Page 55 of The Art Of Starting Over

“Ignore them, and if Dalton retaliates, Colt and I will take care of it.”

“What are you going to do, beat him up?”

Hayden flexed his arm. The short sleeve of his T-shirt stretched over his bicep. “Do you want to touch it?”

Devy laughed and squeezed. “Okay, muscle man. You’re just like all the deputies I know. Always working out.”

“Nah, this is from working on the ranch on my days off. All the heavy lifting.”

“Do you miss it? Wyoming?”

Hayden pulled forward and rolled his window down in preparation to pay. “Yes and no. I don’t miss chasing kids through fields because they went cow tipping, but I miss the work on the ranch, the horses, and Conor’s grandparents. I can do without the memories or the tears,and the way they coddled Sofia’s cousin. My son lost his mother, and her cousin should be in jail.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hayden McKenna, is that you?” Devorah’s heart jumped at the sound of her former best friend’s voice. Laila Dixon and Dev had been inseparable, until Chad. He’d changed everything. Until now, Devy never realized how Chad had alienated her from her friends. Her hometown. From the people she loved. Even though she had a complicated relationship with Crow, Chad had kept Devy and Maren from visiting OB.

Hayden turned at the mention of his name. “In the flesh.”

Devorah leaned forward to glimpse the girl-turned-woman who knew her deepest, darkest secrets. Especially those she’d told Laila about Hayden. Devorah waved at Laila, surprised to see her still working the booth at the drive-in. Maybe coming back or even staying in Oyster Bay wouldn’t be so bad. Not with Laila and Hayden around. It could be like old times. Minus the make-out sessions with Hayden, because Devorah wasn’t going to let herself go there again.

“Hey, Laila. How are you?”

Laila leaned to the side while Hayden pushed himself into the seat cushion. “Um ...”

“Devorah Crowley,” she said quietly. Did Laila not remember her? That stung, but she deserved it after the way Devy had treated her and dismissed their friendship.

“Oh, Devorah. I didn’t know you were visiting.”

“Yeah, I’m back for a bit.” She guessed the rumors weren’t flying as fast as she thought.

Laila tried to smile, but it failed to lift her cheeks. Devy gave up. She didn’t need any more embarrassment for the day.

Hayden paid and found them a spot in the back, where they wouldn’t block a smaller car from seeing the screen. He got out and started setting up the back. Devy helped as much as she could, but he had everything under control.

“You can’t let Laila bother you.”

“At this point, I shouldn’t let anything that happens bother me.”

Hayden helped Devy climb in the back. “Think about it this way: Laila has lived here her entire life. She probably married her high school sweetheart and has two point five children. We grew up and left, and now we’re back and the talk of the town.”

“Correction, I’m the talk of the town, and she remembered you.”

“That’s because I’m hot.”

Devy rolled her eyes. “Ego much?”

“Only where you’re concerned. Come on, let’s go get some popcorn and sugary snacks.”

Hayden jumped out of the truck and then helped Devy out. She walked as close as she could next to him without holding his hand. She wanted to, but there was no way she’d make a move like that.

She would wait for him and kind of hoped he wouldn’t wait too long.

Sixteen

Hayden

Devorah Crowley—because Hayden refused to use her married last name—made him feel like a sixteen-year-old all over again, and even though they were in middle school when they had their first kissing encounter, those feelings never subsided, at least until he’d simply given up.

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