“Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore.”
“Aunt Darcy was in a car accident once. I heard Mommy and Daddy talking about it.”
Darcy hoped he wouldn’t ask for details. The last thing she wanted to do was get into a discussion about accidents.
He met her glance briefly and then indicated the small dog sitting next to his feet. “In all this excitement, I forgot to introduce you to Delilah. She actually belongs to my brother, but he’s a little busy right now so she’s staying with me.”
“Delilah? That’s a funny name for a dog,” Stella pointed out.
“I know. My brother has a strange sense of humor.”
By this time, Darcy had recovered sufficiently from the shock of seeing Matt again to realize something. “How do you two know each other?”
“I was called into action yesterday morning to retrieve a beach ball.” When she continued to look confused, he explained, “I was mowing the yard next door to Stella’s house when this huge object came flying over the fence. If I hadn’t been paying attention, it might have knocked me out.”
“It couldn’t have,” Stella protested. “It only has air in it.”
Matt wagged a finger in her direction. “I was trying to make the rescue sound more exciting.”
“Mommy says you’re going to mow our yard, too.”
“That’s right. I’ll be coming to your house every Friday.”
Which meant Darcy would probably see him again. It was ridiculous to feel so happy about it. The whole situation was impossible. The more she was around Matt, the more she would want to be around him. And the greater chance that he might remember who she was. Not that it was some big secret or would even matter to him. She just preferred him not to know. No use digging up the past now.
Stella had abandoned the bubbles and was trying to entice the dog into her lap. “Can you bring Delilah with you on Friday? Aunt Darcy and I could watch her for you.”
“I wish I could, but I’ll be gone all day. That’s too long for her to be away from home.” Matt picked up the bottle of bubbles and blew some in Darcy’s direction. “I used to love doing this. When my brother got married, his wife didn’t want to do the throwing rice or birdseed thing; instead, they had everyone blow bubbles as they left the reception. I hadn’t done bubbles in at least twenty years. It was like reliving my childhood.”
“Twenty years?” Darcy asked. “You must be older than you look.”
“I’ll be twenty-eight in a few months.”
That meant he’d been about nineteen when she met him. It seemed like a lifetime ago. “So, you’re dog sitting today, huh?”
“Yeah. Delilah and I came to the park to get some fresh air. She’s not too happy about being stuck at my house.”
Darcy bent down and ran her hand over the soft, brown fur. “That’s understandable. She’s used to being in a certain place with certain people. Now her routine’s been changed. Animals don’t like change.”
Matt nodded slowly. “I don’t like change, either.”
“Sometimes change is good; sometimes it’s less good.”
“Eric ruined Delilah by carrying her around all the time. The only way I could get her to go to sleep last night was to hold her, like Stella’s doing now.”
How many guys would go to such lengths to comfort a pet? “You’re getting practice for when you keep your niece.”
“Oh, no. I’m not ready for that. I’d be a nervous wreck.”
Darcy slowly rose to her feet. “I was the same way when Stella was born, but that scared feeling gradually goes away.”
“Hopefully, it will be that way for me, too.”
“Is Matt short for Matthew?”
“I get asked that a lot. It’s actually short for Matterson. You’ve got a unique name, too.”
“My mother’s a Jane Austen fan.”
His heavy brows lifted. “Who’s Jane Austen?”
“You must not have paid attention in your English lit classes. She lived in the 1800s and wrote romantic novels. My name comes from one of the male characters in Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy.”
He grinned teasingly. “You don’t look like a boy to me.”
“I’ve often wondered exactly what my mother was thinking when she named me. How long have you been mowing yards?”
“About three years now. Eric usually helps me, but he’s taking off this week because of the baby.”
“Did you play baseball, too?”
“Just little league. Once I got older, I switched to football.”
“Oh, I love football, especially college football.”
“Let me see if I can guess what team you root for.” He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. “I’ll make the most obvious choice and go with the Georgia Bulldogs.”
She shook her head. “Try again.”
“You crossed the border. You’re a Crimson Tide fan.”
“Here’s a hint. My team isn’t in the SEC.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I thought I was dealing with a serious college football fan here. Everyone knows the only real football is played in the SEC.”
“Those words would start a riot at my house. My dad played football at Clemson, and Cason’s husband graduated from there.”
“Well, at least you’ve got the right mascot. We’re both Tigers.”
“Oh, no. I’m dealing with an Auburn fan. You guys are the worst.”
He shook his head sadly. “Now that’s just hurtful. I bet if you watched a few games with me you’d be singing a different tune.”
Darcy ignored the stirring of the silly butterflies in her stomach. “We’d probably end up fighting all day.”
“Or really liking each other, but then again, I’m already well on the way to that already.”
His words disarmed her completely, making it difficult to maintain the detachment she reserved for occasions like this. Both regret and relief flowed through her when she heard her mother calling to her from the playground.
“Darcy, honey, don’t you think we ought to be getting back to Cason’s house? It’s almost lunchtime.”
She cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled, “Be right there.” Turning back to Matt, she said, “It’s that time, I guess.”
“I need to think about leaving, too. Eric is bringing Julie and Nerina home today, and I’ve been invited to dinner.”
Darcy gathered the bottles of bubbles and dropped them into her backpack. “Nerina? There’s another unusual name. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before.”
“It’s my mother’s name.” He crouched down next to Stella. “Thank you for taking such good care of Delilah.”
She reluctantly handed him the dog. “Maybe when Aunt Darcy brings me here again, you can come with Delilah.”
“I’d like that.” He ruffled her hair and stood up. His glance went to Darcy. “The pickles were really good. Is there any way I could get more?”
“Of course. The pantry at home is overflowing with them. How many jars do you want?”
“Would four be too many?”
“Ten wouldn’t be too many. My mother is an ambitious gardener. She must have had at least fifty cucumber plants and all of them produced well. I’ll leave your pickles at Cason’s house. You can pick them up on Friday.”
“Thanks; that would be great.”
* * * * *
As he retraced his steps to the truck, Matt realized with some surprise that his headache was gone. Was that the result of the Advil he’d taken or spending time with Darcy and Stella? His glance swung to Delilah; her short legs were doing their best to keep up with his long strides. “I’m not the only one who had a good time, am I?” he asked as he scooped the dog into his arms. “You were milking it for all you’re worth.”
It had been convenient to blame his malaise on staying up too late watching television. The more likely culprit was the twenty or so times he’d relived those harrowing moments in the grocery store the day before. The hot sho
wer he’d taken had removed the sleepiness, but hadn’t improved his mood. Neither had the discovery that he’d run through his pathetic supply of food.
This had given him an excuse to get out of the house. Grabbing Delilah, he’d hit the first restaurant he came to. After several chicken biscuits and a large coffee laced with sugar, he’d felt marginally better. He hadn’t, however, relished the idea of going back home where every room reminded him that he was alone.
It was at this point that he decided to go to the park. Delilah would enjoy running around, and he could check the progress of the new sod he’d put down on one of the practice fields. That decision turned out to be a good one. During the short time he talked with Darcy and Stella, he’d managed to forget about the woman he lost and the new man in her life.
The ringing of his phone interrupted his thoughts. It was his best friend’s widow. The friend he lost the same day he lost his leg.
“Hey, Faith. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Matt. I hate to bother you, but I’ve got a flat tire. This is terrible timing, too. I start a new job tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be right over.”
Thirty minutes later, the tire had been changed, and he was standing in Faith’s tiny kitchen. Delilah was investigating the laundry room, looking for something to destroy.
“I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s life been treating you?” she asked, handing him a glass of tea.
“Thanks,” he said as he took a drink. It was hard to believe Ian wouldn’t walk into the room at any moment. Life was so unfair sometimes. “Business is booming. My personal life is another story. Sarah broke up with me.”
“Oh, Matt, I’m sorry to hear that. The last time we talked you were looking at engagement rings.”
He took another long swallow of tea. “That was just wishful thinking on my part. What’s this about a new job? I thought you were happy teaching at the tech school.”
“The problem was one of the other teachers. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
His face darkened with anger. “Did he say anything inappropriate or touch you?”
Her eyes fell from his. “He made me…uncomfortable. He’d follow me to my car, that sort of thing.”
“You should have told me. There are ways to take care of that.”
“The last thing you need is to get involved in something like that. Anyway, it was time for a change. I got a job teaching at Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. It’s better pay and shorter hours.”
“It’s also a longer drive.”
“I only have to be on campus three days a week and none of my classes are at night.”
He put his empty glass on the counter. “That was my next question. I’m glad you won’t be driving back after dark.”
Faith laughed. “I made sure of that. Katie stopped by the other day. She’s expecting baby number two.”
“Ian tried so hard to get me interested in her. Given the fact that I’m still single, I probably should have taken his advice.”
“Katie has no sense of humor. You’d have spent most of your time apologizing for saying the wrong thing.”
He threw his arm around her shoulders. “You know me too well, Faith. It’s scary sometimes.”
“I can’t help but know you. We grew up in the same neighborhood.”
“You adored me until I made the mistake of introducing you to Ian.”
Faith poked her finger in his chest. “You didn’t put up much of a fight to keep me.”
No, he hadn’t. He’d had other things on his mind. His mother was dying of cancer. “We were more like brother and sister.”
“I like to think we still are. Thanks for fixing my tire.”
“No problem. You can call on me anytime. Good luck with the new job.”
* * * * *
Darcy knew her mother’s silence during the walk back to Cason’s house was merely temporary. As soon as they were alone, the interrogation into the subject of Matt would commence. Her mother needed little incentive to launch into a full-scale investigation more suited to solving a crime than discussing her daughter’s adventures with the opposite sex.
Events soon proved her right. They barely made it to the stop sign at the end of Cason’s street before the floodgates opened.
“Wasn’t that the man from the craft show?”
It could hardly be anyone else. There weren’t that many men in St. Marys walking around with a prosthetic leg. “Yes, it was.”
“He’s even better looking without all that stuff on his face. Did you ever see such soulful eyes?”
Soulful eyes? Oh, brother. “I didn’t notice.” What she had noticed was how they twinkled with humor and made her feel things she didn’t want to feel.
Her mother went on. “It’s a shame about his leg. I wonder what happened to him.”
“He told Stella he was in an accident.”
“Was it a car accident?”
“He didn’t say, and I don’t know him well enough to ask.”
“What do you know him well enough to talk about?”
“College football, mostly.”
Her mother nodded. “That’s a start. Did you find out his name?”
A half dozen questions in less than twenty seconds. That must be some kind of record. “Matt Gibson. He’s that famous baseball player’s brother.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t know Eric Gibson had a brother. Matt must keep a low profile. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Did he ask for your number or anything?”
She bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. Her mother obviously held an exaggerated view of Darcy’s attractions. “No. For all I know, he’s married.”
“I doubt he’s married. He wasn’t wearing a ring.”
Darcy turned in the seat to look at her mother. “You couldn’t have seen that from where you were sitting.”
“No, but I was close enough yesterday.”
“Why am I surprised by this? I should know by now that I’m dealing with a professional.”
“It’s called being practical. There’s no use getting excited about him if he’s married.”
Again Darcy had a difficult time keeping a straight face. “Were you excited about him? I think that’s something Dad would be interested in knowing.”
“Excited for you, darling. You can’t tell me you weren’t affected. I saw the way your eyes followed him when he left our table.”
Was there anything this woman didn’t notice? “I was looking at his leg. I hadn’t noticed the prosthesis before.”
“You weren’t looking at his leg today.”
“How long were you watching us?”
“Long enough.”
“If that’s the case, I’m surprised you were so eager to get me away from the park.”
Her mother waved at one of the neighbors. “That’s all part of the strategy. It will pique his interest.”
If so, it will be short lived. “Mom, do you hear yourself? There is no strategy.”
“Do you know what he does for a living?”
“He owns a landscape company.” She didn’t add that Cason had hired him to do her yard. No one could say she hadn’t learned anything from that auditing class last semester. Just answer the question. Don’t anticipate or elaborate.
“Hmm. Maybe I should think about getting him to take care of our yard. Your father isn’t getting any younger.”
“You’re joking, right? Dad is only fifty-four and runs two miles every morning. He’s in better shape than all of us put together.”
Her mother pulled the van in the driveway and waited for the garage door to open. “I need to finish that dress for Stella. It’s only a week ‘til school starts, and she wants to wear it on the first day.”
Darcy seized on this new topic of conversation as she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for her backpack. “I’ve been asked to French braid her hair. Apparently, Cason can’t do it right.”
“What time do we have to be there in the
morning?”
“Seven-thirty.”
“I’ll get up early and make some apple bran muffins to take with us. The last time I was over there for breakfast, all Cason had was pop-tarts and frozen pancakes. Can you imagine?”
Knowing no answer was expected, Darcy followed her mother into the house. She might have been successful in redirecting her mother’s attention away from Matt, but she’d failed miserably with herself. She spent the remainder of the day alternating between fear and hope that he’d been serious about possibly watching football together. Not that she could accept, but it would be nice to be asked.
* * * * *
The next morning Matt pulled up to the garages adjacent to Eric’s house where their lawn equipment was stored. He was checking the oil in the lawnmower when he heard the front door close. A few minutes later his brother appeared behind him, face unshaven and lines of fatigue around his eyes. “Good morning, sunshine. How’s life with a baby?”
“Never a dull moment.”
Matt looked at him more closely. “You look terrible. Did you stay up all night?”
“Nerina eats every two to three hours. There isn’t time to sleep.”
“Does it take two people to feed her?”
Eric smiled tiredly. “I’m not answering that. How’s Delilah?”
“Missing you and Julie. I’m a poor substitute. I gave her a little treat yesterday by taking her to the park.”
“You took my dog out in public? What could have prompted such a brave act?”
“Being tired of my own company.”
“That sounds about right. How did the sod look?”
Matt reached for a spool of line for the trimmer. “Better than I expected. The rain we got last week helped.”
“Julie loved the pickles you brought.”
“Good. I’m planning to get more.”
Eric’s brows went up. “You’re willingly going to another craft show?”
“I found a way around that. I got to know the person who makes them.”
This produced a knowing grin. “I bet you did. Is she pretty?”
Very, but she doesn’t seem to know it. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“I don’t know; you tell me.”
“I don’t have time. I’ve got four yards to mow and fifty bales of pine straw to put down.”
Stealing His Heart: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 2) Page 4
