City Girl (34 page)

Sometimes she longed to confide in Luke. If only she could bring herself to. He had the most calming way about him and could see straight to the heart of a problem and take quick decisive
measures to solve it. She had seen him in action so many times during the build up to the opening of CITY GIRL. Calm, totally in control, he had time to talk to anybody who needed to talk to him.
He treated his staff with the utmost respect and they loved him for it. Devlin had learned a lot from Luke Reilly. She made frequent trips to London to keep him informed of progress. He left most
of the day-to-day running of the complex in her capable hands but major decisions they made together. He was always so glad to see her, always so pleased by the great success of their joint
venture.

The first time she went to London, she had stayed at her old haunt, the Tara. At dinner later that evening, Luke had said teasingly, ‘You know I do have a three-bedroomed apartment
overlooking the Thames. Think of what you could save the company by staying there instead of using your expense account on hotel accommodation.’

Devlin laughed. She loved Luke’s sense of humour. It made her feel young and a little carefree again. Sometimes his dry asides during long intense company meetings would set her off into
fits of giggles. It was a bit daft, her staying in a hotel when they had so much to discuss, so the next time she flew over she stayed in his luxurious but homely apartment. He cooked the most
magnificent meal for her and they stayed talking until the early hours. He was so supportive that it touched her deeply and she always flew home after her time with him feeling more invigorated and
alive, her unhappiness forgotten for a while.

She realized that he had more than a business interest in her although he had never pushed or made any mention of it. Had things been different in her life, had she been able to scale the huge
wall of her grief, it was something she would have welcomed. Men like Luke Reilly were few and far between. But to love was to be hurt – that was a lesson life had taught her. Lynn, Kate,
Lydia, even Colin. All she had was the pain of love. She would never allow herself to care for someone deeply again. CITY GIRL was all she needed.

Twenty-four

Several months after the opening, Luke flew over to Dublin, something he did regularly. He took Devlin to dinner as usual but noticed that she was uncharacteristically subdued.
His heart sank. He decided he was definitely losing his touch with women. He seemed no nearer to penetrating her reserve whenever matters turned personal. She was completely engrossed in the
business and while he was delighted with the club’s success he often cursed it for taking her away from him. Was this a repeat of his earlier experiences?

No! there was no comparison between Nola’s naked ambition and hunger to succeed, and Devlin’s total absorption with CITY GIRL. She was immersing herself in the business because she
was trying to forget someone or something and it seemed there was nothing he could do about it.

Studying her discreetly in the soft lamplight of the restaurant, he sighed. A cap of shining blond hair fell in a soft silky curtain to frame her beautiful heart-shaped face. Perfect wing-tipped
eyebrows arched delicately over her darkly lashed aquamarine eyes that were, tonight, gazing with a sad faraway expression into the space behind him. Her beautiful soft tender lips, which he
dreamed constantly of kissing, taunted him with their unapproachableness and he groaned inwardly. He couldn’t take much more of this! She was driving him nuts. He noticed her toying with her
food. She had hardly eaten a mouthful all evening.

‘Don’t eat it if you don’t want it!’ He spoke sharply, his frustration making him abrupt. Startled, she came back to earth.

‘I’m sorry,’ Devlin said. ‘I’m not hungry.’

‘Well, that’s obvious,’ he remarked drily. ‘Why don’t you tell me what’s the matter?’

‘Nothing’s the matter,’ she retorted coolly, her lips tightening.

‘Come off it Devlin!’ Luke snapped, more angry with himself than with her. ‘You haven’t spoken two words all evening. Is something going wrong at CITY GIRL?’

‘CITY GIRL is fine.’ Devlin spoke back just as sharply, surprised at his tone. Catching his angry stare she saw a muscle jerking in the side of his jaw. Just lately there seemed to
be a vague tension between them when they were outside the business environment and tonight she was not up to it. ‘I think I’d like to go home.’

‘Fine.’

In silence he paid the bill, held her coat for her and walked towards the car. Grimly polite, he held the door open for her and slammed his own with more force than was necessary. They drove to
her apartment without speaking. When they got there Luke said coldly, ‘I thought we were more than business partners. I thought we were friends, but obviously I was wrong. I’m sorry.
Good night Devlin.’ His eyes were hard flints of amber and his anger chilled her. She had never seen him like this. Pain darkened her blue eyes and she turned her head away to hide the tears
that sparkled in them. Without answering, because she was afraid she would cry, she got out of the car and ran up the steps. Hearing the angry rev of the engine, she saw the car disappear down the
drive in a cloud of dust. The tears that had been welling up inside exploded down her cheeks and when she got into her apartment she leaned her head against the hard cold plane of the door and let
them fall silently, warmly, wetly down her face. Oh God, if only she could have told him! She wanted to tell him more than anything and now it was too late . . .

The doorbell, shrill and abrupt, intruded on her distress. Devlin heard his voice, deep and resonant through the intercom. ‘Let me in, Devlin!’ Luke ordered.

Devlin knew she could fight herself no longer and she needed badly to talk to someone. She couldn’t carry it alone any more and she needed him to know, wanted him to know. She pressed the
button and moments later heard the lift come purring up to her landing. Opening the door she turned away from him so he could not see her tears but he swung her around to face him and muttered an
imprecation as he saw the expression on her ravaged face. ‘Ah Devlin, what’s wrong? Can’t you tell me?’ he said, horrified by the haunted pain in her eyes.

Devlin buried her face against his chest. ‘Oh Luke, help me . . . I can’t cope with it any more. I . . . I can’t bear it!’ She was crying now, racking sobs shaking her
body.

‘Can’t bear what, sweetheart? Tell me so I can help,’ he murmured, drawing her down beside him as he sat on the sofa and holding her tightly.

His kindness was the key that unlocked the grief that had been imprisoned in her heart throughout all those eventful months since the accident. And the words came rushing out of her.

‘Oh Luke, Luke . . . the accident . . . I . . . I . . . my baby died a year ago today.’

Devlin heard his sharp indrawn breath and went to draw away from him, sure that he was shocked, but his arms tightened around her and as she wept openly against his shoulder his hand gently
stroked her hair. All the grief she had suppressed so long poured out of her and she cried bitterly as she told him everything.

Later, he made tea for them after wiping her tear-stained face with a facecloth, as gently as a mother would her child. They talked for hours with no more reserve between them until pink slashes
of dawn began to streak the eastern sky.

‘Go to bed, Devlin. I’ll be here when you wake up,’ he said, knowing instinctively that it was what she wanted. Her fingers rested briefly against his cheek.

‘Thank you, Luke. I can’t tell you how much you’ve help—’

‘Hush.’ He didn’t let her finish. ‘That’s what friends are for and you and I are friends. Never forget that! Now try and sleep!’

As he sat on her sofa pondering all that she had told him, from the child’s conception, her own adoption and estrangement from Lydia, to her life over the past few years he realized why
she had been so guarded and reserved.

Luke knew without doubt that he was falling in love with Devlin. Nothing she had told him had changed that. If anything, he admired her all the more for all she had gone through. If he could
help her get through this maybe she could put her past behind her and look to the future. A future that held him. The fact that she had told him everything, held nothing back, was a step in the
right direction. She had even asked him about Nola! And he had thought she hadn’t even noticed his deliberate name-dropping. Luke smiled to himself. He had cared deeply for Nola when they
were together but it was nothing compared to what he felt for Devlin. At last she had taken the first real trusting step in their relationship. Patience was a virtue he knew little of, but because
of her he would learn. He fell asleep on the sofa, vowing to make her happy.

He awoke before her and he showered and dressed quickly. He had met her straight from the airport so his luggage was still in his car and he was able to get a change of clothes. Luke knew there
was something Devlin must do before she could accept the past. He rang Gerry, gave him a brief outline of his plan and listened carefully to the older man on the phone. Then, moving around her
well-equipped kitchen he deftly prepared a tasty breakfast and brought it to her on a tray. Snuggled deep in the bedclothes with one hand under her cheek like a child, Devlin was sleeping soundly
for the first time in a year. A deep untroubled sleep. He decided not to wake her and was halfway to the door when he heard her murmur, ‘Hi Luke.’

‘Hello, Devlin.’

They smiled at each other. Later, when she had eaten, he said, ‘I want you to come somewhere with me today. Just trust me. OK?’

Devlin met his steady gaze. She trusted him implicitly and without question she dressed and got into the car with him. ‘Why are we going to Wexford?’ she asked, a little shocked, as
she recognized the route they were taking. Devlin hadn’t been to Wexford since the accident. Despite herself she shivered at the memory. She had instructed her solicitor to employ someone to
take care of the farmhouse that Kate had willed to her. She had sold the farm but couldn’t bear to part with the house, so twice a week a local woman came in to clean and air it.

Seeing the tension in her face Luke reached out a strong firm hand to squeeze hers gently. ‘Take it easy Dev. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. Now sit back and relax.’

To her surprise she found that as the miles slid smoothly by she was quite calm and relaxed. It was as if after the exorcism of her grief, a huge burden had been lifted from her and although she
paled at the spot where the accident had occurred, she was quite composed until Luke made a right turn instead of going to the harbour. He saw her tense, her hands clenched in her lap. His phone
call to Gerry that morning while Devlin was still asleep had been to elicit directions to the graveyard.

It was a beautiful summer’s day. The song of the skylarks filled the air and as he pulled over to the entrance of the cemetery he saw her bite her lip to stop it trembling.

‘Come on, love,’ he said firmly as he opened the car door for her.

‘Luke . . . I . . . I can’t. I’ve never come to visit.’

Bending down, he drew her out, pity and understanding in his voice. ‘It helps, Devlin, I promise you. I know what it was like with my dad. You can’t go on forever pretending it
didn’t happen. You’ve got to let go. Come on, I’ll be with you.’

With one arm supportively around her shoulder Luke walked her slowly through the gateway of the peaceful and well-kept cemetery. Devlin knew where her uncle’s grave was and walked
hesitantly in that direction. Luke gave her a quick hug. ‘Good girl,’ he whispered encouragingly.

Tears streamed down Devlin’s face as she read the brief inscription. ‘Here lie Robert and Kate Seymore and their baby grandniece, Lynn Delaney. May God cherish and protect them in
Heaven forever more.’

Crying quietly Devlin bent to touch the clay. ‘Oh Lynn darling! Oh Kate, I miss you,’ she sobbed over and over again. Eventually her weeping ceased and she noticed through her tears
that the grave was well cared for and covered with a profusion of small colourful bedding plants. Her grief eased and Devlin became conscious of the birdsong and the incredible serenity that
enveloped this holy place. A kind of peace descended upon her and she stood just letting the healing balm of acceptance wash over her, knowing that when she was ready, Luke would be waiting for
her.

Later he took her to lunch in one of the delightful hotels overlooking the picturesque harbour. They talked quietly, free from strain, enjoying each other’s company. ‘Would you like
to see the most beautiful place on earth?’ Devlin asked the tall broad-shouldered man with the kind amber eyes who was seated across the table from her.

Luke reached over and took her hand. ‘If you’re bringing me, I’d like that very much,’ he said and a hint of a blush coloured her cheeks at the expression in his
eyes.

They drove, Devlin directing him, through the narrow winding roads to a long and lovely swathe of beach lapped by whitecrested waves, its solitude broken only by the magnificent symphony of
bird-song. The sun sparkled on the glittering blue water, the lush green and gold patchwork of the fields behind them making a striking contrast. It was deserted because few knew of its
whereabouts. Slowly they walked its length, hand in hand, for mile after golden mile.

The comfort of his strong firm handclasp warmed her more than she had thought possible as Devlin heard him say, ‘I think you should try and make your peace with Lydia, I know you’ve
the capacity to forgive her and it would mean so much to your father.’

Devlin stared into his warm heavy-lidded eyes noticing how they crinkled so attractively when he smiled, and the deep laughter lines chiselled into his tanned skin. Slowly she lifted her finger
and softly traced the outline of his firm sensual mouth.

‘Luke Reilly,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘I think you are a very nice man.’

They stared at each other.

‘May I kiss you?’ he asked quietly.

Again she met his eyes, so warm and steady and comforting. Luke had told her it was time to make a new beginning. Smiling she raised her lips to his.