Rescuing Darcie

Chapter 1 Darcie Burrows closed her eyes and held her breath counting to ten before exhaling. She opened her eyes, but the eviction notice still sat in her hand, staring her in the face with big, bold red letters. s**t. What was she going to do? She and her ex-fiancé Drew had bought this house together when they planned to marry. She should have sold it when he went missing on a mission six years ago, but she couldn’t bear to part with it. It was one of the last things they had done together before he left, was purchase and decorate it. Now it looked like she wouldn’t have a choice. Darcie wanted to sit and wallow in her grief but knew it wouldn’t change anything. She had been lucky to afford the house as long as she had. With only her modest income as a sales associate in North Carolina, she couldn’t keep up on the payments. It was only with the help of her mom and stepdad that she’d kept up on it all these years. They were getting older now and were thinking about moving to Florida to retire and couldn’t afford to pay her mortgage any longer. They had stopped helping her a few months ago to save up for themselves. Darcie couldn’t argue with that. They shouldn’t have been paying for her house. They had begged her to sell it multiple times, but she couldn’t. It was her last connection to Drew. Everything looked the same as it had when he left. His clothes still hung in the closest. His boots by his side of the bed. She kept hoping against hope he would come home, and she wanted things to be like they were when he left. As the years rolled by, she lost that hope, but she couldn’t bear to get rid of his things. She wouldn’t have a choice now except to get rid of his things. With her low pay and her boss unwilling to give her more hours, she fell further and further behind on her payments. The eviction notice said they were giving her 30 days. She didn’t even know where she’d go. She couldn’t live with her mother. Most apartments were too expensive to afford. Her options were limited. She briefly thought about calling Tony, Drew’s ex-teammate who visited her a few weeks ago, but quickly dismissed the thought. She wasn’t his problem. It was nice that he’d visited her, but he didn’t need to be burdened with her problems. She’d call Beth, a fellow widower, if Darcie could even call herself a widow. She’d know what to do. In the beginning, after the mission that killed all but one team member, most of the spouses kept in touch. After a few years, a few stopped returning phone calls, but Beth had been there for her. Always. She would tell her what to do. When Beth had lost Don, she poured all her energy into their farm and turned it into a thriving business. Darcie wished she had that kind of talent, but she didn’t. Her job wasn’t the greatest in the world, nor what she had planned for herself when she was younger, but it had been all she could get at the time when she moved here with Drew and hadn’t wanted to put herself out there and try something else. She was in her early thirties and didn’t want to have to start a new job. Darcie set down the notice and called Beth, hoping she would have some insightful suggestion that she hadn’t thought of, short of selling the house. Darcie didn’t see any other way around it, however. “Hello, Darcie,” Beth answered warmly. “Hi, Beth. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Beth was a busy woman running the farm. She could call back later. “Not at all. I always have time to talk,” Beth assured her. “What’s wrong?” “How do you know somethings wrong?” Darcie asked. Beth had crazy intuition that she always knew if something was wrong with someone. She knew what you were going to say before you did. It was uncanny. “It doesn’t matter how I know, just that I do. So tell me.” She was so authoritative like Don had been. She could see why they had gotten along so well. “I received an eviction notice. I have to be out in less than 30 days.” “Oh, Darcie that’s terrible,” Beth said stricken. Darcie felt tears choke her, but she held them back. “I don’t know where to go. I’ve lived here for just over six years. Everything I have is here.” “What do you need from me?” Beth asked without hesitation. “Money? A place to stay?” “I couldn’t ask you to do that, Beth. I just needed to talk to someone. I don’t have anyone here. I’m trying to think of a way out of this without losing my house.” Beth was a blessing in her life. She always knew what to say and gave the best advice. “Have you called Tony?” “I thought about it but say what? I’m losing my house will you take me in. I don’t want to be a charity case.” “No one would ever think that of you.” “I would.” “Just call him. I know you are hesitant to leave, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise. A fresh start would do you some good.” “I don’t know.” Darcie worried her bottom lip. She didn’t like change or unknowns. What choice did she have? She would be out of a house in a few weeks. Her job paid little, and she was miserable here. Maybe Beth had the right of it. “I’ll call him.” “Good. Tony is a sweet boy, and he went through a tough time losing the team. I think helping you will appease some of his guilt.” “I never blamed him.” Beth had been shocked when Tony showed up on her doorstep a few weeks ago. She hadn’t seen him since before the mission. He hadn’t even been there for the funerals. She had thought it was due to injuries but recently found out it was over the guilt that he survived when the others hadn’t. She had spent years trying to get over the loss of Drew. She wished she knew what had ever happened to him. The unknown was worse than knowing if he had died overseas. So many what-ifs instead of knowing. Many of the spouses got closure where she was plagued with wondering. Tony had told her to call him if she ever needed anything. She never thought she’d have cause, until now. She still didn’t feel she needed to burden him with her problems. Call it pride if you will, but she was out of options. “None of the wives did, but it doesn’t change how he felt. Just give him a call. Think of it as a vacation.” “With a rental truck?” Darcie joked. Beth laughed with her. “A fresh start would do you some good. Texas isn’t all that bad.” “Oh no. Snakes and heat. Not bad at all,” Darcie said dryly. “Beautiful forest, mild winter and close to friends, which is something you need,” Beth added without skipping a beat. “That does sound nice.” Especially the friend’s part. She missed being part of a group. After she lost Drew, she’d closed herself off from people. They eventually stopped coming to check on her and inviting her to get out of the house. She had done it to herself, but it didn’t change the fact it still hurt. She had met Tony’s fiancé, Alexia. She liked her. Maybe moving wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. She couldn’t take all of Drew’s things with her but maybe some of them. She looked down at the engagement ring she’d never taken off the solitaire diamond gleaming under the dining room light. She remembered the day he proposed to her. He was so nervous his hands shook as he placed the ring on her finger. “Darcie?” Beth asked, concerned when she had been quiet for too long. “Sorry, I’m here.” “Lost in thought?” Beth guessed. “Yeah,” “A good memory?” “One of my favorites. Drew proposing.” Darcie chuckled. “Ah,” Beth said knowingly. “A woman never forgets when her man proposes. I still remember when Don did almost twenty years ago.” “How did he?” Darcie had never heard how Beth had met Don. She had never asked over the years they had met over barbeques. After Don died, it had seemed insensitive to ask. Now she was curious. “Another time.” Beth’s voice warbled. Talking about Don did that to her. She loved him so much. Still did. Darcie felt guilty for bringing it up. She should have known better. “I’m sorry, Beth.” “Don’t be. I have to go. Someone’s at the door. Let me know how your talk with Tony goes. If Texas doesn’t work out, you always have a place here,” Beth said before hanging up. Darcie sat in indecision for several minutes. To call Tony or not? What was the worst thing he’d say? No, and she would have to find somewhere else to go. Shaking off the nerves, Darcie called the number Tony had left on a piece of paper. “Darcie,” he answered surprised. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” His surprise morphed into concern. “I’m alright.” She tried to sound upbeat but knew it sounded strained. “No, that’s not true. I need your help.”