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The concert had been amazing, and he’d had the time of his life. He grinned as he recalled the best part of the night—when he’d held Darcy close and slow-danced with her to “The Keeper of the Stars,” a country song he’d always loved.
“From that smile on your face, I’m going to assume you had a good time tonight.” Darcy’s expression was coy.
“Try wonderful time.”
She scrunched her nose. “I just wish I could’ve gotten you real seats instead of general admission, but those were already sold out.”
“I don’t think we could have gotten away with slow-dancing in the seats, so the lawn suited me just fine.” He shifted closer to her. “Thank you for the best birthday gift ever.” He brushed his lips over hers, and the taste and feel of her sent desire humming through his veins.
When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. “Good night, Darcy.”
She touched his cheek before pushing her door open. “Good night.”
He started the engine but waited until she was safely in her house with the door closed before he began his drive home.
When he stopped at the entrance to her neighborhood, Carter found Tracy Byrd on his phone’s music app and clicked on “The Keeper of the Stars” before turning it up loud. He sang along with the song and remembered their dance—the feel of holding her tight and swaying to the music with her. It was like heaven.
Carter rolled down his window and rested his arm on the door while he sang along with Tracy Byrd’s music. During the whole ride home, he relived the evening. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been as happy as he was, and he owed it all to Darcy. He was so grateful she’d come into his life. He laughed to himself thinking about the first time they’d met. What were the chances that he’d walk by her car just as she was struggling to start it? He had definitely been in the right place at the right time, and he had her car to thank for that.
When he reached Flowering Grove, he drove down Main Street and turned onto Ridge Road before merging onto Zimmer Avenue. He pulled into the driveway and parked behind Gage’s silver Dodge pickup. He killed the engine and was surprised to find Shauna sitting on the porch swing, talking on her phone.
Carter climbed out of his truck, shut the door, and locked it before starting up the path to the porch. When he reached the top step, he noticed that Shauna’s brown eyes were red and puffy. Worry shot through him as he closed the distance between them.
“Shauna,” he whispered. “What’s wrong?”
She held up her hand to shush him. “Hang on a second, okay?” she told the person on the other end of the line. Then she hit the button to mute herself and wiped her eyes. “Carter, it’s Dad.”
Carter’s entire body went rigid.
“Do you want to talk to him?” She held the phone out toward him. Her eyes seemed to beg him to say yes and take the phone from her.
His face twisted with a deep frown. “Hang up. He’s upsetting you.”
She shook her head, sniffed, and wiped her eyes again. “No, he’s not. We were just talking about Mom.”
“I’m going inside.” He ground out the words.
“Carter, wait!”
Ignoring her pleas, he stalked up to his room and flopped down onto his back on the bed. The joy he’d felt earlier disintegrated the second Shauna mentioned their father. He rested his forearm on his forehead and tried to block the memories that swamped him—losing his mom, getting sick, becoming a burden on his family—but it all hit him hard. He felt like anvils had landed on his shoulders.
The truth felt like a blow to his chest, making it hard to breathe. Every time he discovered a little bit of happiness, it was snatched away. Dad left, Mom died, he got sick, Gabby abandoned him—and now Shauna was talking to the man who was the genesis of his pain. Of course Dad had to show up just as he’d found Darcy.
He stood and made his way to his bathroom, where he stripped and climbed into the shower stall and turned on the hot water.
When his anguish had dulled to numbness, he turned off the water and dried himself before dressing in shorts and a t-shirt. Then he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Pushing the door open, Carter stepped into his room and froze in place. Shauna was sitting in the chair by his desk.
“I don’t want to discuss him,” he growled, throwing his dirty clothes in the hamper.
“Then you’re going to listen to me. I told him what we’ve been going through, and he feels terrible that he hasn’t been here. I told him about Mom and about you. He said—”
“I don’t want to hear this! The damage is done.” He nearly spat the words as he dropped onto the corner of his bed. “If he had been here, then maybe you wouldn’t have had to go under the knife for me,” he said, his voice cracking. “I hate myself for what I’ve put you and Gage through. I think there’s something wrong with me—physically because of the transplant and emotionally because of all the losses I’ve experienced.” He sniffed and wiped his eyes. Why couldn’t he keep his emotions under control tonight?
“Hey.” She sat beside him. “You’re my brother, my only sibling, my family, and I love you, Carter. I would do it all over again without hesitation, and I know you’d have done the same for me if the situation had been reversed.”
He wiped his nose with a tissue. Then he pushed himself off the bed and crossed the room before leaning against the wall. He needed to put some distance between himself and Shauna. “I don’t want to talk to him.”
