beautiful in her off-white suit and pill-box hat. Her father was tall and distinguished beside her, his jet-black hair in sharp contrast to his new wife’s much lighter tones.
“Oh, Mom!” Devon whispered as tears clogged her own throat. She pressed the picture back flat to her mother’s chest before wrapping her arms around her and together they cried at the loss of the man they’d loved.
Devon lay on the couch in the den with her eyes forcefully shut tight. She willed herself to sleep , but her mind refused and spun in continuously circles. Was Cash right? Should she contact Alex? Maybe she did owe it to him to let him know she was alright and that she’d found her mother at long last. He’d always doubted her mother was alive. She didn’t actually harbor any resentment about that fact. She knew he’d only been trying to protect her.
Shame washed over her at the words she’d written. She’d just needed to protect him … still needed to protect him – had wanted to protect him from the very beginning. Because even though she’d told Cash she wasn’t sure what she was going to do about Miguel, she knew deep down, she’d go to her grave seeking revenge against him.
Chapter 6
Alex woke with a miserable hangover. What had he been thinking? He had meetings beginning at ten. With a groan, he scrubbed a hand over his face. He’d sat at the bar the night before and pounded drink after drink. What he’d wanted to do was find a woman and lose himself in her. He’d always found the easiest way to get over one woman was to simply find another. But he’d just not been interested. He refused to admit it was because of Devon. His life was not now, and never had been, tied up with her.
Groaning, he rolled to his feet and slowly made his way to the shower. He stood beneath the spray and allowed the scalding water help revive him… somewhat. After dressing and tossing back two headache powders, he grabbed what he needed for his meeting and headed downstairs thinking he’d feel even better if he ate something.
He was waiting at the hostess station when he heard a familiar voice.
“We’ve definitely got to quit meeting like this,” Ensley Ingram said with a smile.
He returned her smile. “You are following me!” he declared.
“Or … you’re following me. I can’t be sure. I go back and forth between Mexico City and PUERTO VALLARTA; as well as numerous other little places in between,” she replied, grinning ear to ear.
He genuinely liked the petite doctor. He chose to ignore the little warning bells going off in his head that told him she felt a little differently – a little more - about him. “Well, since you’ve followed me all this way… you might as well join me.”
She grinned back. “I was hoping you’d say that. I hate eating by myself. I get propositions by the strangest people.”
“I have no doubt about that,” Alex said with laugh. “They’d be stupid not to.”
The hostess appeared and sat them at the very first table in the restaurant as Alex had requested. He wanted to be able to keep a watch for those he was meeting in case they arrived early.
They placed their order and received steaming cups of coffee. Alex nearly gulped his and burnt his tongue trying to get the much needed caffeine into his system.
Grinning at him, Ensley said, “I know a sure-fire way to avoid a hangover. Do you want to hear it?”
“Is it that obvious?” he groaned.
“Well…” she laughed, “maybe a little. Do want to hear it or not?”
He leaned back in his chair and smiled at the obvious merriment in her eyes. “You’re really enjoying this aren’t you? Yes, I want to know. How do you avoid hangovers?”
“Limit your alcohol consumption.” Pointing a finger at him, she said with a smirk, “That is a proven medical fact.” She burst out with laughter.
Unable to resist her good humor, he grinned and reached over to grab her finger which was still pointing at him
“Oh, Mom!” Devon whispered as tears clogged her own throat. She pressed the picture back flat to her mother’s chest before wrapping her arms around her and together they cried at the loss of the man they’d loved.
Devon lay on the couch in the den with her eyes forcefully shut tight. She willed herself to sleep , but her mind refused and spun in continuously circles. Was Cash right? Should she contact Alex? Maybe she did owe it to him to let him know she was alright and that she’d found her mother at long last. He’d always doubted her mother was alive. She didn’t actually harbor any resentment about that fact. She knew he’d only been trying to protect her.
Shame washed over her at the words she’d written. She’d just needed to protect him … still needed to protect him – had wanted to protect him from the very beginning. Because even though she’d told Cash she wasn’t sure what she was going to do about Miguel, she knew deep down, she’d go to her grave seeking revenge against him.
Chapter 6
Alex woke with a miserable hangover. What had he been thinking? He had meetings beginning at ten. With a groan, he scrubbed a hand over his face. He’d sat at the bar the night before and pounded drink after drink. What he’d wanted to do was find a woman and lose himself in her. He’d always found the easiest way to get over one woman was to simply find another. But he’d just not been interested. He refused to admit it was because of Devon. His life was not now, and never had been, tied up with her.
Groaning, he rolled to his feet and slowly made his way to the shower. He stood beneath the spray and allowed the scalding water help revive him… somewhat. After dressing and tossing back two headache powders, he grabbed what he needed for his meeting and headed downstairs thinking he’d feel even better if he ate something.
He was waiting at the hostess station when he heard a familiar voice.
“We’ve definitely got to quit meeting like this,” Ensley Ingram said with a smile.
He returned her smile. “You are following me!” he declared.
“Or … you’re following me. I can’t be sure. I go back and forth between Mexico City and PUERTO VALLARTA; as well as numerous other little places in between,” she replied, grinning ear to ear.
He genuinely liked the petite doctor. He chose to ignore the little warning bells going off in his head that told him she felt a little differently – a little more - about him. “Well, since you’ve followed me all this way… you might as well join me.”
She grinned back. “I was hoping you’d say that. I hate eating by myself. I get propositions by the strangest people.”
“I have no doubt about that,” Alex said with laugh. “They’d be stupid not to.”
The hostess appeared and sat them at the very first table in the restaurant as Alex had requested. He wanted to be able to keep a watch for those he was meeting in case they arrived early.
They placed their order and received steaming cups of coffee. Alex nearly gulped his and burnt his tongue trying to get the much needed caffeine into his system.
Grinning at him, Ensley said, “I know a sure-fire way to avoid a hangover. Do you want to hear it?”
“Is it that obvious?” he groaned.
“Well…” she laughed, “maybe a little. Do want to hear it or not?”
He leaned back in his chair and smiled at the obvious merriment in her eyes. “You’re really enjoying this aren’t you? Yes, I want to know. How do you avoid hangovers?”
“Limit your alcohol consumption.” Pointing a finger at him, she said with a smirk, “That is a proven medical fact.” She burst out with laughter.
Unable to resist her good humor, he grinned and reached over to grab her finger which was still pointing at him
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