Finding You

Chapter 11

The following afternoon, Carter searched the shelves in the two-car garage attached to the house. He rooted around coolers,

Christmas decorations, cleaning supplies, and a shop vacuum, grumbling all the while.

The large picnic basket that his mother and grandmother would pack when they took Shauna and Carter to the park was nowhere

in sight, and he was running out of time. He growled in exasperation. It was nearly time to pick up Darcy.

“It has to be here somewhere,” he muttered.

The door leading to the laundry room opened, and his sister appeared in the doorway. “What are you doing out here?”

“Have you seen Mom’s picnic basket?”

Shauna’s brow creased. “Why? Do you need it?”

“I’m taking a friend on a picnic.”

“Carter!” She clasped her hands together. “Do you have a date?”

He purposely ignored the question. “If we don’t have Mom’s basket, do we have anything else we can use for a picnic?”

“Yes, but first you have to answer me.”

Here we go.

“Who is she? Your date?”

“Right now, she’s just someone I’m getting to know. We’re sort of seeing each other.”

“Seeing each other, huh? Interesting... And who is this woman you’re ‘seeing’?” She grinned and made air quotes with her

fingers.

“Someone I met recently.”

Shauna nodded slowly, as if putting pieces together in her mind. “Gage said you went to a car show in Mint Hill last night.

Were you actually at a car show, or were you on a date?”

Carter lowered himself down onto a stool. He was impressed that his brother-in-law had kept his promise, but now he would

be forced to tell Shauna about Darcy. “Both are true,” he finally said.

“What do you mean?”

“I went to a car show in Mint Hill to meet someone. She invited me.”

“Huh.” Shauna descended the steps into the garage and leaned back on the quarter panel of her husband’s project car, a hunter-green

1966 Ford Mustang fastback. “I thought it was strange that Gage said you went to a car show, but he didn’t ask me if I wanted

to go too. Normally when there’s a car show we all go together.” She paused as if waiting for him to elaborate.

A few seconds ticked by between them, and her lips pressed down into a deep frown. “Carter,” she began, “why are you reluctant

to tell me about this woman? Have I done something to make you not trust me?”

Guilt stabbed long and hard. He knew his older sister wanted the best for him, and not sharing the truth about Darcy would

break Shauna’s heart. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I know you want to see me in a happy, long-term relationship, but

I also don’t want to get your hopes up. That may not happen for me.”

“Why would you think that?”

He scratched his cheek. “Her name is Darcy. I met her in the parking lot after my doctor’s appointment.”

“The one with the broken-down Lexus.” Shauna’s lips tipped up again. “You’re dating her ?” The joy on her face reminded him of a child on Christmas morning.

He shook his head. “I hate to burst your bubble, but she’s not my girlfriend.”

“But you went on a date with her last night, and you’re taking her out today.”

Carter rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Please don’t make a big deal out of this. We’re getting to know each other. Nothing

is official, so don’t send out any wedding invitations.”

“Listen to me, okay?” Her expression became serious once again. “I know you’ve been through a lot, and I know Gabby hurt you

when she broke up with you.”

“Shauna, don’t—”

“Please, Carter, let me finish.”

He nodded, preparing himself for another one of her speeches.

“When you got sick, you shut everyone out. You stopped seeing your buddies. You stopped going to parties. You stopped living.

And even after your transplant and your recovery, you still haven’t gone back to a normal life.”

He pursed his lips. “I live a normal life, Shauna. I go out with you and Gage all the time.”

“But you don’t see your friends anymore.” Her eyes studied his. “When was the last time you talked to Mark, Jovan, or Todd?”

He shrugged. “I don’t remember. We lost touch a long time ago.”

“They’ve been your friends since kindergarten, Carter. They called you constantly when you were on dialysis, and they came to the hospital after the transplant.”

Irritation rushed through him. He wasn’t in the mood for her analysis of his life, even if it was all true. He had shut himself

off when he was ill, but how could he relate to any of his friends now? They’d all gotten engaged and then married. His buddies

had moved on without him.

He started searching the shelves again. “Do you know where the picnic basket is or not?” He felt a hand on his shoulder, and his neck tightened.

“Carter, if you care about Darcy, then you should go for it.” Shauna patted his shoulder. When he didn’t say anything, she

beckoned him. “Come on. I’ll get the basket for you.”

He walked behind her into the house, and she gathered up the large picnic basket from the hall closet. She also handed him

a blanket and disposable plates, napkins, and utensils.

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

“I’ll stop by the deli on my way to pick her up. Then I’m going to bring her back to the park here in Flowering Grove. I thought

we could talk and maybe even sit on the swings.”

Shauna’s pretty face lit up. “That is so sweet. You should ask her to officially be your girlfriend while you swing. And then—”

“Shauna...,” he warned.

“All right, I’ll stop.” She gave his arm a playful punch. “Can I at least meet her? You can invite her to your birthday barbecue.”

He didn’t answer.

Her smile withered. “Why would introducing her to me and Gage be the worst idea in the world?”

“Shauna, I’m not embarrassed by you or Gage. You’re my family.” He set the basket on the kitchen counter. “I just don’t know

how to tell Darcy that I’m almost thirty years old and don’t have my own place. She’ll think I’m a loser, and I’ll never see

her again.”

Shauna frowned. “No, she won’t. She’ll understand what you’ve been through.”

“I don’t want her pity.” He picked up the basket. “Thanks for finding this for me, but I really have to go.”

Shauna placed her hand on his bicep. “It’s not pity. It’s understanding. Besides, you’ll be back on your feet in no time.”

“I’m going to be late.” He balanced the basket in one hand and pulled his truck keys from the hooks by the back door.

Once outside he hit the button on the key fob. Then he loaded the basket into the unlocked trunk. He turned to Shauna, who

was standing in the open doorway. “See you later, sis.” He hopped up into the driver’s seat and started the engine before

rolling down the driver’s side window. Shauna still watched him with annoyance on her face. “I’ll consider the birthday party

suggestion,” he said.

Her smile was back. “Thanks, Carter.” She waved and went back inside.

Carter pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Darcy. Hi! I need to make a stop and then I’ll be on my way.

Darcy: Awesome! What are our plans?

Carter: It’s a surprise.

Darcy: I love surprises. ?

He grinned and steered out of the driveway. For now, he would forget about the past and his current problems. All he wanted

to focus on was Darcy.

***

The loud rumbling of an engine drew Darcy’s attention to her driveway. She opened the door just as Carter jogged up the front

steps, looking gorgeous in shorts and a gray t-shirt. The mid-May air was warm, and the sun was bright in the cloudless blue

sky.

He stopped at the top step, and his dark eyes scanned her townhouse. “Nice place.” He pivoted and took in the surrounding

neighborhood. “How long have you lived here?”

“A little over two years. My parents bought it for me.”

Carter’s eyes widened with surprise.

She jammed a thumb toward the foyer. “I just need to grab my purse. Would you like to come in?”

“Sure.”

Carter stood by the front door while she gathered up her purse and her phone. She walked over to him as he rocked back on

his heels and took in the family room and the kitchen.

An unreadable expression tinged his face before he smiled. “It’s a beautiful home.”

“Thanks.” She hesitated, and her lips twisted.

He pointed toward the door. “We should get going.”

“Right,” she said, following him to the door.

***

Carter hummed along with the Blake Shelton song serenading him and Darcy through the truck speakers. She angled her body toward

Carter’s and studied his profile while he drove. She took in the scruff-lined jaw and those dark roast–colored eyes.

Her stomach tightened as she recalled the surprise on Carter’s face when she mentioned that her parents had gifted her the

townhouse. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Carter thought she was entitled. She had to explain the situation with the

house. But first she had to find the courage...

Carter began singing the words to the song, and Darcy joined in. Together they were just slightly off-key. She met his gaze,

and they both started laughing.

“We sound awful,” she said.

“Speak for yourself.” He chuckled. “Do you like country music?”

“I do. I like all kinds of music. I guess it depends on my mood. Sometimes I listen to country in the car. I especially love

country from the nineties and early aughts. You know, old Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain.”

“I love country from the nineties. Tracy Byrd is one of my favorites,” he said. “Do you sing in the car too?”

“Yes, but I do my best singing in the shower.”

He laughed again.

“When do you do your best singing, Carter?”

“Well, I can tell you about when I did my worst.”

She angled her body toward him. “I’m listening.”

“When I was in the seventh grade, I remember my voice dropping in the middle of a choir concert. I wanted to melt into the

auditorium risers.”

“Oh no.” She covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stop her laughter.

“That was horrible. My buddies never let me forget about it.” He hit a button on his radio and tuned in to an older country

station.

When Tim McGraw’s “Red Ragtop” started to play, Darcy sat up straight. “I love this song!” She began singing along with it,

and Carter grinned.

When Carter steered his truck down Main Street in Flowering Grove, he darted a glance over to her. “How do you feel about

picnics?”

“I love picnics, but I haven’t been on one in a long time. My mom used to take me when I was little.”

“Good answer.”

“Whew.” She wiped pretend sweat off her forehead. “I was worried I was in trouble for a second there.”

He laughed again, and she enjoyed the deep sound. Talking and joking with Carter was so easy, so natural. Already it was like

they’d known each other for a long time.

He steered the truck into a parking spot at Flowering Grove Park, then killed the engine. They met at the back of the SUV,

where he unloaded a large picnic basket and a blanket.

“Would you like to pick out our picnic spot?” he asked.

“I’d be honored.”

Darcy carried the blanket, and he toted the basket as they entered the park. The sweet scents of grass and flowers mixed with

the delicious aroma of burgers cooking on a nearby grill. She looked out toward the swing sets and slides, where children

played and a cluster of young women sat on benches and talked. She spotted a toddler with blonde pigtails walking hand in

hand with a young woman, and she felt that familiar longing swelling in her chest. Maybe someday...

Dismissing the thought, she turned to where a pair of chipmunks scampered past and then disappeared into a cluster of bushes.

She chose a quiet spot away from the playground and spread out the blanket. Then they sat down beside each other, and Carter

began unloading the basket.

“I hope you don’t mind sandwiches,” he said. “I picked up some rolls, lunch meat, cheese, potato salad, chips, bottles of

water, and cookies for dessert.”

“I do love a good sandwich.” He’d even chosen provolone, her favorite kind of cheese.

He smiled and handed her a plate. They built the sandwiches and then began to enjoy their meal.

Darcy looked up at the bright-blue sky and then took another bite of her sandwich. When she turned toward Carter, she once

again contemplated his reaction to her townhouse. She felt the urge to explain herself, to amend the impression he might be

forming about her. “I need to tell you something.”

“Okay.”

Her heart thudded as she tried to gather the words to tell him about Jace.

Carter tilted his head. “Take your time.”

“My townhouse. I want to explain why my parents bought it for me.”

He held his hand up. “You don’t need to explain anything.”

“I do actually. I told you the townhouse was a gift, but it was more than that.” She took a deep breath. “The house was a

wedding gift. I was engaged. I moved in first, and my fiancé was going to join me after the wedding.”

He nodded slowly. “Oh.”

Her hands trembled as she searched for the courage to tell him what happened. “My... my fiancé passed away about eighteen

months ago. His name was Jace.” A wave of remorse and grief for Jace engulfed her, and she tried to push past it.

Don’t cry, Darcy. Keep it together.

Carter opened his mouth but closed it as concern seemed to overtake his expression. “I’m so sorry, Darcy.” He rubbed her shoulder.

“What happened to him?”

He took her hand in his, and the feel of his warm skin against hers encouraged her to continue. “He was on his way to the...”

She hesitated. She wasn’t ready to share about her kidney transplant. Not yet. “I was working late that day, and we had plans

to meet at the townhouse for supper. He ran an errand for me—an errand I should have run for myself—but I was so distracted...”

She sniffed, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Jace had the green light to turn, and a man in a pickup truck wasn’t

paying attention and broadsided him.” She swallowed as the details of that day filled her mind. “Jace’s car rolled.” She took

a shaky breath. “His seatbelt failed, and he died on impact.”

“Darcy, I’m so sorry that happened to him. And to you.” He looped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him.

She closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the feeling of his warmth mixing with hers. “Thank you. It was difficult. I felt like I was living in a bad dream or a fog for a long time. I leaned on my parents and Haven and Derek. They got me through it.”

“I’m so glad you had them to take care of you.”

She looked out toward the swings where children pumped their legs and floated up toward the sky. “After Jace died, I almost

put the house up for sale, but it felt like I would be betraying him by moving. At the same time...” Her voice trailed

off.

She found him watching her with a warm expression, and she felt itchy under his stare. But his sympathetic eyes calmed her.

“It’s difficult to explain why I stayed. When I’m there, I feel like he’s still with me sometimes. But I know he’s gone.”

He nodded slowly, and embarrassment warmed her neck.

“That was a lot to unload on you, Carter. I’m sorry for doing that again.”

“No, no.” He rubbed her arm, and comfort rolled through her. “I’m sorry for your loss. I know what it’s like to lose someone

you love. They leave a hole in your heart that can’t ever be filled.”

She sniffed and gave a little laugh. “That’s true.” She turned toward the swings again. “Did you come here often when you

were a kid?”

Carter nodded and looked out toward a group of adults. They laughed while they played a game of Frisbee on the lush green

field of grass. “My mom and grandmother used to bring me and my sister here on weekends.” He pointed at the playground. “Shauna

and I would play on those swings for hours while my mom and nana sat on the bench and talked.”

“What do you remember about your mom?”

He set his plate down, bent his knee, and rested his arms on it. “She passed away twenty years ago. I was about ten, and Shauna was fourteen.” He scratched the back of his neck. “She was beautiful. Shauna looks like her—tall and slender. She had dark-brown hair, but her eyes were hazel. If I concentrate, I can still hear her voice and her laugh. She always read to me at night. She loved books and encouraged us to read, even though I wanted to be in the garage with Grandpa.”

“May I ask what happened to her?” Her question was soft.

“She hadn’t been feeling well.” He studied his half-eaten roast beef sandwich as if the scene were reflected on the bread.

“It was a Friday night. Nana kept trying to get her to go to the doctor, but she was worried about bills. My dad rarely paid

support. She’d taken him to court and had his checks garnished, but I’d heard her telling my grandparents that he didn’t make

much money. What she got was hardly enough to cover food, which was why we moved in with my grandparents after he left.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I remember nights when I’d hear her crying, talking about how hard it was without him and how

she still loved him.” He shook his head. “Anyway, she was really sick, and my grandparents wound up calling an ambulance for

her. Grandpa stayed with us while Nana rode to the hospital with her. That was the last time I saw her.” He leaned back on

his hands and stared out toward the Frisbee game.

Her lungs pinched with grief for him. “What was wrong, Carter?”

“Her appendix had burst, and it was too late.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

Carter gave her a sad smile. “Thank you. It really destroyed us. I cried myself to sleep every night for a long time. She

definitely left a hole in my heart—in all of our hearts. Shauna changed. It was like she grew up overnight. She suddenly became

my mom. She would irritate me at times, but even though I was only ten, I understood why she felt like it was her job to take

care of me. I often heard her crying at night too, and it would tear me up inside.”

Darcy rubbed his arm, hoping to comfort him. Her heart went out to him. They were kindred spirits, both understanding what it was like to lose someone they loved. But while she’d lost Jace, he had lost three people he loved—his mother and his grandparents. And then there was his dad, who had walked out on him and his family...

“My grandparents tried to be strong for us, but I would catch my nana crying in the kitchen or my grandpa wiping away tears

in the garage when they thought they were alone,” he continued. “They lost their daughter and suddenly had two kids to take

care of without extra financial support. I know they didn’t mind doing it. But they shouldn’t have had to.”

He frowned. “Shauna is convinced that we need to find our dad, but I can’t forgive him for abandoning us when I can still

remember how Mom cried for him and struggled without him. Then he didn’t even come to her funeral. After she died, I kept

asking my grandparents if Dad would come back now that Mom was gone, and they would frown and change the subject. I used to

believe he’d show up on my birthday to surprise me, but of course, he never did. I never understood what I did to make him

go away, but when I got older, I began to see it wasn’t my fault. He was just a coward. He didn’t want to be a father and

a husband.”

He paused and then added, “How can I forget how he went on and lived a new life without giving us a second thought?”

A hush blanketed them while they stared down at their plates.

“Thank you for trusting me with your story,” she said softly.

He met her gaze and nodded.

“You’re so strong, Carter.”

He looked unconvinced. “Why would you say that?”

“You haven’t let what happened turn you into an angry person.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “That’s not entirely true. I’m angry with my father.”

“But you’re still kind, friendly, and fun.” She pointed her bottle of water at him. “And you’re a really good singer.”

He laughed.

They were silent again for a moment, and he rubbed his ear. “I’m surprised I shared so much with you. It’s not easy for me.”

“I feel the same way. I’m surprised I told you about Jace.”

When they shared a smile, Darcy felt closer than ever to Carter. It was as if their relationship had become something deeper

in the span of a conversation. Excitement zipped through her.

Darcy took a long drink from her bottle of water and turned toward him. “I owe you a big thank-you.”

“For what?” His light-brown eyebrows lifted.

“For inspiring me to take the plunge and look for my biological mother.” She pulled at the label on the bottle. “I registered

on that website last night after I got home from the car show.”

He bumped his shoulder against hers. “Good for you.”

“Thanks.” She tore the label. “I uploaded all of the information I know—my birth date, where I was born, how old my parents

were when they adopted me... That kind of thing.”

“And now they’ll look for her?”

“Well, the people who run it will try to find her. If they do, and if she wants to be found, then they’ll give me her information.”

Adrenaline flooded her at the thought of finally meeting her birth mother. She looked down at her lap.

“Keep me posted, okay?”

“I will.” Darcy peered toward the swings, finding that the children had left. “The swings are empty,” she said, giving Carter

a mischievous smile.

He stood and held out his hand to her. “Shall we?”