Guy Next Door (9781460341179)

by Tippens, Missy

  Then why did she feel so disheartened?

  Chapter Six

  She’s totally aloof.

  Luke stuck his head in the door and peered across the backseat of his car, over the top of a box, as Darcy grabbed a bag full of donated yarn they’d picked up. Maybe she was just tired from working the early shift at the hospital that morning.

  “We’ve collected almost everything on our list,” he said.

  She met his eyes with the same distant expression she’d worn all afternoon as they’d driven around to multiple homes and stores.

  Or maybe she was simply focused on the business at hand. Which was what he needed to do to make this the best fund-raiser ever.

  “We still need to clean and ready the lake house in case the winning bidder wants it immediately,” she said.

  “I have a lot more free time on my hands. I can do it this weekend.”

  She hefted the unopened bag of yarn—donated by a young woman at the church who’d found it stored in her mother’s home after the woman’s death. “Or I can help…if you want.”

  “Don’t you work this weekend?”

  “I’m off at the hospital Saturday. My coworker, a single mom, needed the extra hours.”

  Typical bighearted Darcy. Even though she herself was trying to earn every penny she could, she’d given up her hours to help someone else. “So you could go with me Saturday morning?”

  She nodded. “I’d need to be back in time to work at Glenda’s that evening.”

  “Sounds like a plan, then. How about we leave at ten? I’ve arranged breakfast with Dad that morning.”

  “To talk to him about moving to Tennessee?”

  Hopefully. But only if Luke felt the timing was right. “Not sure yet, but that’s the plan.”

  Standing on one foot and kicking the car door closed with the other, she stumbled backward into him. He set her upright.

  “I thought that was the whole reason you were here,” she said.

  “His dating your mom has changed the situation.”

  She gave him an apologetic look as they hauled the last of the donations to her dad’s office.

  With hands resting on her hips, she blew hair off her forehead and surveyed the crowded room. “What next? I have about five minutes to spare.”

  “We need to look at the newspaper ad,” he said. “And round up something significant to put in the ad.”

  She opened a laptop computer and pulled up a file on the screen. “This is what I’ve designed so far.”

  “Looks good to me. Except for the big gaping hole where the ski trip used to be.”

  With a sigh, she plopped into her dad’s office chair. “Too bad we don’t know someone filthy rich or famous.”

  He rubbed his chin and grimaced. “Haven’t we launched anyone out of Appleton who’s really successful?”

  Darcy gasped. Popped straight out of the chair. “We have. I can’t believe I didn’t think of him sooner!”

  “Who?”

  “Well, he’s not really famous yet. He’s been making it big on the music scene in Atlanta and is now causing a little stir in Nashville.”

  “Country music?”

  “Yeah. Bryan Winningham. The drummer in our high school band.” She raised her brows as if she expected him to recognize the name.

  Luke couldn’t remember him. When he didn’t show any signs of recognition, she rolled her eyes.

  “I’m sorry. Must not have had any classes with him.”

  “Of course you did. You were too busy breaking girls’ hearts to notice a sweet, quiet guy in the marching band.” Shaking her head, she shut the laptop. “I need to get ready for work. We can finish the ad this weekend once I’ve had a chance to contact him.”

  Luke experienced an odd sense of dissonance to find out Darcy had a friend he never knew about. Was there more to it and she’d never told him? Had she had a crush on the guy? “So you know him well enough to call?”

  “Yeah. We talked a few times over the summers during college, have kept in touch by phone off and on since then. I should still have his number. And if not, I’ll get it from his parents.” She smiled and shooed him toward the door. “I need to change clothes. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at ten.”

  He didn’t want to say goodbye yet. “I’ll drive you to the mall.”

  “If you do that, you’ll have to pick me up later.”

  He shrugged. “No problem. What time?”

  She headed out of the office and toward the stairs. “You don’t have to play guard dog. I’m not closing tonight.”

  He would leave no room for argument. “What time?”

  “Fine. Nine o’clock.” She hurried up the stairs toward her bedroom.

  Why was it always so rewarding to irritate her? He smiled as he went to wait in the car then honked the horn to rush her, just for good measure.

  Yet the smile faded as he wondered once again about this Bryan Winningham.

  By the time she slid into the passenger seat, he thought maybe he recalled the drummer. “So this Bryan guy. Did he have shaggy brown hair that always hung in his eyes?”

  “You mean like yours in high school?” she snapped. “The hair that made all the girls want to push it out of your eyes?”

  A laugh burst out of him. “All the girls?” he couldn’t help teasing.

  “Not this girl,” she said, pointing a thumb at her chest. “But, yes, he had the same hair.”

  “So you never wanted to push Bryan’s hair back for him?” He said it in a joking voice, but for some crazy reason, he needed to know.

  “Of course not. Like I said, he was sweet. And really shy. A lot of kids made fun of him for being nerdy. Which I could empathize with.”

  The friendship suddenly made perfect sense. “So you took him under your wing.”

  She buckled her seat belt. “Not really. We bonded over shared misery.”

  Why had he never known about this other friendship? Had he been so clueless and into his own life that he hadn’t noticed?

  Worse, why did the thought of Darcy having a crush on someone bother him so much?

  “Luke, we really need to go, or I’ll be late.”

  On the way to the mall, they brainstormed potential donation items, in case Bryan didn’t work out. They still couldn’t come up with anything that would bring in the amount the Colorado ski trip could have brought in.

  “Thanks for the ride,” Darcy said as he pulled into a parking space.

  “I’m coming in. Might get something for Granny.” He hurried around to open her door for her.

  “Thanks. Yeah, Grace is always dressed to the nines. She puts my wardrobe to shame.”

  He glanced at her midcalf-length khaki pants—capris or whatever they were called. Her brown polo shirt. And brown leather sandals. “Is that a uniform?”

  She laughed as she bumped her shoulder into his. “No, you goof. This is an example of the terrible wardrobe I was telling you about.”

  “You looked nice at church this past Sunday in that skirt.”

  Her face turned a nice shade of pink, the blush highlighting her fair, freckled skin. “I’m surprised you even noticed.”

  “Of course I’d notice if you wore a dress or skirt. Isn’t that like a once-in-a-century event?” He winked at her as he opened the door into the mall.

  “You’re hard on a girl’s ego.”

  “I’m speaking the truth. I never understood why you refused girly clothes.”

  “I don’t have curves like Chloe. I fit better into tailored outfits.”

  He wasn’t touching that comment. She tended to get sensitive and never believed him when he said she had a nice figure. He’d given up years ago.

  Instead, he glanced at hi
s watch as they reached the store. “I got you here right on time.”

  She met his eyes, and he thought he saw hurt there. “Thanks. I’ll see you at nine.”

  She headed through the doorway to clock in on the cash register.

  He’d blown it again. Like usual. Yet they’d always managed to push past his blunders.

  Joining her inside, he glanced around the store, overwhelmed by jewelry, purses and other…stuff. What on earth would his grandmother like?

  A group of three young teen girls walked in. One was louder than the others and obviously in charge. She whispered something to one of the other girls, and then laughed. The third one, a redhead, looked upset, as if she knew the others were making fun of her.

  Oh, boy. Exactly the scenario Darcy had been talking about. As Darcy passed him, moving toward the customers, he circled his hand around her wrist to slow her. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For being a jerk. For saying the wrong things, and hurting your feelings about your clothes.”

  “It’s not your fault. It’s just one of my hang-ups.”

  “Um, excuse me,” said one of the girls in a snarky tone that made him want to tell her to watch her manners. “How much is this tacky purse? My friend wants to know.”

  “This is your chance to make that sale,” he whispered with a wink before squeezing her hand and then letting go.

  “Actually, your friend has great taste,” Darcy said to the girl while holding his gaze. Her smile whopped him in the gut as she walked toward the customer. “Let’s go look up the price. I believe it’s on sale today.”

  Luke left the store, his chest tight. And realized halfway to the car that he hadn’t bought his grandmother a single thing.

  * * *

  Emboldened by Luke’s comment, Darcy scanned the shop and discovered that the girl who liked the so-called tacky purse was the redhead from the other night, the one who’d left the pink pearls behind. The rude, mouthy one was the same ringleader.

  “Come on over here,” Darcy called to the redhead. “This fantastic bag is on sale.”

  The girl’s expression lifted, as if having someone affirm her taste had worked wonders.

  Mean Girl rolled her eyes. “Don’t encourage her.”

  The third girl snickered.

  Something inside Darcy snapped. She’d been this girl before, the one left out, the one teased.

  Darcy turned her back to the rude one and focused her attention on the redhead. She pointed to the sale sign. “The purses on this table are fifty percent off. Cute bag, all the rage, nice deal.”

  She handed it to the timid girl, whose eyes darted to her friends.

  “You won’t look right carrying a bag that big,” Mean Girl said. “It looks like a mom purse.”

  “All the celebrities are carrying them,” Darcy said, smiling to encourage the girl. “I bet the girls at your school are behind on the style.” Thanks to Chloe’s shop display, Darcy knew the trend was hitting the Atlanta area.

  “Come on. The movie starts soon,” the leader said. “We don’t have time to listen to this chick spout off something she doesn’t know anything about. This is some cheap chain store.” She grabbed the snickering girl’s arm and headed out of the shop, leaving the redhead behind.

  Looking apologetic, the girl stood holding her bag, trying to decide whether or not to follow her friend out the door.

  Darcy took the bag from her and set it back on the table. “Listen, I’m not trying to make a sale. I’ve been in your shoes before. Don’t let her boss you around.”

  “She can make my life miserable.”

  “Isn’t she already?”

  The girl nodded, looking defeated.

  “Take back the power. You don’t have to fight her, just quietly let her go. Then find new friends, real friends who actually care about you.”

  The girl’s lip trembled. “All she has to do is say the word, and no one will have anything to do with me.”

  “That’s not true. If you stand up to her, others will, too. Believe me, I’ve been there.” Except, she also had Luke taking up for her, as well. “Think back to your old friends. I’m sure you’ll find someone worth spending time with.”

  A light sparked in the girl’s eyes. “I do have an old friend.” She groaned. “Oh, man. I’ve ignored her since hanging out with—”

  “Mean Girl?”

  She giggled.

  “That’s what I’ve dubbed her. Mean Girl. And she’s not worth your time and energy. Move on. And, by the way, the pink pearls looked beautiful on you.”

  The girl’s eyes watered, but a tremulous smile formed, then strengthened. “I’ll take the necklace and the mom purse.”

  Darcy clapped her hands, overjoyed that this beautiful young woman was about to get out from under the peer pressure. “Oh, you just wait. My sister owns Chloe’s Closet, and she assures me these bags are going to be huge this fall. Mean Girl won’t be able to find one anywhere in town by then.”

  As they headed to the cash register, the girl tapped Darcy on the arm. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. Like I said, I’ve been in your shoes before. In fact, that man who left a few minutes ago is my oldest friend, the one who stood by me through the teasing and meanness.”

  “Wow, I wish I had a gorgeous friend like that.” She laughed as she pulled out her debit card. “Of course, I’d probably fall in love with him and make a mess of it. But it would be nice to have him on my side for a while.”

  For a while.

  Was Luke only for a while? Was their past together going to be enough to keep the friendship going, especially in this dangerous new territory they’d been navigating?

  * * *

  “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Darcy said as she sat down next to Luke on the O’Malleys’ patio glider after her shift at the mall, preparing to call Bryan.

  Luke had driven her home after work, and she’d invited him to hang around and wait for news on a possible donation. Settling beside her, he put his arm along the back of the two seater so his shoulders wouldn’t crowd her.

  She was so beautiful in the moonlight, her creamy, freckled skin so smooth. How had he never noticed before this visit home? Had their close friendship blinded him to the fact she was a gorgeous, smart, giving woman?

  She was his best friend first and always. He had to remember that.

  “Here goes…” Darcy touched the call button on Bryan’s old cell phone number in her contacts.

  A pang of irritation shot through him once again. The fact that there was something about Darcy he didn’t know, a relationship she’d never mentioned, outright bugged him.

  He thought they’d told each other everything.

  They sat close enough that he heard the phone ring twice.

  “Darcy, it’s great to hear from you!” a deep, resonant voice said, loud enough that it sounded as if they were on speakerphone.

  Yes, Luke was eavesdropping but, since he was part of the fund-raiser, he didn’t move away.

  “Hey, Bryan. How’s it going?” Darcy said, glancing at Luke.

  Luke smiled and gave a nod of approval.

  “Everything is going great. How about you? You’re all done with school now, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, and thanks again for the graduation gift. I loved the CD.”

  Luke sneered. He’d sent a CD?

  “Glad you liked it. So what are you doing now?”

  “I’ve been working at the hospital here in town.”

  “Congrats! So you’re back in Appleton, huh?”

  “Of course. Can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

  “Married yet?”

  Luke’s heart cranked into high gear.

  For some r
eason, Darcy’s eyes zoomed to Luke’s face. “Nope. Still single.” She leaned away ever so slightly.

  There wasn’t any room to scoot. She was stuck, glued to his side, so he could hear the whole conversation.

  “Are you still based in Atlanta?” Darcy asked.

  “Yes, but I’m moving to Nashville in a few months. Maybe we can get together before then.”

  She placed her free hand against her cheek as if cooling it, as if embarrassed. He’d seen her do it a thousand times before.

  “I’d love to see you,” she said. “Though, I’m calling for a somewhat selfish reason.”

  “Anything for you, Darcy.” Bryan’s voice oozed confidence, oozed familiarity. And not one bit of nerdiness.

  Eyes flashing to his, Darcy jumped in to explain about the Food4Kids program. While she told the drummer about the auction, and that they needed one big item to feature in their ad, Luke’s insides cinched in a knot. Anything for you, Darcy. The tone of his voice…

  This guy had a thing for Darcy. Could she develop one for him?

  “I’d be glad to help any way I can,” Bryan said.

  “Oh, thank you! I can’t believe I never thought to contact you in the first place.” Her excitement kicked her voice up a notch into a girly, flirty pitch he’d never before associated with his best friend.

  “No biggie,” Bryan said.

  “So would you like to donate tickets to a concert or a signed item of some sort? Whatever you’d be comfortable with.”

  Darcy grinned at Luke. Stewing inside, Luke gave her a thumbs-up.

  “I doubt I can get the band together to come up there on such short notice, but I’d love to be there for the event if I won’t be in the way. I can bring some signed items and VIP tickets.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you to make the trip. I can drive down to pick up your donation.”

  How would she manage that? She barely had time to breathe.

  Bryan chuckled in a deep, way-too-familiar way. “Darcy, you’re the one person in our school who was consistently nice to me. I want to come…to see you.”

  Darcy sucked in a breath.

  Luke battled the urge to grab her phone and sling it across the yard.