She didn’t know what to say. No one had ever wanted to meet Dirk before. She’d learned to stop expecting that kind of miracle.
She gazed at Mark’s face and reminded herself that this man might look pretty amazing on the outside, but on the inside, he still didn’t trust women very much. She had to make sure she didn’t fall in love with him.
“It’s a long drive,” she said, trying to give him an out in case he’d just been being polite.
“I know where the Madison School is. Are you trying to tell me you don’t want me to meet him?”
“No. I just—” She smiled. “I’m going next Saturday. You’re welcome to join me.”
“I’d like that.”
“Move them to the right,” Darcy called. “Santa has to be centered.”
Josh glowered at her from his place on the roof. “Is this where I remind you that I’m doing this as a favor to a friend. I’m not getting paid and I don’t care if Santa is centered or straight or even up. It’s cold and I’m hungry.”
Darcy smiled. “I’m sorry, Josh. Did you say something?”
Josh turned his attention to Mark. “You should be able to talk some sense into her.”
“You’d think, but you’d be wrong.”
Mark chuckled as his friend straightened the plastic Santa covered in lights, all the while grumbling about people being perfectionists over the stupidest things. He thought about explaining that he hadn’t exactly tap-danced at the thought of spending an evening in the frigid night air hanging lights and putting up Christmas decorations, but Darcy had asked him to help and he’d been unable to refuse her. The fact that his ankle wasn’t a hundred percent meant that he’d had to call in reinforcements.
He finished stapling the white lights around the porch about the same time Josh climbed down off the roof. Darcy eyed their work critically.
“Very nice,” she said.
Mark joined her, limping only slightly. It was Wednesday. His ankle had continued to hurt through Monday but then had started to heal. He rested his weight on his good leg and resisted the urge to put his arm around Darcy. Since they’d had their heart-to-heart talk, they’d been spending their evenings together, although not their nights. Mark wasn’t sure he was ready to be back in her bed. Something profound had happened the last time they’d been intimate.
Somehow, sharing his past and hearing more about her brother had changed things. It was as if in the telling of their secrets, they’d shifted their relationship. He didn’t want to think about what that meant. Trust still wasn’t easy for him. He’d been completely wrong about Sylvia, and while that didn’t mean he couldn’t be right about Darcy, he wanted to be sure. There was no way he was going to make another mistake like that one.
Darcy snuggled close, wrapping her arms around him as she gazed at the duplex. “Does it make you believe in miracles?”
“We must not be looking at the same thing.”
He saw a slightly tired building with half outlined in white lights. A flashing Santa sat above the center of the porch. No doubt she saw a wonderland.
“Don’t be cynical,” she told him. “You both did a great job. I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah, well, you’re welcome,” Josh muttered ungraciously. “Now I’m going home before I freeze to death.”
“Do you want to come inside first?” Darcy asked. “I feel badly making you do work and then sending you off on an empty stomach. I have carrot cake.”
Josh laughed. “Darcy, you already gave me two dozen cookies and a pumpkin loaf. I don’t need anything else.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Josh gave them a wave and headed for his truck.
Mark stared after him. If Darcy had her way, she would feed the world.
“I know you won’t turn down my carrot cake,” she said, moving toward the house.
“You’re right on that.”
Five minutes later he dug his fork into a large piece of cake. One bite told him that Darcy had made this as well as she made everything else.
“It’s great,” he said when he’d swallowed.
