Page 25 of Beautiful Dreamer

“And you’re paying me really well.”

Devyn met her gaze. “Well, I wanted to be sure you said yes.”

“You could have negotiated if I’d balked,” she saidlight-heartedly.

“Money’s not really that big a deal to me.”

“Well, well,” Elizabeth said, with a raised eyebrow. “You don’thear that every day in the Bay.”

“Shit.” Devyn paused. “That sounded pretentious as hell, didn’tit?”

Elizabeth held her thumb and forefinger closer together. Sheclapped Devyn on the side of her arm. “I’ll let it slide.”

Devyn picked up a set of instructions and handed them toElizabeth. “Jill’s on the back deck, getting a little sun. She’ll need helpgetting back inside. We’ve been using the wheelchair, but the physicaltherapist will be here in an hour and he can probably show you some othertechniques for mobility. The contraption around her knee is the most tenderarea.”

“Got it. Where will you be?”

“Second bedroom down the hall doing some work. I have some callsset up throughout the morning with some potential international buyers, but ifyou need me, just pop in. I’ll take over when you have to leave.”

“We have our plan. Go, team.” She held up her hand for a high fiveand Devyn obliged.

“Sorry,” Devyn said, with a laugh. “It’s been a while since I’veparticipated in an actual high five.”

“Thank God I’m here, then,” Elizabeth said, letting the partiallyjudgmental comment slide right off.

“Yes, thank God.” Devyn glanced around. “You good? Anything I canget you?”

“I’m good,” Elizabeth told her, and then dropped her voice to awhisper. “Plus, I work for you, so maybe don’t cater to my every whim. Just afriendly employee-to-boss tip.”

“Right, right. I guess I’ll get to my calls, then.” Devyn made herway to the bedroom that would serve as her office, but not before pausing andoffering one last lingering look back.

Hold it right there.

Was Elizabeth crazy or had Devyn just given her a once-over? Acheckout from head to toe? Huh. The information from Dexter sat on her shoulderlike an annoying little canary, but the truth of it certainly resonated. Devynwas so incredibly gay. How had she not picked up on it herself earlier?

She shook herself out of the moment, and the tiny shiver she gotfrom the sexy once-over, that may or may not have happened.

Devyn was Devyn, and not someone with the qualities she looked foranyway. Yes, she was hotter than hot on a hot day, but she was fast paced andsophisticated and pretty much out of Elizabeth’s league. That wasn’t a badthing. Elizabeth liked her two-jalapeño league. Not too mild, but not too hot.Devyn came with at least four out of five in the jalapeño-ranking game.Probably five, and who could keep up with a five? And why was she thinkingabout jalapeños when she could be spending time with Jill? She remedied thatquickly.

“How’s the patient?”

Jill turned and smiled serenely, which was a great way to describeJill, in a nutshell. “Great, now that you’re here.” She was the poster childfor everything calm and warm in the world, which was why she was known forhaving great patience with her students. Of the sisters, Jill had been blessedwith the darker hair from their mother, and Elizabeth had always admired theway it fell in natural layers to her chin. She could only imagine that Devyn’sblond hair had come down from their father’s side, though Elizabeth had neverknown the man.

Elizabeth plopped down next to Jill on the comfy sofa on thecovered patio and looked out over the well-taken-care-of lawn. It wasn’t alarge outdoor space, but what they had was covered with beautiful, mature liveoaks. “Nice out here.”

Jill had her leg propped up on the coffee table, and she gesturedwith her head to the yard. “Devyn had a lawn service tend to it while I was upthe river. They did a great job taking care of all my babies out here.”

“Up the river? Isn’t that jail?”

“Is it?” Jill looked thoughtful, and then shrugged. “Felt likejail. Do you realize I was in that hospital for over three weeks?” She sat backand waved off the comment. “Of course you do. You were there for much of it,which, I have to say, makes you a saint.”

“Not a saint. Couldn’t let you get all the attention is all,”Elizabeth said, and adjusted the pillow under Jill’s injured leg. “Better?”

“Much. You’re a good nurse.” A pause. “Devyn seem okay to youtoday?”

Elizabeth glanced behind her to the house. “Yeah, sheseemed…driven. From what I learned in the hospital, she’s pretty much alwaysthat way, no?”

“The total truth. I feel like she’s staying in town because Iguilted her into it.” A cloud seemed to settle over Jill, and Elizabeth hatedthat. She shouldn’t feel like a burden to anyone, and the look on her face madeElizabeth want to say something to Devyn about it privately, and right away.Jill sighed. “She has a million things going on in Philly and she’s stucktaking care of her burdensome sister.”

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