Both women stay quiet, but their silence tells all.
Chapter 22
Pierce
“Got some great news.” Miller strides in my office, flipping his phone in his hand.
“Did we win the Johnson bid?”
“Well, yes, but that’s news for the afternoon meeting. This isn’t about business.”
“Hit me with it.”
“Todd came through. The Kiawah Island house is ours in two weeks. Couldn’t get Myrtle Beach, but this is a better deal.”
I toss down my pen and lean back in my chair, trying to recall the details. Todd is an old college friend of Miller’s, who came into some money and started a renovation-flipping business. He decided to keep a few of his properties for rentals. We’ve worked with him several times over the years, which gives us the perfect excuse to leave town for weeks at a time without Connie riding my ass. It’s close enough to come home on the weekends for the kids, yet far enough we could live the life of bachelors without being watched. “Which place?”
“The five-five on the Beachwalk.”
I whistle low. This isn’t our typical two-bedroom condo deal. This is his beachfront mansion that rents for four-thousand a week during the tourist season. We worked on this place years ago during the renovations, and it’s incredible.
“Did he cut us a deal? I’m not opposed to spending the money, but he charges a shit-ton for that rental. Not to mention, it’s larger than what we need.”
“Free in exchange for a few punch-list items.”
“Punch-list?” This could go downhill very quickly if we’re walking into a barter-exchange.
“He’s emailing me a list, but the main thing is he’s having a new outdoor kitchen installed, and he’s going to be up in Chicago. The week was already free, and he needs someone to oversee it.”
“Not a lot of work.”
“No, and between the two of us, it won’t be a problem. As for the size, I thought it was a good idea for everyone to have their own room this year, especially with the addition of Darby. We’ll have a spare room if Mom, Dad, or any of the Grahams want to come for a few days.”
“Good thinking. I’ll tell Connie tonight when I drop the kids off.”
“Let’s hope to hell she doesn’t mention joining us.” He groans, remembering her insistence at Rosen’s that night.
“To be honest, with everything happening, this trip slipped my mind. I didn’t know if Todd would pull through, so I also haven’t brought it up with the kids. Hopefully, this vacation will be exactly what everyone needs.” Resentment seeps into my words.
His eyebrows shoot up, not missing the bitterness in my voice. “Something going on?”
My mood sinks, and the familiar unease returns. “The same shit that has been hanging over me for weeks. Connie is pissed, and when I say that, I mean she’s fucking pissed, even by her standards.”
“Well, you knew that. Last Monday, you slayed her ass.”
“Normally, I’d be happy with her silent treatment, but her tactics have shifted. The kids couldn’t contain their excitement over the weekend, and when they spoke to her last night, she killed it immediately. They had her on speaker. At the mention of working the booth and sampling all the treats, Connie went into a rant about the unhealthy effects of too much chocolate and the probability of getting fat. Maya’s face fell, and all the color drained away. Then, she lectured them about the dangers of horseback riding and went as far as to tell them to have me sterilize their clothes because of the horse stench. At that point, Cole’s shoulders slumped. Her hostility was so thick it sucked away their happiness. Before bed, I caught Maya deleting all the pictures she took over the weekend. Connie didn’t even have to mention Darby’s name to ruin their great time.”
“I’m not sure you should share this with Darby.”
“Hell no! That’s another thing.” The ping in my chest intensifies, as my mood grows angrier. “Did you feel the tension in the air last night? The atmosphere from when we arrived, to when we finished with the horses, was a complete one-eighty. Darby was reserved and detached. She pushed her margarita away when the kids were around, her conversations were quiet, and her own mood solemn. It was exactly the opposite of her on Saturday night.”
“You should call your mom.” Dad saunters in, taking the chair next to Miller.
“Why?”
“Because she rambled on and on last night. She’s worried about you and Darby. Maybe you pushed this thing too fast.”
Before he even said it, I knew it was coming. “I disagree. There’s no way I could let Connie poison their minds about Darby. They needed to meet her.”
“You have a point, but Saturday night, she was Darby Graham, the business owner and chocolate extraordinaire. She had to put on a show.”
“You’re wrong. You haven’t been able to spend much time with her, but that woman on Saturday night is the same woman I fell back in love with the minute I saw her. When we were in Aspen, those people were falling over their feet to get time with her. In the community here, it’s the same way.”
“Well then, maybe us invading her space with Maya and Cole was too much. Riding the horses, playing games in her yard, chasing her dog, grilling on her parents’ patio—all of it may have overwhelmed her. She definitely seemed uncomfortable.”
“Jesus.” I scrub my hands over my face. “I thought it would be simpler on her if we came to her.”
“Pierce, I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to think long and hard before you answer me.” He squares his shoulders in a move that takes me back to being a kid. “Back in the day, I don’t remember Darby telling you no very often. You two were crazy in love, and she would do about anything in her power to take care of you. This woman you described sounds like she hasn’t changed. Do you think you’re taking advantage of her?”
A sharp pain throbs in my temple, and my blood singes. “Taking advantage of her? Because I want her to meet my children so I can ask her to marry me and begin the life we should have been living? You think that’s taking advantage of her?”
“Pierce, Dad has a point,” Miller interjects.
“Not a good one. You’re crazy if you think that woman didn’t tell me no. I’m an excellent negotiator. We were crazy in love, and now that she’s back, I’m not willing to waste time. Why is that a bad thing?”
“It’s obvious you’re not wasting time. However, it isn’t all about you. Darby has been thrust into a cyclone situation, and last night, we took away her safe place.”
“I’m her safe place!” I erupt, slamming my fist on my desk. “Goddammit.”
I can’t miss the guilt that flares in Dad’s eyes. He doesn’t give me a chance to question before he’s up and at my door. “Call your mama. I think that may help unwind the damage.” Then he’s gone.
“Damage? Who said anything about damage?”
“I don’t think that was a suggestion. Obviously, Mom has some answers for you.” Miller follows behind Dad, closing me in.
The person I want to talk to is Darby, but she’s unavailable.
Reluctantly, I dial Mom, and she answers on the first ring, sounding anxious. “Honey, I’m glad you called.”
“I think you have some stuff to share.”
“Oh, Pierce, I don’t have a good feeling about Darby…”
•—•—•—•—•
After her voicemail plays in my ear, I end the call and jump in my truck. Darby was supposed to be here an hour ago but never showed. She’s not answering her calls or texts, and at this point, I’m ready to call her family. After the conversation with my mom, I’m not taking any chances.
It was news to me that Mom and Dad had suffered through losing two pregnancies before Miller was born. I wish I’d known that nugget of information twelve years ago while Darby was crumbling. But that’s not what’s been spinning in my mind all day. It’s the way Darby responded to the news and almost everything else that was discussed.
When I p
ull down the lane, Darby’s hunched in her trunk while Runner plays nearby. She’s dressed in athletic clothes, her hair on top of her head and a faint sweat stain on her tight tank top.
She flashes me a bright smile and waves as I park. That smile sends a rush of relief over me.
“I was wondering what time you’d show up. I just got home myself,” she sing-songs, crawling back in the trunk.
“Show up? I’ve been worried fucking sick about you,” I growl, my hand itching to spank the ass perched in the air.
“Here we go!” She holds up her hand victoriously, waving her phone and popping the button for her trunk. “I knew it flew to the back somewhere.” Her eyes go to her screen, and the grin falls from her face.
“Eight missed calls and four text messages from you? Is everything okay?”
“Hell no! I’ve been blowing it up, trying to find you when you never showed at my house. You were supposed to be there at seven.”
“I changed the plans. Didn’t you get my messages?”
“What messages?”
“I left you a voicemail and sent you a text that I was going to try a spin class tonight since you were with your kids.”
I rip my phone from my pocket and scroll through. “No messages, Darby,” I say a little too forcefully, flipping my screen around so she can see.
Her eyes shoot me a warning as she hands me her phone with our text thread.
I’m going to try a new spin class Mom’s therapist raved about. It’s been too long since I’ve worked out. Let’s change the plans to my place tonight. Beer is in the fridge, and I should be home around 8. Hope you had a wonderful time with the kids.
The message was sent at five-thirty, about the time Maya had my phone. Fuck me.
“I left the same voice message as well.”
“Baby, I didn’t get them. I’ve been fucking pacing the floors waiting on you. Why didn’t you answer?”
“My elbow knocked over my purse, and everything went flying in different directions. I was searching for my phone when you arrived.”
I tug her to me, holding tight. “I was worried.”
“I’m sorry about the mix-up, but you’re overreacting.”
“Let’s get inside.” The words come out gravelly.
She dips backward, her eyes sweeping over my face and her lips pressing into a thin line. “Jill?”
I lift her off the ground and carry her with Runner at our sides.
“Put me down. I’m disgusting and need a shower,” she demands, wiggling to get free.
I inhale deeply and shake my head. “You smell like chocolate and perfume to me.”
“I still need a shower.”
“We’ll shower after we talk.” I heft her up on the counter and fit my hips between her knees.
“This is unnecessary. Whatever you’re muddling over is nothing but girl-talk.”
“Did I fuck up by bringing Maya and Cole here?” I cut straight to the chase.
She draws in a breath and stares at me for a few seconds before shaking her head. “I don’t think so. Did they say something?”
“No, they had a great time. I’ve always been able to read you like a sixth sense and knew something wasn’t right. You withdrew from all of us, plainly uncomfortable.”
The spark of pain followed by unmistakable guilt in her expression says it all.
“I did fuck up.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Stop lying.” I slide my hand over her shoulders and circle her neck, running my thumbs along her jawline. She tries to look away, but I duck into her line of sight. “Baby, I’ve been aggressive, and I’m not going to apologize for that. It may make me an asshole, but my sights are set on our future and what I need to do to get us there. What I will apologize for is not seeing things more clearly from your perspective. You’re still holding things back from me.”
“I’m not,” she denies.
“I’m going to break my own rules tonight and go back in time. We’re going to clear up some things. If I think we’re still not on the same page, then we’ll do this often until you know it has always been you.”
“This is totally uncalled for. You don’t need to reassure me, and we don’t need to take a trip down memory lane. There are two human beings on this earth that are undeniable proof that it hasn’t always been me.” Her response is loaded with sarcasm and bitterness.
“I wasn’t happy,” I go on. “I wasn’t happy about the pregnancies. With each of my kids, I held on to anger at myself. Are you with me?”
“I am, but we don’t need to relive this.”
“Here’s another tidbit to add to the list of why I’m a dick. When the nurse handed them to me, the anger slowly went away, but my first thought was of the baby I lost with you. I allowed myself a split second to picture it and then came back to the hell that was my reality. This doesn’t mean that I don’t fucking love my kids. It means I gave myself the luxury of one second to wish they belonged to us.”
I caress her jawline, watching the realization followed by relief wash over her face. Mom was right. She’s lived with the assumption that Connie was able to give me something she couldn’t and heal my pain.
“Oh, God, maybe I’m not ready for this.” Her voice shudders.
“The heartache didn’t go away, not once for me,” I continue softly. “I didn’t move on, and I didn’t forget.”
“We can stop now.” The tears pooled in her eyes spill heavily down her cheeks.
“Not yet. I do listen to you, Darby, but the headstrong ass in me is insistent on tearing down your resistance. If I push too hard, you have to speak up in a way I can hear you because I’m a little deaf to your excuses.”
“You don’t say?” She cracks a sad smile.
“Another thing I need to make clear tonight. I not only want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you; I want to have that family we talked about. I want more children with you. This is probably going to set you on a downward spiral, but I’m here to catch you. You agreed to give this life with me a shot.”
She shakes her head, fear and dread spreading over her face and jumping straight to freak out mode. “No, you have to stop.”
“You’re too perfect to bury that dream. Consider this your notice to get ready. You go to Aspen and kill it. When the time comes to come home, I’ll be ready.”
She begins to shake, and I tense, ready for anything. She launches forward, colliding with my shoulder, and bursts into loud tears. “I am never, ever, in my life having a tequila laced heart-to-heart with your mom again,” she sobs.
“Yeah, baby, you are. Because, apparently, that’s when things get real, and my ass kicks into gear.”
“Pierce, your ass kicked into gear the morning you showed up uninvited to my bakery to scream at me.”
“True, but I was too slow and stupid to know how to proceed. Now, I’m brilliant in my pursuit.”
She giggles through sobs, clutching stronger.
“We have one more thing before we shower.” I kiss along the skin of her neck, her pulsing racing against my lips. “We have a rental on Kiawah Island in two weeks. It’s going to be Miller, the kids, and me. I want you with us.”
She freezes, every muscle in her body tensing. I don’t have to see her face to picture her expression. An uncomfortable silence fills the air, and I wait impatiently for her.
“I can’t,” comes out raspy, and she clears her throat a few times. “I can’t,” she says clearly this time.
“That wasn’t the answer I wanted.”
She slides her hands to my chest and presses up, placing her forehead to mine. Her cheeks are tear-stained and flushed, and her red-rimmed eyes are filled with conflict. “You know I’m going to decline, right?”
“I’m figured you’d try.”
“I’m going to speak in a way you can understand. This isn’t only about the uncertainty of your family vacation with your kids. Pierce, I still have a small business to run. Orders are already o
n the calendar throughout the month. The bizarre was my last event, but there are a few other things around town I’m committed to. There is no way I can take off for a week and still fulfill my obligations.”
I have to control the urge to argue with her. Dad is more than capable of handling our business while Miller and I leave for the week. Hell, it’s not unusual for all three of us to be out of the office for a few days. I knew it would be hard for her but hoped she’d at least consider a way to make it happen.
“There’s no way I’m leaving you for a whole week. We’ll make something work.”
“You’re not listening.”
“I hear you loud and clear, and I understand. We will figure out something.”
She chews on her lip, deep in thought, flicking her eyes around. “If you’re hearing me, then hear this. I’ll drive down and spend the day on Saturday.”
“I have a better idea. You come with us on Friday night and stay through Monday morning? Then maybe you could pull through with your orders on Monday and Tuesday and come back?”
She shakes her head with an amused expression. “I’ll drive in Saturday morning, spend the day, and drive back that night. Take it or leave it.”
“That’s two hours of travel by yourself. It’s ridiculous.”
“Let’s see how it goes with the kids sharing their dad on vacation.”
I think her plan is shit but know this is a chance to prove I can see things from her perspective. My grunt is my response, and her face brightens with the victory.
I’ll let her think she’s won… for now.
Chapter 23
Darby
I drive down the sleepy street with my windows and sunroof open. The smell of salty air and sunshine breeze through the truck, and Runner’s perched up with his head out the window, his tail wagging excitedly.
I’m right there with him. This neighborhood is gorgeous, and Pierce has spent two weeks hyping this place up in an attempt to get me to stay. I held my ground on this daily visit to test things out but secretly have been thrilled to spend the day at the beach. The phone rings, and I barely get out a ‘hello’ before Pierce is talking over me.
Pierced Hearts (Southern Charmers Book 1) Page 23