Minor Adjustments (9 page)

Devon’s flight was scheduled to leave the following morning, and Stella still hadn’t heard a word from him. What was going on? What had he decided to do? Did he plan to show up and hand Ryan over, or would Devon become Ryan’s legal guardian?

Stella had debated calling him several times, but what could she say that wouldn’t make things worse? Nothing. Waiting was her only choice.

That and missing them both.

Sometime during the next twenty-four hours, Stella’s entire life would change. And not for the better. Either way, Ryan and Devon would drift away from her. Either way, she lost.

It was Friday night, and Stella wanted to curl up in a ball and hope the melancholy would scatter away in her tears. But she was made of sterner stuff than that. So she cleaned. Stella washed her blinds and windows, reorganized her closet, wiped down all the walls, and dusted every square inch. But it didn’t help. Every time she looked at anything in that wretched flat, it would remind her of a little boy or a man.

Maybe Stella should spend her time looking for a new place to live.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Her pounding heart deterred her for only a second before she rushed to the door and flung it open.

Devon. There. On her doorstep. Looking handsome and . . . nervous? With his hands shoved in his pockets, he rocked back and forth from his toes to his heels. Had he come to tell her no?

“Where’s Ryan?” Stella said.

“With Colleen. I needed a chance to talk to you alone before we go back to get him.”

Get him? What did that mean? Was he going to leave Ryan with her? Trying for a calm voice, Stella said, “Come on in.”

Devon drifted toward the back patio but stopped when he got to the kitchen. “Your floor looks nice. Very shiny and clean.”

“Yeah. Who knew my dishwasher could double as a floor cleaner?”

He half smiled before stepping out to the back patio. Taking a seat, Devon gazed up at the tree. “I’m going to miss this place. No one back home is going to believe me when I tell them wild parrots eat from your hands.”

“Larakeets.”

“Whatever.”

Stella pulled out the other chair. She wanted to shriek, “Out with it!” but clasped and unclasped her fingers instead. What had Devon decided? What would become of Ryan? Why wouldn’t he just tell her and get it over with?

“I’ve decided to become Ryan’s legal guardian.”

Stella’s heart dropped to her toes as tears wet her eyes. After months of stewing and worrying, everything was finally looking up. Ryan would have a wonderful father. Ryan would have a great life. Ryan would be okay.

Ryan would leave Australia and perhaps never return.

Stella took a deep breath.
This is good, Stella. This is what you wanted.
But the words didn’t compensate for the ache that filled her body. She didn’t want them to go.

“Thank you,” Stella said. “So, so much. You’re an answer to my prayers. Lindsay’s too. And I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you everything to begin with. I just didn’t think that . . .” Her words drifted off.

“No, you didn’t think, or maybe you thought too much. Regardless, I understand why you did what you did.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.”

Stella wanted to throw her arms around him. Even after all she’d put him though, Devon had somehow forgiven her.

“Does Ryan have a passport?”

“Yes.” Stella hoped Devon wouldn’t be offended by yet another assumption on her part, but he didn’t seem surprised.

“Good,” he said. “I’ve changed my flight. I’m taking Ryan to Oregon. We’ll spend a week or so with my family, and once he’s comfortable, I’ll return to Chicago alone.”

“But—”

Devon held up his hand. “Just let me finish before you start questioning my decisions.” Standing, he walked to the edge of the patio and leaned against a pillar. Minutes floated by before he finally said, “I’ve decided to sell my company.”

Stella gaped at him. “But—”

His hand shot up again. “Please, Stella.”

She forced her lips together.
No, no, no! This isn’t right! It’s not what I want you to do, and it’s not what Lindsay would have wanted you to do either. You shouldn’t have to give up something you love so much. Surely there’s another way. There has to be another way.

“Someone has wanted to buy it for years, but I’ve never considered selling—until now, that is. They’ve already made me an offer and I’ve already accepted, which is why you haven’t heard from me in a few days. I needed to figure some things out before I signed any guardianship paperwork.”

Devon took a breath and let it out. “So, as I was saying before, I’ll leave Ryan with my parents while I fly back to Chicago and complete the sale. Then I’ll pack up my stuff and return to Oregon, and Ryan and I will start over there, near my family. It makes sense. More sense than trying to work full-time and raise a child on my own. Besides, it’s what Lindsay would have wanted.”

Was it? Stella felt a sickening pit fill her stomach. She’d been too preoccupied worrying about Ryan and his future to really stop and consider what she was asking of Devon. Stella figured he’d simply cut back on his hours and maybe hire someone to care for Ryan. Wasn’t that what most people would do?

Devon isn’t most people,
said a voice inside her head.

No. He wasn’t. He was a good, honest man who would make the best father for Ryan. Stella only wished he didn’t have to give up so much in the process. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t set out to ruin your life.”

“You didn’t ruin my life. You may have upset it for a while, but as my mother so kindly pointed out, it’s only temporary. Things will all work out in the end.”

If only he looked more convinced. “What will you do?”

Devon actually smiled. Well, almost. “I don’t know yet, but maybe Ryan can help me decide. He’s already told me all the pets he wants to get, so maybe we can open our own zoo.”

A zoo. Stella wanted to simultaneously laugh and cry. Here Devon was, about to give up something that meant so much to him, and he was joking about becoming a zookeeper. “Great idea. Ryan can be in charge of feeding all the animals.”

“Hey, I think you just gave me our marketing pitch. We’ll spread the word that we have the fattest animals on the planet and people will flock to it just to watch them try to move.”

Stella laughed, and their eyes met. A wonderful, prickling sensation filled her body, and she couldn’t resist walking over and throwing her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Devon’s arms tightened around her as he pulled her closer. Closing her eyes, Stella rested her head against his chest, relishing the way his touch made her feel. Warm, happy, alive.

Maybe if she never let go, he wouldn’t leave.

But he did, and took Ryan with him. They stayed a few extra days to finalize the paperwork and then late in the afternoon on Tuesday, Stella drove them to the airport. She parked the car and followed them inside, where they paused near a window just outside security.

Stella knelt and gathered Ryan to her. “I’m going to miss you, kiddo.” She tried to blink away her tears as she held him tight. “I want to hear from you all of the time—at least once a week, you hear?”

Ryan frowned. “I want you to come too.”

“I promise I’ll come for a visit soon, okay?”

“Okay.” A plane flew by overhead. Ryan turned around and pressed his nose to the window. His excitement was obvious, and Stella tried not to let it depress her.

Slowly, Stella faced Devon, not knowing what to say. How could she say good-bye to someone she shouldn’t care about but did? “Did you know that the word “stewardesses” is the longest word typed only with your left hand on a keyboard?” Stella blamed her nerves for the ridiculous comment.

Eyebrows arched, Devon chuckled. “No. But I’ll be sure to steer clear of that word since I have enough trouble using a keyboard.”

He held out a gift bag he’d been carrying. “This is for you. From Ryan. It’s a webcam so he can see you when he calls.”

“How sweet. Thank you.” The reality hit Stella like a blast of cold water from a hose. It was a thoughtful gift, really it was, even though there was already a webcam on her laptop, but it also reminded her that she couldn’t touch, hug, kiss, or cuddle Ryan like she wanted. It meant distance.

Devon offered a half smile. “I don’t know what else to say. And obviously you don’t either, which is a first.”

He was right. She didn’t. Although there were several things Stella wanted to say: Please don’t take Ryan away from me. Please stay a while longer. I think I’m falling for you, and I can’t stand the thought of you leaving and taking Ryan.

“Keep in touch?” she finally said.

“We will.”

Little fingers were still pressed to the glass. “Will you tell him every night that I love him?”

“I promise.”

“Thanks.” Well, this is it. Devon would pass through security and board the plane, and Stella’s arms would ache to wrap themselves around him. Not touching him went against every natural instinct her body possessed.

But Devon surprised her. He picked up her hands and pulled her to him, tucking her into a warm embrace. Then he held her close as a few tears trickled from her eyes and soaked into the fabric of his shirt.

“When can we ride on a plane?” Ryan asked, bouncing toward them.

“You’re one of a kind, Stella Walker,” Devon whispered in her ear and kissed her forehead before releasing her. Then he held his hand out for Ryan and stepped into the security line. Ryan waved until they’d rounded a corner, but Devon looked back only once.

It had been a long flight, which was ironic because no time had passed. At least not according to the clock affixed to the wall of the airport. Devon and Ryan had left Sydney Tuesday night at eight and landed in Portland the same Tuesday night at seven-thirty. Crazy. The International Date Line sure knew how to mess with people’s minds.

Lydia Pierce found them in the baggage claim area. “Oh you darling boy, come and give your grandma a hug!”

Ryan smiled tentatively but hung back, looking unsure of the large woman towering over him. Devon’s mom loved to bake and loved to eat. As a result, she had gained a few pounds over the years and was beloved by all who knew her. There was no happier person on earth. Even Mrs. Claus couldn’t compete.

Ignoring the boy’s shyness, Lydia scooped him up in her arms and squeezed him tight. “You’re even more adorable than I’d imagined. We’re so glad you’re here.”

Ryan didn’t protest, but he didn’t say anything either.

“Don’t worry, champ.” Devon rubbed the top of his head. “One taste of her cookies and you’ll never want to leave.”

“Cookies?” Ryan asked, the first shadow of a smile appearing on his face.

“Oh, you like cookies, do you?” Lydia asked. “That’s good, because I have some waiting for you at home. Your grandpa is making them as we speak.”

“Dad’s making cookies?” Devon asked. “Since when did he become so domestic?”

“Since we didn’t get them made in time to pick you up, and I told him I got to see Ryan first.”

“Sounds like Dad’s going soft.”

Devon must have fallen asleep during the drive because it seemed like only a few minutes before Lydia pulled to a stop in the driveway.

“We’re home,” she said.

With its faded yellow siding and dark green shutters, the house still looked the same. It was good to be home.

“Do we get cookies now?” Ryan asked from the backseat.

“Of course,” Lydia said. “Let’s go find some and meet your grandpa.”

Ryan allowed Lydia to hold his hand, and they found Jack Pierce in the kitchen, pulling a fresh batch of sugar cookies from the oven. He looked ridiculous wearing a red and white floral apron tied under his protruding belly, especially since flour covered his navy blue shirt.

“Welcome home, son, it’s good to have you back,” Jack said, clapping Devon on the back before bending down. “And you must be Ryan. I hope you like cookies because your grandmother insisted on doubling the batch.”

Ryan’s wide eyes rested on the frosting and candy sitting on the counter. Lydia plopped him onto a barstool and placed a cooled sugar cookie before him, handing him a butter knife.

“You’re wearing ruffles, Dad. Ruffles,” said Devon.

Jack looked down and grabbed at the strings, pulling it loose before tossing it on the counter. “Confound it, Lydia! I told you this thing would only make me look like a spineless pansy!” He glanced at Devon. “She’s the one that insisted I wear this ridiculous getup.”

“And you obviously agreed,” Devon said.

“I did not.”

“And yet you wore it.”

Jack glared at his wife.

Lydia chuckled. “I tied it on while you were rolling out dough and talking to Emily on the phone. You were so distracted you didn’t notice.”

Devon grinned. “Well, it’s a good look for you. Maybe next time you could put a matching bow in your hair. Oh wait, you’d need hair for that, wouldn’t you?”

Jack snorted. “I might still have hair if I’d stayed single and never had children.” He walked around the table and took a seat beside Ryan, who was dumping sprinkles on his cookie.

“You’re really good at decorating,” Jack said.

“I know. My mum said I’m the best in all of Australia.”

“Well, now you’re the best in America too,” Jack said. “Hey, pass me those candies, will you?”

While grandfather and grandson frosted cookies, Lydia helped Devon bring in the bags and take them to his room. The bed looked soft and welcoming.

“Ryan’s adorable,” Lydia said. “He’s going to fit right in—cute little accent and all. Your father is already smitten.”

Devon fell back onto the bed and tucked his hands under his head. “What am I doing, Mom? I don’t know the first thing about kids—or parenting.”

Lydia sat beside him and patted his knee. “No one does when they first become parents. It’s a learning and growing process. If something works, you go with it. If something doesn’t, you learn the hard way never to try it again. You get to know your child and what works and won’t work with him. The problem is that as they grow, they change.” She chuckled. “It’s definitely challenging, but you’ve always liked to be challenged.”

“You’re not helping.” Devon’s eyes drifted shut. He couldn’t keep them open any longer.

“Tell me more about Stella. She sounds nice. Is she smart . . . pretty?”

Devon yawned. “All of the above, but don’t go getting any matchmaking ideas. Australia is literally on the other side of the world.”

“I know, but a mother can always hope.” Lydia paused. “Have you heard from Beth yet? She called last week.”

Devon’s eyes flew open. The bright light fixture burned his eyes, but he didn’t care. Devon cleared his throat and tried to make his voice sound normal. “What’d she want?”

“Your new cell number. I guess she ran into Brady a few days ago and heard about your trip to Australia.”

“Does she know why I was there?”

“I assume so, but she didn’t say much and we didn’t talk long,” Lydia said. “She hasn’t called you yet?”

“Not that I know of.”

Lydia leaned over and kissed his forehead. “I’m so happy you’re back and that you’ve brought Ryan with you. Why don’t you get some sleep, and I’ll make sure Ryan goes to bed when he gets tired.”

“He might not want to sleep alone in a new place.”

“If he doesn’t, I’ll bring him in here. Now get some shut-eye, will you? Everyone’s coming over tomorrow night.”

Lydia turned off the light, leaving him alone in the dark, empty room. Devon hadn’t slept much on the flight and needed rest, especially since his two loud, crazy sisters and their families were coming tomorrow. But he wasn’t tired any longer.

Beth had called.

Beth, the girl he’d once been crazy about. The girl he’d almost married. What did she want? It had been over eight months since she’d spoken to him; eight months since she’d broken off their engagement. Had she changed her mind? After the way Beth had ended things, Devon couldn’t think of any other reason she’d call.

Groaning, he rolled to his side. If Beth still loved him, if she wanted to try to make it work again . . .

Well, he honestly didn’t know how he felt about that.

⇐ ⇑ ⇒

Stella snapped a file shut and glared at her cell phone, willing it to ring. The afternoon sunlight hid behind dark, graying clouds, a perfect complement to her mood. Devon and Ryan had landed ages ago, so why hadn’t they called? For the past three hours, Stella hadn’t been able to concentrate. Didn’t Devon realize she’d be worried about Ryan? About him? One quick phone call. That’s it. Only a few minutes, a brief sentence or two, and Stella could rest easy. But did Devon care? Obviously not.

Well, Stella wasn’t one to sit around and wait for the phone to ring, at least not for more than three hours, so she took a breath and picked up her phone.

“Yeah?” Devon’s groggy voice answered.

Oh great, she’d woken him up. “Hi, it’s me.”

“Beth?” He sounded half awake.

Who is Beth?
“Um, no, it’s me, Stella.”

“Stella?” Devon flattered her with a yawn.

“Really? You’ve forgotten me already?” Stella said. “I’m the girl you promised to call when you arrived.”

“What? Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. You woke me up, and I’m a little out of it. How’s it going?”

“I was just about to ask you the same question. You never called or sent a text. I was worried . . . about Ryan.”

“Sorry,” Devon repeated. “I didn’t sleep much on the flight, and I was so tired by the time we got here, I fell asleep before I thought to call. If it makes you feel any better, I’m still wearing my clothes.”

Stella smiled. Oddly enough, it did make her feel better. “Sorry for waking you. I just wanted to make sure you arrived safely and that Ryan’s doing okay.”

“He’s more than fine. My parents already love him.”

Of course they did. It was Ryan, after all. Who wouldn’t love him? Stella ached to snuggle with him, to be the recipient of one of his treasured kisses and hugs. America was too far away.

“Stella?”

“Sorry.” Stella hoped he couldn’t hear the sadness in her voice, the misery. “I’ll let you go back to sleep now. Just promise to keep me updated.”

“I will.”

Proper etiquette dictated she say good-bye, but Stella couldn’t make her mouth form the words. She didn’t want to end the call. She wanted him to tell her about the flight. What had they eaten? What did they watch? When did he plan to fly back to Chicago?

And who was Beth?

“Stella?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me something.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. One of your random facts. I’m feeling brain-dead and could use something to get me thinking.”

“You’re serious,” Stella said.

“Deadly.”

“All right, you asked for it.” She thought for a moment. “Did you know there’s no real word in the English dictionary that rhymes with ‘month’?”

“There has to be,” Devon said.

“Tell me one.”

“I’m thinking.”

Stella waited a few seconds. “You’re wasting your time. There really isn’t any, I promise.”

“I’ll get back to you on that one, but I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

“It has to be a real word, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Devon said. “In the meantime, how was your day?”

Stella paused. Should she be honest or make something up? Honest. He’d probably see right through anything else. “Lonely. I think it’s going to take some time to adjust to life here without you or Ryan.”

“If it helps any, I wish you were here with us. My parents would probably want to adopt you too.”

“They sound wonderful. I hope I can meet them one day.”

“Well,” Devon said. “You’ll never guess what my dad was doing and wearing when we showed up.”

“Tell me.”

Devon launched into a description of just the sort of details Stella craved to hear. He told her about Ryan’s reaction to his new grandparents and how quickly he’d made himself at home. Then he told her about the flight and their overly perky flight attendant. He told her how Ryan wanted to see the X-ray machine’s monitor at the airport and about how he’d tried to ride on the carousel with the luggage.

Stella’s laughter filled her small office, and a few rays of sunlight actually peeked through the clouds. It was enough. “Give Ryan an extra hug for me.”

“Will do.”

“Oh, and Devon?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. I needed that.”