Flirting with Destiny

by Christyne Butler

  “Tanya, I’m not going anywhere.” Dev reached over and took her hand again. “I’m guessing from your reaction last week you don’t go by Tannie anymore.”

  She shook her head, sending her ponytail flying. “No, it’s Tanya now.”

  “Okay.” He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Look, the past couple of days have been crazy busy. This is the first chance I’ve had to take a breath, but that’s just an excuse. I should’ve called once you let me know you were back in town.”

  “Yeah, I was wondering about that.” She folded her hand into his, surprised at how natural the move was. “I guess we can’t avoid talking about...everything. Do you want to go somewhere more private? Like back to the cabin?”

  Dev closed his eyes. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

  “Dev—”

  “Hey, I’m being honest. Being alone out here in public is a lot different than being—”

  “Oh, honey!” A sweet voice called out. “There you are!”

  Tanya and Dev turned at the same time, dropping their hold on each other.

  Conscious of the tingling in her palm, she brushed her hand lightly across her skirt as a petite woman dressed in capri slacks and a pretty top, her gray hair worn in a stylish bob, hurried up the sidewalk toward them.

  Dev groaned softly. “Hello, Mother.”

  “Devlin, we have an emergency and need your help right away.”

  “Is it Dad?” He shot to his feet and Tanya automatically reached out to steady him, but he only swayed for a moment before finding his center. “Someone at the house?”

  His mother dismissed his questions with a wave of her hand. “Oh, I didn’t mean to scare you. No, it’s not a family matter. Well, at least not our family, but Burt, the fireman who’s been calling the weekly bingo games since your accident, is sick with the flu.”

  He visibly relaxed, bracing one hand on the closest column. “That’s your big emergency?”

  “We need you, Dev. The firehouse needs you. Now get your butt over to the church hall. Pronto.”

  Chapter Eight

  Dev fought against the twinges of red-hot pain snaking across his shoulders and lower back, thankful he’d been able to get to his feet and stay there. He let go of the column he’d used to catch himself and moved down off the bottom step of the gazebo to the pavement.

  Switching out of his sneakers earlier had probably been the wrong decision, especially since he’d had a physical therapy session this morning, but he felt more like himself wearing his boots.

  Besides, he hadn’t planned on doing much walking.

  Or making sudden moves.

  He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his mother. He loved the woman more than his own life, but seriously?

  Bingo?

  Running into Tanya unexpectedly had him putting Adam’s advice into action. He’d tried to keep the conversation casual, but just a few moments ago they’d started to talk about something more important than sandwiches, flying and prom dresses.

  Although finding out she’d been married as a teenager had surprised the hell out of him.

  Still, he wanted to see where their conversation might lead, especially since she’d hinted they should talk about Reno. The memories were still few and far between, but there was one thing he wanted to say to her.

  “Honey, are you okay?” his mother asked. “You look a bit pale.”

  “I’m fine, Mom.” Boy, the last thing he needed right now was interference from a woman who had meddling down to an art form. “And you know I’m not calling the weekly bingo night anymore. I haven’t since the crash last year.”

  “I’m well aware of that, but tonight you’re getting back in the game. So to speak.” Elise Murphy’s proud posture made her seem much taller than her five-foot frame. It was a familiar stance that told Dev arguing was useless. “They need someone who’s familiar with the rules and the equipment.”

  “Burt doesn’t have a backup?”

  “Timmy Ouellette’s wife is in labor and he’s with her at the hospital. So that leaves you.”

  Still Dev hesitated. He hadn’t been to the firehouse since he’d started coming back to town. Other than running into a few of his former coworkers last week, he hadn’t talked with anyone else from the department.

  Of course, the town’s weekly bingo game was held in the church hall, not the actual firehouse, but it still meant being surrounded by whichever crew members weren’t on call, including the fire chief.

  A man Devlin admired and had yet to have one of the hardest conversations of his life with. And that included the time he’d admitted to his family he was an alcoholic.

  “Bingo sounds like fun.”

  Dev turned. Tanya had gotten to her feet and now stood next to him. His gaze caught and held on her painted toes—a bright blue this time—peeking out of the ends of those sexy shoes of hers. He just knew images of her wearing them, and nothing else, were going to invade his dreams tonight.

  His mother cleared her throat, bringing Dev back to reality. “Oh. Mom, this is Tanya Reeves. Tanya, this is my mother, Elise Murphy.”

  “Why, hello! You’re Steven Mackenzie’s granddaughter, right? It’s so nice to have you back in town again!” His mother relaxed her stance and offered Tanya a bright smile. “I’ve wanted to meet the woman who’s helping my son. I’m told you’re an acupuncturist. You do know he’s deathly afraid of needles, right?”

  Tanya glanced at him for a moment before turning her attention to the whirlwind that was his mother. “Ah, yes, I’m aware of his aversion. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “But you did get him into the water, which I think is terrific.” Elise laid a hand on Tanya’s arm. “You know, I’ve thought about joining the Wet Nanas, seeing how I’m a grandmother, too. I was under the impression the workouts weren’t that strenuous, but if it’s good enough for a strong man like my son, I think I might have to give the group a second look.”

  Dev leaned in close to Tanya, the brim of his Stetson brushing against her hair, and said in a staged whisper, “I’m never going back to that class again.”

  “I heard that.” Elise let go and frowned at him.

  “You were meant to.”

  He tried to ignore how Tanya’s body had shivered when he’d whispered into her ear and smiled at his mom to take the sting from his words. Keeping his grin in place even though he knew it wouldn’t do him any good, Dev continued, “And I know there are at least two or three members of the fire department who can pull a ball and call the number. Hey, what about—”

  “No one has your charm or wit, so please stop trying to get out of this and accept your civic duty.” His mother cut him off, her attention now on her purse as she rooted around inside the oversize bag. “You can bring Tanya along as your date, of course.”

  Dev opened his mouth to protest yet again, but decided the best defense was to give in.

  He looked over at Tanya, wondering if this form of small-town entertainment was something she’d be interested in. “Would you like to come tonight? Not as a date, but as a...friend?”

  “I don’t know.” She gave him an uncertain smile. “I haven’t played bingo since I was a kid—”

  “Oh, then you must join us,” Elise interrupted her. “The games can be fast and furious, but I won’t let you get lost. There are all sorts of prizes, from gift baskets to cash. You can sit with me and my crowd.”

  “Yeah, you’ll be my mother’s date.”

  His mother swatted him, but continued talking, “Fay and Laurie will be there, too, and I’ll even let you borrow one of my daubers. It’ll be fun!”

  Confusion filled Tanya’s pretty eyes as she glanced between his mother and him. “A dauber? Ah, okay.”

  “It’s a plastic bottle of liquid in
k with a sponge tip that’s used to mark the paper game cards,” Dev explained, suddenly not so sure that Tanya hanging around his mother and sisters-in-law was such a good idea. Not that he could do anything about it now. “Mom’s got one in every color of the rainbow. She’s very particular about using certain colors for certain games.”

  “But I have extras in blue, pink, yellow and red, so you can have your pick.” Elise glanced down at Tanya’s shoes. “I think blue and red are your colors. And I just love those shoes, very chic.”

  “Thanks.” Tanya’s smile brightened as she peeked down at her shoes. “They are kind of sassy, aren’t they?”

  Yep, they’d definitely be in his dreams tonight.

  His mother swiped her thumb over the cell phone she’d retrieved from her bag. “Oh, it’s almost six o’clock. You two better head to the church hall. The doors are just about to open even though the first game isn’t for another thirty minutes. Plenty of time for you to give Tanya a few helpful hints on the game, honey.”

  Dev watched his mother work her phone’s keyboard with the proficiency of a teenager. Unlike him. He hated the small buttons, which was why his replies to Tanya last week had been short and sweet.

  Okay, not so sweet.

  And his lack of typing skills wasn’t the only reason.

  He’d decided to put some distance between them—just like his brother had suggested—and her out-of-town weekend trip had fit perfectly into his plan.

  When she hadn’t contacted him on Monday morning, he’d gone about his day as usual. He’d planned to get in touch with her the next morning, but he hadn’t been kidding about things being crazy around the office. He’d been stuck in meetings for the past two days and this afternoon had been his first time out of the office except for two trips down to Laramie for his physical therapy.

  He’d been considering texting her after he’d finished eating, but before he could, lo and behold, there she was, standing right in front of him. Once she’d joined him, he’d tossed his plan to back off out the window, especially when he found himself offering to kiss her again.

  “Oh, shoot, that’s over the limit.” Elise Murphy frowned and went back to her typing.

  “What are you doing?” Dev asked.

  “I’m tweeting the news about you being the bingo caller tonight, of course!” His mother grabbed his arm and gave a tug. Dev instinctively bent at the waist so she could give him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see both of you soon!”

  * * *

  “B-13!”

  Dev looked out over the crowd of bent heads and busy hands. He waited, wanting to give everyone a chance to match the number to their game cards, but still no winner.

  Cover-All was one of the longest bingo games because the winner had to fill every square on their card, and most players were working, on average, six cards, but it’d been over an hour since the last break and Dev was ready for one.

  In the past, he’d done this job entirely on his feet, but not tonight. His leg was killing him, not to mention the stiffness that had settled in his shoulders, and the wooden stool behind the table only gave him a modicum of relief.

  “Come on, people, we must have a winner out there somewhere. Who wants this beautiful, handmade quilt as a prize?” He placed the ball in its designated cubbyhole and the corresponding number lit up on the board behind him.

  “The quilt’s not even full size.” The retort came from somewhere in the back, but Dev recognized the craggy female voice. “What’s a person to do with it, anyway?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Mrs. Honeyfield.” Geez, what a name for one of most crotchety women in town. Dev kept his tone light and teasing, having noticed the outraged expression on one of the older ladies down front who’d probably created the prize with her own hands. “I can picture cuddling beneath this beauty in front of a fire on a cold winter’s night. Or perhaps taking it on a picnic up in the mountains?”

  “Sounds great! Are you part of the prize, too?”

  This came from one of the female firefighters working the nearby concession stand and Dev laughed along with the rest of the crowd.

  For many, the weekly bingo night was the highlight of their social calendar and his job as caller had always been one part master of ceremonies, one part entertainer and one part time manager.

  He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed the back-and-forth banter that went along with raising money for many worthwhile causes in Destiny. It also surprised him how easily everything had come back to him.

  He’d confided in Tanya he’d been nervous as they walked here after stopping by his Jeep to retrieve his cane. She’d asked about his pain level again, but he’d assured her that walking helped. Their arrival at the hall caused quite a stir and Dev had soon found himself surrounded by old friends, well-wishers and, of course, his fellow firefighters.

  A few minutes later his mother had showed up and whisked Tanya away with a promise to walk her though the fundamentals of the game. They sat at a long table on the far right-hand side of the room and Dev’s gaze strayed toward them often.

  And he couldn’t stop himself from looking at her again right now. Tanya seemed to be having a good time, talking and laughing with the group of ladies sitting there, three of whom were his family.

  And a newcomer that definitely wasn’t.

  In fact, the tall, hulking wall of muscle was decidedly male.

  Dev watched as the man pulled out the empty seat next to Tanya and sat, holding out his hand to introduce himself.

  A burning sensation raced through Dev’s body again, but this time it had nothing to do with his injuries. It was jealousy, pure and simple, an emotion he couldn’t remember feeling in a long time, especially where a woman was concerned.

  Had he been jealous when the Red Sox had crushed his beloved Rockies in the ’07 World Series? Hell, yeah. When his eldest brother had spent a year studying in Paris? Sure. A bit green eyed whenever he saw someone enjoying a beer on a hot summer day? That was something he was still learning to live with, even after six years of sobriety, but he’d never felt envious over a woman before.

  Why would he when there were so many out there to choose from?

  “What’s the matter, Murphy?” The guy next to Tanya sat back in his seat, stretching his arm across the back of her chair, his voice rising above the din. “You’re thinking a bit too long about that offer.”

  Catcalls and whistles pulled Dev from his thoughts, reminding him of the unanswered question about being part of the game’s prize. “We’ll see what can be arranged,” he finally said, his good mood taking a quick turn downward.

  He tightened his fingers around the microphone and grabbed another numbered ball. “G-48!”

  It was another six numbers before someone finally shouted “Bingo!”

  Dev looked up and found Adam’s wife on her feet, waving a game card over her head. It was about time. “Looks like we have a winner, folks.”

  “Hey! No fair! She’s already got herself one of the Murphy boys!”

  More laughter from the room.

  “Okay, we’ll check Fay’s winning card during this next break,” Dev said to the crowd as his sister-in-law made her way toward him. “You’ve got thirty minutes to refresh your drinks or grab a bowl of blue-ribbon, five-alarm chili from the best firehouse cooks in the state.”

  The noise level grew as people rose to stretch their legs and visit the restrooms and each other. Dev turned off the microphone and dropped into the nearest folding chair. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat, but it was better than that damn stool.

  “You’re looking a little tired.” Fay handed off her winning game card to the pastor, who was acting as official verifier for tonight’s winners. “Your mom is worried about you.”

  “This was her idea, you know.” He reached for his water bottle and to
ok a long swallow. “I could be home right now watching a ball game with the guys.”

  “Or you could be spending time with your nice Ms. Reeves.”

  It took some effort, but Dev kept his gaze from going across the room again. “Tanya’s not my Ms. Anything.”

  “This is so pretty. The pastel colors aren’t quite right for A.J.’s room, but maybe...” Fay’s words trailed off as she traced the pattern on the quilt. “She’s not? Oh, I must’ve misunderstood. Well, I’m sure Dean will appreciate knowing that Tanya’s not yours.” She turned to look at him. “Did you notice he stopped by during this last game?”

  Yeah, he’d noticed, and that was before Dean had opened his mouth with his wisecrack.

  It was kind of hard to miss Dean Zippenella. The guy stood over six feet tall and could bench-press a Volkswagen Beetle if he wanted to. He’d moved to Destiny a couple of years ago when his best friend, Bobby Winslow, had returned.

  “Of course, your mom pointed out how much Dean and Tanya have in common,” Fay continued, “considering their career fields.”

  That made sense. Dean was a physical therapist at the Veterans’ Center down in Laramie, and while either one of them could assist with his aching muscles, Dev preferred to have Tanya’s magic hands on his body right now.

  “Mom also told Tanya she absolutely has to see Dean’s master bedroom.”

  Dev choked on the last of his water. Wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, he didn’t miss the mischief in Fay’s eyes. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “That wall of glass that looks out over the mountains? Your mom is so proud of Nolan’s design work on that place. I’ve got to admit it’s pretty impressive.”

  “When have you ever been in Zip’s bedroom?” Dev tried to keep his tone light, even though the idea of Tanya being anywhere near Zip, or his log home, burned as hot as the pain dancing down his leg. “And where was Adam at the time?”

  “My husband was right there with me and it was during the final inspection of the house,” Fay said, and then smiled. “Of course, that was before it was furnished. Zip says he’s got a king-size bed with a ton of pillows. Which makes sense, I mean, the guy is so big—”