Tess was dwarfed besidehim, emphasizing his magnitude, but she eyed him with a stern, studious glarethat brought him down to her level. She was sizing him up, without caring whohe was in the entertainment world, and my heart galloped with anxiety,wondering if I’d made a mistake by inviting her. For someone who seemed toreally want this for me, she was making it difficult to believe, with the terseline of her lips and the tightness in her limbs.
“He’s that good,” shestated simply, holding her head high, and meeting his gaze with hers.
As though they hadshared a silent secret, Devin nodded slowly, one side of his mouth curlingtoward the smile in his eyes. “He’sthatgood,” he repeated gently, and I felt left in the dark.
The girls were silentin the back of the van, peering out through the open door at the tall strangertalking with us. Tess and I hurried to help them out onto the sidewalk, Lillyand Shelly standing in front of me and Annabel hiding behind my legs, whereDevin crouched down to meet them.
“Girls, this is our newfriend, Devin,” I introduced them.
“Hello ladies,” he said,outstretching his hand first to Lilly. She reluctantly took it. “You must beLilly.”
She nodded shyly. “Howdid you know that?”
Appearing taken aback,Devin pressed his other hand to his chest. “Oh, well, you’re obviously theoldest.” Still shaking Lilly’s hand, he turned to Shelly. “And you must beShelly. Your dad told me you have a beautiful smile, and the best taste indresses.”
Tess caught my eye, andI caught her smile. She clearly approved.
Finally, Devin peeredbehind my legs and his smile broadened. “That must mean you’re Annabel,” hesaid gently. “You have a very pretty name. It reminds me of my wife’s favoritepoem.”
“Annabel Lee?” I asked,cocking my head, and Devin lifted his eyes to mine and nodded. “That was mywife’s favorite, too.”
Devin smiled once moreat Annabel before standing and laying a hand on my shoulder. “Dude, if I didn’talready believe in fate, meeting you would’ve done it for me.”
It was strange. Afterlosing Beth, my belief in fate had been completely invalidated. But now, as Iran through the dominos that’d been seemingly set in place forall ofthese years, leading me up to this moment, on adriveway in Connecticut, I felt a nudge, pushing me toward believing again.Which begged the question, would I have been here, if Beth hadn’t died? Couldit ever have been her, standing here with me?
I liked to think so. Maybein an alternate reality, where she never had to leave. But I knew the truth.
I was always meant tobe here, and I was always meant to be here without her.
Devin’s grip on myshoulder intensified, and his eyes met mine. I knew then, with that silentexchange, that he and I were going to be good friends. Maybe evenbestfriends.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
JON
Devin’s wife, Kylie,was nearly enviable. Afree spirit, with a head of wild purple hair and tattoos sprawling over herarms and one on her thigh. She was beautiful, exactly the type of woman I’dexpect Devin to call his own. She and Tess hit it off from the start, comparingink and touching hair, and I couldn’t help but wonder how Beth would’ve fit in.If she would’ve fit in at all, without any artwork etched into her skin.
It was therefore nosurprise to me that Devin and Kylie had created two equally beautiful littlegirls. The oldest, Olivia, was Annabel’s age, and the two of them gravitated toeach other immediately, while Lilly and Shelly became enthralled with theirbaby, the few-month-old Lenore. They looked to me with wishes dancing in theireyes, not understanding the way babies are made, and I simply warned them, “Youcan’t keep her.”
Devin and Kyliesuggested we do something for the kids during the day, and we headed to theMystic Aquarium. Lilly and Shelly ran ahead with Tess, while Annabel remainedwith Olivia. Walkinghand-in-hand, between Devin andme.
“I think they’re BFFsnow,” Kylie laughed affectionately, pushing Lenore’s stroller between theglowing tanks of fish.
I chuckled with a nod.“It sure looks like it.”
“Is she startingpreschool?” Kylie asked, and I shook my head.
“Nah.I thought about it, but I’m just not ready,” I admitted.
Kylie understood.“She’s your baby.”
I moseyed between herandDevin, andfound myself indulging them with moreinformation than I knew was necessary. “We always wanted to homeschool thekids, actually, but that idea kind of flew out the window after Beth passedaway. I couldn’t handle all three of them by myself, especially not at first,so I started sending Lilly to school. Shelly will be starting next year.”
“We’ll be homeschoolingLivy and Lenore,” Devin mentioned casually. “It works best for us, with beingon the road at random times throughout the year.”
“That makes sense.” Isqueezed Annabel’s hand. “I like the idea, but—”
“If you came with us,they’d come, too,” he replied with sincerity. “So, there’s no reason why theycouldn’t be taught along with our kids.”
