Chapter 9
On Friday evening Darcy kicked off her heels and dropped her laptop bag, purse, and medications from the pharmacy on the bench
in her foyer. The week seemed to have moved at a snail’s pace as she’d dealt with issue after issue at work.
Not only had she struggled to get the newsletter designed and distributed, but also her coworker had left for maternity leave
the week before. Darcy wound up handling constant media calls after news had been leaked about their CEO’s upcoming retirement.
Although she was delighted for her coworker, who had welcomed a beautiful baby girl, she was relieved to have finally made
it to Friday.
She’d stopped at the pharmacy on her way home to get another ninety-day supply of the medications that would help keep her
kidney transplant healthy. She dreaded going to the pharmacy since it brought back memories of the day she’d lost Jace. If
only she hadn’t asked him to pick up her prescriptions for her, he’d still be here. And maybe they would be planning to welcome
a baby girl or boy of their own. That familiar pang of wanting a family radiated in her chest.
Closing her eyes, Darcy stuffed those feelings down deep and focused on the present. She looked forward to making herself
a frozen pizza and putting her feet up after the horrendous week she’d endured.
Darcy padded into the kitchen and yawned. Pulling her phone from the pocket of her slacks, she glanced down at the screen and once again found it blank. Disappointment bloomed in her. All week she’d hoped for a call or text from Carter, but she hadn’t heard a peep. She’d thought they’d bonded at Derek’s housewarming party, but she was starting to regret pouring out her soul about her yearning to find her biological mother.
She was certain he was attracted to her since he’d almost kissed her. A shiver raced up her spine at the memory of how close
he’d been, how she’d felt his breath on her lips. If only Derek hadn’t ruined that moment!
Then she reminded herself that Carter had asked if he could text her, and for the thousandth time this week, she wondered
why he hadn’t. Perhaps he’d had as crazy a week as she had.
With another yawn, Darcy yanked open the freezer door and searched for a pizza. She selected pepperoni and placed the box
on the counter before preheating the oven. Just as she leaned down to collect her round pizza pan from the oven drawer, her
phone rang.
Darcy popped up and grabbed her phone, hoping to see Carter’s name on her screen. When she saw her dad’s face instead, curiosity
besieged her.
“Hi, Dad,” she said as she answered.
“What are you up to?”
“Just got home.” She leaned back against the counter. “I was getting a frozen pizza ready for the oven. How about you?”
“I’m sorry this is last-minute, but there’s a car show in Mint Hill tonight. I didn’t think I could go, but then your mom
reminded me that she has plans with her book club. And you told me to let you know if I was planning to go to any car shows,
so... wanna join me?”
Darcy bit her lower lip as Haven’s advice about Carter from last weekend echoed in her mind:
You ask him out. He probably won’t expect it, and I bet he’ll love it. You only live once.
When she imagined asking Carter to meet her at the car show, her exhaustion evaporated and confidence surged through her. She squared her shoulders. “Yeah, Dad. I’d love to. And I’m going to invite a friend, if that’s okay.”
“Absolutely, Darcy. The more the merrier.” He shared the details of when and where they would meet.
“I can’t wait.” Darcy disconnected the call. Her hands shook as she pulled up her last text message exchange with Carter,
which had been the day her car had broken down.
“Here goes nothing,” she whispered as she typed out a text.
Darcy: Hi. Do you have plans tonight?
She held her breath, hoping to see those wonderful conversation bubbles. After a few moments, they appeared, and her nerves
fluttered to life.
Carter: Don’t think so. What’d you have in mind?
Darcy: There’s a car show in Mint Hill. If you’re not too busy watching reality TV, would you like to meet me there?
Carter: Hmm. Let me check the TV listings. Oh, wow. They’re all repeats tonight, even the podiatrist show. So, yeah, I’d love to.
Darcy danced around the kitchen for a minute, then pulled herself together and shared the details with him.
Carter: See you soon.
Darcy set her phone on the counter before shoving the pizza into the freezer, turning off the oven, and racing upstairs to
change her clothes.
***
“What’s that smile for?”
Carter glanced across the shop to where Gage watched him with interest. Smoky sat nearby, happily taking a bath on a box containing
quarts of oil.
“Nothing.” He tried to mask his excitement as he pocketed his phone, but it was impossible. Darcy had texted him and asked
him out!
He had planned to see if he could take her out tomorrow, but she had beat him to the punch. Not only could he not wipe the
silly grin off his face, but he thought for sure the adrenaline surging through him would cause him to float away. “I need
to get going.”
Gage held up a finger. “Hold on. You had the same look on your face Saturday night when you got home.” He came to stand next
to Carter. “Did you meet someone?”
Carter hesitated. He wasn’t ready to tell anyone about Darcy.
“You can trust me.” Gage’s expression was earnest. “I won’t say anything to Shauna if that’s what you’re worried about. I
know she’s always nagging you about getting back into the dating scene, and as soon as she finds out you’re seeing someone,
she’ll hound you about a wedding date.”
“It’s not about her nagging. Honest. I just don’t want to get Shauna’s hopes up if it’s not going to lead to something serious.”
“Why are you convinced it won’t work out?” Gage wore a serious expression that Carter rarely witnessed.
Carter sat on his nearby stool and pressed his lips together. “Because I have nothing to offer her. I have no house. I’m still
crawling out of debt... What woman would want to get tangled up in my mess?”
“You’re wrong.” Gage tapped his shoulder. “You have plenty to offer, and the debt isn’t permanent.”
“The thing is, she has money. Her parents have money. When she finds out who I really am, she’ll see that she can do so much better.”
“No, she’ll understand what you’ve been through and realize that your good health is a gift.” Gage smiled. “That’s the thing
about love, man. It changes you. When you find it, your life will be transformed forever. Don’t be afraid to let yourself
experience it. It happens when you least expect it too. Shauna and I were acquaintances all throughout school, and then one
day our junior year of high school, we sat at the same lunch table. Out of nowhere, I saw her in a new light. I thought she’d
never even go out with me, but look at us now.”
Carter swallowed. He couldn’t imagine Darcy planning a life with him, but he also couldn’t deny that his feelings for her
were surprisingly strong. “I really need to get going,” he said, setting his tools in his toolbox.
“Are you sure you’re not just using money as an excuse? What are you really afraid of, Carter? Getting hurt again? Getting
sick again?”
Carter swallowed, and his thoughts wandered to the last meal he’d shared with Gabby nearly four years ago. While he had believed
they were just enjoying a date, Gabby had waited until their meals had been served to tell him she wanted to end their relationship.
His illness was too much for her to handle, she had said. And she hadn’t been pleased when he’d decided it was best for him
to work in the office for Ernie and Glenda rather than make more money with her father’s race team. She had made it clear
he wasn’t enough for her, and instead of standing by him as he faced his illness, she ended things.
Looking back now, he could see the fractures that were forming in their relationship long before she broke up with him. Their arguments had become more frequent, they had stopped speaking as often, and they had started living separate lives. Carter could also blame his permanent bad mood for pushing Gabby away, but if she had truly loved him, wouldn’t she have been his support during his kidney failure and dialysis?
Carter examined his own heart. Was the real issue his fear of getting sick again and becoming a burden to Darcy? Or was he
afraid of her rejection?
Carter shook his head, shoving those issues away.
“Is she the woman with the Lexus?”
Craning his neck over his shoulder, Carter met his brother-in-law’s curious gaze. “How’d you know?”
Gage shrugged. “Just a feeling. You mentioned she had money, and that was a nice car.”
Carter pushed the toolbox drawer closed. “Her name is Darcy, and I’m meeting her at a car show in Mint Hill.”
“She’s into cars and willing to go to car shows?” Gage pointed at him. “You need to propose to her right now.”
“You sound like Shauna,” Carter said with a laugh. “I’ll see you later.” He started toward the door.
“Have fun!”
Carter smiled. “I plan to.”
***
A short time later, Darcy tapped her foot on the pavement. She sat in a portable camping chair beside her father at a strip
mall in Mint Hall, scanning the parking lot full of classic cars and auto enthusiasts. Nearby, her father discussed the details
of the impressive engine in his 1958 Dodge pickup truck with friends who were gathered around him.
She glanced down at her phone for what felt like the dozenth time in the last thirty minutes, hoping she’d missed a text or call from Carter. She inhaled deeply through her nose and tried to convince herself to calm down.
Carter said he’d come. He’ll be here.
When her phone buzzed, Darcy jumped with a start, sending her phone crashing to the ground.
“You okay over there?” Dad asked with a chuckle.
“Uh-huh.” She retrieved her phone, and her heart gave a kick when she found Carter’s name on her screen. She clicked on the
message.
Carter: I’m here. Searching for your dad’s amazing truck.
Darcy jumped up and examined the sea of people browsing the cars, and when she spotted him in the crowd, she couldn’t stop
her smile. She jammed her phone in her back pocket and started toward him.
Wearing khaki shorts and a plain black shirt that hugged his wide chest and muscular biceps, Carter waved and picked up his
pace. Light-brown stubble lined his jaw again—the jaw that looked as though it had been molded from fine granite. He was just
as handsome without the stubble, but the five o’clock shadow gave him a rugged look that stole her breath.
“Darcy!” He jogged toward her. “Sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I was still at the shop when you texted, and I had to run home
and shower.”
She tried not to stare at him. “It’s no problem. I’m just glad you’re here.” She reached out her hand, and without any hesitation,
he threaded his fingers with hers. “Come meet my dad.”
She led him through the knot of people, and when they came to her father’s Dodge, Carter blew out a breath.
“Wow,” he mumbled.
She grinned up at him. “He’s used to that reaction.”
“It’s stunning.”
Dad joined them by the truck. “Thank you.”
“Dad, this is Carter.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Dad said, and Darcy thought she might pass out from the embarrassment.
He released Darcy’s hand to shake her dad’s. “Nice to meet you, sir. Ah, Mr.—I mean— Dr. Larsen.” As Carter stumbled over his words, a pink tinge rose on his cheeks.
Dad grinned. “Call me Ross.” He patted Carter’s shoulder. “Thank you for rescuing my Darcy when her car broke down.”
“Happy to help.” Carter smiled at Darcy, and her stomach flip-flopped. He pointed at Dad’s truck. “She’s a beauty.” He took
a step toward the front end. “What do you have in it?”
“A 1995 twelve-valve Cummins that came from a Dodge Ram 2500.”
Affection billowed through Darcy while she watched Dad and Carter discuss the truck. As she took in their comradery, she imagined
Carter accompanying her to her parents’ house on Sunday afternoons, sitting in her parents’ dining room on holidays, and visiting
her parents’ beach house with her.
Could Carter fit into her family? Would he want to?
A surge of warmth washed through her at the thought.
Dad beamed at the truck. “It was a labor of love.”
“I can’t imagine how long it took you to restore this.” Carter touched the grill.
“Carter has a project car too,” Darcy said. “Do you have a photo of your Road Runner?”
“I do, but it’s been off the road for a few years.” Carter looked sheepish as he pulled his phone from his pocket and began
scrolling through photos.
Darcy leaned closer to him and peeked at his phone screen. She pulled in his familiar scent—teakwood, soap, and something else that was uniquely him. Then she tried to shake off the flutter in her belly.
He stopped at a photo, and a wistful expression overtook his handsome face. He angled the phone toward Darcy. “This was when
the Road Runner was actually running.”
Her mouth dropped open as she studied the picture of a stunning orange car parked on the side of the road. With the car stood
a teenage Carter and an elderly man. Young Carter was gorgeous, with a shaggy haircut, worn-out jeans, and a faded concert
t-shirt. Although his angular jaw didn’t seem quite as pronounced, those dark-brown eyes were just as mesmerizing as they
were now. He slouched against the car and grinned while giving a thumbs-up.
“How old were you in this photo?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Seventeen or eighteen. We were probably going to a car show that day. We went to a lot of them together.”
She pointed to the elderly man in the photo. He was slightly shorter than Carter but shared the same muscular build and bright
smile. “Is that your grandfather?”
“Yeah.” He held the phone out to Dad, who put on his reading glasses. “This car was my grandfather’s pride and joy. I promised
to take care of it for him.”
“I told you orange was the best color for those cars,” she said.
The softness in Carter’s eyes sent a tremor through her. “You’re right. It is the best color, and you definitely know your
cars.”
Dad’s salt-and-pepper eyebrows lifted. “That is one beautiful vehicle. Is it a 1970?”
“It is.” Carter’s smile diminished a little. “But I need to get the engine rebuilt. I’ve spoken to Zac out at Quality Auto
Machine in Monroe.”
“They do good work.” Dad slipped his glasses into his pocket.
“Right. We send quite a few customers there,” he said, putting away his phone. “I’ve had to put the project on the back burner.
You know how life gets in the way sometimes.”
Dad nodded. “I sure do. What does it have in it?”
“A four-forty.”
Darcy rested her hands on her hips while Carter and her father discussed the engine in more detail. She smiled, enjoying how
much Carter and Dad had in common. Once again, she imagined bringing Carter to her parents’ house for suppers and barbecues.
Maybe he would want to spend time with her as much as she wanted to spend time with him.
“Oh, there’s Sam Malloy,” Dad said, gesturing to a man standing by a deep purple Nova one row down. “Haven’t seen him in ages.
We’ll catch up later, you two.” He met Darcy’s gaze and winked.
Darcy blanched, hoping Carter hadn’t seen the wink. “So,” she began, turning toward him, “did you want to walk around and
look at the cars together?”
“I’ll follow you.”
She fell into step beside him, and they stopped to look at several well-kept cars along the line—a few Mustangs as well as
a couple of Camaros and Firebirds—all beautifully restored and painted.
“Check out this Mustang,” she cooed, pointing to a vintage muscle car painted candy-apple red. “It’s gorgeous.”
He nodded toward a robin’s egg–blue Ford. “I like the Galaxie too. Someone did a nice job with that one.”
The mid-May evening air was warm but comfortable, and having Carter at her side felt right.
“Check out that Volkswagen.” Carter pointed to a classic white Beetle painted like Herbie in The Love Bug .
“That’s cool.”
He bent at his waist to peer inside. “Nice restoration work.”
She studied his profile and longed to read his mind. Did he feel the same way about her, or was she imagining it? He had quickly
responded to her text and seemed eager to join her tonight. When he turned and met her gaze, she realized she’d been staring
and felt her face flush.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, of course.”
They continued through the parking lot together, pointing out the cars they liked the best.
Carter turned toward her when they reached the last row of cars. “Your dad is great.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Happiness shimmered through her as she smiled at Carter. She gently jabbed his arm with her elbow. “It’s
obvious he likes you too.”
The crowd was beginning to disperse, and the sound of revving engines indicated that the car show was coming to a close. But
Darcy wasn’t ready to say good night to Carter just yet. “Have you had supper?”
He shook his head. “I grabbed a pack of crackers on my way out the door.” He nodded toward the far end of the parking lot.
“Think it would be okay if we hop in my truck and go find something to eat?”
“Sure. Let’s just say goodbye to my dad.”
His smile sent a quiver through her. “Perfect.”