Page 37 of His Wisconsin Wallflower
Gavin glanced between her and Devaney, his easy smile fading as he took in the two of them and the tension in the air. “Everything okay here?”
“Fine and dandy,” Devaney said smoothly, stepping back and straightening her posture. “We were just leaving. Check?”
“Actually.” Gavin stepped forward and looped an arm around Devaney’s shoulders. “Why don’t you stay a little bit longer? You and I need to talk. Have another drink. On me.”
Devaney’s eyes flashed, but she didn’t argue. Beth, still seated at the table, looked up in confusion. Raisa exchanged a glance with Corbin, who gave her a casual shrug and sauntered over to Beth, effectively parting the two cheerleaders.
The message blinked on Quinten’s phone, drawing his full attention.
Devaney is here with Beth. I think she might have something to do with Vanessa. I need help.
His first thought was frustration.What now? Are they ganging up on Raisa again?But as his eyes flicked back over the words, the mention of Vanessa hit him like a gut punch.Vanessa? What the hell does she mean?
Quinten shot out of his chair, ignoring the sharp clatter as it catapulted over the tiled floor and slammed into a metal filing cabinet, and dashed toward the door.
“Quinten?” his mom called from behind the reception desk.
He winced but didn’t stop, throwing a quick apology over his shoulder. “Sorry, Mom! I’ll explain later!”
The January air hit him like a wall of ice, stealing his breath. Only then did he realize he’d left his coat behind but there was no chance he was going back for it. Fear and agitation burned hotter than the cold ever could as he broke into a jog, heading straight to Winslow’s Shelf: Pages & Pastries. His heart pounded—not from the exertion but from the heavy churn of adrenaline and unease. As he rounded the last corner, he let out a harsh exhalation as he caught sight of the familiar sign swinging gently in the breeze. Without slowing, he pushed open the door withmore force than he intended, making it slam against the facade with a loudbang.
The sudden noise drew all eyes to him. Quinten took in the tense scene where Gavin sat across from Devaney at a table near the center of the shop. His posture was stiff, and his face was unreadable.
Across the way, over by the window, Corbin was seated next to Beth, whose usual smug expression had faded into something far more guarded.
His gaze homed in on Raisa. His woman stood behind the counter, her expression worried expression. Next to her, almost pressed against her side, stood Lila, who look mostly stunned and curious.
He returned his attention to the beautiful, brilliant woman who had captured his heart. Her eyes widened when they met his, brimming with a mixture of relief and something else, maybe anxiety?
“What the heck is going on here?” Quinten snapped out as he took a step forward and mule kicked the door closed behind him to shut out the January cold.
He took in the room, challenging them to speak.
Gavin was the first to speak up. “I’ll explain.” He pushed back his chair and stood. His cousin seemed to have aged ten years in one day.
Gavin glanced down at Devaney with disgust. She lifted her chin defiantly, and her usual haughty air was even more pronounced. But beneath that arrogant facade was something else—likely nerves.
Gavin made a distressed sound, which had Quinten swirl back to face his cousin. “I’ve been seeing Devaney… in secret,” he admitted, shamefaced. “I know it’s wrong—going behind Archie’s back—but her husband’s barely ever home. He’s alwaysoff on some business trip.” He shrugged, as if trying to downplay his guilt, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.
“You and Devaney?” Quinten’s eyebrows shot up before he looked ceilingward. “I remember you two dating in high school,” he drawled.
Gavin nodded once. “Yeah, we did.” He glanced at Devaney, who crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. She looked to Raisa before focusing on Gavin. Despite this moment, Quinten was shocked by the amount of hatred in her eyes as she stared at his woman.
“Anyway, yesterday…”
Gavin’s words draw back Quinten’s attention.
“…when I saw the CCTV footage, I recognized something.” He hesitated, glancing to Raisa. “I recognized Dev’s shoes.”
Quinten’s heart thudded. “Her shoes?” He lowered his voice. “The sneakers?”
Gavin nodded, and his expression turned grim. “Her favorite sneakers are red, black, and white Nike Air Jordans. The person in the footage is wearing the same ones.”
“That doesn’t prove a thing!”
Gavin turned to his girlfriend, but there was no love in his expression or tone. “You told me they are a collector’s item. Not many people in Cedarburg would have them, don’t you think?” Returning his attention to Quinten, he continued like Devaney hadn’t interrupted him. “At first, I wasn’t convinced. I thought maybe Raisa was grasping at straws. But then…” He slid his gaze toward Raisa, and his tone softened. “Then you talked about how the mind can trick you, how we see what we want to believe is true. And I realized…” He looked down. “I have been taken for a fool.” He muttered a curse before glaring at Devaney. “I’ve been trying to call Dev since last night.” His voice hardened. “But you’ve been dodging my calls.”
Quinten focused on Devaney, who sat unmoving, her chin was raised, like they and this conversation were beneath her. “Talk,” he growled. He was thankful she wasn’t within arm’s reach, otherwise he might have wrung her pretty, long neck.
