Page 58 of Devlin

She would only be here for another week. There was a definitive end coming, so maybe she should relax and enjoy herself.

Devlin parked in a fairly crowded lotby the beach. The days were getting longer, and sunset was at least two hours away. Not only were there plenty of surfers and beachgoers coming out of the ocean and off the sand, but there also appeared to be quite a few people who'd come just for pizza.

The food truck was parked near the picnic area, and most of the tables were full. There were also people perched along the low brick wallthat ran around the parking lot.

She followed Devlin over to the truck, where they got into line.

"Your friend is popular," she said, her stomach rumbling at the delicious aroma of garlic, onions, sausage, and other Italian spices.

"I told you. What kind of pizza do you want? I'm thinking we should get half and half."

"Great. You know what's good, so you pick."

"Anything you hate?"

"Not a thing."

"Then why don't you grab us a table while I order?"

"Good idea." She stepped out of line and snagged a picnic table deep in a canopy of trees, but she could still see the water. While she was waiting for Devlin, she checked her phone and saw a text from her mom. She wanted to know if she could change her plans and come back for MemorialDay weekend, because she needed another person for an open house that had just come up on a three-million-dollar home. It would be a big commission for the company, and she wanted Hannah on it.

Despite the financial enticement, the last thing she wanted to do was go back to Austin to sit on an open house. In fact, it was her least favorite thing to ever do. She liked working with clientsand taking them to homes on appointment, because it was personal and purposeful, but standing in an empty house on the off chance that someone other than a curious neighbor would come by was not interesting at all and usually a huge waste of time.

She texted:Sorry, but Dad and I are going to race together, so I won't be back until the following week.

Her mom's reply was not happy:It's a boat race. This is your future, Hannah.I'm sure your dad will understand that work is more important. He should know that better than anyone.

Her mother couldn't resist getting a dig in.

I need this, she typed.

I need you, her mom replied.You know I have big plans for expanding the agency and you're a part of those plans, but you have to be committed. One day this business will be yours. I'm doing this for you.

She stared at the text for a long minute. Her mom had been talking about her plans for the better part of a year, and she'd always thought she was committed, but after Gary had pulled the rug out from under her, everything she'd believed in had started to shift. For the past six months, she'd been questioning all her decisions, and those questionshad amped up since she'd come to King Harbor.

In fact, she thought those questions were partly why she'd rushed across the country to see her dad. His firing had given her a reason to leave, to step out of her structured life and get more perspective. She certainly had a different view now. But she didn't know what to do with it.

She was only sure of one thing, so she sent back heranswer.I won't be able to help you with this open house. I've committed to this race and to Dad. I'll be home after that.

I hope your father is not putting ideas in your head,her mother answered.Our lives are here, Hannah. This isn't just my business; it's yours, too.

I love you, Mom; I'll talk to you soon.

She didn't know if her mother would be satisfied with that, butshe hoped so. She turned her phone over as Devlin set down a large pizza. One half was loaded with brightly colored vegetables, the other with sausage, pepperoni, peppers, and onions.

"That's a lot of pizza," she said with a laugh.

"Victor doesn't believe in small sizes. We can take whatever we don't eat home." He paused as her phone vibrated on the table.

She sighed and pickedit up again, reading her mom's short answer:I love you, too, but I'm disappointed. I thought you'd be thrilled we got this listing. I'll have to give it to Brandon if you won't be here.

I understand, but I can't be there. Sorry.

She set her phone down again.

"Everything okay?" Devlin asked, his gaze thoughtful. "Are you texting with your dad?"

"No, my mother. She wantsme to come home for an open house Memorial Day weekend, and I told her that I'm committed to the race. She feels that shows a lack of commitment to her company, which she insists is all about providing for me and my future. But that's not completely true. She loves real estate, and she is very good at it. She'd be driven to make it as successful as possible even if I wasn't involved at all."

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