And Then Forever by Shirley Jump Page A

doing?”
    “Walking down the street with you. We just happen to be going to the same place.”
    “That isn’t what I meant and you know it. We dated seven years ago. We broke up, moved on with our lives, and now you’re here just for a little while. Why try to get close to me again?”
    He glanced over at her, and held her gaze for a long moment. “Maybe because we have unfinished business.”
    “So that’s what this is? Closure?”
    “Maybe.” He let out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair. “The summer I spent here with you was the happiest summer of my life. And right now, I’d like just a little of that back.”
    The happiest summer of his life? Was that true? And why did she care? “We can’t—”
    “I’m not asking you to marry me, Darcy. Just have dinner. Drinks. Catch up.”
    Marry him? Once upon a time, she had dreamed of that. Wanted to be with Kincaid for the rest of her life. That was the silly romantic side of her, a side that knew better now. Well, she knew better until he kissed her, then all her sensible thoughts disappeared and she was eighteen all over again. “Is that what that kiss was?” she asked him. “Catching up?”
    “That kiss was…closure.”
    The word stung a little this time. Which made no sense. If Kincaid got closure, then he would leave her alone and she could go back to her regular life, and Emma wouldn’t have to stay in the house every day, and the constant worry in her gut would abate. “Well, good. I’m glad.”
    But was she? Or did a part of her want another kiss? And another after that? More?
    The happiest summer in his life. She wanted to say, it was for me, too , but doing that would open the door to Kincaid, and she couldn’t do that. Not now. Not Ever.
    The Love Shack came into view. Darcy didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. “Who was staying at your house?” Because if it was a wife or something else, she would have a clearcut reason to leave him in her dust.
    Kincaid let out a long breath. “Can I trust you?”
    “Of course.” It hurt a little that he even had to ask the question, but they hadn’t been together in a long time, and she wasn’t trusting him a whole lot, either.
    “My sister was in an abusive marriage. She’s pregnant, and I brought her to get away from him and have some peace until the baby is born.”
    It was such a sweet, wonderful thing for him to do. “Wow. Really? But Abby always seemed so strong.”
    “She is. And I think she’s finding out just how strong she is now.” Worry reflected in his eyes.
    Darcy put a hand on Kincaid’s arm. “She’s lucky to have you.”
    He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “She needed me, and I was there. Simple as that. I’m sure you would have done the same thing.”
    Would she have? Kincaid had stepped into the middle of what was probably a firestorm, whisked his sister away and put his entire life on hold to take care of her. Not to mention, she was pregnant, which added a whole other dimension of concern and responsibility.
    It made Darcy wonder—if she had told Kincaid the truth all those years ago, would he have done the same for her? Risked everything, for her and their baby?
    Maybe he was a far better and stronger man than she had ever given him credit for. “What about your job?”
    He shrugged again. “It’ll wait. And if not…well, there’s always a need for lawyers.”
    She shook her head. This was a more mature, more considerate and caring Kincaid than she had known before. “I don’t know that a lot of people would walk away from their job like that. It’s a good thing, Kincaid.”
    “Thanks.” He seemed almost embarrassed by the praise. That endeared him to her even more, damn it.
    They were standing in the parking lot of The Love Shack, and she knew she should leave. That she shouldn’t let this one kind thing he had done sway her toward him. Because right now, she was swayed—very swayed. So she did what she knew how to do