Reverend Combs raised his voice. “It’s time. If I can have everyone congregate toward the back, we’ll start.”
Just Devon’s luck, he was chosen to escort Mrs. Caan to her seat down front. As they walked, she stared at him with too-knowing eyes. “Something amiss?”
“No, ma’am,” he lied, holding onto his temper by a thread.
About halfway down the aisle, she squeezed his arm. “Sahara is quite taken with you.”
Devon forced a smile as he released Mrs. Caan’s arm, and then he took his place next to Reece, who had escorted Sky’s mother to her seat.
When the procession ended and Sahara stood directly across from him, she flashed him a saucy wink. He must not have given her the reaction she wanted, because her smile died as if it melted from her face. When she looked away, Devon knew she had come to realize her secret was out.
Why had he let her get under his skin? Because that’s exactly what she had done. While she used him like a plaything he had fallen in love with her. Only when his jaws began to ache did he realize he was clenching his teeth.
The rest of the rehearsal continued without Devon’s attention until it was time for the bride and groom to retreat down the aisle, their attendants behind them. Which meant it was time for him to escort Sahara. They met in the center of the aisle and he linked his arm with hers. When his groin tightened he silently cursed.
“I didn’t know you would react like this,” she whispered.
Through clenched teeth he responded, “Did you really think we would be thrilled to have Main Street America knock down our doors?”
“Devon, it would mean bigger and better stores. More hotels. Restaurants. The people of Whispering Cove would prosper.”
He stopped three-quarters of the way down the aisle, released her as he turned to face her. “They would suffocate. I would suffocate. The basis of what this town was built on would be ruined.” When she stared at him without speaking, he growled, “You don’t get it.”
He was right.
Sahara didn’t get it. Yet she didn’t expect him to spin around and walk out of the church, leaving her alone in the aisle with everyone’s eyes on her, but that’s what he did. And, because the majority of people present were Whispering Cove residents, she could feel said eyes burn into her, including Leo’s.
Without a word, she escaped through the door Devon had left open. He was nowhere around and that suited her fine. If these backwards people wanted to fight growth, so be it. But even as the hateful response entered her head, her tears told a different story.
Sahara had screwed up.
Hands trembling, she extracted her cell phone from her pocket and attempted to call her boss, but the call went straight to voicemail. Hanging up, she desperately punched in Valerie’s telephone number.
“Hey, stranger. How did rehearsal go?” her assistant asked.
Sahara attempted to speak but emotion knotted her throat.
“Sahara?”
“I— N-need to speak with Nick.”
“He’s gone for the day. It’s Friday. You know he always leaves early. Want the good news, and then you can tell me what’s wrong? The attorneys agreed on a price—”
“NO!” Her heart stuttered.
“Sahara, what’s wrong?”
She pinched her lips together. “He doesn’t want it.”
“Want what? Who?”
“D-Devon.” Her tears fell harder. “He doesn’t want the resort.”
“Do what you do best, make him want it.”
It sounded easy, but her charm and persuasion wouldn’t work this time and she knew it. If Devon and Lila reacted adversely, she had no doubt the rest of the community would feel the same.
When her mother stepped out of the church, Sahara turned her back and wiped angrily at her tears. “I have to go.”
“What are you going to do? You can’t throw this opportunity away.”
Sahara knew Valerie was right. This was her time. She deserved a partnership. Yet even as she worked to convince herself everything would work out,
Just Devon’s luck, he was chosen to escort Mrs. Caan to her seat down front. As they walked, she stared at him with too-knowing eyes. “Something amiss?”
“No, ma’am,” he lied, holding onto his temper by a thread.
About halfway down the aisle, she squeezed his arm. “Sahara is quite taken with you.”
Devon forced a smile as he released Mrs. Caan’s arm, and then he took his place next to Reece, who had escorted Sky’s mother to her seat.
When the procession ended and Sahara stood directly across from him, she flashed him a saucy wink. He must not have given her the reaction she wanted, because her smile died as if it melted from her face. When she looked away, Devon knew she had come to realize her secret was out.
Why had he let her get under his skin? Because that’s exactly what she had done. While she used him like a plaything he had fallen in love with her. Only when his jaws began to ache did he realize he was clenching his teeth.
The rest of the rehearsal continued without Devon’s attention until it was time for the bride and groom to retreat down the aisle, their attendants behind them. Which meant it was time for him to escort Sahara. They met in the center of the aisle and he linked his arm with hers. When his groin tightened he silently cursed.
“I didn’t know you would react like this,” she whispered.
Through clenched teeth he responded, “Did you really think we would be thrilled to have Main Street America knock down our doors?”
“Devon, it would mean bigger and better stores. More hotels. Restaurants. The people of Whispering Cove would prosper.”
He stopped three-quarters of the way down the aisle, released her as he turned to face her. “They would suffocate. I would suffocate. The basis of what this town was built on would be ruined.” When she stared at him without speaking, he growled, “You don’t get it.”
He was right.
Sahara didn’t get it. Yet she didn’t expect him to spin around and walk out of the church, leaving her alone in the aisle with everyone’s eyes on her, but that’s what he did. And, because the majority of people present were Whispering Cove residents, she could feel said eyes burn into her, including Leo’s.
Without a word, she escaped through the door Devon had left open. He was nowhere around and that suited her fine. If these backwards people wanted to fight growth, so be it. But even as the hateful response entered her head, her tears told a different story.
Sahara had screwed up.
Hands trembling, she extracted her cell phone from her pocket and attempted to call her boss, but the call went straight to voicemail. Hanging up, she desperately punched in Valerie’s telephone number.
“Hey, stranger. How did rehearsal go?” her assistant asked.
Sahara attempted to speak but emotion knotted her throat.
“Sahara?”
“I— N-need to speak with Nick.”
“He’s gone for the day. It’s Friday. You know he always leaves early. Want the good news, and then you can tell me what’s wrong? The attorneys agreed on a price—”
“NO!” Her heart stuttered.
“Sahara, what’s wrong?”
She pinched her lips together. “He doesn’t want it.”
“Want what? Who?”
“D-Devon.” Her tears fell harder. “He doesn’t want the resort.”
“Do what you do best, make him want it.”
It sounded easy, but her charm and persuasion wouldn’t work this time and she knew it. If Devon and Lila reacted adversely, she had no doubt the rest of the community would feel the same.
When her mother stepped out of the church, Sahara turned her back and wiped angrily at her tears. “I have to go.”
“What are you going to do? You can’t throw this opportunity away.”
Sahara knew Valerie was right. This was her time. She deserved a partnership. Yet even as she worked to convince herself everything would work out,
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