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Although he wanted to respond, his words were stuck in his throat.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Carter,” she whispered. “I’m here to tell you that I love you, and I want to be with you. I can’t imagine living without you, and if you’ll let me, I’m ready to love you for the rest of my life.”
Carter shook his head. He was definitely dreaming. “How can you be sure that I can make you happy?”
Darcy rested her hand on his cheek, and he was so relieved to finally feel her warm skin against his again. “One of the greatest blessings in my life has been finding you. I’m completely and utterly in love with you. I will do anything and everything I can to make you my future.”
“But you said that every time you look at me, I’ll remind you of Jace.”
“Carter, Jace saved our lives, and he would want us to be happy.” She swiped her fingers across her cheeks. “I’m so grateful Jace saved you, that our transplants brought us together, and that you’re part of my life now.”
Carter couldn’t believe the words he was hearing. Happiness twined through him as his heart expanded in his chest. “My sister pointed out to me that when I got sick, I closed myself off and pushed everyone away. That’s why I lost touch with my friends from school. You’re the first person who was able to break down the wall I built around my heart.”
He took a deep breath. “I believed I was a loser. I thought I was broken and didn’t deserve to have happiness in my life, but Shauna told me I believed I was a failure because of my dad’s abandonment. I see now that I don’t want to be like my dad. I’m not going to run away when life gets tough. Instead, I’ll stay and fight for what I need, for what I love.” He took her hands in his. “I’m ready to fight for you. I don’t want to live without you.” He dipped his chin, and when his lips caressed hers, his body was lit on fire.
Darcy wrapped her arms around his neck, and he stilled before stepping away from her. She stared up at him, wide-eyed. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m a mess.” He brushed his hands down his dirty clothes. “Covered in brake dust.”
“I don’t care.” She pulled him close and deepened the kiss, and he drank in her taste, trying to commit it to memory.
He pressed his lips to her forehead and ran his fingers down her cheek. “Can you imagine a future with me?”
“Um.” She tapped her finger to her chin, faking confusion. “I thought I made it clear that was my plan.”
“A real future? A home? A family?”
She hesitated, and his smile flattened.
“Did I upset you?” he asked.
“You want a family?” she asked, and he nodded. “I know for sure that kidney disease runs in my family, but we don’t know about yours. How would you feel about having children with me if there’s a chance we could pass this disease on?”
“Well, we can take a chance or we could adopt.”
Her smile returned. “Maybe we should do both.”
“Darcy, as long as I have a future with you, I’m happy with whatever we choose.”
She pulled her phone from her pocket and set it on the counter before swiping her fingers across it. Suddenly the opening of Tracy Byrd’s “The Keeper of the Stars” began to play, and she grinned.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“You didn’t dance with me at Haven’s wedding.” Darcy’s smile became mischievous. “So you owe me a dance.”
“And you want to dance with me now when I’m in my dirty work clothes?”
“I want to dance with you anytime and anywhere.” She held her hands out to him. “Dance with me, Donovan.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He took her in his arms, and they started to sway. He rested his head on her hair and inhaled his favorite flowery scent. “I love you, Darcy. I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”
“You already have,” she whispered.
Epilogue
Six months later
Darcy smiled at Carter and squeezed his hand. Together they walked through the lush green grass as a cool breeze floated over them. The early April afternoon sky was bright blue and cloudless, and birds sang in the nearby trees.
