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“You don’t care that it would hurt him? Humiliate him? We’ve been together threeyears.”
“Garret is going to hurt a lot worse when you finally realize second best isn’t good enough. You think he won’t feel that? Living with you every day? Men aren’t as stupid as women think.”
“Garret and I are fine.”
“Keep lyin’ to yourself, honey. But we both know differently, don’t we?” His yellow-gold eyes were hooded, darkened by thoughts she could easily read. Why? Why did she feel this way toward Garret’s friend? Towardanyoneelse? Garret had supported her dreams, been faithful and kind. Loyal. He deserved more than to have her behaving like this or having this discussion at all.
She could be happy with Garret. Would be happier if Tobias—What? Stayed away? So now she was going to turn into her father? “Sex isn’t everything. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. There are a million and one reasons why we’d never work. Even if Garret and I split up, I wouldn’t be comfortable dating his best friend. What kind of woman does that?” Her father would never approve.
You’re nearly thirty years old; why do you need Daddy’s approval?
“Garret and I make a wonderful couple. We’re friends. We complement each other very well, what with our backgrounds and—” She broke off abruptly, not wanting to hurt Tobias but managing to anyway. She saw it in his eyes, the sudden stillness in him.
“Your backgrounds and upbringing in Beauty’s elite?” His face turned into a mask of disdain. “I’m just the maid’s son, is that it? Someone to play around with and tease when you’re bored but not to be taken seriously?”
“Tobias, please, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant—”
“I know which damn fork to use, Jocelyn.” He smirked. “One of the perks of being the housekeeper’s son is that you pick up on things like that.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
Tobias swung his leg over the sill, pausing long enough to say, “You didn’t. You insult yourself by not seeing what you could have if you were brave enough to stand up to your old man and Garret instead of floating along afraid of your own shadow.”
He was gone in a flash. One minute he sat on the edge of the sill and the next she saw him slip over the side of the roof out of sight.
Her shoulders sagged. Shaken, she closed the window and locked it. Pulled the drapes so that her room looked the same as it had before he’d arrived. He was crazy. Everything Tobias had said was just crazy.Garretwas her future.
Nothis best friend.
Chapter 18
DR. CLYDE FROWNEDat Darcy after looking over the contents of the file folder in her hand. “Darcy, I’d hoped things would change since I saw you last, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to get strict here and put my foot down. You are not to travel alone, much less finish this move by yourself.” The woman pulled off her reading glasses and gave Darcy a regretful stare. “Your blood pressure is still up and those cramps we talked about probably are some strong Braxton-Hicks contractions. But the fact they’re not ending concerns me. I don’t want you taking off and going anywhere without a traveling companion.”
Darcy tried to unglue her tongue from the roof of her mouth. “But—my blood pressure is probably just up because of stress.”And Garret’s kiss.She’d had the hardest time forcing herself back into the kitchen to help Rosetta clean up and she’d caught the older woman looking at her suspiciously more than once. After the dishes were done, she’d claimed exhaustion and locked herself in her room, somehow managing to avoid the subject of her mother’s call. Thank God the woman didn’t pry. “I’m fine,” she told the doctor. “I feel a lot better since I’ve rested.”
“Stress is another thing you must get under control. Even with all that you’re facing. If you don’t, your problems are going to get worse. Stress manifests in health issues, and we can’t have that with this baby. Surely you have someone who can fly down and drive you home to Indiana?”
“There’s only me and my mom, but she can’t come. Actually, I’m not sure I’m going to move to Indiana now.” She had the week until her car was repaired to figure it out. Not much time in the scheme of things. Was she seriously thinking of driving off on her own after what Dr. Clyde said? What about being responsible?
“You aren’t going to stay with her?”
Feeling the doctor’s censure, she shook her head, unwilling to part with more humiliating details. She could only imagine what the doctor thought of her situation. For all intents and purposes, she was homeless. Dr. Clyde wouldn’t report her or believe her unable to take care of her baby, would she?
“Darcy, look at me.” The doctor waited for her to obey. “Your baby doesn’t need a lot of expensive toys or gadgets. But it does need you to be as healthy as possible. You need to establish roots andquickly. Getting settled and having plans for the future should bring your blood pressure down. I’m going to be blunt and give you advice you probably don’t want to hear. I think you need to rent a place in Beauty and stay until after the baby arrives. I don’t think we need to put you on Brethine yet, but if the low-grade cramping turns into more, I want you here immediately.” She patted her hand. “I don’t want you to be alone and I hope you feel you can trust me to help you through this. I’ll do as much as I can for you to make sure you and your baby are okay.”
“Thank you.” Darcy struggled to keep her emotions under control. The past twenty-four hours seemed surreal. Her mother, Garret and his horror over the kiss. This. Dr. Clyde’s advice was sound. She had to find her own place. No way could she stay with Rosetta until the baby was born. And Garret? Would he feel strange visiting her now? Probably so if his reaction last night was anything to go by. But her car wasn’t ready yet, and she couldn’t leave or move without it.
“We’ll need to set up weekly appointments from here on out, but come before then if you experience any changes or problems. Go back to where you’re staying until your car is repaired, prop your feet up. Check out the apartment rentals in the paper, and get some rest. Doctor’s orders.” She ripped off the diagnosis sheet and handed it to Darcy. “I’ll see you in a week.”
Outside the office, Darcy put one foot in front of the other. What now? Stuck on that highway that night, she’d prayed for a miracle and received a series of disasters instead. The knot in her stomach grew to monstrous proportions and she ducked into the ladies’ room. The panic grew larger, more strangling. She had limited funds. Maybe Nick would let her stay in the massage room at the gym until she got some money together. Surely there was a locker room. An office? Sleeping on a couch would be fine. The gym had showers.
Darcy left the restroom and rode the elevator, ignoring the curious looks from the smocked nurses and orderlies because no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t stop biting her lips and twisting her fingers into pretzels. What was she going todo?Why had she kissed Garret? If they hadn’t shared that kiss everything would be normal between them now. She’d feel comfortable staying at Rosetta’s until she found an apartment, her conscience clear. But not now.
Darcy left the elevator and turned the corner only to hesitate beside the foliage of a ten-foot ficus tree, her gaze locking on Ethan and Garret standing about four feet away arguing, if the expressions on their faces were anything to go by. Stepping closer but remaining behind the tree, she listened.
“Darcy is nice, okay? She’sgreat,but do you know how long I’ve waited for the chief of surgery to retire? I planned to toss my hat into the ring officially, but when I went in to talk to Harry, I couldn’t get a word in because Harry was on a rampage about you and how you’ve betrayed Joss by having anaffairthis week while she was gone.”
Garret ran a hand over his face. “Didn’t you explain?”
