For Auld Lang Syne (Navy Book 1)

Chapter 8

"Are all the girls interested in him? That's nothing new." Devon closed her bag and leaned against the table, finally looking at Kellan.

He met her eyes and nodded. "You included."

Devon didn't deny or confirm it as Kellan continued. "Josh doesn't date, ever. I'm sure he does no and again, just not so anyone knows about it. He keeps the private side of his life very private. He knows that dating Navy women is a big company no, no, so he doesn't do it. This makes him even more of a challenge for all of the ladies."

"Even more of a challenge than what? You?" Devon asked, finding it hard to believe that the Josh that Kellan was describing even existed. It had been just the opposite in high school he had dated anything in a skirt.

"The thing about Josh is he represents a challenge. No girl has ever made it past his wall-"

Devon snorted "Please, plenty of girls have made it past his wall."

Kellan couldn't hide the twitch of his lips that Devon's comment produced, but he continued on as if he hadn't heard her, "He's a natural leader, and he's the quiet and thoughtful type. You can't tell me that women aren't attracted to that in a man," Kellan said as he leaned against the desk next to her. "But there's something else..."

Money. Devon thought. To her, Josh had always screamed money and breeding, but she'd play along. Maybe Kellan and the others didn't know about Josh's money.

"What else is there about this paragon of manhood, who by the way I have yet to meet?" Devon asked in an amused voice.

"He said something odd the other night. I asked him why you didn't know he was in the Navy-"

"He told you about that?" Devon paused and looked at him, searching his direct gaze. What else had Josh told Kellan about?

Kellan wasn't giving anything else away and he continued as if she hadn't spoken, "He said that no one but his father knew he was a SEAL, and when I asked him what his mother thought he did he said nothing. Is that what you thought he did? Nothing?"

"Yes," Devon said, pushing away from the table and starting towards the door. The conversation had gone on long enough. If Josh didn't want his secrets shared then she wouldn't be the one to share them.

Kellan stood up and watched her as she made for the door. "One more thing?"

Devon stopped and turned around to look at him. She would shut him down before he even started.

"Would you like to go out sometime? I'd like to pick your brain about what exactly you do and how you do it?" The question caught her off guard so she had agreed.

So, here she was, trying to get her sister and mother out of her house a quickly as she could so that she could have her date with Kellan. She had just finished changing and was doing some last-minute straightening of her apartment when there was a knock announcing her mother and sister's arrival. With one last glance around, she moved to open the door to find the two women standing silently taking in their surroundings.

There were air kisses as they moved past her, taking in her apartment, assessing every little detail. "It's nice to see you both. Would either one of you like some tea or coffee?" Devon offered, moving into the kitchen.

"Coffee would be nice dear," Pamela said as she took a seat on one of the chairs near the window.

"I'll have some as well," Bree agreed, looking at the photo of the ocean she had hanging over her mantle.

Devon decided she was too tired to play the little social games and she was eager to have them gone so she got to the heart of the matter. "Why are you both in town?"