Once they’d each had a few bites, Chloe asked, “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Hailey’s been asking about a certain brunette. She wants to know if we can all do something together.”
Chloe looked pensive as she took a bite. “Well,” she said after swallowing. “Dad asked if I could bring you over sometime. Would tomorrow be too soon for Hailey to meet my parents?”
“Do they realize what this entails?”
“That they’re essentially gaining a granddaughter?” she clarified.
“Essentially,” he agreed. “Can I trust they’ll want her in their lives once we make introductions? She already has one set of grandparents who can barely bother with her, she doesn’t need another. You said your parents still struggle with what happened to your brother.”
“Their marriage is far from what I would consider ideal, but I’m no longer privy to what goes on over there. Dad has been dying to meet you for months now. That transfers to Hailey. They love kids, they have a need to be a family even if it’s not rainbows and sunshine, and I think it’s fair to say they’ll treat her appropriately.”
He nodded. “I respect them for not throwing in the towel during a tough situation. They make it work for them, I suppose. I’m sure we can go over for a little while.”
She pushed food around on her plate. “Are you thinking like dinner and running out, or more like the afternoon followed by dinner?”
He almost laughed; she knew him so well. “It wouldn’t be polite to run out, but I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with several hours. So, maybe the three of us can do something first, and then head to your parents’ for dinner.”
“That sounds like a good compromise.”
They went back to the couch after he helped her do the dishes. He played with the ends of Chloe’s hair as he told her of his and John’s conversation about Anna.
“Surprisingly, I handled it well. I relayed the information to Lori, and I comforted her. I didn’t curl into a ball or drink until I blacked out.”
“How did Lori take the news?”
Devon dropped his hand to his lap. “Fairly well. I know she’s hurting, but she’s not prone to outbursts. She likely cried on Caleb’s shoulder, and I know we haven’t heard the last from her on the subject. They were as close as me and Vince, and she loves Hailey as much as her own daughter.”
“She won’t be able to let it slide.” She picked his hand up and held it between her own.
“No, I imagine she’ll want to confront Anna. That’s how I feel about Vince; the need to make him tell me the real reason he did it is so strong.”
“It’s natural when someone betrays you to want to know why, but he might never tell you.” She shrugged. “He might not know himself. If, as he says, it was a crime borne of circumstances, he believes his actions are justified.”
He was quiet for several moments as he processed what she said. “I need to face him at least once more, to let him know he won’t get away with it and that I’m okay.”
“That’s reasonable.”
He watched as she reached out to trace her fingertip over his lower lip. He wanted things he wasn’t used to wanting. “Chloe,” he warned.
“Devon,” she responded in the same tone of voice.
“Once upon a time, I wasn’t so slow moving. I went after what I wanted with gusto. Kathy, a carpentry apprenticeship, our house, the shop. But, once I had what I’d worked so hard for, I realized how much responsibility it entailed. I had to think more carefully before I acted if I wanted to keep the business open, or to make our mortgage payments.” He took a deep breath. “It only got worse when Hailey was born. I was in charge of an entire life. Kathy poked fun at me, telling me I was as slow as a turtle.”
“And when it was just you and Hailey, you had to be even more cautious,” Chloe stated.
He nodded. “It wasn’t even a conscious decision. I weighed my options very carefully before coming to a decision, and then I plotted and planned everything to the nth degree.”
“And now?”
Smiling, he pulled her hand back to his mouth and swirled his tongue over the pad of her finger. “And now, I want to get back to the Devon I used to be. At least, to an extent.”
Chloe gasped when he sucked on her finger. “I think that’s an interesting idea.” Her breath hitched on the last word.
“But?”
“But, you said it was too soon. Don’t lose yourself because you’re rediscovering old emotions.”
