“So go back to school. What’s your hurry?”

“Nate has to go to school, not me. He starts private school in a few weeks. You know my house hasn’t sold. We haven’t gotten so much as a single offer, not even a lowball, so money is tight. I’ll get child support and alimony, but it won’t be enough to handle this expense. If I want Nate to start at the private school, I have to contribute. It’s as simple as that. And that’s okay. I’m looking forward to working again. Earning a paycheck. Putting something toward my Social Security. It’ll make me feel . . . independent.”

Devlin scratched his jaw but didn’t reply.

Dora picked up the brown shift, held it up, and asked again, “So which looks better?”

He pointed to the blue. “Matches your eyes.”

“You don’t think it will make my butt look fat?”

“Honey, I ain’t stupid enough to try and answer that one.”

Dora sucked in her belly, wishing she’d had the discipline to skip the grits the night before. She stepped into the dress, wriggling as she tugged it over her hips. It was snug around the caboose, but it fit. “Harper picked these out. She always goes for that sleek, severe look. Don’t you think it’s a bit plain? I wish it had a bit of ruffle, or some bling on it.” She sighed and walked to Devlin’s side. “Zip me up?”

Devlin obliged. It was like being a married couple, she thought contentedly as he worked the tiny clasp at the top. Only better. She was free to come and go from his house as she pleased, though she supposed that would come to an end once she and Nate moved out of Sea Breeze and he didn’t have his aunts or great-grandmother to keep an eye on him at a moment’s notice. Devlin wanted to tie the knot, but after a lifetime of being at her mother’s or her husband’s beck and call, she was enjoying her newfound freedom—though she didn’t dare tell him that.

“How’s Carson doing?” Devlin asked.

She’d already told him that Carson was keeping the baby. It was typical of Dev to be concerned about her. He and Carson had been surfing buddies since they were kids. Dora was secretly convinced that Carson once had a crush on Dev back when he was a dashing blond surfer and a leader in her surfing crowd. Though, of course, Carson denied it.

“Good. Real good.”

“Saw her with Blake. They on again?”

“You mean Rhett and Scarlett?” She chuckled. “The jury’s still out on that. They’re seeing each other ostensibly to make plans for Delphine.” Dora smirked. “But they’re not fooling anyone.” She thought of the knowing smiles, the cuddling, and other indicators. “But you know Carson. When things get too close, she bolts.”

“I always said that was one fish that was hard to catch.”

Dora chuckled as she began to set her blond waves, knowing it was true. Carson’s history of running from relationships was legendary. “I think the only reason she hasn’t run back to Los Angeles yet is because she can’t afford to.” Dora sighed. “She’s jumpier than a driver who’s got to pee looking for exits.”

Devlin chuckled, a low rumbling sound. “You get like that whenever I mention marriage, too.”

Dora scoffed and waved her hand dismissively. “Not the same thing at all. I figure her being stuck here is a good thing. She’s forced to stay and deal with her problems rather than run from them. Or from a guy.”

“Blake’s a good guy.” Devlin went to the bar and poured himself a glass of seltzer water over ice. Dora noticed, pleased that he was cutting back on his drinking. “Speaking of guys, what was that you were mentioning about some guy coming from Florida to see Carson and getting our boy all riled?”

Dora put down her brush, her eyes gleaming with news. “Mamaw told me all about it. It was a big misunderstanding. Anyway, this Taylor fella . . . Mamaw say’s he’s quite the looker . . . is just a friend of Carson’s. From when she was in Florida. But”—Dora’s eyes sparkled—“as it happens, he turns out to be a person of interest for Harper.”

“Harper?” Devlin said with doubt. “Our Harper? I didn’t figure she got her nose out of her computer long enough to be attracted to any guy. Thought she’d have hooked up with one of those online things . . . what you call those, anima icons?”

“Avatar.” Dora knew such things because of Nate. “What you talkin’ about, boy?” she teased. “Our Harper’s got plenty of interest from real flesh-and-blood fellas. Except she’s not interested in them. According to her, she’s waiting for true love to hit. Thinks it’ll happen at first sight. And, she thinks it hit with this Taylor fella.”

Dev appeared amused by this notion as he walked closer. “She doesn’t strike me as the love at first sight type. More like she’d be analyzing any guy for his pros and cons.”

“Our sweet academic turns out to be a closet romantic. Don’t you just love it? And I’ll have you know that she’s not on the computer nearly as much now as she was when she first arrived. In fact, she’s outdoors a lot now. In that garden she’s mad for. And she’s been asking me to teach her how to cook. Bless her heart. She barely knows how to boil water.” Dora poked Devlin in the ribs with her elbow. “Yep, I’ll bet she’s standing there in front of the stove right now, wearing an apron, stirring a pot, or cutting up vegetables.” Dora wiggled her eyebrows. “Should I be jealous?”

Devlin laughed again and moved to slip his arms around her and rest his hands on her ample bottom. He gave a gentle squeeze. “You might be if she had a little more meat on her bones.”

Dora laughed out loud, then kissed him full on the lips, amazed at how this man could always make her feel beautiful.

“You know,” he said in a low voice by her ear, “I fell in love with you at first sight.”

“I was thirteen,” she said as a rebuff. “What did you know about true love back then?”

“Hell, woman, I’m not talking about when you were thirteen. I’m talking about last June, when I spotted you walking down Middle Street. All red in the face, sweat soaking that USC T-shirt.”

Dora barked out a laugh and slapped away his roving hand. “You dog! I was trying so hard not to look winded.” She laughed harder. “I thought I was going to die either from the heat or from you seeing me like that after fifteen years.”