“Yeah, I got pretty lucky.” She glanced around the tent, taking it all in. “Everything really came together after I took the job as a tour host three years ago.”
He found Sean Stetman, Darcy’s husband, near the front of the buffet line serving guests as they lined up for the food. “So Sean’s family welcomed you into the fold okay?”
Darcy laughed, a throaty sound he remembered from the first day he met her at the Great Lakes Naval Station for boot camp. Her laugh turned heads with its gusto, that was for sure.
“Oh my gosh, yes,” Darcy said, nodding. “Honestly, they’ve been like family to me since day one. Did you know Sean’s great-grandfather built this place? It was out of the family for a few decades. Then Sean helped his parents snatch it up when it went on the market again.”
They shared a love of old buildings. This one was a masterpiece. “They’re lucky to get it back.”
“I’m just relieved we were able to save it from ruin,” Darcy said. “It was in terrible shape.”
Dane leaned forward to see out from under the tent awning to the house’s roof. Slate tiles—nice. Those chimneys were pretty impressive too. Man, he bet the place cost a fortune in upkeep. He guessed the North Shore tourism industry was thriving. Not that Darcy wasn’t self-sufficient, but he was happy to know she lived comfortably, working at something she loved.
After meeting Darcy during basic training, they’d remained good friends even after their time was up and they returned to civilian life. He’d been asked many times by friends why they’d never dated. Each time he’d remind them he had a girlfriend. And strange as it was, he wasn’t attracted to Darcythatway. Darcy felt more like a sister.
She leaned over to lay her hand on his arm. “Enough about me. It’s been forever since we talked about anything other than this conference. Thanks for agreeing to present, by the way. I don’t think I can thank you enough.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it.” After a long winter, he’d been ready to mingle with some like-minded people anyway.
“And thank you for bringing these,” she said, cupping her hand around the lavender-filled Mason jar arrangement. “They smell heavenly.”
He’d shipped the fresh-cut lavender blooms last week. She’d paired them with some tiny white flowers he didn’t recognize.
Dane shrugged, grinning at her. “I get them at cost.”
“So, the lavender business is booming?”
“It is. Can’t complain.”
“Are your brothers still involved?”
Dane waved the question away and snorted. “Nah. They both needed a change a couple years ago, so I bought them out. You know, find their own way. The big city was calling.”
Darcy slowly shook her head, studying him. “How do you manage it by yourself?”
“I’m good at delegating, I guess.” He rested his ankle on the other knee. “No, seriously. I have a decent business manager. A good buddy from high school whom I’d trust with my firstborn. That and my parents still manage to poke their heads in every now and again to help out.”
Her eyes widened. “Wait, did you just say ‘firstborn’?”
“What? Yes…no!” Dane gritted his teeth and shook his head. “I shouldn’t use baby metaphors.”
She pressed a hand to her forehead. “You scared me. I thought I’d missed not only the birth announcement but a wedding too.” She stopped, her eyes growing even larger. The word hung between them like a dead fish. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…to bring up weddings.”
“It’s fine. I’m over that. Water under the bridge as they say.”
Darcy’s expression was full of skepticism.
“I’m serious,” he said.
Her brows pinched together as she gave him an earnest look. “Do you ever hear from her?”
“Never. She comes to town every now and again. Her parents still live there. I saw her coming out of the grocery store around Christmas. If she saw me, she didn’t let on.”
“That’s too bad. I hate that your marriage ended like that. You’re better off without her though. In hindsight, you know?”
Dane was silent. He didn’t want to talk about his failed marriage to Felicia. He’d become pretty skilled at tamping those thoughts down into his mental trash compactor.
Darcy looked over her shoulder at the buffet table. “The line is short now. Time to grab a plate.”
