Page 57 of Waiting for Devon
“I wish I could make that choice, Lincoln, but this is best for everyone. I’m going to Barrington Industries. I must speak with Jasper before I leave.”
“It’s been a pleasure having you here, Devon. I will miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too.” She hugged the chauffeur, climbed into the driver’s seat, and sped away from the ranch before Reed came to find her.
Thirty minutes later Devon pulled into the parking garage at BI. She sat in the car for a few minutes, recalling Jack’s offer to be there for her if she ever needed him. Shrugging her shoulders, she called her ex-husband. Picking her up from the airport was the least he could do for her.
“Dr. Taylor,” Jack answered in a gruff voice.
“Hi, Jack. I’m coming home for good. My flight from Dallas lands at four o’clock. Will you pick me up?”
She heard his sharp intake of breath. “Devon, what’s going on?”
“It’s a long story. Will you pick me up or not?”
“Of course, I will. I can’t wait to see you. We have things to discuss.”
Devon pressed the END call button without responding. She had an inkling about what Jack wanted to discuss, and she wasn’t interested. Not after discovering the powerful, all-consuming love she shared with Reed.
Reed.
Her heart ached for him.
Struggling to control the tears stinging her eyes, Devon made her way to the top floor of the building that housed Jasper’s elegant suite of offices. She introduced herself to his secretary, who waved her permission for Devon to enter through the heavy double doors.
Her stomach churned with apprehension. “I hope I’m not intruding, sir.”
“Not at all, Miss Brooks. What can I do for you?”
She clenched her hands to keep them from shaking and squared her shoulders. “I have a terrible confession to make, sir, and when I tell you the whole story, I hope you won’t think too illy of me.” Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she continued, “Shane and I are not in love, and we were never engaged. While it’s true we met at a hospital fundraiser, we were only casual acquaintances. He approached me at the café, said he was desperate for a fiancée, and asked me to play along. I thought it was a lark. I thought it was for the moment, but an hour later I no longer had a job at the hospital. Shane convinced me I would never get my job back without your influence. I agreed to go along with the charade until he proved he was ready to become CEO of BI. He assured me it would only be for two weeks, but two weeks turned into four and became a month.”
“A month has become nearly four, Miss Brooks. Why are you telling me this now?”
Devon swallowed the lump in her throat and met Jasper’s direct gaze without flinching. “Things changed. I opened the clinic, and it gave me a reason to stay. I will always be grateful to you for it. I also learned that Shane is no longer interested in being CEO. He loves Alana Turner and wants to marry her. She’s the reason he concocted this scheme to begin with. Honor his choice of a wife, sir. Alana is good for Shane. And,” her voice trembled as her eyes glistened with unshed tears, “I fell in love with Reed. I love him, and I can’t live with this lie anymore. I love him, and I don’t have the courage to face the disillusionment and hatred he’ll feel when he discovers what I’ve done.”
Jasper let out his breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I, too, have a confession to make, Miss Brooks. I’ve known the truth from the beginning.”
Devon’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You did? How, sir?”
“I investigated you before you and Shane left San Francisco.”
“I see. Why did you allow this charade to go on? Couldn’t you see what was happening?”
“I kept quiet for several reasons. First, you gave my daughter back to me. Under your guidance Blair has grown into the kind of woman I have always wanted her to be. Second, Shane needed to be taught a valuable lesson, one I dare say he has now learned.” Jasper paused. Sadness darkened his eyes. “Reed has shouldered far too many burdens for this family. When I saw him reaching out to you, falling in love with you, I couldn’t be the one to take that away from him.”
Devon’s heart twisted in her chest. “No, that’s all my fault.”
“Can you find a way to make it work with him?”
“No. Loving each other isn’t enough. I have broken his trust and played him a fool. Do you really think he’ll forgive me?”
Jasper didn’t answer. “I will call Mr. Linhart and order him to rehire you, Miss Brooks.”
“And the clinic? Will you find a suitable replacement for me and keep it going?”
“Do not fear for the future of the clinic. I will hire the most dedicated doctors and nurses,” he promised.
“Thank you, sir, that’s all I ask.” Devon reached into her purse and removed a pair of envelopes. “Please give these to Blair and Reed when you see them tonight. Tell Reed…tell him he’ll be in my heart forever.” Big tears formed in her eyes as she turned toward the door.
