Page 3 of Agent of the Heart (Hearts in Hawthorne #3)

Chapter

One

KANSAS CITY—SEPTEMBER

D arby Montgomery disembarked from the plane and bypassed the luggage carousels.

Having her luggage lost twice over her many years of traveling had convinced her to be a carryon-only passenger.

She rolled her suitcase beside her now, backpack slung over one shoulder.

As she walked, she opened her rideshare app and scheduled a pickup.

Thankfully, a driver was near and retrieved her within three minutes.

During the ride to her office, she scrolled through her emails, answering a few of them. She also texted Mitch Gary, whom she’d been seeing casually for several months now, letting him know she was back in town and asking if he’d like to get together tonight for drinks or dinner.

Dating had been difficult ever since she’d graduated from college a decade ago.

For nine of those years, Darby had traveled extensively, often gone on weekends.

A guy would ask her out. They would go and have a great time.

And then she’d be tied up, teaching cheer clinics across the country for the next three weekends.

By the time she was free to see him again, he had already moved on.

Because of that, she hadn’t been really serious with anyone.

Mitch had potential, though. He was an assistant district attorney in Kansas City.

Because he was dedicated and also worked long hours, he understood her commitment to work.

Thankfully, she’d received a promotion a few months ago, which meant not as much travel.

She did have to be in Dallas early next week for some meetings, however.

Because of that, she would take tomorrow and Friday off and head to her hometown of Hawthorne, Texas, which was only about ninety minutes from Dallas.

Her aunt and uncle lived there, along with her brother Sawyer and two of her three cousins.

She was ready to get in some family time and see them over the long Labor Day weekend before attending her business meetings.

Mitch was in the middle of a murder trial, working insane hours, so she didn’t feel bad about being gone this weekend.

Drinks only. Maybe some apps? Swamped with this trial. Luciano’s? 7?

He’d named an Italian restaurant in downtown, close to both his office and the courthouse. Darby texted a thumbs up, knowing that’s all she needed to do to confirm. As intense as he was in the courtroom, Mitch was easygoing outside it. That’s one of the reasons she liked spending time with him.

Her driver pulled up at the Cheer USA national offices, and she brought her luggage into the lobby. Avoiding the elevators, she took a flight of stairs down to the parking garage and left her things inside her trunk. Going upstairs, she went to her office, where her assistant greeted her.

“Messages are on your desk. I prioritized them, so start at the top. I’ve got a dental appointment and need to leave now.”

“Are you getting your permanent crown in?”

“Yes. Finally. See you tomorrow, Darby.”

She settled behind her desk, going through all her messages first. Then her cell rang. She saw it was her cousin.

Answering, she said, “Hey, Autumn. How are things in Hawthorne? Better yet, how are you and Eli doing? I can’t wait to see you and meet him.”

“We’re getting married!”

“Whoa! That’s terrific news. Congratulations. When is the wedding? I’ll put it on my calendar now so I can work around it.”

“This weekend,” Autumn said surprising Darby. “It’s crazy last minute, but we only want close family there anyway. With Summer coming in from New York and you arriving too, Eli and I thought it would be the perfect time to say our I do’s.”

A small wave of envy rippled through her. Darby wished she could find someone to share her life with. She quickly tamped it down, truly excited for her cousin.

“I’m really happy for you, Autumn. I can’t wait to meet Eli in person.”

“It’ll be Saturday afternoon in Mom and Dad’s backyard. You should see the flowers this year, Darby. A kaleidoscope of color. The perfect backdrop.”

“What should I wear?”

“It’s casual. Not shorts and T-shirt casual, but maybe a sundress. It’s still hot as blazes in Texas.” Autumn laughed. “We might even invite everyone over to swim after the ceremony.”

“Okay. I know what to pack. I land at DFW tomorrow afternoon. No need to get me. I plan to rent a car. I’ll stay with your parents or Sawyer this weekend and then drive back to Dallas for a couple of days of meetings.”

“Sounds good. Just wanted to let you know before you got here.”

“I’m glad you did. And I can hear how happy you are, Autumn.”

“Eli makes me giddy, Darby. I’ve never felt this way before. We’re madly in love. See you soon. Bye!”

The connection ended. She was thrilled Autumn had found someone who made her feel loved and treasured.

Her first husband certainly hadn’t. The entire family had disliked Dr. Flint Ferris, but everyone had kept their opinions to themselves, wanting to stand by Autumn and her decision.

Flint had been self-centered and cheated on his wife.

Autumn had the guts to stand up to him and demand a divorce.

She’d left her nursing job in Houston and returned home to Hawthorne, where she’d landed a job as Director of Nursing for a hospital which had been recently built in town.

Eli was the medical director for the facility.

Sawyer really liked Eli, and her brother was an excellent judge of character.

Darby finished up some correspondence and then wandered down the hall to Peggy Mortimer’s office. The CEO’s door was open, and Peggy’s assistant waved Darby in.

Peggy was on the phone, but she motioned for Darby to have a seat. She finished her call and hung up.

“How was your trip to Chicago?”

“Promising.”

She’d been sent to talk to the CEO of another national cheer organization. Peggy had high hopes of merging the two groups.

“I’ll write up my report tonight and email it to you, but I think we have a solid chance of uniting our organizations.”

“Not tonight,” Peggy said. “Take a break. You work long hours, Darby. I don’t want you to burn out.”

Actually, she was already at that point.

After ten years of working for Cheer USA—not counting the summers she and her best friend Kelby had gone around the country teaching cheer camps—she was getting itchy feet.

The travel had gotten old. She didn’t feel challenged anymore.

Now with Kelby recently returning to Hawthorne and marrying and now Autumn doing the same, Darby felt the pull to return to Hawthorne and put roots down, as well.

She wanted to find a good man. Even start a family.

And possibly put her teaching degree to use.

“All right. I’ll work on it tomorrow first thing. No detail will be left out.”

Peggy laughed. “You’re a perfectionist, Darby. That’s what I love about you.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She returned to her office, seeing it was time to leave to meet Mitch.

She stopped by the restroom and freshened her makeup, spritzing some perfume on her wrists and rubbing them together.

Though she was tired, she felt she owed it to Mitch to see him before she left town again.

He was a nice guy. Funny. Sweet. But the spark she had hoped would develop hadn’t so far.

Maybe it was time to cut bait—and think about shaking things up in her life.

It was quicker to walk the three blocks to Luciano’s than drive, plus it saved her from having to find a parking spot.

She entered the dark restaurant and checked in with the hostess.

Mitch wasn’t there yet, so she went to the bar and took a seat in a booth for two.

As she did, she got a text from Mitch saying he was on his way.

Darby ordered a glass of Chardonnay for herself and a beer for Mitch. She also asked for the sampler appetizer to be brought. It had a variety of items, such as fried mozzarella sticks, calamari, and toasted ravioli.

“I’ll bring you some bread and olive oil, too,” the server told her.

Mitch arrived just as their drinks and the bread did, looking a little rumpled. He sat, immediately reaching for his beer and downing half of it.

“Are you just thirsty, or do you really need that?” Darby asked, sipping her white wine.

“Both,” he replied.

“How is the case going?”

“We rested the state’s case today. Just before noon. The judge had some appointment this afternoon, so she said court would resume tomorrow with the defense needing to be ready to put on their portion of the trial.”

“Have you got a good read on the jury?”

“Yes and no,” he said, taking another swig of beer and then reaching for a roll, breaking off a piece and dipping it into the olive oil.

“Eight of them I’ve got a handle on. The other four?

Not so much. Usually by this time, I do know which way most are leaning, by watching their body language and facial expressions. These four baffle me.”

As Mitch went into detail, explaining why, their appetizer platter arrived.

“Thanks for ordering this. If I’m inhaling things too fast, slap my hand.”

She laughed. “Will do.”

They talked about the jury some more and the points the prosecution had driven home. By now, the platter was empty. Mitch had eaten without thinking, something she knew he did when he was heavily involved in a case or when he had something on his mind.

“Darby?” He looked her square in the eyes. “We need to talk.”

Instinct told her to prepare herself because a breakup was coming. “What’s up, Mitch?”

“You know I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. You’re so easy to talk to. You get my jokes. You’re committed to work, and you get that I work long hours. You’ve never been demanding.”

“But?”

He shrugged. “We went into this saying we wanted to keep it casual. I almost thought I might push things to see if you wanted to be a little more serious, but ...” His voice trailed off. “Something happened. With Jessica.”

She knew Jessica was his former girlfriend.

They’d gone to college together and dated for three years.

When Mitch had opted to attend law school, Jessica had enrolled in med school.

From that point on, they had been off and on over the next five years, trying to make things work while living in different cities, both deeply immersed in their studies.

They’d finally decided to call things off between them.

Mitch hadn’t dated anyone seriously since he’d ended his relationship with Jessica.

“Are you back together?” she asked. “I get it if you are. She’s been a big part of your life.”

Mitch nodded. “You’re the last obstacle to that. Jess has finished up her residency and some kind of post-training. She knows I’m wedded to staying in Kansas City. I’ve worked too hard to walk away now.” He hesitated. “She’s willing to come here. To try again.”

Darby placed her hand over Mitch’s. “I think that’s a great idea, Mitch. You’ve never really gotten over her. Do you still love her?”

“I think so.” He paused, shaking his head. “No, I know so. And it’s not fair to you.”

“The heart wants what the heart wants,” she said, squeezing his fingers and then removing her hand. “You both had some busy years, training in your separate professions and then diving into demanding jobs. I think you owe it to each other to give your relationship another chance.”

“You aren’t mad?” he asked.

She smiled. “I could never be mad at you, Mitch. We’ve had some good times.

Enjoyed one another’s company. Whether it could have developed into something more serious is beside the point.

Jessica’s free and willing to come to Kansas City.

I think that speaks volumes. Besides, I’ve been contemplating a career change myself.

It would most likely mean a move back to Texas for me. So let’s part friends, okay?”

Mitch smiled. “You are the best, Darby.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I hope you find whatever—and whoever—you’re looking for.”

“I do, too,” she said softly, glad that they were ending things on a positive note.

The server appeared. “Can I get you another drink? Dessert?”

“No, just the check,” Mitch said, looking at Darby. “I’ve got to get back to the office. The first witness the defense will call is full of technical testimony. I want to be on my toes for whatever unfolds.”

“And I’ve got a report to write,” she told him. “It looks as if the chance for Cheer USA to merge with another national organization is a strong possibility.”

He paid the bill and walked outside with her. Taking her hand, Mitch said, “I’m sorry this didn’t work between us.”

She had always been like one of the guys.

Comfortable with men. Able to talk sports with them.

No one guy had ever grabbed her attention and made her sit up, thinking he’s the one.

Darby knew she could have married Mitch and even been happy with him.

But it wouldn’t have been a grand, passionate love.

Leaning up on tiptoes, she brushed her lips against his cheek. “I hope you and Jessica make it, Mitch. I’ll be rooting for you.”

She walked away, feeling a little sad. A little lonely.

But she knew it was for the best. At thirty-two, it was time to turn her eyes to her future.

To seriously consider if it were time to walk away from Cheer USA and put her teaching certificate to good use.

She would talk with both Kelby and Sawyer about it this weekend. Attend her meetings in Dallas.

And maybe by then, she would have a clear idea of exactly what she wanted out of her future.