The Art of Starting Over

A shift had happened between Hayden and Devorah, and it all started with when he’d walked her to work and taken a chance by kissing her. He wanted to call Chad and thank him as well for being such an epic douche that Hayden had had to rescue Devy from the bar. And despite her having a hangover at the baseball game, the next day turned out to be one of the best days he’d had in a long time.

Their impromptu picnic dinner with both families had opened his eyes to what his future could be. He wanted Devy and Maren in his and Conor’s lives. Hayden saw them as a family. The four of them living their best lives in Oyster Bay, surrounded by family and friends. If Devorah gave living here some time, she would thrive. The way she was meant to.

He could see everything clearly and decided it was now or never when it came to letting Devorah Crowley know exactly how he felt.

After working on his house with Link and the crew all day, he went into the Lazy Lamb and found his favorite bartender chatting with Laila. When he sat down, the two giggled like schoolgirls when Laila motioned toward him. He tipped his hat at her and Devorah and smiled when she came over to him.

“What can I get ya?” she asked as she placed a coaster in front of him.

“Three things,” he said. “First, I’d like an ice water and a pint of Colt’s newest brew. Second, what time do you get off? Third, will you go out with me tonight?”

Devy’s expression never changed until the third question.

She took a deep, steady breath.

“That’s four things, Mr. McKenna, and Colt’s newest is a DIPA. Are you driving home?”

He shook his head. “Walked here.”

“That’s good, and I’m off in an hour.”

“Good, I’ll wait.”

Devy took another breath. She was gorgeous, with her long, dark hair. Her body curved in ways Hayden could only imagine. And her eyes—always expressive—left him wanting to know what she was thinking at any time. Something had definitely shifted between them, and he would no longer sit back and wait to see where things would go.

“Yes,” she finally said. Hayden thought about asking what the “yes” was for, but he knew and didn’t want to embarrass her.

“I’ll take that beer now.”

He never took his eyes off Devorah as she poured his beer.

She set it in front of him. “Do you want to run a tab?”

Hayden shook his head. “Nah, not if you’re off in an hour.”

“And then what?”

“And then we go on our date.”

“I’ll need to shower,” she told him. “I stink like beer and whatever else there is around here.”

He nodded. “I’ll wait on your porch like a proper gentleman.”

“I need to see if Crow doesn’t mind watching Maren.”

“Already taken care of. Maren is coming over to my parents’ house tonight, with your dad, for game night.”

“Oh.” Devorah looked flustered.

“Do you really think I’d ask you out with such little notice if I hadn’t taken care of everything?”

Devy met his gaze and then shook her head. “No, you wouldn’t. Okay. One hour and then home to clean up.”

“I’ll be here,” he said, sipping his beer.

After a few minutes, Laila sat on the barstool next to Hayden. “Do you just come in to flirt with her?”

He laughed. “I’ve been flirting with her for over a month, and nothing works. She’s got a wall up.”

“Do you blame her? Between you and Chad? My girl is not taking any chances.”

“Not in the slightest . . . wait, what? Me?”

Laila nodded and tapped his hand with hers while offering him a kind yet “Mess with my bestie, and I’ll slay you” look. “Do you remember high school?”

“Yes, we’re not that old, Laila.”

“Right, but do you remember everything?”

Hayden shrugged and then nodded.

Laila sighed. “Dev was in love with you. Like, madly in love, but you . . .” Laila pointed at him. “You kept her hidden. You never made her your girlfriend, and that’s all she ever wanted from you.”

Hayden opened his mouth to speak, but she held her hand up and shook her head. “I know you were afraid of Colt and Crow, but we’re all adults now. Do not sneak around with her. If you want to be with her, put her front and center. Shower her with the love and attention she deserves from you. If someone asks if she’s your girl, you stand up proudly and declare your love for her because I know you love her, Hayden McKenna. It’s about damn time you start showing it.”

“I’m trying, Laila.”

“She’s trying too.”

“Is she?” He chanced a look at Laila out of the corner of his eye, needing to hear it from Devy’s best friend. Was she trying with him? Did she think he wanted to keep things secret between them? Where had that gotten them before?

“She asked me yesterday if there was a right time to move on. I told her each relationship was different, and, being as she had no intentions of taking Chad back, she could probably dip her toes into the dating pool.”

“I really hope I’m the only pool she’s considering. I don’t know how I’d feel if she dated others around here. This schoolboy crush is giving me sleepless nights.”

“Ah, that’s sort of romantic.”

“Speaking of romance, how’s the she shed Link built you last weekend? He told us all about it.”

Her eyes widened with excitement. “You should see it. He built custom bookshelves, ran electricity, and bought me a new desk. It’ll be perfect for a small meeting or if me and a few friends want to escape the guys while they’re watching a game. He really does love me.”

“He does,” Hayden said. “Link said leaving you was the worst mistake of his life, and finding you again was like winning the lottery.”

Laila put her hand over her heart. “I think I need to head home and show Link just how much I love him.”

“TMI, Laila.”

She set her hand on his shoulder. “Be good to our girl.”

“I plan on it.”

Hayden finished his beer, downed his water, and waited for Devorah to come out from the back room. When she emerged, he slid off the stool, tossed a twenty down onto the counter, and waited for her.

Outside, they fell into step as they walked toward Crow’s.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a date,” he told her. “Which means it’s a surprise.”

“What should I wear?”

“Clothes?”

Devorah rolled her eyes. “Fancy? Casual? Semicasual?”

“Oh, I see.” He looked down at the jeans he wore. “Maybe wear one of your sundresses? It’s a nice night, and we will be outside.”

“Okay,” she said as they arrived at Crow’s. “And you’re going to sit on the porch?”

He nodded and held up his hand. “Scout’s honor.”

She looked at him oddly. “Were you ever a Boy Scout?”

“Nope, but I promise to sit here until you’re ready.”

“All right, I need thirty. I’ll leave the door open if you need to use the bathroom or something.”

Thirty minutes later, she walked out of the house wearing a blue sundress and white strappy sandals, with her hair loose. Hayden groaned when a small breeze sent her perfume toward him. He had no choice but to put his hands in his pockets to keep them from picking her up and carrying her back into the house.

“We’re walking,” he told her as they took the steps down to the walkway. “It’s not far.”

“Okay. Probably best, since your truck isn’t here, unless you planned to drive my SUV.”

Hayden laughed. “I haven’t seen you drive that since you got here.”

“I do on Sundays, when I go grocery shopping, but other than that, what’s the point? Everything is within walking distance.”

“That’s the nice thing about living in a small town.”

“Oyster Bay isn’t just small, it’s like minute,” she said as they crossed the street and headed toward the docks. “I think we give new meaning to the term ‘small-town coastal living.’”

“I like it,” Hayden said. “I’m glad I came back.”

Devy paused and looked at him. “You know what, me too. On both accounts.”

He ducked his head and smiled, appreciating that she was happy he was back as well. Her return to Chicago still lingered, though. “Really? Not thinking about heading back to Chicago?”

She shook her head. “I told Theo this morning to send the papers to Chad. I’m tired of him controlling my narrative.”

“That’s my girl,” he said as he stepped toward her. Now would be the right time to kiss her and tell her how he felt, but people walking toward them had him stepping back.

They continued on toward their destination, and when the ship came into view, Devy gasped. A long vessel rested against the dock, tethered to the cleats, with white lights strung from the mast toward the land. Soft music played while people lingered on board. Some even danced.

“What is this?”

“This,” Hayden said as he held his hand out for her to take, “is a floating bar. I saw a post about it last week and how it was going to be here and made a reservation.”

“But you only asked me tonight.”

“Because then you’d have less time to cancel on me.”

Hayden gave the hostess his name, and they were led to a high-top table for two, facing the harbor. He held the chair for Devorah and offered his arm for support.

“I’m in awe,” she said as she looked around. “This is such a neat idea, and the ambiance is very romantic.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He picked up the menu.

“Do you like sangria?” she asked him.

“I’ve never really had it, but I like a good red every now and again. Shall we order some? Says here we can get a pitcher.”

“I’d love some. It would pair well with everything on the menu.”

Hayden took her for her word. He’d only had red wine one other time, but he wasn’t going to tell Devorah that, because he wanted her to be happy. If that meant he had to drink something he’d never had before and had no idea what it was, so be it.

They put their napkins on their laps, and both smiled when the waiter came to their table. Hayden ordered the pitcher of red sangria, along with their dinner order. Hayden went with a capicola and spicy honey pizza with mozzarella and pomodoro sauce, while Devorah chose roasted vegetable tacos with guajillo salsa, pickled jalapeños, and cotija cheese.

“Can we also order the chips and salsa, as well as two orders of the street corn?” she asked as she handed the menu to the waiter.

Hayden leaned closer to Devorah. “We just ordered a ton of food.”

“I know. We can always take some home,” she said. “Leftovers for breakfast.”

He scrunched his nose. He loved pizza the next morning but wasn’t sure about the one he’d ordered. Not to mention, he’d looked online for photos of the food but could not find any. He hoped the portions weren’t tiny, and they’d end up starving later.

Their pitcher of sangria came. Hayden poured a glass for Devy and then one for himself. He held his glass up and said, “To a beautiful evening with an even more beautiful person. Cheers.”

Devorah’s cheeks flushed. “Cheers.”

Hayden took a sip and then another one. He had to admit: the sangria was tasty. “I’m a fan,” he said.

“I’m going to have to look up how to make it,” she told him. “Colt needs better drinks at the bar.”

“What does he have?”

“Beer and liquor. None of those low-calorie drinks, or hard seltzers. I told him I need to start ordering for the bar.”

“How’d he take the suggestion?”

Devy shrugged slightly. “Doesn’t seem to bother him. He joked that I’m slowly turning into the manager anyway, which was never my intention.”

“I’m sure he appreciates having you there, knowing he has someone he can trust to help run things.”

“I like it there. I never thought I would, but it’s fun, and I’ve been able to reconnect with a lot of people.”

Hayden took another sip, enjoying the fruitiness. “How’s parade planning coming?”noveldrama

“Really well, actually. I’m very thankful to Laila for asking me to join. It gives me a purpose, and I really do love planning. One of the big things is finding people to help every year. No one volunteers, and when the festival is on the verge of being canceled, a few people step up.”

“People are the first to complain when their favorite event is canceled and the last to volunteer.”

“You know, now that I’m here, I want Maren to experience Pearl of the Ocean and how it feels being on that float, with her friends and family waving to her from the sidewalk,” she said. “I remember being up there, with the other Pearls on the float. We’d wave and people would yell out our names. We were front-page news. For the entire month, we’d do community service around town. That doesn’t happen now. I find it sad that the Oyster Festival has lost some of the prestige it used to have.

“People from all over used to flock to our town for the week, booking every mom-and-pop motel and B and B within miles. I want to help change the mindset and bring back the way things used to be. Crowded streets, vendors selling their goods by the docks. The fire department giving demonstrations to groups of kids all throughout the day. We have a lot to offer people outside of OB.”

“You can count on me, Mayor Crowley.”

Devorah smirked and rolled her eyes. “It starts with volunteers. Without people helping, you can only do so much.”

“Well, with you and Laila leading things, I’m sure this will be the best year yet. Until next year.”

Devorah smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

“Good, because I’m not sure Conor and I would like it in Chicago,” he said as he picked up her hand and held it.

Hayden looked at her when she didn’t respond.

“Wh-what? Why would you move there?”

“Devorah, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I like you. A lot.”

“I like you too, Hayden.” He swore her eyes twinkled when she spoke.

“Do you need more time?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“Perfect.”

After dinner, Hayden took Devorah by the hand and led her onto the dance floor. He was determined to make this first date unforgettable. So far, the evening had been a triumph. The boat’s ambiance oozed romance, the food was delectable, and he’d even savored the taste of the sangria. He held her as they swayed to the soft jazz coming from the sound system. The music wasn’t overbearing. The cool breeze, mixing with the floral aroma and the salt air, made this the perfect night for them.

They shared a few glasses of sangria at the bar before deciding to call it a night. As they walked off the boat and onto the dock, Devorah slipped her hand into the crook of Hayden’s elbow. She stopped walking, forcing Hayden to turn and face her.

“Thank you for tonight,” she said. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun.”

“Me too, Dev.” Hayden stepped forward and trailed the back of his hand down the curve of her jaw. “You’re so beautiful.”

“You’re biased.”

He shook his head. “I’m not. Every guy in town thinks this. Everyone wants a chance with you.”

“I—”

His heart did a double tap, and he dropped his hand from her cheek.

“All of this is wonderful.” Her hand trailed down his arm until their hands linked together. She brought their hands up. “But there’s something I need to know.”

“What’s that?”

“Are you over your fear of my father and brother?”

Hayden choked. Laila had been right. His actions in high school still plagued Devorah to this day. He nodded and came clean.

“Not asking you to be my girlfriend back then was a big mistake. I was in love with you and afraid to admit it to anyone because of Colt. Your dad I could’ve dealt with, but losing my best friend seemed unimaginable back in the day.

“What you don’t know is after I left for college, I was so homesick and missing you that I came back and was ready to tell you how I felt, but I saw you with Chad.” Hayden shrugged. “You looked happy.”

“So, you just left?”

He nodded. “I went back to Idaho and met Sofia shortly after.”

“Wow.” Devorah shook her head. “Life could’ve been so different.”

Hayden shrugged. “It could, but I don’t have any regrets, Devy. I loved Sofia, the life we had, our son. I can’t imagine my life without either of them.”

“I feel the same way. Although Chad . . .” She trailed off.

“Here’s the thing.” Hayden stepped closer and once again trailed his fingers along her jaw. “You’re the one I want to be with, and while sneaking around, making out in the park at night, or playing seven minutes in heaven is a lot of fun, kissing you in public—for everyone to see, for everyone to know you’re mine—is much more thrilling.”

“Yeah, I like that,” she said breathlessly. “But back to what you said, how everyone wants a chance with me.”

He nodded reluctantly.

“I only want a chance with you.”

Hayden’s smile spread from ear to ear. “You don’t have to say it twice.” With the music from the boat still echoing in the night air, Hayden pressed his lips to her soft, luscious, still-tasting-like-sangria lips. He pulled away and smiled again, and before he could even muster another move, she leaped into his arms and smashed her lips against his.

Devorah moaned, and Hayden pulled away from her. This wasn’t the time nor the place for a serious make-out session. Unfortunately for both of them, they lived with their parents and had kids at home. There wasn’t anywhere they could go, and something about the camper he’d parked on his property didn’t scream romance.

He also wasn’t ready to drop her off at home.

“What’s wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing,” he told her as they started walking toward the parking lot.

“How’s the house coming?”

“We finished the framing on the first floor already,” he told her.

“Can I see it?”

“Uh, sure.”

They walked in relative silence until they reached his property. He used the flashlight on his phone to give them a bit of light until he could reach the switch for the construction lights. He pressed the button for the lights and lit up his property.

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” he said, sighing. “It’s a work in progress, but I’m happy with how it’s coming along.”

They walked up the temporary stairs and looked inside. He reacquainted her with the layout, pointing to the living room, dining room, and kitchen. “And back there, I think I’m definitely adding the three-season room off the kitchen.”

“This is going to be such an amazing home.”

Hayden agreed as he looked around and imagined what the space would look like once the construction was complete. He was proud of the house and the work he’d put into it, and he was learning a lot from Link.

“Hayden?”

“Mm-hmm,” he hummed as he looked at Devorah.

“I think you should show me your camper.”

He looked at the camper and frowned, and then he glanced at Dev. It took him a second for what she meant to set in, and when it did, he wondered if he had left a mess in there. Hayden wasn’t going to tell her no.

Hayden held her hand as they went down the rickety steps and made their way across the yard. He unlocked the door, turned the light on, and then motioned for her to go ahead of him.

“It’s not much,” he said as he stepped in behind her. “Someplace for me to escape to.”

“It’s perfect,” she said as she pulled him toward the bed.

Hayden inhaled her scent; it had been wafting off her all night and did something to him. Now he could smell the slightest bit of the coast combined with her perfume, and he stepped closer before nuzzling into her neck. Dev inhaled sharply and gripped his biceps as she leaned into him.

Hayden wrapped his fingers around her hips, squeezing as he trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder. He felt her shudder but was sure she enjoyed his touch. “Do you want to stay awhile?” he asked, not sure what else to say. The moment could go a lot of different ways, and Hayden didn’t want to scare her off just when things were moving in the right direction.

“Well, you arranged the sitter,” she said jokingly. “Do I have time to stay for a while?” Her fingertips were trailing up and down along his triceps, making it hard to think.

Hayden chuckled and replied, “You definitely have time to . . . get comfortable.” He glanced at the queen-size bed they were still standing next to and inhaled deeply, waiting for Dev to make the next move.

Dev pulled him closer and backed up until the back of her legs hit the bed. “Then let’s get comfortable,” she whispered, pulling him down with her gently.

Hayden could barely contain his desire as he moved over her, kissing her passionately and caging her underneath him. Dev scooted back and pulled Hayden between her legs, causing the hem of her dress to rise to her thighs.

As they continued to kiss, the heat between them rose to the level of full teenage make-out session, reminiscent of their teenage days. Back then, they’d spent many clandestine moments together, making out and grinding on each other. But they never went further than touching each other over their clothes.

Is that first or second base?

Dev began pulling at the buttons on Hayden’s shirt, slowly opening it to reveal the soft patch of chest hair.

“I want you,” she whispered between kisses.

Hayden wanted to be perfectly sure he’d heard her. “And what do you want? Tell me.” His voice was husky and laden with lust. He wanted her in more ways than he could count.

Dev gave him a bashful smile. “I want you—all of you. This,” she said as she cupped him.

His eyes rolled as he fought to gain composure. He couldn’t lose it now, not with the girl of his dreams under him. Somehow, he found the strength to turn on the charm.

“That’s my girl.” Hayden grabbed Dev’s hips and rolled them both over so Dev was straddling him. His cock strained against his jeans, but the friction of having her on top of him was worth every agonizing moment.

She leaned over him and finished unbuttoning his shirt, then began trailing kisses down his chest and back up under his earlobe. He was hanging on by a thread, running his hands up her thighs under the dress she was wearing.

Then, a moment of panic struck him. Protection. He didn’t have any. Hell, he wasn’t totally convinced she’d even go out with him tonight, and even when she’d said yes, he definitely didn’t assume they’d be half-naked in his camper. “Dev?”

She panted, still rocking her body gently over his erection, which was driving him mad. “Hayden.”

“I don’t have any protection,” he confessed. “I didn’t think—”

Dev bit her bottom lip, then grinned before she let out a small laugh. “I do.”

Confused, Hayden asked, “You do? Were you expecting . . . did you think . . . you didn’t know I was going to ask you out . . .” He didn’t know how to feel until Dev hopped off him and grabbed her purse and began to dig inside.

She held up a condom like she was raising a paddle at an auction she knew she’d win and laughed. “Laila gave it to me before I left the bar with you.”

“Remind me to thank Laila later. Now, come here. I want to finally make love to you.”

Hayden toyed with the ends of her dress and looked at her for permission. With her help, he pulled it over her head, revealing a matching bra and panties that were also the same shade of blue as her dress.

He swallowed hard as he took her in, gripping the sundress in his hand until the silver packet caught his attention. “Jesus, Devorah. You’re so fucking sexy.” He worked to remove his shirt while Devy undid his belt, stopping to kiss him. To tease him.

With his jeans undone, she gripped his cock in her small hand, causing Hayden to hiss. He reached around her and undid her bra, letting her round breasts free. He settled her back on the bed, took his jeans off, and then returned to her, immediately sucking one of her puckered nipples into his mouth.

Dev moaned and arched her back slightly while gripping the sheets beneath her. The sounds coming from her only drove Hayden more, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to drag this out much longer. He gently ran his finger over her now-soaked panties, gently stroking her and moving to give his attention to her other nipple. Gently pushing her panties to the side, he slid one finger inside and pumped lightly while rubbing her clit with his thumb.

As Dev began to spasm around him, she cried out. “Oh my God, Hayden.” She panted harshly and sat up a bit. “Put that condom on. Right now.”

Hayden stopped, grabbed the condom, ripped the foil open, and did as he was told while Devorah rid herself of the last garment she had on. He wanted her with every bit of himself but had to check with her one last time before there was no going back.

“Are you sure?”

One word was all she said. “Yes.” She leaned back, welcoming him.

He hovered above her again, his cock at her entrance. The anticipation in her glistening eyes was unmistakable, and he thrust forward, letting her warmth surround him. She moaned loudly and began to rock her hips to meet his rhythm.

“That’s my girl,” he said as she began to tighten around him, her climax near.

“Don’t stop!” she called out, willing him to pump into her with the rolling of her hips into his. Unable to contain himself any longer, he rubbed circles on her clit while chasing his release, and they yelled out together, rocking the camper as they finished as one.