Darcy shut the door behind them, then walked around the bed until she faced him. Without saying a word, she put her arms around Ridge and pulled him close, stroking his hair in a gentle caress that made him sigh. They stayed that way for several quiet moments, the pain from his injuries receding as he focused on the feel of the woman in his arms.
“You scared me,” she whispered. “When I saw Dennis stabbing you, I thought my heart was going to stop.”
He smiled into her hair. “If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t enjoying the experience.”
“I should think not.” She slowly eased back, keeping her hands in his hair. “You really do need sutures,” she said ruefully.
“It’s a small price to pay,” he assured her.
She shook her head, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “How do you do it?”
“What?”
“You take care of everyone around you without giving any thought to yourself. You’re one of the most selfless people I know.”
He squirmed, her praise making him uncomfortable. “It’s really not like that—”
She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Don’t bother denying it. I know what I see.” She removed her hand and replaced it with her mouth, kissing him softly.
Ridge closed his eyes, melting into the kiss. But what she had said bothered him a little. After a moment he pulled back, brushing a strand of hair behind Darcy’s ear. “Don’t put me up on a pedestal,” he warned. “I’ll only disappoint you.”
Her dark brown eyes searched his. “If you say so.”
He nodded. “I don’t want to give you any reason to leave me again.”
“Believe me, you won’t. I’m not going anywhere.” She kissed him again, fast and hard. It was a kiss of ownership, as if she was putting her mark on him. Ridge gave as good as he got, happy to return the gesture. After a moment, Darcy pulled away with a smile. “Now, let me see about fixing your back.”
Ridge waited until she had moved behind him before asking the question that weighed heavily on his mind. “You’re really staying?”
He heard the smile in her voice. “I really am.”
Something inside him calmed at her assurance. “I’m glad.” And wasn’t that the understatement of the year? But he didn’t know how to put his feelings into words. How was he supposed to describe the swirl of relief, excitement and anticipation building in his chest? How was he supposed to tell her about his dreams for their future when words alone wouldn’t do them justice?
In that moment, Ridge realized his initial fear that Darcy would come to regret her choice was born of the past. He had to let go of the worry or it would plague him for the rest of his life. Darcy had asked him to trust her. If they were to truly build a life together he had to do just that. If he allowed his doubts to continue he would always hold part of himself back in a misguided attempt at self-preservation, and it would kill their relationship.
His mind made up, he resolved to let go of his fears. He and Darcy had a bright future ahead of them, and he couldn’t wait to embrace it.
* * *
Darcy finished tying off the last suture and leaned back to get a better look at Ridge’s injuries. Dennis had sliced his back in several places, but most of the wounds were superficial. They would sting, but as long as Ridge kept them clean they should heal soon with no problems. It was the same for Ridge’s nose—thankfully, it wasn’t broken. His knee was another matter. His tussle with Dennis may have aggravated the injury, so she made a mental note to order another scan for him.
But first, she wanted to hold him again.
Seeing Ridge fighting with Dennis had terrified her on a level she hadn’t known existed. The fear of losing him again had gripped her on a soul-deep level, paralyzing her and rendering her helpless to do anything but watch as the man she cared for risked himself once again to protect another. It was the stuff of nightmares, and something she’d never forget.
She walked around the bed until she faced him again. He smiled at her, but the lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes and the set of his mouth told her he was still in pain. “Promise me something?” She brushed a tuft of hair off his forehead, loving the feel of the thick strands against her fingertips.
“What’s that?” His voice was low and soft and felt like a caress.
“Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She nodded. “That’s all I can ask of you.”
Darcy leaned forward to kiss him, but before she could make contact with his mouth, the door flew open. She jumped back, startled at the sudden movement. Ridge put his hands on her waist to steady her and turned around to face the door.
“Dr. Marrow.” His voice was cool and steady.
Darcy’s heart kicked into high gear at the sight of her father. He stood in the doorway, surveying the room with a frown. “The officer next door said I’d find you here.” He spoke to Darcy, ignoring Ridge’s greeting.
“Ridge needed some stitches,” she said, moving to collect the debris.
“I see.” Her father eyed Ridge up and down, apparently looking for obvious signs of his injuries. Then he looked back to Darcy.
“Did you need something?” Why was he here? He clearly wasn’t happy to see her with Ridge, but that was just too bad. She was done living her life to suit other people’s expectations. Ridge was her past and her future, and her parents were just going to have to accept it.
“Actually, yes.” Clint Marrow pursed his lips, as if carefully considering his words. “I’ve spoken to your coworkers, and they all have very positive things to say about you.”
“Oh?” Darcy tried not to let her confusion show. Was this some kind of performance evaluation? If so, why couldn’t it wait until later?
“You also have an above average patient satisfaction score,” he continued, as if she hadn’t spoken. “And a review of your cases indicates you make sound medical decisions.”
“That’s good to hear.” Would he get to the point? She glanced at Ridge, but he looked just as confused as she felt.
“All of this is to say, you would be an asset to the hospital.”
Darcy’s skin began to tingle as her father’s words sank in. “Are you offering me a job?”
He blinked at her directness. “Well, yes. We are terribly short-staffed, and it would be a great help if you agreed to stay on permanently.”
She didn’t try to contain the grin spreading across her face. “Yes.”
“I know you already have job in New York,” her father went on, apparently missing her acceptance. “But Granite Gulch is a growing community, and we serve an expanding patient population. You wouldn’t see the kind of trauma cases that you’ll get in New York, but I think you will find working in our emergency room is a satisfactory challenge to your skills.”
“Yes.”
“Not to mention, the cost of living in Granite Gulch is significantly less than that of New York. Your quality of life will be better if you stay here.”
Darcy shook her head slightly and grinned at Ridge, who smiled back.
“And of course—” he went on.
“Dr. Marrow,” Ridge interrupted gently. Her father stopped talking and stared at Ridge, plainly having forgotten he was in the room. “Yes?”
“I already said yes, Dad,” Darcy said. “You don’t have to keep selling the position. I’d love to stay here.”
“Oh.” He straightened his tie, then touched the stethoscope around his neck in a nervous gesture. “Well. That’s wonderful. Happy to hear it.” He nodded, gave her an awkward smile, and nodded again. “Excellent. I’ll just go start the paperwork then.” He headed for the door and paused on the threshold.
“Your mother,” he began, then halted.
Darcy felt her defenses go up. “Yes?”
Her father shot her a pleading look. “She’s not happy about your earlier conversation. She asked me to try to smooth things over with you.”
Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was last on the list. “I see,” she said, keeping her tone neutral.
Clint looked down a moment and took a deep breath. “We made a mistake, Darcy,” he said finally. “We did what we thought was best for you at the time. It wasn’t the right thing, but we are only human.”
Darcy couldn’t believe her ears. She had never heard her father apologize before and she had no idea how to respond now. Part of her wanted to tell him that it was okay, that they should let the past stay in the past. The other part of her wanted to rail at him, to let him know just how much pain he and her mother had caused. She glanced at Ridge, trying to gauge his reaction to this revelation. But his expression was carefully neutral, as if he was trying not to influence how Darcy responded.
“I’m not the only one you and Mom hurt,” she said finally. Ridge was just as much a victim of their actions, and he deserved an apology, as well.
“You’re right,” her father replied. He turned to Ridge. “My wife and I would like to apologize for our actions. We shouldn’t have meddled in your relationship with Darcy.”
“Thank you,” Ridge said simply.
Clint Marrow nodded. “Your mother and I would like it if you came to dinner tomorrow night. Both of you,” he added quickly.
Darcy looked at Ridge, silently asking his opinion. He nodded. “That would be nice,” he said.
“Very good.” Her father turned to leave again, but Darcy stopped him. “Dad,” she called out.
“Yes?”
She should probably let sleeping dogs lie, but Darcy’s curiosity got the better of her. “Why are you apologizing now? It’s been ten years—why are you and Mom suddenly sorry for what you did?”
Her father sighed and his shoulders slumped a little, making him look his age. “We had a long talk after your argument the other day. Your mother told me some things I hadn’t known before, and I realized mistakes had been made. I knew if we didn’t try to make things right, we’d lose you forever.”
Darcy’s shock must have shown on her face because her father smiled sadly. “Do you really believe we don’t care about you?”
Her first instinct was to lie, but she decided he deserved the truth. This was the most real conversation she’d ever had with her father, and lying to spare his feelings would only cheapen it. “Sometimes,” she admitted.
He blinked hard and hung his head. “It seems your mother and I have made several mistakes,” he said softly. Then he looked up and met her eyes. “It’s time we started correcting them.”
Darcy could only nod, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Her father left the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
She stood motionless for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. It was almost too good to believe. She and her parents had never been close, and their relationship hadn’t improved over the years. For so long, she’d assumed she was the only one bothered by the lack of a connection, but it seems she was wrong. Having her father admit he and her mother had made mistakes was a revelation. It gave her hope that she and her parents might actually build a meaningful relationship, especially since she was going to stay in Granite Gulch.
Ridge touched her arm gently, pulling her out of her thoughts. “That was unexpected,” he said.
“No kidding.” She shook her head, still not sure how to respond. “I want to forgive them—I really do. But I can’t forget what they did and the fact that it cost us all that time we could have had together.”
Ridge watched her thoughtfully for a moment. “I think it’s time to move on,” he said with a squeeze. “We have so much to look forward to. But we can’t plan our future together if we’re always looking behind us at the past.”
The truth of his words hit her like an electric shock. He was right, of course. Darcy would need to let go of her anger and disappointment toward her parents, or she would never be able to give her relationship with Ridge the energy and focus it deserved. Besides, if the Alphabet Killer had taught them anything, it was that life was too short to waste it holding a grudge.
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, holding his face in her hands. “When did you get to be so smart?”
The corner of his mouth twitched up. “Everything I know I learned from my dog,” he quipped.
“Is that right?”
The humor faded from his eyes as he stared at her. “I’m not going to ask you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. But I think you’ll be happier in the long run if you try to repair your relationship with your parents.”
Darcy nodded. “I’m willing to give it a shot. But I’m going to need you to remind me why I’m doing this when my mother gets on my nerves. Which she will,” Darcy added, holding up a hand to stave off his objection. “The woman is so status conscious it makes my head hurt.”
“Just take it one step at a time,” Ridge counseled.
“As long as you’re walking with me,” Darcy said.
He smiled. “I think I’ll be hobbling for a while, but I’ll be there.”
CHAPTER 16
It took longer than he expected to get out of the hospital. Darcy had insisted he get his knee examined again, and while he’d grumbled about it, he’d been secretly happy to get another exam. Tussling with Dennis had left him in even more pain than before, and it was a relief to find he hadn’t further damaged the joint.
“Looks like some soft tissue damage,” the specialist had said. “I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatories and something for the pain. Take it easy for a few weeks, and if you’re still in pain, come back and we’ll talk about physical therapy.”
Ridge had nodded, his muscles relaxing at the news he didn’t need surgery. At least not yet.
He’d been all set to leave, but then Sam and Annabel had needed to take his statement. They’d tried to speed the process along, but it had taken a while to answer all of their questions. The only thing that had made it bearable was the fact that his statement meant Dennis was going to stay in jail for a very long time.
Finally, though, he’d been given the green light to leave. And now that he was home, he didn’t ever want to leave again.
Penny made a beeline for her bed, walking a circle twice before settling down with a sigh. He smiled at the sight—it had been a long day for both of them, and she’d handled things like a real pro.
“Looks like someone’s happy to be home,” Darcy said behind him, a smile in her voice.
“We both are,” he said. It was true. His little cabin had never felt more welcoming or more peaceful, despite the evidence of his earlier fight with Dennis that was still strewn about the main room.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Darcy suggested. “I’ll feed Penny and then I’ll make you something to eat.”
His stomach growled agreement with that plan, and she laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Ridge sank into the softness of the couch and closed his eyes, breathing in the familiar scents of home. He desperately wanted a shower, but it felt so good to just sit for a minute...
The next thing he knew, Darcy was gently shaking him awake. “Hi.” She smiled down at him, her head rimmed in golden light from the glow of the lamps. “I would have let you sleep, but you need fuel.”
Ridge shook his head, trying to break free of the grogginess of sleep. “How long was I out?” he asked, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
“Only about forty minutes.” She sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder. “I let you sleep as long as I could, but your soup is getting cold.”
He smelled it then, a delicious aro
ma that wrapped around him and made his stomach cramp with the sudden, fierce need to eat. He took several gulping bites, ignoring the slight burn to his tongue as he tried to consume as much as possible.
“Penny?” he asked between slurps. In the foggy depths of his memory, he remembered Darcy mentioning something about feeding the dog, but he needed to make sure.
“Already taken care of,” she assured him. “I fed her while I heated up the soup. She’s already asleep.”
He glanced over and smiled at the sight of his partner, lying on her back with her legs in the air. She snored softly, telling him she was well and truly relaxed.
“Thank you,” he said. Darcy nodded her head.
“It was my pleasure.”
“What about you?”
Darcy leaned forward and picked up her own bowl of soup from the tray. Ridge slowed his pace, and they sipped in companionable silence together as the sun sank below the tree line.
It felt so good, so right to have her next to him like this. For the first time in years, Ridge felt at peace. It was as if Darcy had filled a hole in his soul, making him a complete person once more. He wished they could stay like this forever—just him, the woman he loved and his dog.
Darcy seemed to enjoy it, too. She let out a contented sigh, then scooted next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, breathing in rhythm, neither one talking. Just happy to be next to each other, to feel each other’s warmth.
He was exquisitely aware of the lines of her body against his own as they watched the sky transition from fiery orange to coral, finally fading into the cool blue of a fresh bruise. Pinpoints of light flickered in the trees as the fireflies came to life, zigging and zagging in complex patterns obvious only to them. Ridge couldn’t think of a more perfect view for their first evening together.
Finally, Darcy stirred. “How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.
He shifted a bit, testing out his knee, his back and everything in between. “I’ll survive.”
Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set Page 41