Page 22 of Her Snowbound Hero

“This place is a far cry from messy. It’s hard to believe two bachelors live here.”

“Yeah, well, you can thank Ethan for that. He has a neat streak a mile wide. Just make yourself at home. When the snow lets up, we’ll get you where you want to be.”

Such a gentleman. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now I’m going to go grab a shower. While I do that, why don’t you go call your mother?” Garret walked to the counter and jotted something down on a notepad beside the phone. “Maybe you’ll feel better if you hear her voice. Here’s the number to give her.”

It was a sweet thing to say. And for a guy who obviously loved his family and was obviously loved by them, she supposed that would be the case, but her mom? They really weren’t that close. Although, to be fair, she did say she’d help watch the baby. Darcy accepted the slip of paper and smiled. “Thanks.”

As she watched him leave the kitchen Garret seemed like true hero material. The manners, the consideration. His unbelievable good looks—a regular Raoul Bova look-alike. What more could a girl ask? If all Garret’s brothers resembled him…Da—

Shaking her head, she remembered her vow to clean up her language. She so did not want her baby sounding like a guest onJerry Springer.Her life had had more than its share of swear-perfect moments, but it was time to change; otherwise, her baby’s first word would be of the four-letter variety.

Darcy left the kitchen and made her way to Garret’s bedroom to the phone, smiling at the sound of Garret whistling farther down the hall. Door shut, her footsteps dragged as she made her way over to the bed.Come on, Mom, be home. Be there for me.

Seconds later she waited and counted the rings. Two. Three. Four.Pick up!A click sounded, then her mother’s recorded message played. Wherewasshe? Surely her mother wasn’t off with another new guy? Darcy supported the idea of her mom finding true love and living happily ever after. But that was unlikely to happen with the losers her mother seemed to gravitate to.

The beep sounded. “Hi, Mom, it’s me. Are you there? Pick up, it’s important.” She twisted the phone cord around her finger. “I’m still in Tennessee. My car has to be towed and repaired, and—The hospital released me last night, but I’m stuck in the snowstorm.”

Out of nowhere, hope soared. Was her mom on her way here to check on her? Had her mom finally put Darcy ahead of her latest guy?Please, just once let me come first.“Call me as soon as you get my messages, okay?Call me.” She left the number and murmured goodbye, hating the tears that thickened her voice toward the end.

She couldn’t help it though. Everyone deserved at least one grand gesture in their life. Deserved to have someone, a loved one, do something big, somethingmeaningful,that showed them how much they were loved. Something that declared loud and clear, “Screw the world, you’re more important!”

Lying back on the bed, she squirmed until she was comfortable, and sighed, tired even though she woke up only a little while ago. “I’ll do anything for you, Jordan. I’ll give you so many grand gestures you won’t ever doubt you’re loved,” she whispered, rubbing her stomach. “I just want someone to do the same for me.”

Chapter 9

TOBY WIPEDthe sweat from his forehead and stared at Jocelyn. He had no business being here. People would talk if they found out, speculate about what happened between him and his best friend’s almost-fiancée during these hours alone.

“Something wrong?”

Pulled from his thoughts, he searched her upturned face for any sign of the teenage bitch she’d been. Surprisingly, he didn’t see a trace of the girl who’d received a BMW for her sweet sixteen. “Is it straight?”

Jocelyn took a few steps back and eyed the section of gallery wall they’d been working on. “Tilt it to the right just a smidge.”

Who knew it took this much effort to decorate awall?They’d finished painting the one wall, assembled some shelving units, then started the tedious process of unpacking, displaying and hanging—and rehanging—the art. Sighing, he did as ordered.

“Wait. Back the other way. Perfect!” She gave him a million-dollar smile, and he thought back to middle school when her mouth had been full of braces. He’d had them at the time, too, and more than once he’d dreamed of locking metal with her.

She tucked her hair behind her shell-shaped ear, drawing his attention to the one-carat diamond studs in her lobes. Garret hadn’t blinked at the price of those. Over the past couple of years his buddy had dragged Toby into many jewelry stores to help pick something out for Jocelyn. Fact was, Toby had been the one to choose these earrings for her. They’d reminded him of her when he’d spied them—elegant and tasteful. Classy.

The same was true with the engagement ring Garret had purchased but had yet to give her. Garret had bought the damn thing, butTobyhad been the one who’d selected it after shaking his head at the ugly monstrosity Garret had favored. Didn’t Garret know Jocelyn’s tastes at all?

“Are you going to stay up there all day?”

He didn’t move. “Depends. You got anything else you want done?”

Her cheeks blushed prettily when she looked at her watch and gasped. “Oh, it’s late! Where did the time go?” She gaped up at him. “Tobias, I’m so sorry. I had no idea the day had flown by. I was just so happy to be getting things done.”

He’d noticed. That was why he’d stayed. Because she’d given him so many smiles and glances from beneath her long lashes. Because doing these tasks had made her happy and he’d liked seeing her happy. Maybe a little too much. “I’m glad to have helped.”

“Well, I’m sorry to have kept you so long. With this storm it’s going to take you forever and a day to get home.” She smoothed a hand over her hair, drawing attention to the clasp she’d stuck back in.

He’d wanted to remove the thing all day, make her look the way she had that morning. She’d been more approachable then, whereas now she looked almost uncomfortable in her own skin. A little girl playing dress-up; her hair fixed—if messier than normal—lipstick in place. A smudge on the pantsuit she’d worn to muck around the gallery. Who worked in pantsuits, and designer ones at that?

“Is something wrong? You’re frowning.”

Caught unaware, he shook his head. “Don’t you own any sweats?”

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