The Mighty Quinns: Devin (17 page)

“Where is he? You arranged for the adoption. Who did you give him to?”

“I don't have to tell you that,” he said.

“Yes, you do. At some point in your life, you're going to need to start making restitution for what you did to the people of Winchester. This would be a good start. Do it for Mary, who did nothing but love and care for your family for decades.”

Frederick took a sip of his drink, then studied a spot near the center of the table. She watched her father breathing in and out, and Elodie cursed inwardly. He wasn't going to tell her.

“Cooper. Judge Benjamin Cooper. He was the sitting judge in a lawsuit brought against Winchester Mills. We could have lost millions. I got his wife the baby she always wanted and he got rid of our lawsuit.”

“Do you have any idea where he is now?”

“No. He left Winchester a few years after that. I think they were afraid Mary might recognize her child once he grew up.”

The waiter appeared at the table to take their lunch order, but now that she'd secured the information she needed, Elodie didn't see the point of staying. “I'm really not hungry, Daddy.”

“Sit,” he said.

“I have to—”

“Sit down, Elodie. You're going to have lunch with me and we're going to chat like normal people do. Then you can leave. I won't even make you eat dessert.”

Reluctantly, she sat down. They used to have such a wonderful relationship, Elodie mused. She used to worship her father. And then, he'd sent her away and everything had changed. She'd never been able to trust him after that.

Her father had dictated the terms of Elodie's life. Her father had bullied her and berated her and dismissed her, all for falling in love as any teenager would. And she'd sworn to herself that she'd never again allow anyone to control her life.

She slowly sat down, then poured herself another glass of wine. “We'll need a few more minutes,” she told the waiter.

Was that why she was so reluctant to commit to Dev? Was she afraid that he would expect the same control over her life as her father had?

“You're going to sell the house,” her father stated.

“I was going to try to turn it into a gallery, but I couldn't get a variance on the zoning laws.”

Frederick chuckled. “That's kind of ironic. I wrote those zoning laws.”

“But if I can find someone to invest in the mill, we might be able to transform it into small shops and workspaces, and maybe even apartments for artists. If we can create an artists' colony in Winchester, we may be able to bring in tourists, too.”

“I can see this means something to you, and contrary to what you believe, I do love you, Elodie. It's obvious I can't keep you from that boy. So I'll give you some insider information if you promise not to say where you got it,” her father said. He leaned in. “Next April, they're going to break ground on a new championship golf course about seven miles out of town. Thirty-six holes, plus a small resort and spa. And there are plans to add another thirty-six holes within the next ten years.”

“How do you know this?”

“I still have some contacts in the area. They called to see if I wanted to invest. They didn't realize I was broke. But I guess the news was worth something after all.”

“Who else is aware of this?”

“That, I can't say. But if you're looking for someone to invest in your little project, call Avery James here in New York. It's the kind of project he likes. And he probably already invested in the golf course.”

“Thank you, Daddy. It's good information.”

“I'm still good for a few things,” he said, his words dripping with sarcasm. He waved down the waiter for another drink, and the waiter took their order.

“So are you in love with the punk?” Frederick asked.

“He's not a punk. He's the police chief in Winchester now.”

“Police chief? A government job. You can't beat that.”

“Stop,” she said. “You aren't allowed to speak badly of him. Not after what you did. He's a good man. And he cares for me. And I'd be lucky if we ended up together.”

“But you don't love him.”

“I do,” she said. “I always have. I've tried to convince myself that I couldn't possibly have met the man of my dreams when I was twelve years old, but I think I did.”

“You always idolized him,” her father said. “We suspected it might be a problem, and when it started to seem likely that you'd end up pregnant as a teenager, we sent you away. We protected you from him. From making a mistake that you couldn't fix. I'll never regret that. Look at you. You have all the choices in the world now.”

“And if I choose him?” Elodie asked.

“There's nothing I can do about that,” Frederick said. “But I suppose if he's the one you really want, then you should marry him. Don't waste any more time. You're nearly thirty. You don't want to wait much longer to have children, do you?”

“Daddy, stop giving me advice. I can run my own life.”

He chuckled. “Yes, I guess you can. So, if we can't talk about your life and what I think you should be doing with it, what can we talk about?”

“How about who else you suspect might be willing to invest...”

* * *

“S
IGN
HERE
,
HERE
AND
HERE
.”

Dev scribbled his name next to the small stickers, then moved on to the next sheaf of papers.

“Here and here,” the broker added.

When they'd gone through every last document, the real estate broker placed all the documents into a folder and handed Dev an envelope.

“Well, this has been a most unusual sale, Mr. Cassidy. You coming in at the last minute with an offer made for quite a bit of tension. But you have the house you wanted and for a decent price, I might add.”

“I would have paid more,” Dev said with a grin.

“I expect you would have,” she said. “But you can use that money to renovate. You're taking on a huge project.”

Dev opened the envelope to find a familiar set of keys. He ran his fingers over them, remembering the last time he'd seen them in Elodie's hand.

“There is one thing. I don't want you to let Elodie know who bought the house. If she asks, just say it was the couple from the city, the couple who made the first offer.”

“Why don't you want her to know?”

“I have my reasons. I'm just going to need some time.”

“It will be published in the local papers,” she said.

“Elodie doesn't read the local papers,” he said.

“All right. I'll do my best.”

Dev got up from the conference table. “I'd appreciate that.” He tossed the keys in the air, then shoved them in his pocket. “By the way, I've been thinking I might hire a decorator. Can you recommend anyone?”

“Interior designer,” the broker said. “That's what they're called. And yes, I can give you a few names.”

“Good. I want the house done by Christmas.”

“Have you ever renovated a house, Mr. Cassidy?”

He shook his head. “I've never owned a house.”

“You're in for a good time,” she said. “Just remember, whatever they say it's going to cost, double it. And however long they say it's going to take, double it. Just double everything.”

“Good advice,” Dev said.

Dev walked back to his car and slid in behind the wheel. He drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. Buying the house had been a leap of faith, but now that it was officially his, there seemed to be a certain logic to it all. Once a sign of power and wealth in the community, now the old Winchester mansion was owned by an ordinary guy. Sure, he was technically a millionaire, at least until he'd written the check for the house.

The closing for the house had taken place at the bank in town, and it was a short drive to Elodie's place. He stopped short. “Elodie's place,” he murmured. He'd always think of it as her house. But maybe, if things turned out right, he could start to think of it as their house.

She'd been gone for a week and his life had reverted back to what it had been before she'd arrived. His days were taken up with work and his evenings with activities that did nothing to alleviate the boredom of living in Winchester.

They'd talked every night via video chat on his office computer, and it was almost like having her with him. Though he couldn't touch her or kiss her, he could still look at her beautiful face and imagine how good it would be the next time they were together.

As he drove toward Wisteria Street, his cell phone rang. He turned it on, recognizing Elodie's number. “Hello,” he said. “This is a nice surprise.”

“I just had to call,” she said. “The real estate broker just phoned. She closed on the sale of the house today. I guess the couple decided on a cash-only deal and wanted to move up their closing date.”

“That's great,” he said.

“I wanted to let you know.”

“Why is that?” Dev asked.

“Because...” She paused for a long moment, the line going silent.

“Because you'd hoped that one day you and I would live in that house?” Dev asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“So, I guess I shouldn't count on that.”

“No, you shouldn't.”

“Can I count on you?”

“You know you can.”

Dev pulled up in front of the mansion and shut the car off. “I was considering grabbing a few vacation days at the end of this week. I could fly up to New York and we could spend some time together.”

“Not this weekend,” she said. “I have a couple of meetings up in Boston and then I have to fly to California on Sunday night.”

“For how long?”

“Three days,” she said.

“I could always fly out there.”

She grew silent again, and Dev scolded himself inwardly for pushing her so hard. “Never mind. I forgot, I have to go to a conference on Monday in Winston-Salem so I wouldn't be able to come anyway.”

“You don't have to play games with me,” she murmured.

“I'm not,” Dev said. “It's just hard to know how to react. We don't do well over the phone.” He paused. “Promise me something, will you?”

“Sure,” Elodie said.

“If you ever pick up your phone, or your computer, and you feel the least bit reluctant or unhappy or bothered to have to talk to me, you just stop calling. I'll understand.”

“That's not going to happen,” Elodie said.

“I hope you're right.” He swallowed hard. “I have to go. I'll talk to you later. Or maybe I won't.”

Dev switched off the phone, cursing softly. How much longer could they go on like this? The intimacy that they'd found together was beginning to unravel and there were moments when it felt as if he were talking to a stranger. She wasn't the sweet, playful small-town girl that he'd fallen in love with. Instead, she was cool...sophisticated...aloof.

He didn't want to fight with her, especially over the phone, but every time they talked he felt her slipping away and he'd wanted to say something. As far as he was concerned, the choice was simple. She loved him or she didn't. There was no in between.

He glanced at the house, staring at his latest purchase. Either it would turn out to be the biggest mistake he'd ever made or the most brilliant move of his life.

A rap on the driver's side window startled him out of his thoughts. Dev glanced up and found his mother standing on the street next to the car. He rolled down the window. “Hi, Mom.”

“You have to stop this, Devin. She's not here anymore. The house is sold. You can't keep mooning around after her. It won't bring her back.”

“That's not it, Mom,” he murmured. “And what are you doing here?”

“I told Elodie that I'd try to get a look at the new owners and see what they were like.”

“And then you're supposed to call her?”

Mary nodded. “She's just curious if they have children and what they do for a living. I'm hoping they stop by. I thought I might introduce myself and mention that I used to be a housekeeper in the mansion, and if they have any questions, they can call me.”

“You sound like a stalker,” Dev said. “And I should have you arrested.”

“You won't,” Mary said.

“No. But you don't have to talk to them. I know all about the new owner. There are no children. Just a single guy.”

“I heard it was a couple,” Mary said.

“Nope. Single guy. Handsome. Rich. Very, very smart. Extremely brilliant, I'd say”

“You've met him?”

Dev reached into his pocket and grabbed the keys, then dangled them out the window. “So, want to walk through my new house with me?”

“You bought her house?”

“I'm thinking of it as
our
house.”

Mary laughed. “You are optimistic.”

“I had a very good teacher,” Dev said.

* * *

E
LODIE
HAD
FLOWN
into
Asheville the night before and had stayed hidden away in the hotel there. She'd been just a few miles away from Dev, and it had taken all her willpower to keep herself from driving into Winchester and surprising him.

It had been nearly six weeks since they'd seen each other, and Elodie couldn't stand it anymore. It had become so difficult to pretend that phone calls and video chats were enough. She craved physical contact. She found herself daydreaming about his hands and his fingers, his lips and his tongue and what he'd been able to do to her body when given the chance.

She'd replayed nearly every minute of their time together in her head, trying to figure out what it was that had made it so wonderful. In the end, Elodie was forced to admit that she'd been madly in love with Dev and that none of her feelings had disappeared since they'd left each other. And after talking with her father, she'd realized that Dev was nothing like Frederick Winchester. He'd never tried to control her, he'd always respected her wishes. He'd always believed in them—she'd been the coward.