Chapter Thirty-Nine
The One Where They Stay Another Day
Kate made for the opening, but Dev was back, his height filling her only escape route, and she sank back against the driver’s seat, grasping the leather backrest tightly as he closed the door.
He said nothing for a moment, remaining at the other end of the van by the built-in freezer, and slowly, the sounds on the rooftop eased to a constant patter. Then, he ran a hand round the back of his neck in the endearing fashion Kate had become used to, and her heart – which had huddled into a bruised corner – swelled a little against her volition.
‘Look, Kate, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while, but I just didn’t know what I could say. And now, there’s been some developments overnight.’
I know.
‘I’m going to be able to be with Theo all the time.’
I know that too.
Despite her despair, however, Kate was deeply moved by the delight infusing Dev’s features. She had to be happy for him; she loved him too much not to be.
‘That’s wonderful.’ To her surprise, her voice was steady, but she cleared her throat nonetheless. ‘I’m so pleased for you, for Theo too.’
He took a step towards her, then stopped. ‘I wanted to tell you, but—’
Kate’s heart went out to him. ‘There’s no need. I understand, truly I do.’ Her eyes ached from holding back further emotion. Time to embrace reality, to give up on pointless dreams. To go home and drink wine. Lots of it.
‘It seems your grandfather’s confession was somewhat prophetic. I hope this will bring you…’ Something had a grip on her throat now, and the words weren’t coming out quite so easily. ‘I wish you…’ She gulped in a breath as she completed the trite phrase. ‘Every possible happiness.’
Dev stilled, saying nothing for a moment, but then he locked eyes with her across the small space.
‘Do you, Kate?’ he whispered, so softly she strained to hear the words. ‘Do you wish me every possible happiness?’
Still struggling to form words, Kate nodded.
Oh, no. Don’t smile like that, she begged him silently, as his eyes shone with blatant delight.
Kate made a dash for the door, but Dev easily stalled her, pulling her gently in front of him.
‘I am in love with you, Kate.’ Dev spoke quietly but firmly and she held back a small gulp, her eyes frantically searching his.
Then, she slowly nodded as, throat aching with suppressed emotion, she tried to savour this one last moment with him. He might well love her. She’d half suspected the attraction had become mutual, but he would do the right thing and stand by the marriage for the sake of Theo – just as his grandfather had done before him. She couldn’t fault him for it. Damn it, she even admired his loyalty, his fierce determination to do the best for his child.
‘If this is our moment for honesty, then I’ll confess. I’ve fallen in love with you too.’ Kate drew a shaking breath. ‘I know it can’t go anywhere, and I’d never want to come between you and… what you want. But it feels important to say it.’
She didn’t know where to look, or what to do, uncertain whether her heart or head were in the most tatters. She needed to leave, but Dev was effectively blocking her escape simply by staying where he was. There wasn’t, after all, much room inside an ice cream van.
‘Look at me, Kate.’
How she loved his voice, especially when he spoke in such a loving way…
Slowly, she raised her despondent gaze from where it had fixed on a box of waffle cones. She paused. Dev didn’t look at all troubled or distraught, especially for someone who’d just admitted to being in love with the person he wasn’t technically still married to.
‘I didn’t know you loved me back.’ Dev reached out to wipe a stray tear from Kate’s cheek, and heat seared through her skin at the touch. ‘I hoped… but I tried not to.’
She grabbed his hand as he withdrew it and pressed a kiss on his palm.
‘I’ve been falling for you for months, but it doesn’t feel right talking like this, now you’re starting afresh with your…’ She couldn’t say the name, recalling the woman’s expression from the previous day.
‘I’m not.’
‘But she told me… I thought…’ Mind fizzing, Kate all but held her breath as Dev reached out for her hand, and the memory of their first meeting, of his touch as he curled her fingers over the rings, skidded into focus.
‘Grandy did me a favour with his interference. Leigh was on the first train down this morning, full of her plans now she’s got this dream job.’ His expression wry, Dev tugged on Kate’s hand and she stepped closer. ‘It’s been a theme of the marriage, chasing the so-called dream role. Little did I realise it would be what finally set us free.’
‘I don’t understand…’
‘I’ve spent the last year convinced the best thing would be to try again, if only Leigh would stop gadding about the country and give it a go. For Theo’s sake, not mine, I might add.’ He shook his head ruefully. ‘I’ve watched your example, taking the opposite route, seen it working. And Friday night, I did a lot of thinking about Grandy’s confession, the decision you’d made. It brought so much into focus. I wanted to tell you, before Leigh even appeared… when I arrived at the fayre. I’d realised what really mattered. And it wasn’t just Theo.’
‘But I thought you were leaving, going away.’ Kate’s bewildered gaze scanned Dev’s face.
‘Leigh is moving to Singapore. Alone. Theo’s staying with me. It’s taken time, but she’s finally acceded full custody. She failed to consider, in all her scheming, that she can’t legally take Theo out of the country without my consent, and she now knows I won’t be persuaded to give it. When it came down to the perfect job or her child, she picked the former. As for me,’ he raised his free hand to cup Kate’s cheek, ‘I’d already come to my own decision. I’m… Theo, and I, are not going anywhere.’
Kate’s mind whirled, her heart spinning in her chest like the multi-coloured beach ball of death when Word crashed on her. What did this mean? Was there a chance for them after all?
‘But I just saw you both in the car, I thought you were leaving.’
‘I drove her to Par for the next train back to London.’ Dev shook his head. ‘She’d insisted on coming down so she could tell me all about her new plans. When I refused to give in over Theo last night, she said I’d regret it. I had no idea she’d spoken to you. I was furious. She agreed to sign the Final Order and send it to her solicitor immediately, said she hoped we’d rot in hell.’ A mischievous look, one Kate had never seen, crossed Dev’s features. ‘I said thanks, but we’d rather stay in the cove for the foreseeable.’
A trickle of hope filtered through Kate’s veins and, as Dev closed the gap between them and pulled her fully into his arms, she allowed it to flow freely. There was a pause while grey-blue eyes held brown, but their lids lowered when their lips met, the kiss soon picking up in intensity as she finally allowed herself the freedom to express her feelings.
Dev’s mouth moved sensuously over hers as Kate’s hands crept along his shoulders and up into his hair, and it was a few moments before they became aware of a tapping noise and reluctantly parted.
‘Open up, lovebirds!’
Kate bit her lip, but Dev merely smiled and reached over and flicked the handle and the door swung open to reveal Jean.
‘I hate to interrupt,’ she began, barely concealing her amusement, ‘but the storm’s passing over, there’s blue sky on its way and the queue outside is, I’m pretty certain, for a whippy ice cream and not an interview.’
‘Sorry, Jean. But thanks.’ Dev grinned and reached for Kate’s hand, which she willingly slipped into his as they stepped down onto the harbourside.
‘I’m soaked through. I’d better go home and change.’ Kate didn’t want to end things like this, even though she was brimming with happiness inside.
‘Me too,’ Dev said quietly, squeezing her hand, but as they were in public, that was all he did. ‘Do you… can I come over when I’ve changed? There’s more to explain, things to say, time we did some more,’ his gaze drifted briefly to Kate’s mouth, ‘talking.’
With a laugh, she reciprocated the squeeze before dropping Dev’s hand and scooting along the harbour, heedless of the remnants of the storm, splashing through puddles and uncaring of her damp clothes clinging to her body.
A quick shower later, and feeling as though she was genuinely preparing for a first date, Kate’s tummy kept dancing a jig. Every moment she thought of Dev, of the pressure of his mouth against hers, the feel of his arms around her, knowing now that he was in love with her…
There it went again, this time with a full-on reel.
‘Calm down,’ she cautioned, gripping her middle through the towel as she unwound a second one from her hair. ‘I’ll never have a steady enough hand to do my make-up if this carries on.’
Dev hadn’t said how long he’d be, but—
Her phone rang.
Dev.
‘Hi.’
‘Hey. Is there any chance you could come over here instead? It’s Grandy, he’s… well, I don’t like to leave him just now.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry. Yes, of course.’ Kate eyed her appearance. ‘I’ll be there as quick as I can.’
Hoping Ryther hadn’t had a delayed reaction to all he’d heard the previous day, Kate performed the fastest ever hair dry, twisting her brown waves into a casual up-do. Her Greek tan, topped up nicely in the recent prolonged spell of good weather, would have to suffice. She added a flick of mascara and a pale lip gloss and headed out.
Although the roads were still wet, the pavements were drying out. People had returned to the outside seating at the venues in the village as she passed by, and before long Kate had reached Harbourwatch, infused with happy expectation.
Dev had the door open before Kate had chance to ring the bell, and once it closed behind her, they both stood a little awkwardly for a second, before making a sudden mutual move towards each other, his mouth descending on hers as she clung once more to his shoulders, losing herself in the delight of finally being able to express how she felt.
For someone so reticent, Dev certainly didn’t seem to have any problems conveying his own feelings, the kiss becoming more intense as he drew Kate closer, and she willingly pressed her body against his, only for them both to dissolve in amusement as his hand caught her clip and it fell to the floor with a clatter, her hair cascading onto her shoulders.
‘I love you so much,’ she said brokenly, conscious her eyes ached anew, but with inexplicable delight instead of sadness now. ‘And I thought you were lost to me.’
Dev dropped a lingering kiss on her lips, then the tip of her nose, before wrapping his arms around her, and she relaxed into his hold, savouring the steady beating of his heart beneath her ear.
‘I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to come alone,’ Dev spoke softly, his chin resting on top of her head.
There was a strange, comfortable familiarity, as though it had always been this way, and Kate nuzzled even more closely into Dev’s shirt, inhaling his cologne and closing her eyes.
‘Molls is away overnight.’
There was a movement in Dev’s chest, and she raised her head to look at him.
‘Damn,’ he whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Kate’s ear. ‘I mean, that would have been…’
Rather than find the words, he made his feelings clear with a short but sensuous kiss, and Kate melted against him. Seriously, if she wasn’t gripping his shoulders she might well have dissolved into a pool at his feet.
‘What would it have been?’ she asked softly, their gazes locked on each other.
‘Nice,’ he replied. ‘Very, very nice.’
He was about to repeat the action, but the sound of running footsteps and a call of ‘Daaaddy’ was sufficient to return them to reality, and Kate shot out of Dev’s arms, tugging her top straight and striving to calm her heightened senses as Theo came scampering along the hall towards them.