Devon Brown stood comfortably in the entryway looking slowly around the restaurant. Dressed casually in a blue checked shirt hanging out of faded jeans and brown work boots, he looked comfortable. And actually not that different than some of the locals from the surrounding countryside who pulled in here from time to time.
But his shaggy blonde hair and tanned and rugged features were too familiar for him to be mistaken for anyone else but the movie actor-turned producer who was rumored to have bought a house on the island.
Conversation had died down and then whipped up again.
His eyes scanned over Brenda then came to settle on me.
I still hadn’t moved from my position near the bar where I’d been collecting more napkins for table seven. The adrenaline spike I’d experienced upon seeing him, my closest link to Jack, had now washed away leaving me feeling slightly faint and nauseous. My pulse throbbed heavily in my throat.
His brown eyes furrowed slightly then cleared, and he gave a tiny nod. What did he see when he looked at me? And how did he know who I was? Because I could tell he did. I had no doubt. No doubt at all.
“Would you like a table for one?” Brenda’s voice jarred me from my trance.
Devon looked at her, and then at me and cleared his throat. “I’d like Keri Ann to serve me, please. So if she has a section, I’d like to be in it.”
I swallowed. Brenda looked confused for a moment and glanced back at me. “You’re leaving aren’t you, Keri Ann?”
I was saved from having to answer as the door at Devon’s back opened again, and Colt stepped around them and strolled toward me. “Ready to go, sweetheart?” he asked. I glanced at him but couldn’t answer—I still needed to find my voice—and then back at Devon, whose face had just gone altogether unreadable.
“You know what?” Devon said to Brenda, his eyes still on me and now Colt. “I don’t think I need that table after all.”
“Oh, Okay,” Brenda said, obviously confused. I was too. Did he want to talk to me, is that why he asked to sit in my section? There was almost too much going on here to process. Devon turned to leave. I realized how Colt’s endearment must have sounded. But why should it matter? Unless ... unless he thought we were together, but even so ...
“Keri Ann!” Colt’s voice called out after me as I bolted out the door Devon had just exited. I didn’t stop.
“Devon,” I called. He paused in the dark courtyard. The same courtyard where I first saw Jack.
“What?” he asked, turning around, his hands shoved in his pockets. My heart pounded so loud in my head it was making me dizzy. I didn’t know why I’d run after him. I didn’t know what to say.
“Did ... did you need to speak to me?” I sounded breathy and awful.
“Keri Ann?” Colt’s voice was behind me again.
Damn it!
Devon’s eyes cut over my shoulder. “Your boyfriend?”
“No!” I yelled vehemently. God. Colt heard that. I turned around to his shocked eyes, but I couldn’t do this right now. I needed to know why Devon was here. “I’m sorry, Colt. Please go on without me, I’ll be home when I’m done talking to Devon.”
“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But, I’m not leaving. I’ll wait inside. Come get me when you’re,” his eyes flicked up and down Devon, “done here.”
But Devon had turned and started walking again. “Wait, please.” My voice caught over the last word.
Devon stopped and turned back. “I don’t think he knew he wasn’t your boyfriend.”
I shook my head. “It’s not like that. I mean, I know he likes me, but he’s also just a friend. I don’t ... I can’t ... ” Why were we talking about Colt, when I wanted to talk about Jack? And I did want to talk about Jack. I’d chased Devon out here because, before my head could catch up, my gut had instinctively reacted to my last lifeline walking out the door.
“Please. Is Jack ... Is he ... ” God, I didn’t know where to start.
Devon blew out a deep breath, and then nodded his head toward the closest table and chairs. We sat down in the dim lamplight. I shivered slightly in just my T-shirt and no sweater. I folded my arms across my chest, willing Devon to just start talking so I didn’t have to figure out what to ask. He did.
“Jack’s messed up,” he said quietly. “I don’t know if you read about it. The shit’s been all over the fucking internet already.”
I swallowed and tried to recall all the stuff Jazz had been trying to tell me that I didn’t want to listen to.
Devon looked at me as if trying to work out what to say. “Jack and Audrey are definitely over. It was a nightmare. Even Andy’s been fired. His agent.” I nodded. I knew who Andy was. “Something ... something happened. Audrey and his agent deceived him about something pretty big. They totally blindsided him.”
I knew how few people Jack felt he could trust, and my stomach flipped over for him.