by Lara Norman
“I’m sure she means well, but do you know how often she bugged Lori and me to have kids?”
Devon scoffed. “Hell, yeah. She did the same to me when I got married.”
“I suppose I have a short reprieve while Maisie is little,” Caleb mused.
“Shit. It won’t last but, for now, she’s focused on me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I think you’re doing great. Just this time last month, you were on the edge of reason. Two months ago, you were getting blitzed at John’s party.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Caleb.”
If he thought about it, he realized it was a bitch to discover she was at least a tiny bit right. There wasn’t exactly anything standing in his way from letting things progress. He certainly had feelings for Chloe. She had strong feelings for him. Hailey loved her.
It didn't matter how many things he ticked off a list. He wasn’t ready for that step. He didn’t think it would take very much longer, but they’d been friends for four months and only been out one time. As he’d told his mother earlier, he wouldn’t propose after one date, no matter how much they pressured him.
But he couldn't stop thinking about Chloe for the rest of the day and well into the evening. He knew she was working that evening, meaning he wouldn't be able to talk to her. It made him antsy. He was a little stronger each day, but he wasn’t one hundred percent cured of the issues which plagued him. He trusted Chloe implicitly, which was a plus. He didn't worry as much about his self-worth as he had just six weeks ago. Still, every decision had to be weighed against whether it was a knee jerk reaction to his emotions or if it was the right thing to do.
As long as Anna and Vince’s case went unresolved, Devon would feel their betrayal as a festering wound. He thought about them in the back of his mind on an around-the-clock basis. There were moments when he could forget completely, like when Hailey was her usual boisterous self, but mostly the two of them hovered at the back of his consciousness. He needed to know they would be punished, that they would pay for what they’d done. The fact they would face the consequences of their actions comforted him, regardless of whether they were sorry.
He would see them; in Vince’s case, at a trial, and in Anna’s case, he assumed he’d only get one visit. But he would show them they didn't matter to him anymore. They weren’t important. He sighed as he tried to find a comfortable position in bed. It would help if he meant it by the time he got the chance to say it. For the time being, they mattered more than he liked. He needed a resolution he wouldn’t soon receive.
His phone lit up from the nightstand and he reached for it, grinning when he saw Chloe’s name on the display.
He swiped at the screen to stop the vibrating. “Hey, Chloe.”
“Hi. I didn't wake you, did I?” she asked softly.
He sat up in the dark. “No, unfortunately.”
“Can’t sleep?”
“Nope. I missed you today.”
She hummed. “I missed you, too. A lot.”
“Enough to call me after your late shift?” he teased.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.” He heard the smile in her voice. “You were the first person I thought of when I clocked out.”
That made him happy. “What are you doing now? Are you home, I hope?”
“Yeah, I’m feeding Tugger.”
He pictured her in the tiny kitchen of her carriage house. “I’m glad you thought of me, because I sure thought of you. Earlier, I wished I could take you to dinner. How much longer do you have to work these late shifts?”
“About three months. I’m looking forward to it ending so I can spend more time with you and Hailey.”
“That would be really nice.” Devon shifted his legs on the bed. “I saw the therapist today. It went the same as last week.”
“Just going every week is progress.”
“Thanks for that. I thought maybe I’m moving too slowly.” He held his breath while he waited for her response.
“Did someone put the thought in your head?” she demanded.
He snorted. “How did you know?”
“Because the last time we talked about it, you and I agreed you're doing a great job, but now you’re feeling like you’re moving sluggishly. Even my mom mentioned to me how much better you appeared to be.” Her tone was indignant, defensive.
“Well, she should know. She saw me at my worst, I suppose.”
“That’s an understatement, but that’s part of the job. Other than seeing them in court, it’s not typical for her to spend time with someone after their case has been more or less resolved.” He heard a clank and a meow. “Move, Tugger.”
He chuckled. “Is he getting in your face?”
“He’s on the kitchen counter knocking into my food.”
Devon groaned. “I hate that you’re eating dinner at almost midnight.”
“Not too much longer before it’s a thing of the past. Besides, I ate during my lunch break, so this is more like a midnight snack.”
He heard the cat again. “He just wants a nibble.”
“It’s never a nibble to him, it’s stealing the entire thing. And if I cave, he’s relentless the next time I eat.”
Devon chuckled at the frustration in her voice. “Hailey will love him.”
“Aw. I bet she will. We’ll have to let her meet him.”
Internally, he groaned. He wanted that. He wanted so much more, and it wasn’t exactly a shocking revelation. “When will I see you again?”
There was a pause followed by a shuffling of papers. “Okay, I have to work late tomorrow and Thursday. So, Wednesday or Friday. I’m on this weekend, also; day shift.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, to what?”
“Yes, to all of it. I want all your spare time.”
“I love the sound of that, Devon.”
“So do I.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
They squeezed in time for dinner. Chloe met Devon for pizza after work; he'd promised to bring some home for Hailey and his parents.
"Have you looked into a place of your own?" she asked as they sat and waited for their order.
He shook his head. "I haven't given it a second thought."
"Do you want to give it a second thought?"
One corner of his mouth lifted. "The place you're currently living is plenty big enough for the three of us."
She raised her eyebrows. "Um, there's one bed."
He nodded. "And one bathroom."
"And no privacy," she added.
"It's cozy," he countered.
Chloe leaned toward him. "When it's only me, yes, it's quite cozy. And maybe with you and me, as well." She rested her hand on his. "But as much as I love Hailey, there's no way it would be anything but claustrophobic with all three of us in there."
"Oh, I know." He stood as their number was called, and she sat back against the booth with a laugh.
"You did that on purpose," she accused when he came back.
"Well, yeah." He set two pizza boxes on the table and opened one.
"Good thing I have a sense of humor."
"One of the things I enjoy about you." He set slices on their plates and stacked one box on top of the other one, pushing them out of the way.
She smiled at him over her slice. "I enjoy the teasing side of you."
There was a brief silence as they began to eat. "Is that something you'd like to do? Look for a place to live?" Devon eventually asked.
Pausing mid-bite, Chloe leaned back and closed her mouth. She looked at the table for a moment before meeting his gaze. "I didn't ask in order to nag you into anything. I thought of it because it's convenient for your parents to be right there to watch Hailey, but on the other hand, they're always there."
"This conversation reminds me of talking on your couch. You and I both know where this is headed, I just don't have a timeline to give you." Devon thought about what his mother had said. There was no way to know when he'd be ready.
"As long as we
're on the same page. I don't intend to invite myself to live with you if you want to look for something with long-term potential."
They ate, each seemingly lost in their thoughts. When they finished, Devon walked Chloe to her car.
"Can Hailey and I take you out this weekend?" he asked as he pulled her close to him.
She ran her hands through his hair. "Of course. Saturday evening is wide open, but I was thinking of going to my parents' for dinner on Sunday."
"We'll figure something out for Saturday night, then." He kissed the shell of her ear, smiling when she shivered.
Chloe tugged at his head until she could rise and meet him for a kiss. Devon encircled her and held tight, giving her what she wanted.
"It's about to become a get-a-room-moment, Chloe." He eased away from her and held her by the shoulders.
"We should give that some thought."
Heat crept up his neck. "I'll take it into consideration."
"You do that." She patted his cheek and slipped into her car before he could come up with a retort. He grabbed the pizza boxes from where he'd left them on the roof of her car and watched her leave.
Hailey was ecstatic when he walked in the door. "Ooh, pizza! Thanks, Daddy!"
"Hi to you, too."
He bent to kiss her and tried not to wince at the sloppy kiss she laid on him.
"I set the table like Grandpa said to."
Devon dropped the boxes in between the plates Hailey had put out. "Good job."
"Did you ask Chloe when we can see her again?"
A grin covered his face as he served Hailey her dinner. "This Saturday."
"Woo hoo!"
When Don came into the kitchen, Devon was chuckling. "What are we woo-hooing about?"
"We get to see Chloe on Saturday," Hailey replied around a mouthful of food.
"Hailey."
She ducked her head at her father's tone and waited until she'd swallowed. "Sorry."
Don winked at Devon.
Lydia came in from the garage a few minutes after they sat down and set her purse on the counter. "Oh, thank God you're already here, Devon. I'm starving."
It was basically a typical night for them. Devon looked at his parents and daughter, rolling around the idea of finding his own place again. At the moment, it was convenient for him to live with his child care, but it was also very true that he needed to get his privacy back. He would call the realtor who sold his house for him and see what he needed to do. Thoughts of money and taxes swirled around in his head until Hailey finished eating.
"Ready to sit on the couch with your old man?" he asked her.
She scrunched her nose. "You're not an old man, Daddy."
"Thank you," he said wryly. "It's an expression. Are you ready?"
"Yep."
They watched a little TV before it was time for her bedtime routine. Devon supervised the singing and splashing that constituted Hailey's bath, and then his mind drifted off as she put on her pajamas. He realized how much he wanted Chloe with them for pizza dinners and bedtime routines. He could picture making a life with her, making her a permanent part of his and Hailey's lives. Was that what love should feel like? It wasn't the same as what he'd felt for Kathy, and that worried him.
"Daddy!"
Hailey's voice snapped him to the present. "What?"
"I said, can I have two bedtime stories?"
"Yes, bug, you can."
The next day was too much like the one before. His parents seemed determined to marry him off to Chloe before spring arrived, and the more they brought it up, the more he dug in his heels.
"Hailey says you're going to see Chloe on Saturday."
"We are," he answered Lydia. "She also sent me a text to say she'd try to stop by the shop this afternoon before work."
"That might be fun."
"Or it might be for a quick hello." He tried not to roll his eyes as he rinsed his coffee mug and set it in the sink.
"You're smitten."
Don snorted as he joined them. "Smitten, Lyd?"
"Well, he is," Lydia said defensively.
"You've made the boy blush."
"As is my right."
"Enough, both of you." Devon scrubbed his hands over his face. "I can't describe the feelings I have for her. I know I want to be with her—as in, physically in the same room—and I know I feel as if everything clicks when we're together. I like her, care for her . . ."
"You're afraid to admit you love her," Lydia stated.
"I don't know."
"Is it hard because it feels like a betrayal?"
He sighed. "No, Dad. I can see how there's room for me to love what I had with Kathy and still have those same types of feelings for Chloe."
"Is it too soon?"
Devon groaned. "I can't pinpoint it."
"Time," Lydia announced as Hailey pranced into the room. Wasn't that what he'd been trying to tell them?
"Daddy, I'm ready to go!"
"Say goodbye, then," he said, eager to escape the house.
"Bye, Grandma!" Hailey gave Lydia a hug and kiss. "Bye, Grandpa!" Don received the same treatment before Hailey bounded out the door. Devon followed, picking up his keys and wallet on the way.
Hailey chatted as he drove her to the bus stop. They talked about her day at school as they waited for the bus, and he walked her across the street when it arrived. He was happy to head to the shop, to put in a full day's work because they had orders coming in again. He was content with his life, yet it felt awkward for a reason he couldn't name. Something itchy between his shoulder blades that begged the question; should he be happy so soon?
He remembered his therapist's advice to evaluate his feelings and accept them for what they were. If he was content, he shouldn't second guess the reason for it or the validity of it.
Happier, he pulled into the lot and unlocked the door. He flipped on the lights as he walked through his domain and stood behind the counter, looking out the wide windows at the trees blowing in the late winter wind. Caleb would be there soon, as well as Olivia. Lori would be back in a few days and things would change again, but he was looking forward to it. Olivia would stay on to help Lori, something Devon hadn't thought would be possible just a month ago. But with profits rising, he could pay her to stay, and he no longer had to worry about Vince’s salary. Instead of hiring another person for deliveries, he and Caleb had agreed to split them up.
He threw himself into his work. After several hours, he and Caleb were sweating enough to have pulled off their shirts. They worked together to etch a design into a wine cabinet; intricate, delicate work that made Devon's hands cramp. When he stepped away to study his work and wipe his brow with a towel, he spotted Chloe in the doorway between the shop in the back and the reception area up front.
The late afternoon sun streaming in through the front windows framed her perfectly. She’d tucked her body into a red sweater and khaki pants, her hair lit with the sunlight and her eyes locked on his.
Jolted, he came to a stunning realization. This was how it all fit together. Their pieces, all the dynamic parts. They fit so well because he was in love with her. It would have been nice to get a heads up from somewhere, but maybe something had been trying to tell him all along and he'd been blind to it.
He crossed the room and yanked her into his arms, pulling her onto her toes, and covered her mouth with his.
That storm of feeling blew through him, taking his breath. He wondered how people were expected to live with all this emotion filling them up. His life would never be the same as what it was, as what it had been, and that was all because of her. Because they loved each other.
He pulled away to rest his forehead against hers.
"Um, good afternoon." She flexed the fingers gripping his bare shoulders.
"I love you, Chloe. I don't know what I was waiting for, but it's right there."
She laughed. "You know how to set a romantic mood, Devon."
"Sorry." He kissed her to prove he wasn't so
rry at all.
"I love you, too, Devon. I have for a very long time, and I'm so happy you caught up to me."
"You two sure you don't want to get a room?"
Devon swore harshly enough to have Chloe cackling. He'd said the same thing the night before. "Forgot you were there."
"Obviously."
"Hi, Caleb," Chloe said with a wave in his direction.
His grin split his face. "Hi, Chloe."
She returned her attention to Devon. "By the way, this . . ." She pulled away to indicate his unclothed upper half. "Nice."
He shook his head. "I'm covered in sawdust."
"Mm, yeah, and sweat. I'm female, what can I say? You, shirtless, with a tool belt around your waist, and those muscles . . ."
He held her to him again and spoke into her ear. "I can't believe you have to go to work."
"I've never called in a day in my life." She huffed out a sigh when his tongue trailed over her earlobe. "Maybe now is an excellent time."
"So, can you have dinner with me?"
She shivered. "After I make excuses for why I can't work."
"I'll need to do a few things here first—"
"Go on, Devon. Don't stick around here on my account."
He flashed his brother a smile. "Thanks, Caleb."
"I want to go home and change first."
"Me, too, and shower off the day." He kissed her forehead. "Pick you up in an hour?"
She bit her lip and nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."
The brothers stood together and watched her walk out. "You gonna get laid tonight?"
"Fuck, Caleb, you aren't the tiniest bit subtle."
Caleb slapped his hand on Devon's shoulder. "Hi, I'm Caleb. Perhaps we've met somewhere?"
Devon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."
"I can't help it, I'm high and dry right now. I need to know someone, somewhere, is having sex."
"Rest assured that someone on the planet is having sex, even if it's not you or me." Devon pulled his shirt on and unhooked his tool belt.
"Right this very second, too, I bet." Caleb crossed his arms and leaned against the workbench, looking thoughtful.
"I'm leaving now."
"Have fun and be safe."