Underneath It All Read online

  She looked at him inquisitively, not sure where he was going with this.

  “You could end up disappointed. These people could want something you aren’t able to give. Or visa versa. You say you only want to know where you come from, but are you sure you aren’t looking for more? And if so, how will you feel if they can’t provide it?”

  She stared out over the park, Devon’s words bringing a flood of emotion she hadn’t expected. Had she really considered all this carefully? She thought so, but if that were true, why was she having such a hard time coming up with an answer to his question? If she truly had this matter together and her motives in check, his question should be an easy call. But instead, she only felt the need to do more thinking.

  Taking a long, deep breath, she was determined to keep this conversation honest.

  “Those are good points,” she acknowledged. “And I’ve asked some of those questions, but I’ll admit I don’t have any good answers. I haven’t sorted through all this, no.”

  He squeezed a hand to her shoulder. “Before you go tracking people down, I think you should.”

  And of course, he was right. Nicole knew that. This was all part of what had her dragging her feet these past months. Initially she’d come to Atlanta after the news of her adoption left her feeling drawn to the area. Like she was supposed to be here, as if tracking down her birth family would fill the hole in her heart and solve all the issues she now faced. But as Devon pointed out, there were things to consider, dozens of scenarios to play over in her mind, and the more she considered each one, the more reluctant she became to make a move.

  It was as if her confusion created a state of its own turmoil. Things once clear were now fuzzy, and her attempts to work through it only created more fog.

  “That’s easier said than done,” she replied.

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  He smiled in an understanding way that brought a clench to her throat. Back home, talking about this had become uncomfortable, maybe because of everyone’s vested interest in the outcome. But sitting here with Devon, casually talking at the ballpark like she’d done with her family so many times before, the whole subject seemed like the natural struggles of life, not the grand upheaval she’d been embroiled in all these months. Just a problem like any other that needed to be worked out.

  Devon Bradshaw was supposed to have been the distraction that took her away from her problems, not the one who reduced them all back to basics. But in a few short weeks, he’d managed to climb in close and read her more easily than she read herself. They’d fallen into a relaxed comfort with each other, his presence soothing as a hot spa.

  The more time she spent with him, the more she fed on that comfort, wanting to grasp on to that security she’d lost when she’d uncovered the truth. And it was a feeling that scared the heck out of her.

  Overhead, the sky darkened, making good on the earlier threat of spring showers. Before she could contemplate the last bite of her dog, she felt the first few droplets of rain.

  “Welcome to Atlanta,” Devon said, rising from his seat and extending a hand.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Considering you hate the Braves and the Dodgers, and the Dodgers are now six runs ahead, I don’t think either of us see the value in sitting through a rain delay.”

  As the droplets grew heavier, Nicole rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. “Gotcha.”

  “Let’s make a break for Gabe.”

  He grabbed her hand and they maneuvered their way through the stadium, through the crowds of people moving out of their seats and away from the rain. As Devon weaved through the sea of people, Nicole followed and watched him, for the first time feeling that weight in her chest that said this thing between them could grow into more than friendship and sex.

  It was bad enough the man was sexy as sin, lighting every nerve in her body with nothing more than that one-dimpled smile. He boiled her blood in bed, dropped the tension from her shoulders and made himself that welcoming den of comfort one sought after a long day at work.

  Now he’d become her analyst, sifting through nine months of garbage she’d loaded onto herself to uncover the core of why she’d come here and what she needed to do.

  She’d found the kind of guy to come home to. Someone who could make sense of a world she constantly tried to confuse. He’d become the Yin to her Yang, the weight at the other end of the scale to bring balance to her life. The notion was thrilling, on one hand, frightening on the other. Because no matter how perfectly this man meshed with her needs, she wasn’t convinced her needs today were the same as the long-term needs of a woman who knew who she was and where she was going.

  Which should be a big fat reminder to take this all slowly.

  So maybe her desire to keep Devon as a sexual distraction wasn’t quite working. Maybe what was supposed to have stayed physical had somehow morphed into something more. It meant she’d have to be all that more careful to keep her emotions in check. Because if she didn’t watch out, the man holding her hand could very easily take hold of her heart.

  9

  “DEVON, HOW COULD you do this to me?”

  Devon pressed the phone closer to his ear and tried to guess the exasperated voice. “Abbey?”

  “It’s bad enough I had to hear it from Gavin Mitchell, but then to turn on my TV and see it broadcast on Stella Grave’s segment.”

  It was Abbey, the only woman he knew who could carry on a conversation with herself without caring whether or not anyone knew what she was taking about. He’d called her on more than one occasion trying to tie down this date she’d won at the auction, hoping to hurry and get it out of the way. Thus, he wasn’t terribly surprised to hear from her, but what she was rattling on about, he had no idea.

  “Devon, when were you going to tell me you’re engaged? Before or after we spent our weekend together?”

  He jerked to attention and nearly dropped the phone.

  “What?”

  “You know, when it comes to high-end real estate, I’ve got a reputation to protect. If people think I’m the other woman I could lose prospective clients.”

  What the hell was she talking about?

  “That’s what killed Renee Chadwick, you know. Word got out she was showing that billionaire more than just homes and his wife had her blackballed from the industry. She had to move to Wisconsin. Do you have any idea how cold it gets in Wisconsin?”

  He held up a hand, as if that would somehow hush her through the phone.

  “Abbey, what is this about an engagement?”

  What is this about a weekend together? She couldn’t seriously think that’s what she bid on.

  “You and that lottery winner. Stella told us all about it on her segment a few minutes ago.”

  “What did she say? And what’s this about Gavin?”

  “I caught up with him at Ridgewood Estates, you know, the new development he’s building. When I’d mentioned our upcoming weekend at the Santiago Resort and Spa—”

  Again with the weekend!

  “—he said I’d better double-check that, that you’ve got a new love interest and you’re claiming she’s the one. Then before I can even get you on the phone, Stella Graves goes and spreads it all over Atlanta. Are you seriously engaged?”

  Devon’s mind was so busy trying to process everything she said, he didn’t know where to start, so he picked the topic currently giving him the most distress.

  “Abbey, what are you talking about, this weekend together?”

  “Our weekend at the resort. I haven’t forgotten and I did get your messages. I’ve been tied up. But now with this engagement thing—is that what you’d been calling me for? To tell me our weekend is off?”

  “Abbey, there was never a weekend. It was dinner and golf.”

  “Devon, you don’t seriously think I’d pay over three thousand dollars for just dinner and golf.”

  Did she actually say that?

  “Yes, Abbey, it’s really
only dinner and golf. I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression.”

  “Well, it certainly doesn’t matter now, does it? After what happened to Renee, I stick to available men only. Given our history, even a dinner date could look bad, particularly since your engagement has been so widely publicized.”

  Again with the engagement!

  He opened his mouth, ready to deal with this engagement idea, when reality hit him square between the eyes.

  “You’re calling off the date?”

  “Hellooo, have you heard a word I’ve said? It is a shame I’m out all that money, though it is a write-off for charity and I’ve expensed it to the realty. But if I should be audited—”

  “I’ll reimburse you, that’s no problem,” he said, albeit a bit too eagerly. Was he truly getting out of this date with Abbey? Life would be too perfect.

  “Oh, Devon, you’d do that for me?”

  The tone in her voice said this was the angle she’d had in mind from the moment he picked up the phone, and it didn’t bother him a bit. He’d pay twice that amount to get out of spending time with Abbey. He’d been dreading it since the auction.

  “I’ll have a check cut and sent to the realty this afternoon.”

  “You’re a doll. I guess that means all the rumors I’m hearing are true.” He heard her heavy sigh through the phone. “This lottery woman is one lucky gal. You will invite me to the engagement party, won’t you?”

  He opened his mouth to correct her, but the reality of getting the brush-off from Abbey was too much temptation. He didn’t want to jinx it, so instead he smiled and said, “Absolutely!” before adding goodbyes and hanging up the phone.

  How did Stella Graves get this kooky notion about an engagement? Granted, he had been somewhat vocal about his feelings for Nicole. Okay, so maybe he’d blabbed to a number of friends that he’d found the one. But he’d never said anything about an engagement. And even if he had, why would his love life end up on the news? Stella usually reserved her gossip for locals with more celebrity. Before now, he’d never ranked.

  Leaving his office, he stopped at the desk of their Administrative Assistant, Carla Nash. Carla had worked for the firm since he was a young teen doing filing and other odd jobs for extra cash, and today she was supervising a young intern learning data entry.

  “Carla,” he said, taking her attention from the young man. “I need a check drafted. Let’s pull it from petty cash.” He grabbed the pad and pen she kept on her shelf, scribbled the details then handed her the page. “Do you think we can get that out today? I’d like Abbey to have it as soon as possible.”

  Carla looked at the note then back at him. “If William approves it, I don’t see why not.”

  “Why does my dad have to approve it?”

  Her dark eyes expressed confusion. “He’s signing off on all payments made by the firm.”

  Devon frowned. “Since when?”

  Carla stammered, clearly uncomfortable being put in this spot and Devon couldn’t blame her. If his father had taken away his draft authority, he should have said something instead of leaving it up to her to break the news.

  “Over a week ago. I thought you knew,” she said. “But he’s here today, so I’m sure it won’t be a problem getting it signed right now.”

  Devon stepped down the hall, no longer concerned about getting the check out. He wanted to know what was going on. For almost a year, his father had been all but non-existent at the firm, leaving the day-to-day operations in the hands of Devon and his brothers. Now since this audit, the man had been there almost daily, insinuating himself back into the business, taking more and more control without communicating to anyone that their roles had changed.

  While Bryce and Todd might be fine with it, Devon wasn’t. He didn’t want this job badly enough to put up with it not being his, and if his dad wanted to take it over again, the man could very well have it.

  Poking his head through the opened door, Devon found his father at his desk.

  “What happened to my draft authority?” he asked.

  William made a face as if he’d just remembered something important he was supposed to have done. “It’s only until we resolve the problems with the audit,” he explained, but it was no explanation for Devon. This move was an insult, and the fact that his father had forgotten to tell him made it all that much worse.

  Stepping into the office, he stood at his father’s desk and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You think I’m the one siphoning money off the company? Is that what your people told you?”

  He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his tone. For two weeks now, he’d been asking his father about this investigation, only to be brushed off every time. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to work. He was supposed to be stepping into his father’s shoes, taking over this firm, and if William didn’t trust him, the man should say so and relieve them both of this silly game they were apparently playing.

  “Devon, the restriction applies to everyone, not you alone.”

  “Everyone else isn’t supposed to be running this company.”

  The stinging look on William’s face said Devon had hit his intended mark.

  “Devon, I have every intention of handing over this company when the time is—”

  “I don’t know that I want it.”

  There it was. He’d finally let the words spill out, though this wasn’t the time he’d planned to break the news. He’d wanted this audit resolved and things to calm down so it wouldn’t seem as though his father were getting everything thrown at him at once. But the way the man had been handling things lately changed everything.

  He should be mentoring Devon through the process, not keeping him out of it. And rather than go down the pointless path of explaining all this, Devon figured it was better to get on with it and let the cat out of the bag. He didn’t want the business, which seemed to work out perfectly since his father apparently wasn’t ready to hand it over.

  The shock in his father’s eyes said he hadn’t expected this, which left Devon slightly surprised. He’d been dropping hints for months now. That the man hadn’t paid attention spoke a few volumes of its own.

  Moving back, Devon closed the door and took a seat at the desk.

  “Dad, why aren’t you letting me work with you on this audit? Why are you keeping the whole thing so close to the cuff?”

  “I have every intention of bringing you into the process as soon as I’ve answered some questions.”

  “What questions? What is it you can’t trust me with?”

  “It’s not a matter of trust.”

  “Then what is it?”

  William took off his glasses and rubbed his hands over his face, and for the first time, Devon noticed how tired his father looked. Maybe this business was taking more out of the man than he expected, and if that’s the case, he should be relying on his son for help.

  “What do you mean you aren’t sure you want the business?” William asked.

  His father was intent on avoiding the topic of this audit and Devon decided to give up trying. Considering the way he felt right now, none of it mattered anyway.

  “I’d like a career that’s mine,” he said, this particular issue providing a good back-up for his claim. “And honestly, this business of investing isn’t exactly ringing my bell. For years now I’ve felt Bryce was the better candidate to take over this company than me.”

  “Bryce doesn’t have your maturity.”

  “Bryce has what matters most—he wants it.”

  William rose and stepped to the window. “If you were the only son like I was, this transition would be running much more smoothly,” he said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “I’ve got all three of you to consider.”

  “Then let me take one of us out of the mix.”

  “You’re not the one I want out of the mix,” his father said, turning around and giving him a knowing look.

  “Bryce and Todd would make a good team. They pla
y off each other, balance each other out. They could easily run this business without me, and since you aren’t in a rush to pass it over—”

  “It’s not that.”

  “—I’m just getting in the way.”

  William stepped back to the desk, clearly bothered by Devon’s admission, which left Devon dismayed. He’d thought this might be easier. He’d thought his father would be more understanding of his need to be his own man and choose a career he really wanted, and the man’s reluctance to accept what Devon was trying to tell him made this harder than he’d hoped.

  “Let’s get past this audit then talk about it more seriously,” William offered.

  Devon nearly objected, wanting to express that his mind was made up, but seeing the strain on his father’s face, he didn’t have the heart. Something was up. Something that was taking more out of him than he cared to admit and it burned Devon that he was being shut out like this. If it was so important to his father that he stay in the business, they should be working together to resolve the situation. But he knew his dad well enough to know that when the man decided on a path he didn’t easily change direction.

  His son was much the same.

  “All right,” he agreed. “After the audit.”

  Besides, he still had Nicole on his mind, and he still needed to figure out what was said during Stella’s broadcast this morning.

  Not that he minded the idea of he and Nicole engaged. He kind of liked thinking of her as his fiancé. He was most definitely developing feelings for the woman, feelings that felt a whole lot like love. Particularly since she’d admitted to him the circumstances around her birth, her confidence in him warmed him and demonstrated that sense of trust that he certainly wasn’t getting from his family right now.

  Nicole had confided in him, and he felt for her and wanted to help her through her struggles. So in that respect, maybe it was best his father was handling all this. It left him free to concentrate on what really mattered to him in his life at the moment—the woman he was growing to love.