Page 23 of Saving Sarah (Blissful Bets)

Stephen cleared his throat, pulling her from her thoughts. Sarah looked up. “Oh right.

You take care, Evelyn. Call me tomorrow. We’ll go over the plans for movie night.”

She hugged Sarah tightly. “I look forward to it. Nicole can’t wait to meet you. Officially, that is. We’re all going to be great friends. You’ll see.”

“I’m sure we will be.” The weight of the events had really started to take their toll. Sarah could feel her legs growing heavier by the second.

Stephen wrapped his arm through Evelyn’s and opened the door. “I’ll patrol extra tonight and run these numbers to see what we come up with. You’ll be getting a call, Devon. Welcome to the family, guys.”

The pizza guy jumped in surprise, his hand midair. “I’ll take care of that,” Devon said, walking her friends outside. Turning to Gavin, Sarah threw herself into his arms. She felt so mentally exhausted and the need to feel comforted made it hard to resist the pull.

“You’re tired.” His hand wrapped around the base of her neck, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. Having him close made her feel safe. She almost wished he wouldn’t be leaving tonight.

“Yeah, it’s been a long day. I missed you.”

The door opened behind them, but she didn’t move. “I missed you, too.” He quickly leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Gavin, why don’t you sit down with Sarah so I can make everyone’s plates?”

She turned to look at Devon, surprised. While she was led to the couch, she could feel her muscles tense with every step. Her attention went back to Devon. The fact that he let Gavin tend to her was the last thing she would have expected. Were they making progress so soon? She really hoped so.

Chapter 11

After five minutes of arguing, she finally gave in and laid her head in Gavin’s lap while her feet where in Devon’s. It didn’t take long before the feeling of her hair being played with and her feet being touched nearly rendered her unconscious.

A soft brush of lips across Sarah’s fingertips hardly registered. The sound of the nightly news faded in the background while she closed her eyes and focused on the calming sensations she felt from Devon messaging her feet.

“Sarah, I’m going to go. I’ll see you tomorrow when you get home from work.”

“Hmm, okay.” Suddenly realizing what Gavin had said, she bolted upright. He was leaving, which meant she’d be alone with Devon. “Wait. Are you sure? What happens if you see Tom? You’ll be alone.”

“I’ll be fine. If it makes you feel better, I’ll call for Devon if anything happens.” Sarah sat up, looking at him seriously. “You promise?”

Gavin laughed and kissed her lips. “All you have to do is ask. I’d never lie to you.”

“All right. Be careful, please.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t dare give Devon the satisfaction of having you all to himself. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Sarah watched the two guys nod to each other. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but somehow they had just communicated without actually saying anything. The sound of the door closing caused her heart to race. Could she do this, really be alone for the first time in years with Devon?

“If you’re tired, we can go lay in the bed. I’ll put you to sleep. You don’t have to worry about anything else. I promise not to touch you if don’t want me to.”

A little too quickly, Sarah nodded her head. Smooth Sarah. If you didn’t look scared before, you sure did just then.

Standing and walking to the room, she could hear him following behind her. Her body tightened, causing her nipples to harden painfully. Whether she’d made the decision about being with Devon or not, it seemed her body had already decided for her.

“Devon.” Sarah turned around, looking at him. Fear of the unknown made her heart race even faster.

“What’s wrong? Tell me.” The soothing tone of his voice settled though her.

She didn’t say a word. Grabbing his hand, she put it over her heart. The way he looked down at her caused tears to come to her eyes. So much pain existed between them. Was there a chance they could end it here, tonight?

Devon’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her body into his. For minutes he held her, stoking the back of her hair. Sarah cried about everything she could think of, letting the pain finally release. When hiccups rocked her body, Devon lifted her face.

“I hurt you badly, and for that, I’ll forever be sorry. But trust me when I tell you this, I’ll never hurt or leave you again. I promise. Nothing will take me away from you now. I’ve made sure of that.”

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