Chapter Twenty

Ed stood at the door, and Darcy stood across the room. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like eternity. He was too mad, too hurt, too confused to even form words.

“If you’re just going to stand there and breathe, maybe you should go,” Darcy said to finally break the silence.

“Maybe you should just let me breathe. I’ve gone through a lot of hell in the past two hours over you.”

“You? You’ve gone through hell? My whole world just fell in on me.”

“You got what you wanted.”

“I didn’t want to lose you in the process.”

Ed raked his sore fingers through his hair. “You don’t want me. Not now.”

Darcy threw her hands in the air. “I said I didn’t want to know. I stopped searching. I came clean with everything I ever knew and all the things I did. I didn’t bring this on. You did.”

Guilt rolled in his stomach and made him sick. “Christian did it. He asked Curtis to look at the file.”

“You’re blaming him?”

He took a defiant step toward her and stopped. “I’m telling you what he did.” He retreated back. “I didn’t stop him though. I was curious.”

“I have very mixed emotions about this. I got what I’d wanted. And I couldn’t have asked to have found out that a better person gave me away. Her reasons were very valid.”

“I know.”

“You have to believe me. I had no idea.”

“I know.”

She narrowed her stare on him. “What happened to you? You look like hell.”

Ed felt like hell, too. “I punched my brother.”

“You what?”

He tucked his hands into his pockets as if to hide the marks. “He came at you. I didn’t like how he handled the situation.”

“Oh, for your information, Eduardo Keller, your reaction wasn’t stellar.”

“I wasn’t ready for that.”

“And you think I was?”

He dropped his shoulders. “No.”

“Why are you here?” She turned and picked up a box and stacked it on another. “Because I have things to do if you’re just going to stand there. I need to move.”

“You’re not moving.”

She stood straight and put her hands on her hips. “Did he punch you back? You have a bruise on your cheek.”

Ed touched his face and winced. “Yeah.”

“Good. You both deserve it.”

She was right. They’d both acted like jerks. But really, who was prepared for that? But he had to remember, she hadn’t been prepared for it either.

“This wasn’t probably a very good birthday, was it?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said as she plopped down on the couch. “This morning I was wildly in love. I had cake and balloons. I had a lovely dinner at your folks’ house. Even for a brief, oh, five minutes, I was engaged with a beautiful ring. So most of the day was good. I did meet my mother. I suppose that should make up for it all.”

“Darcy, I’m sorry. I should have stopped him.”

“You had no idea.” The anger had gone out of her fight, and her words were soft.

Ed laughed. “You’re my cousin.”

“Only by association.”

“Darcy, I was joking.”

He walked around to stand in front of her.

“I was an ass. I want you to forgive me.”

“I don’t know if I can. You don’t trust me.”

Ed knelt down in front of her. “I’ve been set straight.”

She let out a snort of a laugh. “Really? In just two hours you’ve decided you’re fine with this?”

“My grandmother, with a cane, can be very persuasive.”

She covered her mouth and chuckled behind her hand. “Did she hit you, too?”

Ed took her hands in his. “In my thirty-five years as a Keller, I have never heard my family scream and yell. Tonight I did. And they were all screaming and yelling at me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Darcy, they all love you. What Regan—your mother—went through was terrifying for them all. She did the best thing for you, and she has paid the ultimate price for it. I had no right to treat you the way I did.”

Darcy reached up and touched his sore cheek. “You don’t hate me?”

“I couldn’t hate you. I’ve never loved anyone as I’ve loved you.”

“What are we going to do about all this? I’m here to stay. I’m part of this family now.”

He turned her arm over and looked down at her tattoo. He raised it to his lips and brushed a kiss over the words. “You were always a part of it. Darcy, I can’t let you go. I never should have said all those nasty things to you.”

“It was in your heart at the time.”

“No, my ego.” He moved in closer to her, still on his knees. He pulled the ring from his pocket and looked at it. “I’m lucky I didn’t lose this. My truck is kind of a mess.”

“What happened to your truck?”

He winced. “I wrecked it.”

“Ed!” She pulled her hands back and covered her mouth. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“Wish I was. Oh, how I wish I was.” He gripped the ring in his hand. “I couldn’t think. I wanted to get here so fast. You’re a strong-headed woman. I was afraid you would be gone before I could get to you.” He looked around the room. “And from the looks of it, I almost didn’t make it.”

“If Regan hadn’t arrived, you would have been too late.”

“Thank goodness she ran out too.” He looked at the ring again. “This belongs to you.”

“Maybe we should wait so that…”

“I can’t wait. Now that I’ve calmed down and I see what doors have opened, what good it has all brought about, I don’t ever want to wait.”

He slid the ring back on her finger. “We might have to wait on a date. You and your family need to get to know each other. But, Darcy, you belong with me forever. Our life, beyond all this, will be a happy one. I promise.”

The tears were in her eyes again, fresh ones without the pain behind them. “I believe you.”

“Good.” He moved up and kissed her on the lips gently. “Everything which was lost has now been found.”