Lost and Found (23 page)

George nodded again, slowly. “I told
her all I knew when she came to get me out of the hospital. She was
born early because there was some kind of accident. She was six
weeks early. Had a hard go of it there for a spell.” He pursed his
lips. “They told us the mom died.” He shrugged. “I don’t know
anything about the daddy.”

“
I think that put her at
ease.”

“
Good.” George sat up
straight in his chair and set his feet on the ground. “So, you want
to ask her to marry you?”

“
Yes.” Ed reached into his
pocket and pulled out the box that had been making him
uncomfortable for more than one reason. “I’ve had this made for
her.”

He handed the small box to George, who
opened it slowly. “Lord, have mercy.”

Ed watched as George moved the box
around so the ring would catch the light, but he never touched it,
as if it might burn him.

“
You had this made for my
Darcy Ann?”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
She’s sure going to like
it.”

Those few words put a peace into Ed’s
chest that he hadn’t felt in days. “I hope she will.”

George closed the lid and handed it
back to Ed. “She says you come from a big family. A good
family.”

Pride swelled in Ed’s chest. “We are a
very tight-knit group.”

“
From what she’s told me,
ya’ll have taken really good care of her.”

“
My family loves her,
sir.”

George McCary gave Ed another long nod
of consideration. “She loves you.”

“
I know she does,
sir.”

“
You’ll take care of her?
She has a temper, and if she hasn’t shown it to you yet, she
will.”

Ed laughed. “I won’t run from
it.”

“
She’s always thought a lot
about having a family.”

“
I welcome
that.”

“
She’s all I have in the
world,” he said, and his voice had softened.

“
Mr. McCary, I love her. I
will never let anything, or anyone, hurt her.”

George McCary leaned in and rested his
arms on his knees. “I believe you will take good care of my little
girl.” A smile formed on the corner of his mouth. “I give you my
blessing.”

Darcy filled the ice bag again. It was
a wonder people had children. One injured grown man was enough work
for three grown women.

Since Christian had been released from
the hospital he had done nothing but whine about the pain. It must
have been the medication that made him so annoying. Darcy was sure
he couldn’t feel any pain, but he complained anyway.

His mother had run to the store to buy
him something that he could keep down. There was nothing pretty
about seeing a grown man get sick to his stomach.

Clara had tried to help out, but he’d
gotten on her last nerve rather quickly. She’d bolted out the front
door, and Darcy was fairly sure she’d flipped him the bird when
she’d done so, though she’d never have done it so that her mother
could see it.

Madeline opened the back door quietly
and stepped in. “Is he still awake?”

“
He was five minutes ago,
but I haven’t heard any groaning.”

Madeline smiled. “He can deal with the
surgery. It’s always the pain meds that get him. And when he comes
down off of them, he’ll be sappy and apologetic.”

“
Really?” Darcy tightened
the cap on the blue ice bag. “How many times has he had this
surgery?”

“
This is his second knee
surgery. He had the other knee done a few years ago. There have
been plenty of stitches and a broken wrist. That one was the worst.
I suppose he’d have already made it to the major leagues if he
hadn’t had so many injuries.”

Darcy looked out into the living room.
It appeared Christian was sleeping peacefully. “Does it bother him
to not be in the major leagues?”

Madeline shrugged. “He’d never say so,
to me anyway. But I think that’s every player’s dream. Christian,
however, will make one amazing coach someday. I think that will be
his finest hour.”

What a beautiful thing to say about
your child. Darcy’s mother always told her she’d have a house full
of little boys. Why boys, she wasn’t sure, but being around the
Kellers and the absolute number of them, she was sure her mother
was right. It seemed just the thing she would want to do—have a
house full sons—in a few years.

“
His follow-up appointment
is Tuesday,” Madeline mentioned as she put away the few items she’d
purchased at the grocery store. “I make a mean chocolate cake, and
I do believe I have boxes of unused candles, if I can convince you
to have dinner with us on Tuesday after his
appointment.”

Darcy turned and could only smile. A
moment later, when the emotions of the invitation settled, she was
able to say, “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my
twenty-fifth birthday.”

Madeline gave her a nod and went out
to check on Christian.

Madeline had been right. The moment
Christian’s medication wore off, he was all kinds of apologetic and
sappy. He hugged his mother, and Darcy was sure he cried. Then when
Madeline left him in Darcy’s care, he did cry.

“
I’m so mean when they give
me those drugs. I’ll bet I was horrible to you.”

“
You were fine. You seem to
be getting back to yourself rather quickly.”

He adjusted on the couch. “Sure. I’m
great at this crash and burn stuff. This sucks.” Now anger teetered
in his voice. “I want to play damn ball. I don’t want to keep being
laid up like this.”

“
You’ll recover very soon.
Doesn’t the team do physical therapy for you?”

That made him smile. “You know who is
my therapist? Tori.”

“
Tori?”

“
Yeah, you met her at the
fundraiser.” The anger had certainly drained from his face. “I
think we have a future.”

Darcy laughed. “Does she know
this?”

He shrugged. “We’ve gone out a few
times. She’s the sister-in-law to the pitcher. He says she likes
me, but I’m a slow and easy kind of guy. No need to hurry
things.”

Darcy thought of Ed and how that
statement didn’t carry over to him. If he knew what he wanted, he
went after it. Darcy was just lucky enough to be the one thing
Eduardo Keller seemed to want.

It was nearly seven o’clock when the
front door opened. Darcy jumped awake in her chair. She hadn’t
realized she’d fallen asleep sitting there talking to Christian,
who didn’t seem to be lying on the couch anymore.

Ed walked across the room and straight
to her, pulling her out of the chair and taking possession of her
mouth. It must have sparked the right amount electricity in her,
and every one of her senses awakened.

She wrapped her arms around his neck
and let him deepen the kiss. Oh, she’d missed him.

He didn’t pull away, but he rested his
head against hers. “I think it would be a good idea to take my
assistant with me on every trip from now on.”

“
Your assistant thinks that
would be a very good idea.”

“
Your brother thinks it
sucks. She’s a great nurse.” Christian’s voice came from the other
room, and they both turned to see him rested on his crutches in the
doorway. “But she took such good care of me that you two should
head out of here and leave me alone.”

A smile formed on Ed’s lips. “And I’m
just unsentimental enough to take you up on that and make you fend
for yourself.”

“
Ed,” Darcy whispered
against his chest.

“
Okay, okay. He’s lucky you
only live downstairs, but I’m taking her downstairs.”

“
Be gone with you.”
Christian motioned for them to walk past.

Darcy stopped as she got to the door.
“Yell if you need me. The doors are open into the house. I can be
up in just a moment.”

“
I’ll be fine,” Christian
said.

Ed gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be
down in just a moment.”

Darcy gave him a nod and descended the
stairs.

When she was clearly out of ear shot,
Ed turned back to Christian.

“
Mom said she invited Darcy
to dinner Tuesday.”

Christian nodded. “Promised to make
her a chocolate cake and fill it with candles.”

Ed smiled. “Good. I’ll take you to
your appointment and then we’ll head over. It will be totally
unassuming.”

Christian adjusted the crutch under
his arm. “You’re really going to do this?”

Ed looked around to make sure Darcy
wasn’t headed back up the steps. He reached into his pocket and
pulled out the box he carried. He opened it, and Christian’s eyes
went wide.

“
Holy cow!” He looked
closer. “You’re serious.”

“
I don’t mess around with
this stuff. You know that.”

Christian nodded. “She’s going to love
that.”

“
I got her father’s
blessing, too. Scariest thing I’ve ever done in my
life.”

Christian laughed. “I’m happy for you.
I really am.”

“
Good, and you’ll stand up
with me when we get married?”

The smile on Christian’s face grew
wider. “I would never want to be anywhere else.”

Ed handed him the box. “Hold on to
this. Your job is to get it to me on Tuesday at dinner.”

“
You got it.”

Ed gave him a pat on the shoulder and
hurried off to be with Darcy.

He could hear her in the bathroom. She
was washing her face.

They’d spent enough nights together
that he knew her routine before bed, her breathing pattern when she
slept, and just how beautiful she was when she woke with the
promise of a new day.

This would be forever—soon. This
woman, whom he’d only met less than two months ago, was his dream
come true. His forever.

Until she’d taken his face in her
hands and kissed him that night he stood her up, he didn’t know it
would come this far. But when you knew love was right there, you
grabbed it with both hands and you held on tight.

Darcy walked out of the bathroom,
turned off the light, and jumped when she saw him standing there.
“I didn’t know you were down here.”

“
I was just waiting for you
to come out.”

She smiled sweetly and moved closer to
him. She was already in her pajamas which, though pinstriped and
too big, were very sexy.

“
It’s not even eight
o’clock. Are you heading to bed?”

“
Not unless you have other
thoughts on our sleeping arrangements.” She playfully lifted her
brows.

Ed reached his fingers into her hair.
“Oh, I have plenty of ideas.”

He pulled her into to him and quickly
took possession of her mouth. The fresh taste of mint against his
tongue sent a surge through him. There was no way, feeling as he
did at that moment, he’d make it until they were married. Not that
he’d truly intended on not sleeping with the woman he loved, but he
was trying to be a gentleman. However, his body was quickly taking
over his manners.

He moved his hands to the buttons on
her pajama top. The moan that came from her throat told him she was
on the same page with her emotions, too.

Darcy’s hands went straight for his
belt.

There was no turning back now. He
almost wished he’d kept the ring in his pocket. Wouldn’t that have
surprised her? But that wasn’t the plan. Oh, hell, his head was
swimming with her in his hands, what did he care about
plans?

As Darcy pulled his belt from the
loops on his pants, she broke the kiss.

Her chest, bare under her pajamas and
now playing peek-a-boo with the fabric, heaved.

“
I want to see that
tattoo.” The smile that turned up the corner of her mouth was
nearly pure devil. He liked it.

Ed unbuttoned his pants and quickly
pushed them to the floor. He stood, very exposed, in his
boxers.

Darcy bit her lip and looked down.
There was no denying what part of his body was working the
hardest.

“
You’ll find it just under
the band,” he suggested, trying to keep his voice solid.

Darcy gazed into his eyes. There was
love there—so much love. And trust. She trusted him with
everything. He could see that, as if he could see into her
soul.

But he blinked and broke the gaze when
her finger slipped under the band of his boxers.

This was it. Time’s up.

Darcy shifted her eyes to where her
hand folded down the band on fabric, which was not concealing much
at the moment.

His entire body quaked as she ran her
finger over the infinity symbol with the word family intertwined on
it.

The smile she flashed him was
different now. It smoldered, just as her eyes did.

She held up her left wrist. “I want
mine here.”