Maybe This Time (27 page)

“Changing her mind is a woman’s prerogative,” Emma said, stroking her arm. “Although I understand where Dave’s coming from. Darcy and I planned to have more children. When he changed his mind, it altered the whole picture. Kids, and how many, is fundamental to a marriage.”

“Children are too important to be bargaining chips in a rocky relationship,” Alana argued. “I shouldn’t have a baby unless I want it one hundred percent. What if I were to have another child and I resented it and the tension broke our marriage apart anyway?”

Emma had to acknowledge the truth of that, even though it made her feel uncomfortable. If Darcy had given in to her pressure to have another baby immediately after Holly died and then not been the family man Emma had wanted, she would have blamed him even more. She hadn’t been fair to him, just as Dave wasn’t being fair to Alana.

“When a couple’s desires and expectations don’t match, there’s bound to be trouble,” Emma said. “Do you still love him? Do you want to stay married?”

Alana nodded.

“You have to be totally honest with him. Find a way to compromise. I know I said this before, but if you’re talking about splitting up, it’s the only way.” It’s what she should have done. Her marriage breakdown had been partly her fault. It was hard to admit, but it was true.

Equally hard to admit was her part in Holly’s death. She hadn’t been completely honest with Darcy, too afraid he wouldn’t love her if he knew what she’d done—and hadn’t done—that day. Instead she’d been a coward, keeping her secret bottled up inside, unwilling to let her perfect image slip. And she’d lost him anyway.

“Compromise,” Alana repeated bitterly. “I know—I’ll have half a baby and Dave can look after it.”

“You have a right to expect help. If he wants another kid, he shouldn’t expect you to make all the sacrifices. Work it out with Dave, somehow. You’ve got to. He’s a good man, Alana. Tessa needs both of you to be a family.” The same as Billy needed her and Darcy. She felt like a fraud. “Don’t give up on your marriage. You’ll regret it forever.”

Alana took a tissue from the box on the counter and handed one to Emma. “Do you still love Darcy?”

Emma hesitated, then slowly nodded. “I think so.”

“Maybe you’d better listen to your own advice.”

* * *

D
ARCY WENT DOWN
the street to the deli for an early lunch. Emma making plans to move out had left him restless and uneasy. Having her and Billy stay had given him a glimpse of how life could be. At his parents’ house, where he’d been reminded of the simple joy and comfort of family, he hadn’t wanted to rule out a reconciliation.

But although he cared deeply about Emma and the sex was great and he liked having her around, neither of them was willing to rush into another relationship and risk disaster. Over the past year he’d gotten himself on an even keel. If they tried again and failed... He didn’t think he could go through that level of anguish again.

He placed his order at the counter then, carrying his number on a metal stand, looked for a seat in the crowded café. Wayne Overton was seated by the window dressed in his signature black on black. The sun gleamed on his bald head. Darcy quickly moved his gaze past Wayne then was forced to return. The only empty seat was at Wayne’s table.

“Pull up a pew.” Wayne pushed out a chair with his foot.

Darcy plunked his number on the table and sat. “This is awkward.”

Wayne took a forkful of pasta and used a chunk of bread to mop up the sauce. “If you’d like to apologize, I’m listening.”

Darcy snorted. He glanced around again, hoping to see an acquaintance with a spare seat. Nope, nada.

He cracked his knuckles. Shifted his feet. Then made himself relax. While he didn’t like Wayne, he could usually find some common ground with most people. Maybe if he used this opportunity to get to know the man, they could lessen the antagonism and come to an agreement not to poach each other’s business.

There was one topic guaranteed to strike a chord with most Australian males. “So, Wayne, what football team do you barrack for?”

Wayne’s gaze narrowed. “I’m not into football. I’m from New South Wales. I follow rugby league.”

Great, a dead end. Darcy fiddled with the sugar sachets. “Do you play any sports yourself?”

“What do you want, Lewis? It’s a bit late for the welcome to the neighborhood schtick.”

“Just trying to be friendly. What part of New South Wales are you from? I have an aunt in the town of Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River.”

“Yeah?” A glimmer of interest showed in Wayne’s eyes. He pushed his plate away and pulled out a toothpick. “My dad runs a houseboat charter in Brooklyn not far from there.”

“A few years ago my ex-wife and I rented a houseboat for a week. Loved it. Gorgeous country. I’m surprised you left. Didn’t you want to go into the business yourself?”

“Nah, too much work maintaining the boats.” Wayne paused, then volunteered, “I managed a vineyard in the Hawkesbury Valley for a while, but then my wife wanted to move here to be near her family.”

“Oh, she’s local, is she?” A waiter brought over Darcy’s mushroom omelet and coffee.

“I’ll have another espresso,” Wayne said to the server. “She’s from Red Hill. Her maiden name was Hanson. Glenda Hanson.”

“Hey, I know Glenda.” Darcy picked up a fork and tucked into his meal. “She played on the state basketball team with my sister in high school. Ask her if she knows Janine Lewis. I’m sure she’ll remember.”

Wayne chewed on his toothpick. “Janine, eh? I’ll ask.”

“Small world. Six degrees of separation and all that.” Darcy risked a business question. “How are those two-for-one coupons working out for you? They certainly seem to bring in the customers.”

“Lots of customers, not much revenue.”

“Is that so? How long are you going to keep it up?”

“I’m done. If the wine bar can’t make it on its own merits now, it never will.”

Yes.
Darcy simply nodded. “I got a little hot under the collar the other night.” And that was as close as he would get to apologizing.

“Have you owned the pub a long time?”

“Ten years. My dad had it before me for thirty years.”

“Bit of history there.”

“That’s right.” Darcy hesitated. “I’ve probably got you and your wine bar to thank for getting me off my butt and going ahead with renovations.”

“Really?” Wayne cocked his head to one side. “I may have to reinstate the coupons.”

Darcy looked him in the eye. “I’d like to be friendly but I didn’t appreciate some of your tactics.”

“Just trying to carve out a toehold. You and your pub have this town sewn up.”

“Like I said, it’s big enough for both of us.”

“Did you hear that the fire in the Indian restaurant was arson? The owner was trying to collect the insurance.”

“Not too bright.”

“And it pisses me off. The fire could easily have spread down the block to my place.”

“I thought this was only a tax shelter for you.”

“It started out that way. Now I’ve grown to like the wine bar. And Summerside. I think I’ll stick around.”

“The local merchants have a kind of neighborhood watch going for businesses. It’s run by the police. Has anyone told you about that?”

“No, but I’d like to know more.”

“I’ll ask my mate Riley Hemming to get someone to sign you up. He’s the senior sergeant in charge of the cop shop.”

“I’d appreciate that.” Wayne glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to get back.” He hesitated, then stuck out his hand. “Glad we had this chat.”

“Ditto.” Darcy shook. This time Wayne didn’t try to rearrange his phalanges. That, Darcy guessed, was progress.

He finished his meal then strolled to the police station. Riley was in a meeting so he asked for Paula instead. Patty, the Irish girl in dispatch, let him through into the bull pen.

The station was deserted at this time of day. The uniformed officers were probably out on patrol. The far wall had been removed where the extension was going in, the area curtained off with sheets of plastic. The sounds of hammering and sawing could be heard beyond the plastic.

Paula strode out of a room farther along the corridor. “Hey, Darcy. What can I do for you?”

He told her about Wayne wanting information about the business neighborhood watch program. “I know it’s beneath someone like you with detective rank, but it’s an excuse. I don’t get a chance to talk when I’m working.”

“You should come over for dinner. Oh, except I’m going to be tied up for the next few weeks. Did Riley tell you the trial starts Monday?”

“This is Nick Moresco’s trial?” She nodded. He thought he had problems. Paula had gotten pregnant by a drug lord she’d been investigating undercover. When Moresco got out of jail seven years later he’d gone back to his criminal ways—and had come looking for his son, Jamie. “Is the evidence solid on him?”

“Like a rock. We found his prints at a meth kitchen on the peninsula and a recorded phone conversation that linked him directly to dealers. The case is open and shut. He won’t be bothering Jamie and I—or anyone—for a long, long time.”

“Great. Well, I’d better not take up any more of your time. Say hi to Riley. We’ll celebrate once the trial’s over.”

Paula walked him out. “How’s Emma? I heard she moved in with you. Congratulations on the baby, by the way.”

“Thanks. Emma’s only staying with me temporarily, while she recovers from pneumonia.”

“Oh, okay. Riley thought... Never mind.”

“What did Riley say?”

“Nothing. I was trying to read between the lines.” Paula smiled sheepishly. “I could blame my being a detective, but really it’s me being a nosy although well-meaning friend. I always hoped you and Emma would work things out.”

“Not going to happen, I’m afraid.” Darcy wrapped up the conversation then headed to the pub. Everyone but he and Emma seemed determined to bring them back together. All the cheerleading from the sidelines wouldn’t help them mend their broken relationship unless they could resolve old hurts. He and Emma were stuck in a sort of limbo. They couldn’t let each other go. Neither could they reunite. Well, he was tired of it. It was about time for him and Emma to bring this to a conclusion, for better or for worse.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

E
MMA STEPPED OFF
the elevator onto Ward 5G North, after seeing Barb in Administration. She hoped she wasn’t inviting trouble by arranging to start working again. She was feeling better, but still prone to fatigue. This bout with pneumonia was a hard-learned lesson not to ignore signs of illness in the future.

“Look who’s walked right out of the frame of my favorite nurse fantasy.” Darcy came out of another elevator. He gave her his most cheeky smile as he lightly touched her back in greeting and his hand brushed her hip.

Seeing him unexpectedly brought a mixture of pleasure and confusion. She fell into step at his side, keeping her gaze straight ahead, even as a warm glow spread through her. She should never have slept with him again. And again. And again. It was like waking a sleeping dog. A very horny dog. “This is my workplace and your fantasies are inappropriate.”

“Oh, but they’re running rampant with all this medical paraphernalia about. I’ll never forget what you can do with a speculum. By the way, whatever happened to your special uniform?”

“It’s hidden at the back of my closet.” Once, for a costume party, she’d altered an old uniform, making it a tight, micromini with thigh-high stockings and garters and showing generous cleavage, a parody of a porn movie nurse. Darcy claimed it was sexier than black lace.

“Now shush.” Two doctors in blue scrubs went past, conferring as they walked. Emma put a few extra inches between her and Darcy.

“It’s fun seeing you squirm, but okay, I’ll leave you alone. I thought you were cleaning your apartment with Alana.”

“We finished. I’ve just been up to see Barb. I’m returning to work in another week and a half, but cutting back my hours. After getting so sick, I’ve realized I need to be more careful.”

“That’s smart. Where’s Billy?”

“I dropped him off in child care so he could get used to the caregivers and the environment while I visited your dad.” She glanced at Darcy. “I put you on the list of people who are allowed to take him home. Just in case. Is that okay? Maybe I should have asked first.”

He looked startled. “No, it’s a good idea. Thanks. I didn’t think of that.”

“Why would you?” It’s not as though she’d ever asked him to pick up Holly from day care. She’d taken it for granted that he wouldn’t want to or wouldn’t be able to. In fact, she’d assumed a lot about his willingness, or lack of it, to help. She felt sad that she’d learned that too late for Holly. But he could have pushed harder. He’d given up too easily.

They turned the corner in the wide corridor. Up ahead was the nurses’ station. “Have you seen your dad yet?” Emma asked.

“No, but my mother was in to see him earlier today.”

“I’ll look at the doctor’s notes and meet you in his room once I’ve checked in at the desk.”

Emma greeted the other nurse on duty, and asked to see the logbook for the resident’s comments about Darcy’s father. As she scanned the terse notes, her frown grew deeper.

* * *

“
D
AD?”
D
ARCY TOUCHED
his father’s arm and got no response. His color was waxy yellow, his eyes closed and sunken. The only clue that he was still alive was the beeping of the monitors and his raspy shallow breathing.

One tube dripped something into him via a needle in the back of his hand. Another tube emerged from beneath the sheets and emptied into a bag dangling from a hook on the bed. A clip on the tip of his index finger was wired to a machine that monitored his heart rate and oxygen saturation. The jagged green tracings looked erratic to Darcy’s untrained eye. He felt panicky at seeing his father in this condition.

Roy’s eyelids fluttered open. “Marge?”

“It’s me, Dad. Darcy.” He gripped his father’s hand.

Roy opened his eyes and glanced around, plucking at the sheet fretfully. “Where’s Emma and little Billy?”

“They’re around. You’ll see them soon.” He didn’t know if she planned to bring Billy up, or even if she should, given his dad’s infection.