Lexi glanced to where the two were playing on the lawn. “You don’t think he’ll still go after Amelia.”
“Oh, I know he’ll still go after Amelia. He thinks it’s the right thing to do.” And in a strange way, Devin had to admire that. “He thinks he’s the only one who can protect her in the long term. He says Steve isn’t the only threat. If I’m guardian, the jackals will constantly be circling.”
“Even if he did win guardianship, do you really think he would take her away from you?”
“Are you arguing Lucas’s side?”
“I’m just saying.” Lexi swirled the ice cubes in her drink. “He’s not as bad as I expected. And I think he likes you. And you might just be able to trust him.”
Devin glared at Lexi for a long moment. Then she moved her attention to Lucas, who caught her gaze and gave her a wave, his familiar expression open and direct. Then he said something to Amelia and motioned for her to wave. She did. And Devin’s heart squeezed tight.
Did she dare put her trust in Lucas?
“That kind of betrayal ought to be criminal.” Byron smacked down the copy of the Seattle newspaper that had arrived at the ranch by courier.
“No argument from me,” said Lucas from his armchair in front of Byron’s stone fireplace, tumbler of single malt in his hand.
Steve had given an interview and laid out a series of false accusations about Konrad, naming Lucas as an accomplice and painting Monica as a naive victim and Amelia as a usurper. There was a picture with the article of Steve and his lovely new fiancee. They were at a charity event, handing over a big check.
Lucas was going to have to head back to Seattle soon, if only to salvage his reputation.
“You have to move fast on this,” said Byron.
Lucas agreed. “Devin is writing me a letter for the judge.”
“That’s a coup.”
“Tell me about it.” Lucas took a sip of the Scotch.
“What did she say?”
Lucas shrugged. “She was working on it today. I’m not expecting miracles.”
“Not even after last night?”
Lucas gave Byron a “back off” glare. He wasn’t discussing his personal relationship with Devin. Though, last night had been nothing short of spectacular.
But it wasn’t the lovemaking.
When he thought back, what he remembered was her sense of humor, the emotion in her eyes when she talked about Monica and her mother, the joy she obviously got from raising Amelia. And he remembered feeling jealous. It was the strangest sensation. He wanted to be part of Devin’s inner circle, and simply making love to her wasn’t enough to get him there.
“You know how I felt about your mother.” Byron’s voice had gone contemplative, and Lucas looked up.
“I know,” Lucas acknowledged.
“We had our ups and downs. An uncouth cowboy from Texas daring to court one of the richest women in the Pacific Northwest. A woman ten years older than him.”
“You’re not uncouth.”
“I’m not urbane.”
That was true enough.
“My point is,” Byron continued, “we both knew it was worth it. All the heartache and pain, the snide remarks, the criticism…though, trust me-” he gestured with his tumbler “-I’d have protected her from it if I could.”
“I know you would have.”
“But it doesn’t come along very often.”
What was Byron saying? Did he think Lucas should grab hold of Devin? Maybe never let her go?
Lucas turned the idea over in his mind.
“A love like that,” Byron mused, gazing at the amber liquid while he turned his glass against the lamplight. “You don’t want to let it go.”
Love?
Lucas stilled.
Did Byron think Lucas had fallen in love with Devin?
How would he know? How could he tell?
“I don’t know for sure with Lexi,” said Byron.
Lucas gave his head a little shake at the unexpected turn of the conversation.
“But I know the signs.” Byron downed the remainder of his drink. “And I’m following her back to Seattle. And I’m pursuing her until she tells me to stop.”
“Lexi?” asked Lucas. “But, you’ve only just-”
“Met her?” Byron asked. “Like I said, Lucas. I’ve been through this before. It’s rare as hens’ teeth. So is Lexi. I can’t believe somebody hasn’t snapped her up already.”
“You’re serious.”
“You bet your boots I’m serious. I’m a serious man. Now. Back to Steve. He’s really starting to worry me.”
“He’s worrying me, too,” Lucas admitted. He’d gone over worst-case scenarios in his mind, and any one of them could conceivably come true.
A judge might disinherit Amelia. Steve might get married and have a baby. The balance of power could potentially shift to him. And then Lucas would have to do something drastic, like sell his shares in Pacific Robotics and start over again.
When he thought about starting over again, he pictured Devin and Amelia as a permanent part of in his life. He stretched the image out in his mind. Amelia at five, ten, in high school and driving a car. She was going to be drop- dead beautiful. He knew that already.
Would Devin consider letting him stick around? Would she consider pursuing their relationship, maybe making it permanent? Did she feel anywhere close to how he was feeling?
He polished off his drink.
“I’ve had the boys sniff around a little bit more,” Byron added. “They’ve got the name of the judge, and they threw together a little history of her decisions. It ain’t good, Lucas. It ain’t good a’t all.”
“Devin’s writing the letter,” said Lucas.
“Better be one hell of a letter.”
Lucas doubted that. “And I have a backup plan,” he declared. He’d just come up with it. Right this very second. But, as Byron had said, when it was right, it was right.
“Do tell,” Byron prompted.
“Devin. Me. Babies.”
Byron slapped his knee and cackled. “You think you’ll convince that pretty little gal to have your babies?”
Lucas struggled not to be insulted. Sure, maybe he didn’t deserve Devin, but he wasn’t the worst catch in the world. “I’m not saying I won’t have to work at it.”
“And just how fast d’you think you can accomplish that feat?” Byron tapped his blunt finger against the newspaper. “Steve’s out there in public posing with his fiancee.”
Lucas leaned forward, making certain he was clear and concise. “If I have to, I can work very fast. Hell, Konrad did.”
And if Lucas didn’t have to work fast, he’d work slow. He’d be patient, romantic and thorough in order to win Devin’s love.
Ironically, Lucas felt better than he had in weeks, months, maybe years. Let Steve try his best. Lucas would fight back with everything he had. And, one way or another, he’d win. Because the goalposts had just shifted for him. He’d give up Pacific Robotics entirely for Devin and Amelia.
“But it’s only the backup plan,” he told Byron. “We’ll see what she writes in the letter.”
At the bottom of the ranch-house staircase, as Lucas’s damning words washed over her, Devin held the signed letter between her hands and methodically tore it in half. Then she tore it again and again. She struggled for breath,
