The Mighty Quinns: Devin (15 page)

Dev's radio squawked and he grabbed it. “Boss, you better get over to the Winchester mansion. Elodie called and she said it was an emergency.”

“I'm already here,” Dev said. He met Elodie's gaze. “What's happening?”

“It's your mother,” she said. “She needs you.”

Dev pushed past her and found Mary sitting primly in a chair, a dark-haired man standing nearby. Her eyes were filled with tears and she held a piece of paper and stared at it.

“Mom?”

“Oh, Dev! Look, look. You have to tell me if this is real. This man, Mr. Stephens, just gave me a check for almost five hundred thousand dollars. He says it's an inheritance, because my father was the—the—” She turned to the man and gave him an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry. I don't recall the particulars. Could you explain again?”

“Mr. Cassidy, I'm Ian Stephens. I represent the Irish author Aileen Quinn. You recently sent in a DNA sample and the test confirmed that you and your mother are both descendants of Lochlan Quinn, Aileen's older brother. As part of Aileen's family, you are also due your share of her considerable estate.”

“But you say she isn't dead?” Mary asked. “That she wants us to visit her in Ireland. Do you hear that, Dev? Ireland.”

Dev crossed the room and slipped his arm around his mother's waist. “Are you all right?”

“Just a bit taken aback, dear. Do you think he's telling the truth? Am I rich?”

“Here's all the paperwork,” Ian said. “Along with a letter from Aileen inviting you and your mother to stay with her in Ireland as soon as you can make arrangements for the trip.”

“She's just giving all this money away to complete strangers?” Dev asked.

“Not entirely. In order for you to collect the other half, you'll need to pay her a visit. She's determined to meet every last descendant of her four older brothers.”

Dev frowned. “What brought you here to the Winchester house?” Dev asked.

“You weren't available and your dispatcher gave me the location of your mother's workplace, so I thought I'd start here. I do hope you don't mind.”

“No, of course not,” Dev said.

Ian glanced around the room, then grabbed his briefcase and coat. “I'll let you two discuss this, let it sink in. I'd like to meet again at your convenience so I can answer any questions you may have. Perhaps we could make arrangements for the trip to Ireland. Miss Quinn is getting on in years and we never want to keep her waiting. Perhaps lunch at some point this week?”

“Lunch would be lovely,” Mary said.

Elodie showed Ian to the front door. When she returned, her eyes were bright with excitement. “Can you believe it? He just showed up at the door. Like Publishers Clearing House.”

Elodie hugged Mary. “I'm so happy for you.” She turned to Dev and wrapped her arms around his neck. “And you, too. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.”

Some of the shock and suspicion had worn off, and Dev grabbed Elodie's waist and picked her up off the ground, kissing her thoroughly. When he set her down, her face was flushed.

“Congratulations.” She stepped back. “Now, I do believe I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge. We should celebrate!”

Dev drew his mother over to the window seat set into the big bay window. “You're shaking,” he said. “Sit. Relax.”

“Do you understand what this means, Dev? I don't have to work. I can buy anything I need. I could buy a little house. Or maybe start a business. I always wanted a flower shop. But of course, I should give some to charity.” She sighed softly. “After all this time, good fortune has decided to shine upon us.”

Dev looked up to see Elodie watching them from across the room. Her eyes were filled with tears. “I think a flower shop would be perfect for you. We haven't had one in town for years. And there's that pretty little storefront on the corner of Maple and Main that's been for sale forever. I bet you could get it for a song.”

Mary stood up and tucked the check into her uniform pocket. “I think I'll make a trip to the bank.”

“I'll take you, Mom.”

“No, no, I'd like to walk. I want to spend some time with this check before I turn it over.”

“We should probably keep this to ourselves for now,” Dev warned. “I'll call Bob Burnett at the bank and let him know you're coming. Go right to him when you get there.”

Mary hugged Dev again. “What are you going to do with your windfall?”

“I'm not sure,” Dev said. “Invest it, I suppose.”

Mary hurried out of the house, the screen door slamming behind her. Elodie crossed the room and handed him a champagne flute. “I've never seen her so happy.”

“Neither have I,” Dev said. “She's had such a hard life. If this money can buy her a little happiness, then I'm forever grateful.”

“To Irish ancestors,” Elodie said, holding up her glass.

“To DNA tests,” Dev countered.

They both drained their champagne flutes, and Elodie refilled them. “You said you were thinking of investing the money. In what?”

“In us,” Dev said.

She frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I was talking to Joanie about the meeting last night and she made a good point. If they don't pass your zoning variance, why not consider another spot for the gallery? There are a lot of empty shops downtown. You could even renovate a small part of the factory.”

“Both of those take money,” Elodie said.

“Which I have. Let me invest in your idea, in this town. You were going to go to New York to find investors. Why not find one here? I can't think of a better use for this money.”

Elodie smiled, shaking her head. “I know that a million dollars seems like a lot of money. And it is. But when it comes to a project of this magnitude, a million dollars is just a drop in the bucket. A drop that will evaporate overnight. You can't afford to lose this money. I need to find someone who can. Someone with much deeper pockets.”

“It's a start,” he said. “I'm not going to take no for an answer.”

Elodie wrapped her arms around his neck and dropped a kiss on his lips. “I'm sure I can persuade you,” she teased.

“You can't. My mind is made up.”

She ran her fingers down his chest, then slipped them beneath his shirt. “Are you sure? Because I suggest you stop thinking with your mind.”

Her palm smoothed across the crotch of his pants, and Dev groaned. “This isn't fair at all.”

“Oh, I don't know. You might find it very fair once you've taken off your clothes and crawled into my bed.”

“I'm on duty.”

“I have two words for you. Lunch break.”

“It's nine thirty.”

“Breakfast break,” she said.

With a low groan, Dev pulled the radio from his belt and called dispatch. “Sally, I'm taking a short break for breakfast.”

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
DAY
,
Elodie rolled over
in the tangled sheets, curling her naked body against Dev's, her arm thrown across his chest. The sun had been up for hours but they'd lingered in bed because Dev had the morning off.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“It's nearly eleven,” Elodie said. “We still have a half hour. I can make you some breakfast—or lunch.”

“I need to take a shower.”

“I like it when you smell of my perfume,” she said, resting her chin in his chest. “That way, other women know to stay away.”

“Is that what you want? Because there are easier ways to do that than dousing me in your scent. We could just tell everyone that we're—locked down.”

“Locked down?”

“Yeah, Jimmy Joe told me I should lock you down. You know, get things settled. Have an understanding.”

“You've been talking to Jimmy about our relationship?”

“Actually, he's been giving me unsolicited advice. He seems to understand an awful lot about women. Although I'm beginning to think that most of his advice comes from the music he listens to. There's also something about putting a ring on it.”

“Yes, I've heard that one.”

“Beyoncé?”

Elodie nodded. “Let's rule that one out for now, though, shall we?”

Dev pushed up on his elbows. “Why? I don't understand why we can't talk about a future together. A future that may contain diamond rings and wedding plans and children. Why can't we talk about that?”

“Because we've only been together for five weeks.”

“We've known each other for years.”

“All right. Because I don't trust myself to make the right decisions when it comes to you. You're too...easy.”

His expression grew cloudy, and he cursed. “Because we messed around the very first night you were in town?”

“That's not the kind of easy I'm talking about,” Elodie said. “Choosing you, to be with you. It's easy because we get along so well. We're perfect for each other. And when we're together we're blissfully happy.”

“What's wrong with that? Isn't that the kind of relationship you want?”

“That's the way it was with my parents,” she said. “They were infatuated with each other. And then the business went bust and they had to deal with the stress of a family catastrophe. Suddenly, things weren't perfect, and they didn't know how to navigate a crisis. Money had always solved their problems. They ended up hating each other. They don't even speak anymore.”

“I used to think that the only thing standing between us was money,” Dev said. “And now I realize it's true. Only this time it's my money.”

Elodie crawled out of bed and began to search for something to wear. “You are entirely too impatient about getting this ‘locked down.'”

“I understand why you can't commit. It would mean committing to living in this town for the rest of your life.”

“What about Tasmania? You're not going to take your million and run?” she asked.

“You know I won't.”

She bent over the bed and kissed him. “And that's why you are the best man I've ever met.”

“Elodie!”

The sound of Mary Cassidy's voice rang through the house, and Dev sat up. “What is my mother doing here?”

“We're going downtown to look at some properties for her shop,” Elodie said.

“She's taking you and not me?”

Elodie shrugged. “It's a flower shop. Not really a guy kind of thing.”

“Is she coming up here?”

Elodie glanced around the doorjamb. “I'll be right down, Mary.” She grabbed a cotton sundress and pulled it over her head, then slipped her feet into a pair of comfortable sandals. She kissed him again, pushing him back onto the bed until he groaned softly. “Get dressed and go down the rear stairs. There's no reason to embarrass your mother with your slutty behavior.”

Elodie hurried down the stairs to find Mary waiting for her. She wasn't wearing her usual gray uniform, but had chosen a light floral blouse and trim capri pants. It was as if twenty years had disappeared from her face overnight. “You look lovely,” Elodie said.

“Is Devin still here?” she asked.

“Devin?”

“Don't be coy, dear. His car is parked out back. I'm well aware he spends most of his nights here. I hear the gossip around town. Is he still here?”

Elodie heard the kitchen screen door squeak, and she shook her head. “He just went out.” A few seconds later, the police cruiser drove past the house and out onto the street. Mary let out a tightly held breath.

“Good. I have something I'd like to discuss with you and I couldn't risk Dev overhearing what I had to say.” She glanced around. “We need tea. Or maybe coffee? Which would you prefer?”

“Coffee. Come on, I'll help you get it.”

They walked to the kitchen together, and Elodie pulled up a stool for Mary while she put the teakettle on to boil. Then she moved to fill the coffee filter with fresh grounds and water. When that was brewing, she turned back to Mary.

“Is everything all right?”

“No,” Mary said. “I have to ask your advice, but when I tell you this story, I fear it will change the way you see me. You may not like me at all. But I'm not sure what to do and you've always been so sensible.”

“Tell me this story,” Elodie said.

“I'm not sure how much your parents informed you about my past. Or how much Dev may have revealed. Though he doesn't really know a lot of this story, and some of what he believes to be fact isn't exactly the truth. What is true is that my father deserted my mother when I was four years old. She died when I was fifteen and your family took care of me. I worked in their house as a maid while I finished school.

“I worked for your family for seventeen years and when I was thirty-four, I met a man. He was handsome and charming and he swept me off my feet. I ran away with him and I thought our life would be perfect. I'd waited so long for love that I was willing to convince myself of anything.”

“Where did you go?” Elodie asked.

“We moved around a lot. This man made his money outside the law. I guess you'd call him a con man. We had Devin and he seemed pleased to be a father. But a year after Devin was born, I got pregnant again and my husband deserted me. I returned to your father's house to ask for my job back. He agreed to rehire me, but as a condition, he strongly suggested I give up my baby for adoption. He and your mother would find a good family and in exchange, he'd provide a house for me and Devin.”

Elodie gasped. “My father made you give up your child?”

“He was right. I wasn't prepared to take care of two children and hold down a job on my own. And he promised that my son would be better off. I needed the job, I needed a place to live, so I agreed.”

Elodie was stunned. Her first memories of Mary came from when she was five or six years old. She would have been a toddler when all this had happened. Her older brothers would have remembered better. Why had they never mentioned it? Why hadn't Dev— Then she understood. “You never told Dev he had a brother.”