Wild Embrace (Wilder Irish #11) - Mari Carr Page 0,33

Ryder’s tongue to give Leo his standard “I’m fine” response, but he didn’t. Ever since he’d kissed Darcy—again—on the couch Leo was now sitting on, he’d been kicking his own ass, half the time for kissing her, the other half for pushing her away.

He’d taken the coward’s way out all week, opting to work at the stadium again—for the second week in a row—something he couldn’t continue to do. This coming week he was going to have to bite the bullet and return to the office.

He felt the need to talk about some of the shit rumbling around in his head, and Leo was the closest thing he had to a friend. “I need some advice.”

Leo’s raised eyebrows spoke to how seldom Ryder asked for personal help. “You got it. What’s up?”

“I can’t seem to stop kissing Darcy.”

“Yvonne’s cousin Darcy?” Leo’s mild astonishment over Ryder asking for advice was nothing compared to his outright shock now.

“We got trapped in the elevator at work on Halloween, during that power outage. One thing led to another, and I kissed her.”

“Wow. Have to admit I didn’t see that coming. I mean, I’ve always sort of suspected Darcy had a thing for you, a crush or something, but you’ve never seemed interested in dating.”

Ryder wasn’t interested in dating, but that wasn’t the part of Leo’s statement that caught his attention. “A crush?”

Leo shrugged casually. “She’s never said anything. Neither has Yvonne. It’s just a feeling I got whenever I saw you two together.”

“Do you think she’s too young for me?”

Leo shook his head. “No. I don’t think age matters. You’re both adults. Is that what’s bothering you?”

“No. It’s not.” He was latching onto the age thing as an excuse—a lame one at that. The more time he spent with Darcy, the more he found himself struggling to recall that she was younger. And he hadn’t thought of her as the babysitter since Halloween.

Leo leaned forward. “So that can’t stop kissing her comment makes me think these make-out sessions weren’t limited to the elevator.”

“I’m attracted to her. I haven’t felt that spark toward a woman since…”

Leo nodded in understanding. He didn’t need to hear the words. “Denise has been gone four years, Ryder. To some, that might seem like a long time, but if you don’t think you’re ready to move on—”

“That’s not—” Ryder stopped himself mid-sentence, very nearly confessing it wasn’t Denise’s death, but her betrayal that had kept him from seeking out other women. That and the goddamned impotence he hadn’t managed to overcome until…Darcy. “That’s not a problem.”

“Is it Clint holding you back? Because I’ll admit, I had those same concerns about Vince when I started dating Yvonne. It’s hard to start a relationship when there’s a kid involved, you know. I mean, if things go south, it’s not just your heart that’s broken.”

In truth, Ryder hadn’t even considered that argument because before he’d started this conversation with Leo, he’d been dead set against dating Darcy, period. But now…it felt like he was actually considering it. “I hadn’t thought about that. Clint adores Darcy. Maybe I shouldn’t disrupt the status quo, because I wouldn’t want to jeopardize their relationship. If things didn’t work out—”

“I don’t think that’s something you have to worry about,” Leo interjected. “Darcy’s crazy about the boys, and I can’t see her walking away from them, even if things between you two didn’t work out. Plus, with Yvonne and I living here—”

“Darcy would still come over to visit.”

“Yeah. She would. She’s family. Ryder…what is it that’s bothering you about this?”

“I know what Darcy wants from a relationship, and I’m not sure I’m capable of giving it to her.”

“What does she want?”

“Love. Romance. Forever.”

Leo leaned back, frowning slightly. “Were you and Denise happy together?”

Leo’s question blindsided him.

Denise was one topic neither of them had ever broached with each other. Leo had dated Denise all through high school, and her pregnancy with Vince hadn’t been planned. Leo had proposed to her on the spot, just as Ryder had when she’d told him she was pregnant with Clint. However, she’d rejected Leo’s proposal.

Ryder had had a lot of time to reflect on Denise’s character the past few years, looking at her through a veil of anger, and the picture he’d painted of her wasn’t a pretty one. After high school graduation, Leo was going to work on the family farm, college not part of his plans. Denise was obviously aiming higher.

He recalled that she’d been very impressed by his MBA, and after