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Haven clucked her tongue. “I’m sorry! Derek tells me that I always overfill containers.” She rested her hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “I have an extra top upstairs in the master bathroom. I was planning to change, but I ran out of time. Go get cleaned up, and I’ll finish setting out the food.”
“It’s fine. It’ll dry.”
Haven shook her head. “You should get changed.”
“Why?”
Haven smirked. “Carter is coming tonight.”
Darcy’s nerves jangled. “He is?” Then she studied her best friend. “Did you set this up like a date?”
“Just go freshen up. Feel free to use my makeup.”
Darcy didn’t move. For two weeks she’d hoped to hear from him, but his silence only proved what she’d presumed: that he wasn’t available or interested in her. If he had been interested, he would have texted or called her.
Apparently she had imagined their mutual attraction. Darcy had tried to convince herself this was a good thing, since she wasn’t ready for a relationship anyway. Still, she couldn’t get Carter Donovan’s handsome face, radiant smile, and delightful sense of humor out of her mind.
Haven exhaled a frustrated noise. “Will you go get changed already?” She gave Darcy a gentle push toward the stairs. “He’ll be here any minute if he isn’t already.”
“But I don’t think he—”
“Just go, Darcy,” Haven interrupted with another nudge.
Stumbling forward, Darcy hurried up the stairs, which led to three bedrooms and two bathrooms. She jogged into the master bedroom past a queen-size bed, two dressers, a few unpacked boxes, and two closets.
She slipped into the bathroom, where a light-green peasant blouse hung on a hook on the back of the door. She pulled on the top and then scrutinized her reflection. She had applied minimal makeup and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. But now that she knew Carter was coming, she felt conflicted.
On one hand, she was tempted to braid her hair and add eyeliner. But why should she bother when Carter hadn’t contacted her in two weeks? She thought they had bonded at the car show when he had spent the evening with her, but then again, he hadn’t texted her even after she’d asked him to.
She felt a strange connection to Carter—something she hadn’t experienced since Jace. And as much as she knew getting into a relationship would be a mistake, she couldn’t deny that her heart seemed to come alive when she was with Carter.
Then it hit her. What if Carter was bringing a date? Just because Carter had attended the car show alone didn’t mean he was single. For all Darcy knew, his girlfriend could have been busy or just not interested in cars.
Darcy frowned as she imagined Carter arriving at Derek’s house with a gorgeous brunette on his arm. Then she shook her head. She had already developed a crush on a man she had spoken to three times. She really needed to grow up.
Still, Darcy located Haven’s brush and quickly fixed her hair in a French braid before adding eyeliner and blush. She finished off her makeup with a little bit of lip gloss. Then she frowned as she took in her reflection.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she whispered before ambling down the stairs and following the hum of conversations to the kitchen.
Darcy stopped by the kitchen counter and stared out toward the deck. There was Carter, standing beside Derek at the grill and laughing at something Derek said. Her stare raked over him, taking in the faded jeans settled on his hips and the blue t-shirt hugging his muscular chest and arms. His chiseled jaw was clean-shaven, and the sound of his laughter sent warmth stirring deep within her.
She had missed him, which was crazy. She hardly knew this man.
She scanned the deck, looking for a pretty woman who might be his date, but she didn’t see anyone who would’ve fit the bill. Instead, groups of guests were spread out on the deck and in the yard by the tables and chairs.
“Instead of staring at him, why don’t you go talk to him?” Haven appeared at Darcy’s side and handed her a stack of napkins. “Here’s your excuse for going out to the deck.” Then she grinned. “You look gorgeous, by the way. Keep the top. It looks better on you.”
Darcy chortled. “As if anything could look better on me than you.”
“Whatever. Go talk to him.” Haven nodded toward the open sliding glass door.
Squaring her shoulders, Darcy strode out onto the deck. When Carter’s gaze swung to hers, his face lit up with a bright smile that nearly took her breath away.
“Hi, Carter.” She hoped she sounded calmer than she felt. “Fancy meeting you here.” Oh, that was so uncool. She inwardly cringed but forced her lips into a smile as she set the napkins beside the platters of food.
“Hi, Darcy.” He gulped. “You look great.”
“Thanks.” Darcy’s cheeks flushed in response to the compliment. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Haven watching her.
