Chapter 3
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t leave work earlier.” Haven steered her Honda CR-V through the rush-hour traffic on Interstate 485.
“I had my usual middle school drama today.” She rolled her eyes. “For one, there was a seventh grader who thought it would
be a great idea to bring water balloons to the assembly. Then he dropped them all. What a mess!”
Darcy cupped a hand to her mouth to cover a snort. “You have the best stories.”
“Yeah, but the call to the parent wasn’t all that fun,” Haven said. “Anyway, I had hoped to pick you up at four thirty, but
my calls went late and then the principal wanted to discuss a few things.”
Darcy looked down at her phone. “It’s okay. Carter said he’d wait for me at the shop.”
“He said he’d wait for you, huh?” Haven’s smile was mischievous. “Carter. That’s a nice name.”
“It is.” Darcy scanned their text message exchange from earlier this afternoon. He’d told her the problem had turned out to
be the starter instead of the battery. She agreed to the cost of repair, and he said the car would be ready before the shop
closed at five thirty.
Darcy glanced at her watch. Almost five thirty. The traffic in front of them crept along the highway. “I’ll let him know we’re
running late.”
Darcy: We got a late start, but we’re on our way. Traffic is pretty heavy on 485.
The conversation bubbles appeared right away.
Carter: No worries. Take your time.
“So tell me about this handsome mechanic who saved the day.” Haven’s baby-blue eyes sparkled.
Although her best friend worked as a middle school guidance counselor, Darcy always thought Haven could have strutted down
runways at fashion shows with her gorgeous strawberry-blonde hair, flawless ivory skin, long legs, and perfect figure. She’d
always secretly been envious of Haven’s height of five feet nine. It often astounded her that Haven was so humble and down-to-earth
despite being drop-dead gorgeous, and she never seemed to notice how she attracted men’s attention when she walked past them.
“There’s not much to tell really. He’s a mechanic and he fixed my car.” Darcy stowed her phone in her pocket. “I’d rather
you tell me more middle school stories. Were there any food fights in the cafeteria today?”
Haven lifted one of her perfectly shaped strawberry-blonde eyebrows. “Nice deflecting, Larsen. I, for one, can’t wait to meet
Carter.” She merged into the right lane, preparing to exit. “But I’ve also been dying to tell you that Derek has someone for
you to meet.”
Darcy couldn’t stop her glower. Haven and her boyfriend constantly tried to set her up on blind dates, and they’d proved to
be one disastrous evening after another. “I’m not in the mood for a blind date.”
“This guy is different.”
“Sure he is,” Darcy deadpanned. “Different from the guy you set me up with who talked about Star Wars the entire night and kept showing me photos of himself in costumes at sci-fi conventions? Or different from the one who showed me pictures of his five grandchildren? Or how about the man who never let me get a word in edgewise? Or the one who had a tan line on his ring finger?”
Haven negotiated the exit ramp and stopped at a light before holding up her hand. “I’m sorry about those dates, but I promise
this will be different.”
“How can you guarantee that?”
Haven’s smile faded, and Darcy braced herself for a lecture. “Darce, you really need to keep an open mind. It’s time for you
to start dating again, okay? Derek insists this guy is great.”
Darcy sighed. She knew Darcy’s longtime boyfriend, Derek, was a good guy. After Jace died, he and Haven brought her meals,
listened while she cried, checked on her daily, drove her to appointments, and literally held her up at the funeral. Even
months later, when other friends had gone back to their normal lives, Haven and Derek continued to be Darcy’s emotional support.
She was thankful that Haven had such a wonderful man in her life. Hopefully she would have a relationship like theirs someday.
“Fine,” Darcy grumbled. “I’ll go on the blind date.”
“Yay! We’re going to have so much fun. I love double dates. I just know it will be a blast.”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed as she looked over at her best friend. “He’d better not have a wife and family.”
Haven shook her head and turned onto Main Street in Flowering Grove. “He doesn’t. Derek said this guy is single and has been
for a while.”
Darcy took in the stores lining Main Street and smiled. “I love this little town.”
“Me too. Derek loved growing up here.”
The sign for Barton Automotive came into view, and Haven steered into the lot in front of a one-story cinderblock building with six garage bays and a glass front boasting the business’s name and logo.
Darcy saw her Lexus parked in front of the building, and it seemed to glisten in the sunlight. “Looks like my car got a much-needed
bath.” She gathered up her laptop bag and purse, noting the time on Haven’s dashboard. “It’s after six now. I feel awful for
making him stay late for me.”
“From as nice as you’ve made him sound, I doubt he minds. After all, he said he’d wait.”
They crossed the parking lot to the entrance. When Darcy pulled open the front door, a bell rang and the smell of rubber hit
her. She took in displays of tires that led to a long counter. Carter sat behind it, flipping through a magazine.
When he smiled, Darcy couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was with his chiseled cheekbones, angular jaw, and those dark-brown
eyes.
Haven made an appreciative noise under her breath.
You got that right. She did her best to ignore her thoughts as they approached him.
Just then a large gray tabby cat came bounding toward them while singing a chorus of meows. Darcy crouched to pet the cat’s
head. The feline responded with a loud purr that reminded her of a car engine.
“That’s Smoky,” Carter announced. “He’s our unofficial shop manager and mascot.”
“Hi there, Smoky.” Darcy began rubbing his ear, and the cat lifted his head higher while closing his eyes.
Haven bent down and stroked his back. “It’s a shame he’s not friendly,” she quipped.
Suddenly bored with the affection, Smoky took off behind a tower of tires.
Darcy moved to the counter. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Honestly, it’s not a big deal. My only plans were to watch reality TV.”
“You watch reality TV?” Haven’s expression held a mixture of shock and fascination.
“Not really.” His lips twitched. “That was a joke.”
“Oh!” Haven laughed.
Darcy grinned as she set her laptop bag on the floor and then touched Haven’s arm. “Carter Donovan, this is Haven Morrisette.”
“Thank you for not leaving my best friend stranded today,” Haven said.
“It was no problem at all.” Carter turned his attention to Darcy. “How’d your presentation go?”
A ribbon of warmth unfurled deep inside of Darcy as she took in the sincerity in Carter’s eyes. “It went great, and my boss
and the board members were really impressed. Thanks for asking.” She pulled her wallet from her purse and retrieved her credit
card. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help today.”
He handed her an invoice. “I’m just glad I could get it fixed for you.”
Darcy perused it and then handed him her card. “My car looks clean. Did you wash it?”
“I just took it through the car wash down at the gas station while I had it out on a test drive.”
“I didn’t see a charge for that on the bill.”
He shook his head. “It’s on the house.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Darcy spotted her best friend grinning, and she ignored her. “Thank you, Carter.” When he set
her receipts and card in front of her, she signed one receipt and handed it to him. “I’ll recommend this place to all of my
friends.”
“We appreciate your business. Call or text me if you have any trouble.”
“I will.” She stuck her card and receipt in her purse and then shouldered her laptop bag.
He handed her the key fob. “Be safe going home.”
“You too.” She mentally kicked herself for not thinking of something better to say as she walked with Haven toward the door.
Haven bumped Darcy’s shoulder as they crossed the parking lot. “You should totally text him. Maybe you can disconnect your
battery and then say, ‘Come and rescue me again, Carter!’”
“Shh!” Darcy spun toward the door, hoping he hadn’t overhead her friend. Thankfully, he was nowhere in sight. “He’s probably
married.”
Haven’s pink lips lifted in a wicked grin. “I’m sure his wife enjoys him if he is.”
“Stop it,” Darcy hissed. Then she pulled Haven in for a hug. “But thanks again for the ride.”
“You know I’d help you anytime, and you would do the same for me.” Haven’s expression became serious. “I’m so glad your kidney
numbers are great. I worry about you.”
“Thank you for worrying about me, but I promise I’m fine. I’m always careful to keep up with medications and appointments.
My goal is to do what I’m supposed to so I stay healthy. I’ll see you soon, Haven.”
“Yes, you will.” Her best friend strutted toward her SUV.
Darcy unlocked her car and set her bag and purse on the passenger seat. She glanced up as Carter stepped outside and locked
the shop door. He waved, and she waved back before climbing into her car.
As she nosed her car toward the parking lot exit, she wondered if she’d ever have a good reason to see Carter Donovan again.
***
An appetizing whiff of spices filled Carter’s senses as he stepped into Shauna’s kitchen later that evening.
Still dressed in her pink Disney princess scrubs, Shauna delivered a platter of taco shells to the table while Gage brought
over a tray containing ground beef and all the fixings.
“Oh, you made my favorite,” Carter said while scrubbing his hands at the sink.
Shauna grinned at him. “Anything for my favorite baby brother.”
Although they shared the same dark eyes, he’d always thought his sister resembled their mother with her dark-brown hair, button
nose, and tall and slender stature. From all accounts, he’d been told he looked like their father with his light-brown hair
and height, but he didn’t like to think about that. He didn’t want to be anything like their absent dad.
Carter brought three glasses of soda to the table and sank down into his usual seat across from Shauna. He was proud of his
sister, who had put herself through school to live out her dream of becoming a pediatric registered nurse. “How was work?”
Shauna took a sip of her drink. “It was busy. You know it’s the start of allergy season, so we saw patients all day long.”
She held her finger up. “Oh, we did have one interesting case.”
“Do tell,” Gage said as he picked up his glass of Coke.
“A little boy decided to eat a ball bearing.”
Gage grunted, and Carter lifted his eyebrows.
“What did Dr.Moore say to do for him?” Carter asked.
“She said it’ll pass on its own.”
Carter laughed.
Gage grimaced before turning his attention to Carter. “How’d it go after I left? And did your damsel in distress pick up her
car?”
“I worked on that Hyundai.” Carter added salsa, shredded cheese, and sour cream to his taco. “And, yes, she got her car.”
Shauna held up her left hand, her small diamond ring glittering in the kitchen light. “Whoa now. Damsel in distress? You’re
not going to sneak that one past me. I want details.”
Carter explained about Darcy and the car.
Shauna’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness! I completely forgot you had a checkup today. How did it go?”
Carter swallowed a bit of taco and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “Fine.”
“Your numbers are good?” Shauna’s eyes scrutinized him, looking for any signs of a lie.
“Yes, Nurse Shauna,” he insisted. “My numbers are great. Dr.Brenner doesn’t want to see me for another six months.”
“Wonderful!” Shauna reached across the table to pat her brother’s hand. “Now—back to this damsel in distress. Was she pretty?”
Carter sighed and took another bite of taco.
“Do you think she liked you?” His sister leaned forward as if Carter were one of her girlfriends sharing juicy secrets.
Carter shrugged. “She was friendly, and we had a nice chat on the way to her office.”
“You should ask her out.”
Carter looked to Gage for help, but his brother-in-law kept his eyes focused on his plate while he scooped refried beans with
his spoon.
“Don’t look at Gage.” Shauna wagged a finger at him. “You know I’m right. If you liked her, then you should ask her out.”
She tilted her head. “Did you get her number?”
Gage finally looked up. “Of course he did. He had to send her the estimate.”
“Thanks, man,” Carter groused.
Gage shared a winning smile. “No problem, brother.”
“Text her, Carter.” Shauna’s expression became serious, and he felt his shoulders stiffening in preparation for another one
of her lectures. “I know Gabby hurt you, but that was three years ago. You’re well now, and it’s time you put yourself out
there.”
His lips flattened into a straight line in response to his ex-girlfriend’s name.
Yeah, no.
Darcy was cute and seemed nice, but they were from different worlds. He’d only end up in the same situation as he had with
Gabby: nursing a broken heart.
“You have to take chances.”
Gage nodded. “She’s right.”
Carter did not agree, but sometimes caution was the better part of valor when his sister was set on something, and he didn’t
need another pep talk about how much he had to offer a girlfriend. “I don’t want to be creepy by misusing her phone number.”
“There’s a car show on Main Street coming up,” Gage said.
“When?” Carter jumped on the change in subject and took another bite of his scrumptious taco.
“Next Saturday night. First car show of the year,” Gage said.
Carter relaxed as their conversation moved on to upcoming events and mutual friends.
When they finished eating, Carter offered to do the dishes. He carried the plates to the counter and began rinsing them off
before filling the dishwasher.
As he worked, he peered out the window above the sink toward the detached garage, where he kept his toolboxes along with his grandfather’s pride and joy. Carter had dreamed of rebuilding the Road Runner’s engine and driving it to local car shows, but his kidney disease had derailed all of those plans.
His thoughts turned to Darcy and their conversation from the morning. He smiled, recalling how she’d said that orange was
the best color for his car. He found himself wondering if Darcy ever attended car shows with her father. Would they come to
Flowering Grove together in his classic truck? And if so, would Carter be lucky enough to run into them and spend the evening
talking to them?
As if struck by lightning, he felt a jolt of excitement at the thought and laughed out loud at himself. Why was he bothering
thinking about a beautiful young woman like Darcy? She would probably never think about him again. She had a successful corporate
job, and he was just a mechanic.
Carter finished filling the dishwasher and started it before wiping down the table. The hum of the dishwasher filled the kitchen,
and while he worked, he imagined finding a place of his own—a small house with a garage. That was all he needed. If only he
could find a way to pay off that consolidation loan, then he could start living his life for real.
But it wasn’t only about living his own life. He also wanted to get out of his sister’s way. He hated taking up so much space
day in and day out. Shauna and Gage had been married for six years, and Carter knew she had dreamed of starting a family.
Carter didn’t want to be underfoot or in the way of those precious plans.
He had hoped to be on his own before he turned thirty, but his thirtieth birthday was looming only two months away. That would
be impossible unless he won the lottery, but considering he didn’t even play it—
“Carter?”
He tossed the dishcloth into the sink and pivoted toward his sister. She stood in the doorway clad in a pair of jeans and a faded Trisha Yearwood concert t-shirt.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“You know I only want what’s best for you, right?”
“You’ve been like my mom since I was ten, Shauna. Why would I doubt that?”
She leaned on the back of a kitchen chair. “Whenever I mention that you should start dating, you clam up. You know Gabby was
the one with the problem, not you.”
He busied himself with straightening the salt and pepper shakers.
“Carter, it hurts my heart to see you so lonely. You should really think about texting the woman you met today.”
He swept his hand over his mouth while choosing his words. “Darcy drives a late-model Lexus, a very nice car, and she mentioned
that her parents were retired and own a beach house. And her dad has a brand-new Corvette Stingray and a Porsche SUV. Her father bought a very nice classic Dodge truck, which probably cost him more than this house to restore.
She was dressed in what looked like a designer suit and expensive heels. She also was carrying one of those high-end designer
purses, the kind you and your friends go nuts over, when I dropped her off at her job at one of the big banks in Uptown.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Darcy could do a lot better than someone like me.”
“You’re wrong.” His sister shook her head as her face clouded with determination. “You’re thoughtful, kind, generous, and
giving. And you’re handsome.”
He snorted. “Whatever.”
“Seriously, Carter. My friends always used to tell me how hot you were, and I’d tell them to stop talking about my baby brother that way since it made me very uncomfortable.”
“I appreciate the compliments, Shauna, but I don’t think my path will ever cross Darcy’s again.”
“You never know, and if it does, she would be blessed to have you in her life. You just need to start believing that.” Shauna
tapped his arm and then disappeared into the family room.
Carter stared at the doorway and wondered if Shauna was right. Should he take a chance with a woman as beautiful and successful
as Darcy Larsen?
He pulled out his phone, opened his text conversation with Darcy, and poised his thumbs over the keys. Then he shook his head.
He was wasting his time. He had so many strikes against him—his terrible financial situation, his dependence on his family.
Most of all, his precarious health. While his numbers were good now, they might take a nosedive in the future. What woman
would want to be saddled with that? Gabrielle sure hadn’t.