Page 46 of Unbroken

“When did that start?”

“When Mom was in Houston and after I moved into this house.”

Blakely nodded thoughtfully. We were seated at the kitchen table, Blakley at the spot at the head of the table, and I was to her left. My mom was in the kitchen behind me, washing the dishes she refused to let us help with.

“Okay, this isn’t meant the way it’s probably going to sound, but why? I think it’s so cool, but you hadn’t given any inclination that you were interested in it before.”

I was reclined back in the small kitchen chair, my legs stretched out under the table. Blakely leaned forward with her elbows propped on the wood.

“When she was in Houston, I couldn’t be there all the time, especially with Sydney in high school still. So, I needed something to keep myself occupied.”

“Something to fill the time that had otherwise been spent on taking care of other people,” she said quietly, for my ears only.

She was always so perceptive.

“Wait, did you make that table in the entryway by the door?” she asked excitedly.

I inclined my head, suddenly feeling self-conscious. There were several pieces around the house that I’d made. The table in the entryway was one I was proud of. Earlier pieces I’d made were better hidden.

“It’s beautiful, Devon. Really impressive.” Sincerity echoed in her words, and I felt them directly in the center of my chest.

“Do you have a shop or…is that the right word?”

“It is,” I said. “I converted the garage into a shop.”

“Can I see it?” Her excitement still permeated each word. Shereadjusted further forward in her seat, and underneath the table, her leg brushed against mine. She didn’t immediately pull away.

Her gray eyes softened, and I didn’t move. I couldn’t.

Until Stormy jumped on my lap and nearly made me spill my beer.

“Oh, crap,” Blakely exclaimed with a laugh. “I didn’t know you had a cat.”

“That’s Stormy,” my mom chimed in a little louder from the kitchen. “She only comes out when Devon is here. She could give a crap less about anyone else.”

Stormy brushed up against me and rubbed her head into my chest. I set my beer on the table and gave her the attention the black cat was demanding. I kissed the top of her head and scratched beneath her neck and down her shoulders.

“She’s so cute,” Blakely said, offering Stormy her hand to sniff and inspect. Stormy side-eyed Blakely’s hand for several seconds before she stepped up onto the table and crossed to her. She settled on the edge and allowed Blakely to pet her.

“Oh, looks like she likes you, too,” Mom said.

“She’s very cute,” Blakely muttered. She scratched under Stormy’s chin, and undeterred by the cat, Blakely just peeked around her and continued talking. “Amanda said you’re consulting now?”

I nodded.

“What happened with that start-up?”

I glanced back toward my mom, who was likely still listening but was pretending not to. “I need more flexibility they couldn’t offer, and honestly, working in an office constantly sounded like the worst thing I could ever do again.”

Blakely looked at me like she truly understood that feeling, and she began to say as much before Stormy sprinted off the table like her ass was on fire. Blakely giggled and continued. “When I started working again, I also didn’t want to be in an office, at a desk, working for someone else. I started my own business instead. It’s small—only me and my laptop, but I’mdoing a lot of website design and other graphic design work right now.”

The smile that tugged at the corner of my mouth was genuine. I knew Blakely had always wanted to do design, and I was proud of her for finally pursuing it. “That’s amazing, Blake.”

She met my smile with one of her own as my phone vibrated against the kitchen table. I didn’t want to look away from her, but somehow managed to pick it up. When I did, I glanced out the back window and realized how dark it was. The hazy evening sun was completely gone, replaced by faint moonlight.

Glancing down at my phone screen and a text from our group chat, I realized we’d been sitting there for closer to three hours. And I was seriously late for going to see Piper.

I stood from my chair and retrieved my empty beer bottle from the table. “Crap, I should…I should go shower and change,” I said, glancing at the flowers still laying on the other end of the table. I wondered if the words sounded to Blakely as unsure as they did to my own ears.

---