Page 51 of Devlin

"No. I've been hoping she'd contact me. I miss Claire. She's a daughter to me."

"I miss her, too. I've been trying to respect her need for space from all of us by not texting her or calling her, but I also worry that she'll think I don't care."

"She knows you care. She loves you, Devlin. She loves all of her kids, not just her sons, but alsoher nephews. This isn't about any of you. She turned sixty; she feels at a crossroads. She's wondering how she's going to live the rest of her life, and my son has been a blind idiot. Hopefully, he will come to his senses, and they will both figure out how they can continue being happy together."

"I thought they were happy. Mom has always been a great complement to Dad. They were a goodteam. This threw me."

"It surprised all of us. But change can be good."

"I hope so." His eyes widened as the waitress set down a spectacular four-tiered tray filled with sandwiches, wraps, and sweets. "I didn't realize this was part of afternoon tea."

"I thought you'd like it."

As he waited for the waitress to pour his tea, his gaze caught on a trio of young women enteringthe room, especially the pretty blonde in the middle of the group. His heart thudded against his chest. He'd forgotten that Hannah had agreed to have tea with Jessica and Caroline today.

Hannah looked amazing in an off-the-shoulder floral dress, falling over her bare shoulders in beautiful waves. As the women were escorted through the room by the hostess, they passed by his table.

Hannah's blue eyes widened when she saw him. "Devlin," she said, coming to an abrupt stop. "I didn't expect to see you here."

He got to his feet, his smile encompassing all three women. "I got an invitation from a very special woman—my grandmother, Fiona Blackthorne. Nana, I think you've met some of these ladies before."

"Jessica and Caroline, yes," his grandmother said, then turnedto Hannah with a quizzical look in her eyes. "I think I know you, too, dear."

"I'm Hannah Reid, Mrs. Blackthorne."

"Oh, my goodness, Hannah, of course. You're Frank's daughter. I remember you when you were a little girl."

"It's nice to see you again," Hannah said.

"You, too. I hope you'll give my regards to your dad, although I'm sure he's not too happy with any ofus these days."

"I'll let him know you said hello. We better get to our table," Hannah added, giving him a quick look that couldn't mask the longing and uncertainty in her gaze.

He sucked in a breath, wondering if she knew just how much she'd revealed. But she quickly turned away and followed Caroline and Jessica to their table.

When he sat down and turned back to his grandmother,he had a feeling he'd just revealed too much as well.

"So, it's like that," she said with a knowing gleam.

"It's nothing."

"Oh, I think it's something."

"Hannah is furious with me that her father was fired."

"That might be, but the sparks I saw had nothing to do with anger."

"You are imagining things."

"And you are a terrible liar. What's Hannahlike?" she asked with interest.

He thought about the best way to describe her. "She's smart, bold, and pushy. She doesn't back down from a fight, not when she's fighting for someone she loves, that's for sure."

"I respect that in a person."

"I do, too."

"How long will she be in town?"

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