"Uh-uh." Blake gave her a heated look, then released her. "Like I said, I want more. And I don"t just mean time."
Something in his tone struck Devon, a profound note that told her that whatever he had on his mind was significant.
Unfortunately, it would have to wait.
The entire family reappeared at once, this time along with platters of food, as Sally and Monty placed Devon"s meal on the table for all to admire and enjoy.
Devon served, and everyone dug in, offering their high praise in between mouthfuls.
"I didn"t taste Blake"s salmon, but I still say you win," Monty announced.
"Then that"s that. I win." Devon put down her fork, giving her father a teasing look. "The judge has spoken. And he can overrule the jury, no matter what verdict they come back with, right?"
"Yeah. Right."
"Lane just told me the incredible news that he"s moving back east," Merry interceded, her eyes bright with excitement. "Isn"t that fabulous?"
"It"s wonderful," Sally agreed, gazing affectionately at her son. "We"ve all been angling for this for five years. Looks like we finally wore him down."
"Yup." Lane chewed a bite of meat and swallowed. Then he shot a swift glance at Devon - purposeful enough for her to realize he was about to set in motion the plan he"d alluded to earlier. "Problem is, I"ve got nowhere to stay."
"Of course you do." Sally waved away that nonsense. "There"s more than enough room at my house."
A flicker of displeasure crossed Monty"s face. It didn"t take a genius to figure out that he"d be less than thrilled to have Lane move in right now. Or why.
"True." Lane pretended not to see his father"s displeasure. "And I really appreciate it, Mom. But that won"t work. You"ve got a life to get back to. You need your privacy...." A hint of a pause - just enough to make Devon wonder if he was about to embarra.s.s Sally.
Judging from Monty"s scowl, he was worrying about the same thing.
"Plus, I"ll be spending most of my time in the city," Lane concluded, visibly stifling a grin as he let them off the hook. "The commute would kill me."
"You could stay here." Devon watched her brother"s face as she made the offer.
"Thanks, doc." Lane rose to the challenge. "But the same problem exists here. Not the long commute, but the privacy. I think it would be easiest if I lived right there in Manhattan. a.s.suming I can find a place."
"My brownstone has a ton of room," Blake suggested. "And these days I"m rarely there. You"re welcome to share it."
Lane"s response told Devon this was the opening he"d been waiting for. "I have a better idea. How about if I sublet it?"
Blake started. "Sublet - you mean the whole brownstone?"
"Yeah. You won"t be needing it for long. I"ll save you the time and trouble of listing it with a broker. Let"s do it now. You can bunk down there as long as you need to. If you need to. Otherwise, you can move in with Devon right away."
Everyone"s head snapped around, all eyes on Devon. Monty, who"d been drinking water, began sputtering, glaring at Devon between coughs.
"Dev?" Merry was the first to speak. "You didn"t tell me Blake was moving in."
"I..." Devon had no idea what to say. She"d expected a lot of things from Lane, but this?
"You didn"t mention it to me, either." Having recovered from his choking bout, Monty was all over Lane"s announcement. "Was it supposed to be some kind of surprise?"
"Pete." Sally ran interference, her tone and expression telling him to restrain himself.
"What? I just want to know - "
"She"s a grown woman," Sally interrupted quietly.
"I realize that. I"m just asking when all this was decided."
"It wasn"t," Devon announced loudly. Whatever game Lane was playing, she wanted no part of it. "Lane was just pulling your chain. Blake has no plans of moving in here. So everybody just calm down and..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the strained expression on Blake"s face. "Blake?"
Lane was also staring at him, looking totally baffled. His shoulders lifted in a questioning shrug.
"We haven"t had a chance to talk yet," Blake answered.
"s.h.i.t." Lane dragged a palm across his jaw. "You"d said... So I a.s.sumed... I just thought this would expedite..." He blew out a self-deprecating breath. "I"m sorry."
"About what?" Monty demanded. "What the h.e.l.l is going on?"
"Nothing," Lane said, looking totally miserable. "I screwed up. Leave it alone."
Devon blinked. "That"s not likely. What secret are you two hiding?"
"No secret," Blake a.s.sured her. "I ran into Lane in midtown the other day. I asked his opinion. He gave it to me. I was supposed to discuss the idea with you last night. By the time I left my office, it was after midnight. The timing was wrong. So I decided to wait until tomorrow, when things here settled down. That"s what I was referring to before."
"Oh." The pieces fell into place, and Devon"s heart skipped a beat.
"You wanted Lane"s take on the idea of your moving in with Devon?" Monty sounded incredulous. He turned to his son. "And you thought it was a good idea?"
"Pete - enough." Sally had abandoned subtle for direct. She kept her gaze lowered, and she gestured at the bowl of scalloped potatoes on the other side of Monty. "Could you pa.s.s me those, please?"
"Yeah." Monty handed her the serving bowl. "Here." He was still glaring at Lane. "Before I shut up, I"d like an answer."
"Okay, as a matter of fact, yes. I thought it was a good idea." Lane reached for the green beans. "Now can we change the subject?"
"No, we can"t change the subject."
"Yes, Monty, we can." Devon underscored each word with as much emphasis as she could. "This is not a topic for family debate."
Monty didn"t reply, but a muscle was working in his jaw. "Blake, your sister Ca.s.sidy"s a pretty girl. How would you feel about her shacking up with a guy she met less than a month ago?"
Devon dropped her head in her hands and groaned.
"Not too happy," Blake admitted. He sounded more amused than intimidated. "Like Lane, I"m a little overprotective where my sister"s concerned."
"Is that what you call it? You could"ve fooled me. At least when it comes to Lane. He"s suddenly become the epitome of broad-mindedness."
"No, Detective Montgomery, he hasn"t. Not about his sisters." Blake chuckled, then waved away Lane"s attempt to cut the conversation short and spare him the public display. "It"s okay, Lane. I didn"t plan on this being a roundtable discussion, but I"ll risk it. I think the cat"s out of the bag, anyway."
Lane frowned. "I feel terrible."
"You should," Monty informed him.
"He"s right. You should." Devon shot her brother a look. "But not for the reason Monty thinks."
"I have an idea," Sally said brightly. "Why don"t you and Blake go into the kitchen and have a word alone?"
"That depends on what that word is." Blake"s stare was fixed on Devon. "Will you?" he asked, searching for his answer.
"Yes." Tears glinted in her eyes, but she didn"t miss a beat. "I will."
"Wow." Merry"s eyes were damp, too. "I can"t believe how romantic that turned out."
"Me, either." Lane exhaled sharply, watching in relief as Blake pushed back his chair and walked around the table to tug Devon to her feet and kiss her. "It was one for the books. And it really saved my a.s.s. Talk about open mouth, insert foot."
"Yeah," Devon agreed from inside the circle of Blake"s arms.
Monty frowned as Sally rose and went around to hug Devon. "This isn"t just about moving in together, is it?"
"Nope." Lane answered his father"s question with a grin, simultaneously giving Blake a congratulatory handshake. "You know what a consistent guy I am. Blake"s crazy about Devon. So I told him to make an honest woman out of her. Those words ring a bell?"
Devon reached over and playfully punched her brother in the arm. "Quit while you"re ahead."
"Good idea," Monty echoed. He stood up and walked around, folding his arms across his chest as he eyed Blake. "Just so we understand each other, we"re talking about marriage, right? Rings, vows, the whole nine yards."
Blake"s lips twitched. "That"s exactly what we"re talking about."
"Good." Monty nodded. "You know you"ll answer to me if you hurt her."
"Monty," Devon warned.
"Somehow I expected that," Blake replied. "But I"m not going to hurt her."
"I know you won"t." Monty nodded again, a hint of emotion glistening in his eyes. He stuck out his palm, shaking Blake"s hand. "Congratulations, Blake. You"re a lucky man."
"Thank you, Detective. I know I am."
"Cut the formalities," Monty instructed. "Call me Monty." He turned to Devon, wrapping her in a tight, paternal hug. "Be happy," he said roughly.
"I will, Monty." Devon hugged him back.
"Hey." He recovered himself, emotions back in check. "See? I told you that our being partners would be worth your while."
"You were right."
"As always," he prompted.
Devon smiled. "As always."
"Good. Now that we"ve got that settled, let"s eat."
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
As always, I owe thanks to a handful of people who devoted their time and expertise to me and to the creation of Wrong Place, Wrong Time. Their input was invaluable.
Peggy Gordijn, my guide through the world of professional equestrian show jumping - I still can"t get over the depth of your knowledge, from breeding and training to showing and Olympic events. My appreciation abounds!
Special thanks to Adrie Gordijn for supplying firsthand details of running a warmblood farm, for the names and lineages of his magnificent horses, and for Gran-Corrado, the ultimate last-in-his lineage champion.
The founders and staff of the Veterinary MRI + Radiotherapy Center of New Jersey, whose cutting-edge technology, dynamic personalities, and caring hearts make miracles happen.
Dr. Paul Sedlacek, who"s way too humble to know what an incredible doctor he is, and to his entire staff at the Animal Clinic of Morris Plains. I created "Creature Comforts & Clinic" with all of you in mind. Dr. Joel Sedwell"s name is a fitting tribute to two great vets: Dr. Paul Sedlacek and Dr. Joseph Powell.
Detective Mike Oliver, who helped make the sights and sounds of Brooklyn"s Seventy-fifth Precinct come alive by taking me on patrol through East New York and providing me with a firsthand look at a day in the life of an NYPD detective, and whose quick mind and dry humor helped me create Monty.
Hillel Ben-Asher, M.D., always my quintessential source of medical information.
Andrea Cirillo, quite simply the finest and the best.
Carrie Feron, for being there in the clutch with editorial and conceptual direction, and for supplying the color, flavor, and back roads of Dutchess County.
Caroline Tolley: Welcome back, CT. You haven"t lost your touch.
And last but always first, to my family - you"re my foundation, my strength, and my inspiration.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
ANDREA KANE"s first blockbuster hardcover romantic suspense thriller, I"ll Be Watching You, was released by William Morrow in January 2005. Her breakthrough into the genre came with her New York Times bestsellers, Run for Your Life, No Way Out, and Scent of Danger. Prior to that, she wrote fourteen suspense-filled historical romances. She lives in New Jersey with her family.
www.andreakane.com.
ALSO BY ANDREA KANE.
I"ll Be Watching You.