Still the One

“But not steady as a rock?” Darcy asked.

Zoe laughed softly.

Darcy did, too. “Okay,” she said. “I admit, steady as a rock is a stretch.”

“Tell me what happened,” Zoe said. “You two had a moment?”

“Yes.” Darcy paused. “Several.” She sighed, and at Zoe’s quiet patience, said the rest. “I slept with him.”

So much for what happened in Boise stayed in Boise. Zoe went brow’s up and then she added a third healthy dollop to their cups.

“The thought of AJ and me together makes you drink?” Darcy asked.

“The thought of keeping you both alive for the ride is making me drink.”

“The ride?”

“The dance. The leap off the cliff. The trip to the moon.”

Now it was Darcy’s turn to blink. “I know you’re speaking English but …”

“Love,” Zoe said. “You’re going to fall in love with him.”

At that, Darcy stopped being amused by this little byplay. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sex isn’t love. We were having some fun, that’s all.”

“Yeah? So fun is why you sobbed on the porch like your puppy just got run over?”

Darcy let out a breath. “Okay, so maybe for a little bit there last night I gave some thought to letting it be more than fun.” And it hadn’t been when he’d had his tongue halfway down her throat and his hands all over her, either. Nope, it had been when he’d fallen asleep with his arms wrapped tight around her.

“And then what happened?” Zoe asked. “I woke up.”

Zoe’s eyes filled with worry. Well, more worry. “Are you scared of love, Darcy?”

“Hell yeah,” she said. “Join me, won’t you?”

“Oh, I’m terrified of it. But I think I’m supposed to tell you that love can be good.”

“Yeah? Based on what?”

This stumped Zoe for a beat, then she brightened. “Based on The Heat and 21 and 22 Jump Street.”

Zoe loved buddy-cop flicks, thought of them as love stories. “How about something real-life-based?” Darcy asked.

“Fine,” Zoe said. “For all the damage our parents did, they’re still together. And Wyatt’s in love with Emily and planning on marrying her. It could happen to us, too.”

“Yeah, well, you first,” Darcy said and finished off her tea. “And if it works out for you, then we’ll talk.”

“I think you’re afraid of rejection, not love. You’re afraid you’re going to put yourself out there and you’ll be the only one.”

Hard to argue with the truth. Especially when it had already happened.

Twenty-one

When AJ got to the gym and saw Wyatt already there working out, he nearly turned around again. But it was too late; Wyatt nodded at him.

“You get the money guy on the hook?” Wyatt asked.

“He’s thinking it over, said he’d get back to me soon.”

“So it was good?”

“Great,” AJ said.

“Getting snowed in with a cranky Darcy was great?” Wyatt asked in disbelief.

“Well, not that part.” Just the part where he’d been buried deep inside her with her legs wrapped around him, his name on her lips …

“What part, then?” Wyatt wanted to know. “Where you got stuck spending two nights together?”

AJ nearly dropped the weights on his own face. When he righted himself, Wyatt was watching him with narrowed eyes.

Definitely not the time to be thinking how his sister’s curly hair looked streaming out across his pillow, her naked curves sprawled across the sheets. Shit. Redirect, soldier. “What?”

“You tell me what,” Wyatt said.

AJ opened his mouth just as Wyatt’s phone went off. “Emily,” Wyatt said, and answered with a goofy smile. “Hey, sweetness— Yeah?” Wyatt’s voice lowered to a deep timbre. “Tell me more …” His eyes glazed over. “I’ll be right there.”

Saved by the sexy, horny fiancée …

Since it was Darcy’s turn to cook dinner, she did as she always did. She went and grabbed takeout. Tonight was Thai, and after she paid, she walked back to her car, head down while she texted with a new S&R dog breeder who’d been referred to her by Adam. He had a five-year-old Siberian husky with a bad knee. The dog needed to retire from the physical demands of S&R work but would make a great therapy dog due to his sweet, patient temperament.

Darcy texted that she’d buy him and find him a great home. She hit send and looked up, stopping short.

The sight of AJ leaning casually against her driver’sside door made her heart skip a beat. When she got closer, he pulled something out of his pocket.

Cash.

And all the warm fuzzies along with the heat she’d started to feel went ice-cold. She was way too tired to be on her game enough to deal with him. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Paying you for the trip.”

“No, you’re not. And move,” she said. “You’re in my way.”

He didn’t move. “Take the money, Darcy.”

“No. I told you I wouldn’t take payment after you did all that physical therapy pro bono. Now go away. I need to sit down.”

He moved instantly and opened the door for her. She slid in behind the wheel, grateful to sit since her legs had started to tremble.