Page 39 of Devlin (Lighthouse Security Investigations Montana #4)

Mia didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stared at the screen, her lips slightly parted, as if choosing her words carefully. Finally, she exhaled and spoke, her voice quiet but steady.

“Before we reconnected, I had already come to a place in my life where I realized that I’ve had incredible worldwide opportunities.

Work, life experiences… I’ve participated in things I probably never would have done if we’d stayed together.

” Her voice caught slightly, and she winced as if the words caused her pain.

“Maybe it’s serendipity that we found each other again on the other side of the world.

We’ve even said that maybe it was part of our life plan to spend these years apart, learn, grow, and become who we are now. ”

He nodded slowly, absorbing her words with caution. He understood what she was saying. But that didn’t make it any easier to know that he had been the reason for her pain.

She gestured toward the laptop. “I’ve been considering these positions for a while. I want to be back in the States. I want to take my knowledge and experience and use it to help people at home. I’ve been in contact with both organizations and even some tribal health departments as a nutritionist.”

Devlin stood and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms securely around her.

She wasn’t telling him everything. He could feel it.

Something still lingered in the space between them, something that made her hesitate.

And he hated that he couldn’t immediately read her thoughts the way he once could.

He had to relearn her, rediscover the parts of her that had changed.

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, he murmured, “Something about this is still bothering you, and I can’t figure out what it is. So, for our sake—just tell me. What are you afraid of?”

Mia leaned back slightly, her gaze searching his. Then, with quiet hesitation, she finally admitted, “Each of these offers that I’ve considered includes reservations in Montana.”

Devlin’s breath hitched, his chest tightening at her words.

“They also include opportunities in other states,” she added quickly, “but… I didn’t want you to think I was chasing you. Or trying to force my way back into your life. Or taking advantage of this… this… whatever this is between us.”

Devlin’s grip on her tightened, his expression firm.

“Mia, I’d never think that.” His voice was rough with emotion.

“Because it’s not taking advantage of anything.

You didn’t even need to show me the dates on those emails.

I wouldn’t care if you’d only started looking last night.

But the fact that you considered jobs that could bring you closer to me?

That’s just another example of serendipity. ”

She searched his face, uncertainty flickering in her deep brown eyes. “Do you really think so?” she whispered. “Because as much as it pains me to admit… if you hadn’t pushed me away back then, I would have always wondered what was out here for me.”

Devlin swallowed hard, his hands sliding down her arms, anchoring her to him.

“It kills me to know I caused that pain,” he said honestly.

“But I had to set you free. And yeah, the way I did it was fucked. I tore us apart in the worst way. And I’ll always regret that.

” He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing along her skin.

“But we’ve already realized that we needed that time apart.

We had to grow, to figure out who we were.

And now?” His lips curved slightly. “Now, this just proves that our lives are realigning.”

Mia’s lips twitched, her chin lifting slightly. “What makes you think I want us to be together?”

He grinned, leaning in slowly, his breath fanning across her lips. “Because if you didn’t…” His lips brushed hers, the contact sending electric currents through him. “Then you would have stopped me by now.”

She didn’t. Instead, she melted into him.

Devlin deepened the kiss, pouring every ounce of emotion into it. He held her close, feeling the shape of her, the warmth of her. Everything about Mia was familiar, yet new. She was the past, the present, and—if he had anything to say about it—the future.

When they finally broke apart, he didn’t pull away completely. He needed to see her face, to read her expression. And what he saw made his chest tighten.

No words were necessary. The emotion in her eyes said everything.

He kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the feel of her. His hands slid up her back, his fingers memorizing the curve of her spine. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, breathing her in.

“So there’s no misunderstanding,” he murmured against her skin.

“We owe it to ourselves to see what’s ahead.

We had a past, and it was incredible. And now?

Now, we’ve grown into who we are today. But I don’t believe our story is over, Mia.

I won’t walk away again. I want you to take the job that’s best for you.

If that means coming back here, going to another camp, or staying in the States—even somewhere close to Montana…

” He tightened his hold. “We will make it work. We will work.”

She stared up at him, her lips curving slowly into a beaming smile. “I think I’ll email them back and find out what positions are in Montana. I won’t make any promises?—”

“I don’t expect any,” he rushed to say.

She nodded slowly, still holding his gaze.

“But I have no particular desire to go to a specific place. Arizona and New Mexico are beautiful, but I’d rather visit and not live there.

Same for the South. I considered Kansas, simply because that’s close to my parents.

But the offers in the north, near Canada, were of interest to me even before we met again. ”

Devlin felt like he was waking from a long dream—a dream where he had been searching for light, always reaching but never quite touching it.

She leaned her head back once more, and whispered, “Can you stay tonight?”

Now, holding Mia in his arms, he grinned. “Oh, yeah.” He lowered his head to kiss her again. He had found the light. And he wasn’t letting go.