ChapterTen
Devon snuggled her face deeper into the warmth and velvet-covered hardness and sighed. Why didn’t she sleep this well every night?
“Good morning.”
She sucked in a gasp at Oz’s voice and lifted her head, gasping again when it cracked against his stubbled jawline. “Oh!”
“Ow.”
She rubbed her head and watched warily while Oz did the same to his chin. “What time is… We slept out here?”
“Mmm. It appears we did.”
Awareness came slowly. She blamed her exhaustion and stressed state for the fact she remained on his lap even after the head-chin collision. “Oh.”
She straight-armed her way backwards, but even though she managed to get her butt on the cushion beside him, Oz wrapped a hand around her legs and trapped them.
“Not so fast.”
“Oz.”
“What?”
She stared at him, wishing she could look half as good as he did in the morning. No doubt her hair was a matted mess and what makeup she hadn’t wiped off was now smeared for a fabulously epic raccoon look. “I-I should go check and see if there’s been any word.”
“There hasn’t. Dara was out here a half hour ago.”
“She was?”
“You’re exhausted. Slept right through it.”
Devon groaned softly and rubbed her gritty eyes. There would be a sisterly inquisition in her future. And she didn’t have any answers. “How is that possible? Surely someone’s seen Mama? It’s all over the news and radio, the papers—adding more fuel to the fire of Dad’s death and the lawsuit. Why hasn’t anyone called?”
She’d gone from sleeping to stressed in less than six seconds flat, but she couldn’t help it.
Devon felt Oz’s hand contract on her leg in a gentle squeeze.
“We’ll find her.”
But when? And even then—
Her stomach clenched to the point of wanting to hurl.
Even if her mom showed up right this second, would she feel comfortable returning to New York knowing she couldn’t return anytime soon? “I’m a horrible person.”
Oz blinked at the change in topic.
“Come again?”
She shoved her hands into her hair and clenched her fingers. “I am. I’m a horrible person. A horrible daughter.”
“How so?”
“Because I’m angry and upset and ticked off that I’m going to have to give up the job when all I should care about is my mom,” she muttered.
“You’ve always taken your job seriously. Now you’re stressed and torn between family and responsibilities,” he said. “It’s understandable, Devon.”
“Is it?”