Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

TULLY

Instead of watching the vet, I watched Dev. His face was pale, and his hands shook.

“Is it colic?” he asked as he stood quickly and approached the doctor.

The man was smaller than Dev and had to look up to meet his eyes. “We’re pretty sure it is, but I’m going to put in a nasogastric tube to do more investigation. I just need you to sign the consent first.”

Dev quickly strode across to take the electronic tablet before scribbling his name and handing it back. “Whatever you need to do. You know that.”

The vet nodded and turned around, not wasting another moment on small talk. Dev returned to the seating area but remained standing for a beat before pacing across the small space.

“You trust this guy?” I asked. “Because we could find someone in a bigger city if we needed to. I could?—”

He shook his head. “Pete’s great. I’ve worked with him for a year now. He’s been out at the ranch for some difficult deliveries and various situations with the trail horse stock. He’s as good as any large-animal vet I’ve worked with.”

I’d noticed the man hadn’t mentioned the cost of treatment. Since this was Dev’s personal mount instead of a ranch-owned animal, the treatment burden was probably on Dev. “It could be expensive.”

“Yeah.”

“No, like… it could be really expensive. Sometimes colic requires surgery, Dev.”

He stopped and furrowed his brows. “I know. It’s okay. Pete knows I’ll pay whatever it takes.”

Dev worked on a ranch. Yes, he was in charge of the breeding program, but even a ranch manager job in rural midwestern areas only paid around fifty grand a year. It wasn’t the kind of salary that could easily swallow a ten-thousand-dollar surgery.

He went back to pacing. After a few minutes, he stopped and glanced at me. He was obviously nervous.

“I’ve been thinking about keeping Lellie.”

I blinked at him.

“Because of the money?”

It was his turn to blink at me. “What?”

The timing was too coincidental. Anger crackled under my skin. “You’re going to keep her so you can afford to take care of your horse? Are you kidding?”

“What are you talking about?” he snapped. “What does one thing have to do with the other?”

“We were talking about how expensive Trigger’s treatment might be, and then you suddenly decided to keep custody of your daughter and her fortune! What do you expect me to think, Dev?”

He curled his hands into fists at his side. “I expect you to think I’m better than the lowest scum on the fucking planet. I expect you to understand that while I love that fucking horse and would do anything for him, I wouldn’t use my daughter that way. I expect you to… to… to care about me even the smallest amount, just enough to give me the benefit of the doubt. Jesus fucking Christ. Is this what you think of me?”

My body went cold, and I realized in an instant what a huge mistake I’d made. I’d seen how much he cared for Lellie. I knew that whatever decision he made about her, it would have nothing to do with her money. Didn’t I know better than to make assumptions about him like the ones he’d made about me?

I stood up to reach for him, to make a physical connection, but he whipped away from me and strode out of the waiting room.

I stared at the empty doorway, frozen in shock and regret. What had I done? How could I fix it? Should I go after him?

Before I could make a move, his phone pinged from the chair he’d been sitting in before the vet had come in. Way’s golden-boy face appeared in the contact image on the screen. Since I knew he and Silas had Lellie, I answered it quickly.

“It’s Tully. Dev went to stretch his legs. You want me to find him?”

“First, how’s Trigger?”

“They suspect colic. Starting a nasal tube first. Dev’s stressed, but he says he’s in good hands.”

Lellie’s happy chatter in the background made my shoulders drop.

“Pete’s great,” Way confirmed. “He’s been looking after our stock for years. He and my sister Sheridan became good friends in Girl Scouts growing up, and then the two of them ran their scout group like a couple of pampered dictators. JoJo Reynolds still looks intimidated whenever Pete and Sheridan get together.” His warm laughter helped relax me even more. I was happy to hear Pete was a trusted professional and a good friend of the family. Hopefully, that meant he’d go above and beyond in caring for Trigger.

“Dev will probably be here for a while. Is Lellie okay, or did you need me to come back and put her to bed?”

“She’s fine. Aunt Blake came to drop off some food from the cafe, and it’s looking like she’s not going to leave. We were thinking of bringing the portable crib over to the house and setting her up here. Would that be okay, do you think?”

I thought it sounded like a great idea, but I also knew it wasn’t my decision to make. “Let me find Dev and ask. I’ll call you back.”

After ending the call, I made my way outside and recognized the back of Dev’s wide shoulders as he leaned against a fence and peered eastward. Darkness crawled across the flat land like a slow incoming tide while the sun set behind Three Daughters in the opposite direction.

He had to have heard my boots churning up the dusty gravel, but he didn’t turn around. Instead of calling out, I walked right up to him and pressed myself against his back.

His body tightened, and I waited for him to elbow me away.

He didn’t.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed before dropping my forehead onto his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“I can afford to care for my horse without touching Lellie’s money,” he said, voice gruff with emotion.

“I know you wouldn’t do that. I was just surprised. And maybe still angry,” I admitted.

Dev hesitated. “I have money, Tully.”

“Okay.”

He reached back and put his hand in my hair, pulling my face closer to his neck. “No, I mean… I have a lot of money.”

His confession sounded nefarious, like maybe the money came from an infamous bank heist. “Okayyy?”

Dev sighed and turned around, placing his hands on my hips. “I can’t tell you more than that, but I just need you to know not only would I never make my custody decision based on money, I wouldn’t ever need to.”

“I understand. Thank you for telling me. And I’m truly sorry for implying the worst. I honestly don’t think you would be mercenary like that; I just didn’t understand why you wouldn’t be more worried about the expense. It makes sense if you’ve…” I couldn’t help but be curious and also tease him a little. “Started an OnlyFans? If so, slide me that link when you get a chance.”

His smile was fucking beautiful. It made my heart speed up in my chest. “No porn. Unfortunately, it was a fairly unsexy business deal. All legal, by the way. I can tell you’re low-key wondering if you should call the cops.”

I placed a hand on the center of his chest, still half-afraid he’d shrug me off. “Shame about the porn,” I murmured, catching sight of his lips and wondering if he’d let me taste them again.

I had a hammering need to be close to him, to touch him and connect to him.

I’d thought of him a million times in the past two years, though I’d damned myself for a fool every time.

I’d tried to convince myself I’d barely known Dev. That all we’d shared was a casual hookup, not the deep, instantaneous connection I remembered. That a couple of hours’ acquaintance was too short a time for the amount of rent-free space he took up in my brain.

But now, being here with him and seeing what he was like day to day, I realized there was something to be said for instant chemistry. Something undefinable had attracted me to him back then—something more than simple physical attraction—and that was why I hadn’t been able to forget him. Dev was someone I wanted to spend more time with.

And our story wasn’t over yet.

Dev’s body was still tight with anxiety. “Would you mind going back to the ranch to make sure Lellie’s okay?”

I realized I’d forgotten to tell him about the missed call. “Way called. Your phone was on the chair, and since I knew he had Lellie, I answered it. Hope that’s okay?”

“Of course.” He shifted on his feet but didn’t take his hands off my hips. “Everything fine?”

I quickly reassured him. “Way’s Aunt Blake is there. That’s Jo, right?” When he nodded, I continued. “She’s going to stay. They wanted to know if they could move the crib to the house for the night. I said I’d ask you. Would you rather me go back and keep her at your place?” I didn’t want to leave him, but I also wanted to do whatever would give him the most peace of mind.

Dev brought a hand up to cup the side of my neck. His fingertips moved into the hair on the nape of my neck. “I selfishly want you to stay here with me, but I should let you go get some rest.”

I swallowed. “I want to stay.”

He moved closer, until I felt the metal of his belt buckle catch against my clothes. “I trust Jo. Silas and Way would probably be fine, but if she’s there, too, I’m sure Lellie’s in good hands. And if she’ll let them move the crib over, that’s even better. I’ll call and let them know.”

Neither of us made a move to exchange his phone. Instead, we locked eyes. The setting sun bathed his face in a warm, rosy gold, setting off chestnut streaks in his dark hair.

“Stay,” he said in a low voice. “I’d like you to stay.”

My head felt airy and empty. There were words I wanted to say to him, but I couldn’t for the life of me come up with any. All I could think about was kissing him again.

As soon as I leaned in, he met me halfway, crashing his lips into mine and causing me to hitch in a breath in surprise. I grabbed his head, threading my fingers into his hair and holding him while we devoured each other’s mouths.

His aggression surprised me, but I was a hundred percent here for it. It was a relief to know the strong pull I felt toward him wasn’t one-sided. We kissed for long minutes, and Dev’s hands moved down to grab my ass and pull me closer until I felt the thickening ridge of his cock against mine.

“Fuck, wait,” I said, pulling away. “We’re in a parking lot.”

He glanced past me at the vet building, the parking lot, and then the road. “No one’s around.”

“Still. I don’t want one of the vet techs to come out and find me nutting in my pants.”

His huff of laughter surprised me. He stepped back and ran his hands through his hair. “Fair.” His eyes flicked down to the bulge in my jeans and back up to my face. “Why can’t I stay away from you?”

My heart flitted around my chest like it was untethered and at risk of escaping. “Do you want to?”

He closed his eyes and inhaled. “I want to want to.”

I took a step back, feeling slighted and stung. “Why?”

Dev’s eyes opened and met mine. “Because it’s complicated. Because I don’t just want a quick fuck with you. Because you live in Texas, and I’m never going back.” He sighed. “Because I don’t even know if you want me anymore.”

“I w-want you,” I said, hating how quickly the words came stuttering out. “I’ve wanted you for two years, Dev. I wanted to finish what we started. Get to know you better. Hell, I just fucking wanted to lay eyes on you again. And now I’m here, and I feel like my presence annoys the fuck out of you. I can’t tell whether you want me close or you want me to fuck back off to Texas.”

He reached out and snatched a tiny piece of my shirt between two fingers and his thumb, clasping it lightly down by the bottom hem and tugging it so I would step closer again. His eyes were serious, but the corner of his mouth curled up. “Can’t I want both?”

I stepped close again, noticing the familiar combination of faded sandalwood cologne mixed with hay and horse. The world’s most comforting and provoking scent.

“What are we doing?” I murmured before pressing a kiss to his stubbled jaw.

“Dunno, but when you’re touching me like this, I find I don’t care overmuch.”

He kissed me again, and I wondered idly if he realized his voice got Texas-soft with me more than others. We kissed again, featherlight and teasing, until Dev moved to pull me into a tight hug.

“Sexy as fuck, and he can sit a horse,” he murmured under his breath. “How are you still single?”

Laughter bubbled up. “That’s all I needed to do to get your attention? Find me some cattle, and I’ll really impress you. I can rope a steer, too.”

He pulled back and smiled. There was obvious worry in his eyes about all the things weighing on his mind, but it was nice to see him smiling.

“If you’re too good in the saddle, I’ll have to recruit you away from that law firm.”

“You can’t afford me, McKay,” I teased before remembering what he’d said about having a lot of money. I wanted to ask him about it, find out more about whatever business deal he’d been involved in, but I didn’t want to risk spoiling the ease between us.

The sound of someone exiting the building caught our attention, and we moved away from each other.

Dev cleared his throat. “Better call the guys back and check in.”

I fished his phone out of my back pocket and handed it to him. “I’ll go back inside in case they have an update on Trigger.”

He grabbed my hand. “Stay. They’ll come find us when they have something.”

I watched the last golden edges of the sun disappear from the outline of the mountains, I listened to him greet his friends and ask to tell Lellie good night.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he said with a big goofy smile. “You ready for bedtime? Do you have your horse and your books?”

His smile faded as he listened to her babble. “I don’t remember the words exactly… okay, okay… Nate was an ordinary wolf who lived in the forest,” he began.

The story was familiar. It was one of Lellie’s favorite picture books, the one she insisted on him reading each night since he did all the animal voices. I was sure he was ad-libbing tonight, but when he got to the scene where wolf and bear argue over spaghetti, she was still in stitches on the other end of the phone, shrieking and giggling the way she always did. Her laughter made him break character and laugh, too.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the sound of their joined laughter. Katie, you would have loved seeing him with her.

Memories of my best friend during various moments of her too-short motherhood floated through my mind as the night air swirled around us. What would she say to Dev about the custody situation? What would she advise me to do about my own conflicting priorities?

“You okay?”

I blinked open my eyes to see Dev peering at me with a divot of concern between his brows. He must have ended the call and put the phone away while I’d zoned out.

“Yeah,” I began before realizing I wasn’t actually all that okay. “I was thinking about Katie.”

Dev studied me. “I haven’t had a chance to ask you… that’s not true. I haven’t wanted to hear more about how she died. I guess I’ve been avoiding thinking about it. I know the two of you were close. Do you want to talk about it?”

He looked awkward as fuck, but that only made me appreciate the gesture more. “I wish she was here. I wish she could see you with Lellie.”

Dev looked down at the tip of his boots while he kicked at a stubborn weed. “What was Katie’s favorite part of being a mom?”

I took a minute to consider. “It surprised me, actually. When she first told me she wanted to have a baby, I thought she was crazy. She was incredibly dedicated to her career. It was one of the things that bonded us early on. We were both workaholics and hell-bent on making partner. But she said motherhood was her dream, too. She wanted to have both, and she was determined to prove she could.”

I met his eyes. “As soon as Lellie was born, it was like a softer side of her emerged. I wasn’t there for the delivery—her friend Renata was her birth partner—but I got to the hospital about an hour after Lellie was born. I remember Katie had this quiet confidence… like… an unexpected calm. She wasn’t nervous or awkward with the baby. Don’t get me wrong, she definitely didn’t know what she was doing with a newborn, but she wasn’t afraid. I was afraid, but she wasn’t.”

Dev smiled. “I can’t picture you holding a newborn. Lellie must have been tiny in your arms.”

I suddenly realized he’d never seen pictures of her as a baby. After pulling my phone out of my pocket, I opened up the photo app and scrolled way back until I saw the hospital photos. Then I scrolled further back to find pictures of Katie pregnant.

We spent a while going through photos. Talking about Katie was emotional but good.

“I got the call about her accident from Renata,” I said when we got to the worst part of the story. “She lives next door to Katie and is… was Lellie’s nanny. You might have met her when you were there.”

“I met so many people that night, it’s hard to remember. I, ah, might have been distracted by one person in particular, and it definitely wasn’t Renata.”

My face heated under his gaze. “Right, well… she’s younger. A grad student at UT Dallas. It’s actually her parents who live next door to Katie, but she and Katie were closer in age. I would have suggested her as a potential parent for Lellie, but she’s dating a guy Katie and I really don’t like. And she’s just… too young, honestly. She’s a wonderful nanny, but I’m not sure she’s mature enough to be a full-time parent yet.”

“Are any of us?” Dev teased.

“What about your parents?” I asked.

His emotional reaction to discovering Katie held the deed to their house indicated that there was a story there. The way he tensed up at the mention of them confirmed it.

“What about them?” he asked.

“Would they want her?”

He hunched his shoulders a bit and looked back down at his boots. “Probably.”

Sometimes getting information out of this man was like trying to get a cat to come when called—impossible and infuriating. “And that wouldn’t be a good thing?”

He straightened back up but didn’t look at me. “They’d be better than the Scotts, but not by much.”

“Is that why you didn’t move back to Texas? Katie never said.”

Before he could answer, two things happened at once. A tech came out of the building to call Dev inside, and my phone buzzed with a message.

As Dev began walking toward the building, I glanced down at the text.

My assistant had forwarded me a demand for one Eleanor Kathryn Scott to appear at a specific lab in Dallas for lab testing by the end of the following week. Attached was the subpoena for the paternity test from the Scotts’ attorney… signed by a judge I knew was a member of the Scotts’ congregation.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

Dev’s staunch declaration that he’d never return to Texas had lasted all of a handful of minutes. Even if Dev’s attorneys wanted to fight the ridiculous demand to travel a thousand miles to go to a specific lab, they would lose.

Dev may not have realized what he was up against in the Scotts’ legal custody challenge, but I sure did. And it would take a limitless well of money to fight it. I could only hope Dev’s mysterious “business deal” had netted him enough wealth to go up against a system clearly biased against him.

Regardless, I wasn’t going to tell him about the subpoena now.

Because the vet clearly had news about Trigger.