Still the One
Page 83
Darcy?
She wore a long, flowery skirt, a denim jacket, and some kick-ass boots. Her hair was loose and wild, a pair of big sunglasses blocking her eyes.
Until she shoved them to the top of her head, surveyed the large open room, and found him. She said something to Trent and Summer and, her eyes still locked on AJ’s, cocked her head toward his office.
Nodding, he turned to Tyson. “Give me a minute.”
“Take a bunch of minutes,” Tyson gasped, flopping to his back on the mat. “Take all the minutes.”
AJ strode across the floor and met the three of them in the hallway outside his office. He greeted Trent with a handshake and tried to offer the same to Summer but she threw herself at him and hugged him tight.
Darcy took a purposeful step back out of his reach.
Not knowing what to make of this, of any of it, he untangled himself from Summer and opened his office door to let everyone in. “What’s going on?”
“We’re here to apologize for questioning your judgment and behavior,” Summer said.
Trent nodded. “She’s right. I had no right to do that. We’d like to back your grant program, if you’ll still have us.”
AJ hadn’t taken his eyes off Darcy. He forced himself to do so now and met Trent’s gaze. “What changed?”
“It wasn’t your behavior that was the problem,” Summer said for him, taking Trent’s hand. “It was ours, right, baby?”
“I’m impatient,” Trent said. “And more than a little spoiled, to be honest. I thought my presence should’ve been the most important thing to you that day, but I was wrong. Very wrong. I didn’t see that until Darcy came to visit and reminded me that love trumps work.”
Darcy still didn’t speak but there was lots going on in her eyes. Too bad AJ didn’t trust himself to read any of it. “You went to see them?” he asked her.
She nodded.
“She drove herself,” Summer said, smiling at Darcy proudly. “She said it was her first time on the highway since her accident.”
“It was the first successful time,” Darcy corrected. “And you saw me when I answered. You know that I was a complete wreck when I got to your place.”
“Not a complete wreck,” Summer said.
“It took me an entire day,” Darcy said wryly. “I stopped at every gas station and rest stop, and two malls along the way.”
AJ was undone. “Darcy.”
“Wait, is that where you got those amazing boots?” Summer asked. “Totally jealous of those.”
Trent reached a hand out to AJ. “Hope you can forgive us. We believe in you. We want to work with you.”
“Even though my patients might come first?” AJ asked.
“Especially if your patients come first,” Trent said. “In fact, I’ll insist on it.”
AJ nodded and they shook hands. Trent looked at Darcy, and then back to AJ. “I think we’ll go get settled in at the inn for the night and give you two some alone time.”
AJ didn’t say anything until Trent had guided Summer out of his office and shut the door.
“You got on the highway days after what happened?” he asked Darcy.
She nodded, eyes full of things he was almost afraid to read. “I couldn’t stand that I’d screwed up your deal for you,” she said softly.
“You got on the highway after what happened,” he repeated, unbearably moved. “For me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I just kept thinking about how my brain didn’t want to believe that you could have deep feelings for me, but my gut and heart said you could, that I was worth those feelings and I could trust them. That I could trust you.”
“You can,” he said. “Always.”
“It’s starting to sink in.” She moved to his wall where over the years he’d pinned pics of his patients and clients. She studied them for a long moment before speaking again. “You’re driven to help people.” She paused and turned to look at him. “It’s one of the things that draws me to you.”
“Do you want to know what draws me to you?” he asked.
She hesitated. “I’m still accepting that you’re drawn to me at all.”
He let out a low laugh and pulled her in. “Everything,” he said, pressing his face into her hair. God, he’d missed the scent of her. “Everything draws me in, from your unstoppable spirit to how you use your voice to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, to the way you throw yourself—literally heart, body and soul—into everything that matters to you.”
“You matter to me,” she said, voice firm and strong.
“Finally,” he breathed, squeezing her tight. “You get it.”
Her arms wound around his neck. “I’m not a throwaway.”
“No. And you never were. Never,” he said fiercely. “Your parents didn’t know what to do with you, and that was on them, Darcy. But Wyatt and Zoe would go to the ends of the earth for you. Xander, too. Even Tyson. Everyone you pull into your orbit falls for you.” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “Everyone,” he repeated, hoping she was following along and believing.
“And you?” she asked, as if half afraid of his answer.
“I fell a long time ago.”
She stared up at him. “You were already in love with me when we went to Boise.”
She wore a long, flowery skirt, a denim jacket, and some kick-ass boots. Her hair was loose and wild, a pair of big sunglasses blocking her eyes.
Until she shoved them to the top of her head, surveyed the large open room, and found him. She said something to Trent and Summer and, her eyes still locked on AJ’s, cocked her head toward his office.
Nodding, he turned to Tyson. “Give me a minute.”
“Take a bunch of minutes,” Tyson gasped, flopping to his back on the mat. “Take all the minutes.”
AJ strode across the floor and met the three of them in the hallway outside his office. He greeted Trent with a handshake and tried to offer the same to Summer but she threw herself at him and hugged him tight.
Darcy took a purposeful step back out of his reach.
Not knowing what to make of this, of any of it, he untangled himself from Summer and opened his office door to let everyone in. “What’s going on?”
“We’re here to apologize for questioning your judgment and behavior,” Summer said.
Trent nodded. “She’s right. I had no right to do that. We’d like to back your grant program, if you’ll still have us.”
AJ hadn’t taken his eyes off Darcy. He forced himself to do so now and met Trent’s gaze. “What changed?”
“It wasn’t your behavior that was the problem,” Summer said for him, taking Trent’s hand. “It was ours, right, baby?”
“I’m impatient,” Trent said. “And more than a little spoiled, to be honest. I thought my presence should’ve been the most important thing to you that day, but I was wrong. Very wrong. I didn’t see that until Darcy came to visit and reminded me that love trumps work.”
Darcy still didn’t speak but there was lots going on in her eyes. Too bad AJ didn’t trust himself to read any of it. “You went to see them?” he asked her.
She nodded.
“She drove herself,” Summer said, smiling at Darcy proudly. “She said it was her first time on the highway since her accident.”
“It was the first successful time,” Darcy corrected. “And you saw me when I answered. You know that I was a complete wreck when I got to your place.”
“Not a complete wreck,” Summer said.
“It took me an entire day,” Darcy said wryly. “I stopped at every gas station and rest stop, and two malls along the way.”
AJ was undone. “Darcy.”
“Wait, is that where you got those amazing boots?” Summer asked. “Totally jealous of those.”
Trent reached a hand out to AJ. “Hope you can forgive us. We believe in you. We want to work with you.”
“Even though my patients might come first?” AJ asked.
“Especially if your patients come first,” Trent said. “In fact, I’ll insist on it.”
AJ nodded and they shook hands. Trent looked at Darcy, and then back to AJ. “I think we’ll go get settled in at the inn for the night and give you two some alone time.”
AJ didn’t say anything until Trent had guided Summer out of his office and shut the door.
“You got on the highway days after what happened?” he asked Darcy.
She nodded, eyes full of things he was almost afraid to read. “I couldn’t stand that I’d screwed up your deal for you,” she said softly.
“You got on the highway after what happened,” he repeated, unbearably moved. “For me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I just kept thinking about how my brain didn’t want to believe that you could have deep feelings for me, but my gut and heart said you could, that I was worth those feelings and I could trust them. That I could trust you.”
“You can,” he said. “Always.”
“It’s starting to sink in.” She moved to his wall where over the years he’d pinned pics of his patients and clients. She studied them for a long moment before speaking again. “You’re driven to help people.” She paused and turned to look at him. “It’s one of the things that draws me to you.”
“Do you want to know what draws me to you?” he asked.
She hesitated. “I’m still accepting that you’re drawn to me at all.”
He let out a low laugh and pulled her in. “Everything,” he said, pressing his face into her hair. God, he’d missed the scent of her. “Everything draws me in, from your unstoppable spirit to how you use your voice to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, to the way you throw yourself—literally heart, body and soul—into everything that matters to you.”
“You matter to me,” she said, voice firm and strong.
“Finally,” he breathed, squeezing her tight. “You get it.”
Her arms wound around his neck. “I’m not a throwaway.”
“No. And you never were. Never,” he said fiercely. “Your parents didn’t know what to do with you, and that was on them, Darcy. But Wyatt and Zoe would go to the ends of the earth for you. Xander, too. Even Tyson. Everyone you pull into your orbit falls for you.” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “Everyone,” he repeated, hoping she was following along and believing.
“And you?” she asked, as if half afraid of his answer.
“I fell a long time ago.”
She stared up at him. “You were already in love with me when we went to Boise.”
