“If you see something I’ve done wrong, please let me know,” she said as she handed him the file.

“You’re done?”

“Mr. Keller, I take my work seriously.”

“Call me Ed.”

“Mr.…” She let out a breath. “Eduardo, I…”

“No. Just call me Ed.”

Darcy dropped her shoulders. “Ed,” she paused on the name. “You had a phone call while you were on a call. Ms. Simone Keller.”

“Ah, what did she want?”

“To remind you of the benefit on Saturday night.”

Ed slouched in his seat. “Damn, I forgot all about that.”

“She sounded French.”

That made him smile. “She is. Ever hear of Pierpont Oil?”

“Sure.”

“She’s the heir.”

Darcy nodded slowly and narrowed her brows. “But her last name is Keller. Relative of yours?”

“My aunt.”

“Oh, I remember that name. John mentioned her.”

He blew out a deep breath. “Do you have a nice dress?”

Darcy’s expression changed, and her cheeks turned red. He’d seen that face. Somehow he’d triggered her anger again.

“Why do I need a nice dress? Am I not dressed appropriately?”

“Simmer down. I thought I’d take you with me on Saturday.”

“Are you asking me to go to this benefit with you as a guest? Or are you ordering me as an employee?”

Well, she did have a point. Perhaps this was why he didn’t have a woman in his life. He sucked at subtly getting his point across.

“I’d like to ask you to accompany me to the benefit on Saturday.”

“Then ask me.”

Wow, she was a piece of work. “Darcy, would you please be my guest at my Aunt’s fundraising gala on Saturday?”

“My calendar is empty. I would love to be your guest.”

Darcy was more than a little surprised to find furniture in her apartment when she returned home. Oh, she’d expected a ratty couch and a folding chair, but she had a fully furnished apartment!

There was a leather couch with a matching chair in the living room. In the center of the room was a coffee table, complete with a hearty cactus plant.

A stand with a decent TV sat against the wall. She now had a kitchen table and even a real bed. This family was amazing.

She’d gone upstairs to at least thank Christian, figuring he had some part in it, but he wasn’t home. How was she supposed to thank this family?

Perhaps she’d see them all at the fundraiser on Saturday.

A few hours later, after having had her first real meal in her new home, she heard the door close upstairs.

With fresh cups of coffee in her hands, one for her and one for Christian, she started up the outside steps to his door.

Once she was there, with both hands full, she decided the only way to knock was with her foot. She gently kicked the back door.

Christian must have been upstairs by the time she knocked because she could hear him stomp downstairs and through the kitchen. When he flung the door open, he was standing there in nothing but a towel, which thankfully was wrapped around his waist.

Her mouth went dry and she tried to swallow, but it only choked her instead.

When she could, she looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I was being neighborly and brought by a cup of coffee. But I can see you’re very busy, so I’ll…”

“Come in. I’ll only be three minutes.”

She stepped into the house, and he closed the door behind her.

“Have a seat.” He pointed to the kitchen table.

Christian hurried away, and Darcy sat at the table. This wasn’t really what she’d had in mind when she wanted to say thank you to his family. But he was comfortable, and so she sat and waited.

He was right. He’d only needed three minutes, and he was showered, dressed, and seated in front of her.

“I hope it’s still hot. I could go get a fresh one,” she said as he lifted the mug to his lips.

“It’s good.” He took a sip. “Ah, you’re a weak coffee drinker, huh?”

“Weak?”

“More like tea than coffee. But good.”

She nodded. Her own father used to say that, didn’t he? Well, the man she’d grown up thinking was her father.

Her shoulders dropped as she thought about the deceit. She hadn’t been furious since she’d found out about it, but being around the Kellers made her angry about her situation. She missed her mother and she loved her father, but why had someone given her up and not given her a family like the one she was being taken in by? An only child of two aging parents wasn’t the same as what the Kellers had.

She sipped her coffee again. There was no need to get worked up. She had a perfectly good life. There was just a lot of red tape around it.

“So, why did you really come up here? You look a bit out of sorts,” Christian said.

Darcy snapped her head up. “Oh, I’m sorry. Lot on my mind. But I did want to come and thank you all for the furniture. As you’re the only Keller around, I thought I’d start with you.”

He laughed. “Really I had nothing to do with that. I let them in the house. John, Arianna, and Regan did the rest.”

“I’ll have to thank them too then.”

“Do you have plans Saturday night? I happen to know where they will all be.”

She smiled at him. “As a matter of fact, I do have plans.”

“Oh.” His eyebrows drew together as he took a sip of his coffee. “I need a date and was going to ask you.”

“To Simone’s fundraiser?”

He looked up at her. “You sure do know your stuff.”

She laughed. “I’ve already been invited. I will be accompanying…”

“He moves fast.”

“To be honest, I think I’m going as an employee, not as a date. He was a little uncomfortable going, and he’s really bad at asking.”

“No kidding.” Christian leaned in closer to her. “I told you he had a soft spot for you.”

Her jaw tensed.

Christian sat back. “But that really kills my plans. I was hoping to ask you to go. Now I have to find a date or go stag.”

“You could go with us.”

He laughed. “Third wheel was never my style.”