It would be a bold move, the grandest and most public of gestures, but his words landed square on her heart. Feeling encouraged by her earlier exchange with Elizabeth, Devyn found the confidence to take the leap. Because Bobby was right. She did have a heartfelt tale to tell.
“Hold my mug?” she asked Jill, who stared at her in mystification.
After a story from a ten-year-old about a lost pet that was found, and the tale of Mrs. Eckhart winning two thousand dollars in the state lottery, she was up. She took the microphone in her hand and found her poise. She’d always been a confident speaker, a skill required for her job.
“My story isn’t full of twists and turns, but it’s a story of one person changing the life of another. I hope you’ll indulge me.” A room full of interested faces perked up. Many nodded their encouragement. She saw her old high school friends in a clump eying her with intense curiosity. Elizabeth, at the back of the pavilion next to KC and her family, blinked in apparent disbelief. “There was once a jaded out-of-towner, used to the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced world, where people didn’t take a lot of time for one another. Transactions mattered, and convenience was everything. She didn’t know, that particular out-of-towner, just how much of life she was missing until she met someone who was much wiser than she was. The wiser woman also came with the biggest heart the out-of-towner had ever seen. She put other people first. She looked after her neighbors and made friends everywhere she went. Slowly but surely, the out-of-towner fell in love, but it terrified her, and she didn’t give into it, which is a horrible thing to do.” There was some nodding in the crowd. She took a moment to gather herself.
To cover the silence, someone yelled out, “You got this, Devyn.”
She smiled nervously with gratitude and continued. She hadn’t looked in Elizabeth’s direction since she’d started her story, but she did so now. She was attentive, and listening, but her expression was unreadable. She pressed on. “No one should ever run away from love, it’s the reason we’re all here. So that out-of-towner plans to do everything she can to be a better person, to enjoy each and every moment life has to offer. The wise woman taught her to. It was the best decision she ever made. She didn’t want to be on the outside looking in any longer.” She smiled at the people in the crowd. “You probably get that the person I’m describing is me. I’m happy to be a resident of Dreamer’s Bay again, and all I hope to do in the world is to make her happy from today until forever.” As she set the microphone back onto its stand, she was met with applause as people turned immediately to Elizabeth, who blinked back at them with a reserved smile. Cricket looked like she’d been hit with a two-by-four of shock and awe, which Devyn derived a good bit of satisfaction from.
She descended from the small stage, and Thalia Perkins caught her by the arm as she passed. “So, I guess what you’re saying is that I blew it?”
Devyn met her gaze. “You have no idea how much. But I’m eternally grateful for your oversight and loss.” She smiled and headed off in search of Elizabeth, needing to see her face, look her in the eye, and say the words directly to her. It was time. But when she found KC at the back of the pavilion, she and her family stood alone.
“She left, Devyn,” KC said, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t think she’s capable of putting herself out there again. I’m sorry. She’s been through a lot, you know.”
Devyn nodded, feeling like she’d been hit in the chest with a ton of bricks. The speech had been a bad idea. Elizabeth wasn’t where she was, and maybe wouldn’t be again. “Ah. Well…” Her gaze found the ground. “A swing and a miss.”
“It was a good speech,” Dr. Dan said, with an apologetic smile.
She nodded her thanks. “You all have a nice night.”
As she worked her way through the crowd to the exit, she felt all eyes on her. She wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed that she’d spoken her truth in front of hundreds of friends and neighbors. No. She was only concerned with the reaction of one person, and now it was feeling like maybe she’d been wrong all along. Elizabeth had been friendly and polite in response to all of her efforts to win her back, because that was what Elizabeth did. It was who she was as a person. It was time for Devyn to step back and understand that maybe there was no coming back from her behavior.
“You all right?” Jill asked as she passed.
There was a lump in her throat but she found her way around. “You know me. I’m always okay.” She squeezed her sister’s hand, offered Charlie a pat on his shoulder, and took her leave.
She’d be better on her own tonight.
She sat alone in her darkened living room, taking stock of who she was, who she wanted to be in this world, and where she was headed. Whatever came her way, she would face it. She would take life by the horns and make sure she lived it to the fullest. Maybe she couldn’t have everything she ever wanted. She’d find a way to settle for less and savor the simple things.
She was half asleep when a foreign sound jolted her back. She blinked and stared into her darkened bedroom, wondering what in hell. But there it was again. A loud kerplunk from across the room. Her fuzzy brain attempted to process and identify the sound. Again. Only this time it carried more of a bang. The window. She got out of bed and made her way there, just in time for a decent-sized rock to smash against it, sending a jagged crack zigzagging down the glass. Realizing her house was being vandalized, she threw open the window in indignation, ready to stop the attack in progress. She pulled up short when she saw Elizabeth and Scout standing beneath her second-story window, looking up. Elizabeth’s hand covered her mouth.
“Oh, no. Did I break it?”
Devyn glanced up at the marred glass now above her head. “I would say definitely. Are you throwing giant rocks at my house?”
“I am so sorry. I was looking for pebbles to toss at the window, but there weren’t any down here. You always imagine the pebbles will just be there, you know, but they weren’t.” She tossed up her hands. “I was just trying to…I love you.” She stared up at Devyn in earnest.
Silence.
Devyn was afraid to move a muscle. She didn’t want to do anything to disrupt this moment and the exact feeling that landed smack in the middle of her chest at hearing those words. She savored them, turned them over in her heart, and basked. “You do?” she asked hesitantly.
Elizabeth nodded. “I’m terrified, and nervous, but that part I know is true. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Devyn said. “It’s the whole reason I moved back. For you. For the slightest chance that we could work our way through this crazy world together.”
A pause. “Maybe also a little bit for the Saturday cornhole tournaments?” She smiled.
“Purely bonus.” They stared at each other. “Elizabeth, I’ve never been more me than when I’m with you.”
“What now?” Elizabeth asked.
That was the big question, wasn’t it? “I don’t want to rush you, or push you, and maybe that’s what I did tonight with that stupid story idea.”
Elizabeth shook her head. Devyn couldn’t tell if those were tears. She was too far away. “It wasn’t a stupid idea. It was a wonderful story.”
“But you left.”
“Because I’m scared, and when I felt myself crumbling and wanting so badly to put my arms around you and not let go, I panicked.” She nodded several times and then tilted her head to the side. She looked so very beautiful standing there beneath Devyn’s window in the moonlight. “But I think you’re scared, too. I could tell when you told your story.”
“I am. This is a big leap I’ve made. Leaving everything I know behind me. It’s the right decision, but it’s still terrifying.”
“It’s not just the move, Devyn. I’m not standing here because of the little gestures either. Though those have been very nice.”
“Then why?”
“There’s a difference in you, and I kept waiting for it to fade away, but I don’t think you’re going anywhere.”
“T
hat’s because I’m not.” Devyn smiled. “Let’s just say I realize now what’s important. You helped me do that.”
Elizabeth shook her head slowly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you fully before. Until now. I saw a glimpse here, another there. But lately, it’s like you’ve stepped out of the shadows, and you’re standing in front of me. I can see all of you.” Devyn nodded but didn’t interrupt. “So here we are. We’re both scared. The thing is, I was thinking that maybe we could be scared together.”
Devyn steadied herself. “We could. You don’t know how much I’d like that.” She laughed through the thick emotion. “Why are you still so far away? I’m coming down.”
She took the stairs two at a time and opened her door to find Elizabeth standing there with a watery smile. Scout calmly walked inside in search of a comfy place to sleep.
“Come here,” Devyn said, taking a step back and tugging Elizabeth into the darkened entryway of her home. Elizabeth didn’t hesitate, allowing herself to be tugged. They stood there face-to-face, understanding the importance of this moment. In a span of five minutes, they’d become an us, and the world would be forever changed for the wonderful.
Elizabeth reached out and touched Devyn’s cheek. “I’ve missed you. And I don’t know what you’re wearing, but you look amazing.” She blew out a slow breath.
Devyn smiled and glanced down at her pink striped pajama pants and the pink camisole that she’d always filled out nicely, happy now that she’d worn it. “First of all, I’d say I’ve missed you, too, but it would be such an understatement. Second, you could always take it off me if you wanted.”
Elizabeth kissed her slowly on the mouth, then her cheek, and then moved until her lips were next to Devyn’s ear. “Oh, I want,” she whispered, sending a shiver through Devyn she’d likely never forget. She kissed her neck slowly as they stood there in the faintly lit room, pulling an unexpected moan from Devyn’s lips. She shrugged out of her jacket, and when the moonlight crisscrossed her features, Devyn saw the determined desire in her eyes. She loved Elizabeth on a mission. They came back together more aggressively, Devyn catching Elizabeth’s face in her hands as she approached and pulling her in. Their lips and tongues did battle as the temperature climbed, their heat undeniable, as always. Elizabeth pulled her mouth from Devyn’s, her gaze dropping. She pulled down the front of Devyn’s tank top, exposing her breasts, which spilled out, no longer restrained. With a murmur of appreciation, she dipped her head and aggressively took a nipple into her mouth, holding Devyn in place at the waist. She entwined her fingers in Elizabeth’s hair, craving more, and now at the mercy of the pulsing ache between her legs.
“Take me to bed,” she said, breathless.
Elizabeth nodded, settling on her mouth once again.
They made love that night slowly, memorizing each other, not because they had to this time, but because they wanted to. Eye contact was plentiful, and each touch felt like an important promise. Once they lay satisfied, spent, and tangled up in each other, Devyn allowed the full brunt of her happiness to land. “There’s a house on Sunset Hill, the street on the east side of town, not far from the water.”
Elizabeth propped her head up in her palm and looked down at Devyn. “There is, huh? Are you the listing agent?”
“No, but I could see us living there.”
Elizabeth’s lips parted as she took in the information. A smile formed. “We can’t buy a house yet. Are you crazy?”
“I will accept the yet part of your answer. Honestly, it would be perfect for us down the line. I’m going to keep my eye on it.” Elizabeth’s eyes went playfully wide. “When we’re ready, of course,” Devyn amended, reaching up and touching a silky strand of Elizabeth’s hair. “I want you to fall asleep in my arms tonight. I’ve been dreaming of you there.”
Elizabeth slid down and rested her head on Devyn’s shoulder. She traced a circle around Devyn’s nipple, causing her to tense. “I’d like that very much, and I think we should do just that.”
“Good.”
“But I don’t think you’re ready for sleep.”
“I actually think I could sleep pretty hard, now that all is right with the world again. Do you want to go to the café for breakfast tomorrow? Say yes.”
“Yes.” Elizabeth circled the nipple a second time and watched Devyn shift uncomfortably. She did it once more and smiled at the intake of breath. Devyn was wet again and turned on from that simple a touch. But she had to even things out. She shifted and turned until they were facing each other, reached down, and traced a very similar circle between Elizabeth’s legs and watched as her eyes slammed closed in surrender.
“Not playing fair,” Elizabeth said, though she moved into the touch.
Devyn accepted the invitation, slid her fingers inside, and smiled as Elizabeth’s hips began to move rhythmically, slow at first, and then faster. When the payoff hit, Elizabeth’s gaze met Devyn’s. This was her forever, this wonderful woman. She’d never been more sure of anything in her life. She had found her spot in this world in the most unexpected of places, Dreamer’s Bay, and she was never leaving again.
When she awoke the next morning, hints of sunlight peeked through the window. The room was chilly but the warmth pressed against her reminded Devyn that last night hadn’t just been a magnificent dream. “Good morning,” she whispered and kissed Elizabeth’s forehead.
She stirred in Devyn’s arms and lifted her face. After blinking a few times, she ran a hand through her hair, lifting it off her face, which blossomed into a heartfelt smile. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Devyn pulled her face down for a good-morning kiss. “I’m taking today off. Put me to work.”
“You’re gonna run errands for me? Do my bidding?” Elizabeth asked playfully and snuggled into Devyn.
“For the rest of my life if you’ll let me.”
“Let’s start with you taking me out for those pancakes you promised, so I can make eyes at you across the table.”
Devyn laughed, and her heart soared. “We’ll start with pancakes.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
“I’m nervous,” Devyn told Jill as they worked, side by side, in Jill’s kitchen. Devyn was on green bean duty and Jill checked on the turkey. Thanksgiving dinner would be a festive one this year, and even though Devyn demanded Jill take it easy now that she’d entered the second trimester of her pregnancy, Jill was having none of it.
“It’s good that you’re nervous. It means today is important.”
Devyn nodded, grateful she’d insisted on coming over in the early morning hours in advance of Elizabeth, using the excuse that Elizabeth should take the morning for herself to relax after such a busy workweek. When she’d left the house at just before eight, she’d kissed Elizabeth goodbye as she read a book on the couch, snuggled up to Scout.
“What if she says no?” Devyn asked, gesturing with the spatula-spoon combo thing. “Will that spoil Thanksgiving for everyone? That could be awkward with her friends here.” KC and her family, along with Dexter, would be joining the four of them for dinner around lunchtime. “I mean, not to overshadow the heartbreak and embarrassment I will feel, but I don’t want to ruin everyone’s day.”
Jill held up a hand. “Devyn.”
“Yes?” she asked.
“You and Elizabeth are two of the most in love people I’ve ever seen in my life. You’re inseparable, you’re considerate of each other, and more than once I’ve had to look away out of respect because you blatantly show affection all the time.”
Devyn relaxed into what felt like a dreamy grin. “We do that, don’t we?”
“She’s not going to say no, and if she does, then something has gone really wrong with the world.”
Devyn nodded but held on to that last bit, because what if something had gone wrong and she’d missed it? She scrunched her shoulders to release some of the tension and focused on the seasoning of her green beans. The time would be here soon enough.
*
* *
The long table draped in white and covered with a variety of Thanksgiving dishes was a raucous one. With glasses of white wine flowing, everyone at their Thanksgiving dinner was full of smiles and participating in lively conversation. Elizabeth looked from one person’s face to the next, forever grateful for each one, until she settled on the one she never got tired of staring at. Devyn had her blond hair up today and looked elegant and chic. Elizabeth loved how she vacillated between homebody in jeans to professional in Prada when she needed to. The last year had been the best of her life, and she still woke up every day amazed that the life she was living was hers. Unassuming Elizabeth Draper had finally found her person.
Devyn Winters had proven to be the true love of her life, and she wanted nothing more than to make her happy every single day. So far, so good. She squeezed Devyn’s leg underneath the table, and they exchanged a private smile as Charlie explained that Dreamer’s Bay seemed to be more of a bourbon town than a scotch one.
“Wouldn’t have guessed that,” Dr. Dan said.
KC squinted. “Well, write that down for your future moonshine business. We gotta give the people what they want. Are there more of those buttered rolls?”
Jill happily passed the basket.
Just then, Devyn picked up her spoon and touched it to her glass three times, which was just enough for everyone to look her direction. Elizabeth quirked her head in curiosity.
“First of all, I want to say thank you to Jill for this fantastic meal.”
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