Deal Breakers (Dealing with Love 1)

She holds up her bottle and nods to a guy over by the bar. “I certainly didn’t pay for this. He did.”

Brody takes a long pull from his bottle while he’s glaring holes through the guy at the bar. That’s an…interesting reaction.

Rainey diverts her eyes to me. “So, Riley…what were you boys talking about before I got here?”

“Uh…” I stammer.

“How he’s going to get Devyn to break up with her boyfriend,” Brody interrupts.

She smirks. “You don’t say.”

I flip Brody off. “No, I don’t say. I mean…I didn’t say that. I said I don’t know what I’m going to do about her.”

“But you want her to leave Jackson, right? To be with you?” she asks. “She told me about the house.”

“Well…yeah,” I reply.

She smiles. “Look, Riley. I’m going to tell you something but if you mention anything about it to Devyn, I will castrate you.”

My balls instinctively recoil into my body. “What’s that?”

“I’m on your side.”

“Come again?”

“Jackson’s…decent enough. He’s good to her. And Nathan. But she’s different since you’ve moved to town. She lights up whenever she talks about you. And I know now that you didn’t know about the kid. I still think you’re an asshole for what you did to her, but I get your side of it too.”

“She talks about me?”

“Of course she talks about you, dipshit. I’m her best friend. And you’re her child’s father, who has magically reappeared.”

“Wow, you don’t mince words, do you?” I mutter.

“Quit being such a Sensitive Sally,” she says. “Geez, no wonder you and Brody are friends. You’re both whiny little bitches.”

“Hey!” Brody complains.

She rolls her eyes and ignores him. “My point was that I think you’re a better fit for her. And not just because you can clearly incinerate her panties with a simple glance. I’ve never seen her react to someone like she does with you. It’s refreshing to see her so…alive. And since you’re the kid’s father…even better. You can be the picture perfect family that she’s always dreamed of having for Nathan. But she needs to settle things with Jackson on her own terms. And if by chance she chooses to stay with him, I’m going to support her then too. Whatever decision she makes, you need to respect that as well.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say,” I scoff. “She and my son mean everything to me. I’m not going to give that up without a fight.”

“I don’t think that will happen,” she assures me. “I know my girl and I know what she wants, whether she’s ready to admit it or not. Just give her time, Riley.”

DEVYN

IT’S A SATURDAY NIGHT and Jackson has taken me to a fancy French restaurant overlooking the Puget Sound. It’s a little too stuffy for my tastes, but he likes it and the view is wonderful.

“Welcome to Sur L’Eau,” the tuxedoed host says. “Do you have reservations?”

Jackson grabs my hand. “Yes, we do. Williams for two in the private dining room.”

The private dining room? I give Jackson a quizzical look but he simply smiles.

The host’s face brightens as he grabs two menus. “Of course, monsieur. Please follow me.”

We’re led to a rectangular room off the main dining area with floor to ceiling windows taking up an entire wall. There are at least a dozen small tables topped with crisp white linens but we’re the only people in the room.

The host pulls out my chair. “Madame.”