Page 72 of Waiting for Devon
“Thanks. And you? Are you reuniting with your ex?”
“Oh, heavens, no. Jack’s been a shoulder to lean on, nothing more. I’m hopelessly in love with Reed. My heart belongs to him.”
“I’ll remind him of it, Devon, from time to time. Maybe he’ll relent and forgive you. We’ll talk again soon, I hope.”
“Of course. Goodbye, Blair.”
Moments after she ended the call, Devon heard Jack’s familiar knock on her front door. As she admitted him, he noticed tears shining in her eyes. “Judging by the look on your face, I assume you saw the article about the Barringtons.”
She pulled her sweater close around her body and nodded. “I did.”
“For God’s sake, Dev, tell Barrington about his child. I don’t understand why you aren’t eager to do it.”
“It’s complicated,” she hedged.
“If you believe it’s going to somehow get less complicated, you’re deluding yourself,” Jack argued. “The longer you wait to tell him the harder it’s going to be.”
“You don’t understand, Jack. I can’t tell him. Not now. It’s too soon.”
Devon’s eyes met his and communicated her fear. Understanding dawned as Jack’s expression grew somber. The reason she hesitated became all too clear to him now, and he drew her into a warm embrace. “This child will survive, my love. You mustn’t lose faith. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or to him or her. I promise.”
Day by dayDevon blossomed with her pregnancy. Her skin glowed with a healthy sheen, and her deep brown eyes shone with perpetual joy. She radiated such an air of peace that it permeated the atmosphere in the ER and affected everyone who worked closely with her. When Jack observed Devon treating the babies in emergency with tender, motherly concern, he fell in love with her all over again. He simply couldn’t help himself.
On a cold evening toward the end of October when their shifts ended at the same time, Jack invited Devon to join him for dinner and a movie. They’d been so busy running the pediatric care unit that neither of them had any time for a social life. Devon accepted Jack’s invitation, and he looked forward to spending the evening with her.
During their meal at her favorite steakhouse, Jack subtly courted Devon. In little ways he showed her how he had changed, how he wasn’t the same arrogant man who’d visited her months ago. He demonstrated gentleness and consideration, qualities he’d once disdained as weaknesses. Instead of monopolizing the conversation with talk of his accomplishments, Jack listened to Devon and focused on what they could achieve together in pediatric medicine. After dinner, he allowed her to choose the movie they attended at the theater, and later it seemed natural for him to drape his arm across her shoulders and draw her close as they strolled down the street.
When they returned to Devon’s home, she offered him a cup of decaffeinated coffee and a slice of peach cobbler. While she was in the kitchen, Jack built a small fire to remove the chill from the room. Devon handed him the coffee and cobbler and settled next to him on the sofa.
“Devon, I know you’re still in love with Reed Barrington. Maybe you always will be. But you must know how I feel about you. When we were married, I killed your feelings for me long before the miscarriage. Little by little, I saw it in your eyes and felt the distance between us when we made love. I was too involved in carving a niche for myself to give you the kind of love and attention you deserved. After the loss of our baby, it became easier to make the break that would have been inevitable anyway.”
Jack took a deep breath. “It wasn’t your fault. You were a good wife. I just didn’t appreciate what I had until I lost it. I’ve had plenty of time to consider what happened over the last two years, and I want you to know I’ve changed. All I ask is for an opportunity to prove it. I’ll always be here for you if you need me. No pressure. No expectations. I’ll be a strong shoulder for you to lean on whenever you need one.”
Tears glistened in Devon’s eyes, and she looked away from him. “Jack, I don’t know what to say. You shouldn’t put your life on hold for me.”
“Let me worry about that. Friends?”
She nodded. “Always.”
Jack proved to be a much better friend than husband. He and Devon worked so well together that their popularity gained the attention of important contributors to the field of pediatrics, and the couple was asked to host a convention about emergency pediatric care. Jack insisted the convention be held at the Grand Hotel in San Francisco so Devon wouldn’t have to travel in her delicate condition. The convention was scheduled for the second week in November and would last three days. Representatives from leading hospitals across the United States were invited to attend. Devon’s and Jack’s co-workers assisted with the preparations for the convention, and the couple rewarded them with a night of festivity at one of the city’s popular nightclubs.
Although the convention on emergency pediatric care gained national attention and press coverage, teaching three days of seminars took their toll on Devon. At Jack’s insistence, she remained at home during the days preceding Thanksgiving and made plans to travel to Seattle to spend the holiday with her brother and his family.
“You shouldn’t fly by yourself.” Jack voiced his concern.
“Emmaline is traveling with me.” Devon paused a moment before asking, “What are your plans for Thanksgiving, Jack?”
“The usual. I’ll be at the hospital.”
“Why don’t you come to Seattle with us?”
Pleasure at the invitation filled Jack. “I would like nothing more, but what about Caleb? He’s never forgiven me for the way I treated you. Even though I helped rescue you from your kidnappers, he didn’t have anything nice to say to me.”
Devon smiled and Jack thought his heart would leap out of his chest. “You make the necessary arrangements for both of us to be off from the hospital at the same time, and I’ll handle Caleb.”
“Checkmate!” Blair cooed.“I win again, Reed.”
“Huh. You know I always let you…” Reed broke off and froze as the lilting sound of Devon’s voice pierced the air.
