Lost & Found
Page 4
“I’d like that.”
“Let’s finish lunch, and we’ll head over and take a look.”
Darcy sat quietly in his black GMC Yukon Denali. She was taking in all the little things about Eduardo Keller that she could gather without asking.
He’d been working hard since he was fifteen, so his executive status was deserved.
He’d mentioned uncles and aunts and a brother, so he came from a larger family, she assumed.
The truck still said Tennessee, even if it said classy, too. Her father had an old, green Ford from the early eighties which was his pride and joy, but dang, it was old. She rather enjoyed a man who had a classy, yet manly side.
Darcy turned her head and looked out the window. There was no need to enjoy anything about this man. It was just coincidence that the very man that ruined her suit happened to work at the company she needed to get into.
A pang of guilt pierced her chest, and she moved her shoulders to try and ease it. She was going to have to use this man to help her, but he really couldn’t know. Somewhere within the organization, someone knew something about her birth mother. If she played her cards right, Eduardo could lead her right to that person.
Darcy wasn’t a game player, but she could be if there was a chance she’d win the game. And this game was solving a mystery.
She turned to look at him. “It’s very pretty out here.”
“I know. I’ve traveled all over the world, but Tennessee has its own beauty and I don’t think I could live anywhere else.”
“So you’ve lived here your whole life.”
“Yep. What about you?”
“I’ve lived in Kentucky my whole life. I was born in Nashville though.”
“Really? So your folks lived here for a little bit?” He turned the truck down a residential street.
“No.” There was no need to go into intimate details.
Eduardo pulled up in front of a small, well-kept house. Out front, an American flag blew in the slight breeze. She liked that—a house with a flag said home to her.
Eduardo climbed out of the truck and hurried to her side. He opened the door before she even realized he’d gone around the truck.
“Thank you.”
He held his hand up to her to help her out. “My pleasure.”
The front door of the house opened, and a man resembling Eduardo stepped out onto the porch. He had a lighter complexion and a goatee, but this was obviously his brother.
“What, are you slacking?” the man said as he walked down the stairs.
“I’m working. Possible tenant.”
Darcy climbed out of the truck as the man walked toward them.
“Darcy, this is my brother, Christian,” Eduardo introduced them.
“Nice to meet you,” Christian said as he shook her hand.
“Likewise.”
He watched her carefully as if he knew her secret already, but she knew that was impossible.
“Do I know you?” he finally asked.
“I’m certain you don’t. I’m from Kentucky.”
Christian nodded. “You just look very familiar.” He studied her for a moment longer and then turned back to his brother. “I was just headed out. Clara needs something lifted into place at the theater, and Tyler and I have been volunteered.”
Eduardo laughed. “Clara is our sister, and Tyler is our cousin.”
She nodded, taking it all in. “You have an enormous family, don’t you?”
“Enormous and eclectic.” He laughed, and Christian followed suit.
“I’ll leave you two to the house,” Christian said as he headed to the driveway. “Nice to meet you, Darcy.”
“Likewise.”
Eduardo led her to the side of the house where there was a paved path that led to an outside stairwell.
“My aunt owned the house before she moved to New York and worked on Broadway. My uncle ended up renting the basement, and he fixed it up beautifully. That was twenty years ago, but since Benson, Benson, and Hart maintain the property, it has stayed nice. Besides, it’s usually been family that lived here over the years.”
They walked down the stairs, and Eduardo unlocked the door.
“Your aunt was on Broadway?”
He pushed the door open. “She sure was. Now she has a theater downtown. My sister works hand-in-hand with her on the productions. Clara is one amazingly talented woman. I think she should become a recording artist, but she’s happy where she is.”
It was a lot to take in for Darcy. After all, she was an only child to older parents. It wasn’t until two years before her mother died that she’d even found out that she was adopted. She felt as though she’d missed out on so much. There was a pang of jealousy that twitched in her belly. Did Eduardo Keller know how lucky he was?
He turned on the lights to the small basement apartment, and she knew that moment that this was her new home.
“Wow, this is not what I expected when you said basement apartment.”
He chuckled. “What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, you know, the basement of some freaky old guy’s house like in college. But the rent was usually right.”
“The price is right here, too.”
“Can I afford it on my new paycheck?”
“I can even have it drafted out for you weekly.”
That was a bonus, she thought. “Here’s the problem. I can’t do a first and last month rent. Can you work with me?”
Eduardo crossed his arms over his chest. “How about this? In lieu of the first month rent, you give me some forgiveness for ruining your blouse.”
“Really?”
“I could change my mind,” he said as he walked toward the kitchen.
“I forgive you.”
“Good. Now let me show you the rest of the place.”
Chapter Three
Darcy folded her clothes, which she had just pulled from the dryer at the motel, and laid them neatly into her suitcase. She reached for the remote to the TV, turned down the volume, and then picked up her cell phone and called her father.
“Daddy, I got a job and found a cute place to live.”
He let out a low growl. “A cute place to live?”
Darcy chuckled. “The company I went to work for is a commercial builder, and they have this house they manage. I’m renting the basement.”
“Darcy, I don’t like…”
“Let’s finish lunch, and we’ll head over and take a look.”
Darcy sat quietly in his black GMC Yukon Denali. She was taking in all the little things about Eduardo Keller that she could gather without asking.
He’d been working hard since he was fifteen, so his executive status was deserved.
He’d mentioned uncles and aunts and a brother, so he came from a larger family, she assumed.
The truck still said Tennessee, even if it said classy, too. Her father had an old, green Ford from the early eighties which was his pride and joy, but dang, it was old. She rather enjoyed a man who had a classy, yet manly side.
Darcy turned her head and looked out the window. There was no need to enjoy anything about this man. It was just coincidence that the very man that ruined her suit happened to work at the company she needed to get into.
A pang of guilt pierced her chest, and she moved her shoulders to try and ease it. She was going to have to use this man to help her, but he really couldn’t know. Somewhere within the organization, someone knew something about her birth mother. If she played her cards right, Eduardo could lead her right to that person.
Darcy wasn’t a game player, but she could be if there was a chance she’d win the game. And this game was solving a mystery.
She turned to look at him. “It’s very pretty out here.”
“I know. I’ve traveled all over the world, but Tennessee has its own beauty and I don’t think I could live anywhere else.”
“So you’ve lived here your whole life.”
“Yep. What about you?”
“I’ve lived in Kentucky my whole life. I was born in Nashville though.”
“Really? So your folks lived here for a little bit?” He turned the truck down a residential street.
“No.” There was no need to go into intimate details.
Eduardo pulled up in front of a small, well-kept house. Out front, an American flag blew in the slight breeze. She liked that—a house with a flag said home to her.
Eduardo climbed out of the truck and hurried to her side. He opened the door before she even realized he’d gone around the truck.
“Thank you.”
He held his hand up to her to help her out. “My pleasure.”
The front door of the house opened, and a man resembling Eduardo stepped out onto the porch. He had a lighter complexion and a goatee, but this was obviously his brother.
“What, are you slacking?” the man said as he walked down the stairs.
“I’m working. Possible tenant.”
Darcy climbed out of the truck as the man walked toward them.
“Darcy, this is my brother, Christian,” Eduardo introduced them.
“Nice to meet you,” Christian said as he shook her hand.
“Likewise.”
He watched her carefully as if he knew her secret already, but she knew that was impossible.
“Do I know you?” he finally asked.
“I’m certain you don’t. I’m from Kentucky.”
Christian nodded. “You just look very familiar.” He studied her for a moment longer and then turned back to his brother. “I was just headed out. Clara needs something lifted into place at the theater, and Tyler and I have been volunteered.”
Eduardo laughed. “Clara is our sister, and Tyler is our cousin.”
She nodded, taking it all in. “You have an enormous family, don’t you?”
“Enormous and eclectic.” He laughed, and Christian followed suit.
“I’ll leave you two to the house,” Christian said as he headed to the driveway. “Nice to meet you, Darcy.”
“Likewise.”
Eduardo led her to the side of the house where there was a paved path that led to an outside stairwell.
“My aunt owned the house before she moved to New York and worked on Broadway. My uncle ended up renting the basement, and he fixed it up beautifully. That was twenty years ago, but since Benson, Benson, and Hart maintain the property, it has stayed nice. Besides, it’s usually been family that lived here over the years.”
They walked down the stairs, and Eduardo unlocked the door.
“Your aunt was on Broadway?”
He pushed the door open. “She sure was. Now she has a theater downtown. My sister works hand-in-hand with her on the productions. Clara is one amazingly talented woman. I think she should become a recording artist, but she’s happy where she is.”
It was a lot to take in for Darcy. After all, she was an only child to older parents. It wasn’t until two years before her mother died that she’d even found out that she was adopted. She felt as though she’d missed out on so much. There was a pang of jealousy that twitched in her belly. Did Eduardo Keller know how lucky he was?
He turned on the lights to the small basement apartment, and she knew that moment that this was her new home.
“Wow, this is not what I expected when you said basement apartment.”
He chuckled. “What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, you know, the basement of some freaky old guy’s house like in college. But the rent was usually right.”
“The price is right here, too.”
“Can I afford it on my new paycheck?”
“I can even have it drafted out for you weekly.”
That was a bonus, she thought. “Here’s the problem. I can’t do a first and last month rent. Can you work with me?”
Eduardo crossed his arms over his chest. “How about this? In lieu of the first month rent, you give me some forgiveness for ruining your blouse.”
“Really?”
“I could change my mind,” he said as he walked toward the kitchen.
“I forgive you.”
“Good. Now let me show you the rest of the place.”
Chapter Three
Darcy folded her clothes, which she had just pulled from the dryer at the motel, and laid them neatly into her suitcase. She reached for the remote to the TV, turned down the volume, and then picked up her cell phone and called her father.
“Daddy, I got a job and found a cute place to live.”
He let out a low growl. “A cute place to live?”
Darcy chuckled. “The company I went to work for is a commercial builder, and they have this house they manage. I’m renting the basement.”
“Darcy, I don’t like…”
