“My paycheck gets automatically deposited. With the baking, if I get paid in cash, I keep it cash and use the money for my expenses. And in case you want to accuse me of trying to avoid taxes, I can go get my quarterly returns.”
He closed the folder and the ledger, then handed both to her. Darcy knelt on the far side of the coffee table, looking at him as if he were something disgusting she’d found on the side of the road.
“I can’t believe you thought I was laundering money,” she told him. “For one thing, if I was a criminal, don’t you think I’d drive a better car? And why on earth would someone engage in that kind of criminal activity in Whitehorn? Everyone knows everyone else’s business. It would be really hard to keep quiet. Plus, I’ve never been that stupid, or done anything illegal. And how could you make love with me all the while thinking I was a criminal?”
He leaned toward her, but she slid out of reach.
“I’ve only known about the money laundering for a couple of weeks.”
“Which is why you’ve been avoiding me.” The pain in her eyes deepened. “I didn’t expect you to be the love of my life, Mark, but I did expect you to treat me like a friend. You couldn’t even do that.”
He wanted to tell her that he hadn’t thought she’d been the one laundering money, but he couldn’t lie. She’d been the first person he’d thought of and he’d obsessed about the possibility ever since Rafe had come to see him. Why had he been so quick to judge her. And then he remembered. Sylvia.
Darcy pulled something else out of her bag. It was a large photo album—old, worn and thick with pictures.
“About my secret life,” she said slowly. “You’re right. I have one. There’s a really big thing I didn’t tell you.” She drew in a deep breath. “The thing is I didn’t want to lose you. I knew that when you found out, you’d turn away and disappear just like every other guy has done. So I kept my secret.”
Every muscle in his body stiffened. “You’re married.”
“What?” She stared at him as if he was crazy. “Married? I haven’t even been on a date in five years. I’m not married.”
Relief filled him. He figured he could handle about anything else. “Then what’s the deep, dark secret?”
She shifted into a sitting position. “You interrupted my speech. I had some seriously righteous indignation going and now I forget where I was.”
“You were saying that I would disappear when I found out the truth.”
She paused, then nodded. “Well, now I want you gone so I’m going to tell you.”
Her matter-of-fact words cut through him. While he hadn’t expected his relationship with Darcy to lead anywhere, he didn’t want it to end like this. “Okay. I’m a captive audience.”
He reached for the photo album, but she put her hand on it to stop him. “You have to listen first. I told you that my parents died about five years ago, right?”
He nodded.
“I was telling the truth when I said they left me almost nothing. By the time the bills were paid, I had a little money, but not much. What I didn’t tell you is that I have a brother.”
Mark stared at her. “Why would you keep that a secret?”
“Because Dirk isn’t like other kids. He’s funny and handsome and I love him more than anyone in the world. He’s also developmentally disabled. His problems put a big strain on my parents’ marriage. I didn’t get what the big deal was, but back then I rarely thought of anyone but myself. Dirk and I were buddies and I adored him. When my parents died, I knew I had to be responsible for both of us. Like I said, after the estate was settled, we didn’t have much, but it was a small nest egg. Enough to get us through until I finished college and got a decent job.”
Obviously that hadn’t happened, Mark thought, stunned by what Darcy had said. Questions filled his mind, but he held them in, wanting her to tell the story in her own way.
“Everything was going fine,” she said, staring at the album rather than him. “Then one of Dirk’s teachers decided I was too much of a flake to be responsible for someone with Dirk’s special needs. He reported me to social services, they tried to take him away from me and we ended up in court. It took every penny left, but I managed to gain custody of my brother. That’s when we left. I didn’t want to stay in Chicago anymore.”
She rose to her feet, then paced to the window and stared out. Snow had started to fall. “I picked Arizona because there was a really good day school there for him. I managed to support us working two or three jobs. Dirk grew, but as he became a teenager things changed. He needed more.”
“The Madison School,” Mark muttered. “That’s why you moved here.”
“Exactly. They have an amazing residential program. My brother is going to have wonderful opportunities to learn to function in the world. They expect him to be fairly self-sufficient in time. I just want him to be happy. One of the counselors there told me that we’re in line for some financial aid, which is really good, because I’m hanging on by a thread. Every penny I make goes to my brother. I live as cheaply as I can. My car’s old, my clothes are pathetic, I don’t have a social life. And you know what? I don’t give a damn, because I love my brother and I would do anything for him.”
She turned to face him. The rage had returned. “I work a fifty-hour week on my feet and I have a side business that just may turn out to be successful. So you have no right to judge me or accuse me of anything. I’ve done all this without one scrap of help and frankly I think I’ve done a hell of a job.”
She took a step toward him and planted her hands on her hips. “I thought you were pretty special. I actually liked you. Now I think you’re scum and I’m sorry I ever slept with you. Go to hell, Mark Kincaid.”
She headed for the door and jerked it open. Then she aimed her parting shot. “By the way, I’m not pregnant. Not that you bothered to ask.”
She disappeared into the afternoon, slamming the door behind her.
