Page 101 of Inheriting Miss Fortune

I’d hired legal representation at the law professor’s recommendation, and they’d taken charge of everything. They’d tendered my resignation at Dunlevy, Pace, and Trumble before accompanying me to a meeting with the Texas State Bar’s Chief Disciplinary Council’s office. Once my attorneys got approval from them, they would determine what I could tell Susanna and when. I was under certain confidentiality agreements withDunlevy, which meant I had my own legal situation to manage as well as Lellie’s.

If the approval didn’t come through soon, I would burst. It was killing me not to be able to tell Dev what had happened in Orris’s office, but I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the case or risk my legal license. I would try to be patient and get proper permission before telling anyone else involved, even the man I loved.

In the meantime, I was anxious to get back to Wyoming… and back into Dev’s arms. My assistant had hooked me up by having a stack of moving boxes delivered to my apartment, so at least I could keep busy while I waited for word from the attorneys.

While I packed, I imagined Dev’s reaction to my news. I was nervous that my moving to Majestic would be too much too soon for him. He already had enough upheaval in his life with Lellie’s arrival, and I didn’t want him to feel responsibility for my happiness, too.

But at the same time, I didn’t want to wait to be together. My plan was to move to Majestic and open a law practice. To tell Dev that I’d rent a little place of my own while I started my firm slowly. I’d have to apply for admission to the Wyoming Bar and take out a business loan to get started, which was a bit scary, but after careful consideration of my finances, I knew I could make it work. I’d been socking away money for years, and while it didn’t come close to making me a millionaire, I had enough saved to pay the balance for Nolan’s final year of tuition after his scholarshipsandto keep me afloat while I got my practice off the ground.

In the meantime, maybe it wouldn’t hurt if I got a part-time job in town to help meet people and establish trust with the locals. I couldn’t imagine folks in Majestic would trust an outside attorney easily, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe the fact Ihad big-city experience would work in my favor. And I did have a few ranchers as clients who would most likely be willing to give me business recommendations. I was pretty confident Way, Silas, and Dev would give me personal recommendations, too.

And I could help out with Lellie. It wouldn’t be easy for her to trust new people, so Dev would appreciate having another babysitter on hand he could trust.

I could almost hear her now, happily calling my name.

“Tuh-wee!”

I grinned as I yanked the packing tape across the folded ends of a box.

“Tuh-wee?”

It almost sounded like she was here in the apartment with me…

I whipped around and saw Dev standing in the open doorway of my apartment with Lellie on his hip. Susanna stood behind him, grinning.

Dev quickly set Lellie down before she launched herself out of his arms. She came trundling toward me on drunken baby legs with her arms outstretched and her dark curls flopping in tangled wisps.

“Babygirl!” I cried, swooping in to grab her and hold her close. She smelled like warm graham crackers and lemon-scented hand wipes. Her chunky little body felt like perfection in my arms, the best feeling in the world.

The best… with one very notable exception.

I glanced at Dev. Hope thundered like rabid mustangs in my chest. “What are you doing here?”

His grin was easy, as if he wasn’t on the verge of losing everything and breaking his heart for good. “This is where my heart is.”

For a split second, I thought he meant his heart was in Texas. It was where he was from, after all, and his parents were still here. But then I realized he hadn’t meant Texas.

He’d meant me.

“Dev,” I whispered.

Lellie struggled to get down, so I leaned over and set her on the ground next to two big empty boxes. She immediately began sliding them around on the hardwood floor. Automatic toddler bait.

“We came to get you, Tully Bowman,” Dev said, moving closer as if he had all the time in the world. I glanced behind him to see Susanna hanging back but grinning from ear to ear.

“You didn’t have to come all this way,” I told him, stepping forward and running my hands up his chest to his shoulders. “I have tickets to Majestic booked first thing tomorrow.”

His eyes lit up. “Yeah? You were coming to visit us?”

I tilted my head toward the half-packed living room and the empty boxes. “Little more than a visit, cowboy.”

Dev leaned in and kissed me slowly. I vaguely noticed Susanna talking to Lellie as she led her to the kitchen to give us some privacy.

“I love you,” I said shyly. I was unsure if he was ready for that, but he needed to know I was all in on building a life together. I already knew he was it for me. I wanted it all. Him. Lellie. Majestic.

Dev’s hands came up to cup my face until he forced me to meet his eyes. “I fell for you the night we met, Tully. But I wasn’t ready for you yet. I am now. I’m ready to tell you how much I love you. How much Ineedyou. And how much I want to share my life with you. Come home with me and help me build a family for Lellie. A family we can be proud of.”

My eyes filled and overflowed as I nodded frantically. I swallowed around a lump in my throat. “She’s your baby, Dev. Biologically. I have proof?—”

---