.”

  There was the slightest hint of reproach in
his voice. It immediately set her on edge. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking about the unfinished dinner that was waiting in the kitchen and the guests that would arrive in a half hour. “Garrett, it’s really not a good time right now.”

  His expression fell. “Why not?”

  “Darbie and I are making dinner for our neighbors, and they’re due to arrive soon.”

  “This won’t take long. I’ve got a plane to catch this evening anyway, but I wanted to stop by before I headed out of town.”

  “Where are you going this time?”

  He hesitated. “Boston.”

  She nodded.

  He took her hand. “Come outside with me for a few minutes.”

  “I really don’t have time.” This couldn’t continue. She was going to have to end this, but how? Talking to him was like talking to a fence post! He never listened to anything she had to say but rather talked at her all of the time. It was all about Garrett.

  “I won’t take no for an answer.” He led her outside to his car and opened the passenger door. “Have a seat.”

  “I told you, I don’t have time. I have guests arriving in the next few minutes, and I have to finish dinner.” The last thing she wanted was to get in his car. Knowing him, he’d drive off with her.

  His jaw clenched. “Relax. This will only take a few minutes, I promise.”

  “Fine.” She blew out a breath and got into the car. The only reason she did so was because he had a plane to catch soon, so he was on a time crunch. He went around to the driver’s side and got in. She sat there with her hand on the door handle in case she needed to make a hasty exit.

  He angled himself so that he was looking directly at her. When he saw her hand on the door handle, he let out a dry chuckle. “Well, this is a first. Most girls would jump at the chance to sit in a car with me, and you’re acting like you can’t wait to get away.”

  Wow! He really was narcissistic! “I’m not most girls,” she said coldly.

  He laughed. “I know. That’s why I find you so … fascinating.”

  The way he spoke the word fascinating crawled under her skin, making her feel more annoyed than ever. “Garrett, we really need to talk. I can’t keep pretending—”

  He put a finger to her lips. All the while, the irritation was building to the point where she felt like she would explode.

  “Just let me get this out, okay?”

  She nodded, biting back the angry retort that was on the tip of her tongue.

  “I know things have been tense between us lately. I’ve been traveling a lot, and you’ve been distracted with work.”

  Was he that out-of-touch with reality? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Her voice rose. “Distracted at work? I would hardly call work a distraction. Work is a necessary part of life, and I’m getting tired of you leaving me in the lurch all of the time! You promised that you would be there for the appointment with Glory! But as usual, you left me high and dry! It’s getting really old, Garrett! And furthermore, I’m not your property!”

  “Look, I didn’t come here to argue with you.”

  “Then why did you come here? I told you it’s not a good time, but you didn’t listen. You never listen! That’s the problem.”

  “Chloe, stop!”

  The unyielding edge to his voice shocked her into silence. When she attempted to withdraw her hands from his, he held onto them, not letting her go. A sense of panic pelted over her, and she felt that same sinking feeling she’d experienced earlier in the day when he grabbed her arm in Hank’s office. His expression grew soft as he looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head and looked away.

  “Chloe …” his voice was pleading “ … I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. You rock my world.”

  Rock his world? What were they? Fifteen? How had she allowed herself to get into such a sticky situation?

  “I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I promise I’ll fix them.”

  “Garrett—”

  “Don’t say anything,” he cut in, letting go of her hands. He reached in his pocket and retrieved a small, black box. “Here.”

  She looked at the box and then at his hopeful expression.

  “Take it,” he said eagerly.

  Time was ticking away, and her guests were due to arrive any minute. Reluctantly, she took the box and opened it. Her breath caught as she looked at the exquisite pair of pearl and diamond earrings. The large jewel at the top was fiery red with a layer of small, bright-white diamonds encrusted around it. A large diamond, trimmed in gold was attached underneath it, and then a milky-white pearl artfully hung below that. The gold piece that held the pearl was also encrusted with diamonds and mimicked the stem of a plant. “Are these real?” she gawked.

  He laughed. “Of course.”

  “I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”

  “Now, don’t insult me by refusing my gift.” The words were spoken jokingly, but she could tell from his tight jaw that he was serious. “Put them on.” Excitement tinged his voice.

  “Now?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “I want to see them on you. That way, I’ll have the image in my head to take with me on this trip.”

  One of the most handsome men she’d ever seen was giving her an expensive pair of earrings, and it was scaring her to death! All she wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible. On the one hand, there was something childlike and endearing about him—that’s what had drawn her to him to begin with. On the other hand, he had a dark side that was controlling and unnerving. An image of Hank flashed through her mind, and she had the strong desire to talk to him right now. If only he were here, he would know what to do about Garrett. Feeling like she was detached from the situation, she removed the earrings she was wearing and replaced them with the diamonds.

  Garrett was beaming. “Perfect. A work of art.” He brushed the curve of her jaw with his hand. It was an intimate gesture that made her uncomfortable. She didn’t need to be out here, alone with Garrett, when she was having such strong feelings for his brother!

  Chloe saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Susan was walking across the yard to her front door. Saved by the landlord! “I’ve gotta go.” Before he could stop her, she opened the door.

  He leaned over and attempted to kiss her, but she turned her head, so that his lips grazed her cheek instead. “I’ll see you when I get back,” he said, disappointment coating his voice. His eyes penetrated into hers, as if he were willing her to return his affection.

  She could feel the emotion building, and swallowed hard to keep it at bay. She forced a smile. “Yeah, I’ll see you then. Hey, Susan,” she called, knowing that her chances of escape were much better with someone else close by. Susan turned and gave her a broad smile. She hurriedly got out of the car. “See you later,” she said, closing the door and getting away as quickly as possible. She could feel his eyes, watching her, as she walked across the yard. When she made it to the front door, she turned and acknowledged him with a wave. He gave her a sardonic smile, saluted, and then drove off.

  * * *

  “Okay, everyone, dig in,” Chloe said when they were all seated at the table.

  Darbie cleared her throat. “Chloe, before we eat, it would be nice if we could offer a blessing on the food.”

  Heat crawled up Chloe’s neck until it covered her face. She had to squelch the irritation that bubbled in her throat. “That would be great, Darbie. Would you say it?”

  “Sure.”

  A few minutes later, while everyone was engrossed in the meal, Chloe surreptitiously studied Darbie. She’d certainly put Chloe in her place, but it hadn’t been done maliciously. Darbie truly wanted to pray. She was starting to feel a little envious of Darbie and her faith. Then again, Darbie hadn’t gone through hard times like she had. Had she experienced a tenth of the heartache Chloe had, Darbie would most assuredly be singing a different tune. As soon as the tho
ught entered her head, she felt guilty. After all, there was no sense in being mean-spirited. She should’ve been the one who asked the group to offer a blessing on the food. She would have to remember to do that next time.

  Susan was the first to speak. “Well, what’s going on with everybody?”

  Chloe placed a hush puppy on her plate and passed them to Lila. “Just lots of work for me. Trying to finish up a few projects.” She wasn’t about to go into the Garrett saga.

  “What about you?” Susan looked at Darbie.

  Darbie helped herself to two pieces of fish. “We’re really getting into some interesting stuff in my Intro to Forensic Science Class. Do you know how long it takes rigor mortis to set in after someone dies?”

  Lila nearly choked on her fish. “What?”

  Pete laughed and winked. “Darbie, you can tell us later … after dinner is over.”

  Silence settled between them as they began eating.

  “Chloe, everything is absolutely delicious,” Lila said, scooping a second helping of mac & cheese onto her plate.

  Pete reached for another piece of fish. “Yes, it is. This fish is some of the best I’ve ever eaten.”

  “Thank you,” Chloe said appreciatively as a warm glow settled over her, helping to ebb some of the tension she felt over Garrett. It was good to be amongst friends. The conversation drifted to easy topics as everyone ate until the food was gone.

  Finally, Pete leaned back and patted his stomach. “If I ate like this every night, I might have to go up a pant size.”

  Lila cut her eyes at him. “Hey, what’re you trying to say? That my cooking isn’t this good?”

  “I’d be very careful how you answer that,” Susan said, wagging a finger.

  Pete’s face turned red as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Now, don’t go putting words in my mouth. I’m not saying that at all. I love your cooking, honey. It’s just that this southern food is so delectable.”