Page 59 of The Art Of Starting Over

Devy groaned.

“You’ll walk in, and the kitchen will be to the left, along with the dining room. On the right, the living room, with one of those massive windows, because Oyster Bay has the best sunrises. On the back side, the primary suite will lead to the deck. I’m thinking French doors and maybe a bistro set to enjoy morning coffee. The staircase will be somewhere in the middle, leading to the three bedrooms.”

“This is a huge house, Hayden.”

He shrugged. “I’m thinking ahead with resale value.”

“Makes sense.”

“I decided this morning to put in a pool.”

“Definitely a party house. Don’t tell Crow, or he’ll be over here all the time,” she said, laughing. “Poor Conor. He won’t be able to get away with anything.”

A horn honked, and Devy sighed. “That’s my cue to go back to work.”

Hayden was tempted to kiss her, but he held back.

“Maybe I’ll stop in later. I think I need to check out the new bartender at the Lazy Lamb.”

Devorah smiled. “I know how to pull the tap for a beer. That’s about it. Oh, and order corn dogs.” She started walking away and then turned. “Thanks for showing me your house, Hayden. I really like it.” Devy walked to the truck and never looked back. If she had, Hayden probably would’ve run toward her and kissed her in front of everyone.

Seventeen

Devorah

Devy couldn’t remember the last time she’d waited on a table. It was almost like a rite of passage for any teenage girl to work at the diner. While working as a waitress there, her biggest challenge had been remembering orders.

Now, as a bartender, her biggest challenge was going to be remembering which beer was which, and how to pour the perfect draft. According to Colt, there was an art to it, and she needed to master it, mostly because she was Colt’s little sister, and with him being the brewmaster and owner of the Lazy Lamb, expectations were high.

By a couple of hours into her shift, she had learned the difference between an India pale ale (which patrons would refer to as an IPA) and a DIPA. The DIPA was double the alcohol percentage. Colt had a strict rule—no more than two DIPAs were allowed unless the customer had a designated driver, and the DD got free soda all night. He didn’t want anything to happen to any of his patrons or the people of Oyster Bay. This stuck with Devorah. Not only as the sheriff’s daughter, but also knowing how Hayden’s wife had died. Colt was doing his part to keep people safe, which meant a lot to her, and if Hayden ever found out about Colt’s rule, it’d mean everything to him.

It was also on her first day when she found out she would have to go on a food-delivery run. She thought that by telling Colt she hadn’t driven to the Lazy Lamb, he’d go in her place, but nope. One of the employees would go with her and drive.

When they returned to the bar, Devorah walked right up to her brother and kicked him in the shin. “That was a setup.”

Colt hopped on one foot for a quick second and then put his hands up in the air. “It was a nudge.”

“I don’t need a nudge.”

A nudge wasn’t the issue. It was her heart. Hayden had already put himself out there by kissing her at the drive-in. She would never admit this to him, but he’d made her toes curl. Something he’d been doing ever since they’d kissed in the closet, way back when. She wanted to kiss him again, to relive their many shared moments from growing up together. That kiss under the stars, with the movie playing, had woken something in her that had been dormant for a long time.

Passion?

Enthusiasm?

The more she thought about Chad and his affair, the more she realized the passion had long dissipated from their relationship. Sure, they made love, but it was like a calendar: Sundays after Maren had gone to bed, and Wednesdays after her PTA meeting. Long gone was the fervor. They no longer tore at each other’s clothes or couldn’t wait to feel one another. Sex had become a chore. Or Chad had become an obligation.

But was she ready?

If Hayden had kissed her inside her house or his, and no one was around, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind she would’ve taken him to bed. He’d reignited something in her, something she’d felt for him long ago.

They were both in a place where they could move on together and didn’t need any outside interference.

Colt winked and pulled Devy into his arms for a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to help.”

Dev stayed there for a long minute, basking in the strength of her brother’s hug. When they parted, she looked up at him. “Are you okay with Hayden and me dating?”

Her brother acted insulted by the question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

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