My mind drifts to all the other things I’ll have to do like book a flight and find a hotel—because I don’t want to be presumptuous and assume that Devin wants me to stay the night with him. And honestly, I don’t even know where Devin will be staying.
“I’m getting a hotel,” he says, catching my attention.
“Huh?”
“You said you don’t know where I’ll be staying.” Shit. Saying stuff out loud is becoming a habit for me. “I’ll be staying at a hotel, and if you come, you’ll stay with me.”
The way he says that, as though I don’t really have a choice, causes my mind to conjure up all of the things I’ll get to do to—I mean with, do with—Devin over the next four days.
“Okay,” I say, cringing when my words come out way too raspy.
“Other than take off work, what else do you have to do?” he asks. “You’ve got someone to help with the farm, right?”
“Yes. I’m not worried about the farm, and other than that, I’ll just have to cancel dinner plans with Wyatt and—”
“Dinner plans with Wyatt?” he interrupts in a tone I haven’t heard in about a decade.
Dropping my work schedule on the table, I stand up straight. Did I hear him right? Is he mad? He can’t be mad; I haven’t even had a chance to tell him why I was having dinner with Wyatt.
“Yessss,” I drawl out. “Wyatt asked me to dinner Friday night, and with everything that’s happened, I felt the least I could do is meet with him.” Plus, it’ll be nice to tell Wyatt about Devin myself before he ends up hearing about it through the grapevine. It sounds asinine, I’m sure, considering that I still haven’t seen Devin. But if he really is coming home on leave in less than two months, and we really do decide to give this a whirl—which we are, otherwise I’m kicking him in the damn balls—then everyone will find out anyway.
The last thing I want is for Wyatt to think I broke things off with him to be with Devin, because that’s far from the truth. Plus, I was hoping Wyatt would be able to get some closure, once and for all.
“So you said yes?”
“Of course I did.” My brows furrow, and I bring my hand to my hip. “He was my best friend for years, Dev. He picked up the pieces that you left behind, and—” Devin sighs and I close my eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad … and I’m sorry, but it’s true. You have to understand that he’s been there for me through everything, and I broke his heart. He needs closure and I owe that to him.”
“Fine.” My blood runs cold at the sound of Devin’s voice. “I understand. Do whatever you’ve got to do.”
“Don’t be like that,” I plead. “The dinner means nothing, and I’m going to cancel it, just like I’m going to find a way to get off work. I promise you, I will try my absolute hardest to make sure I’m there with you the entire time you’re home, okay?”
“Okay.”
What? That’s it?
“Devin, I—”
“Look,” he says curtly, “I’ve gotta go pack. I’ll email you my itinerary. You just let me know if you’re able to rearrange your busy schedule.”
“Excu—” I pull the phone back and stare at it.
Did he just hang up on me?
“Katie?” I look up at the sound of my mom’s soft voice and find her standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Is everything okay?”
“Josephine passed away.”
“Oh no,” she croons, stepping further into the room. “What happened?”
“I …” It hits me all at once that I didn’t even bother to ask him how his mom died, and I instantly forget that I’m mad at him. “I don’t know.”
“How’s Devin holding up?”
“Not good, from the sounds of it,” I answer, looking down at my phone and then up at her. “He’s shutting down.” I should know. I was the queen of shutting down for several months. “I can hear it in his voice.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing he has you, isn’t it?” she says, pulling me into her arms. “Because you know a little something about that, and maybe you’ll be able to help when you get to him.”
“How did you know I was going to him?” I ask, pulling away from her just a fraction.
“Because you love him.”
“He’s your lobster,” Maggie sings, sashaying into the room with Bailey following close behind.
Mom laughs and gives her a sidelong glance. “You and that damn lobster.”
“Hey,” she says, holding up her hands, “blame Phoebe.” She walks up to the table and grabs my work schedule. “What’s this for?”
Mom fills her and Bailey in on what little I told her, and then Maggie turns to me. “I’m off those days; I’ll pick them up for you.”
“Really? Maggie, you just made my freakin’ year.” Stepping out of Mom’s arms, I walk straight over to Maggie and pull her in for a hug.
“That’s what friends are for. Plus, Sean is out of town, so the extra work will keep me out of trouble.”
“I love you, Mags. You know that, right?”
“Of course you do,” she says and laughs, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “What’s not to love? I’m amazing.”
“And conceited,” Bailey mumbles, earning herself a slap on the arm from Mom.
“I’ll owe you big time,” I say at the same time Maggie pulls away from me.
“Nope.” Gripping my shoulders, she spins me around and leads me to my bedroom. “You owe me nothing.” Pulling my suitcase from the closet, she tosses it on the bed and opens it up. “You’re my best friend, Kit Kat, and I want you to be happy. Now get packed and then I’ll help you book a flight.”
“Thank you.”
“You can thank me when you see the lingerie I’ve got waiting for you at home. I’ll get it for you later, but you’re taking it with you.”
“First, I’m not taking lingerie with me.” Because how fucking embarrassing would that be if I took lingerie and then we didn’t even … bowchickawowwow. “Second, why in the world do you have lingerie for me? You just found out about this trip.”
“It was something I picked up for your bachelorette party, but since you went all Runaway Bride on me, I figure I’ll give it to you now.”
“I didn’t go all Runaway Bride,” I argue, giving her my best pouty face.
“Semantics.” She waves her hand through the air, and I can’t help but laugh at her crazy ass. “There was going to be a wedding, now there’s not. We don’t really need to hash it out any more, especially since you’ve got more important things to do.”
Spinning on her heel, Maggie walks out of the room and I’m left staring at my empty suitcase, wondering what in the hell I’m going to pack. My gaze drifts to the picture of Devin and me that’s tucked in the frame of my mirror. I walk over to my dresser, pick up the photo and run my thumb across it.
“Ten years,” I whisper to myself. Closing my eyes, I send a silent prayer up to the big man … God, or my Dad … right about now, I’ll take either one.
Please don’t let him break my heart again.
“I’d Hate To Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About”—Mayday Parade
“KATIE? HELLO?”
All I hear is static before the phone line clicks and switches back to a dial tone. I slam the receiver into its holster and run my hands through my hair, trying my best to calm down. Of all the times for this shit to cut out.
I take a deep breath in and reach for the phone again before stopping myself. I wonder for a moment if I even want to call her back. I don’t know if I’m pissed, jealous, or maybe both, but right now all I want to do is spend time with my men—who also happen to be my friends. And when I want to escape these thoughts of Katie and my mother, they’re the best antidote available.
I rise to my feet and head toward the exit, all the while doing my best to pretend she wasn’t planning on seeing Wyatt and fighting to shake thoughts of them together … holding each other, kissing each other, fuck—