Page 23 of Darla's Christmas Knight
She shook her head.
Get a grip, girl.He isn’t dependable. Remember, he left you before.
Yet she couldn’t stop her gaze zeroing on her desk when she stepped into her office.
It was as she left it Saturday afternoon.
She collapsed onto her chair and stabbed a finger at the tablet. Her patients deserved her undivided focus.
It was mid-morning during a break between patients when Mindy entered her office, a huge grin on her face. “This just arrived for you,” she sing-songed, placing a package before her. It was from Decadence, the logo in the corner of the lid a dead giveaway of its origin
Darla stared at the baker’s box, a huge pink-and-white striped bow concealing its contents, with a mix of excitement andbafflement. She knew it was fromhimwithout even looking at the envelope wedged beneath the ribbon.
Butwhy? This was thethirdday he communicated in some form with her. Whatwashe up to?
“Well,” Mindy said, rocking back and forth on her feet. “Aren’t you going to open it?”
She shot the receptionist a quelling look. “Some privacy, please,” she snapped.
Mindy’s smile vanished, replaced with hurt. “My bad,” she whispered, and scurried to the door.
“Wait,” Darla called out, inwardly cursing her bitchy behavior. “Sorry, Mindy. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“It’s okay,” Mindy replied, closing the door behind her. The snick, although soft, seemed to reverberate around the room.
Darla hung her head and rubbed her hand over her forehead. She was never rude to her staff. Never. It was so unprofessional. But dammit, Bobby had her in turmoil.
She blew out her breath and stared at his latest …
What was it, exactly?
Gift? Peace offering? Apology?Bribe?
“Ugh!” She yanked the envelope out. Her name was scrawled across the front. It was unsealed, and she pulled the card out. A red number three and star shaped cookie on a pale creamy-yellow background. Hand shaking lightly, she inhaled her breath and flipped it over.
You looked radiant yesterday, Darla. These cupcakes reminded me of the pretty dress you wore.
Darla dropped her arms, staring at his message in defeat. She had no resistance to such beautiful words.
Did that make her weak? Foolish? A sucker for punishment?
Or a woman realizing she was still in love with a man.
A man wanting a second chance.
She placed her hands over her belly. “What do I do, Bean?” she whispered, leaning her head against the back of her chair. Bobby would never abandon his child. That she knew with utter certainty. And this unborn baby, a mere pinprick-sized embryo at this stage, would bind them for life.
Could they — dare she even think it — do thistogethertogether?
Her stomach grumbled. And she chuffed a laugh, hoping the box contained cupcakes. She was a sucker for cupcakes, something Bobby would know. And Decadence made the most superb cupcakes.
She pulled the box closer, eager to find out what reminded him of the burgundy-colored wrap dress with its vibrant pink and white lily motif she wore yesterday.
She pulled apart the bow and lifted the lid.
And sucked in her breath.
Six red-velvet cupcakes with swirls of red, pink, and white icing sprinkled with little hearts of the same three colors. They were Decadence’s Valentine special. And it was a long way from February, so that meant he ordered them specially. This wasn’t just a regular walk-into-the-bakery-and-select-six-cupcakes from their display. Bobby hadplannedit. He’d seen her yesterday while attending church, liked her dress, gone to the bakery, and requested a special order for today.
