by Duke, Regina
Tony’s phone chose that moment to ring, and it startled him so much he dropped it. “Dang!” He picked it up, and his heart pounded. “It’s Darcy! She’s calling me!” His hands shook as he hit the accept button. “Hello?”
For a moment, he thought she’d hung up because there was silence on the line. Then her voice came hesitantly. “Tony? It’s me. Darcy.”
Tony grinned. “Yes, I figured that out. Why have you refused all my calls?”
“You’ve been calling me?”
“Of course! But you never answered.”
“I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t realize I’d turned the phone off when I plugged it in to charge, and Lulamae just discovered it.” Her voice softened. “I’ve been hoping you’d call for three days now.”
“Really? Well, that’s a relief.” He kicked back and felt the soft leather for the first time. “Why, uh, why did you leave so suddenly?”
The question was met with another silence. At last, Darcy said, “I heard you guys talking by the elevators, about how marriage wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. And you agreed with your cousins that being single is the best way to go.”
“What? You left because of that? I don’t get it.”
Darcy’s voice grew sad. “We shared Monty Python and Godzilla and slow dancing to old songs and keeping each other’s secrets, but if all you want is a single friend, I’m afraid I’m out of the picture. I saw the worst in men in Hollywood. When I met you, I thought maybe there were some good guys left. Was I wrong?”
Tony stood up and began pacing from the sofa to the entertainment center in the opposite corner. “No. No, you’re not wrong. There are lots of good guys in the world. I’d like to think I’m one of them.”
“Okay,” said Darcy. “That’s good. I guess. Now what?”
Tony cupped his phone in both hands and stared at it. He felt like he should know the answer to that question, but he was having trouble focusing. The sound of Darcy’s voice reminded him of all the fun, the skiing, the handholding, the shared jokes, and pretending to be a movie producer. All he could see when he closed his eyes at night was Darcy. He’d tossed and turned for three nights and spent his days lost in a glum fog of self-pity. So why wasn’t he answering her question?
Darcy said tentatively, “Is your silence an answer? Is there no future for us?”
That snapped him out of it. “I want you in my life, Darcy Summerlin. I can barely remember how I got through my days before I met you. And…and…”
Darcy giggled, sounding relieved. “Same here. I think about you all the time.” Her voice held a dreamy quality.
Tony sat down hard on the corner piece of the sofa. “Promise me you will not turn off your phone again.”
“I promise.”
“Good. I know Lulamae needs you, at least for a while longer, so you can’t come back here right now, but don’t go anywhere without calling me first, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And promise me you will never, ever again think that what three guys say to each other about being married means anything at all. Got that?”
“Um….?”
Tony propped his elbows on his knees and said softly, “Guys like to BS each other. In that scenario, things can be said that guys don’t really mean.”
“Oh, I see. So, you don’t really want to stay single forever?”
“God no. Look how much trouble being single has caused me.” Tony thought he heard a distant doorbell, but he couldn’t tell which end of the phone it was on.
Darcy said, “Lysette.”
“And her dang fake rubies.”
“She’s still there? In Eagle’s Toe?”
“I don’t know,” said Tony. “I’ve been staying with Axel and Taylor at their place, so she can’t just pound on my hotel room door. I have no idea where she is. I don’t even know if she’s dead or alive.” Now he heard a babble of voices. “Is everything okay?”
After several more seconds of babble, Darcy’s voice came back on the line. “Well, at least I can answer one question for you,” she said. “Lysette just stormed in the front door. So, she’s alive. I have to go. Call me tonight?”
What the hell was going on? What was Lysette doing in Vegas? Oh, that’s right, she and Lulamae had known each other way back. But it disturbed him deeply that Lysette was there and he wasn’t. What if she started telling Darcy stories about him? “I will definitely call you tonight.” He paused, then added, “I think I love you.”
Darcy made a sweet sound. “Another old song,” she murmured. “Until tonight.”
Tony moved to one of the recliners and stretched out. Axel was sitting at the other end of the sofa. “Everything okay?”
“The countess is alive. For now.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Darcy had no sooner ended her call with Tony when there was a soft rap at the door. Maria opened it before Darcy could reach it.
“Forgive me, miss, but la señora needs you, quick, by pool.” And she left.
Darcy almost followed her into the hall, then remembered her sliding door. When she slipped out at her end of the L-shaped pool, she could hear Lysette holding forth in full cry.
“I never expected things to go so very badly, especially when Tony was involved. How could he steal my rubies?”
Lulamae said evenly, “He did not steal your rubies. I thought we settled that in Eagle’s Toe.”
“Well, he had them in his luggage.”
“Ha! You put them there! I swear, Lysette, sometimes you don’t have a lick of sense at all. Have you asked your husband about these fake rubies?”
“No.” Lysette crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She had her back to Darcy.
“And why not?” Lulamae’s gaze flicked to Darcy, letting her know she saw her coming.
“Because,” pouted Lysette, “if my husband stole the rubies, the insurance will not pay. Because we are married.”
“Oh, that can’t be right,” said Lulamae. “Are you sure you don’t have a different reason?”
“You know the count. If I go after him for my rubies, he will be…very ugly to deal with.”
Lulamae said, “The truth at last. You’re afraid of him and want to leave, but he stole your family heirloom. And now you want to pretend Tony took the gems so the insurance company will pay out. I believe that would be a big mistake.”
Lysette’s tone was disdainful. “I was only thinking about it. He is young. He would recover. And I would not press charges all the way.” All zee way.
Darcy had had enough. She set her jaw and walked up behind Lysette, pretending to stumble as she passed and knocking Lysette in the pool.
The splashing and cursing made it hard to hear her murmured apology. “Oh dear, I guess I tripped. So sorry.”
Lulamae laughed out loud. “Cherie, you are full of surprises! Don’t worry. She can swim.”
Darcy was still trembling in her fit of pique. “I just hate it when she says bad things about Tony.” She pressed her hands together to stop shaking and perched on the chaise next to Lulamae, who was keeping an eye on Lysette.
“Don’t be a drama queen,” she told the countess. “You always want to get in the pool when I see you. Now get on out and change into a bathing suit. I’ll have Maria show you to a bedroom.” She rang a small handbell.
Lysette was hopping mad, which gave her the impetus to exit the pool. She stomped over to Darcy, dripping water everywhere. “You evil woman! You did that on purpose!”
“You were trying to drown Tony in false accusations. A dip in the pool seemed appropriate.” She flinched as Lysette shook water on her. Wiping her arm with a towel, she said super sweetly, “Gosh, I think you need a hair dryer.”
Maria appeared from the kitchen, and Lulamae gave her instructions. “Please show Lysette to a guest room, dear. Also, she will obviously be joining us for tea and snacks at lunch.”
Still fuming, Lysette followed Maria into the house. Once she was gone, Lulamae said to Darcy, �
�Oh my, that was well executed. And no harm done. She’s an expert swimmer.”
“Thank goodness, because jumping in to save her would have ruined the effect,” said Darcy.
“Are things straightened out between you and Tony?”
“I hope so. He said he’ll call back tonight.” She focused on her fingernails. “He said I overheard a conversation out of context, and I shouldn’t worry about anything said by men waiting for elevators.” Her forehead puckered. “What Lysette said…is she in an abusive relationship?”
“So it would seem. I’ve suspected for a long time. But until now she never admitted she’s afraid of the count.”
“That’s so sad. And irritating. Because now I feel sorry for her.”
Lulamae smiled. “You have a tender heart.”
Darcy was suddenly filled with insecurity. “Will Lysette hate me completely now?”
Lulamae shrugged. “Don’t worry. She’ll settle down.” She leaned toward Darcy and whispered, “I have something on her.” Then in a normal voice, “She’ll get over it.”
“Back in Eagle’s Toe, she let slip that you two have known each other a long time. And…she dated Tony’s father?”
Lulamae sipped her iced tea. She made some affirmative gestures but didn’t answer.
Darcy smiled and looked away. “You’re not going to tell me what you have on her, are you?”
“Don’t worry, cherie. Most likely, she’ll tell you herself because she cannot keep her mouth shut.”
“And you’re still friends?”
Lulamae narrowed her gaze and thought for a few seconds. Then she replied, “Friends is a very flexible word. We share some of our past, so we’re more than acquaintances, but I don’t invite her to my parties.”
“Got it,” said Darcy. “Uh-oh. Here she comes.”
Having recovered some of her dignity, Lysette sashayed back to the pool in a ridiculously revealing bathing suit. “Don’t worry, I do not hold a grudge. Lulamae is observant, is she not? So true, I married a violent man, and to escape, I let Lester talk me into spying on Tony over in Switzerland.” As she spoke, she watched the water, moving precisely to a spot directly in front of Darcy.
She wasn’t sure why she reached for her towel at just that moment. Maybe it was the edge in Lysette’s voice. But she had it partly in front of her when Lysette cannonballed into the water. Her splash was quite practiced—Darcy had to admit, the woman had weird skills—but her towel saved her from most of the water.
Lysette stayed in the pool and swam laps. Darcy knew what she was doing—working off her anger and avoiding any retribution she might encounter when she got out. She wiped off the few drops of water that had reached her as if they were nothing, then she said to Lulamae, “Do you think Maria would bring us more iced tea?”
Lulamae clapped her hands in delight. “Cherie, I must say, I like your style.” She rang for Maria and requested more tea. “And please bring a glass of bourbon for Lysette. She’ll be thirsty when she gets out of the pool.”
Darcy blinked in surprise. “Bourbon?”
Lulamae said softly, “To each her own.”
Darcy picked up her tea and ran a finger around the rim of the glass. “Any juicy stories to share while she’s swimming?”
“Good heavens, so many! But I cannot tell you here.” She put a finger to her lips as Lysette finally emerged from the pool.
Darcy made a mental note to ask more questions once Lysette was out of earshot. For now, she contented herself with making chitchat with the countess. “So sorry about knocking you into the water. I tripped.”
Lysette’s nostrils flared. “Yes, of course. On this very uneven surface.” The tile around the pool was perfectly flat.
Darcy held up a finger. “Oh, I get it. Sarcasm.”
“Tit for tat,” she said. “Even Steven. N’est-ce pas?” She looked much more relaxed as she plopped onto a chair, letting herself drip dry. “I have missed you terribly, Lulamae,” she said, talking past Darcy as if she weren’t there. It was hard to tell if she was serious or not about missing Lulamae. “Now, my friends….”
Darcy laughed but cut it off quickly, remembering what Lulamae’d said — the word friend is very flexible. “Sorry,” she said.
Lysette pretended not to hear her and spoke to Lulamae. “Now, for old time’s sake, who is going to help me recover my fortune?”
* * *
Tony put his phone away, feeling like all was finally right with the world. “Axel, help me think of a way to impress Darcy.”
“Uly used skywriting when he was courting Belle.”
“Courting? Do people even say that anymore?”
“I just did.”
“Come on, this is serious. I’m getting a second chance with her, and I want to make it count.” He headed upstairs to the guest room and started packing his bag.
Axel followed him, leaned against the door jamb, and said, “You already took her skiing. And pretended to be her producer. What more do you have to do?”
“What did you do for Taylor?” Tony emptied a drawer into his suitcase.
Axel opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I see your point. Are you heading for Vegas?”
“Yes. The sooner, the better. I won’t get to say goodbye to Taylor, but if I’m lucky, I’ll be back in a few days, and I’ll have Darcy with me. I need to get down there before she’s trampled by Lysette.”
“It didn’t look to me like Darcy was taking any flak from anyone. She can probably hold her own against Lysette.”
Tony finished his fastest version of packing and zipped the bag.
“Are you flying?” asked Axel.
“If I fly, I have to wait for other people. I’m going to start driving. I should be in Vegas in what, ten hours?”
“More like twelve. You should plan on stopping somewhere, maybe in southern Utah.”
“Sure, sure,” said Tony, already dismissing the idea. “Twelve hours. Okay. Do you know Lulamae’s address? Could you put it in my phone?” He tossed his cell to Axel.
“You bet. Don’t do anything dangerous.” He added Lulamae’s info to his brother’s phone. “I wish you all the luck in the world. Darcy appears to be quite a catch.”
Tony lugged his suitcase downstairs and out to his rental car, Axel accompanying him. Tony said, “She’ll be even more of a catch when she’s a movie star, so I have to get my bid in early.” Tony turned and gave his brother a hug. “Thanks for everything, Axel.” He took a deep breath of ranch air. “You’ve really got a paradise here. I promise to stay in touch, and like I said, if I win Darcy, I’ll be back in a few days.” He started the engine.
“Don’t be too hard on Lysette,” said Axel. “She’s only messed up because she dated our father back in the day. Before Bambi.”
Tony checked his mirrors. “Well, bro, I seriously doubt that she was less whacko before she met Lester. But he’s the one who drove her into the arms of the count, and the count is a jerk, so I won’t be too hard on her. Give my love to Taylor. And text me if you think of something spectacular!” And he was off.
After eight hours on the road, Tony decided that he should have flown, but his white-knuckle opinion of flying could not be vanquished. He stopped in southern Utah, found a no-frills hotel and went in search of food. He gassed up the car, bought two Big Macs and a large chocolate shake.
Back in his room, between bites of burger, he set up his computer and his wi-fi hotspot and began searching for a gift for Darcy. He’d promised to call her that evening, but since he’d already called her at every stop along the way, he figured he could wait another hour and give himself time to make a plan.
Skywriting was out because Uly had already done that. He needed something totally unexpected and wild, something that would show Darcy how much he loved her. But he had to find something that he could actually arrange between now and the next morning. He wanted to get on the road as early as possible, because now that he knew Darcy felt the same way about him, he c
ouldn’t wait to see her again. Dance with her, hold her close, smell the special perfume of her shampoo mixed with the spring freshness of her personal scent.
By the time he finished his milk shake, he’d found what he was looking for and was delighted to discover that he could do it in Vegas. He’d have to throw the family name around and enlist some help to get it ready, but it could be done. He propped himself up on the bed and dialed the phone number on the computer screen. An hour later, he had arranged his surprise. Hopefully, it would secure him a permanent place in Darcy’s heart.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Darcy knew she was in love because when her phone rang and it was Tony, the rest of the world dropped away. She didn’t know how—it was contrary to the laws of physics—but everything and everyone seemed to shrink away to some distant horizon, and the only thing that existed in her universe was Tony’s voice.
He’d called three times during the day, and now, as she climbed into her pajamas, she thrilled to the sound of the phone ringing again. She grabbed it and stretched out on her bed.
“Hello?”
Tony’s voice was sexy and deep. “Hi, Darcy. I have a confession to make.”
Darcy’s heart pounded. Was he going to tell her he’d been joking all day? Had he already spotted someone else he liked better? “What is it?” she asked, bracing for the worst.
“I’m only human.”
Darcy blinked at the phone. “How is that a confession? Really, I’ve suspected you were human all along.”
Tony chuckled. “Good one. I just mean that after eight hours of driving, I need to stop and sleep. I should arrive tomorrow around noon.”
“Thank goodness. I could use an ally.”
Tony sounded concerned. “Is there something going on with Lulamae?”
“Oh no,” Darcy rushed to reassure him. “Lulamae’s wonderful. But Lysette’s still here.”
“Oh. I get it. She can be a pain. Is Lulamae letting her stay there?”
Before answering, Darcy glanced around her room as if Lysette might have slithered in under the door. “Yes. She’s been complaining all day about her miserable condition. That’s what she calls it. She wants Lulamae to help her financially, and she’s not being subtle about it.”