Page 58 of Beautiful Dreamer

KC was off her shift, just as Elizabeth had predicted, andstanding in front of the booth holding a toddler. Lots of curly blond hair anda couple of teeth.

“Liz, why don’t you have a beer in your hand?”

“I’ll get there,” she said.

“You remember Devyn. High school dancer turned commercial realestate ninja.”

“That’s what they call me,” Devyn said, nodding.

KC smiled. “I can’t believe this is the first time we’re runninginto each other. So glad to hear Jill is on the mend. And that you two havebeen spending…qualitytime together.”

“It’s good to see you again, KC. This little guy is adorable.Yours?” She decided not to finish the remainder of the Twinkie, knowing therewould likely be more fried objects to come, and she wanted to save room.Apparently, she now cared about such things.

“Yep, this is my little guy, Gray,” KC said. “You met my husband,Dan, at the hospital.”

“Yes. He checked in on us multiple times, even once the orthopedicguy took over. He’s great.” Just as she discarded the last bit of her Twinkie,two tiny arms reached for her.

“Whoa,” KC said, glancing from Devyn to the toddler. “Gray doesn’tusually go for strangers.”

“It’s okay,” Devyn said, accepting the toddler into her arms andfeeling crazy nervous about what to do with him now that she had him. Oh, andwould you look at that? His hands were sticky. She decided, in fear of theanswer, not to ask why. Gray studied her face with a deeply furrowed brow. Shestudied him right back. That mop of bright blond hair, large blue eyes, and apouty bottom lip. Then something crazy occurred. He broke into a luminous grin,the kind that was unabashedly joyful, and she did, too. “Hi, there,” she said.

“Hi,” he said back, simply.

“Would you look at that?” Elizabeth said, enjoying this. “I thinkyou have a new best friend.”

She wouldn’t have predicted this, but the next half hour only solidifiedher point. They walked with KC to the kiddie rides and watched as Gray circledaround and around in the tiny little cockpit of an airplane. Each time hepassed, it was Devyn he waved and yelled to. “Look. Look.”

“I see you,” she yelled back. “You’re in an airplane.”

He threw his head back and laughed as if it were the funniestthing. When they moved on to the next ride, he held her hand as he toddled backand forth, chattering nonsensically. All the while, she could feel Elizabethwatching her, and it made Devyn feel like she could take on a world full oftoddlers. She liked that feeling very much.

“You doin’ okay?” Elizabeth whispered as Gray worked on a cottonball art project at the kids’ station.

Devyn smiled. “More than okay. Thank you. It’s one of those dayswhere the world just seems a little easier.” Hearing the words coming out ofher mouth made her feel ridiculous. Her cheeks heated.

“What?”

Devyn turned to Elizabeth. “I’m starting to sound like you.”

She shrugged. “I don’t see the problem.”

KC tossed a gleeful Gray over her shoulders like a sack ofpotatoes. “I gotta get this kid home and in a bath before the sugar crash hits.Nap time looms. You two have all the fun.” She flipped her body around so theycould see Gray’s face. “Tell your friends goodbye.”

“Bye-bye.” he said with a huge grin spread wide across his face.He continued to wave as KC walked him out of the park, and they continued towave back until he disappeared in the throngs of festival attendees.

“Now what?” Elizabeth asked.

“Three-legged race is starting.”

Elizabeth’s eyes went wide. “We haven’t even talked strategy. Igot caught up with a two-year-old and now we’re going in blind. There’s agrocery gift certificate on the line.” There was that competitive streak Devynenjoyed so much, out in full force the second a race was mentioned.

Devyn shrugged, attempting nonchalance to calm Elizabeth’s nerves.“What do you say we don’t necessarily try to win? Let’s just have fun with it.”She dropped her voice. “If I remember correctly, we work pretty good pressed upagainst each other.”

Elizabeth blinked as if the thoughts had just been plucked fromher head. Finally, she said, “Okay.”

“Okay? Perfect.”

“Five minutes until the three-legged race,” a man on a microphoneproclaimed.

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