As Matt pulled out of the driveway, he knew his evasive comments hadn’t fooled his brother. Eric could read him like the proverbial book. Thankfully, he wasn’t the kind of person to force a confidence. In that regard, the two of them were opposites. Matt had the ‘rush in where angels fear to tread’ mindset; Eric was the personification of ‘act in haste; repent in leisure’.
Matt’s silence today wasn’t because he didn’t want to talk about Darcy. Until he understood why he felt such a connection to a stranger, there wasn’t anything he could say that would make sense.
* * * * *
Darcy set aside the book in her hand and glanced at the antique grandfather clock Cason had driven halfway across the state of Georgia to purchase. Three-fifteen. She’d been reading for thirty minutes and hadn’t registered a single word. No blame for this lapse could be laid at the door of the author. The story was a good one. The fault was with Darcy, and the fact that her attention was fixated on what wasn’t going on outside Cason’s house.
With a sigh that was half impatience-half irritation, she stood up and paced the floor of the living room. She’d used the lamest excuse to get out of going to the library. She’d endured the speculation in her mother’s voice and the disappointment in her niece’s face. And for what? So she could count the ticking of the clock and run her eyes across the same group of words over and over?
Her behavior since seeing Matt at the craft show had been anything but normal. She wasn’t acting with any sense of logic. In doing so, she was breaking her own rules. The rules she’d made to avoid situations like this.
In the midst of this internal lecture, her ears detected the unmistakable sound of a diesel engine. She’d waited five days to hear it. Five long days during which she’d told herself repeatedly that nothing good could come of this. It had been a waste of time if the excitement growing in the pit of her stomach was any indication.
Glad there was no one around to witness her childish antics, she raced across the hardwood floor into the dining room and skidded to a stop in front of the wide window facing the driveway. One trembling finger slowly lifted the slat of the blinds just enough that she could see without being seen.
Matt had just emerged from the interior of the truck. Polarized sunglasses hid his eyes, but the smile she recognized sat on his lips. He lowered the tailgate and stepped into the trailer, maneuvering his way around the commercial size mower. A few seconds later, the engine roared to life. The mower moved down the ramp and into the yard. After stopping to say something to the younger man with him, he disappeared around the side of the house.
Darcy let the slat of the blind fall into place and stepped back.
He was here. Now she could calm down and stop acting so juvenile. Unless she planned to run from window to window through the house so she could watch his progress. To keep herself from being tempted to do that, she unloaded Cason’s dishwasher, cleaned the downstairs bathroom, ran the vacuum, and folded two loads of laundry. Those tasks occupied her hands, but did little to keep her mind away from him. Over and over the same set of questions went round and round in her head.
Would Matt remember to pick up the pickles? Or would he assume no one was home because there weren’t any cars in the driveway? At this point, she hardly knew which one to hope for. What she did know was the protective walls around her heart that she’d spent months constructing were in danger of crumbling. And there didn’t appear to be anything she could do about it.
Her musings were interrupted by a loud knock on the front door. The anxiety she’d managed to subdue returned with renewed strength. She was risking everything she’d worked so hard to achieve. Why had she put herself into this position? Because Matt wasn’t like the others. He already had a place in her heart.
She hastily ran her fingers through her hair and forced herself to walk instead of run to the door. Breathe, Darcy. You’ll need air to talk. Matt was in the act of cleaning his sunglasses on the hem of his shirt when she opened the door. He looked up quickly, a grin dawning on his damp face when he realized it was her, and not Cason. His brown eyes, surrounded by even darker lashes, looked directly into hers. Hypnotic was the only word to describe their effect on her. Darcy’s heart thundered against the wall of her chest so loudly she knew he must be able to hear it.
“Hey, Darcy. I wasn’t sure if anyone was home. Jonathan and I just finished. Here’s the invoice. Tell your sister there’s no hurry on that.”
As she took the envelope from him, she heard something clatter to the floor. Probably the mop. She’d forgotten to put it back in the laundry room. Biting her lip, she said, “Let me get your pickles.”
“I knew I forgot something. I didn’t bring any cash with me.”
“Don’t worry about it. Your contribution to the lemonade fund will cover you. Be right back.” She retrieved the box and handed it to him.
“Thanks. Sorry about the mix-up.” He looked away from her for a moment. “You know, football season starts next weekend. Would you like to come over to my house to watch a few games?”
The suddenness of the invitation robbed her of any kind of preparation. For a few seconds, her mind refused to cooperate. Then force of habit took over. “That would have been fun, but I’ve got other plans.” Lying was sort of justified if it prevented something worse from happening, right? And this wasn’t so much a lie; just a tiny exaggeration.
He nodded. “Okay. Maybe another time. Thanks for the pickles. Have a nice weekend.”
Nice weekend? She’d just guaranteed herself a horrible weekend. “You, too,” she said with a smile that seemed pasted on her face.
Movement was beyond her. She watched him turn and descend the steps to the sidewalk. Regret came at her in ever increasing waves.
This was for the best.
Maybe if she kept repeating that line to herself enough times, she might actually believe it. Spending time with Matt would mean she’d have to tell him the truth about herself, and the cycle would start over again. By refusing, she was saving herself future pain and disillusionment.
* * * * *
Matt was glad Jonathan was occupied talking to his girlfriend during the ride home. He needed a few minutes to figure out what just happened. One minute he’d been having a conversation about pickles, and the next he was hearing Darcy refuse his invitation to watch football. He wasn’t sure whether he was more confused that he’d asked or disappointed that she said no.
Their acquaintance could be counted in minutes and yet he’d thought about her on and off all week. That hadn’t been the case with any of the three women he’d asked out in the wake of Sarah’s abrupt departure from his life. What was the difference? Why had Darcy made such an impression?
He knew it was more than the fact that her eyes reminded him of the last bit of sky visible at sunset or that she didn’t mind getting greasy fixing a bicycle chain. This attraction went deeper than that. It was close enough to real interest to get his attention.
After dinner, he walked over to Eric’s house. He found his brother sitting in the porch swing holding his new daughter. “You look like you know what you’re doing.”
“I’m getting into the swing of things, no pun intended. What’s in the box?”
“Julie’s pickles.”
“I’m curious to meet this woman who makes pickles.”
Matt placed the box on the seat of a chair and went to lean against the railing. “That probably won’t be happening.”
“What does that mean?”
“The offer of my company was politely refused.”
Eric pressed a kiss on Nerina’s forehead. “It happens to the best of us. Give it some time and ask her again.”
“I plan to. You know I don’t give up easily.”
“I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you that Sarah dropped by today with a gift for Nerina. She told Julie she’s seeing someone.”
Matt grimaced. “I know. I ran into her and that someone at the store last weekend.”<
br />
“That must have been fun.”
“It ranks up there with having my four wisdom teeth pulled.” He came over and peered down at the baby. “Is she always like this?”
“Not when she’s hungry. If you don’t get the bottle fixed fast enough, she’s not shy about letting you know.”
“Just like her daddy.”
Eric chuckled. “It’s getting cool out here. I’m going to take her inside. You coming?”
“Just long enough to give Julie the pickles. I promised Delilah another walk.”
“If you keep this up, my dog is never going to want to leave your house.”
“I know. It’s all part of my evil plan to steal her away from you.”
* * * * *
Darcy woke up the next morning determined to put yesterday behind her. She was allowing herself to get worked up over something that had no substance. What was that saying about ships that pass in the night? It was the perfect description of her and Matt. That meeting all those years ago didn’t have any bearing on today.
Her little pep talk worked until she and her mother arrived at Cason’s house and parked behind a familiar white truck. Her heart jumped into her throat and refused to budge. What was he doing here? The answer wasn’t long in coming. Cason and Matt appeared from around the side of the house.
“Darcy? Are you listening to me?”
“I’m sorry, Mom; what did you say?”
Her mother smiled knowingly. “Don’t apologize. If I was thirty years younger, I’d stare at him, too. He’s not as obviously good-looking as his brother, but he’s got a smile that will curl your toes. Could you get those clothes out of the back?”
Beauty really was in the eye of the beholder. In Darcy’s mind, there wasn’t a man on the planet better looking than Matt. She retrieved the bags and fell into step behind her mother, wishing she could disappear altogether. This was a definite setback to being able to put him out of her mind.
“I’ll draw up some plans and email them to you next week,” he was saying as the two groups converged on the sidewalk.
“That would be fantastic. I can’t wait to get rid of this outdated landscaping,” Cason said as she turned to greet them. “Hey, guys. Let me introduce you to Matt Gibson. He’s going to transform this yard into something worthy of a magazine. Matt, this is my mother, Melody Withers, and my sister, Darcy.”
Matt shook her mother’s hand first. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Withers.” He did the same with Darcy. “Your sister and I are already acquainted. We met at the craft show last weekend and a few other times since then.”
Cason sent Darcy an amused glance. “Really? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
Not liking the look or the topic of conversation, Darcy held out the bags. “Here are the clothes you wanted.”
“Oh, good, you remembered to bring them. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find something I can use.” She turned to Matt with a look that confirmed Darcy’s worst fears. Cason was up to something. “Have you ever done any acting? I organize the community theater program, and I’m always on the lookout for volunteers, especially young, male volunteers.”
Darcy resisted the urge to choke Cason. This was her sister at her interfering best.
Matt chuckled. “I was a shepherd in a Christmas play when I was eight years old. I’m not sure that qualifies as acting.”
“That’s close enough for me. I’m starting rehearsals on a new play next week, and I’m still short a man. It’s a minor role with only a few dozen lines. Darcy is playing one of the supporting characters. Would you be interested in helping out?”
Darcy wanted to sink into the ground. Only Cason would dare to imply that Matt would drop everything to be in her play because of Darcy. She jumped in before he could answer. “I haven’t agreed to take the part, Cason. I’m still living down my last performance.”
“Look at this as a chance to redeem yourself.” Cason glanced back at Matt. “What do you say? All the proceeds from ticket sales go to charity.”
“Before I accept or refuse, I need to know what kind of time commitment we’re talking about.”
“Rehearsals are at seven on Monday and Thursday at the old opera house. As we get closer to opening night, we’ll rehearse on Sunday afternoons.”
“That’s not too bad. Is this going to be a problem?” Matt pulled up the hem of his work pants to reveal the prosthesis.
“I wouldn’t think so. You’ll be wearing long pants in the play.”
“As long as you don’t expect Brad Pitt, I’m willing to give it a try.”
“I can’t ask for more than that.”
Darcy fumed in silence. Her sister had won this round, but the war was far from over. She would enjoy thinking of a creative way to get back at Cason for this. Forcing a smile to her stiff lips, she looked at her mother, who’d done absolutely nothing to help the situation. “Don’t you need to try that dress on Stella?”
“Yes, I do. Where’s my granddaughter, Cason? I’m surprised she isn’t out here by now.”
“She’s watching a movie with her daddy. Go on in; I’ll be right behind you.” Cason held out her hand to Matt. “Thanks for coming by. I’m looking forward to seeing those plans. Don’t forget about Monday night at seven.”
“I’ll be there.”
With a wave and a saucy grin that made Darcy long to smack her, Cason disappeared into the house.
“Well, that was interesting,” Matt said on a laugh.
“Wasn’t it? And they wonder why I chose to go to college four hours away.”
“I know the feeling. Your sister is hard to turn down.”
She looked at him curiously. “Is there really nothing else you could be doing with your evenings?”
He laughed again as he slid the clipboard under his arm. “Actually, there isn’t. A few months ago someone I’d been with for a long time broke up with me. It’s been hard to get back in the dating scene.”
Darcy envied this unknown woman. She would give anything to be in a position to have Matt in her life. “You might find that being alone is preferable to working with Cason. To say that theater is her passion is putting it mildly. Since I’ve been away, I’ve been able to avoid being involved in her productions.”
“And now that you’re back?”
Darcy made a face. “Not so easy.”
“I’m on my way to Lakeside. Would you like to ride along? You can fill me in on what I’ve committed to.”
Thanks to Cason, it would be pointless to refuse to go with him. All Darcy had to do was shelve him in the friend zone and forget the romantic nonsense. Surely she was mature enough to do that. “Okay. Just let me tell them where I’m going.”
* * * * *
While he waited for Darcy, Matt sketched a few ideas for Cason’s yard on his clipboard. As he debated what kind of border plants to use, another part of his mind was picturing Eric’s face when he told him about this latest development. Volunteering to be in a play was the last thing anyone would expect Matt to do. He’d just given his brother enough material to tease him with for months to come. And he still wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to something so far out of his comfort zone. As Darcy had alluded to, was he really this desperate to fill up his free time?
Behind him, he heard the click of the door closing. Shoving the pencil behind his ear, he turned around in time to see Darcy descending the stairs. Her wavy hair had fallen over part of her face. That elusive feeling stole over him again, the one he’d tried to rationalize because it made no sense. If they’d met before, why couldn’t he remember it?
“Are they okay with me stealing you away?” he asked, allowing her to precede him on the narrow sidewalk.
A faint smile passed over her face. “They’re glad to have me out of the way.”
“I hope Stella won’t be upset that we went to the park without her.”
“They promised to take her for ice cream. We can’t compete with that.”
“You’re right.” H
e closed the passenger door and went around to his side. After all this time, it was still strange to look across the console and not see Sarah sitting there. To hide his confusion, he asked, “How’s your weekend going so far?”
“I spent the morning looking through boxes of stuff I brought home from college. I didn’t realize how many things I accumulated while I was away.”
“I moved into a house recently. It’s amazing what you think you can’t live without until you have to find a place to put it.”
“Where did you move to?”
“Off River Road. Eric let me build on part of his property.”
“Is that the huge estate surrounded by the brick wall?”
Matt nodded. “He had to do that for privacy reasons.” Bypassing the parking lot, he used a service road leading to the rear of the park. “We planted some sod out here recently. I wanted to make sure it’s getting enough water.” He stopped next to a metal storage building. A few minutes later, they were walking along a chain link fence.
“What made you go into the landscape business?” she asked.
“Desperation, really. I wanted to be a policeman, but after I lost my leg, I couldn’t do something so physically demanding. I bought a second-hand mower and started doing lawns. Eric returned to St. Marys about that time and offered to help me get the business going. Without the investment of his time and money, I’d never have made it. To this day, he won’t accept a salary.”
“He sounds like a generous person.”
“He’s the most unselfish person you’ll ever meet.” Matt bent down and pulled on the grass. “The roots are extending into the soil. That’s what I wanted to see.”
“Do you take care of all the parks in St. Marys?”
“Just Lakeside. Eric coaches little league here, but he’s taking this fall off. Not even his love of baseball would be enough to pry him away from Nerina and Julie right now.”
“I’m liking him more and more.”
“Maybe I better stop talking about him. I want you to like me.” Even in the sunlight, he could see her cheeks turn pink. He needed to stop with the stupid comments. She wasn’t used to him yet. “Eric tried to talk me into coaching a team, but those kids and their parents don’t want me. They want former major league pitching sensation Eric Gibson.”
Stealing His Heart: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 2) Page 5
