Page 54 of One Golden Ring
“It’s what family does,” I say, shrugging. “She would have done the same for me.”
“Lots of people say stuff like that,” he says quietly. “Very few people actually sacrifice anything real for their family.”
I think of his globetrotting parents and nod slowly. When his wife passed and he needed them he was on his own. Knowing Derek the way I do now I’m sure he never asked, but I can see where he’s coming from.
“For me the sacrifice has already paid off,” I tell him. “Johnny and George are doing really well. It was worth getting creative about how to start my career.”
“Wait, isthatwhy you never finished college?” he asks.
I bite my lip and nod. I didn’t mean to bring that up, but I guess if we’re getting to know each other it makes sense that he’d want to know about it.
“Wow,” he says. “I had no idea. That’s actually very noble.”
“Did you think I flunked out or something?” I ask him.
I shared my transcripts when I applied for jobs. My grades were great right up until I left. I just didn’t make any excuses. I figured potential employers might think I was lying even if I did say why I’d left, or even worse, looking for sympathy.
“No,” he tells me. “I just knew the reason was personal. You should have told me.”
“It doesn’t really matter why,” I tell him.
“It matters to me,” he says.
I feel a warm wave of acceptance wash over me and I glance up from the hook I’m holding, gratitude squeezing my heart as I look into his dark eyes.
How did I spend every day with this wonderful man and never really know him until now?
17
DEREK
Darcy is looking at me like I’m the answer to all her prayers and it takes all of my self-control to keep from sweeping her into my arms.
She wants acceptance, that’s all.
“Life doesn’t always go the way you planned,” I say, tearing my eyes from hers.
“Your wife,” she says softly.
I nod. In spite of the feelings for Darcy that I can’t seem to restrain, I still feel the same deep sense of loss for Addie I always do whenever I remember that I won’t see her again on this earth. I guess I always will.
“I’m so sorry,” she says.
She means it.
But she also understands what it is to miss someone so viscerally. I remember about six months after she started working with me, when I found her sobbing in the supply closet one afternoon. I asked what was wrong and she said she missed her family and my own heartached. She probably thought I’d fire her for disappearing like that, but instead we never talked about it again.
I’m sure now that she was thinking of Mandy and the babies. She helped to raise them and now she hardly sees them.
And that’s my fault. I ask too much of her. Just because the business is my whole life isn’t an excuse to think it should be that way for everyone. And honestly, after this time with my family I’m starting to realize that it shouldn’t even be that way for me.
I vow to do better in the future. I’ll make sure she has plenty of opportunities to see the people she loves.
“No one plans to lose someone important,” she says softly, bringing me back to the moment.
“No, but my plans went off the rails even before that,” I say. “I was a teacher before I got into the video game industry. Did you know that?”
“It’s on the website,” she says with a smile. “I couldn’t really picture it before, but after seeing you and J.B. making those ornaments, I get it now.”
