Page 89 of Inheriting Miss Fortune

“It’s even better to see you. Dev’s been in a funk since our plane took off last week.”

His words should have worried me, but I was too selfishly happy that I hadn’t been the only one upset by our separation.

The drive to town was pleasant. My eyes took in our surroundings hungrily while Kenji caught me up on plans for the weekend.

“Dev would have picked you up, but he and Landry are at the concert venue meeting some of Zane’s crew. Silas is helping Way with mayoral duties related to the summer’s first AdventureSmash race. Tonight’s concert is part of the kickoff for the event.”

As we got closer to town, I was shocked by the crowds. Tourists swarmed the streets, and cars were parked everywhere. Colorful event banners were strung across Poke Street, and flower baskets hung from the decorative streetlight poles.

Majestic looked maj—… well, I wasn’t going to say it.

It looked amazing. Warm, inviting, vibrant, and fun. Everyone was dressed casually, a mix of summer dresses and adventure wear.

I could see why people loved it here, and I was happy to imagine Lellie growing up in such a charming place.

“Dev wasn’t kidding when he said the population swells in summer,” I said.

“It’s even busier now than it was last summer. Silas and Way worked hard over the winter to prepare. They got zoning approval for two new hotels, but only one of them was finished on time. The other should be ready before the GrandSmash at the end of the summer. Foster and Way managed to lure several state government meetings and conferences here over the winter, which will help fill the rooms this first year. Then I think Way will finally be able to hire an event outreach coordinator.”

While I cared about Majestic and about the success of this great place, right now, I didn’t want to hear about any of it. All I cared about was seeing Dev… and Lellie, of course, but Kenjihad mentioned Jo Blake was keeping Lellie overnight at the Fletchers’ big ranch house to avoid the concert noise and crowds in town near her own place.

After stopping to give our information to a security guard, we pulled down a dirt road that approached the back of an enormous white concert tent on a large parcel of land just outside of town. We parked in a dirt lot with several semitrailers and pickup trucks before heading to find Dev.

The pavilion was already full of concertgoers, with more streaming in. It was early enough that no one was rushing frantically. Tons of people were wearing shirts and hats with the distinctive black-and-red ZB logo for Zee Barlo. I still couldn’t believe Dev was friends with a famous singer.

While Zee Barlo had only been well-known for a couple of years, it had been two years of skyrocketing fame thanks to his attractive face, fit body, and approachable, boy-next-door social media presence. He seemed to have the magic ability to evoke the influences of Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, and Harry Styles all at the same time, which meant he had rabid followers from a wide swath of the musical spectrum.

We went behind a barricade and approached a kind of portable building acting as a backstage area attached to the stage. Silas called out to Kenji from nearby, asking a question related to the race, so Kenji quickly took his leave. “Just go in the trailer and find the dressing room with Zane and Dev in it. If you don’t find them, ask someone to point you in the right direction.”

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darker interior from the sunset outside. Before I could focus, I heard a shout and was forcibly held back from continuing inside by a man taller than me and about twice as wide in the shoulders—or at least he appeared that way in the darkened corridor.

“State your name.”

I blinked. “T-Tully Bowman. I’m here to see Devon McKay. He’s friends with?—”

“Dev,” the security guard barked, keeping his eyes on me. “What did I tell you about keeping me in the loop? For fuck’s sake, where’s Lou?”

Dev hurried out of a narrow doorway, muttering his apologies. “I told you he was coming about ten times, Ryan, but I didn’t think he’d get here until after eight.” He met my eyes and grinned widely. “You’re early.”

The man let me go, and I lunged into Dev’s arms, embarrassingly shaken up by the confrontation with the security guy.

Sandalwood mixed with hay surrounded me as Dev hugged me with his whole self. I melted against him and inhaled a ragged breath.

“Fuck,” Dev breathed against my ear. “I needed you.”

For an instant, I thought he meant he’d needed me for something specific, that there’d been a situation like lack of childcare or a legal issue. But then I realized he’d meant it the way I would have meant it if I’d dared to say it out loud.

“I’m here,” I murmured.

The wordsfor nowremained unspoken but very much present.

He turned his face to kiss me, and my heart thundered as his mouth possessed mine and his hands came up to cradle my face. I ran my hands up and down his back, over his ass, and into his thick hair, reacquainting myself with the feel of him.

An annoyed throat-clearing interrupted us. The large bodyguard narrowed his eyes at us. “Believe it or not, this is a place of business.”

“Ryan, Jesus.” A man poked his head out of the doorway Dev had come from. I recognized the swing of his sun-streaked brown hair as he leaned out and waved us toward him. “Come in.I don’t have much time, and I’m dying to thank you in person for saving Lellie.”

The bodyguard made a disgruntled sound in his voice. “You’re supposed to be resting, Zane.”

---