Stealing His Heart: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 2)

by Delaney Cameron

  “That’s an interesting analogy. Does it mean you can’t remember having a seizure?”

  “That’s right. The only residual effects I have are any bumps or bruises I collect on the way to the ground.”

  “How many seizures have you had?”

  This time she laughed. “I stopped counting at thirty.”

  “And I thought feeling pain in a leg that isn’t there anymore is hard to deal with. I admire you, Darcy. It takes courage to face the unknown.”

  “Real courage is doing what men and women like you do every day to protect this country.”

  He shook his head. “Bravery isn’t reserved for heroic acts on the battlefield. It means denying yourself for the good of others. Isn’t that what you’re doing by choosing not to drive?”

  “I don’t know.” A long sigh slipped through her lips. “There’s a fine line between being independent and allowing something to define me.”

  “Only you can decide where that line is. Just don’t be afraid to move it back and forth every once in a while.” He glanced at the television. “Did Michigan just score again?”

  “They must have. We shouldn’t be surprised. It’s not as if they’re playing anyone.”

  * * * * *

  Matt wasn’t worried about Michigan’s fourteen point lead; he needed a few minutes to regain his composure. He was a little unsettled by how much he’d wanted the lifeless piece of plastic attached to his body to feel Darcy’s touch. Here was further proof – if he needed it – that his reaction to her earlier at the car hadn’t been a fluke. He’d known for days that his interest in her was growing. What he didn’t know was whether she felt the same way about him.

  “Are you ready for round 2?” he asked. She sent him a playful grin that set his heart racing.

  “You read my mind.”

  It was a good thing she couldn’t read his. He scooted over to the end of the couch. “Okay, here’s how this is going to work. The last one to the kitchen has to do the dishes after the game. On your mark…get set…”

  “Wait!” she yelped. “I’m not ready yet.” Darcy edged to her end of the couch.

  “What are you worried about? Your opponent only has one good leg.”

  “I don’t like doing dishes.”

  Matt laughed. “Neither do I. Go!”

  They both jumped up and turned in opposite directions to get around the couch. Darcy belatedly made a grab for her plate. That few seconds delay was enough to allow him to reach the kitchen ahead of her.

  “How about the best two out of three?” she asked between breaths.

  “No way. I only won this time because you went back for your plate. Ready for dessert? I still have some of that pie you gave me, which by the way, is as good as my mom’s.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. I’ll take a small slice.” Darcy moved over to where he stood.

  As he slid a piece on her plate, he said, “I was kidding about the dishes. You’re my guest.”

  “How about we compromise and do them together?”

  “We’ll see. Right now, I’m going to make coffee. Want some?”

  “I’m not much of a coffee drinker. I like hot chocolate with marshmallows. I love how they get all soft and gooey as they melt. It’s almost as good as roasting them.”

  Matt’s hand froze in the act of scooping coffee into the filter. He looked down at her, his eyes puzzled. Someone else liked gooey marshmallows. Who was it? As if a curtain had been swept away, the fragments of memories he’d been chasing for weeks finally came together. “You’re the little girl I met at Ian’s – the one who liked s’mores.”

  Darcy nodded slowly. “You remembered. I didn’t think you would.”

  “You already knew? Why didn’t you say something?”

  She shrugged. “It didn’t seem important. It’s been a long time.”

  “Not important?” he echoed in amazement. “Do you know how hard I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out why you seem so familiar? I thought I was going crazy or something. When did you figure it out?”

  “As soon as I saw you.”

  “Really? Well, in my defense, you had it easy. I haven’t changed all that much. You went from a cute little girl to breathtaking.” As he watched the color in her face deepen, he went on, “I don’t remember you blushing back then, either.”

  “Please stop! You’re only going to make it worse.”

  “If memory serves, you polished off about four s’mores that night. I kept thinking you were going to be sick, and I was going to get blamed for letting it happen.”

  “It’s nice to know that the one thing you remember about me is how much I ate.”

  “That’s not all I remember. Not by a long shot.”

  * * * * *

  Darcy didn’t want to go any further down Memory Lane. The innocent comments they’d exchanged held no special meaning for him. His heart hadn’t been touched by the first stirrings of love. He hadn’t spent the next few years spinning fairytales in his head about a person he’d only met one time. “We should probably get back to the game. It’s almost three-thirty.”

  His dark eyes gleamed with mischief. “All right; but I definitely want to talk more about this. We’ve got some catching up to do.”

  Not if she could steer him in another direction.

  Her doubts about being able to be herself when she watched football quickly vanished. Matt was every bit as vocal as she was. At one point, he became so frustrated with the inability of an Auburn receiver to catch a pass that he wadded up his napkin and threw it at the television.

  “What is it with our receivers today? They can’t catch a cold, let alone a football.”

  “So much for thinking I need to dial back my enthusiasm a bit.”

  “I warned you.”

  He gave her a playful push with his shoulder. She felt the impact all the way to her toes. That wasn’t how she was supposed to react to someone in the friend zone. “Is it safe to put a cue stick in your hand?”

  “I’m only like this with football.”

  And she was only like this with him. Darcy got up to retrieve the napkin and then walked over to the window. “I see a glimpse of blue water through the trees. That must be convenient. You don’t have to go to the river anymore.”

  “Or worry about Eric following me when I get the urge to fish in the middle of the night.”

  She turned around to face him. “I used to go with my dad to the causeway. He liked to get out there before everyone else so it was usually still dark. The mist would slowly rise off the water, and the only sound was the occasional seagull flying overhead. I watched a lot of sunrises with a fishing pole in my hand. It was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.”

  “A girl who likes billiards, football and fishing. Have I entered some kind of alternate reality?”

  “There are plenty of women who enjoy those types of activities.”

  “They must all be in hiding because I haven’t been able to find them. Well, look at that. One of our receivers actually caught a pass.”

  Darcy returned to the couch, hoping he wouldn’t notice that she left a little more space between them. “Don’t get too excited. It wasn’t enough for a first down.”

  “You’re just cranky because your quarterback has thrown two interceptions today, both of which were returned for touchdowns.”

  “Do you blame me? There wasn’t a Clemson player within ten yards of either pass.”

  “On one of them, it looked like the receiver ran the wrong route. Quarterbacks are like pitchers. They get too much credit if their team wins and too much blame if their team loses.”

  When their games went to halftime, Matt stood up and walked over to the pool table. “If you’re not too exhausted from yelling at your players and complaining about the refs, we could play a game.”

  “Don’t get me started on the refs. They’ve been awful today.” She joined him on the other side of the room. “This is an older model, isn’t it?”


  “That’s right. A bowling alley in Atlanta was going out of business. I got this thing cheap because it was in such bad shape. It took me a few months to fix it up.”

  “You did a great job.” She selected a cue stick from the case. “These don’t look as if they’ve been used.”

  “They haven’t. Eric and Julie gave them to me as a housewarming gift.” He grabbed the triangle rack off the wall. “Ready to show me what you can do.”

  “Sure. You want to break?”

  “Ladies first.”

  Darcy placed the cue ball to the left of center. Matt finished setting up the balls and moved to the side, out of her line of sight. On the break, she pocketed a ball, much to her delight. His comments about not letting her win ran through her mind. She decided to play a little trick on him. Knowing his sense of humor, she wasn’t worried about him getting upset. The only problem was pulling it off. With him watching, she wasn’t sure how well she’d be able to play. “That means I get to keep going, right?” she asked innocently, trying hard not to smile.

  He nodded. “Just make sure you only aim for the solid ones.”

  After she’d successfully banked the next three shots, she turned to him again. “I can’t believe this. I’ve never played this good before.”

  Matt’s mouth quirked into a knowing grin. “You can stop pretending now. You’ve made your point. It’s time to come clean. Who taught you to play?”

  Darcy surveyed the table before leaning down to take another shot. “No one. I watched videos and practiced on the pool table at the YMCA.”

  “Why pool?”

  She avoided his glance by rubbing cue chalk on the end of her stick. “I had a crush on this guy who lived and breathed billiards. I figured if I learned to play, I could impress him.”

  “Don’t stop there. Tell me the rest of this fascinating story.”

  After she pocketed another ball, she said, “He was impressed until I beat him. I didn’t know then that boys don’t like losing to girls.”

  “Some of us actually outgrow that.”

  Darcy laughed. “That’s good to know. Now I can beat you with a clear conscience.”

  “Go ahead. I promise not to cry or break my cue stick, but I might feel compelled to express my frustration in some way.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What would that be? Not letting me watch the rest of the Clemson game?” The smile he sent her wasn’t reassuring. What was he planning?

  “You’ll find out if you win.”

  “I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to distract me.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Of course I am. The question is: is it working?”

  Of course it was working, but she wasn’t going to admit it. Not bothering to answer, Darcy concentrated on her next shot. It teetered on the edge of the pocket for a few agonizing seconds before dropping in.

  Matt started ticking off points on his fingers. “Knows when to be quiet. Check. Calm under pressure. Check. Beautiful eyes. Check. Nice legs. Check.”

  “You’re not playing fair,” she protested. “That’s a sign of a poor loser.”

  He crossed his arms, grinning unrepentantly. “You only have to make two more shots, and you’ll know exactly what kind of loser I am.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Oh, me, too.”

  Determined not to let him rattle her, she didn’t look his way again until the eight-ball was safely in the corner pocket.

  He pushed away from the wall and came to stand beside her. His fingers tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his mouth parting in a crooked smile. Her breath caught in her throat as what felt like a current of electricity passed through her.

  “Next time, I break first,” he said softly. “It’s the only way I’ll ever get a shot in.” Taking the cue stick from her, he returned it to the case.

  Darcy slowly let out the breath she was holding. She’d been a fool to think she could be around him and not be affected. “I’m not sure how much it will help you. I’m going to do my own share of distracting.”

  Matt laughed as he sat down next to her. “You’re already doing that. I’m hoping that by continuing to expose myself to you, I’ll develop some immunity.”

  “I’m not sure what that means.”

  “It’s just my way of saying I like you. That shouldn’t be a surprise. I liked you when you were twelve.”

  “Did you? I liked you, too.”

  “When you think about it, we’re just picking up where we left off.”

  Except this time she wasn’t a little girl, and he wasn’t leaving town.

  * * * * *

  The start of the third quarter pulled Matt’s attention back to the game. He and Darcy spent the next two hours arguing amicably over their respective teams’ performance. When the final seconds ticked off the clock, he had little trouble persuading her to play another game of pool. In spite of going first, he still managed to lose, something he should have seen coming given his total lack of focus. It was much more enjoyable to watch her play than to concentrate on making his own shots.

  Over his protests, she insisted on helping him clean up the kitchen before she left. Not that he minded. Standing next to Darcy at the sink had been just as exciting as sitting next to her on the couch. Long before he was ready, the last dish was put away, she’d said goodbye to Delilah, and they were walking out to the car. Where had the time gone?

  As they waited for the gate to open, he glanced her way. “I hope I convinced you that Auburn fans aren’t all bad.”

  She laughed. “I knew that already. I only said that to see what you’d say.”

  “So, it was a test. Does that mean I might be able to talk you into coming over again?”

  “I think so, yes.”

  Her lips curved into a shy smile that drew his gaze to her mouth. He didn’t need the fluttering in the region of his heart to know what was happening. His talent for speaking first and thinking later had landed him in trouble again. He’d only spent one afternoon with Darcy, and he already wanted to break the first rule of the ‘just friends’ contract. “Good. Are you coming to rehearsal on Monday?”

  “I don’t know. It depends on what I look like by then.”

  “If you decide to go, let me know and I’ll pick you up.”

  “Cason doesn’t mind driving me.”

  “Neither do I.”

  When they reached her front door, she turned to him. “Thanks for inviting me over. I had a great time.”

  “I did, too. Let me know about Monday, okay?”

  “I will. Goodnight, Matt.”

  * * * * *

  Darcy downplayed the events of the day to her inquisitive mother. For the moment, she wanted to keep the wonder and happiness welling up inside to herself. Tomorrow would be soon enough to explain Matt’s extraordinary reaction to hearing about her epilepsy. Right now, she was too moved - too full of emotion - to talk about it calmly.

  Being normal was one of those things you didn’t fully appreciate until you no longer fit the definition. Then it was all you thought about. Matt had done what no other guy had been able to do: make her forget about her seizures. His acceptance ignited a tiny spark of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Part of her wanted to let go of her fear and move toward the light. If she closed herself off from this chance, she might never get another one.

  Letting such thoughts take root in her heart was dangerous because it gave her hope. Hope meant she wouldn’t be content with what he’d offered and what she could realistically give in return. She would want more. Hope raised the stakes and added expectations. It increased the risk of hurt and disappointment.

  In spite of his comment about picking up where they left off, Darcy knew they were essentially starting from scratch. Telling Matt about her seizures was just the tip of a very large iceberg. Would his tolerance endure when faced with the realities of epilepsy? Or would it be too much for him, too?

  * * * * *

  Matt was hardly aware of
driving home and entering the house. It was Delilah’s mournful yelps from the laundry room that reminded him of more pressing concerns. He bent down to pick her up. “Are you jealous that I spent the afternoon with Darcy? Or are you just hungry?”

  An hour later he was standing on the bank of the lake hoping to catch a few catfish. This is where he did most of his serious thinking. Since his breakup with Sarah, he’d spent hours and hours in this spot. As he stared unseeingly at the glass-like smoothness of the water, he remembered the pain in Darcy’s eyes when she told him about her seizures.

  How many unkind comments and cruel rejections had it taken to put it there? His fingers tightened around the handle of the fishing rod. He’d like to have a round or two with those guys who hurt her, who hadn’t been able to get past a medical diagnosis long enough to see the sensitive, caring girl in front of them.

  It was strange how he’d learned more about her from what she hadn’t said. Like him, she’d been forced to accept that she’d never be the same again. Did she ever manage to forget the accident that changed her? Or was she plagued by nightmares as he was? At least she carried no guilt. Matt had to live with knowing that Ian didn’t get the chance to come home. There had been many times when he wished it had been him who died so that Faith wouldn’t be a widow.

  “Caught anything?”

  Matt jerked at the sound of Julie’s voice. “Not yet. What are you doing so far from home?”

  “Getting some exercise. How was your day with Darcy?”

  “It went great thanks to your culinary skills.”

  “I doubt the food had anything to do with it. When you’re done scaring all the fish, drop by the house. Just because we have a baby doesn’t mean you have to stop coming to visit.”

  “I’ve been giving you space.”

  “That was a nice thought, but we miss you. Eric needs some male companionship after being closed up in a house with two females all day.”

  “Yeah, right. I’m just waiting for him to tell me that he’s decided to retire from mowing lawns because he can’t bear to be away from his girls. What’s he doing now?”