Devlin Page 5

  He'd created those same feelings last night when he'd spoken so bluntly about the sparks between them. She'd thought those sparks had all been on her side, remnants from her teenage years, but, no, Devlin had felt them, too. And there was a part of her that really liked the fact that he found her attractive now.

  On the other hand, he'd had quite a bit to drink and his mom had just left his dad. He was obviously on an emotional roller coaster. She didn't want to be anyone's stress release, even if it would no doubt be a hell of a lot of fun. And she hadn't had a lot of that kind of fun in a long time. She had to admit that Devlin's interest was a salve to her bruised heart. Losing Gary to his ex had brought all her insecurities to the forefront, and she was still trying to believe in herself again.

  But Devlin had stood by while his father had fired her dad, and she couldn't forget that. She also couldn't forget that she would only be in town a few weeks, and that if her dream came true of racing with her father, that Devlin would be her biggest competitor.

  It was all too messy and complicated. She needed to stay away from Devlin.

  She just wished it was a little easier to stop thinking about him.

  Cracking eggs into the skillet, she forced herself to concentrate on breakfast. She'd almost finished the veggie scramble when her dad walked into the kitchen. She hadn't talked to him since he'd left the pub the night before. When she'd gotten home, he'd been in his bedroom with the door closed.

  But he looked brighter and more energetic this morning. He'd also shaved off the scraggly beard he'd been wearing the past two days.

  "Perfect timing," she told him. "I have breakfast ready."

  "You're spoiling me. And that looks better than the breakfasts you used to make me."

  "You mean my special mix of chocolate puffs and wheat crisps didn't do it for you?" she asked with a laugh.

  He smiled back at her. "Not quite. I was never as big a fan of cereal as you were."

  "Well, sit down and we'll eat." She took their plates to the table and sat down across from him.

  "This is excellent," he said, digging into his eggs. "Healthy, too. I can see your mom has rubbed off on you."

  "Yes. I haven't been able to adopt her vegan lifestyle, but I do eat a lot more vegetables than I ever thought I would."

  "Good for you."

  "Have you thought any more about the race? About Howard Palmer's boat?"

  "I have thought about it, and if you want, we can take a look at the boat after breakfast."

  Her heart leapt with excitement. "Really?"

  "I'm still not committing to race," he warned her. "I need to see the Daisy Mae again before I make a final decision."

  "Understood." She hesitated. "I know I shouldn't have, but I did mention to Devlin that we might race against him."

  "Hannah! You shouldn't have said anything yet."

  "It just came out. I'm sorry. But in case you were wondering, he looked a little worried."

  Her father's lips tightened. "What else did you talk about?"

  "Not much really." She wasn't about to tell her dad that Devlin had hit on her. "He was pretty shaken about his mom leaving. Apparently, when she left the house, she also said something about keeping Graham's secrets, and no one knows what she meant. Do you know?" she asked curiously.

  "No idea. But that's between Graham and Claire."

  "Do you think you should talk to Graham again?" she asked tentatively. "Maybe you could work out the problems between you. After what happened with Claire, he might now realize that you were just trying to warn him."

  "I doubt it," her dad said shortly, making her wonder if more had gone down between him and Graham than just some pointed advice.

  "Does that mean you don't want your job back?"

  "Not at all. But I'm not going to beg for it. The Blackthornes don't have the market on pride. I have nothing to apologize for. They need to come to me with not only my job but a better offer before I'd consider going back."

  "And if they don't, then what?"

  "Then I'll figure something else out. It's not your problem, Hannah. I appreciate your concern. But I've been taking care of myself a long time."

  "I just want to help."

  "You've always wanted to help fix things that are broken, but some things are not yours to fix."

  "You said that to me a long time ago, when you and Mom split up."

  He nodded, his gaze somber. "I needed you to let go of a dream that wasn't going to come true."

  It had taken her years to let go of that dream. She did tend to hang on too long, trying to fix problems that weren't always hers to fix. Maybe she was doing the same thing now. She just had a hard time standing by and doing nothing when people she loved were hurting.

  Deciding to focus on the one action her father was still considering, she said, "I'll take a shower and then we can go look at Howard's boat."

  "All right. And, Hannah, don't think I don't appreciate you, because I do."

  She gave him a smile. "I know I can push hard. It's because I love you."

  "I love you, too, and sometimes I can use a hard push. I know I haven't been the perfect dad."

  "I was never looking for perfect. I just wanted you in my life."

  "I'm glad you're here now."

  "Me, too. Let's go get ourselves a boat."

  He laughed. "Don't get too far ahead, Hannah. I know Howard Palmer well, and I'm betting that boat hasn't been maintained very well the past several years."

  "Well, I know you, and you can fix anything."

  Sunday morning, Devlin found his dad sitting at the patio table in front of an untouched breakfast, his gaze on the newspaper in front of him. While his father could be technologically advanced at work, when it came to books and the news, he always preferred print.

  He slid into the seat across from him, noting his father's haggard expression, the deep lines around his eyes and mouth that seemed more pronounced this morning. He usually had a good tan going, but today his skin was pale. He even seemed to have picked up a few more gray hairs since last night.

  "I'm not in the mood to talk, Devlin," his dad said, not bothering to raise his gaze from the newspaper.

  "Is that why you're sitting here alone?"

  "Yes." His father finally looked at him. "Your brothers and cousins are respecting my choice to be alone. Why can't you?"

  "I'm sorry about what happened. Do you know where Mom is?"

  "Not yet, but I will shortly."

  "Have you spoken to her?"

  "No. Your mother made it clear that she wasn't interested in a conversation. When she is, we'll talk."

  "When you figure out where she is, maybe you should go to her and show her that you want to talk," he said, choosing his words carefully. "It sounded like she felt taken for granted."

  "Which is ridiculous. I have taken care of her to the best of my ability my entire life."

  "I don't think she was talking about being taken care of. She wants to spend more time with you."

  His father sent him a warning look. "Don't get in the middle of this, Devlin. It's not your business."

  "She's my mother."

  "And she's my wife. When you're married, you'll understand that that relationship doesn't involve your children."

  "Okay," he said, blowing out a breath. "Then let's talk about Frank."

  "I'm not hiring him back."

  "Then I will. He's in the middle of a huge design project, not to mention the other boats in production. I also need him for the race. It's our opportunity to show off the Wind Warrior. We'll get double the price if we win."

  "Find someone else to race with you."

  "There's no one else as good as Frank."

  "Don't be ridiculous. Of course there is."

  "Putting the race aside, Frank's job at the Boatworks is too important to let an emotional decision get in the way of business."

  His father's eyes filled with anger. "Emotional decision?"

  "Yes," he said flatly. "
Frank told me that the two of you spoke about Mom's unhappiness and that you didn't like the message he was giving you, so you fired him."

  "He had no right getting into my business."

  "Is it possible he was trying to help you? After all, Mom did leave."

  Fire entered his dad's gaze, and Devlin sucked in a breath, knowing he was probably crossing a line he shouldn't cross, but it was too late to take back his words.

  "I told you to stay out of this, Devlin."

  "You put me in the middle of it. Is there something I don't know?" He licked his lips. "I don't want to ask this, but—"

  "Then don't," his dad said, cutting him off.

  "You can't think there's anything between Mom and Frank. She would never do that to you, and neither would Frank. He's an honorable man."

  "Devlin, stop. Frank is done," his father said, shoving back his chair so hard that it fell over when he stood up. "If you hire him back, I swear to God I'll shut the Boatworks down. Do you understand me?"

  He understood a lot of things, including the fact that his father wasn't just angry, he was in pain. He could see it in his eyes, hear it in the ragged edges of his voice. He should have waited to have this conversation. "I understand."

  His father brushed past him and stomped into the house.

  He stood up and moved over to the rail, looking out over the ocean. He needed to be on the sea. It was the one place he could count on to find his center, his calm. He'd planned on taking the boat out tomorrow for a test run, but maybe today would be good. There was a nice breeze and plenty of sunshine, which would be a good contrast to the shadows filling his soul. His family was breaking apart, and he didn't know how to stop it.

  "Devlin?"

  He turned around at the sound of Trey's voice. His brother was dressed more casually this morning in jeans and a long-sleeved knit shirt. "Good morning."

  "Did you just talk to Dad?" Trey asked, concern in his eyes. "He walked past me looking like he was about to explode."

  "Unfortunately, yes."

  "Did he have anything to say?"

  "No. He shut me down. His damn pride always gets in the way."

  "He may be proud, but he's also rattled. This has completely spun his world upside down."

  "I know, and I made things worse. I asked him to hire Frank back. That set him off like a Fourth of July rocket."

  Trey nodded. "I saw Ross earlier. He told me that Frank tried to warn Dad that Mom was unhappy."

  "And Dad now thinks that there was something going on between Frank and Mom."

  "No way," Trey said dismissively. "That's crazy. Mom would never cheat on Dad."

  "I don't believe she would, either, but Dad can't stand the fact that she confided in Frank. He's so jealous he can't see that the real problem is him. Mom was very clear about why she was leaving."

  "She was, and I'm sorry for my part in what happened. I had no idea she'd react so strongly to the McKinney brothers showing up at her party."

  "I wouldn't have anticipated that, either. This isn't on you, Trey; it's on Dad."

  "I just wish it hadn't happened."

  "Are you going to stick around for a while? I'm thinking about taking the new boat out for a test run this afternoon. You could come with me."

  "I wish I could, but I need to get back to Boston. We'll talk soon."

  "Sure."

  "And Devlin, maybe let this Frank business settle for a while. I know you need Frank working for you, but the timing is bad."

  "I could lose him, Trey. There are any number of firms who would love to snap him up."

  "Not here in Maine, and he has never wanted to live anywhere else."

  "That could change."

  "Is Frank pushing you to hire him back?"

  "Actually, he hasn't said much, but his daughter is another story."

  "Little Hannah?"

  "Not so little anymore," he returned, Hannah's beautiful image flashing in front of his eyes. "She's a grown woman and a spitfire. She has been all over me about our very poor treatment of her father, our most loyal employee, and I can't say she's wrong. The other employees are unhappy with the situation as well. With Hannah stirring up trouble, I could have a mutiny on my hands if this doesn't end soon."

  "Who knew the boat business could be so dramatic?" Trey said lightly. "You'll figure things out, and I think both Mom and Dad will come to their senses."

  "Hopefully before my entire company collapses."

  "You can head that off. Sweet-talk the spitfire—use that old Devlin charm," Trey said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Ross mentioned that Hannah is a beautiful woman now. He said you two had a long conversation last night."

  "She is very attractive, yes. But it will take more than charm to get Hannah off my back," he said dryly.

  "Maybe you should get her on her back," Trey joked.

  He shook his head. "Go to Boston; you are no help."

  As his brother left, he couldn't help picturing Hannah on her back in the middle of his bed. And his morning just got a little better.

  Chapter Five

  Hannah and her father spent an hour examining every nook and cranny of the Daisy Mae. Her fear that her father would decide against sailing the boat grew with each passing minute. She wanted to ask him for an answer, but she was afraid if she pushed too soon, he'd say no.

  She had to admit that the sailboat had seen better days, and she was starting to have her own doubts as to whether they could win with it. But she'd rather try with this boat than give up altogether, and she doubted they could find another boat that would be in better condition this close to the race.

  "Well?" she asked, unable to keep the impatient note out of her voice. "What do you think, Dad?"

  He gave her a somewhat unhappy look. "I think I've spent the past year building the Wind Warrior, and I sure wish I could race her."

  "That's not an option at the moment. It's not just about the boat, right? It's also about the crew, too. We can beat Devlin and whoever he gets to go with him," she said confidently.

  "Devlin is a very skilled racer, Hannah. Don't underestimate him."

  "I'm not underestimating him, but I know you are better than him."

  He smiled. "Trying to flatter me into a yes?"

  "I mean every word. I think it's time the Reids showed the Blackthornes they aren't the only ones who can win."

  "Well, when you put it like that…I'm in. Let's race together."

  A wave of pleasure ran through her. "Great. This will be fun, Dad."

  "More fun if we win."

  "That's the plan."

  "I need to get to work on this boat. It could take several days to get her ready to go in the water."

  "I can help."

  "Not today. I appreciate the offer, but I need to do this part on my own. I need to spend some time on the details, and you're not particularly patient when I'm scoping things out."

  "Guilty," she admitted.

  "It's a nice day. Why don't you go out and meet up with some of your friends?"

  "I don't have any friends left around here."

  "You don't? You used to have so many girlfriends to see in the summers."

  "Which was a long time ago."

  "Not that long."

  "True. Maybe I'll walk down to the harbor and see if there is anyone at the Yacht Club who can take our entry fee."

  "Good idea. Look for Grace Varney. She's in charge of the entries."

  "Mrs. Varney is in charge? Her daughter Jessica was one of my good friends in elementary school."

  "Well, Jessica is still in town. See, you do have some friends here."

  "I haven't seen her in years."

  "If you want to see her again, she works at the distillery giving tours."

  "Another Blackthorne employee," she said with a sigh.

  "In this town, you'd be hard-pressed to find too many people who don't collect a paycheck from the Blackthornes. Anyway, go on, get out of here. If you want to take my truck…"

>   "No. You might need it to run out and pick up supplies and you know I enjoy walking. I'll see you later."

  She left the Palmers' boathouse and headed into town. The harbor was only about a mile and a half away, and it was a beautiful day. No clouds, only bright sunshine, and a crisp ocean breeze. It was too bad the Daisy Mae needed work, because it was a great day for a sail. They could have taken her out on the water and seen what she could do. But as her father would say, that would be putting the cart before the horse. At some point in her life, she really did need to learn patience.

  As she strolled through the streets of her childhood, warm memories ran through her. She'd been happy growing up in King Harbor. She'd loved riding bikes with her friends, hanging out at the beaches, going out on boats whenever she got a chance. She'd loved running into neighbors every time they went to the market or out to eat. She'd always felt like she was part of a big family and that there were many people who cared about her.

  That had all changed when she was thirteen, when her mother had moved them both to Texas. While she'd come to love Austin, she'd missed the ocean and the King Harbor community. She'd come back in the summers, but it had never been the same. For one thing, summers in the small coastal town were different than the rest of the year. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the population quadrupled in size and the lavish estates dotting the shoreline were filled with their wealthy homeowners and their friends and family.

  The Blackthornes had been part of the summer crowd, showing up on Memorial Day weekend for the boat races and then reappearing in June when the kids would be out of school.

  Their King Harbor businesses, the Boatworks, the distillery and the Vault to name a few, ran all year round, but it was the local employees who mostly kept them going. She'd always thought the Blackthornes appreciated their managers—until now. Frowning, she pushed that annoying thought out of her head. There was nothing she could do about that situation at the moment, but her dad had a new goal, and hopefully the boat race would not only distract him from his problems but would also bring them closer together.