Chapter Eleven
PAULaimed the remote at the TV and flipped through half a dozen channels without seeing any of them. Then he turned the TV off and tossed the remote aside, too agitated to find the noise anything other than an irritant. He’d been waiting in his hotel room for hours, but Devin hadn’t responded to any of his texts or called him back. He’d left messages on voicemail, first to relay his hotel and room number in case Devin hadn’t received his text and then to check and make sure Devin was okay.
He’d held off ordering dinner because he wanted to wait for Devin, but dinnertime came and went, and Devin hadn’t arrived or gotten in touch, which was worrisome. Devin wasn’t the type to flake on plans. If something had come up, Paul was sure Devin would have let him know, and the later it got, the more his mind started running through worst-case scenarios.
Unfortunately, it was too late in the evening for him to call Kate or go back to the ship, and his stomach was growling, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since around noon. He didn’t want to leave the room in case Devin showed up, offering kisses and a logical explanation for the delay, so he ordered room service. When it arrived, his stomach was so knotted up with worry that he barely ate half of the grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.
At ten o’clock, Paul still had hope that Devin might just be running late. By eleven o’clock, he was tempted to call the hospital. By midnight, he gave up and tried to get some sleep, promising himself that he would call Kate and see if she’d heard anything in the morning if Devin hadn’t gotten in touch.
He woke up earlier than usual and reached for his phone to check for messages, but there weren’t any from Devin. He went through his morning routine on autopilot while his mind turned over every possibility. Had Devin ghosted on him? Was this Devin’s way of extracting himself from the aftermath of a shipboard fling? Was Devin lying unconscious in ICU? Had some family emergency arisen that made Devin go straight home to Buffalo Lick? Paul didn’t know, and the not knowing was driving him insane.
He waited until shortly after nine o’clock to call Kate, hoping she could provide some answers. She seemed like the type to start her work day early, and Paul couldn’t stand waiting until later. Fortunately, she answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Kate,” he said, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt. “This is Paul Mercer.”
“Good morning, Paul.” There was an odd tone to her voice, almost as though she wasn’t surprised to be hearing from him. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” he said, the social lie coming easily. “I’m sorry to call so early, but I’m trying to contact Devin. Is he still on board thePearlor has he left already?”
“He’s gone.” She paused. “Paul, was there anything wrong between the two of you? I know it isn’t any of my business, but one moment he was excited and happy about being offered a position in the kitchen, and the next, he looked like I had slapped him.”
Paul frowned, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “I’m not aware of anything wrong,” he said. “Why would he be upset about a promotion?”
“I mentioned you had spoken very highly of him and thought the promotion was well-deserved.” Once again, she paused. “Of course at first he was confused when I said Mr. Mercer was pleased with him as a liaison, but I explained why you’d been traveling incognito.”
Oh, shit.
Paul swallowed a groan and pushed his fingers through his hair. His real last name had been item one on his discussion agenda for last night. The promotion had been item two, assuming Devin wasn’t angry with him due to item one. He wanted to brainstorm on their options because he didn’t want to keep Devin from accepting the promotion if Devin wanted it, even if it meant they would be apart for long periods.
But Kate had revealed the truth before Paul could, which probably didn’t make him look good in Devin’s eyes. Maybe that was it. Devin was upset over finding out Paul wasn’t just any corporate executive. Maybe Devin thought this new information changed too much. Maybe he was angry because Paul didn’t tell Devin himself.
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Paul said, which was the absolute truth. “But if you hear from Devin, please let him know I’d like him to call me.”
“Of course, Paul,” she said. “I’ll mind my own business for the moment, but if you’ve cost me one of my favorite employees, I’m going to be very perturbed with you.”
“Believe me, I want to find out what the problem is and resolve it as much as you do,” Paul said. “Thanks, Kate. I’ll be in touch.”
“I hope you can. Good luck, Paul.” With that, she ended the call.
Paul put his phone on the nightstand and got his suitcase so he could pack up and check out. He was relieved of the worry that something terrible had happened to Devin, but it was replaced by the worry that he wouldn’t be able to explain his plans to tell Devin the truth—or that it wouldn’t matter even if he did.
He’d give Devin some space and see if Devin decided to get in touch once he’d cooled off. If not…. Well, Paul wasn’t sure what he would do. In the meantime, he had no reason to remain in Galveston, so he might as well book the first flight back to Charleston. He’d give his father a full report and have that out of the way in case Devin called, and he’d plan how he’d make up for his lie by omission.
But walking away wasn’t an option. He wasn’t like Jack; he wouldn’t give up just because their relationship was facing an obstacle. He wanted a future with Devin too much to let a misunderstanding ruin everything. Devin had rekindled Paul’s fighting spirit, and now Paul was going to use it to fight for Devin—for the man he loved.
