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Casey flapped his hands. “Go ahead. I’m in no hurry. Not since I don’t have to time my Dev ambush anymore.”
Dev shook his head, grinning, and picked up the handset. “Dev Harrison.”
“Dev, it’s Pete. Got a little problem out at the Patel house. Could use your help.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Some flatlander in a fancy car poking his nose where it don’t belong. Acting like he owns the place.”
Bradley. “I’ll be right there.” He hung up. “Sorry. Pete needs backup.”
Should I tell him about Bradley’s visit? No, not yet. After Casey untangled the books, he might discover that selling one or two properties might be the only answer, but until then, Dev preferred to keep Bradley’s offer under wraps. Knowing Casey, he’d probably kick himself for bringing Home to Bradley’s attention rather than placing the blame where it belonged: squarely on Dev’s shoulders.
Casey rose and gestured for Dev to move so they could switch places. “Why don’t I get started while you check in with Pete, then? I can give you my initial thoughts when you get back.”
“I don’t know how long it’ll take,” Dev warned.
“Doesn’t matter.” Casey smiled. “With Summer Kitchen not hanging over my head, I’m free as a bird for the rest of the day.”
Dev held out the chair for Casey to sit, purposely keeping a safe distance, because Casey was really just a guest. Who was leaving. In two months. “The lock screen password is hometown, all one word, lower case, but use zeroes instead of Os. I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the financial apps later.”
Casey settled into the chair and scooted closer to the desk. “Works for me. Go on and do your thing with Pete. I’ll be fine here.”
Dev lifted an eyebrow. “Just fine?”
Casey smirked up at him. “No. I’ll be superlative. Now shoo.”
Dev strode for the door. Before he left the office, though, he glanced back at Casey, who was already studying the screen, his brows drawn together in adorable concentration, fingers already busy on the keyboard.
Leaving in two months, remember?
Dev ground his molars together and stalked down the hall and out the kitchen door. He sprinted across the field to his cottage and climbed into his elderly CR-V, all the while cataloging the reasons why it would be a bad idea to get involved with Casey.
He’d always been lousy at casual sex. It had taken him until he was in college to realize that he was demisexual, and that the initial spark of attraction wasn’t enough for him. He needed the emotional attachment before true desire kicked in. His relationship with Nash was a cautionary tale on evaluating the nature of the emotional attachment, though. In the last eighteen months, he’d felt the loss of the attachment, of something to hang his life on, but not the loss of Nash per se.
Casey, though. The connection they’d been building before the Big Bradley Misunderstanding had been different. Warmer—bordering on hot, in fact, yet still effortless. Comforting and comfortable.
Pursuing it would be selfish, though, wouldn’t it? What did it matter whether Dev had a boyfriend he could love and respect, and who felt the same about him, if it meant that Home and everyone who lived here suffered for it?
When he pulled up to the Patel house, a classic white-sided New England saltbox with forest green shutters and red brick chimney, Pete was roaring along the front lawn on his mower. Bradley’s Lexus was nowhere in sight. Dev climbed out of the car and signaled Pete, who cut the motor but didn’t climb off.
He tipped up the brim of his ball cap. “Afternoon, Dev.”
“Where’s the flatlander?”
Pete shrugged. “Told him you was on your way over and he had a sudden recollection of an appointment.”
“He tell you his name?”
“Nawp.” He resettled his cap on his grizzled hair. “Know who he is, though. Dropped Casey off at Harrison House his first day.” He squinted up at Dev. “Not a friend of Casey’s, is he? Doesn’t seem the type.”
“No. He’s not.”
“He left you this note.” Pete pulled a crumpled piece of thick cream paper out of his overall pocket and smoothed the creases out against his belly. “Here.”
Dev took the note, tempted to crush it in his fist. “If you see him around at any of the other properties? Give me a call right away.”
“Ayup.” He started the engine again and put the mower in gear.
