Page 47 of Devlin

He stretched out his arm along the back of the couch, not touching her, but making her yearn for the feel of his hand on her shoulder. She took another sip of whisky and searched for a distracting topic. "How come you didn't go into the whisky business?" she asked.

"It's not interesting to me. I like to drink it. I don't want to makeit or sell it. Fortunately, I have brothers and cousins who do, so the family business is in good hands." His hand crept closer to her shoulder, and she had to fight the urge to settle back against it. "How do you like working with your mother?" he asked.

"I enjoy being part of her company. I'm proud of her and everything she accomplished. When we first left King Harbor, we were barelyscraping by. But my mom got to work, and she changed all that. She found another side of herself—the aggressive, ambitious, persuasive, and successful side. She said she never realized she was that good at business until she had to be. Now she loves it." Taking another sip of her whisky, she added, "It's ironic that my mother has turned out to be as big of a workaholic as my dad. Although, she doestry to put her second husband first. She learned something from the divorce."

"And what about you? Is real estate your dream job? Is it what you want to do with the rest of your life?"

"That's a big question. I thought we just toasted to not thinking too far down the road."

"Good point. I'll shorten the time frame. Is selling real estate what you want to do for the next year?"

She smiled back at him. "Yes, maybe…I don't know," she said, sinking back against the couch, which put his warm hand on her shoulder, and she felt surprisingly content. "Being back in King Harbor has gotten me thinking about how much I've missed living by the ocean, being on the water whenever I can, seeing a multitude of stars over my head instead of city lights. This view is unbeatable.I do like living in Austin and seeing my mom all the time, and it's very fulfilling to put people in their dream houses."

"But…"

She wasn't sure she could express the restlessness in her soul. "I just want more outside of my job. I'm not sure exactly what. I do know that one day I want to have my own place. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless."

"How about buying a cottageon a hill overlooking the sea?"

"That would be lovely," she said with a wistful sigh. "But my job isn't near any pretty cottages by the sea."

"Where do you live now?"

"I have a one-bedroom apartment in a high-rise building. It's nice, but it doesn't feel like a home. I've never really decorated. When Gary and I were dating, we spent most of the time at his place. We almostbought a house together. We had actually put in an offer the day after we got engaged. That might have been part of his panic, too. It was a busy week—engagement ring, possible house purchase—and then it all ended."

"I'm sorry, Hannah."

"It hurt, but I know now it wasn't right. And I'm glad he called it off before we got married. I just wish I'd picked up on the signs earlier."

"What signs? He asked you to marry him. That shows commitment."

"I'm talking about signs that he wasn't over his ex. He used to talk to her on social media. He said they were friends, and I believed him. But he was also still in touch with her parents. And his parents also spent time with the ex. It was all a little too close. I knew it in my gut; I just didn't want to see it. I hadthis picture in my head of happily ever after, and I didn't want to ruin it. Love is blind." She sipped her whisky. "Live and learn, right?"

"Sometimes the lessons are painful," he said, gently kneading her shoulder. "You'll find the right person for you."

"I hope so." She turned her head, gazing into his eyes, and the connection between them intensified. "You scare me, Devlin,"she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I'm feeling things that I don't want to feel. And you're not the right person, either. You don't want a relationship. And I think there's a good chance you're still in love with Amy."

His gaze darkened. "I'm not in love with Amy, but she'll always be a part of my past."

"Your first love. I haven't had much luck with men getting over theirfirst love."

"Well, I can't go back to mine," he said tersely. He shifted on the couch, pulling his arm away from her shoulders. "I'll give you a ride home."

She sat up straight, giving him a wary look. "You're kicking me out? I didn't realize the subject of Amy was off-limits."

"It's not."

"Then why the sudden turnaround?"

He got to his feet. "I have an earlymeeting tomorrow."

"First time you've mentioned that," she said, standing up. "I was just being honest, Devlin. I guess I forgot that honesty can kill the mood. Sorry about that."

"Why would you be sorry? You said you don't want anything to happen. Now, it won't."

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