Chapter Sixteen
Ever since taking a tumble with the barracuda, all Liz had been waiting for was for the party to end and to sink into a soft comfortable chair. Battling it out with another person had been much easier when she was sixteen and there were mats on the floor.
“I had no idea you were a brown belt.” Devlin sidled up beside her.
“You never asked?” her response was more of a question, punctuated with a chuckle.
Standing on the side patio, Devlin glanced around them and pulled her into an embrace.
Without hesitation, her arms found their way around him and her head rested on his shoulder.
“I will say, you scared the bejesus out of me.”
Tipping her head back, she glanced up at him. “Why?”
“Well,” he shrugged a shoulder, “besides not knowing you were a martial arts star…”
That made her chuckle. Star. She liked that.
“I also had no idea what Courtney’s skills were, but more than that, if she played dirty. Which, knowing her more and more, I wouldn’t put past her.”
“Nah.” Her head fell back against his shoulder again. “She fights like a girl.”
Devlin’s chest rumbled with laughter, then she felt it. His finger gently lifted her chin to face him again.
Their gazes met and she swore if he weren’t holding on to her she’d probably melt on the spot. Had any man ever made her feel so safe, and warm, and content with just a simple look?
“This may be way too soon, and if it is, don’t run off. I’ll wait for you to catch up to me, but, Elizabeth Carter, like it or not, good or bad timing, I love you.”
“You do?” she barely got the words out.
His head bobbed, his finger still gently under her chin.
“As in, gee golly you and your sister are my best friends, or as in, the big L?”
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and his head inched a fraction closer to her. “As in the very big, extra large, L.”
“Hmm,” she tried to tease, him but couldn’t play hard to get. Instead, she raised her arms around his neck and just before pulling him in closer, whispered, “I love you more.”
Floating on a cloud, everything about kissing Devlin was beyond perfect. Only the sound of a husky voice clearing his throat broke through the exquisite moment. “Excuse me.”
Regretfully, inching away from each other, Liz glanced over at Porter and Colton, the two brothers standing side by side, looking down at their shoes. The sight actually had her chuckling. Two grown men looking like a couple of nervous schoolboys.
“Uh,” Porter started, “the last of the guests is gone and Grams wants everyone in the family room to go over the haul.”
Liz took another step back, delighted when Devlin’s hand slid down and latched onto hers. He didn’t want to let go any more than she did.
As everyone made their way back into the house, Liz was surprised at how many cousins either winked at her, smiled at her, or gave her a thumbs up. What the heck was going on? Surely they didn’t all know that she and Devlin were now an item?
“I haven’t laughed so hard in years.” In the family room, Leah handed her husband a drink.
“The woman has been a menace to the male species for as long as I can remember.” Kyle shook his head and poured himself a glass of lemonade.
“And here she is.” Jared, Eve’s husband, pushed to his feet and raised his glass in Liz’s direction. “The conquering hero. I strongly suspect every bachelor from here to Timbuktu appreciates you putting the barracuda in her place.”
“Doesn’t anyone like that woman?” Liz scanned the room.
Several heads moved from side to side and chorused, “No.”
“As a matter of fact, dear.” Mrs. Baron walked into the room. “I received several donations from both men and women who were absolutely delighted someone finally put Courtney in her place.” The woman turned to her grandson-in-law, Jared. “It’s not nice to call people names.”
Contrite, Jared dipped his chin. “Sorry, ma’am.”
Liz did her best to muffle a laugh. If she could ignore their money, these people were just like everyone else, and Lila Baron could have been any mother or grandmother on the planet.
“I’m sorry.” Claire, another of Devlin’s sisters, plopped into an overstuffed easy chair. “But when I spotted her limping out of the ballroom, I had to bite my cheeks not to yell out a cheer.”
“Claire.” Lila Baron frowned at her granddaughter.
“Sorry, Grams, but it’s true.” Claire smiled impishly at the family matriarch.
“I can do y’all one better.” Cooper smiled from where he was seated. “It seems the bara…uh…Courtney is slinking away with her tail between her legs. Donna Klein overheard her exclaim that she’d decided to accept an invitation to visit some Contessa in Spain. Something about being better suited to real royalty, not just a name.”
“Brother.” Craig put his glass on the table. “That woman can’t resist getting in one more dig, can she?”
“Well. However you look at it,” the Governor finally spoke up, “at least she’s out of everyone’s hair.”
“For now,” Emily added. “I have a terrible feeling all of Europe is going to want to send her back sooner than later. No refunds, no exchanges.”
The whole room broke into laughter and Liz couldn’t help but think her sister was probably right. It might take a few years, but that woman would find a way to come home in triumph, probably showing off a prince or duke for a spouse. At least, Liz had one thing Courtney the barracuda would never have… Devlin.
The entire fundraising afternoon had been a whirlwind. When Courtney went after Liz, Devlin understood the true meaning of the old expression seeing red. He honestly thought he could rip the woman limb from limb no matter how his parents and grandparents had raised him. After that it took all his self-control not to follow Liz around like white on rice. All he could think of was keeping her safe.
Learning Courtney of the many last names had decided to leave the country hadn’t been the only good news Devlin had received today. A short while ago, Stuart informed Devlin that the restaurant owner was no longer under suspicion for burning down his own business. The investigation had tracked down the real culprit. A former employee, who’d been fired for dipping into the till, wanted to get even with Stuart for giving him a poor reference, or two. The idiot was lucky no one was seriously injured or worse. At least now the guy would be guaranteed a roof over his head, three square meals a day, and wouldn’t be needing references for a very long time.
So distracted by all the unexpected events as well as the rousing success of the auction, Devlin had almost forgotten his surprise.
“So, what’s the bottom line?” The Governor looked to his bride of decades.
Comfortably seated in her favorite chair with Honey the dog, as usual, by her side, Grams reached for a stack of papers. “The initial numbers are pretty darn good. Of course, we occasionally have people who couldn’t come send funds later, or even folks who were here and didn’t win anything decide to spend anyhow, but for now, are you ready?”
Heads nodded.
“Two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, give or take a few.”
Smiles and cheers erupted.
“Does Stuart know?” Devlin had invited the restaurant owner and family friend to attend and help schmooze his patrons as well as attendees who had never dined at the Steer’s Den. Stuart had been his charming self, but once the bidding started, his nerves kicked in and he opted to go put some elbow grease into the new space while waiting for the news.
Grams nodded. “I phoned him myself with the numbers. He was so excited, he couldn’t stop thanking us.”
“Who knows.” Devlin shrugged. “Maybe, if he likes it enough, the temporary move can be permanent.”
Cooper glanced his way. “I never did find out where it is. Is it a viable spot?”
“Very. The penthouse restaurant that had been there went belly up two years ago. Great location, lousy management. With all the new development we’ve been doing in the old design district, it would be an even better spot for him than the building he’d been in.”
“Sounds like a win win to me.” Coop nodded.
Seated next to him on the sofa, Liz leaned heavily into his shoulder and smiled up at him. “Do you always fix everyone’s problems?”
“All I can do is try. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.” He chuckled. “Once in a blue moon it all blows up in our faces, but those are stories for another day. Today is a day to celebrate. Stuart has the funds to get everyone back on their feet, the arson squad can investigate for as long as they want, but we know Stuart didn’t do it for the insurance money. Courtney is probably already packed for a trip across the pond.”
“Lord, if she does land a titled husband, she’s going to be impossible when she returns.”
“ If she returns.” He certainly wouldn’t mind if Courtney fell in love with a duke or earl and settled happily into the aristocratic life, leaving all the eligible bachelors in Texas alone. Including his cousins.
The chatter in the room grew an octave as the family rehashed for the umpteenth time how much fun they all had watching Liz take down Courtney.
“Come with me a minute.” Devlin took hold of her hand and pushed to his feet.
Outside on the same spot they’d stood earlier, Devlin pulled a key out of his pocket.
“What’s this?” Taking the key in her hand, Liz stared at it with curiosity before looking up at him again.
“A little surprise.” Lord, he hoped he hadn’t made a mistake, but now was no time to start second-guessing himself.
“Surprise?” An amused grin on her lips, her gaze lifted to meet his. “Care to get a little more specific?”
“The house on Swiss Avenue. The one with the young bride who’s fond of, was it pink?”
“Purple.”
“Right. Purple. Anyhow, I made her husband an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
Her gaze dropped to the key. “You bought the house that the teenybopper wanted to deface?”
Mentally crossing his fingers, he nodded, “I did.”
Her arms flew around his neck. “You are a miracle worker. How did you get them to sell?”
“Ah, can’t give away my trade secrets.”
She handed him back the key. “Now what?”
“Now.” He shoved the key right back at her. “You get to restore the place to its former glory and then we put it on the market.”
Again, Liz threw her arms around him and before he could react, planted a kiss smack on his lips. If this was how she reacted every time he made her happy, he was going to have a great time making her happy for a very, very long time.