Wild Hearts (The DiCarlo Brides)

by Heather Tullis

  Delphi’s lips pressed together, but she accepted the ID back from the waiter.

  “Very good, Ms. Lawrence. I’ll be back with your drink shortly.” He handed her a menu and disappeared.

  Jeremy stared at Delphi when he heard what the man had called her and noticed the flush creep up her cheeks. “Lawrence? I thought your last name was Gifford.”

  She toyed with the water glass on the tabletop and avoided his eyes, but after a moment she responded, “My professional name is Gifford. I still use it for business.”

  “You’re married?” He couldn’t believe his ears. There hadn’t been a whisper about this—and surely her father wouldn’t have tried to get the two of them together if he’d known she was already taken.

  Delphi bit her top lip, an uncharacteristic action that showed her nerves—nerves Jeremy would have sworn didn’t exist if someone had asked him about them only ten minutes earlier. She was usually so in control. “I was.”

  “Divorced?” But that didn’t play—if she was divorced, he was sure she would have legally changed her name back to Gifford.

  She shook her head so slightly that he wouldn’t have caught it if he hadn’t been staring.

  Widowed then. She was too young to be a widow, wasn’t she? A hundred questions ran through his mind, but he held them in. “I’m sorry,” he said instead.

  “I’d rather not discuss it, and I’d appreciate it if you left me alone.” Her jaw twitched and her fingers returned to pressing the napkin.

  He nodded, but didn’t stand yet. “I haven’t heard a word about this from anyone.”

  Her gaze was directed to her hands, her face expressionless except for the lingering pain in her eyes. “I haven’t told anyone. It’s none of their business. Or yours.”

  Jeremy stood, reluctant to leave her, but wanting to respect her desire to be left alone. “I understand. They won’t learn about it from me.”

  Delphi finally met his gaze again. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” She glanced out the window, then back again. “Drive carefully. It looks nasty.”

  “I will.” He wanted to say more, but forced himself to leave. Judging by most women’s reactions, hanging around after being asked to leave would only get her angry or make her cry, which would be worse.

  She was a puzzle he hadn’t even begun to solve—with new and interesting details showing up at every encounter. Though he was still determined not to accede to her father’s plans, he couldn’t help but admit—to himself, anyway—that he was more drawn to her every day.

  Which meant it was good she refused to confide in him, because no good would come of getting to know her better.

  Delphi opened another bag of chips in Cami’s kitchen and dumped it into a wooden bowl the next afternoon. She could hear everyone cheering in the other room and wondered, not for the first time, why she had agreed to attend the Super Bowl party.

  “I’ve been sent for more provisions.” Jeremy came in from the front room where the rest were watching the game. His eyes studied her face.

  “I’ve got chips and there are sodas in the fridge.” Delphi gestured to it. “I imagine you’ve been digging in there without an invitation for years now.” Delphi had heard Vince, Jeremy and Gage had been inseparable since they were kids.

  Jeremy grinned. “Vince pokes into my fridge without asking, too. It’s what we do.”

  “Good for you.” She peeled back the seal on the can of cheese dip, looked at the congealed mess inside and shook her head. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t manage to get Rosemary or Jonquil to make you something instead of using this crap.”

  “Hey, I brought that. It’s good stuff.” Jeremy handed her a bowl and a spoon. “Can you put it in there?”

  Delphi started scooping the cheese dip from the can. “I’m surprised you don’t just eat it direct from the can. No dishes to wash that way.” She made her tone turn dry and a tad sarcastic.

  “Cami would have a fit. It’s not civilized.” Jeremy’s lips quirked when she stared at him, trying to decide if he was serious. He picked up a chip. “I see you made it up the mountain this morning.” His eyes flicked over her skirt and blouse. “Don’t you ever dress down? Even for a Super Bowl party?”

  “Sure. When I feel like relaxing.” When she went out on Fallon’s bike, for example, which she hadn’t been able to do for a while thanks to a series of snowstorms.

  “Why did you come if you don’t plan to relax?”

  “It’s a family obligation. According to the others.” Whether she’d agreed with anyone else on that point or not didn’t seem to count—they had all been relentless, or maybe it just seemed that way because there were so many of them. “On the way here I stopped at the hotel to check on an anniversary party Claire is managing. Wish I’d worn different shoes though.” Her feet were killing her—she’d known the shoes were a mistake when she bought them, but they looked so good.

  He grinned and looked down her legs. “I don’t. They really finish off the whole package.”

  She glared at him. “Why are you flirting with me? I know you don’t like me.”

  “You’d be wrong. You’re unbelievably efficient. You don’t waste my time with small talk when I’ve got things to do, you pay me on time and you have really stunning legs. Seriously, they all but stop my heart.”

  She wasn’t buying a word of it—she knew he always had a charming word for the ladies—though not usually for her. “I’m not the kind to fall for flattery and smooth lines. I’ve heard you have a new woman on your arm every few weeks.” She scooped the rest of the dip from the can and tossed the package into the garbage. “And I’ve seen my dad in action. I know how meaningless charm can be.”

  His brows lifted. “Usually I’m happy to have a beautiful woman call me charming. I don’t think that was your intention.”

  “I think some women find you charming. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have such an active social schedule.” She meant it to be a barb, so was pleased when the expression in his eyes turned a little wary.

  He held up a hand and “Look, I’m sorry if I horned in on private time last night. It intrigued me, even as it explained a conversation I overheard a couple of weeks ago.” He paused and his eyes narrowed. “Why did you tell me the truth anyway when you hadn’t told anyone else?”

  The gnawing rock in her stomach grew worse. “I may omit, but I wouldn’t lie about it.” She pitched her voice low so no one would overhear. “He deserves better than that.”

  There was a long moment when only the cheering of the group from the other room pierced the silence. “Thank you for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone your secret. Truce?”

  “Truce for what?” She closed her eyes as soon as the words were out. She really didn’t mean to be so cranky with him, he just seemed to bring it out in her, and the previous day hadn’t been easy. She’d wanted to fly home to put flowers on Fallon’s grave that weekend—the eighth anniversary of his death—but commitments made that impossible. And it didn’t make sense to fly halfway across the country for that one thing. She told herself she was letting go, moving on, but even now it wasn’t always easy, and she didn’t like it. She’d made a call to his mother, which had been painful and teary, leaving her feeling a little raw. “Sorry. I’m just... tied up in knots, I guess. And I don’t like being toyed with.”

  “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. You don’t snap at me every time I try to be friendly, and I won’t toy with you.”

  She watched him, noticing how serious his face was. The honest comment was hard to doubt. “Deal.”

  He took her hand again, this time in a shake, though he held it a little longer than necessary. “You should come out and join the rest of us. You might find yourself entertained against your better judgment.”

  Feeling a tug of attraction to him, and not liking it, Delphi pulled her hand from his, shoving the chips and dip at him. “Take this out. I’ll bring drinks in a couple of minutes.”

  He grinned and saunt
ered out, his voice joining the crowd a few seconds later as they groaned over something on the game. She touched her stomach, still feeling the quiver his words had caused. She didn’t go out with playboys—not that she’d dated since arriving at Juniper Ridge—and there must be a revolving door with women on the other side because she’d rarely seen him with the same one twice.

  She grabbed a six-pack of Dr. Pepper and hauled it out to the living room where everyone—a crowd of twelve people beside herself—was gathered around Vince’s enormous flat screen in the front room.

  Jonquil scooted over to make space for Delphi on the sofa—between her and Jeremy.

  Delphi decided she wasn’t going to get a better deal and took the spot. Then, just to irritate him, she cheered when the Packers scored a touchdown against his pick—the Giants.

  His eyes narrowed at her and she gave him a cheeky grin. She couldn’t care less about the Packers, but poking at him a little wouldn’t negate their truce.

  April 19

  Crazy days were the norm for Delphi, but with the mid-April sun shining brightly, the roads clear and no events on site for the day, she was getting twitchy. It had been weeks since she could get out for a ride on her bike and she couldn’t wait to hit the road tonight. She looked at the clock and saw there was only an hour of the workday to go and, telling herself to suck it up, picked up a folder for an event the following week.

  The phone rang and she answered it, “This is Delphi, how can I help you?”

  “Delphinium, it’s your mother. Has the eternal winter ended there yet?”

  Delphi sat back in her chair and glanced at the clock again. She hoped this conversation was short; she didn’t have the patience for more. “Looks like it. We could still get a little snow, but it’s bright and sunny out now. How are things in New York?”

  “They’re fine. I guess. When are you coming home? Aren’t you due for a break yet? You’ve been gone so long.”

  “Wedding season is gearing up right now. It’ll be a while before I can take more than a day off.” If that much.

  “I suppose I’ll have to come see you instead. I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.”

  Perfect, that was exactly what Delphi didn’t need. “How is Aunt Sandra doing? I haven’t heard from her lately.” It was generally easiest to deflect attention away from herself rather than try to explain her commitments. Zelda never felt Delphi’s commitments were as important as her own.

  Zelda discussed her sister’s latest party, the fundraiser coming up the following week and a few tidbits of gossips she’d picked up at the country club. Delphi hummed and answered when necessary, but had only half of her attention on the conversation while she worked up some numbers for a client.

  “Gordon Larson has been asking about you.”

  Gordon was an old neighbor who was now a successful surgeon, and twice divorced—and he wasn’t even thirty-five. This comment drew Delphi’s attention away from the spreadsheet. “How is Gordon doing?”

  “He won some big award for excellence in medicine last week and his new house is spectacular. Or at least it sounds spectacular. He seemed very interested in how you were doing and when you are coming home. He said to have you look him up when you’re through with your side-trip to Colorado.”

  Delphi rubbed her temple. “Tell him congratulations from me.” She wouldn’t comment on her ‘side trip’ to Colorado, her work, or when she was coming home. Her mom still treated her wedding planning career as a hobby she would eventually grow out of. One thing Delphi absolutely was not going to do when she made it back to New York was look up Gordon. The man was a womanizer who had cheated on several girlfriends and both of his wives—thus the two divorces.

  “I will. I really do wish you’d come home for a while, dear. There’s so much going on that you should be part of.” There was a disapproving edge to Zelda’s voice, and Delphi wished she could make her mother happy, but she hadn’t managed that in years, so she decided it was time to end the conversation before the guilt piled so deep she ended up wading in it.

  “I promise to make some time to visit when I get a chance to breathe. Right now we’re in the thick of things with Rosemary’s wedding. Take care of yourself and tell Ralph hello for me. I have a client arriving any moment.” It was a lie, but the only way to gracefully end the call.

  “Okay, dear. I’ll talk to you soon. Goodbye.” Zelda hung up.

  Delphi tried to focus on the project in front of her, but after a few minutes of being tied up in knots inside—wishing she could curry her mother’s favor and knowing from a lifetime’s experience that she couldn’t unless she gave up a part of her herself—realized it was a waste of effort. She decided to cut out of work early for a change, desperately needing a ride on her motorcycle with the wind blowing against her face. She only had two hours until she was supposed to get together with the rest of the sisters to compile wedding favors for Rosemary’s ceremony, which was barely more than a week away now. She didn’t know why her sisters had feel the need to rush to the altar, but considering what a pain in the neck Rosemary had been to deal with in the past few weeks, Delphi was glad it would soon be over.

  She hurried inside the house and changed into her full leather gear. The weather was cool out, but the day had been beautiful and the roads were clear, so she wouldn’t need many extra layers to stay warm. She grabbed her helmet and moved to the garage, opening the door and rolling her bike onto the driveway.

  That was when she noticed the flat tire. “Oh, no.”

  She pulled out the tire pump and tried filling it, but she could hear the leak as soon as she stopped the machine, and knew she would never make the trip to the station to have the tire fixed, never mind take it out for a real ride.

  Swearing softly, she got to work removing the flat.

  The familiar growl of another motorcycle engine pulled up to the curb, but she didn’t look over. The engine was distinctive enough for her to know who it was. If Jeremy was going to gloat that she didn’t know how to take care of her bike like other men had done before, she would be tempted to toss her wrench at him. Better to ignore him all together.

  “Could you use a hand?” he walked over to her.

  “No, thank you. I’ve done this before.”

  He sighed. “I wasn’t suggesting that you weren’t capable of doing it yourself. I was just trying to be helpful. It looks like you were planning to go for a ride. Do you have a spare?”

  She sighed. “No. I forgot it in New York. I meant to order one, but haven’t gotten around to it.” She could hear the self-recriminations in her tone but didn’t bother to cover them. She didn’t feel like worrying about making the right impression. She felt crushed by the need to put on a professional face all of the time—part of the reason that she really needed to get out for a while.

  Jeremy crouched beside her. “I’d loan you one, but our tires are different. I know a guy in town who can get you a replacement in a few days, though.”

  “Great. I’ll have to get his name from you.” Unfortunately, it wouldn’t help her today.

  Jeremy grabbed the tire, hauling it to her car. “I was going to go out to take some shots for the newspaper. You can bum along with me if you want to get away for a while.”

  Delphi wanted to say no, to tell him to leave her alone, but at the same time, she was grateful for the offer. She really did need a break before she exploded. She glanced at his bike again. It was seriously hot and she wondered what it would be like to take it for a turn. “Could I drive?” She opened the trunk of her car.

  “Keep dreaming, but I hear the ride on the back isn’t bad.” He flashed her a cocky grin.

  “Yeah, I’ve heard about all of the women you put on the back of your bike.”

  “Is there a law against that?” His gaze was direct but unoffended. “I like taking it out. I never mind taking a beautiful woman along for company.” He nodded to her. “Case in point.” He lifted the tire into the trunk.

&nbs
p; Delphi eyed him for a moment. It didn’t matter how many girls he’d taken out, this wasn’t a date. She just wanted a trip on his machine—nearly any machine at this point, but his in particular. “Okay. I’d like that. But I have to be back in a couple of hours for sister time. We’re working on stuff for the wedding.”

  “I can manage that.”

  They returned her bike to its spot, leaning against one wall in the garage. She trailed him out again, her helmet under one arm. She couldn’t help but admire his smooth lines and perfect form as much as the bike’s, but she wasn’t falling for him, she reminded herself. It was all about getting out for a while.

  When they took off with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist a moment later, she could almost believe her lie.

  The motorcycle purred and vibrated below her, air poured over and around her and she felt a thrill zip into her system as he took the winding roads further up the canyon. Snow still ruled in most areas—and more snowstorms would come before spring really arrived on the mountain. He drove on and on while she caught flashes of deer and running water through the trees. The sun beat on her shoulders and helmet, and the heater in her jacket kept her warm. She caught hints of his cologne as the wind blew the scent past her nose. The tension slowly leaked out of her shoulders and she found herself hooting a little with joy when he took one of the tighter corners. She thought she might be in love with this bike.

  Eventually Jeremy pulled over beside a dirt road, which was still deep in melting snow. It was with some reluctance that Delphi released him and slid off the back of the bike. “It’s pretty smooth.” She ran her hand over the seat. Coveting.

  “Yeah. I’ve never regretted the purchase, even if it did put me back more than I should have spent at the time.” He took off his helmet and set it on the seat. She set hers beside it and fluffed her hair.