Chapter Nine

Darci glanced around her office, her former office, barely seeing the furniture that had served during her stepfather’s reign as president. The effects of total defeat numbed her emotions. She hadn’t thought the board would replace her, had honestly believed she and Cole stood a reasonable chance of winning.

Too unnerved to indulge herself with the release offered by anger or tears, she simply stood by the desk, waiting for something, anything, to break through her shattered emotions. Several years of her life had been focused on what this room represented, but nothing here really belonged to her.

With an odd sense of detachment, she picked up her nameplate, grabbed her purse and turned to face Cole. “I’m finished, let’s get out of here.”

“That’s all you’re taking?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She went out into the front office, not noticing whether Cole was following or not.

“Alex, thanks.” She held out her hand.

Alex’s jaw hardened. “I don’t think—”

“Please, don’t. Just wish me luck. I hate goodbyes.”

He finally put his hand in hers and squeezed her fingers gently. “Good luck, Darci. Maybe now you can get caught up on your sleep.” He turned to Cole. “Take care of her, she’s special.”

“I know.” Cole’s hand settled at the small of her back.

She heard Cole’s words, but couldn’t dredge up any response to his approval. Her world had just been ripped out from under her, and she felt like she was in a free fall with no chance of finding a parachute. And she had no clue what to expect when she hit the ground.

“Do you want lunch?” Cole took her keys from her limp fingers and guided her to the passenger seat of her car.

Willing to let him take charge until she could make her brain work again, Darci shook her head, trying to force all her concentration on the traffic swirling around her. If she took the next few days one minute at a time, she just might stand a chance of surviving.

When the car stopped, she looked around in confusion. “What are we doing at the hospital?”

Cole shifted in the seat, then raised his gaze to meet hers. The hesitation, the fear, the doubt, were all reflected in his eyes. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet.”

Searching for answers, but coming up with nothing that made sense, Darci frowned, waiting silently for him to explain.

His gaze slipped away from hers, and he stared blindly across the parking lot. “I have a daughter, a beautiful five-year-old girl named Mandy.”

The words fell into her thoughts, but Darci had to repeat them to herself several times before they made sense. The news articles she’d collected had never mentioned a daughter.