“I do have to go.” She reached for her purse and stood.
He rose too—a nicety long absent from their marriage. “Would you like me to walk you to your car?”
“No. The restaurant may not appreciate it if you leave without paying the bill.” She took a step back. “Thank you for lunch.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“I’ll be in touch—but I do need to give this careful thought.”
“I understand. I’ll wait, for however long it takes.”
She left him standing by the table, and when she glanced back from the door, he was still there, watching her.
He raised a hand in farewell, and she reciprocated. Then she exited the restaurant.
Outside, clouds had scuttled in and the day had dimmed.
But the sun was shining in her heart.
Not because she and Martin had resolved all their issues. Not by a long shot. And she had some serious thinking to do before she committed to a reconciliation attempt. Going back to an untenable situation would be soul shattering.
Yet as she walked to her car, her heart felt lighter and brighter than it had in years.
It took her several moments to put a name to the feeling that had been absent from her life for too long, but once she did, her lips curved up.
It was called hope.
And for the first time in a long while, she let herself believe that maybe ... just maybe ... she and Martin and Lucas could be a family again.
31
“Well, look who’s here.”
As she and Lauren waited to be seated at the Bayview Lavender Farm tearoom, Devyn followed her sister’s line of sight.
In the far corner, Isabel and Aaron sat at a table for two that offered a view of the lavender field out the window.
A father who took his daughter to tea?
Her heart melted.
“Devyn.” Her sister nudged her. “Do you see them?”
“Yes.” She sidled behind Lauren as the hostess approached.
Her sister looked over her shoulder. “Are you trying to hide?”
“Not exactly.”
“Yes, exactly.” She rolled her eyes. “Good grief, Devyn. The kiss was two weeks ago, and you’ve had no contact with Aaron since. Get over it.”
If only she could.
But the breath-stealing encounter kept replaying in her mind during the day and popping up in her dreams at night.
“Shh.” She glanced around. “You don’t have to broadcast it to the world.”
“Nobody’s paying any attention to us.” Lauren faced front again as a woman with long brown hair approached. “Hello, Jeannette.This is my sister, Devyn. Devyn, meet Jeannette, who runs the best tearoom in the West.”
