Page 78 of Beautiful Dreamer

Soon.It was so noncommittal. It wasn’t tonight, or tomorrow. Who knew when they’dnext speak? “Okay. Soon, then.”

Devyn took Elizabeth’s cheek in her hand and brushed her lips toElizabeth’s briefly. There was no lingering, no drawing it out. Devyn pulledher into a quick hug and dropped her lips to Elizabeth’s ear. “Goodbye for now.You take care of yourself.”

Elizabeth didn’t want to take care of herself. She wanted Devyn totake care of her. “Goodbye, Devyn,” Elizabeth said, still stunned that this wasit.

Devyn slid into the driver’s seat and, with a final wave, pulledaway from the shopping center.

This wasn’t real, was it? Elizabeth glanced back at the donut shopwhere she happened to be in the middle of a job. Was she supposed to just goback in there and pick back up like her life hadn’t just blown up in front ofher? She walked slowly back to the shop in a sad daze. How could that be?

“You okay?” KC asked, standing. She shifted uncomfortably. Hereyes were mournful and full of empathy, and Elizabeth’s embarrassment crept in.

She shrugged and stared at the pyramid, trying to focus onstacking strategy, anything to not crumple into a teary-eyed mess. Didn’t meanher heart didn’t hurt. The lump in her throat seemed to grow bigger as themoments passed. Somehow, she managed to answer. “She’s leaving.” A pause. “I’llbe fine. Nothing I didn’t know was coming.”

KC winced. “Still.”

“Yeah.” They stared at each other. Elizabeth didn’t know what todo with herself. She needed direction and someone to tell her what to do. KCinnately got it.

“Let’s focus on this project for now, knock it out, and after thiswe’re getting drunk. Dan isn’t on call tonight. He can watch Gray.”

The tears pooled, but Elizabeth knelt and got to work. She focusedintently on the donut in her hand, laying it gently on top of an establishedrow. “You don’t have to do that,” she said on a shaky breath, reaching foranother donut. “I’ll be fine on my own. That’s what I do, right?”

KC didn’t hesitate. “You don’t have a say. We’re doing it. That’sfinal. I’m calling Dexter.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth said quietly, ignoring the first tear that felland then the second. She kept her face to the side, careful that no teartouched or interfered with her work. If she didn’t allow the brunt of what justhappened to fully infiltrate her brain, she could get through this, and thenthe next thing, and the next. She was Elizabeth Draper. She was used to beingleft.

* * *

Devyn kept her sunglasses on and the music loud as she drovestraight out of Dreamer’s Bay for the open highway. She passed the strip mall wherethe weekly cornhole tournament would take place that Friday and Saturday. Shedidn’t glance over, keeping her mind carefully blank. Bountiful Park flew by onher right, and shortly after that Festive Foods, where the high school band’sbooster club was taking down their fund-raising table in front of the store.There was a grill out front, and the aroma of something amazing wafted into hercar. Probably brisket tacos, the same they’d sold last week. She kept driving.Turned up the music even louder and blinked hard to steady herself and to holdoff any and all emotion. Nothing good ever came of it.

She had all of this under control.

The only way Devyn had gotten through that exchange with Elizabethwas to wall everything off, and that was the state she planned to remain in foras long as she needed. It was a pretty impressive trick, pushing your emotionsto the back, stuffing them right the hell down, but it was a skill she’drefined to perfection over the years, leaving her the successful machine she’dgrown to count on. In fact, she thrived under those conditions. She’d survivedher self-loathing teen years by doing just that, and then again with hermother’s death. She didn’t connect with too many people in Philly for the samereason. People made things…messy. Love was even more destructive. She’d be fineif she could just get through this transition phase. Once she was back in herold life, she’d forget what she’d left behind. Time healed.

The wall didn’t feel good anymore, though. She’d have to work onthat.

She stuttered, and stumbled, and stole a glance at the servicestation, knowing full well that the owner, Mr. Henry, was enjoying hisafternoon off at the Amazin’ Glazin’ and likely had Alton, one of his threeemployees, running the place in his absence. Even saying goodbye to the servicestation tugged at her. No. Damn it. She gave her head a shake. The wall wentback in place as she focused on the road, ignoring what she knew was next. Twostraight miles of some of the most gorgeous shoreline in the country. Shedidn’t plan to give it so much as an appreciative nod.

Elizabeth would be fine. So would Jill. They were the kind ofpeople everyone loved, and they’d look out for each other.

She’d be fine, too.

As she stood in line to board the plane two hours later, heremotions were at war. She’d lost the control she thought she’d established andnearly gave in to the urge to scrap this whole plan and drive straight back tothe Bay, pick up some burgers from Ronnie Roo’s, and eat them on the floor ofElizabeth’s living room over the coffee table. Could they make that happen? Wasthat possible? She had money. She didn’t need this job. But it wasn’t the jobthat kept her moving forward. She was terrified and she damn well knew it. Shewasn’t in control anymore and had allowed her feelings for Elizabeth to takeover everything. Her heart raced and the air seemed scarce. She had to find herway back to in charge.

Her phone buzzed. Sheldon, her personal assistant. “Hi, Shel.Flight’s on time.”

“Perfect. I have Gary to pick you up at your gate when you land.Just calling with an update.”

She sighed, letting go of her delusions, ready to find solidground again. “I’m ready.”

“Your kitchen’s been stocked fully, the cleaning crew just left,and the temperature in your condo is an even seventy-two, ready for yourarrival. The mail has been sorted and anything pressing I already took careof.”

The image of her world coming back to life snapped her into thehere and now. “What about flowers? Can we do something to soften the place up?”

“Soften?” Sheldon asked, probably not recognizing the sentimentcoming from her.

“I just think flowers are nice to…you know what? Never mind. Thankyou, Shel. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can get my dry cleaning prepped. Ihave a busy week ahead.”

“Right. I remember and am on top of it.”

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