Page 16 of Devlin (Lighthouse Security Investigations Montana #4)

After the girls left, Mia sat in her room for a long time, her thoughts tangled and her emotions churning. Her phone rang, and she hesitated to see her mom’s name on the caller ID.

She answered, forcing a cheerful tone. “Hey, Mom.”

“Good evening, sweetheart.” Her mother’s voice was warm and familiar, wrapped in the soft Midwest accent of home. “I figured I’d catch you before you went to sleep.”

Mia sipped from the water bottle she’d pulled from her small refrigerator. “It’s lunchtime in Kansas, isn’t it?”

Her mother scoffed. “You know us. We rose early and spent the morning in the garden. We were hungry by noon, and I just had to heat leftovers. Now, tell me what’s going on over there.”

Mia hesitated, fingers tapping against the plastic of her water container. She hadn’t planned on saying anything. She could keep this light, casual, just another day in camp. But as soon as she took a breath to respond, the truth slipped out before she could stop it. “Jim Devlin is here.”

A sharp intake of breath was heard, then silence lasted for several seconds. “What did you say?”

Mia winced. “Jim Devlin is here at the camp.”

Her mother’s gasp was loud, followed by a biting tone. “Jim Devlin?”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom. The one and only Jim Devlin.”

“Lord have mercy,” her mother muttered. “You mean to tell me that man just—what? Showed up? Walked right back into your life after all these years? In Uganda?” The last words were practically shouted.

Mia exhaled, her cheeks puffing out with the effort. “Not exactly. He’s here investigating some thefts from the camp. Strictly business.”

“And that’s all?”

Mia hesitated again, her face scrunching into a wince, which was answer enough.

Her mother sighed, long and knowing. “You’ve talked.”

“A bit,” Mia admitted. “But not about us. Or what had been us. He’s just here to do a job, and then he’ll disappear.”

Her mother was silent for a moment. “I… I… oh, Mia, I don’t know what to say.”

“I know, Mom. I don’t either. He said he wants to talk to me, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”

After another moment of silence, her mother said, “When he broke your heart, it broke my heart as well. And your dad’s and your brother’s. And his parents. There was a ripple effect, and he must have known that. His mother certainly let him know.”

Mia pressed her lips together, then agreed. “Maybe we could have talked back then. Maybe things would have been different?—”

“Nope,” her mom said. “You were too raw. It was too fresh. The hurt would have overtaken anything he could have said.”

She picked at a loose thread on the hem of her blanket, pondering what her mother was saying. “So… you think we should talk now?”

“I’m not saying that, Mia. Only you can answer that question.

But after all these years, I know your hurt is still there, even if it is less raw.

Maybe you can have that conversation now.

Maybe you can get things off your chest that you’ve always wanted to say.

Maybe he can offer an explanation as to what was going on that made him act so abominably. ”

“It was so weird to see him today. He did say that he didn’t know I was here. That just seems so random, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm…” her mom hummed. “People don’t walk back into your life for no reason. Maybe this is your opportunity to let him know what he did to you. Perhaps it’s his opportunity to ease the pain or let you know he really was a poop.”

Mia snorted. Her mom wouldn’t use the word shit , but had no problem calling someone poop . “I love you, Mom,” she said.

“You know we love you, too, sweetheart. Anyway, I don’t guess you can avoid him, but if he hurts you again, he’ll answer to me!”

She laughed, and they soon said goodbyes.

Mia thought about what her mom said. Maybe her mother was right.

Maybe Devlin being here wasn’t just a coincidence.

But Mia had no idea whether it was fate, unfinished business, or just a mess waiting to happen.

For now, she just had to figure out what came next.

Looking at the time, she hurried to the staff showers, desperate to wash away not just the day’s grime but the tangle of emotions dredged up by their conversation.

The warm water cascaded over her skin, soothing her body but doing little to calm her restless mind.

No matter how hard she tried, thoughts of Devlin pushed through, stubborn and unrelenting, until they claimed center stage.

Back in her room, she slipped into her pajamas, the soft fabric a fleeting comfort.

She went through her nightly routine mechanically, brushing her teeth and tying her hair back before climbing into bed.

A book lay on her nightstand, one she’d meant to lose herself in, but after reading the same page three times without registering a word, she gave up and tossed it aside.

The room was quiet now, save for the faint hum of the fan, and the stillness only amplified her thoughts.

Memories of Devlin rushed forward, vivid and insistent.

She’d told the girls only the basics earlier about how they’d met, the outline of their years together, and the inevitable unraveling.

But now, in the solitude of her room, every detail came flooding back, so clear it was as if she were reliving it.

She smiled, bittersweet, as she thought of their teenage years.

She’d often wondered if Devlin was embarrassed to be dating her.

She was the bookish girl who preferred the protest rallies to pep rallies.

The cheerleaders had certainly given her enough side-eyes and whispered plenty of nasty things behind her back.

“It won’t last,” they’d said. “He’s only with her because she puts out.

” Even her friends had been stunned that she’d captured the attention of someone like him.

But Devlin had made it clear from the start that there was no one else for him.

The way he’d taken her hand the first time, his touch warm and steady, told her everything she needed to know.

At sixteen, he hadn’t been shy about claiming her, holding her hand in crowded hallways, or pressing a kiss to her temple as they parted for classes.

When he left for college her senior year, the whispers started again.

“He’ll find someone else. He’ll cheat.” And though the thought had scared her, she’d known in her heart it wouldn’t happen.

He wasn’t that kind of person. Their connection was too strong, their love too deep.

They talked through every fear and doubt until they’d made a pact to hold on no matter what.

By the time her college acceptances came, she hadn’t even considered going anywhere else. His college became her first choice—not just because it had her major but because it was close to home. Close to him.

Her parents had adored Devlin from the start.

Even her father, who was famously hard to win over, had warmed to him quickly.

Devlin’s parents had welcomed her just as readily, treating her like another daughter.

Holidays were spent together, the two families mingling easily, cementing what everyone already believed—that she and Devlin were forever.

She thought about those college years, a rush of memories filling her mind.

They’d navigated crowded dorm rooms and tiny apartments, stolen moments, and shared dreams. She grinned at the memory of his dorm bed, so narrow they’d had to tangle themselves together to make it work.

When desperation struck, they’d sneak off to park on some deserted road, making love in the back seat of his car.

Later, she’d gotten her own tiny apartment.

It was little more than an efficiency, but it was hers.

She’d worked two jobs to afford it, and Devlin had practically moved in, his clothes hanging in her closet and his scent lingering on her pillow.

By her final year, they lived together full-time, falling into a rhythm that felt like a preview of marriage.

Mornings started with sleepy kisses and hurried breakfasts.

Evenings ended with him pulling her close, her head resting on his chest, lulled to sleep by the steady beat of his heart.

Her chest ached as she thought about those nights, their intimacy growing in that first apartment.

Devlin’s body had always mesmerized her—strong, solid, and so achingly familiar.

His arms had been her favorite, both for the power they held and the gentleness they offered.

She thought of how they’d wrapped around her, pulling her close, making her feel cherished and adored.

But holy hell, even missionary sex was amazing. His weight was held above her chest by his strong arms. As he drove into her, with soft and gentle thrusts when they made love or pounding where she gave as much as she took, it didn't matter. His body was made for her.

With all the memories flooding her mind, suddenly Mia was flushed. Heat moved through every cell of her body and pooled in her core. Her breasts felt heavy, her nipples needy.

She whipped off her T-shirt as she lay back on her bed.

With her eyes closed, imagining him over her, she slid her fingers into her panties.

Her other hand drifted over her breasts, kneading them as she tugged on her nipples.

She hadn't brought her vibrator with her to Uganda, and while she usually found her hands to be a poor substitute for the real thing, she was so primed with remembrances of how sex was with Devlin it didn't take long for her climax to hit.

She rode the feeling until the last pulses had eased, and she could catch her breath again.

She pulled her shirt on and settled onto her back, staring at the ceiling as her cheeks heated with the memories. She hated how overwhelming thoughts of him could be and how easily he could slip past her defenses.