by Tina Beckett
“Darcie is going to jump too, isn’t she?”
He glanced up at the woman in question. “Depends on how brave she’s feeling.”
“I’m only feeling half-brave. Is that enough?”
The fact that she was here, at the top of the tower, said she was more than that. She could have backed out of the trip altogether and he wouldn’t have stopped her. But here she was. “More than enough.”
“I’ll cheer you on,” promised Cora. “I wish Daddy had come, though.”
Lucas hadn’t told Darcie why he helped so much with his niece, and he was glad to keep it that way. For Felix’s sake.
His brother was supposed to be seeing his counsellor today. Lucas could only hope he was keeping his word. His behavior the other day seemed to have snapped him back to awareness. Then again, they’d been down that same road a couple of times.
So he settled for a half-truth. “I’m sure he’ll come next time. He had some things he needed to do today.”
When he glanced at Darcie a slight pucker formed between her brows before it smoothed away again.
Did she suspect things weren’t quite right in the Elliot household? Time to shift her attention.
“Okay, Max, are you ready for me?”
“Just about.”
The next several minutes were spent attaching a thick cable to his ankles and an additional safety line to a harness that went around his torso. If something happened to the first elastic band the second one was meant to catch him. He’d done this at least twenty times with no ill-effects. Then again, he’d never had his niece and a woman watching him go over the side. Something inside him poked at him to show off for Darcie—do a spectacular swan dive or something, but that was out of the question. Safety had to come first when it came to Cora.
He moved into position, and Max checked everything once again and then gave him the thumbs-up sign. Lucas counted to three in his head and then…
Over!
He catapulted out into the air, gravity pulling him into a smooth arc as he began his downward trajectory.
The wind whistled in his ears, and he thought he might have heard Cora shout, but it was all lost in the exhilaration of the jump. Although, as the elastic began to grab and slow his descent, he wondered if even this could top that kiss he’d shared with Darcie.
Damn.
The bungee yanked him halfway back up before letting him fall again. But the closer he got to the end of his jump, the more irritated he became. This had once filled his senses like nothing else ever could. And where he’d been happy to share it with her a couple of days ago, he was now not so sure that he’d done the right thing.
His bouncing halted, but unfortunately his wavering thoughts kept right on careening up and down, the whine of the motor as Max slowly lowered him down to the water failing to drown them out for once. Then he hit the pool and let his buoyancy carry him back to the surface, where he unhooked himself from the bungees and ankle straps, and did a slow side crawl to the edge of the pool.
He looked up and saw two faces looking down at him. One filled with an elation he recognized from years of seeing that same expression. One filled with uncertainty, as if the woman he’d known for less than a year had sensed what had been in his head as he’d done the dive.
This was not her fault. It was his own damn exhaustion and worry about Felix catching up with him. It had to be that. It couldn’t be that Darcie had somehow struck a chord inside him that was still reverberating two days later.
If it was…then somehow he had to figure out a way to silence whatever she’d started.
* * *
Lucas was in the water at the far side of the pool. Waiting for her to jump so he could help her unfasten the bungees. Max told her he’d set the tension so that she wouldn’t drop as far as Lucas had before it caught her up. Then the winch would let out the line until she slid into the water. Piece of cake.
Easy for him to say. Lucas hadn’t come up to give her a pep talk or anything. He’d remained at the bottom, radioing up from a walkie-talkie on the side of the pool that he’d stay down and help Darcie.
Maybe it was just as well that he hadn’t come back up because everything on her body was trembling. Even her hair follicles seemed to be vibrating in terror. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but something about jumping and hoping an elastic cord would somehow stop her from hurtling headfirst into the water was a scary prospect.
“You can do it, Darcie.” Cora’s cheerful voice broke into her thoughts.
Not willing to let the girl see how scared she was, she pasted on a smile she hoped looked halfway real. “You’ll be okay up here?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m going to take pictures of you as you go over.”
Perfect. Just what she needed. For this moment to be recorded for all to see. She would have to find a discreet way to ask Max not to put it up on his wall of fame. Where Lucas’s image appeared in several different sets of swim trunks his face was always filled with that same look of exultation, eyes closed as if taking in every second of the jump.
Speaking of jumps, she’d better go before someone got tired of waiting and pushed her over. “Okay, Cora. Count to three, and I’ll jump.”
“Woo-hoo!” The child yelled down to Lucas. “Get ready, here she comes. One…two…three!”
Darcie held her arms out from her sides and jumped as far away from the tower as she could, just as Max had instructed her. The fabric buckles of the ankle harness were where her every thought was centered right now, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. She fell…and fell. Suddenly, she felt a firm tug that turned her so she was facing the water—at least she assumed so since she still couldn’t bring herself to look. A squeal left her throat before she could stop it as she bounced several times, still with her head pointed straight down. Then she came to a halt.
Hanging. Upside down. In midair. Just like a bat.
She chanced a glance down and saw that Lucas was there, right below her. The sight of him made her pounding heart calm slightly as a mechanical hum sounded from the tower above her. Slowly, she started moving downward at a steady rate. Coming closer and closer to those familiar features.
His arms stretched up as she came within reach and he put a hand around her shoulders, keeping her from plunging headlong into the water. Her body made a curve before his other arm wrapped around her hips. He went under, still holding her. That’s when she realized he was treading water and her weight was sending him down. She struggled to free herself, kicking with her legs to keep from drowning the man.
But he didn’t come back up. Instead, she felt his hands on one of her ankles, and she stopped paddling to let him undo the carabiner that attached the bungee cord to her legs. She sank beneath the surface and opened her eyes. There he was, fingers undoing the shank that held her ankles together, before moving further up to unclasp the static safety line at her waist.
His eyes were open as well, and they looked into hers. He reached out to finger a strand of her hair that floated between them, making her exhale a stream of bubbles. Then he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss before grabbing her hands and dragging her upward. A good thing, because suddenly she’d forgotten that she needed to breathe.
Once at the surface she dragged in a couple of ragged breaths while Lucas kept his arm around her waist and waited while she composed herself and prayed for her nerves to settle down just a bit.
“You did it.”
“I can hardly believe I jumped.” The elation was slow to kick in, but it was there now that she knew she was safely at ground level again.
“I can hardly believe it either.” Lucas smiled and leaned in close to her ear. “Well, it looks like you got your first tick mark, Dr. Green. Congratulations.”
Since she’d just jumped off a tower into the water, she assumed he was talking about the bungee-jumping item on the list they’d made together.
Which meant he wasn’t counting that quick kiss in the water as having completed that o
ther item on her list.
Because he was still waiting on the behind-closed-doors part to happen?
Oh, Lord. And she’d thought bungee-jumping was dangerous. It was tame compared to what her head conjured up.
The prospect of being with Lucas in a quiet, non-public place had to qualify as wild and outrageous, right? Because right now she couldn’t imagine a scarier prospect than finding herself back in his arms.
CHAPTER FIVE
CORA WAS ASLEEP.
Glancing in the rearview mirror on the way back to the house, a shard of concern worked its way through his chest. He hadn’t realized until after he’d helped Darcie from the pool that his niece had been taking pictures of their jumps. He wasn’t quite sure what she’d been able to see from the tower, but he hoped that impulsive peck on the lips had been safely hidden beneath the water.
Why had he done that anyway? Kissed her. Again.
Because as he’d seen her sail toward him at the end of that bungee cord she had been so different from the person he’d imagined Darcie Green to be for the last nine and a half months. She’d seemed as free as a bird, tethered only by those safety cords. He’d halfway thought she’d back out of it once the time came. She hadn’t.
He was happy for her in a way that was alien to him. And unsettling.
Maybe he should get some things straight with her. Only he didn’t want to do that in front of his niece in case she wasn’t really asleep.
“Do you mind if we drop Cora off first?”
“Of course not. But I can take a taxi if you want to just drop me off at the hospital.”
“Your flat is on the way back, so it’s not a problem. You’re still at the Delamere place, right?” He’d been to the luxurious penthouse flat for a few parties thrown by Isla and Isabel.
“Yes, I’m there. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” He glanced over at her, noting she’d gone back to her prim way of sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. “Did you have fun today?”
After he’d done a couple more jumps—Darcie demurring that once had been more than enough—they’d put on some dry clothes and had then had lunch with Max. That’s when Cora had mentioned getting dozens of pictures and that she couldn’t wait to show them to him and Darcie.
Showing them to him was one thing. But Darcie?
He was going to preview them first before that happened.
“I did, actually.” Her eyes flicked to his and then back to the road in front of them. “I’ll probably never get a chance to do anything like that again. Please, tell your friend thank you.”
Darcie had already told him multiple times. In fact, she’d seemed to hang on his friend’s every word during lunch. He’d been glad in a way, but watching her laugh over something Max had said had also caused a dark squirming of his innards he wouldn’t quite call jealousy but it was something he didn’t recognize. And didn’t like.
“I noticed you exchanged social media information so you can do that.”
She frowned and threw him a sharp glance. “Should I not have? He was the one who initiated it.”
Yes, he had. And the last thing he wanted was to risk Max’s friendship over a woman who would be gone in a couple of months.
He settled for saying the first thing that came to mind. “Max’s a nice guy. He doesn’t have a lot of experience with women.”
Oh, and that sounded awful. Darcie evidently agreed because a dark flush came to her cheeks. “I think it would be better to let me off at the hospital, if you don’t mind.”
Prim. Uptight. Formal. All things he associated with the Darcie of three months ago. Not the warm, open woman who’d accompanied him today.
He took his hand off the wheel and covered her twined fingers. “I didn’t mean that as a cut, Darce. I know you wouldn’t do anything to lead him on.” Why he’d felt the need to shorten her name all of a sudden he had no idea. But he liked it. Liked the way it rolled off his tongue with ease.
Another reason it would be good to talk to her. Because she was a nice girl. Just like he’d talked about Max being a nice guy. He didn’t want to do anything to lead her on. And those two kisses they’d shared could have definitely made her think things were headed down the wrong path.
Weren’t they?
Absolutely not.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t lead him—or anyone else—on, or make them think things that weren’t true.”
The words were said with such conviction that Lucas glanced at her again and made an educated guess. “Your ex?”
“Yes.” She paused for a moment. “Let’s just say it’s made me careful about how I interact with men.”
Wow. Had that been part of those angry sparks that had lit up the maternity ward whenever he’d had dealings with her? He wasn’t sure. But one thing he did know, he didn’t want to go back to those days.
So maybe he should just cool the warning-her-off speech he’d planned. Wasn’t he assuming a lot in thinking she was going to fall all over him because of his two lapses in judgment? Wasn’t he being an egotistical jerk to think he was that irresistible?
Good thing the drive over to Felix’s house gave him time to think before he did something else stupid.
Speaking of his brother’s house… They were nearing the street. He put his hand back on the gear lever and downshifted as he turned at the corner. Five houses went by and they’d arrived.
Once in the driveway, he motioned for Darcie to wait while he got Cora out of the backseat. Unbuckling his niece and easing her from the car, he swung her up into his arms. She peered out of one eye then flicked it shut again.
“Cora, have you been pretending to sleep this whole time?”
“No.” The word was mumbled, but there were guilty overtones to it.
Perfect. Good thing he’d decided not to tackle heavier subjects while driving.
And his comment about Max, and practically holding her hand a few minutes ago? Hopefully Cora’s eyes had been pasted shut and had missed that.
But knowing his niece…
He gave an inner groan, his mind going back to the camera dangling on a cord around her neck.
Nothing he could do about that at the moment except take her inside and hope she forgot all about it by tomorrow morning.
The first thing he heard when he opened the door was a loud belch from somewhere inside.
Oh, hell. Not now.
He turned to Darcie. “Do you mind waiting here for a minute? I’ll be right out.”
Proving his point about his niece feigning sleep, her eyes popped open. “Oh, no. She has to come in. I want to take her back to see my room.” She held up her camera. “We can look at the pictures I took on my computer.”
“Luke? Is that you?” His brother’s voice came from the living room, keeping him from commenting on Cora’s suggestion. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to get home.”
Felix sounded sober. Whether he was or not was another matter. “Yes, it’s us.”
Stepping in front of Darcie so he could enter first had nothing to do with being rude and everything to do with scoping out the situation. Cora was used to it—in fact, his niece had turned into a mother figure for her broken parent. But it was getting to the point where Lucas was going to have to intervene and take drastic action.
Again.
He set Cora on her feet but held her hand as they made their way to the living room, Darcie just behind him. There his brother sat in a recliner, staring at the television. Lucas glanced at the floor beside the chair. There was no sign of beer…or any other alcoholic beverage, for that matter. Could he have heard them come home and got rid of it? That burp had sounded pretty damning.
“Hey, girlie, come over here and give Daddy a hug.”
Cora rushed over to her father and threw herself into his arms. That’s when Lucas noticed the picture. The one of Felix, Cora and Melody taken in this very living room shortly after their daughter’s birth. It was on the end table
next to Felix and not in its normal spot on the fireplace mantel.
And when his brother’s eyes met his they were red-rimmed.
He was drunk…maybe not from alcohol but from the deep grief that he refused to let go of. He held onto it as tightly as he did his liquor.
Damn. Don’t do this now, Felix.
Unaware of what was going on, Darcie shifted next to him. His brain hummed as he tried to figure out a way to get her out of there without her realizing something was very wrong. Cora slid from her father’s arms and hurried back to Darcie with a smile. “Come see my room.”
Darcie’s gaze took in Felix and then Lucas, as he stood there, jaw tight, fingers itching to curl into fists at his sides. He forced them to stay still instead. “Sure,” she said to the little girl. “Let’s go.”
The pair trailed off down the hallway, while Lucas stared at his brother. “Have you been drinking?”
“Only one.” He reached behind his back and pulled out an empty beer bottle. At least, Lucas hoped it had been empty before he’d secreted it behind him. “Something happened to the rest of them.”
Lucas thought he’d dumped all the bottles. Evidently not. “Did you hide this one?”
“Yep.” His brother waggled his head. “Good thing, too. Someone must have drunk all the rest of them. I think Chessa might have a drinking problem. Maybe we should fire her.”
The childminder wasn’t the one with a problem. It was his brother, in all his bitter glory.
“I dumped them. She didn’t drink them.”
“What?” His brother got to his feet, gripping the bottle in his fist. “You’ve got no right, Luke.”
His voice went up ominously, causing Lucas to glance down the hall where Cora’s door was wide open.
“Don’t do this, Felix.” He kept his own tone low and measured, hoping to lead by example.
“Don’t you do this.” Felix bit out the words. “You have no idea what it’s like to lose someone important to you.”