Page 55 of Sea Glass and Second Chances (Carolina Cove 3)

“You love it and you know it,” Tessa said, catching his expression.

“You don’t hear me complaining,” he said, winking at the women. “Where’s Ms. Addy?” he asked.

“Adaline needed to check in at the store,” Cheryl said. “I so wish she’d let one of us help her. She insists she can handle things with what help they have, but she’s working on some big project, and I can tell it’s stressing her.”

“Any news about Rayna Jo?” Mary Elizabeth asked.

Dara shook her head but then relayed the result of Devon’s conversation.

“Oh, dear.”

“Poor girl.”

“Does that mean she’ll be staying? Moving back?” Mary Elizabeth asked, her tone hopeful. “I know your mother would so love to have both you girls home again. Especially now.”

Logan jogged down the stairs and entered the kitchen, looking freshly showered but dressed in the same dark slacks and dress shirt he’d worn yesterday for the funeral.

“Hey, how’s every— What happened? Has there been news?” he asked.

Dara gave him the rundown of the moment, and Oz watched as Logan glanced at him once the ladies went back to chatting. Oz braced himself when Logan meandered his way.

“You must be happy about this turn of events,” Logan said in a low voice.

“She’s entangled,” Oz said, using Devon’s description of her relationship.

“It’s only a matter of time before she sees the guy is a jerk.”

“I’m not so sure about that. She obviously likes something about him. You know what? It doesn’t matter. I just want her to be happy.”

“Because that’s how love’s supposed to be. Do you not believe that’s possible here—with you?”

“It wasn’t before.” Oz shrugged. “Why would that change now?”

His statement to Logan stayed with Oz long after the conversation had ended. He ran home long enough to shower and change, thinking how great it would be if only Devon’s things were in the closet beside his.

Once he’d dressed again, he shoveled down a quick sandwich and headed back to the Teekses’ to begin searching again.

He prayed Rayna Jo stayed strong and didn’t let fear make any decisions for her. Losing one parent was bad enough. Losing two in the same week?

Carrying a bottle of water with him, he locked up and left the house, taking the boardwalk on the off chance Rayna Jo might make an appearance.

When he arrived at the Teekses’, he let himself in after a quick knock, well able to remember all the times he’d arrived on the porch for a day in the sun with Devon before their dating years had even begun. “Any news?” he asked once he made his way to the kitchen.

Dara and Devon shook their heads simultaneously and his thoughts grew grim. “I thought I’d head out again to look.”

“I’ll go with you,” Devon said. “I can’t stand sitting here doing nothing.”

“I’ll stay,” Dara said. “In case she comes back.”

Without speaking, he and Devon made their way through the house to the door. “Have you talked to your…Ted?”

The words emerged out of nowhere, and he winced at the sound of them. Even he could hear the jealousy loud and clear.

“Today’s his luncheon.”

“So that’s a no?”

“Why does it matter?” Devon stopped on the porch steps to face him. “You and I are just friends, Oz. If you can’t accept that, maybe we shouldn’t…”

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