Estelle sobbed. Drool crept over her once-proud chin onto the childish bib.
Cabin stepped away, returning to Darcy’s side, choking back tears.
****
Cabin shifted his gaze to the lake, golden beneath the evening sun. How he’d love to sweep Darcy from the pier, into his arms, and make love to her within the gentle waves. Clearly, he never could.
He told her everything. How he’d moved to Montana at age eighteen to attend medical school, fallen in love with Samantha right away, then spent their entire married life helplessly watching her lose the battle with anorexia. He explained how after Samantha’s death, he’d brought Estelle here to Oklahoma with him, so he could care for her.
Darcy pulled her knees under her chin as she listened, her green eyes piercing his soul. His heart throbbed, begging him not to speak another word.
“Darcy.” He took her hand, certain she’d pull away. Instead, she squeezed gently. “I can’t see you anymore.” Tears stung his eyes as his heart constricted, forcing a groan. “Estelle is right. I’m to blame.”
Darcy shook her head. Tears welled, then trailed down her cheeks. He fought the urge to dry them.
“No, Cabin, it wasn’t your fault. Your wife was ill, she—”
“I refused to acknowledge the severity. I didn’t want to believe it—didn’t want to deal with it.”
He stood, pulling Darcy to her feet. “I’ll never be free of the guilt. Never be happy. Or able to make anyone else happy.” He dropped her hand and kissed her cheek. “And miserable people are no fun to have around.” He struggled to smile.
“That’s crazy. You do make me happy. You can’t—” She halted. Her gaze held his for a few moments.
Cabin ached as her lovely green eyes dulled, bleak with the realization that he’d meant what he said. That he wouldn’t change his mind.
Stepping back, she hid her face in her hands. “Please. Go now.” Her words hitched out between sobs. “I’ll walk home.”
His vision blurred as he turned and strode down the pier.
Chapter Seven
After school, Liz tiptoed into Darcy’s classroom, pulling the door closed behind her. “James is sniffing around your door again,” she said in a low voice.
Darcy dropped the partially melted birthday candle she’d been caressing back into her desk drawer. “Yeah, I was expecting him.” She rose, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “We’re going to grab a bite to eat and review curriculum alignment. He has some questions.”
“I bet he does.” She darted her gaze to the closed door. “Look, it’s only been a week since...the breakup. Are you sure you want to do this with
James
?”
“It wasn’t exactly a
breakup
. We weren’t really together in the first place. And do what? It’s purely professional.” Pushing aside the pain of losing Cabin, she forced a chuckle.
“Laughable to you, but feasible to James. Jeez, the way he looks at you.” She grimaced. “You know he fantasizes about you, right?”
“Liz!” Darcy covered her mouth, then whispered, “Don’t be ridiculous! It’s just work. I’ve gotta run.” She walked to the door and pushed it open, bumping James.
Liz snickered behind her.
“James! I’m so sorry.”
“No problem.” He laughed nasally. “Is the Chinese place all right with you? I’m allergic to dairy products. They’re the only place in town that doesn’t smother everything in cheese.”
She hesitated. “Sure. I could use a good fortune.”
What she could really use was some good
news
. Any news, actually. There’d been no leads on the break-in at her house, or on Bessie Roberts’ murder. Malcolm hadn’t been around to bother Scarlett either. It was as if he’d become a Phantom, fading away after wreaking havoc on all their lives.
James walked her to his sensible gray sedan, opened her door, and then slid into the driver’s seat. A soft rock love song crooned from the speakers. He hummed along as he drove, glancing in her direction at regular intervals.
He parked up front. “Shall we?” His hand trembled as he pulled the key from the ignition.
Darcy took a shaky breath, fearing Liz was right. “Don’t forget your briefcase.” She pointed into the spotless back seat.
“Oh. Right.” He pivoted, then paused, facing her. “On second thought, I think I’ll leave it.”
Beneath thick lenses, his pale eyes pried into her, making her squirm. She opened the car door and got out, taking a deep breath as she stepped onto the curb. A server opened the glass door for her.
“What’s your hurry?” James asked, jogging up behind her.
“Huh? Oh...no hurry.” She conjured a smile as they slid into a booth.
The waiter took their drink order. Cabin’s memory invaded her mind, moving her to tears. She faked a cough, grabbing a napkin.
“Are you okay?” James reached across the table, patting her arm.
She shuddered. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Good. Are you ready for some crawfish?” He pulled his lips into a clownish grin.
She swallowed hard, thinking about what Liz would do in her situation. Her voice trembled. “Actually, I’m not fine. All of a sudden I don’t feel well.”
James was immediately at her side, rubbing her back, pushing his clammy fingertips to her forehead. “You feel warm.” His hot breath swirled in her ear. Goosebumps raised on her skin in protest.
She swept her gaze to the transparent doors, contemplating a mad dash.
The world stopped. Whiplashing her soul.
Cabin’s aqua eyes met hers through the glass. He lowered them and continued down the sidewalk.
****
A knock on Cabin’s door vaporized Darcy’s face, leaving him shaking. He opened his eyes, wondering if the tap was part of his dream. Lucy’s barks echoed from the back yard. The knock repeated. He sat up, swung his legs over the couch, then padded barefoot to the door. His eye widened against the peephole, stunned to see Darcy on the other side holding a bottle of wine. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced down at his bare chest and frayed jeans before opening the door.
Her cleavage spilled over her scant top, drawing his eye. Longing pumped thickly through his veins as she dipped her chin, flashing her emerald eyes up at him.
“Hello, handsome. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” She touched the neck of the bottle to her jawline. “It’s sweltering out here.”
Disappointment lowered his gaze. “Hello, Scarlett.” Stepping to the side, he motioned her through the doorway. She strutted past him, brushing his chest with hers. He shut the door and gestured to the sofa. “Have a seat.”
“Let’s get this on ice, first.” Holding the bottle out to him with both hands, she squeezed her breasts between her biceps. “I never thanked you properly for saving my life.”
Cabin closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples. “This isn’t a good time for me...”
“I am so sorry.” She sat the bottle on the table and pouted her lips. Taking his elbow in her fingertips, she led him to the sofa, settling down beside him. “Is it my sister?”
He stiffened, biting back emotion.
“Oh-no. I can see I’m too late.” She stared at the ceiling, shaking her head. “I’d hoped to be the one to tell you...to break it to you gently.”
Cabin’s spine tingled. “Tell me what?”
She widened her eyes. “You mean you don’t know?”
His head ached, weary of her games. “Are you going to tell me, or not?”
She placed a hand on his knee. “If you must know… Darcy is seeing someone from work. A man by the name of James. Atrocious little dweeb, if you ask me.”
“Fortunes.” His breath left him as an invisible fist punched his stomach.
“Cabin—you’re pale as a ghost. What can I do for you?” she breathed, her words steeped in stale gin. She inched her hand from his knee, up his thigh. “My sister is a fool. I’ll make you forget all about her.” Her hand slithered to his crotch.
Cabin gripped her wrist. “Leave.”
“Excuse me?”
He stood, pulling her up by the arm.
“You’re hurting me!” she lamented, covering his hand with hers, holding his fingers in place.
Shaking free of her, he picked up the wine bottle, shoving it into her hands. “Go.” He opened the door. “And don’t come back.”
Her eyes darkened as she stormed past him. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Dr. Creighton.”
“Believe me, I do. Her name is Darcy Vaughan.” He shut the door, then walked to the sofa. Ears ringing, he sank into the cushions and covered his face with his hands.
A gunshot-like blast jolted him to his feet, sending him running to the door to investigate. Through the peephole, he saw Scarlett’s SUV back from the drive. He yanked the door open, springing over the threshold. Pain exploded behind his eyes as shards of glass tore the soles of his feet. Blood mixed with merlot on the welcome mat.
“Enjoy the wine!” Scarlett gave an exaggerated wave before screeching onto the highway.
****
Estelle’s ribcage rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Lately, she slept most of the time. Cabin stood at her bedside in house slippers, the only shoes he could maneuver over the bandages. She looked peaceful, her face absent of worry, her eyes closed against Samantha’s haunting memory. He touched her hand lightly, so as not to wake her, and turned to leave.
“Cabin?” she whispered. He returned to her side, gently grasping the gnarled fingers she held out to him. She looked at him, a tear falling.
Sliding into the bedside chair, he managed a weak smile. “How are you today?”
“I’m dying.”
“Don’t say that.” He patted the old woman’s hand.
“Cabin. Please let me finish.” Her gaze was steady, though her chin trembled. “Soon I will see Samantha.”
He pressed his lips together, swallowing hard.
“I want to give my daughter something when I arrive, a message. A promise from you, her husband, to assure her of your undying love.”
His stomach sank.
“You must promise never to love another. After what you’ve done to her...to
them
...it’s the least you can do. Swear to love my Samantha only, so that I may repeat your words to her in heaven. It’s the only way to make things right.” She took a labored breath without breaking her stare.
Cabin opened his mouth, then closed it. He should just make the promise. Tell her what she wanted to hear. Would it kill him to appease an old woman on her death bed?
He inhaled deeply, fastening his gaze to hers. “I asked Samantha to be my wife because I loved her more than anything in the world. We shared a life, and even shared happiness for a while, before she became ill. You’re right about many things. I should have been more sensitive to Samantha’s needs, more attuned to the signs of her disorder. We were young. It’s a pitiful excuse, but it’s the only one I have. If I could do it over, I would do it a different way, the
right
way, but I can’t.” Cabin squeezed her hand gingerly. “I can’t make promises to Samantha. All I can do is ask God, and her mother, for forgiveness. And try to forgive myself.”
Her eyes hardened to black onyx. “You disregarded the one you cared about. Ignored her until she disappeared forever.”
Disregarded. Ignored.
Estelle’s words sounded an alarm, shaking his heart from slumber. He’d been a fool to cast Darcy aside.
“Estelle, you are dear to me. But I refuse to make a promise I can’t keep. The love I shared with your daughter was real. From Samantha I learned how to be a better doctor...a better
man
. Now it’s time for me to let go.”
“You’ll pay for what you’ve done, Cabin Creighton. The blood of my child, my grandchild, is on your hands.” She yanked her fingers from his, balling them into a fist, her feeble body shaking.
Cabin stood, then leaned to kiss her creased forehead. “Goodbye, Estelle. I’ll check on you tomorrow.” He turned and walked away.
Chapter Eight
Darcy stepped from the tub, dripping water onto the mauve rug. Not knowing how to feel better, she settled for feeling cleaner. She walked to the mirror and cleared the steam with a towel. Staring at her reflection, she wondered if she’d ever be rid of the bleakness in her eyes.
The doorbell rang. She pulled her bathrobe from the hook and cinched it around her body before stepping from the bathroom. At this time of night, it could only be her sister.
It hadn’t taken long for Darcy to put aside her anger with Scarlett. The thought of two broken relationships rattling around inside her heart was more than she could bear. Her sister had apologized for her behavior at the restaurant, and Darcy had taken responsibility for stretching Scarlett’s shadow over herself like a conjoined twin of the soul. For the first time, she believed the sisterly bond she’d always craved with Scarlett possible.
But, what on earth did Scarlett want at ten-thirty p.m.? She padded to the front door.
“Coming, Scar!” She pulled the door open. “Did you forget your coffee mug again—”
In the sweetest of dreams, she stood at the doorway staring into Cabin’s aqua eyes. She must’ve fallen asleep in the bathtub.
“Cabin?”
“I’m sorry to drop by like this but—” He looked at her, his eyes darkening to sapphire. “I made a mistake, allowing guilt to reign over me—over us. If I’m not too late, I’d like to exchange guilt for happiness and share it with you.”
She closed her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
He kissed her forehead, then tipped her face to his. “Open your eyes, Darcy.”
She looked at him as his gaze pierced her soul, bringing her to tears.
“Please, give me a second chance to find your heart.” He placed his hand over the pounding in her chest.
“You took it with you when you left. Thank you for returning it.” She kissed him deeply, relishing his warmth, tingling as he resuscitated her.
He ended the kiss, eyeing her closely. “What about James?”
She laughed, letting her head fall back. “No.”
He kissed her arched neck. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
She raised her mouth to his and slid her arms around him, drawing him through the doorway as they kissed.