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She smiled. “Drive safely.”
“You too,” he whispered.
She released him and unlocked her car with her key fob. “I’ll text you my address so you can pick me up tomorrow.” She climbed into her driver’s seat and started the engine.
Carter returned to his truck and followed her car out of the parking lot. As he relaxed into the seat, he wondered if he was floating on a cloud. He was falling for Darcy—fast.
But would the details of his financial situation bring everything to a quick end?
***
When Darcy arrived home, she blew out a happy sigh as she stepped into her foyer and dropped her keys and purse on the bench. She spun in a circle, recalling how it had felt to be held in Carter’s sinewy arms, her body pressed against his.
She hadn’t planned to launch herself at him, but she’d been so overwhelmed by their conversation at supper that she felt the need to touch him. She felt safe and protected in his embrace with her head resting on his hard, muscular chest and his heartbeat sounding in her ear.
Being with Carter felt natural, a feeling she hadn’t experienced since...
A vision of Jace’s handsome face overtook her mind, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her feet became cemented to the floor, and her shoulders slumped.
Unlocking her phone, she scrolled to the last selfie she and Jace had taken together. They sat on the townhouse deck and smiled, the sunset lighting the perfect backdrop. Her eyes filled with tears as she took in Jace’s handsome face, his dark hair, bright-blue eyes, and that smile that always sent a fluttery feeling through her.
“I miss you, Jace,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault that you’re gone.”
Guilt threatened to drown her. How could she find joy in being held by Carter when Jace was gone because of her? It was her fault that he was turning into the pharmacy parking lot when his car was broadsided.
Thoughts of the past would always cause her pain, but it was time to start living in the now and looking toward the future. Finding the courage to look for her biological mother would be a big step toward that future. She crossed the room and dropped onto the sofa. Her eyes focused on her laptop sitting on the coffee table. She grasped the piece of paper from Dr.Reyes and stared at it.
Then Carter’s encouraging words from their conversation earlier in the evening echoed in her mind:
If your parents are truly loving and supportive, then I believe they’ll understand your need to know where you came from.
Darcy opened her laptop. She wrung her hands before typing the web address into the search bar. With her heart hammering, she perused the Lost and Found site and created an account. She clicked a few boxes and added in all of the information she knew—her birth date, the name of the hospital where she was born, and the only information she knew about her biological mother, which was that she was sixteen or seventeen years old when she gave birth to Darcy.
With her heart trying to beat out of her chest, she submitted the information and then withered on the sofa.
She tried in vain to stop her emotions from spilling down her cheeks, and she longed for someone to talk to, someone to share this momentous occasion with. After years of considering it, she had officially started the search for her birth mother. She craved Carter’s empathetic ear and warm hug to help soothe her soul.
Darcy sniffed as she reached for her phone and opened her texting app. Then she froze. How could she possibly put into words the feelings swirling in her gut like a cyclone? It wasn’t possible. She needed time to process what she had done. Instead, she texted:
Darcy: Thanks for coming to the car show. I had a lot of fun.
Relief coiled through her when text bubbles appeared within moments.
Carter: Thanks for inviting me.
Darcy: I’m glad you were free.
Carter: You were lucky since I’m such a busy guy. ??
Darcy laughed.
Carter: What time should I pick you up tomorrow?
They agreed on a time, and she sent him her address.
Darcy: I don’t live far from Derek in Matthews. I can’t wait.
Carter: Me too. Good night, Darcy.
