Lost and Found (20 page)

“
He gave me his pickup.
This one will put yours to shame.”

This time, Ed laughed. “I can’t wait
to see it.”

“
I’ll be there in about
five hours, unless I stop.”

“
Don’t stop. I miss
you.”

Could everything have worked out any
better? “I’ll hurry.”

“
So, you’ll be home before
eight then. If you’re not too tired, how about I take you out for a
drink?”

“
A drink? Don’t you just
want to come over and hang out? My dad sent me home with a whole
bunch of stuff that my mom saved for the past twenty-four
years.”

“
Though that sounds like
fun, Clara is playing with Randy Sayner at The Commodore tonight. I
thought we’d go see her show.”

There was a stream of pride that
echoed in his voice.

“
I wouldn’t miss it for the
world. I’ll be there soon.”

“
Okay,” he said. “Be
careful, and remember, I love you.”

Darcy sighed. “I love you,
too.”

Darcy pulled the truck up behind the
house and parked next to Christian’s car. He obviously hadn’t
driven since he’d been hurt. His windshield looked as though it had
been abused by birds. It gave her a chuckle.

Before she unloaded
her
truck, she’d pop her
head in to see how Christian was feeling.

He was standing at the sink, balanced
on his crutches, shirtless with only a pair of lounge pants on. She
figured it was better than the towel she’d seen him in.

“
How are you
feeling?”

“
Like crap. I’m done being
immobile.”

Darcy nodded. “What did they say about
your leg then? Isn’t it healing?”

He gave her a shrug. “Looks like
surgery for me.”

“
I’m sorry.”

He let out a snort. “Just figures. I
thought I had a shot at the show this time. But before I even get
started, I’m a washed-up has-been.”

“
Christian, this happens to
players all the time. Keep a positive outlook.”

“
Right. Positive. Maybe
some other day.”

Darcy could certainly understand his
anger, but she hated to see him so upset.

“
When are they talking
surgery?”

“
Second week of August with
a follow up around the twenty-first.”

She felt the smile form on her lips.
“Ah, good day.”

“
Why is that?”

“
My birthday.”

His face softened. “Good. I’ll be
ready to celebrate something good by then.”

“
Can I get you anything?”
she asked as she turned toward the door.

“
Nah.” He looked out the
window. “Did you get yourself some new wheels? Or at least find
some old wheels on the side of the road? How old is that
truck?”

Darcy laughed. “My father gave me his
cherished truck. It’s a sixty-nine or seventy, I think.”

“
Holy cow.”

“
It’ll get me
around.”

“
Well, when I’m back on
both feet, maybe I can help you fix it up. She could be a
beauty.”

Darcy liked that. A project with a
brother—that was something she’d never had the chance to do. Never
in her life did she think she wanted to fix up an old truck, but
looking at the enthusiasm in Christian’s eyes, she wanted to
now.

“
Sounds like a plan. Well,
yell if you need anything. I guess we’re going to go watch Clara
tonight.”

“
Yeah, I’ll be going with
you. I suppose I should get ready. It might take me that
long.”

“
I’ll come up in a
bit.”

With that, she walked out the back
door and down to her apartment.

Ed pulled up in front of the house
shortly before eight. It seemed strange that he’d have to pick his
brother and his girlfriend up at the same house. He’d give that
some thought. Maybe it was time to change the living arrangements.
Darcy should live with him, not with Christian.

That was a bit possessive, he decided
as he climbed out of his truck. He didn’t like feeling that way.
Besides, dating a woman after a few weeks of knowing her was one
thing—moving in together was something much different.

As Ed climbed out of his truck, the
front door opened and there stood Darcy. She was a
sight.

There was urgency in his step, but he
fought himself from running up the front steps. He didn’t want to
seem desperate.

“
You look beautiful,” he
said as he reached the porch.

“
Why, thank you.” She let
the screen door shut behind her as she walked to the edge of the
porch and waited for him to walk up the steps.

Her jeans hung to her hips, giving her
a curvy, sexy look. The lacy top she wore was very feminine. Ed
liked that. Her dark hair fell just to her shoulders, but she had
added some curl. This casual and fun look had his blood
warming.

Ed took the last step up to the porch
and stood looking down into her chocolate eyes.

Darcy took his hands in hers and
intertwined their fingers. “I know it’s only been a few days since
I’ve seen you, but it seems like forever,” she said as she moved in
closer to him.

“
I couldn’t agree
more.”

She rose up on her toes to place a
kiss against his lips, but a simple peck wasn’t going to hold him
until later. It had been hours—days—since he’d tasted her kisses,
and he wasn’t going to wait a moment longer.

Ed released her hands and wrapped his
arms around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could. She
let out a grunt, but quickly eased back into the kiss he was
sinking them both with.

If he hadn’t promised his sister he’d
be there…

“
Would you two knock it off
out there? This is a reputable neighborhood,” Christian’s voice
broke through the silence of their kiss.

Ed rested his head against Darcy’s.
“Do we have to take him?”

“
Yes, you have to take me,”
Christian said, standing just inside the door. “Get me out of this
house before I lose my mind.”

Ed chuckled. “I’m beginning to get
used to you on crutches.”

“
Yeah, well, I’d rather be
crouched down behind a batter, but…”

Ed realized by Christian’s attitude
that he was feeling extremely down on himself.. Christian was the
sensitive type. He liked a good time, but Christian was a gentleman
to the extreme. It wasn’t like him to be snappy, so Ed knew he
could use a night out.

“
I suppose you’re going to
call shotgun, too?” Ed snapped back at him.

“
I’d ride in the back of
that stupid truck if it meant I didn’t have to sit here all
night.”

Ed chuckled. “C’mon then, Clara will
be looking for us.”

The Commodore already had a decent
size crowd when they arrived.

“
Clara said she had a table
for us all up front,” Ed said as he led them toward the
stage.

Darcy wasn’t sure why she was
surprised to find the entire Keller clan there. That seemed to be a
given, no matter what anyone of them did.

Each of them stood, and the men shook
Ed’s hand and the women kissed his cheeks. But when each of them
hugged her and kissed her as well, tears began to sting the back of
her throat.

Regan looked at her. “Are you
okay?”

“
I’m getting used to this
big family stuff.”

Regan smiled. “You are family. You
mean everything to Ed, so you mean everything to us.”

Her words tugged at Darcy’s heart.
What was it about Regan Benson that made the world
right?

Darcy took her seat and listened to
the banter that went back and forth between them all. She was a
part of this family. That gave her as much pride and joy as being a
McCary.

A man walked on stage and announced
the performance for the evening. It was just what the crowd had
wanted to hear.

“
Randy is a friend that
Clara used to write songs with. He’s getting a lot of attention
lately,” Ed leaned in and said in her ear.

She nodded. “I think I’ve heard of
him.”

“
You’re going to be hearing
a lot more. This guy is going to be famous.”

There was that Keller pride in the
smile that Ed wore. “What about Clara? She’s very comfortable up
there.”

He shrugged. “She just loves to play
and sing.”

And that was exactly how she saw her
when Clara stood in front of the mic and the duo began to
entertain. Clara was comfortable being Clara.

Darcy looked around the
table. Pride radiated from the group, and even Darcy felt it. But
as Regan had said, she was part of this family. Clara was as close
to a sister as she could imagine, but then the moment of clarity
hit. She was a part of this family as long as she was on Ed’s arm.
What if this
thing
with Ed didn’t work out? What if, in the end, Darcy just
became an employee of Benson, Benson, and Hart—or worse—an
ex-employee?

The warmth in the room began to chill.
Her body began to shake, and Ed had taken note.

“
Are you sure you’re
okay?”

“
I’m perfect, and that’s
what’s wrong.”

Her voice had cracked when she said
it, and he leaned in closer to her.

“
How can that be
wrong?”

“
What if it goes
away?”

There was an understanding that
surfaced in his dark eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Darcy. I’m
yours—forever.”

That was even more nerve
wracking.
Forever.
Oh, she was quite comfortable with it. She was the daughter of
two people who had been married nearly fifty years. They were very
in love. Her mother was a nurturer and her father the protector.
She understood forever. She just never thought forever would come
so quickly after she found the right man—or ran in to
him.

Darcy stood from her seat, and Ed
stood, too.

“
Where are you
going?”

“
I’m going to the ladies’
room. I just need a moment.”

Darcy grabbed her purse and headed
off.

She pushed the door open to the
restroom and was happy to see that there weren’t very many people
in there. She wasn’t sure if she just needed to breathe or
cry.

A moment later, the door opened and in
walked Madeline.

What could have been worse?

“
Ed’s worried about
you.”

Darcy tried to be calm, but this was
the woman who was the least likely to like her if things went
wrong. Though, she couldn’t see Madeline Keller disliking
anyone.

“
I’m okay. After having
been with my father, I’m just trying to embrace the enormous size
of your family. I’m sorry if I seem a bit out of sorts.”

Madeline smiled. “Your father is okay?
Ed said he was in the hospital.”

Darcy nodded. “Just a bump on his
head. I call it military stubborn. He thinks he can fight
anything—or anyone.”

That made Madeline laugh. “He sounds
like a good man.”

He was, and at that moment, Darcy’s
chest swelled with pride. Those two people who had given her a name
and a life were just that—good people.

“
He is a good man. And my
mother…” she choked out before the first tear rolled down her
cheek, “she was amazing.”

“
Ed and Christian told me
she died of cancer.”

Darcy wasn’t comfortable talking about
the disease that had stolen her mother from her and had threatened
to take Madeline, too.

“
Yes. It was quick. She was
diagnosed and gone within a year.”

Madeline shook her head and rested her
hand on her chest. “I’m so sorry. I know that when I had cancer the
part that hurt the worst was wondering if I’d see my children grow
up.”

Darcy nodded and wiped her eyes. “I
feel even worse because before she was diagnosed they had finally
told me I was adopted.”

“
That’s a lot to have to
absorb. But, I must say, you’re in the right place if you want
support being an adopted child.”

Darcy smiled. “So I’ve
heard.”

Madeline opened the door to a stall,
pulled off a handful of toilet paper, and handed it to
Darcy.

“
Thank you.”

Madeline rested against the sink
counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “So, about you and
Ed…”

Darcy felt the heat rise in
her cheeks. Here it came. The
I don’t
think you’re good enough for my son
talk.
She braced herself.

“
He tells me he’s in love
with you.”

Darcy nearly choked on a sob. “He said
that to you?”

“
My children and I are very
close.”