He left for a minute and thenreturned with a bunch of blankets in his arms. He tossed them onto the couch. “You taking the bed, Belle?”
“Couch is good with me,” she toldhim.
“Whatever suits you, suits me,”he said. “Here’s the remote.”
“You can just turn it off. I’mgoing to pass out,” she said, averting her eyes.
He turned to go, but then heseemed to think better of it. He sat down next to her on the couch again. “You going to tell me what’s eating at you?” He looked at her more intentlythan ever before.
She shook her head. “Nothingis.”
“You pissed about Hadley?” heasked, hitting on the most superficial problem.
“How did you know?”
“I pay attention.”
“So…you know what she’s up to?”she asked carefully.
“That she’s snorting coke?” heasked. “Yeah, I know about that.”
“Does Garrett know?” she askedquickly.
Brennan shook his head. “Noway. He thinks she’s perfect. Could you imagine if Mr. Perfect found out hisPrincess was a coke addict?”
“She’s an addict?” she squeaked.
“Depends on your definition. She’s done it more than a few times.”
He was being loose with his wordsbecause he was drunk. Devon probably shouldn’t have been taking advantage ofthe situation in his state, but she wanted answers.
“How do you know all about herproblem if he doesn’t?” Devon asked out of curiosity.
“When you’ve done shit before,you can see it in a person. Once she found out that I knew, she stopped hidingit around me,” he told her honestly.
“You do…coke, too?” she asked,her heart sinking. Was that what was up with him? But didn’t it normallymake them upbeat or fidgety?
“Nah. Just once and knew itwasn’t for me. Mostly weed.”
Ah, that explains it, shethought.
“You could use some weed,”Brennan told her. “You’re too uptight, Belle.”
Devon frowned. Typical. “I’m going to pass.”
“Suit yourself, but I think you’dlike it,” he said, turning to face her with a smile.
“I’ve done it before,” she said,not wanting to admit how much she used to smoke. For a long time, she hadthought she studied better high. It had become a problem when she was prettymuch always studying.
“You?” he asked with raisedeyebrows.
“Yeah. Surprised?”
“Wouldn’t have pegged you.”
“Oh right, square.” Devongestured at herself with her hands.
“I dig square,” he told herbluntly.
Oh damn, how messed up is he?Devon wondered.
“Thanks,” she whispered, glancingdown.
She didn’t know how else todeflect the conversation. Brennan was nice…well, kind of, and he was veryattractive. She needed to get out of this territory. She was here for a placeto crash, and crashing sounded like a good idea right about now.
When Devon felt his hand reachout and touch her cheek, her eyes fluttered up to meet his. Before she had achance to react, he leaned forward and kissed her lips. Her shock held her atbay. He did nothing more than hold his soft lips against hers. They wereforeign and strange yet enticing.
She felt her body respond to histouch. His fingers moved and threaded through her hair, tugging on it slightlyin his haste. She had too many thoughts swirling in her head to keep it allstraight at once. The most prominent ones were how good this felt, how wrongthis felt, and how surprised she was that he was even doing this.
Had he ever given her anindication that he wanted to kiss her before that last comment? Shecouldn’t remember.
She didn’t know why, but tearswelled in her eyes. They slid easily down her cheeks, mixing salt with thetaste of alcohol on his lips.
Brennan pulled back to look ather and she gasped out, “I have a boyfriend.”
Brennan dropped his hands intohis lap. “Oh.”
Devon bit down on her lip as shewaited for him to say something more. He just stared at her, his eyes slightlyhazy. She wanted him to say something, anything. Was he pissed? Was heshocked? Did he expect something from her?
“Good night then,” he saidfinally as he stood.
She stared up at him, her browfurrowed with trepidation. Was that it? He wasn’t mad? He wasn’t going topush the topic? Didn’t he have more to say?
He made it all the way to hisbedroom door before turning back to look at her. He seemed to be waiting forsomething, but she didn’t know what it was.
“Good…good night, Brennan,” shetold him.
Whatever she was supposed tosay…that wasn’t it.
He hung his head a little andthen nodded. “Have a safe trip tomorrow, Devon.”
As Brennan shut the door behindhim, she realized that was the first time he had ever called her by her name.
DEVON WALKED DOWN the dirt lane kickingher cowboy boots against the small rocks in her path. The day was approachingdusk, and the sun was hanging heavy over the horizon, splattering the sky withpink, orange, and yellow. She finger combed her blonde hair down to herwaist. She wished she had a hat because her hair was a rat’s nest.
She whistled her latest tunerecalling the lyrics she had sang for her parents earlier that day. They likedthem the song so much that they wanted to send it off to a label. They thoughttheir Dixie girl would be a star. She didn’t know about any of that, but sheliked writing it all down.
Devon veered off the road, takinga shortcut through an open field. She was thankful for her boots as shetrekked through the waist-high grass. It had been a warm day, but the nightwas rapidly cooling the temperatures. She shouldn’t have been surprised in theleast, but somehow, she would always forget her cardigan for the walk.
The wind whipped across thegrass, tying her hair in knots and matting it to her face. She struggled tokeep it away, but there was just too much of it for it to make a difference. While she fought with her hair, her sundress flew up around her stomach. Sheyanked it back down to cover herself, but she was having little luck. Grumbling in frustration, she cursed the wind for its timing.
She and her brother, Dustin, hadtaken this shortcut for years. It was only a matter of time before Dani knewabout it as well. That thought terrified Devon.
When she
