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ChapterFourteen
Somehow, someway, Devon managed to extract herself from Oz’s embrace without another kiss. Not that she didn’t want one.
And the fact she considered herself dating someone else while wanting Oz’s kiss left her feeling nauseated. She’d never been that kind of woman. Ever.
Which meant she had to make a decision and fast.
“Can’t sleep?” Rayna asked as she left the house and joined Devon outside on the porch. “What’s wrong, baby girl?”
Devon glanced at her watch. One thirty-two. “You’re up again. Something worrying you, Mama?”
“I asked you first.”
Her mother settled in on the porch swing beside Devon and silently accepted half of the throw Devon had brought with her to combat the cooler night breeze.
“Talk to me. You’ve been very quiet since you got back this afternoon. Did you and Oz argue?”
“How do you know I was with Oz?”
“You are an open book where that man is concerned.”
“If that’s the case,” she murmured, “read me and tell me what I’m doing.”
“Okay, I will. You are realizing you still love him,” her mother said without pause. “Oh, I don’t doubt you have feelings for Ted, too, but Oz has and always will be special to you.”
Devon wanted to argue the statement but couldn’t. The time on the beach yesterday, his kiss, his touch as he rubbed lotion on her, she’d analyzed every second of it. Overthought every moment. “My life is in New York, Mama.”
“Life is where you make it, sweetheart. If you’re happy there, fine, but I watched you on What’s Hot and… maybe I’m just a worrying mother, but you didn’t—don’t—seem happy.”
“There at the end, ratings were down. I was stressed.”
“It’s more than that, sweetheart. It’s Ted—and Oscar?”
Ever since they’d packed the truck up and driven home in complete silence, Devon had struggled. “I have an interview in New York,” she said, avoiding the subject. “I’m going to fly out day after tomorrow… Actually, no. I think I’d like some time alone. I’m going to change my ticket and go back early.”
Maybe some time in her apartment, surrounded by her things, would help ground her? Allow her to see things more clearly?
“Well, I hate for you to go but I understand.”
Devon could hear the disappointment in her mother’s voice before Rayna pasted on a smile and patted Devon’s hand.
“You’ll get the job. I know you will. If that’s what you want.”
If? If? Of course it was what she wanted. Why would she ever want to come back to Carolina Cove? The traffic and tourists during the season were nearly as bad as New York City!
“I had a visitor today,” Rayna said.
“One of the Babes?” Devon asked.
“No. It was Connor.”
Was her mother blushing?
“He stopped by to check on me and give me an update on the lawsuit.”
“Adam Shipley could’ve done that,” Devon said, studying her mother’s changing expressions.
“Yes, well, Connor just wanted to make sure everything had sorted itself out with the kayak, too.”
