Page 16

It didn’t hurt that Kaleb had a private jet that would wing her away to any of her appearances.

He joined her as often as possible, and it was pretty sweet that he got a little testy when she was away, and he couldn’t be with her.

Her recording studio in Billings was completed and she was currently using it to record her next album release.

My brows rose as I stared at Anna. “How did you hear that?”

“I heard it, too.” Lauren said from her seat beside Anna.

“I heard it early this morning from my mother, but I’d already figured something was up when Devon asked me for your phone number last night,” Hannah joined in from beside me. “Surely you don’t think that you could do something like that quietly in this town. Juicy gossip spreads like a wildfire here. Everyone knows Devon’s truck and his other vehicles, and the neighbors were paying attention when he walked up to your door.”

“How was the date?” Lauren said excitedly. “Devon has never dated anyone here, so I’m dying to know.”

I shook my head as I swallowed a bite of my salad so I could speak. “It was not a date,” I said emphatically. “He stopped by the office late, and he mentioned that he was eating cardboard food. He invited himself to dinner and I fed him because I didn’t want him to have to eat nasty food. It was completely innocent. End of story.”

“I personally think he likes you,” Hannah commented after she polished off her sandwich. “He’s at my office every day when he can get off work in time to pass by.”

“He wants to check up on me,” I told her drily. “He’s still trying to figure out why I’m here in Crystal Fork and why I left the city to take this job.”

Anna sent me a quizzical look. “Did it ever occur to you that he might just want to get to know you?”

I hesitated before I answered. “No. Until yesterday, he was almost hostile toward me. He treated me like the enemy. I’m not quite sure what happened, but he’s suddenly being…nice.”

Too nice!

I wished that I could figure out why he was suddenly so different.

The change in Devon was confusing, and it had thrown me off-balance.

It wasn’t exactly unwelcome, but after so many months of him antagonizing me, I had no idea what to think about him anymore.

I wanted to believe that this was the other side of Devon that everyone talked about, but it had happened so abruptly that I couldn’t be completely sure that he was sincere.

Hannah snorted. “Devon is hostile and careful with everyone until he gets to know them. Once he trusts you, he lightens up.”

“Devon and I bonded over music,” Anna mentioned. “But I can’t say he was that open about anything else until I’d known him for a while.”

“I know he plays because he filled in for some band member at The Mug And Jug one night,” I mused. “But I didn’t get a chance to see him perform.”

Anna nodded. “He usually does that on the guitar, but Devon is a musical genius. Much more talented than I am. There aren’t many instruments he can’t play, and he’s better than I am on the piano, too. He collaborates with me on writing some of my songs, but he’ll never take credit for that. Give him some time, Reese. He’ll grow on you. He really is a nice guy.”

The problem was, Devon wasalreadystarting to grow on me. I’d seen a much nicer, more interesting side of him yesterday.

Unfortunately, he could also be very charming when he chose to be, and I was seeing a much more attractive side of him.

“He invited me to stay and use his pool and his hot tub after my riding lesson,” I shared.

Lauren sighed. “Do it. He has the most amazing pool, and his hot tub is big enough to have a party in. I’ve gone there to use them both over the winter.” She paused before she said, “You don’t look excited about his offer. Are you afraid he’s going to turn into the grouchy Devon again?”

So he let Lauren use his pool and gym?

Maybe offering to let people use the space was something he did on a regular basis.

He’d obviously been sincere in his offer to let me use it any time I wanted.

I wasn’t afraid he was suddenly going to do an about-face on me and turn back into the grumpy Devon again.

Not really.