She had issues with the entire way Bailey lived her life. And those choices all circled back to that one horrible act she’d done when they were teenagers. The one Dev still couldn’t seem to get over.
But it was also about Hawke. Bailey was constantly leaving a trail of broken hearts behind. Dev liked Hawke, liked his directness, and she was afraid her sister would enchant him for the next two days, keep him on the hook long-distance, and then eventually dump him. Hell, what if she used Hawke as a way to amuse herself when she came here to visit? Didn’t he deserve to know the full story of what was involved if he began an affair?
Normally, she’d explode before she had her coffee and call Bailey out, but this time, she tamped down her irritation and raw emotions, feeling the need to process what she was thinking. They ate breakfast together and Dev made a list of things they’d need to go to the beach. She even ignored Bailey’s snark when she teased her about adding relaxation to her itinerary.
When there was a knock at the door, Bailey rushed to answer it. “Hawke, good morning.”
“Morning.” He looked alert and freshly showered in his floral shorts and white T-shirt, but she caught his solemn expression even from a distance. “Wanted to let you all know I spoke with my uncle.”
Dev slid off the chair and walked over. “What did he say?”
“I’m sorry, but it wasn’t him. We had a long talk, and he finally told me who the woman was he never got over. Her name was Marjorie. She wasn’t American—she lived in Rome and they had an affair, but she married someone else. He didn’t know your mother.”
She shared a disappointed glance with her sisters. “Well, at least we narrowed the field down by two,” Pris joked. “Only thousands more men to check out.”
Hawke gave a sympathetic smile. “I promise to keep asking any of my friends if they heard anything. You may want to check the boat-tour companies. Didn’t you say he ran a business?”
“It sounded like he did boat tours with his father, but we didn’t get a name, or even know if it was a business or temporary job,” Dev said.
“Can’t hurt to call some places and ask if there’s anyone there whose name starts with R.”
Dev studied him to see if he was mocking, but his face was serious. Her blood warmed at this relative stranger who’d begun to care about them enough to want to help. She glanced back and forth at him and Bailey, trying to catch that morning-after giddy vibe her sister usually exuded, but Hawke only radiated the same casual confidence he usually did. He didn’t seem to need to touch Bailey or make googly eyes. Interesting.
“Well, I won’t keep you from your beach day. You know how to get there?”
They all reassured him that they did. Bailey smiled but turned back toward the kitchen, going to refill her coffee, so Hawke left.
“Be right back,” Dev said. “Save me the last cup.”
On impulse, she ran after him. “Hawke?”
He stopped, staring down at her. “Dev?”
She couldn’t help the tiny smile that curved her lips at his teasing tone. “Can I talk to you for a minute? I’ll make it quick.”
“No need to hurry. Come on in, I need another cup of coffee.”
She followed him inside his house. Her gaze swept over the interior. She noted the colors were clean, he was organized—his kitchen had many interesting objects to stave off clutter—and the room smelled like him. Lucifer prowled over, rubbing against her leg and mewing. Hawke retrieved a full mug, then cocked a hip and looked down with surprise. “Huh. He usually doesn’t do that. You two must’ve bonded over the rooftop incident.”
She grinned and knelt down, giving him a stroke. “I seem to understand cats. I like their directness and attitude. More interesting than dogs.”
“Yes, they are,” he murmured. When she raised her chin, she found him staring at her with that piercing gaze that made her a little wriggly, like she was getting a heat rash. Lord, she had to get herself back together. This was embarrassing—she’d come over to focus on Bailey. “Let’s go outside. It’s a beautiful morning.”
Lucifer ran ahead and jumped on the chair cushion, settling into his space in the sun. Hawke placed his coffee on the porch railing, bracketing both palms on the thick beam. His muscled body looked as lean and graceful as the cat’s. “What’d you want to talk about?”
Dev began to pace. “I wanted to warn you about something. Actually someone.”
“Bailey?”
She jerked back at his calm answer. “Yes. You shouldn’t get too attached. Bailey might not be who you think she is.”
She fought back the prick of guilt and told herself she was just telling the truth. After all, Hawke deserved to know before he fell under her sister’s spell and got hurt like all the other men she’d seen her sister leave in her wake. Dev waited for him to turn around, but he kept staring out toward the horizon. “Hmm. Who do you think she is?”
She hesitated at the odd question. Settling herself beside him, she surveyed the sprawl of colorful houses on the sloping hill; the slash of sun over the water, setting the glossy surface to a million sparkling blinks of light. She drew a deep breath of air into her lungs, enjoying the sharp scent of lemon and floral in the air. “I think she likes to play games with men. I also don’t think she does it to hurt them on purpose. It’s how she always was—men were just there, always attracted to her. Always falling over themselves to please her. She dislikes getting involved for too long, so be warned if you’re looking for something deeper from her. Bailey doesn’t do relationships.”
Hawke didn’t turn, challenge her statement, or act surprised. His quiet presence unsettled her. He seemed so unlike the type of man Bailey would fall for. Then again, they were in Italy, and it was just like her sister to engage in an affair with their next-door neighbor. The bitterness lingered, which only pissed her off more, because, God, when would she be done with it? How had Bailey managed to hurt her so deeply over a silly decision she said she regretted? Was Dev so damaged she couldn’t recover from this one rejection?
Maybe she needed some damn therapy.
“It’s an interesting theory,” Hawke finally said, as if they were engaging in a philosophical discussion rather than a warning about how Bailey was apt to hurt him. “Thing is, I disagree. I think that’s exactly what your sister wants you and everyone else to think.”
Dev blinked. “Trust me, you just met her. I’ve known her for years. I’m not trying to be a bitch, I just want you to know what you’re getting into. Honestly.”
His mouth softened into a smile. “I know you’re not a bitch, Dev. Actually, Bailey admires you the most.”