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“Morning,” I mutter, shifting my eyes to the coffee pot because keeping them on her wouldn’t be a smart move.
I need to think of anything else than the things I’ve thought where Devyn Malloy is concerned since she showed up yesterday. The sight of her has shifted things though because her hair is wet, clearly from a shower, but she’s still wearing the same dress from yesterday.
It makes me wonder what the hell she had packed in that heavy suitcase if not clothes to change into.
I pour myself a cup of coffee, forgoing the sugar because the bowl on the counter is empty, and I’d have to walk past her again to get the bag from the cabinet.
“Sleep well?” Stormy asks, his voice full of laughter as I sit down at the table beside him.
I could’ve easily sat across from him, putting my back to her, but I’m obviously not as capable of doing the right thing as I thought I was.
I consider that maybe she lied about being kicked out. If she packed in a hurry, that would be more believable, meaning there’s a real possibility she ran away. I considered all of this last night, but I still didn’t pick up the phone and call her parents. She’s young, but technically an adult, so I guess she can’t actually run away. She was insistent that the parents I knew the Malloys to be and the people they are now aren’t the same, but I’m having a hard time consolidating those two things. Death, however, has a way of changing people. Vaughn’s changed me, so it’s not much of a stretch to consider his parents changed too.
“What are—”
“Don’t fucking start with me,” I warn under my breath.
Thankfully, the man doesn’t open his mouth again. Before long, Em, Misty, and Khloe are all in the kitchen.
“Stormy, there’s another box of supplies on the back porch,” Em says. “Can you grab them for me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He’s up and out of the kitchen in a flash.
I take the opportunity to stand from the table, taking my cup with me. I’ll bring it back later and wash it myself, if only to avoid any interaction with Devyn.
I haven’t decided how I feel about her being here. I don’t begrudge the girl a safe place to land for a while, but her presence is interfering with my head. I don’t like that part of it.
“Hey,” Em says, following me out of the room.
I fight the urge to grow instantly defensive. I know how the situation looks—a young girl showing up at the clubhouse demanding I marry her. I know Em noticed that she’s wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
“I was hoping you could take her shopping,” Em says. “She brought a sewing machine in her suitcase rather than clothes.”
My frown matches Em’s. It proves just how damn immature Devyn is, as if some form of crafting is more important than necessities.
“I’d offer to take her, but I get the feeling she’d tell me no. Since you know her—”
“I don’t know her,” I assure Em. “I was friends with her brother. I haven’t seen that girl since… it’s been a really long time. She was a child, but I didn’t—”
I snap my mouth closed when Em holds her hand up. I have a million things to say, but I’d never cross a line and do anything that would look disrespectful to Kincaid’s wife.
“No one thinks anything untoward happened between you and her, Legacy, so get that out of your head. As old as the connection is between the two of you, it’s still a stronger one than any of us have. She’s skittish and suspicious of every move Diego and I have made since she arrived yesterday. I think she’d feel more comfortable with you.”
I nod. It makes sense. If she’s been living with parents who made her choose between college and leaving home, I guess there’s a real chance she hasn’t been shown much compassion in her life.
“Did she say how long she was staying?”
Em shakes her head.
“Did she say anything about still thinking I’m going to marry her?”
Em shakes her head again.
I blow out a breath of relief.
“She’s been quiet, reserved. Grateful for the help we’ve offered. I haven’t pressed her for information. Maybe you can get more out of her on the drive into town.”
I don’t argue with the woman as she pats my arm in a motherly way. Half of me wants to ask Devyn a million questions, but the other half is left wishing she never came to the clubhouse. Although there isn’t a day that goes by that Vaughn doesn’t cross my mind, seeing his little sister here is too much. I know he’d want her safe at home with their parents.
I pull my phone from my pocket, but I just can’t seem to bring myself to make the call.
