“Nobody ever bothers me here.”
“Do you want me to leave you alone?”
She descends the stairs. “No. I want to check the suites one last time before the guests arrive. Did you see the pillowcases?”
“You did them?”
“Did a few this morning. I’ll need more thread for the rest.” She hops off the bottom step and sees the flowers. “What are those?”
I pick them up and hand them to her. “They’re for you.” I kiss her cheek.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” She smells them. “I’ve never gotten flowers before. What kind are they?”
“Lilies.” My eyes narrow in surprise. “Never? That’s not possible.”
Voices echo in the grand hall below. The guests have arrived. She shoves the flowers at me. “Please put these in my room. I really want to double-check everything before they come up.”
“Are we still on for supper at the main house?”
“Yeah, fine.” She races away and says over her shoulder, “Come find me later.”
I go down the back stairs and into Devyn’s bedroom. I haven’t been in here since it became hers. I’m not sure what I expected, but there are no personal touches. She really did come with nothing. There’s not much choice about where to put the flowers. The sewing machine takes up the desk in the corner. When I move her notepad on the nightstand so I can place the vase next to it, I see her writing and can’t help reading it.
Last night is the first night I can remember not having a nightmare.
I want to read on but know I shouldn’t. These are her private thoughts. I shut the notebook, not wanting her to know she left it open.
She has nightmares? About him? The ex-husband or boyfriend who is after her? The one who never got her flowers? More than ever, I want to know what she’s running from. I need her to know she can tell me. That I won’t think any less of her. I lean against the wall. Would she think less of me if she knew what I’ve done? Did last night change anything? Are we dating now? Do I want to be? Does she?
These questions plague me all afternoon as I work around the ranch.
Later, Devyn and I are in my truck, pulling up to Maddox’s place. She sees other cars in the driveway. “We aren’t the only guests?”
“Maddox said Andie’s best friends are coming. And Owen—you remember him?”
“What if someone asks my last name?”
“Tell them whatever you want. Make one up if you want to.”
“Dunlop,” she says without hesitation.
My eyebrows shoot up. “Sure didn’t take you long to come up with one. Old boyfriend?”
I want to kick myself as soon as the words are out of my mouth. If she’s hiding from an old flame, she sure as shit wouldn’t use his last name, and it makes me seem like a jealous asshole to even ask. But jealous is exactly what I am.
“Not an old boyfriend.”
I get out of the truck, then turn to her. “In light of what we did last night, I’m wondering if I have the right to ask if there’s been a lot of them. Old boyfriends.”
“There haven’t. Can we go in now?”
She doesn’t want to talk about it. I understand. She needs time—time to trust me.
I grab the bottle of wine and we go up on the porch. Maddox’s old dog, Beau, lifts his head in greeting. I lean down and give him a pat.
She looks at the pooch. “Why don’t you have a dog? Don’t all cowboys have them?”
I laugh. “The poor thing would probably starve to death if I was responsible for it.”
Andie opens the front door before we can knock and pulls me in for a hug. Then she hugs Devyn, who appears uncomfortable, but Andie doesn’t seem to notice.
“I’m so glad you could come.” Andie pulls Devyn inside. “I’d like you to meet my two best friends, Christina and Tara.”
They put down their wine glasses and greet Devyn with more hugs. Devyn doesn’t seem to know what to do with her arms. She lifts them and then drops them, then she gives one of them a quick pat on the back, like how you’d pat a dog on the head. I get the feeling she hasn’t been hugged much.
“You already know Owen,” I say. “He and Tara are—” I turn to her. “What exactly are you again?”
Owen steps forward. “Yeah, I’d like to hear the answer to that.”
“Gee, thanks for putting me on the spot, Aaron,” Tara says. “We’re… dating.”
“For over seven years,” Owen adds, putting emphasis on seven as if it’s been an eternity.
“Seven years of pure bliss,” Tara adds.
Owen rolls his eyes. “Yeah. Whatever.” He kisses her dramatically, and we all laugh.
“I don’t get it,” Devyn says. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s a long-standing joke around here that Tara won’t let Owen put a ring on her finger.”
“Got a big sparkly diamond on my nightstand,” he says. “Ask her every chance I get. She always says no.”
“I like the way things are,” she says.
“I know, babe.” He pulls her close. “Don’t mean I’m gonna stop tryin’.”
Matt appears with a tray of hors d’oeuvres. I guide Devyn over. “And this is Christina’s husband, Matt.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says.
After we settle on the couch, Devyn goes completely rigid.
“What is it?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer right away. She’s staring at the corner of the room where they keep Vivian’s playpen and toys. “You didn’t tell me Andie and Maddox have a kid.”
“I didn’t? Guess it never came up. Vivian is almost seven months old. She’s amazing. I’d never been around babies before her. Do you like kids?”
She swallows, looking almost ashen. Before I can ask what’s wrong, Andie comes over with a bottle of wine and some glasses. “Who wants wine?”
“I’ll pass. Devyn?”
Andie starts to hand her a glass and then pulls back playfully. “You’re old enough, right?”
Devyn doesn’t laugh. She’s still focused on the playpen.
“Devyn?” I touch her arm, and the trance is broken. “Wine?”
“Oh, sure, I’ll have a glass.”
“She’s twenty-two,” I say, as if Andie cared. “Where’s the rug rat?”
“Sleeping. Thank God I got her down for a nap. She might even sleep through dinner.” She turns to Tara. “You could have brought Trey, you know. Vivian loves him.”
Devyn stills. “There’s another one?”
“Tara has a ten-year-old,” I say. “He loves Owen like a dad. He’s a real cowboy in the making.”
She swallows a large mouthful of wine. Guess she isn’t a fan of kids.
Devyn is quiet. Observant. Hesitant. Andie and her friends joke and laugh and drink for an hour, including Devyn as much as she’ll allow. I’m grateful because I get the idea Devyn can use all the friends she can get. With every passing minute, she becomes more comfortable. The tension leaves her body, and when I see her smile at me from across the room, I swear part of my heart melts. This is the first time I’ve ever brought a woman here.