New Arrivals: His Inherited Family: Billionaire Baby Dilemma / His Ring, Her Baby / Cowgirl Makes Three

It was empty.

But through the glass doors, down on the beach, she spotted Lucas, Lexi and Amelia. The two adults were perched on a log, while Amelia was digging her way through a pile of sand with a bright red shovel and bucket.

Lucas had stayed the night. And he’d let her sleep in.

For some reason, that knowledge nearly brought her to tears. It was silly. Everyone had some good qualities, and Lucas was no different. They drank wine last night. He probably didn’t want to drive home. He’d obviously slept here and woken up with Amelia, keeping her quiet so that Devin could sleep in for the first time in three months.

She sniffed and swiped a frustrated hand under her eye.

Good grief. It wasn’t as if the man had cured cancer.

She stumbled to the kitchen, found herself a mug and filled it with coffee, adding a heaping spoon of sugar. She was pretty sure Lexi must have brewed the coffee. Last night, Lucas had barely been able to figure out dish soap and hot water.

She pulled a light sweater over the T-shirt and shorts that she’d slept in and headed across the deck and down the long wooden staircase to the strip of lawn that ended at the sandy beach. Once there, she made her way toward Lexi and Lucas.

Amelia was the first to spot her, grinning and launching into a speedy crawl toward her. Lexi and Lucas both turned. They smiled in greeting, looking decidedly relaxed. Devin assumed Lexi’s gratitude for the catamaran incident had tempered her opinion of Lucas.

“Good sleep?” asked Lexi with a grin.

“What time is it?” Devin hadn’t thought to check. She knew she felt more rested than she had in months.

“Eleven,” said Lucas.

“Seriously?”

He nodded.

“You got up with Amelia?” It was a little disconcerting that Devin hadn’t heard them.

“Yes, I did.” He yawned. “About 4:00 a.m. Then she slept on my chest for a while, but I didn’t get much more sleep.”

Devin could barely believe it. “Did you change her diaper?”

“There were instructions on the package.” “He got it on backward,” Lexi elaborated. Devin came down on her knees beside them in the sand. “And you fed her? “

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Quit sounding so amazed.” “It is amazing.”

Amelia smacked her sandy hands against Devin’s bare thighs.

“I gave her some juice and some Cheerios, and then Lexi came by.”

“I really appreciate you letting me sleep in.” Including both Lucas and Lexi in the thank-you, Devin held her coffee mug over to the side and out of harm’s way. “I feel pretty great.”

“Lexi’s agreed to babysit for us,” said Lucas.

“I hear you two are going on a date,” said Lexi.

“It’s not a date,” Devin quickly corrected. Had she really agreed to go to the dance with him tomorrow night? What had she been thinking? “Lucas is trying to co-opt me with, I don’t know, fine food and a waltz around the dance floor, so that I won’t support Steve.”

Lucas turned to Lexi. “See what I mean?”

Lexi nodded her understanding.

“What?” Devin glanced back and forth between the two.

“He thinks you’re suspicious,” said Lexi.

“Of course I’m suspicious,” Devin retorted. “So are you. And we’re justified in our suspicions.” She looked back and forth again. “What exactly did I miss here?”

Lucas stood up from his perch on the log, brushing the sand from the back of the borrowed sweatpants. “I’ve got a meeting,” he told them. “And I think I’d better get home and change first.” His glance went to Devin. “See you there later?”

“Sure,” she answered. She should thank him again for letting her sleep. But for some reason she hesitated to show him too much gratitude. She didn’t want him to think she liked him. She didn’t. Well, she kind of did this morning. But it wasn’t anything permanent.

Everything suddenly seemed confusing.

He bent over and gave Amelia a little rub on the head, then gave them all a careless wave as he started back across the beach to the lawn and the staircase.

“Tell me everything,” breathed Lexi.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Devin responded, moving to the spot on the log that Lucas had vacated. She’d have to clean up and get back to the Demarcos soon, but she had a few more minutes to enjoy the tranquility of her own home. “I had a great sleep.”

“Alone?”

Devin twisted her head to stare at Lexi. “Of course I was alone. What did he tell you? “

“Nothing.” Lexi shook her head. “But I couldn’t exactly ask him, could I?”

“Is that why you were being nice to him?”

Lexi had had a pretty remarkable change in attitude over a boat rescue.

“He’s not as bad as I expected,” said Lexi.

Devin understood what her friend meant. There was something disarmingly charming about Lucas. Then again, that’s exactly what Monica had thought about Konrad—that he was misunderstood, nicer than people realized, not quite the cold, hard-ass the media made him out to be. It was a dangerous road to go down.

“He’s trying to take Amelia away from me,” Devin reminded Lexi.

“Challenge him to a diapering contest in the courtroom. You’ll win.”

“This isn’t a joke.”

Lexi sobered and gazed out across the sparkling water. “I know. It’s heart-wrenching. I find myself wishing he was more of a jerk, then I could hate him.”

“You don’t have to hate him.” Devin gazed out across the water herself. A few powerboats streamed along in front of the far shore, white wakes streaking out behind them. Now that the sun was warm, most of the beaches were coming alive with residents. “I just have to beat him.”

Lexi covered her hand. “You will.”

“I’m not so sure.”