Читать книгу The Guy Next Door - Missy Tippens - Страница 12
ОглавлениеFifteen minutes to closing time. Darcy glanced around Glitzy Glenda’s, empty of customers, hoping to make it an early night. Maybe a few minutes to read that novel that sat untouched, gathering dust on her nightstand?
She folded one last scarf and placed it neatly on top of the stack, enjoying the sense of accomplishment that came with tidying up. Saturday nights could sometimes be a nightmare, but an older crowd had hit earlier than usual. Though she enjoyed working with preteens and young teenagers, they tended to travel in packs, tearing through the place like a tornado, leaving a swath of destruction in their wake. Something Darcy couldn’t relate to at all.
She’d never had a pack of girlfriends in high school. Never enjoyed shopping for jewelry, purses and hair accessories. She’d been tomboyish, a late bloomer who’d spent all her spare time with Luke, fearing he’d see her differently if she suddenly showed up wearing dangly earrings and eyeliner.
Certain he’d never think her as pretty as Chloe.
Shaking off old memories, she headed toward the cash register. One last quick walk around the shop and—
The entrance chime sounded. A group of giggling girls set upon tables of jewelry, and Darcy’s hope for an early evening quickly fizzled. “May I help you girls?”
One, a redhead with pretty hazel eyes set off by the perfect application of makeup, fastened a double strand of faux pink pearls around her neck and admired it in a mirror. “We’re just looking.”
Two of her friends, squealing at fifty decibels, darted to a table of wristlets.
“Oh, look,” screeched one. “The exact shade of green as my new Keds!”
“Buy it. Have you got your mom’s debit card on you?”
“Yeah.”
“Ashley, wait. Come look at this one first,” called a girl from the other side of the store.
Meanwhile, two others stacked bracelets up the arms of a third friend.
There appeared to be a half-dozen of them dressed in stylish clothes, their hair about the same length and all flat ironed. At some point that evening, they’d eaten at a nearby restaurant because several of them had to-go cups they’d set down and quickly forgotten.
She closed her eyes and let out a sigh as the image of that novel beside her bed faded into oblivion.
A crash sounded in the back. “Uh-oh,” said one of the girls.
Crashes followed by uh-oh’s were never a good thing.
Darcy rushed to the back and found a rack of earrings turned over and gold and silver hoops scattered across the floor.
“I’m so sorry.” The girl’s mortified expression sent her friends into a fit of laughter.
“Don’t worry about it,” Darcy said.
While the three girls meandered to the next table, chattering and playing around as if nothing had happened, Darcy scooped up packs of earrings. The chime sounded again as someone else entered. Great.
“I’ll be right there,” she called.
The last of the earrings had landed under the display case. She got on her hands and knees and, with a grunt, made one last-ditch effort to reach them.
“Need some help?”
Luke. And she heard the grin in his voice.
“Luke Jordan, if you were a real gentleman, you’d already be down here helping me.”
“You’re right. My apologies.” He chuckled as he knelt down beside her and reached underneath the display, his breath tickling her neck as he angled his head out of the way.
She bolted to her feet. “A pack of…uh…earrings. Do you feel it?” She touched her neck. How many times had they wrestled around or goofed off without her ever once thinking about the feel of his breath against her skin?
And now—
“Is this what you’re looking for?” He stood and handed her the earrings.
“Yes. Thank you.” The fact he could set her on edge made her angry. At herself. And, though unfair, at him.
She tugged her shirt back where it belonged. Straightened the collar. “I need to check on my customers.”
“Go ahead. I’ll wait at the cash register.”
She caught up with the six girls near the front and tried to feign calmness she didn’t feel at the moment. “Are y’all ready to check out?”
“I think so.” The redhead still wore the necklace.
“So you decided to go with the pink pearls? They look great on you.”
She fingered them, looking around at her friends for confirmation. “I do like them.”
“They’re too classy for you,” said one of her supposed friends with a sneer before turning to the brunette nearby and laughing.
The girl looked stricken as she removed the necklace. “But they’re kind of expensive.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here and see if the yogurt place is still open,” said the mean one. She was the obvious leader, because everyone followed without questioning her order.
They also left without purchasing anything. Instead, they all set their items on a table near the door before quickly exiting to catch up with their boss.
Darcy growled as she rolled down the metal gate that closed off the shop from the mall.
“Tough night?” Luke asked.
“A little slower than usual, but that last group was typical. I’m afraid I’m not good at sales with the younger crowd.” She nodded to the discarded items. “They were going to buy those, but the pack leader declared it was time to go.”
“Next time, tell her to back off.”
Darcy laughed. “I’m sure that would go over really well. I’d probably get reported to my boss by a credit-card-toting teen.”
His eyes sparkled with mischief, as if he’d love to see the event. “Yeah, but you might make the sale.”
The main problem was that all these girly things were new to her, something she’d always been too embarrassed to admit she loved and longed to wear. “You know me. This feminine stuff is a steep learning curve.”
He looked her up and down with an intensity that made her squirm.
“You look plenty feminine to me. A natural beauty. You don’t need all this sparkly—” he gestured around the shop “—paraphernalia.”
Stunned, Darcy looked into his eyes. He’d always complimented her on being smart, but never had he praised her looks or femininity. Even that afternoon at Grace’s, he hadn’t said she was pretty.
“Accept the compliment, say, ‘Thank you,’” he teased, his smile softening.
Flames crept up her neck. “I need to clean up this mess.” The pink pearl necklace clacked as she jerked it up and hung it on the display.
“Fine. Ignore me.”
“I’m not ignoring you.” Darcy snatched up the neon green wristlet the girl had left behind and headed to the table of spring clearance items. “I don’t tend to trust compliments from a man who’s said those words to half the female population.”
He followed, laying a hand on her arm to still her movements. “I wasn’t giving you some cheap, recycled line. I spoke the truth, a truth you need to take to heart.”
What Darcy needed to take to heart at the moment was the fact she had to be careful around him, especially when he was being kind and supportive.
Being a good friend.
Darcy was strong and capable. Why go all weak-kneed just because he said she’s a natural beauty? “I accept your compliment.”
Luke smiled, a victorious smile. “Good. While we’re having this heart-to-heart, let me add that I hate seeing you killing yourself working two jobs when you don’t need to, and then volunteering at the church on top of it.”
Picking up the last of the discarded items, Darcy headed to the other side of the store. “You’ve already stated your opinion. And as I’ve already told you, I need to pay off my college debt to prepare to live on my own.”
“Your mom is worried about you, and so am I.”
“Did my mom send you?”
“It was my idea to come tonight.”
But he hadn’t denied her mother’s involvement.
Whether or not she had sent him, Luke hadn’t come by because he wanted to spend time with her. “Ah, I see. You dropped by to make sure I don’t get robbed making the deposit.”
“Your mom mentioned you carry cash to the bank each time you close.”
Darcy shook her head. “I appreciate you caring, but I’m perfectly safe. The night deposit drop box is located inside the front entrance of the mall, so I don’t even leave the premises with money.”
He ran a hand through his hair, causing a curl to drop across his forehead. “And you refuse to call mall security to escort you?”
“I walk with employees from several other stores.” When the timing works out.
“All of you sitting ducks, targets for someone armed and possibly desperate.”
Frustrated that he didn’t seem to be listening to her, she marched to the front of the store and raised the gated door. “You can either trust my judgment, or you can leave.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Then don’t show up when it suits you and start butting into my business. You’re not my keeper.”
Color streaked across his cheekbones, a sure sign he was majorly frustrated. His jaw sawed back and forth. “No, I’m not. I’m your friend. Your best friend. And that should count for something.”
Of course, he had to go and play the best friend card. They rarely did, only in dire circumstances. Darcy had pulled it once when he was dating a girl who ended up in juvie. He’d used it when she’d been sixteen and made plans to attend a party where there would be drinking, and another time when an overly charming lead singer of a band had asked her out in college.
He must be truly worried about her safety.
Begrudgingly, she reclosed the gate. “Wait here.”
Once again, his victory smile flashed, but at least he had the decency not to verbally gloat.
“I won’t be long closing out the cash register since we hardly sold anything.” She sighed. “If I can’t make the sale when these hoards of kids show up on the weekends, I’m afraid my boss will fire me.”
“And that would be a bad thing because…?”
His sarcastic grin made her smile, too. “Oh, hush.”
Leaving him to guard the place, she batched out the credit card machine, counted the cash and checks and filled out the deposit slip. She tucked the deposit in a lockable bank bag and then placed the cash register drawer, holding a set amount of money for the morning shift, in the safe.
Darcy quickly collected the to-go cups the girls had abandoned and emptied the trash. “I’m ready.”
Luke took the trash bag from her, dumped it in a large rolling bin mall management provided near the shop entrance, and then waited in the mall as she turned off the lights, set the alarm, pulled down the gated door and locked it. He looked around, alert, ready to defend her.
She laughed, but his action set up an ache in her chest that haunted her all the way to the night deposit box. She loved that he cared about her. Yet she longed for more.
Longed for something Luke couldn’t provide.
With a flourish, she tossed the money bag in the bank depository and closed the door, proving her shop closing ritual was safe.
He scowled at her flippant action. “I really don’t like the idea of you doing this several times a week.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to move back home and escort me each night.” She smiled sweetly, though the idea actually held appeal. Would he reconsider coming home?
His intense stare, as if he was possibly considering that option, made her heart race.
“You could do it, you know,” she said.
One side of his mouth hitched up. “Be your bodyguard each night?”
“No. Move back home. Open your own practice here.”
He shook his head as he opened the mall door, holding it for her. She pointed to her car, and they headed that direction.
“Can I ask you something without you getting in a huff about it?” he asked.
Which proved how well he knew her. “Probably not.”
His familiar chuckle, and the fact they’d been friends forever, made her miss the past, less complicated times.
“Why are you in such a hurry to move into your own place?” he asked. “Why not take your time, be a companion for your mom and give up the overtime?”
“I told you. I need to prepare to move out, to support myself. And having the student loans over my head stresses me out.”
“I can tell you’re worried about more than that.”
How could she explain her need to be financially independent in case she never married? “Mom needs her house and her life back. Needs her privacy, because I think she may be seeing someone. I should move on soon, but with bills to pay and no one to help me, I have to first plan and save.”
“Your mom would help if you needed her to,” Luke said.
“Sure, mom would let me live with her if I got in a jam. Even so, I need to be capable of supporting myself and don’t have any backup plan like you do.”
His eyes narrowed. “Backup plan?”
“If your business fails, your grandmother would help out, like she paid for graduate school.”
He straightened, offended. “My business isn’t going to fail.”
Her heart lurched. He’d always been sensitive about succeeding despite his dad’s doubts. “Of course it’s not going to fail. I only meant—”
“There’s your car,” he said coolly, cutting off her explanation. “I want to make sure you’re locked inside before I leave.”
Oh, man. She’d really made him mad. “Thanks for seeing me out safely.” She climbed in and locked the door.
He turned and walked away.
I’m such a rotten friend.
Luke rarely got mad. And when he did, it blew over quickly. But this time he was more than angry. She’d hurt him right where he was most vulnerable.
* * *
On Sunday morning as the congregation rose for the closing hymn for morning worship, Luke glanced at his dad beside him. They were standing in their regular pew in the middle of the sanctuary. Granny stood on the other side of Burt, singing her heart out.
All Luke could think about was that he needed to find a seasoned business partner—preferably his dad—and soon. He’d checked email that morning before leaving for the church and found a message from a client who had decided to leave the firm when he learned of Roger’s retirement, wanting a more experienced trial lawyer. And he wasn’t the first. Several others had already contacted Roger with concerns the past couple of days.
Luke tried to force his mind back to the music, to words that should inspire him and prevent his mind from wandering.
Staring at the hymnal, Luke recalled Darcy’s words from the night before. Did she truly think his business would fail? That he wasn’t capable of seeing it through the transition after Roger’s retirement?
The thought stung, but with his lack of work experience, she could be right. He couldn’t control whether clients left the firm. But he could control whom he hired and how he ran his business.
As Luke stared at the words on the page, the letters running together, he couldn’t help wondering what people would think of him asking his dad to come to Tennessee to join his practice. Would they think Luke hadn’t been able to succeed on his own?
No, he would be offering Burt an opportunity to start over. Thanks to Roger, Luke would be the one bringing clients to their new partnership.
As they filed out after the service, the elderly, squat gray-haired pastor of Appleton Community Church greeted parishioners at the door. Ever since Luke had moved to Nashville, he’d missed hearing sermons. Mainly because he spent Sundays at the office.
That needed to change. He needed to put God first in his life. He should find a place he felt as comfortable as he did in his Appleton church and attend worship more faithfully.
With light filtering through the stained glass windows, Luke inched along the carpeted center aisle with his dad and grandmother, greeting old friends. He hadn’t seen any of them since his mother’s funeral, and a few mentioned once again how sweet and fitting the service had been. Their comments made it difficult for Luke to speak.
Each time someone said something about Joan, Luke glanced at his father, wondering how he managed to hold himself together. Burt simply shook their hands and agreed.
Once they greeted the pastor and exited the church, Granny headed to speak with a friend.
“Dad, has this talk about Mom been hard for you?” Luke asked.
“It was tough when I first came back to church. In fact, I doubt I’d be back if it wasn’t for Noreen pushing me. Too many memories. That empty seat beside me.”
“And now?”
Burt stood straight and determined, chin held high. “I’m always going to miss your mother, but she wanted me to live my life. I’m pushing through, trying to keep going.”
Glad his dad was doing better, Luke nodded. Yet Luke worried his dad could be trying so hard to move on that he was in denial, not truly dealing with the grief.
“There’s Noreen now.” Burt waved to her and Darcy as they came out the door.
The way Burt’s face lit up right before he bounded toward the women set off a warning signal in Luke’s brain. Dad and Noreen?
No way.
Noreen had been his mother’s best friend for decades. Their families had spent summers together at a lake house they first rented and then purchased together as co-owners. The adults had played Monopoly on Friday nights and went to movies together. The men had gone on fishing trips. The women swapped recipes and shopped.
There was no way his dad and Noreen would get involved romantically. Like Luke and Darcy would never get involved.
That had to be gratitude Luke had witnessed in Burt’s eyes. Gratitude for pulling him out of his isolation and depression.
As Granny approached, she watched Burt. Grace was very perceptive. If anything were going on between Burt and Noreen, she would notice.
Snapping her attention to Luke, she smiled. “Ready to go?”
Apparently she hadn’t picked up on anything. Luke took his grandmother’s arm and led her to join the others.
Burt waved them closer. “Luke, Darcy told me you’re helping pick up a basketball hoop for the auction.”
Darcy’s face flushed. She looked breathtaking in her deep blue blouse that matched her eyes exactly. She also wore a slim-fitting, knee-length skirt, a far cry from her casual college attire.
He liked this new, feminine look. Liked how the skirt showed off her slim legs, how—
Cut it out, Jordan. He pulled his attention back to his father. “I’m actually going to be working with Darcy on the fund-raising committee for Food4Kids while I’m home.”
“You are?” Dad asked, a broad smile forming. “Good to hear. Your mom would be pleased.”
“That’s nice of you, Luke,” Noreen said. “Hey, why don’t y’all plan on coming back to the house this evening for dinner? Grace, you, too. And Burt, of course,” she added almost as if she’d forgotten him, her cheeks turning bright red.
Once again, alarm bells clanged in Luke’s head. Since when did Noreen blush around anyone in his family? Had she developed a crush on his father?
“We’d be delighted to come,” Dad said, totally oblivious to the undercurrents.
Poor Dad. Letting Noreen down easy would be difficult. And not something Burt should have to deal with. Maybe Darcy could have a talk with her, gently suggest she be careful with her feelings.
Grace patted Noreen’s arm. “Thank you, dear, but I’m helping cook supper for the youth group kids tonight. I’ll join you another time.”
“Luke, I guess we need to head on over to the sporting goods store,” Darcy said.
“Sure.”
They said their goodbyes and walked to her small SUV.
“I appreciate this. I know you’re probably still angry with me,” she said as she pulled out of the parking lot.
“Angry with you?”
“Oh, come on. It’s me here. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
So much for blowing off her comment from the night before. “Yeah, well…”
“I’m sorry. I really do believe in you. You’ve worked hard, accomplished so much.” She glanced over at him, her eyes begging him to believe her. “I know you won’t fail.”
As long as he could remember, she had believed in him and never wavered. That support was one of the reasons her friendship was so important to him. How could he stay mad at her? Besides, he’d never been able to. All she ever had to do was smile or laugh and it set his world right. “Forget about it.”
“Thanks.” She glanced over and gave him one of those smiles, soothing his bruised ego.
“So what’s the deal with your mom liking my dad?” he asked.
The car gave a lurch as she pushed the gas pedal too hard. “What?”
“I think she may have a crush on him. He’s been talking about Noreen this and Noreen that, as if she’s been helping him through his grief. From the way she was blushing just now, I think maybe she’s got feelings for him.”
Flipping on the blinker, Darcy glanced at him. “That’s crazy. They’re friends.”
“Have they been spending more time together?”
“I don’t really know. I’m not home much.”
Which meant it was entirely possible. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he considered what all Burt and Noreen might have talked about, might have shared. “You know, Dad says he’s having second thoughts about moving out of the house. Could be that she’s discouraging it.”
“I don’t see why she’d do that unless she thinks it’s too soon for him to make that type of decision. I remember her having fleeting thoughts about selling the house right after Dad died. Later, she said she was glad she hadn’t.”
Which only made asking his dad to relocate more difficult. “Maybe that’s all it is, a friend advising a friend. Still, you might want to talk to her. I’m afraid she’ll end up getting hurt.”
“You don’t need to worry. Remember, I think she may be seeing someone.” Darcy stopped at a stop sign and looked over, irritation drawing her mouth downward. “What if they did care for each other? Would that be a bad thing?”
How could she even entertain the idea? “Oh, come on, you can’t be serious. That would be strange. She was my mom’s best friend.”
“She’s been talking on the phone to someone a good bit, comes in late at night without explanation. Your dad would be a whole lot better than some stranger she’s apparently hiding from me.”
“Remember Chloe,” he said, reminding her of the mantra they’d typically used when one of them kidded about dating the other. “Applies to our parents, as well.”
She gave him an apologetic close-lipped smile. “Still, weird or not, I’d pick your dad over her dating someone I haven’t yet met.”
He shook his head. Time to get back to the business at hand. “I made some calls yesterday to confirm donations. Have a pretty good-size list for us today, so we might want to drive through and grab lunch at some point.”
She pulled into the sporting goods store lot and turned off the car. Held out her hand. “Show me the list. I can set up our route for efficiency.”
Darcy had always been one to jump in any situation and get right to work. A trait he’d admired. A trait that would serve them well for the fund-raiser. He needed to set aside any difference of opinion over their parents.
“We make a good team,” he said. “I appreciate you helping me.”
When she gave him a self-satisfied smirk, it was as if the old Darcy had fully returned. A teasing glint lit her eyes as she leaned over the console and squeezed his biceps. “I suppose you do need my help with heavy items. Office work makes you soft.”
“And microscope work is muscle-building?” Laughing, he returned the inspection, his hand easily wrapping around her slim upper arm. The delicate skin was so soft that he couldn’t resist rubbing his thumb over the underside.
She sucked in a breath, and it was as if the intake changed the electron composition of the air in the car. The space sizzled with tension as they stared into each other’s eyes. His heart began to thud, quick and strong.
“Um, yeah, lifting all those test tubes and petri dishes is a real workout.” With a strained laugh, she pulled away from his grip and clenched her hands in her lap.
Remember Chloe.
“So. A portable basketball hoop, huh?” he choked out. “That should bring in quite a few bucks for the kids.”
“Yes. Valued at one hundred seventy-nine dollars.”
“Very nice, indeed.” He had to get out of the car before he said something stupid. He threw open his door, allowing all the awkwardness to escape the vehicle. “Come on. We’ve got a lot to do today.”
* * *
If Darcy didn’t get a grip, this working with Luke was going to be torture. Pure torture.
She strengthened her resolve and somehow managed to get through the day. But it seemed as if every five minutes her mind would wander, and she’d recall his touch.
At dinnertime, she pulled her SUV, full of the items they’d picked up that afternoon, into her driveway. You’re ridiculous, Darcy O’Malley. Ri-dic-u-lous. If not so embarrassing, she’d yell the word out loud.
Their awkward moment earlier was totally her fault. She’d jokingly reached for his arm muscle, and then spazzed at the bizarre connection. She absolutely could not let her old crush come roaring back, or it would be impossible to work with him. Impossible to act normal around him.
“Are you sure your mom won’t mind us storing the auction items here?” Luke asked as he opened the back of her vehicle.
“There’s less storage space at the church. The items will be safe here until we can set up right before the auction.”
Darcy propped the front door of the house open and began to carry small items into the wood paneled study. The room still reminded her of her dad, though her mom had pretty much taken over his desk. His books still filled the shelves, and his framed photos remained on the desk.
“Is that you, Darcy?” Noreen called from the kitchen.
“Yes. We’re going to unload the car.”
“Dinner will be ready soon. Burt is already here.”
Someone in her mom’s life had put a bounce back in her step and a chronic smile on her face. Could that person actually be Burt?
As Darcy trudged back outside, Luke’s cell phone rang.
He signaled for her to hold up. “Yes, I appreciate you calling me back.”
He listened to the caller for another moment. “I see.” Nodded. Frowned. “Yes, I understand. Please don’t worry about it. We’ll talk soon.”
Rubbing his forehead as if trying to smooth away a headache, he tucked the phone in his pocket. “That was Mr. Haley. They aren’t going to be able to donate the trip to their ski chalet after all.”
“You mean they can’t pay the travel expenses?”
“I mean they can’t donate any of it—travel, use of the chalet or the lift tickets. We’ve lost the whole vacation package.”
He had to be kidding. She waited for him to break into laughter and say so, but his serious expression squashed her hope.
She groaned. “That skiing package was supposed to raise the majority of our money. We’ve been advertising it on the church website for weeks. What happened?”
“He said unexpected financial obligations. Looks like we’re going to have to knock on doors to come up with more donations, and hopefully a big one.”
Which would take more of Darcy’s nonexistent time. That, coupled with the strain from being around Luke, was simply too much. “I can’t do this,” she said under her breath as she lifted a large painting out of the car.
He grabbed hold of the frame. “I’ll get that. It’s too heavy.”
He didn’t get it. She couldn’t handle the fund-raiser commitment—or him. “If Chloe comes to dinner this evening, I’m going to ask her to help round up donations.”
“Sure, do what you need to do.” He didn’t look thrilled by the prospect as he picked up a framed mirror and headed inside.
Having another committee member still wouldn’t solve the problem of Darcy handling her feelings for Luke. She’d had enough disappointment where he was concerned. She didn’t need to bring more on herself.
After two more loads of items, they carried the carton holding the basketball hoop to the garage, then headed to the kitchen.
Steam rose from a boiling pot on the stove. A freshly baked pound cake sat on the granite countertop, the smell of vanilla and sweetness filling the air.
Was it Darcy’s imagination, or were Burt and her mom standing awfully close? Could he be the mystery man? They looked kind of cute together and acted comfortable around each other. How could that be a bad thing? After watching her mother suffer through a year of sadness and withdrawal, followed by another year of merely getting by, Darcy liked seeing her happy.
And the affection didn’t appear one-sided like Luke had suggested.
“Oh, hi, you two.” Noreen’s eyes were bright, her smile perky. “Now I can put the garlic bread under the broiler. It’ll be ready in two minutes.”
“Is Chloe coming for dinner?” Darcy asked.
Burt opened the drawer and pulled out a serving spoon. “She called to say she was running late. We’re to go ahead and eat.”
