Lost & Found
Page 19
This time the knock at the door was expected. However, when she opened it and only the driver was there—that part was not expected.
“Mr. Keller has sent me to take you to the fundraiser.”
“Oh, and is he in the car?”
“No, Ma’am. He will not be joining us this evening.”
Darcy felt her jaw click she’d clenched it so tightly. He wasn’t going to go? Was this some kind of joke?
The thought raced through her mind that she wasn’t going either then. Why do this alone? This wasn’t her family, or her organization, or…
She looked around the small apartment as she turned to pick up her purse and her shawl. The house had furniture. Her kitchen had been stocked. Most of all, she had a place to live.
Ed Keller might have done some of that, but the Keller family did the rest. She needed to go and thank them.
Darcy sucked in a deep breath of courage and turned to leave with the driver.
Darcy tried to pay attention to where she was being taken. The single-woman-in-a-big-city sense took over when she realized she was at the mercy of the driver.
It shouldn’t have surprised her when he turned into the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. When the driver opened the door for her to exit the car, another man was there to escort her into the Victorian Theater.
As they approached, she could hear the live music flow from the room, which was already filled with people.
Those butterflies in her stomach must have multiplied. But she’d been taught by her mother to take control of a room by walking into it with your head held high—no matter what your insides were doing.
Darcy lifted her chin, tucked her purse under her arm, and walked through the doors.
She looked around the room for someone who was familiar to her. After all, she knew some of the Kellers. At least one of them had to be there, right?
“Darcy, you look beautiful.”
She recognized the voice. When she turned, there stood Christian holding two flutes of champagne.
“Christian, it’s nice to see you dressed,” she laughed.
“But admit it. I rock a towel.”
She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
He nodded his head to the waiter carrying another tray of champagne flutes. The man turned back to them, and Darcy took one from the tray.
“Where’s your date?” Christian asked.
Darcy forced a smile. “The driver picked me up and said Mr. Keller wouldn’t be joining us this evening.”
“He what?” Christian’s brows drew together and his lips pursed.
It was obvious Ed had still been expected.
“Well, you certainly won’t be alone. C’mon.”
Darcy followed Christian through the crowd of people to a table near the dance floor and stage. The table was nearly full, and she assumed this was the Keller family. Immediately she recognized John and Arianna. Zach sat next to John, but there was an empty chair to his side.
“Everyone, I want you to meet Darcy, Ed’s loyal assistant,” he announced and then added, under his breath, “Though he doesn’t deserve it.” Everyone stood up. Christian set his drink on the table and handed the other to a blonde woman to his right.
“Darcy, let me introduce you around.” He took her arm and began to lead her around the table. “My father, Carlos. My mother, Madeline.” Each of them shook her hand and greeted her. “My grandparents, Emily and Allen Keller.”
He’d been right. They didn’t look to be in their nineties, but when they passed, she did hear his grandfather ask who she was.
“This is my Uncle Curtis and his daughter, Avery.”
Curtis took her hand and narrowed his eyes. “Zach’s right. You do look familiar. Maybe that was why Ed was so comfortable to hire you. Welcome to our event.”
She thought if he were so comfortable, he’d have shown up.
Christian continued around the table. “This is Spencer and Tyler.”
Each of the men shook her hand, and an odd sensation ran through her arm as she touched each of them. It was her turn to notice the familiarity in the boys.
“These are Zach’s sons.”
She felt a lump form in her throat, and it threatened to choke her. Zach. Her thoughts of earlier zipped through her mind. Mary Ellen and Zach.
The world was beginning to spin.
If Zach was, in fact, hiding his paternity of her, and Mary Ellen had given her up for adoption, then that would mean these were her brothers.
“It’s very nice to meet you both.”
Tyler held her hand a moment longer. “Are you all right? Your hand is shaking.”
“Just a bit overwhelmed, I think.”
“We get that a lot. This is one large and eclectic group.”
As they continued around the table, both John and Arianna stood and greeted her with a hug.
Arianna bent to whisper in her ear. “He got cold feet?”
“I’m sure something came up, and he got busy.”
Arianna let out a grunt.
Zach held out his hand to shake hers, but then pulled her in for a hug. “You sure do fit in here, don’t you?” He stepped back and looked her over. “You look very nice this evening.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No need to be so formal.” He lifted his head as someone approached. “Oh, here’s a very important part of my team.”
Darcy turned her head to see Mary Ellen walking toward them. She waved and smiled. Zach’s lips had turned up into proud grin, and Darcy’s stomach turned.
Mary Ellen gave her a big hug. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. Simone throws the very best parties. I suppose that’s why she makes so much money off of these events for her charity.” Mary Ellen looked around. “Ed?”
“Wasn’t able to make it.”
“Is that a fact? Well, I’m glad you’re here. Remind me later to introduce you to my husband and my girls.”
Darcy nodded, but inside her heart thudded in her chest. Her stomach clenched. What kind of people where these two? What they had was so casual? This was her life! They had messed with her life!
At that moment, Zach looked up again and the smile on his lips changed. “Oh, and here comes the love of my life right now.”
Walking toward her was a woman whom she could swear she’d seen a million times. Perhaps it was that she was a very refined version of Arianna, whom Darcy was more familiar with.
“Mr. Keller has sent me to take you to the fundraiser.”
“Oh, and is he in the car?”
“No, Ma’am. He will not be joining us this evening.”
Darcy felt her jaw click she’d clenched it so tightly. He wasn’t going to go? Was this some kind of joke?
The thought raced through her mind that she wasn’t going either then. Why do this alone? This wasn’t her family, or her organization, or…
She looked around the small apartment as she turned to pick up her purse and her shawl. The house had furniture. Her kitchen had been stocked. Most of all, she had a place to live.
Ed Keller might have done some of that, but the Keller family did the rest. She needed to go and thank them.
Darcy sucked in a deep breath of courage and turned to leave with the driver.
Darcy tried to pay attention to where she was being taken. The single-woman-in-a-big-city sense took over when she realized she was at the mercy of the driver.
It shouldn’t have surprised her when he turned into the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. When the driver opened the door for her to exit the car, another man was there to escort her into the Victorian Theater.
As they approached, she could hear the live music flow from the room, which was already filled with people.
Those butterflies in her stomach must have multiplied. But she’d been taught by her mother to take control of a room by walking into it with your head held high—no matter what your insides were doing.
Darcy lifted her chin, tucked her purse under her arm, and walked through the doors.
She looked around the room for someone who was familiar to her. After all, she knew some of the Kellers. At least one of them had to be there, right?
“Darcy, you look beautiful.”
She recognized the voice. When she turned, there stood Christian holding two flutes of champagne.
“Christian, it’s nice to see you dressed,” she laughed.
“But admit it. I rock a towel.”
She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
He nodded his head to the waiter carrying another tray of champagne flutes. The man turned back to them, and Darcy took one from the tray.
“Where’s your date?” Christian asked.
Darcy forced a smile. “The driver picked me up and said Mr. Keller wouldn’t be joining us this evening.”
“He what?” Christian’s brows drew together and his lips pursed.
It was obvious Ed had still been expected.
“Well, you certainly won’t be alone. C’mon.”
Darcy followed Christian through the crowd of people to a table near the dance floor and stage. The table was nearly full, and she assumed this was the Keller family. Immediately she recognized John and Arianna. Zach sat next to John, but there was an empty chair to his side.
“Everyone, I want you to meet Darcy, Ed’s loyal assistant,” he announced and then added, under his breath, “Though he doesn’t deserve it.” Everyone stood up. Christian set his drink on the table and handed the other to a blonde woman to his right.
“Darcy, let me introduce you around.” He took her arm and began to lead her around the table. “My father, Carlos. My mother, Madeline.” Each of them shook her hand and greeted her. “My grandparents, Emily and Allen Keller.”
He’d been right. They didn’t look to be in their nineties, but when they passed, she did hear his grandfather ask who she was.
“This is my Uncle Curtis and his daughter, Avery.”
Curtis took her hand and narrowed his eyes. “Zach’s right. You do look familiar. Maybe that was why Ed was so comfortable to hire you. Welcome to our event.”
She thought if he were so comfortable, he’d have shown up.
Christian continued around the table. “This is Spencer and Tyler.”
Each of the men shook her hand, and an odd sensation ran through her arm as she touched each of them. It was her turn to notice the familiarity in the boys.
“These are Zach’s sons.”
She felt a lump form in her throat, and it threatened to choke her. Zach. Her thoughts of earlier zipped through her mind. Mary Ellen and Zach.
The world was beginning to spin.
If Zach was, in fact, hiding his paternity of her, and Mary Ellen had given her up for adoption, then that would mean these were her brothers.
“It’s very nice to meet you both.”
Tyler held her hand a moment longer. “Are you all right? Your hand is shaking.”
“Just a bit overwhelmed, I think.”
“We get that a lot. This is one large and eclectic group.”
As they continued around the table, both John and Arianna stood and greeted her with a hug.
Arianna bent to whisper in her ear. “He got cold feet?”
“I’m sure something came up, and he got busy.”
Arianna let out a grunt.
Zach held out his hand to shake hers, but then pulled her in for a hug. “You sure do fit in here, don’t you?” He stepped back and looked her over. “You look very nice this evening.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No need to be so formal.” He lifted his head as someone approached. “Oh, here’s a very important part of my team.”
Darcy turned her head to see Mary Ellen walking toward them. She waved and smiled. Zach’s lips had turned up into proud grin, and Darcy’s stomach turned.
Mary Ellen gave her a big hug. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. Simone throws the very best parties. I suppose that’s why she makes so much money off of these events for her charity.” Mary Ellen looked around. “Ed?”
“Wasn’t able to make it.”
“Is that a fact? Well, I’m glad you’re here. Remind me later to introduce you to my husband and my girls.”
Darcy nodded, but inside her heart thudded in her chest. Her stomach clenched. What kind of people where these two? What they had was so casual? This was her life! They had messed with her life!
At that moment, Zach looked up again and the smile on his lips changed. “Oh, and here comes the love of my life right now.”
Walking toward her was a woman whom she could swear she’d seen a million times. Perhaps it was that she was a very refined version of Arianna, whom Darcy was more familiar with.
