Finding You

Chapter 10

Carter and Darcy made their way past the line of classic cars toward her father’s Dodge truck. Darcy had her phone tucked

into the pocket of her light-blue jean shorts. A pink t-shirt and white sandals completed her outfit. Her blonde hair fell

past her shoulders, and Carter wondered if he’d ever seen such beautiful hair on a woman.

As they came to the last row of cars, Ross stood by his truck smiling and nodding with another older man sharing a story.

Ross spotted them and waved them over. “Terry, this is my daughter, Darcy, and her friend Carter.”

Carter shook his hand as Darcy said hello.

“He works as a mechanic out in Flowering Grove,” Ross continued.

Terry looked impressed. “No kidding. So you’re a car fanatic too, huh?”

“Absolutely,” Carter agreed.

Ross pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “Want to take her for a spin before I leave?” He jammed his thumb toward his truck.

Then he tossed the keys to Carter.

Carter stared at the keys in his hand. Then he divided a look between Darcy and Ross, hoping for their silent approval.

“Let’s go for a ride,” Darcy said, looking eager.

“I promise I’ll take good care of it.” Carter jingled the keys.

Ross grinned. “Enjoy.”

“Thanks, Dad. We’ll be back soon.” She beamed as she steered Carter toward the truck.

Carter held the passenger door open for Darcy, then hopped into the driver’s seat. He ran his fingers over the pristine dashboard

with reverence and suddenly recalled sitting in the driver’s seat of the Road Runner with his grandfather beside him. “Grandpa

would have loved this truck,” he said. “It’s incredible.”

“My mom used to call it Dad’s mistress.”

Carter chuckled as he started the engine and carefully navigated out of the parking lot to the main road. He accelerated and

shook his head. “Rides like a dream.”

Leaning over she thumped his shoulder. “I knew you’d love it.”

He laughed as he looked over at her, silently marveling at how beautiful she was. How had he managed to attract her attention?

He didn’t deserve a woman as lovely and funny as Darcy.

The skin between her eyes pinched. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He slowed to a stop at a red light. “You know, I had been planning to see if you were free tomorrow night.”

“Really?” Those gorgeous green eyes narrowed with fake disbelief. “Is that true, or are you trying to make me feel better

for being the one to text you first after you said you’d text me ?” She pointed to herself for emphasis.

“It’s true. I was going to text you today and ask you to go out with me tomorrow.” He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

Then he lifted his eyebrows. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“I’ll have to check the television lineup to make sure there aren’t any reality shows premiering. You got me hooked on them,

you know.” Darcy pulled her phone from her pocket and unlocked it.

A bark of laughter escaped his mouth. He loved their easy banter. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so comfortable with a woman. His conversations were never this light or easy with Gabrielle.

Then Darcy’s eyes danced with mischief. “Guess what? I’m free tomorrow.”

“Thank goodness.” He blew out a breath and pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead. “I was afraid there was a new episode

of I Married My Brother-in-Law’s Sister’s Podiatrist .”

She laughed. “That’s what DVR is for.” Then she held up her hand. “Or we could always watch it together.”

“I like that idea too.”

She smiled as she settled back in the seat. “So you said your grandpa would have loved this truck. Tell me more about your

grandfather.”

“What do you want to know?” He peeked over at her and she smiled.

“What was he like?”

“Well, he was soft-spoken—the opposite of my nana, who never ran out of things to say.”

Darcy laughed. “They say opposites attract, right?”

“That’s what I hear.” He rested his left elbow on the door and steered with his right hand. “He always insisted that Shauna

and I do our best in school, and he’d stay up late to help us with our homework if we needed him.”

He stopped at a red light and turned on the right blinker. “Grandpa never hesitated to help a neighbor. I remember one time

he fixed a leaky roof for the widow who lived up the street but then refused payment from her. Of course, he didn’t turn down

the loaves of banana bread she brought him.”

“Banana bread. Yum!”

“I agree.” He rubbed the scruff on his chin. “I’m named after him too.”

“His name was Carter?”

“No, Anthony. That’s my middle name.”

“Carter Anthony Donovan.” Darcy tilted her head. “I like that. I guess your mom was close to him if she gave you his name.”

He nodded. “Yup. I don’t think Shauna and I ever met my dad’s parents.”

“Did they live far away?”

Carter shook his head. “Supposedly they lived in Albemarle, but they didn’t approve of my mom.”

“Why not?”

“They were young when they got married. My mom was barely seventeen and my dad was eighteen when they got pregnant with Shauna.”

He waved the story off, not wanting to talk about his dad. “Anyway, I wish my grandfather could drive this truck. He’d be

just as impressed as I am.”

He motored around the block and then headed back toward the parking lot where the car show was petering out. After parking

the truck in the same spot as Ross had earlier, Carter hopped out of the truck and met Darcy at the front end near Ross and

Terry.

“So what’d you think?” Ross asked with a grin.

Carter blew out a puff of air. “What a great restoration! I love your attention to detail. It rides like a new vehicle.” He

held the keys out to Ross. “Thanks for the opportunity to drive it around.”

“Anytime.” Ross patted Carter’s shoulder. “Where are you two headed now?”

“We’re going for a bite to eat,” Darcy said.

“You should go to Mike’s Diner.” Ross glanced at Terry, who nodded his approval. “They’ve got great food.”

Carter shook Ross’s hand. “Sounds good. Great meeting you.”

“You too.” Ross gave Darcy a kiss on the cheek. “See you soon, sweetheart.”

“I’ll call you and Mom tomorrow. Promise.”

They said their goodbyes to Ross and Terry, then ambled toward Carter’s Suburban.

***

Carter sat across from Darcy in a booth and peered down at the menu in Mike’s Diner. The delicious scents of burgers and fries

washed over him, and country music played on a nearby jukebox.

He snuck a peek at Darcy while she perused the menu. How easy it was to talk and laugh with her.

“What are you going to have?” she asked.

Carter scanned the menu once again. “The burgers smell amazing.”

“I agree.” Darcy grinned and closed her menu. “I want a bacon cheeseburger and fries.”

Carter closed his menu. “I’ll have the same.”

Just then their server arrived with their drinks, and they shared their orders with her before she gathered up their menus

and drifted off to another table.

Carter twirled a straw in his glass of Coke. “So I think it’s your turn to tell me a few more things about you. Did you grow

up in Charlotte?”

“I grew up in Marvin. It’s near Waxhaw.”

“I’ve heard of it.” He tried to keep his face blank, but he was familiar with the area. The neighborhoods were known for ginormous

houses tucked inside gated communities.

“My parents’ house is near where their orthodontist practice was.” She shifted in her seat. “Well, it’s still there, but they sold it and retired about ten years ago.”

“You’ve told me you like John Hughes movies, cooking shows, buying antiques in Flowering Grove, and hanging out in your dad’s

garage. What else is there to know about Darcy Larsen?”

She tapped her manicured finger on her chin. “Hmm. Well, I used to scrapbook when I was younger.”

“Scrapbook?”

“Yeah.” A sheepish expression flickered over her pretty face, making her look even more adorable. “Me and my friends would

get together and have scrapbooking parties. We’d share supplies and design pages. I have scrapbooks that I’ve made for my

dad with photos from car shows, and there’s one all dedicated to our family trips to the beach.”

She took a sip from her glass. “I’ve made others for our special family trips to Europe and the Caribbean. My mom says she

loves them, and she pulls them out every once in a while to take a trip down memory lane. I loved taking the pictures, sorting

them, and putting them together with little sticker designs.” She shrugged. “I don’t have time for it now.” She twirled her

finger in a lock of her hair, seeming engrossed in thought. Then her green eyes met his again. “Silly, right?”

“No, not at all.” He imagined her sitting at a table working in her scrapbooks, and he smiled. “That’s a great way to preserve

those precious memories.”

She nodded and took another drink.

“From what I saw at Derek’s party, he and Haven seem to get along really well.”

“They do. They met at a party in college and started dating right away, and they’ve been together ever since. I think it’s been maybe eight years now.” She studied the tabletop, looking lost in a memory. “It seems like only yesterday we were at that party. We were such clichés, actually. Haven saw Derek, and I saw...” Her voice trailed off, and a strange expression traveled across her face—maybe sadness or even regret. Then she visibly shook it off. “Now that Derek has a house, I think he’s going to propose to Haven.”

Carter’s eyes snapped to hers. “Really?”

“Yeah. I’ve always thought they’d wind up together, but Derek was one of those guys who has a plan, you know?” She counted

off on her fingers. “He wanted to be settled in a good, stable job, making a certain amount of money before buying a house.

Then the ring, the wedding, the family, and the rest.”

“Huh. Good for him then.”

“What about you?”

The server appeared and set their food in front of them before leaving again, saving Carter from having to answer her. Hearing

her talk about Derek and how well he was doing just hammered home how far behind he was.

“These look really good.” Darcy smothered her fries in a lake of ketchup before handing the bottle to him. “So are you a plan

kind of guy like Derek?”

Carter squeezed ketchup onto his plate. He had no choice but to answer now. “Not really. I like to keep my options open. Sometimes

things happen when you least expect them, and they change the entire course of your life.”

Something resembling understanding rippled across her face. “That is so true. I used to have a plan, but not anymore. I can’t

even figure out what to do about finding my birth mom.”

“Have you reached out to that organization you told me about?”

“No.” Her mouth formed a thin line. “You think I’m chicken, right?”

“I would never pretend to know how you feel, and I definitely don’t think you’re a chicken.”

Darcy wiped her fingers on a napkin while continuing to frown. “You’ve just seen how warm my father is, and my mother is the

same way. What if I tell them what I’m doing, and it breaks their hearts? I would never be able to live with myself if I hurt

them deeply.”

“If your parents are truly loving and supportive, then I believe they’ll understand your need to know where you came from.

They’ll also understand that you’ll never stop loving them even if you find your mom and cultivate a relationship with her.

In fact, they may even want to meet her so they can thank her for giving them the chance to adopt you.”

“Thank you.” When she wiped her eyes with a napkin, his gut twisted.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Darcy sniffed and shook her head. “You didn’t upset me. You’re giving me the courage to take the plunge.” She smiled. “Thank

you, Carter. I’m glad I shared this with you.”

“I am too.” He was grateful to see her feeling better about the situation. “How about we share a piece of turtle cheesecake

for dessert?”

“Yes, please.”

Carter ordered the dessert, and soon the server brought it over.

“How’s Smoky?” Darcy forked a bite into her mouth.

Carter shook his head, almost certain he had whiplash from her subject change. “Smoky? The shop cat?”

“Yes, the shop cat. How is he?”

He studied her. “He’s fine. Why?”

“I needed to lighten the mood.”

“Oh.” He forked a bite of cake. “Would you believe that he’s a stray who adopted us, but he’s pickier about food than any

human I’ve ever met?”

“Really?” Her grin was wide.

“Yes, really. He doesn’t like certain brands of food. If we try to feed it to him, he turns his nose up and struts away.”

Darcy laughed.

They continued to discuss light subjects until the cake was gone. After Carter paid the bill, they walked out to the parking

lot. The evening air was warm and smelled like honeysuckle, and the stars above them seemed to sparkle in the sky only for

them. Carter wished the night would last forever.

When they reached his truck, he unlocked it and then wrenched open the passenger door for her.

“Thank you,” she said before hopping up into the seat.

Carter jogged around the front end and jumped into the driver’s seat before turning over the engine. “I’m glad I got to spend

time with you tonight.”

“Me too.” She patted her abdomen. “Dinner and dessert were amazing.”

They drove to the lot, where only a few cars remained. He parked next to her Lexus and then met her by her driver’s side door.

“Are you still free tomorrow?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” Closing the distance between them, Darcy wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his sternum.

Carter froze in place. For a moment he thought he’d imagined the gesture, but it was as real as the feel of her arms entwined

around him. He held her close, soaking in her warmth and rubbing her back. He rested his chin on her soft hair, inhaled her

floral scent, and closed his eyes.

Darcy shifted, and he lifted his head. She looked up at him, and his eyes focused on her pink lips. For a moment, he imagined

brushing his mouth against hers and drinking in her taste. The thought made his lips burn with desire.

She smiled. “Drive safely.”

“You too,” he whispered.

She released him and unlocked her car with her key fob. “I’ll text you my address so you can pick me up tomorrow.” She climbed

into her driver’s seat and started the engine.

Carter returned to his truck and followed her car out of the parking lot. As he relaxed into the seat, he wondered if he was

floating on a cloud. He was falling for Darcy—fast.

But would the details of his financial situation bring everything to a quick end?

***

When Darcy arrived home, she blew out a happy sigh as she stepped into her foyer and dropped her keys and purse on the bench.

She spun in a circle, recalling how it had felt to be held in Carter’s sinewy arms, her body pressed against his.

She hadn’t planned to launch herself at him, but she’d been so overwhelmed by their conversation at supper that she felt the

need to touch him. She felt safe and protected in his embrace with her head resting on his hard, muscular chest and his heartbeat

sounding in her ear.

Being with Carter felt natural, a feeling she hadn’t experienced since...

A vision of Jace’s handsome face overtook her mind, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her feet became cemented to the floor,

and her shoulders slumped.

Unlocking her phone, she scrolled to the last selfie she and Jace had taken together. They sat on the townhouse deck and smiled,

the sunset lighting the perfect backdrop. Her eyes filled with tears as she took in Jace’s handsome face, his dark hair, bright-blue

eyes, and that smile that always sent a fluttery feeling through her.

“I miss you, Jace,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault that you’re gone.”

Guilt threatened to drown her. How could she find joy in being held by Carter when Jace was gone because of her? It was her

fault that he was turning into the pharmacy parking lot when his car was broadsided.

Thoughts of the past would always cause her pain, but it was time to start living in the now and looking toward the future.

Finding the courage to look for her biological mother would be a big step toward that future. She crossed the room and dropped

onto the sofa. Her eyes focused on her laptop sitting on the coffee table. She grasped the piece of paper from Dr.Reyes and

stared at it.

Then Carter’s encouraging words from their conversation earlier in the evening echoed in her mind:

If your parents are truly loving and supportive, then I believe they’ll understand your need to know where you came from.

Darcy opened her laptop. She wrung her hands before typing the web address into the search bar. With her heart hammering,

she perused the Lost and Found site and created an account. She clicked a few boxes and added in all of the information she

knew—her birth date, the name of the hospital where she was born, and the only information she knew about her biological mother,

which was that she was sixteen or seventeen years old when she gave birth to Darcy.

With her heart trying to beat out of her chest, she submitted the information and then withered on the sofa.

She tried in vain to stop her emotions from spilling down her cheeks, and she longed for someone to talk to, someone to share

this momentous occasion with. After years of considering it, she had officially started the search for her birth mother. She

craved Carter’s empathetic ear and warm hug to help soothe her soul.

Darcy sniffed as she reached for her phone and opened her texting app. Then she froze. How could she possibly put into words the feelings swirling in her gut like a cyclone? It wasn’t possible. She needed time to process what she had done. Instead, she texted:

Darcy: Thanks for coming to the car show. I had a lot of fun.

Relief coiled through her when text bubbles appeared within moments.

Carter: Thanks for inviting me.

Darcy: I’m glad you were free.

Carter: You were lucky since I’m such a busy guy.

Darcy laughed.

Carter: What time should I pick you up tomorrow?

They agreed on a time, and she sent him her address.

Darcy: I don’t live far from Derek in Matthews. I can’t wait.

Carter: Me too. Good night, Darcy.

Darcy: Good night.

After hitting Send, she closed her laptop and started up the stairs toward her bedroom. After such a long and exciting week,

a good night’s sleep would calm her busy mind.