As he listened to Darcy doing a decent job of portraying a woman scorned, he remembered her comment at the park about not dating. Had she, like him, been through a bad experience? Or was it something else? She’d said there were things that being nice to look at couldn’t overcome. Taken literally, it suggested that the problem lay with her. What in the world could it be?
* * * * *
The play slowly wound to its inevitable conclusion. Darcy barely heard Cason’s last minute instructions. It was somewhat ironic that her part in a random play was so close to the details of her situation with Matt. Like her character Sylvia, she’d been reunited with someone from her past. Was she destined to share the same fate of loving in vain?
Cason appeared in front of her. “That wasn’t too terrible for a first reading.”
Darcy closed her script. “I’m even more convinced that you gave me this part on purpose. I come across as unlikeable and silly. I get it that I’m supposed to be heartbroken, but that scene where I try to blackmail the guy into leaving his girlfriend is just ridiculous. It doesn’t make any sense at all.”
Her sister turned to Matt. “What do you think?”
“I agree. It comes out of nowhere.”
“I should have known you’d agree with Darcy.” Cason reached into her pocket. “Tim’s calling me. Let me see what he wants.” She walked away, leaving them alone.
Matt uncurled his tall figure and stretched. “That has to be the most uncomfortable chair I’ve ever sat in.”
Darcy laughed as she came to her feet. “I was glad to sit down. Mom and I had a marathon pie-baking session today.”
“What kind of pies did you make?”
“Peach and strawberry rhubarb.”
“For another craft show?” he asked with a smile that had her stomach doing somersaults.
“No, this is a bake sale at the church on Saturday.”
“I may have to stop by. Strawberry rhubarb is my favorite with apple running a close second.”
Darcy fidgeted with the script in her hand. If he came to the bake sale, she’d have seen him three times in one week. She wasn’t sure her heart could take this many meetings. “Football starts on Saturday. You won’t want to leave the house to come to a bake sale. I’ll bring a pie to Thursday’s rehearsal. It will save you a trip.”
“I have two yards to mow so I’ll be out anyway.”
“Yeah, but you won’t want to make another stop. Let me bring the pie to you on Thursday. It’s the least I can do for you agreeing with me about that scene. Once Cason gets an idea in her head, it’s hard to convince her to change it. Like everyone else in my family, she likes getting her way.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t most people like getting their way?”
“Yes, but they try not to make it so obvious. I’ll get an earful on the way home about how I need to feel Sylvia’s pain and sense her desperation.”
“You could delay the lecture by letting me drive you home.”
He was right about that. Besides, what harm would it do? She’d already spent two hours sitting next to him, listening to him breathe and watching his hands turn the pages of the script. “I hate to take you out of your way.”
“How far out of the way could it be? St. Marys isn’t exactly Atlanta.” The lights above them dimmed slightly. “Is that a hint that we need to leave?”
“It’s probably some kids playing with the lights. The children’s theater group meets here, too. There’s a smaller stage and auditorium behind this one.”
They walked side-by-side up the aisle and into the lobby. Here they found Cason talking to a young couple Darcy didn’t recognize.
“Is that rain I hear?” Matt asked as he walked over to the door and opened it a few inches. “Yep, it is. I’ll go get the truck and meet you at the entrance.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Cason finished her conversation and came over to join Darcy. “Going somewhere?”
“Matt’s giving me a ride home.”
“Should I tell Mom not to expect you for a while?”
Here we go again. “You’re seeing romance where none exists.”
“And you’re deliberately sticking your head in the sand.”
“We’ll have to discuss this fascinating topic again some time, preferably in a year or two.”
* * * * *
Matt surveyed the wall of water falling from the dark sky. The weatherman had let him down. It wasn’t supposed to rain until tomorrow afternoon. With a shrug, he left the protection of the overhang. He was soaked by the time he climbed inside the truck.
As he pulled close to the curb, he saw Darcy appear from inside. Reaching across the console, he opened the passenger door. “Be careful,” he warned. “The concrete is slippery.”
In a few seconds, she was beside him. “Oh, look at you. You’re so wet! We should have waited a bit.”
“I couldn’t take the chance that you’d change your mind.”
She looked up from buckling her seatbelt. “Why would I do that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It was a silly idea that went through my head. I was going to suggest a late meal, but I don’t think there’s a single part of me that’s dry. Can I offer you something from the drive-thru of your choice?”
“I wouldn’t mind something to drink. All that talking made me thirsty.”
“How about a few donuts to go with it?”
“I never say no to donuts.”
“Great. Dunkin Donuts here we come.”
When they arrived, the parking lot was deserted, but the drive-thru wasn’t.
“I guess we’re not the only ones who don’t want to get out of our vehicle,” Darcy said as Matt took his place at the end of the line.
“This gives us time to decide which donuts we want.”
“That’s not a problem for me. I like glazed and Boston cream.”
“Have you ever had fried glazed donuts?”
“Yes, they’re amazing! My roommate and I used to make them at least once a month.”
“I believe I could eat anything as long as it’s fried in butter.” He edged closer to the drive-thru window. “It looks like the rain is picking up again.”
“Will this mess up your mowing tomorrow?”
“It depends on how long it rains tonight and how hard it’s coming down in the morning. Wet grass is tough on lawnmower blades.”
“What do you do on the days you can’t mow?”
“Work on the equipment. Something is always breaking down or needing maintenance.”
“How do you know how to do that stuff?”
“I’ve always been mechanically inclined. It looks like we’re up next. What would you like to drink?”
“I’ll take Coke.”
He drew up to the window and smiled at the older woman behind the cash register. “Hey, there…” His glance went to her nametag. “Alison. Can I get six glazed, six Boston cream, a large coffee, and a large coke?”
“Yes, sir. That’ll be twelve seventy-five.”
Darcy watched him arrange the drinks in silence. When he placed the box of donuts on the console, she started to laugh. “Did you really order a dozen donuts?”
“I missed dinner. Are you in a hurry to get home?” he asked as he waited for the traffic to clear. “I was thinking we could go down by the river.”
She hesitated a few seconds. “What time is it now?”
“Almost nine.”
“I can go for a little while, but I need to be home by ten.”
The early time surprised him until he remembered that she had her parents to consider. “No problem.” He slowed as he left the paved street and turned on a narrow dirt road dotted with pot holes brimming with muddy water. “Looks like the weather kept all the teenagers at home,” he said as he parked next to a picnic area and cut the engine. “I used to spend a lot of time here when I was younger.”
“Doing what?” she asked with a grin.
“Fishing, of course.
What else?”
“Is that what they called it back in your day?”
He opened the box and held it out to her. “Very funny. Have a donut.”
She pulled one out and bit into it. “Oh, my goodness. It’s still warm.”
“Just the way I like them.” Matt lost no time getting his own. “Whenever I felt the need to escape, I grabbed a fishing pole and headed this way. Eric heard me one night and followed me. I think he reached the same conclusion you did – that I was meeting a girl. Given that my dad had a wandering eye, he wanted to make sure I wasn’t following in his footsteps.”
“Are you telling me you never brought a girl here?”
“Well, no, I’m not saying that. This is one of the places I got my face slapped a few times. What about you? Did you ever let a boy bring you here?”
Darcy reached for a napkin to wipe her fingers. “Just one. His name was Marvin, and he was my biology lab partner. It took him a half hour to work up the nerve to hold my hand. His fumbling attempts to kiss me might have been funny except I was so scared. Every time Marvin got close, I panicked and turned my head. Instead of my lips, he got a mouthful of hair. He finally gave up and drove me home.”
Matt nodded knowingly. “Next to getting slapped, the last minute head turn is the worst. You get all your hopes up and end up choking on hair.”
Darcy opened her straw and slid it through the lid of her soda. “I’m starting to see a pattern here.”
“Yeah, a less confident man might have given up. Not me. I persevered until I found a girl who actually liked me enough to let me kiss her.” He absently reached for another donut. “We dated for a few weeks, but all we did was fight. She didn’t like me talking to other girls, and I didn’t like being told what to do. Six years in the army cured me of that.”
“Is that where you got hurt?”
“It happened on my second tour in Iraq. I stepped on an IED and woke up in the hospital with only part of my left leg. I also found out my best friend died in the blast. That was a pretty rough time in my life; dealing with my injury and the guilt of knowing my friend would never see his wife again. Even after I’d come to grips with this thing,” he tapped his prosthesis, “I wasn’t sure how anyone else would feel about it. Then I met Sarah, and it didn’t seem to matter anymore. We were together for almost two years. About five months ago, she told me her feelings had changed. I was completely blindsided by it. I’d been looking at engagement rings for weeks.”
“Two years is a long time. Sarah had become a part of your life.”
He smiled ruefully. “More than I realized. I always prided myself on being independent. Love makes that almost impossible to maintain. Everything I do, and everywhere I go reminds me of her.” He waved his hand. “Even this place. I’ve identified as a couple for so long that I feel lost being single again.”
“The last of my friends from high school just got engaged. All the others are married. Sometimes I feel as if I dwell on another planet. It’s hard to hide the fact that you’re alone.”
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Maybe we could help each other with that.”
“How so?”
“You’ve told me that you’re not dating right now. I’ve told you about Sarah, so you know where I’m coming from. Why not do things together as friends? With no pressure to be anything else until or unless we want to?”
“Are you serious?”
Matt laughed. “I’m perfectly serious. You don’t have to make a decision right now. Think about it. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, I understand.”
She looked away from him. “You’d have to put up with the constant hints and comments you’ll inevitably hear from members of my family. After your remark to Stella, they won’t believe we’re not dating.”
“And you’d have to put up with my juvenile sense of humor. As long as we’re honest with each other, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It’s almost ten. Time to go.” He finished the last bite of donut in his hand and started the truck. “Thanks for coming tonight. We’ll definitely have to do this donut-binging thing again.”
* * * * *
After watching until Matt’s truck disappeared around the corner, Darcy turned from the window and walked into the kitchen. She found her mother wrapping miniature loaves in decorative plastic wrap. “I thought we agreed to do the zucchini bread tomorrow.”
Her mother looked up with a smile. “I wanted to get a head start. I wasn’t sure what your plans would be. What’s that in your hand?”
Darcy plopped the box of donuts on the counter. “We made a detour on the way home.”
“I figured that out.” Her mother’s eyes were alight with anticipation. “Anything exciting happen?”
“Like what? We barely know each other.”
“Did he kiss you goodnight?”
Darcy rolled her eyes heavenward. “This isn’t a Hallmark movie, Mom.”
“Did he ask to see you again?”
“He didn’t have to. I’ll be seeing him Thursday. Have you forgotten that he’s in Cason’s play?”
“Of course not, but that’s not really a date.”
“Which makes perfect sense because we’re not dating. By the way, I want to give him one of the strawberry rhubarb pies.”
“That’s fine, but you need some new clothes and a trip to the beauty salon. You should have some highlights put in your hair again.” She reached across the counter and picked up one of Darcy’s hands. “A manicure wouldn’t come amiss, either.”
“Why do I need a makeover?”
“Men are like children. They have short attention spans.”
“In that case, I’m better off doing nothing.”
Her mother made a clicking sound in her throat. “Why are you working so hard to pretend you don’t like him?”
“I’m not afraid to admit that I like him, but I’ve been down this road before. Everything’s fine until I mention the word epilepsy. Then they can’t get away fast enough. Let’s face it; I come with baggage that’s impossible to ignore.”
“Give Matt a chance. You don’t know how he’ll react.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s not interested in me like that. He’s still in love with his ex-girlfriend.”
“Did he tell you so?”
He didn’t have to. Some things don’t have to be spelled out. “He was getting ready to ask her to marry him when she broke up with him.”
“Matt doesn’t strike me as the type to spend the rest of his life crying over spilt milk.”
Only her mother would compare recovering from a broken heart to worrying about a drink. “And you know this from your long acquaintance with him?”
“I know because I can read people. It’s romantic to think you can only love once, but the human heart is surprisingly adaptable. In the right circumstances, it will open up for someone else.”
“I hope you’re not implying that I represent the right circumstances.”
“Can you say for sure that you’re not?” She came around the counter and slipped her arm around Darcy’s waist. “Don’t judge all men by a few bad experiences.”
It was more than a few, but this wasn’t the time to destroy her mother’s illusions. Darcy laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will, darling.”
The rest of the conversation was about the proposed shopping trip. Darcy agreed to a few additions to her wardrobe and a trim to her hair. She would need both of those before she started looking for a job anyway.
It wasn’t until she was in bed watching a few beams of moonlight make their way across the ceiling that her mind returned to the conversation with Matt. His suggestion that they spend time together was a two-edged sword, both a joy and a torment. The words of refusal had hovered uselessly on her lips. She hadn’t been able to deny herself his friendship. The knowledge that his heart belonged to another was protection enough. It was only her own that was at risk.
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* * * * *
A flat tire on his lawnmower resulted in Matt missing the first half of Thursday’s rehearsal. When he did arrive, his hair still slightly damp from the shower, he looked in vain for Darcy. As one part of his mind went through a possible list of reasons for her absence, the other part was dealing with a level of disappointment that seemed out of proportion to how long he’d known her.
It was fortunate that he didn’t appear in the first scene. Given his state of distraction, he would have been more of a liability than an asset. Swallowing his frustration, he found a seat in the first row and pretended to follow along in his script.
No one was more relieved than him when Cason finally called a halt. But even then, he had to wait until the stage had been cleared of furniture and everyone else was moving toward the exit before he could ask the question that had been on his mind since his arrival.
“I’m sorry about being late again. Are you regretting asking me to be in this thing?”
Cason glanced up from the page she was writing on. “If you had a major role, the answer would be yes. Since you’re a minor character, I can put up with it.”
“Did Darcy have something else to do tonight?”
The pencil Cason was holding dropped to the ground. Matt picked it up and handed it to her.
“Thanks,” she replied, her eyes avoiding making direct contact with his. “She couldn’t be here because she fell down the stairs this morning.”
“Oh, no. Is she okay?”
“She cut her head open and has some pretty colorful bruises, but she didn’t break any bones. I’ve got your pie in the car.”
Who cared about the pie? This was terrible. He ran his fingers through his hair, annoyed that he hadn’t known about this sooner. “Do you think she’d mind if I dropped by to see her tomorrow?”
“Only in the sense that she won’t be looking her best. She went face-first into the banister. We better get going before they turn out the lights on us.” Cason started up the aisle, and he fell into step beside her.
“Face first? How did that happen?”
She waited while he opened the door to outside. “That’s something you should hear from her.”
What did that mean? Thoroughly confused, he watched in silence as Cason retrieved a foil-wrapped pie plate from her car.
Stealing His Heart: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 2) Page 7