Книга - Flirting with Destiny

Flirting with Destiny
Christyne Butler


It’s a tough road to recovery for Devlin Murphy after a helicopter accident leaves scars that are more than skin deep. But there’s a new girl in Destiny, Wyoming, who’s got the healing touch. Sure, Tanya Reeves’s approach – acupuncture, anyone? – makes Dev’s eyes roll. Yet the woman also makes his heart rev like no other.For her part, Tanya can’t believe it when she first runs into this fling from her past. Dev doesn’t even recognise her! Even crazier – history is repeating itself with this irresistible man.And Tanya has to ask herself: who’s healing whom?







USA TODAY bestselling author Christyne Butler presents this story of healing, hope and love in her Welcome to Destiny series

It’s a tough road to recovery for Devlin Murphy after a helicopter accident leaves scars that are more than skin-deep. But there’s a new girl in Destiny, Wyoming, who’s got the healing touch. Sure, Tanya Reeves’s approach—acupuncture, anyone?—makes Dev’s eyes roll. The woman also makes his heart rev up like no other.

For her part, Tanya can’t believe it when she first runs into this fling from her past. Dev doesn’t even recognize her! Even crazier—history is repeating itself with this irresistible man. And Tanya has to ask herself: Who’s healing whom?




“Who are you?”


The man’s familiar smile grew, warming his dark eyes and sending her heart back into a rapid frenzy.

Because his eyes looked familiar, too?

No, that couldn’t be it. It had to be because he was tall, gorgeous and casually sexy in jeans and a button-down blue-striped shirt, pulled tight across nice shoulders.

Her gaze dropped to his feet. Yep, cowboy boots, too.

Quickly blaming her renewed shortness of breath on her weakness for men in cowboy boots, Tanya looked him in the eye again, offered a raised eyebrow and waited.

“I’m a friend of the man who lives here,” he finally said. “The name’s Murphy. Devlin Murphy.”

Devlin?

Just like that, the memory of a stolen night a decade ago in Reno came back to her. After all these years who would’ve thought the first person she’d run into in this town would be the same drunken fool she’d shared an almost perfect evening with.

A fool who clearly had no idea who she was.


Dear Reader,

Last year, I introduced you to a new family in my Welcome to Destiny series, the Murphys, six brothers who are in all stages of love from “never again” to “happy newlywed.” My April 2012 release, Having Adam’s Baby, featured the eldest brother, Adam.

Now it’s Devlin Murphy’s turn.…

A year ago, Devlin was the fun-loving and freewheeling younger brother, but a horrific crash has him fighting old demons…physically, mentally and emotionally. He’s finally back on his feet, but his choices at this point are to either accept his limitations and get on with his life or take a chance on the alternative healing methods performed by a woman who strikes a familiar chord deep inside him.

Thanks to losing her job and her boyfriend all in the same night, Tanya Reeves is ready to start her life over again. Her visit back to Destiny is just a short stay and the last thing she wants is to spend time with a man who obviously doesn’t remember their one-night stand years ago. But Dev’s pain calls to the healer in her. Now she has to find a way to treat the patient and hide her growing feelings for the man until she can get out of town.

Neither Dev nor Tanya were looking for love, which made writing their happily-ever-after so much fun! Please stop by my website, www.christynebutler.com (http://www.christynebutler.com), to say hello—I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter!

Happy Reading,

Christyne


Flirting with Destiny

Christyne Butler






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


CHRISTYNE BUTLER fell in love with romance novels while serving in the United States Navy and started writing her own stories six years ago. She considers selling to Mills & Boon


Cherish


a dream come true and enjoys writing contemporary romances full of life, love, a hint of laughter and perhaps a dash of danger, too. And there has to be a happily-ever-after or she’s just not satisfied.

She lives with her family in central Massachusetts and loves to hear from her readers at chris@christyne butler.com. Or visit her website, www.christynebutler.com.


To Jennifer Schober

Thank you…for everything


Contents

Chapter One (#uce822bfc-1ce4-56b2-b672-d81c157bbcb6)

Chapter Two (#u6db53d06-41c5-57e3-a2b0-9bdccc7eab2b)

Chapter Three (#uce72cb5e-3e79-5703-b198-9975426901d2)

Chapter Four (#u2708c187-957a-576e-a60d-ba927ea30bb7)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter One

“Hey, cowboy.” The blonde barmaid leaned across the three-foot expanse of aged wood. “I know just what you need to make your day complete.”

Devlin Murphy glanced up from his mouthwatering burger and thick-cut fries, the house specialty here in the Blue Creek Saloon. He wasn’t really a cowboy, despite the black Stetson perched on his head. She must be new and it’d been a while since he’d been in here.

Eight long months to be exact.

His brothers had tried to coax him to his old stomping grounds a few times since he’d gotten his feet back under him—literally. Devlin just hadn’t been ready.

But spring had come early in Destiny, Wyoming, and on this warm, late April afternoon, Dev decided it was past time to rejoin the world of the living.

He bumped up the brim of his hat and offered what he hoped was more of his old prowler grin than his recent pain-filled grimace. Not an easy feat thanks to the familiar white-hot fire crawling down both shoulders toward his elbows.

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“Just one minute.” She offered a quick wink and then turned away.

That simple gesture did nothing for him. Not anymore.

This time last year he would’ve been all over that suggestive sign, making sure he left with her phone number, if not the lady herself.

Now? Not interested.

And wasn’t that just another kick in the ass to go along with the butt whipping he’d taken since the helicopter crash that had left him and his eldest brother, Adam, stranded for three days in the Grand Tetons National Forest.

A helicopter he’d been piloting.

Thankfully Adam had come out with just a few bruises and scratches. Dev had been the one who’d spent five months in the hospital dealing with a broken leg and two broken arms. His recovery had been slow and painful, and while he could finally take care of himself again, he’d hit a brick wall with his physical therapy. When he bothered to go, the weekly sessions were painful, without any lasting results to show for his efforts.

Of course, sitting at a bar with a straight-on view of the rows of bottles waiting to be mixed and poured for the saloon’s patrons probably wasn’t the smartest thing to be doing right now. Not with three of his former best friends staring back at him.

Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker.

Yes, he and the boys went way back. Back to before he could even drive. But the four of them hadn’t pulled an all-nighter in six years.

That didn’t mean the desire had left him.

No, that stayed with him every day.

Just then the barmaid returned and placed a frosty mug of freshly poured beer in front of him.

Every pain-filled muscle in Devlin’s body froze.

“Here you go.” She offered a toothy grin. “You look like a man who’s earned a tall, cold one.”

Dev kept his gaze glued to the glass, the golden color calling to him like buried treasure to a weary pirate. White frothy foam lapped against the rim while beads of condensation chased one another down the length of the mug until they soaked the paper napkin below.

He swallowed, his forearms pressing hard into the rolled edge of the bar as his fingers curled into tight fists. A deep inhale through his nose caused the yeasty, bitter flavor he still remembered to come alive again inside his mouth.

Damn, coming here had been a bad idea.

“Uh.” He paused and blinked hard, breaking the hypnotic hold the beer had over him. After clearing his throat, Dev looked up at the barmaid and tried to summon the courage to set her straight. “I don’t—”

“Lisa, why don’t you take care of the crew at the end of the bar?” A strong feminine voice cut him off. “I’ll take over here.”

The blonde turned and looked at her boss, Racy Steele, the fiery redhead whose personality matched her name even though she was happily married to the town’s sheriff and was the mother of twins.

“But I’m talking to— I mean, I’m helping...”

Dev sat silently as the two women stared each other down. He knew who would win, and sure enough, when Racy tilted her head slightly, the barmaid shrugged and turned away.

With the ease of experience, Racy made the beer disappear, replacing it with a tall glass of ice water. “Sorry about that. She’s new.”

Dev nodded, releasing a deep breath.

“It’s good to see you up and on your feet again,” Racy continued, offering an easy smile. “You’ve been away from the Blue Creek for too long.”

“Been away from everything too long.”

“Of course, when you are here you usually don’t sit at the bar.”

Another defense mechanism.

When he’d decided to give up the booze, he refused to give up the friendships or the fun. Somehow sitting in one of the booths or the tables scattered around the large dance floor made the ongoing battle easier to fight.

“Yeah, I know.” He grabbed a fry and popped it into his mouth.

“And you rarely come in alone.”

He’d waved to a couple of familiar faces when he’d first come inside, but purposely kept walking until he reached the bar, determined to do this by himself.

“Everyone’s working,” he finally said. “You know, being how it’s Wednesday.”

Racy braced her elbows on the bar, leveling a familiar stare that told him she wasn’t buying his flimsy excuse. A move she’d probably perfected over the years from dealing with Blue Creek customers. “Except you?”

“No, I’m back behind the desk at the family business.”

Finally. Only whenever he sat for longer than an hour in front of the bank of computers that he used to design the home security systems sold by Murphy Mountain Log Homes, his shoulders started to pulsate, sending electric shocks into his elbows and making his fingers numb.

“Just decided to get some fresh air.”

“Inside a bar? At two in the afternoon?”

“I had a craving.” Damn, that didn’t sound right. “For a burger.”

“Do you need me to call anyone?”

Her softly spoken question caused Dev’s back to stiffen, his hands falling to his lap. He rubbed at the front pocket of his jeans, searching for and finding the bronze Alcoholics Anonymous medallion he always carried with him. A reminder of what he had achieved over the last six years.

“Someone like the good sheriff of Destiny?” he asked, an edge to his words.

“If you need to talk to Gage, he’ll come. As a friend.” Compassion filled Racy’s brown eyes. “You know that, right?”

The fight disappeared as quickly as it came.

Hell, he and Gage had a history that went back to playing football together in high school. He was also the one who took Dev to his first AA meeting. “Yeah, I know.”

“Or maybe there’s someone else you’d like to talk to?”

Meaning his sponsor.

Mac had been there for Dev from the very beginning. They’d met at a local meeting, bonding over a shared love of flying, and soon Dev had asked the older man to be the one person he could turn to, anytime day or night, the one person who’d understand the fight Dev faced as he struggled for sanity, for sobriety.

For his life.

Dev pulled in a deep breath, and then slowly released it. The crisis had passed. He’d faced temptation before and would again. Recognizing the want and walking away was something he’d done on a daily basis, especially over the last few months. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

There was that head tilt again.

“I mean it, Racy. Just let me enjoy my meal.” He paused, searching for a way to lighten the mood. His gaze flicked to the end of the bar. “And the view.”

Racy grinned. “Forget it, Murphy. She’s only twenty-three.”

“Ouch. Now, you’re making me feel old.”

“You’re not old.” Racy fiddled with something behind the bar out of his sight. “She’s just too young.”

Dev reached for his burger. “Doesn’t look that way from here.”

“She was still in elementary school when you were going to fraternity parties at the University of Wyoming.”

“Thanks a lot.” Okay, that was too young even if he had been interested. Dev took a bite of his burger, chewed and then swallowed, watching as Racy hovered nearby. “You don’t have to babysit me.”

“I’m not babysitting.” She wiped down the already clean areas on either side of him. “I’m working.”

“Yeah, right.”

“You do realize the Blue Creek belongs to me, right? That means I get to decide where and when—”

A buzzing noise had Racy dropping the rag and reaching for the cell phone tucked into a rear pocket. Her face lit up with a big smile as she hit a button and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hey, honey. How’s the world’s sexiest sheriff?” She offered Dev a quick wink, then laughed. “Yes, I can feel you blushing from here.”

Devlin just shook his head as Racy stepped away to have a private conversation with her husband. Sometimes it still amazed him that Racy and Gage, two people as different as night and day, had fallen in love and married, but he’d stood up for them at their wedding.

Something he hadn’t been able to do for Adam and Fay.

His sister-in-law had been almost four months pregnant by the time she and Adam had worked out their issues last summer, and they hadn’t wanted to wait any longer to get married.

He’d ended up watching a video of their September wedding from his hospital bed, unable to keep his promise to be his eldest brother’s best man.

At least he’d been back on his feet, sort of, when the newest member of the Murphy family, Adam Alistair Murphy Jr., A.J. for short, had arrived back in February.

“How about a fresh piece of apple pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert?”

Racy’s question pulled Dev from his thoughts, and he realized she’d finished her call and had cleared away his empty plate. “No, thanks.”

He climbed off the bar stool, leaning heavily against the bar as he dug for his wallet. Damn, his leg felt like jelly and he’d left the cane his physical therapist insisted he still needed in his Jeep.

“Time for me to head back to work.”

She smiled and gave his hand a quick squeeze after taking his money. “You plan to stop by the firehouse on your way?”

That question caught him by surprise. “No. Why?”

“No reason. It’s just that your name comes up whenever any of the team is here. I thought they’d like to know one of their best and brightest volunteers is up and around.”

Yeah, up and around, but nowhere close to being able to rejoin the department. If ever. No, he wasn’t ready to face his former coworkers yet.

Dev shoved his wallet back in his pocket and offered a quick prayer he wouldn’t fall on his face when he turned around. “See you later, Racy. Thanks for the great meal.”

“Say hi to your family.”

Dev acknowledged her words with a wave, hating the ever-present limp that marked his walk as he headed out. His family said the slight hitch in his step wasn’t as noticeable as Dev thought, but it was just another reminder of how much his life had changed in the last year.

Making his way across the gravel parking lot, he opened the door to his Jeep and climbed inside, trying to ignore the fresh round of pain racing through his veins.

Maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea.

As wonderful as his family had been since the accident, Dev had been desperate to get out on his own again. Lord knew he hadn’t had a moment to himself in the last four months except when he was in bed at night. Even then, either one of his parents or Liam—the only brother who still lived in the log mansion that was the family home—would check in.

He appreciated all they’d done for him. Hell, with two broken arms he’d been like a baby, relying on his family for everything from his meals to bathing. It’d been three months since the casts were removed and still everyone hovered.

He needed space to think, to breathe.

And despite his father’s offer to replace the four-wheel drive Wrangler with something that made it easier to get behind the wheel, Dev had insisted on keeping it—it was the vehicle he’d bought the day he kicked his drinking habit.

“But why the Blue Creek?” he asked his reflection in the rearview mirror as he turned over the engine and backed out of the parking space. “Why not go to Sherry’s Diner? Or grab a sandwich at Doucette’s Bakery?”

He didn’t have an answer, or didn’t want to come up with one, so he cranked up the radio as he slowed to a stop at the parking lot exit, waiting for the chance to pull onto the street.

Diagonally across from him was White’s Liquors, a red brick building with a faded red, white and blue advertisement from the 1940s to buy war bonds still visible on the side.

When old man White had been alive, he’d had the ad repainted every five years in honor of the two brothers he’d lost during the war, but his kids owned the place now and the anniversary of the repainting had come and gone last fall without being touched up.

The traffic had cleared, but Dev still sat there, staring at the building, wondering about the ad and realizing he hadn’t stepped foot inside the building in the last six years.

Hadn’t needed to. Hadn’t wanted to.

Until this very moment.

His grip was so tight on the steering wheel that his knuckles turned white. Pulling in a deep breath, he let go and put the Jeep in gear. Once he was on the street, he grabbed his cell phone and hit the button that connected him directly to Mac. Three rings later a buzzing noise filled his ear as Mac answered.

“Dev?”

Mac’s voice came through, but the reception was terrible. Dev released the pent-up breath with one whoosh. “Yeah, it’s me. Can you talk?”

“At...airport.”

Dev’s heart lurched. That was the last place he wanted to go. Okay, the second to last place.

“Heading...home...meet you there.”

Every other word of Mac’s was indecipherable, but Dev breathed a sigh of relief. “On my way.”

“Dev...need to...arrived yesterday.”

Circling the town square, Dev headed toward the sheriff’s office and the fire station. His gaze firmly on the road ahead, he didn’t allow even his peripheral vision to stray toward the open bays where a few of the firefighters were washing down the engine and the light-duty rescue truck.

“Mac, you’re breaking up. This connection sucks.” The tightness in Dev’s chest eased as he headed out of town. “You can tell me when you see me. I’ll be waiting on the front porch.”

Moments later, Dev drove past the entrance to his family’s ranch and the turnoff to his brother Adam’s place, and kept going until he saw the road to Mac’s farm. The land had been in his friend’s family for generations, much like the land the Murphy M7 Ranch sat on, but it hadn’t been a working farm for years.

Turning into the driveway, he started to slow to a stop near the two-story farmhouse, but noticed a car parked down near the metal hangar out back. When a storm had destroyed the unused barn almost a dozen years ago, Mac had it torn down and erected a steel structure that housed his baby, a 1929 Travel Air 4000 biplane.

Dev drove to the hangar, parking next to the plain brown sedan that sported Colorado plates. He frowned.

He and Mac had talked last week and his friend hadn’t mentioned having any visitors. Maybe he planned to finally retire that hunk of junk pickup he drove and had picked up a newer used car.

Then Dev noticed the single door to the hangar looked slightly ajar. He dropped his hat in the passenger seat, climbed out of his Jeep and walked as quickly as the ache in his leg would allow to check it out.

Yep, definitely open.

Slipping inside, Dev paused a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim interior. He skirted the protruding wing of the vintage plane Mac had lovingly restored piece by piece. His hand gently glided over the smooth fuselage even as his stomach tightened into familiar knots.

Mac had allowed Dev to help with the restoration after he’d become his sponsor, and had taken him for his first flight the day Dev had celebrated twelve months of sobriety. He’d also been the one who got Dev interested in flying helicopters and was there the day he’d earned his pilot’s license.

Not that Dev ever planned to be in the air again.

Refusing to allow his thoughts to head in that direction, he kept walking, ignoring the pain, until he could’ve sworn he heard—

Wind chimes?

Yes, that’s exactly what it sounded like, along with music that should only be heard in an elevator.

Wondering if Mac had left the radio on—though his buddy was more a fan of classic rock and roll than this stuff—Dev stepped into the back area of the hangar where Mac kept an office on one side and an all-in-one exercise machine on the other.

The sight of a very shapely feminine backside perched in the air stopped him in his tracks.

Hel-lo!

Dev took in the position of the arms and legs that went with the sexy backside. The woman was twisted tighter than a pretzel. Then she slowly untangled herself to stand straight and tall. Still facing away from him, she showed off miles of toned muscles thanks to a skimpy tank top and leggings that hugged her curves in all the right places.

And was that a tattoo on her shoulder?

Not wanting to startle whoever she was, Dev cleared his throat. Nothing. Was the music too loud for her to hear him?

He tried again but all she did was gracefully move into another position that left her balancing on one leg, arms stretched high over her head. She tilted her head back, a ponytail of dark hair brushing between her shoulder blades.

Impressive. If he tried that, even when he’d had two good legs, he’d be flat on his butt in two seconds.

Figuring the intruder was harmless, Dev took a few more steps and then leaned back against Mac’s desk. Crossing his arms over his chest, he ignored the pain the move brought and decided to enjoy the show.

He let his gaze travel the length of her, surprised when he felt his body responding in a way it hadn’t in months.

Not that he’d spent much time with the opposite sex since the crash, but this stranger was intriguing him in ways the blonde barmaid hadn’t even come close to.

Who was she?

Mac had a daughter from a long-ago marriage. Still, this woman was too young. Dev guessed she was in her late twenties, a few years younger than him.

She couldn’t be a girlfriend, could she? The last he knew, the feisty Ursula, owner of the local beauty parlor his mother visited every week, was the current object of Mac’s affections.

Maybe she was another lost soul looking for redemption?

His buddy had helped many members of the local Alcoholics Anonymous chapter over the years, often letting those who needed a place to crash stay in the otherwise empty cabin.

But Mac always kept his assistance to the male species. It was just simpler that way.

Surprised that the idea of her possibly being off-limits bothered him, Dev tucked away his growing interest. Time to make his presence known once and for all.

Looking away from her bare feet, he cleared his throat one more time and said, “Miss, I don’t mean to scare you—”

She whirled around, and suddenly a barrage of foam bricks flew at him, pelting him on his shoulders, the last one bouncing off his chin, cutting off his words.

More surprised than hurt, he easily deflected the next two bricks aimed at his head. Jerking away from the desk, he cursed under his breath as the familiar fire ripped down his leg and he wobbled like a newborn.

“Hey! Knock it off!”

* * *

Tanya Reeves stood, arm cocked, her breaths coming hard and fast, ready to hurl her last yoga brick at the tall stranger’s head. Her heart pounded in her chest, the hard-earned peace and tranquility from her yoga session blown to bits the moment she’d turned and found him behind her.

“Who are you?” she demanded, between huffs. “What are you doing here? Don’t you dare come one step closer.”

“I haven’t taken a step yet.”

She dropped the brick and grabbed her cell phone from the cushioned bench attached to the nearby weight machine. “You better not. I’m dialing 9-1-1 right now.”

“It’s not going to do you any good.”

She scooted back a foot and took a stance, pushing her sweaty bangs out of her eyes. It’d been a few years since her last karate class, but she could still deliver a roundhouse kick with the best of them.

Of course, this guy had to be almost six feet tall. Better shoot for the chest. “Yeah, well, we’ll see about that.”

The man perched himself against the desk again, his arms at his sides, fingers curling around the scarred edge. The corner of his mouth quirked into a slight grin.

A familiar grin?

“There’s no reception in here,” he continued.

She looked down at her phone. No bars. Damn!

“Don’t worry. You’re safe with me.”

Yeah, if I had a dollar for every time I’d heard that. A snort of disbelief escaped before she could stop it.

“I take it from your response you don’t believe me.”

Tanya relaxed, but kept a safe distance away. She was probably overreacting, but life had a way of teaching hard lessons. “I might if I knew your name and what you’re doing here.”

His smile grew, easy and natural, warming his icy blue eyes and sending her heart back into a rapid frenzy.

Because his eyes looked familiar, too?

No, that couldn’t be it. It had to be because he was tall, gorgeous and casually sexy in jeans and a button-down blue-striped shirt, pulled tight across nice shoulders.

Her gaze dropped to his feet.

Yep, cowboy boots, too.

Quickly blaming her renewed shortness of breath on her weakness for men in cowboy boots, Tanya looked him in the eye again, offered a raised eyebrow and waited.

“I’m a friend of the man who lives here,” he finally said. “The name’s Murphy. Devlin Murphy.”

Devlin?

And just like that, the memory of a stolen night a decade ago in Reno came back to her. After all these years, who would’ve thought the first person she’d run into in this town was the same drunken fool she’d shared what had been an almost-perfect evening with?

A fool who clearly had no idea who she was.


Chapter Two

“Your turn.”

Tanya blinked, chasing away memories of bright lights, crowded casinos and dark nightclubs where the same strong arms of the man in front of her had once held her close. “Huh?”

“It’s only fair that you tell me your name now.”

She wondered for a moment if he’d remember her. Until Devlin had said his name, she hadn’t realized who he was, but she blamed that on turning in the middle of a side stretch and finding a total stranger watching her.

No, not a total stranger.

Yes, actually he was.

Ten years was a long time, and just because they’d spent one night together didn’t mean they knew each other.

Of course, she’d known in a town the size of Destiny chances were good she’d run into him during her stay. Who would’ve thought it’d happen on her first day back?

“Tanya,” she finally answered him, lowering her voice when the music shut off. “Tanya Reeves.”

She watched his eyes. His face. Not a hint of recognition flickered there. Okay, that stung, but she shouldn’t be surprised. He’d been partying pretty heavily the night they’d met. A party that had continued until the wee hours of the next morning before they’d ended up back in his fancy hotel room....

“Pleased to meet you, Tanya.” His words cut into her thoughts. “Now, can I ask how you got in here?”

She dropped her hands to her hips, the need to call for help forgotten. “How I— How did you get in here?”

“I have a key. One I didn’t have to use because the door was open.”

No, that wasn’t right. She’d made sure she closed it behind her.

“You have to jiggle the handle to make sure the latch catches,” he continued, as if he’d read her mind. “Otherwise, you never know who might walk in.”

Tanya crossed her arms, suddenly conscious of her lack of clothing. Why it bothered her now when she practically lived in yoga wear she didn’t want to think about.

Heck, the night she’d met Devlin Murphy she hadn’t been wearing much more than feathers and sequins. A lot of sequins.

“Thanks for the tip. I’ll keep it in mind for the future.”

“So, you plan to do...” His voice trailed off as he waved a hand in the air. “Whatever that was you were doing again?”

“Daily.”

His mouth pressed into a hard line and he gripped the edge of the desk. Did the idea of her working out here bother him that much? Why should he care?

“And what I was doing is called yoga. Anusara yoga, to be exact,” she added. “It’s not as demanding as other forms, but after sleeping last night on that lumpy mattress in the cabin— Hey, are you okay?”

He released his tight hold on the desk, but Tanya saw the fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

She’d heard about the horrific accident he’d been in last summer—it had even made the papers in Denver, the well-known names of the victims jarring her memory. Once he and his brother had been found safe, the story had disappeared from the news, but the last reports had said that Devlin would be hospitalized for months.

“I asked because you look like you’re in pain.”

His jaw tightened further. “I’m not. Did you just say you slept in the cabin?”

Tanya nodded, not believing his denial for a moment. “Mac offered me one of the spare bedrooms in the farmhouse, but I’m used to having my own space. He also told me the second key on the key ring was to this place and I was free to—”

“Wait a minute, you have—” Surprise registered over his handsome features. “Why would Mac give you a key to the hangar?”

“Why would he give you one?” she shot back.

“Because we’re friends.”

“Well, we’re family.”

Devlin’s mouth literally dropped open. “You’re what?”

“Steve Mackenzie is my grandfather.” The shock on his face had Tanya wondering if Devlin and Mac were as good friends as he claimed. “Didn’t you know he had a family?”

“A daughter, yes, but they haven’t been in touch— I mean, they were— They’d just started to...”

“Work things out?” she offered when he stumbled over his words. “That’s true. There were a lot of years he and my mother didn’t talk, didn’t have anything to do with each other actually, but that changed last fall. Mac came to visit just after Thanksgiving, and of course, my mom wanted me there, too. She thought it was time we got to know each other again.”

“Again?”

This time, Tanya smiled and took pity on him. “My mom and I lived here in Destiny with Mac until my eighth birthday.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

A fact she’d never shared with him that night ten years ago after he’d told her who he was and where he was from. Not that it would’ve helped her earn a spot in his memory.

“Yeah, I remember Mac mentioning his daughter living with him for a couple of years, but that’s all.” He pulled in a deep breath and slowly released it, the tension leaving his jaw as that same charming smile she remembered came to his lips. “So you’re here for a visit.”

Her heart started that crazy pounding again.

Setting down her cell phone and grabbing her towel, Tanya held the cotton material to her chest, thankful for the way it draped down the center of her body as she patted at the sweat drying on her skin. “Actually, I came to help Mac.”

“Help, how?”

“I’m assuming you know about the arthritis in his hands?” Devlin nodded, but remained silent so she continued. “Well, I’m a licensed acupuncturist. We did a few sessions during his time in Denver, and it seemed to help with his pain. When the chance came for me to come here and work with him again, I agreed.”

“Did you say acupuncture?” Devlin asked, swearing under his breath. “As in needles?”

“Yes, that’s what she said.”

Tanya turned at the low, gravelly voice of her grandfather.

“Hey, Mac,” she said, using his nickname. Calling him Granddad didn’t feel right, given the fragile state of their renewed relationship.

As she looked at him, she was still amazed at how much the man looked like Jimmy Buffett. She’d told him so when they’d reconnected back in November, surprised to find out her grandfather was as much of a fan of the famed musician as she was. “When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago and just in time, it seems.” He joined them, stopping to stand between her and Devlin and glancing at the brick-strewn floor of the hangar. “Good to see you, Dev. I tried to tell you about Tanya’s visit, but my phone kept cutting out on me.”

Mac dropped a battered backpack at his feet. He held out his hands, clenching and releasing his fingers. “This damn knuckle-busting arthritis is tough on the flying. I’m sure glad she’s here.”

“Yeah, so I heard,” Dev finally said. “But needles? Really?”

Mac laughed and pushed the brim of his ball cap higher on his forehead. “Yeah, no big surprise I didn’t tell you about that, either. Besides, I didn’t just want Tanya here to help with my aching bones. We’ve been in touch quite a bit thanks to emails and phone calls the last few months, but we’ve still got a lot of catching up to do.”

“After twenty years apart, I’d say so.”

“Twenty-three.”

Mac’s reply overlapped Tanya’s and she laughed, returning Mac’s grin.

“Am I missing the joke?” Devlin asked.

“My mom and Mac had their first disagreement during their reunion over exactly how long it’d been since they’d seen each other,” Tanya explained. “Once they finally agreed on the number of years, it sort of became a running joke.”

“At the least, it’s a tension breaker. Which is a good thing, because I guess I can now admit to having ulterior motives for getting Tanya back to Destiny again,” Mac said.

Tanya saw the craftiness in the old man’s dark brown eyes as he glanced at Devlin. Figuring out what he meant took a matter of seconds. “Oh, no. No way.”

“Tanya, you’re exactly what he needs.”

She shook her head, knowing her instincts about the pain Dev had been trying to hide were right on target. But her own instincts about needing to stay far away from trouble—work trouble and man trouble in particular—were also on the mark.

Devlin Murphy was trouble with a capital T. “Not interested, Mac.”

“You worked wonders for me, in ways that regular medication hasn’t for years. I just want you to do the same for my friend.”

“Friend?” Dev finally spoke up. “Wait a minute, you mean me?”

Tanya ignored him and turned to face her grandfather, still shocked by his suggestion. “You know I have plans to be in London for my advanced studies class in a couple of months. I don’t have time to do a full work-up based on whatever Devlin’s current physical therapy status might be.”

“I’m only suggesting you supplement the therapy Dev is already doing,” Mac pushed. “Lord knows, the man needs all the help he can get.”

Maybe so, but not from me.

“Yes, from you,” Mac continued as if he could read her mind. “No one else in this town does what you do.”

“So he can go to Laramie or Cheyenne.” Tanya spun away, looping the towel over her neck. Grabbing her mat, she quickly rolled it and shoved it into her bag. “There must be someone in either of those places who specializes in my field.”

“Yeah, right.” Mac jerked a thumb in Dev’s direction. “The guy blows off more PT sessions than he makes. There’s no way he’d go for any other type of treatment.”

“So why would you think he’d work with me?”

“Hey, can I get a word in here?” Devlin asked.

“No!”

Again with the simultaneous answer. Tanya shot Mac a dark look and headed across the room to retrieve the yoga bricks she’d thrown at Devlin.

Of all the nerve!

Here she thought she and Mac had become closer over the last couple of months. Growing up with her mother’s stories of her grandfather’s alcoholic outbursts contradicted the memories she’d had of a sweet man who baked cookies, watched old television shows with her and took her for long walks around the farm.

She’d hoped by coming back to Destiny she could recapture the special bond they’d had when she’d been a child. Instead, he wanted her to provide free care to his friends!

Finding out she’d been accepted into the prestigious International Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the United Kingdom had been a godsend after leaving the clinic where she’d worked for the last four years. Being told she either had to resign or she would be fired from a job she loved had been a very dark time in her life.

She’d lost more than employment that day, and she was finally seeing the light at the end of a long, gloomy tunnel. When Mac had suggested she spend her last two months in the States with him, she’d been overjoyed. Not that she didn’t love her mom, stepfather and stepsisters, but she’d always felt that she and Mac shared something special and it meant so much that he wanted her in Destiny.

Now she knew why.

Gathering her yoga bricks, she turned and came face to face with the one man in this town she never planned to get her hands on again.

“What exactly is it that you do?” Devlin’s softly spoken question and the sincerity in his gaze doused her indignation, compelling her to answer him.

“Like I already told you, I’m a licensed acupuncturist.” Tanya rattled off her credentials, knowing them by heart, having been asked that question many times before. “I’m also board-certified as a massage therapist—although lately I’ve been working mostly in aquatic therapy—and I’m a Chinese herbalist.”

“Wow. That’s pretty impressive.”

“Thanks. Mac obviously thinks so.” Filling her bag, she ducked around both men and headed for the hangar’s exit, having no idea what she was going to do now. Other than drown her sorrows in a hot shower and a tall glass of wine.

On second thought, scratch the wine. She’d settle for ice-cold lemonade instead.

“Tanya, wait. Please, let me finish,” Mac called out. “I’m sorry I blurted my idea out like that. Being tactful has never been my strong suit.”

Not knowing why, Tanya stopped along the side of the antique plane and turned to look at him. “Yeah, I’m learning that about you.”

“I swear I didn’t bring you here under false pretenses. Remember how we’d talked about you helping me during your stay to bump up your savings for your living expenses overseas?”

Tanya nodded and bit hard at her bottom lip. Damn, he got her right where it hurt the most. Her wallet. She’d finally paid off the last of her student loans a year ago, but losing her job had hurt her savings in more ways than she’d ever planned.

A satisfying kind of hurt, but painful nonetheless.

Even giving up her apartment and storing her stuff at her mom’s place meant things were going to be tight for the next six months.

“When I got the idea of you helping Dev, which honestly only came to me a few nights ago,” Mac went on, taking a few steps toward her, “I fully intended to pay for any work you do with him, in addition to my own treatments.”

Well, he had her there. The extra money would mean she could experience life outside of her schooling during her time in Europe. There were so many amazing places she’d only read about or researched online that she wanted to visit.

“Like hell you will.” Dev joined them, the hitch in his step visible to her trained eye. “I pay my own way.”

“This was my idea,” Mac protested. “I’ll pay.”

“Forget it, old man. If I end up going for any of that stuff, I’ll cough up the cash. Besides, she doesn’t sound too thrilled about taking on an extra patient.”

“What stuff?” Tanya challenged. Not that she had agreed to take him on. Yet. However, helping non-believers understand the benefits of her work was her favorite part of the job. “You practically keeled over when I said the word acupuncture.”

“Yeah, well, needles aren’t my thing.” He squared his shoulders, placing his weight mainly on his left leg. “And you can forget about any herbs, Chinese or otherwise.”

Oh, yes, this man was hurting all over. He was doing his best to hide that fact and he probably succeeded with those with an untrained eye, but she could almost feel the pain radiating from him.

The need to ease that hurt quickly outweighed any of the reasons why she should or shouldn’t do this. “You’re not leaving me with much to work with.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Dev said, his voice suddenly shifting into a more relaxed tone. Then came that familiar grin. “A massage is always welcomed.”

Hmm. The desire to show off her roundhouse kick came back to her from earlier. “Yeah, like that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.”

Thankful for the shadows that hid the heated flush on her cheeks, Tanya cursed herself for blushing. She never had in the past when other men had been foolish enough to say the same thing to her.

She’d easily put professional athletes and ski-bum millionaires in their place when they’d tried to flirt their way through her sessions. Getting involved with a patient was a major no-no.

Not that Devlin would technically be her patient. Even if she did agree to this crazy idea...

She returned his stare, fighting the memories from the night they’d shared, a night that felt like it had happened a lifetime ago.

Because it had.

She had no idea how much Devlin had changed over the years. He could be married with three kids by now. But she was also far removed from the girl she’d been back then, too.

Could she do it?

Could she possibly work with—?

Mac loudly cleared his throat, forcing her attention back to her grandfather. “Of course, I don’t want you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable,” he said. “Maybe we should just forget the whole thing. I can double my payments for the work you do with me.”

“Clients are often the ones who are uncomfortable, at least until they understand what I’m accomplishing and they see the benefits of the treatments.” Tanya kept her tone cool and professional as her gaze slid between the two men. “I think Devlin should observe an acupuncture session before either of us makes up our minds.”

“Sure, but I won’t change my mind on that.” Dev rocked back on his heels for a moment, then caught himself. “But you can have Mac give me a call when you get it scheduled.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that. I have the cabin all set up. We’re ready to go.”

The smile slipped from his face. “You mean, like now?”

“That’s why I was doing my yoga workout here. I don’t know if you’re aware of how small the cabin is and I wanted Mac to be able to have his first session in a calm place.”

“Right.” Dev swallowed hard. “Calm.”

“So why don’t I head there and take a much-needed shower?” Tanya smiled at the both of them as she backed away. “I’m sure you two can find something to talk about for the next half hour.”

Mac, who stood as tall as Devlin, eyed his friend. “Yeah, I’m sure we can.”

“Oh, and, Mac, you should get yourself a light meal and slip into something looser, like sweats. It’s been a while since you’ve done this and remember what happened that first time.”

He nodded. “I remember.”

Dev’s eyes grew wide. “What happened?”

“I tossed my cookies.” Mac barked out a gruff laugh. “And that was after I fell flat on my face while getting off the damn table.”

“And you want to do this again?” Dev’s tone was incredulous.

Tanya’s laughter joined her grandfather’s as she reached the door. “That’s what I said, too, but he was brave enough to agree to a second session just a few days later. He came through that one with flying colors.”

Dev looked from Mac to her, crossing his arms over his chest again. She couldn’t see his eyes from this far away, but she could guess at the emotion in their icy blue depths.

“Brave or just crazy?”

“Well, some say there’s a fine line between the two,” she replied. “I guess it depends which side you’re standing on.”


Chapter Three

“I can’t believe you never told me about your granddaughter.” Dev stood next to Mac, waiting while his friend locked up the hangar.

“I can’t believe how hard it is for you to keep your eyes off my granddaughter’s ass.”

Having no idea how to respond to that, Dev kept his mouth shut. He glanced across the yard toward the cabin, glad that Tanya had already disappeared inside and hadn’t heard Mac’s comment.

Silently, he admitted his disappointment that he hadn’t been able to watch her walk away, because she did have a damn fine backside.

Mac headed for the farmhouse and Dev fell into step next to him, noticing how the man slowed his pace to match his own awkward stride. The thought of stopping by the Jeep for his cane crossed his mind, but Dev decided he could make the short distance across the yard without it.

Besides, if he got it now he’d have no reason not to take it over to the cottage. The last thing he wanted was for Tanya to see him hobbling around like an old man.

“Still not using the cane, huh?”

“I use it.” A zing of fire licked across Dev’s right hip and down his thigh. “Sometimes.”

Mac just shook his head and went inside, leaving the door open for Dev to follow. His friend headed upstairs and Dev went into the kitchen, choosing to lean against the counter instead of taking a seat at the table.

If he sat down, he probably wouldn’t be able to stand again.

Still, it felt good to take the weight off his legs, even just a little bit. Not that having Tanya see him with a cane mattered. She’d obviously figured out he was injured. The gleam in her intelligent brown eyes and her direct questions had told him that long before Mac had come out with his crazy idea of her helping him.

Needles? No way in hell.

There’d also been something else in the way she’d looked at him, something that didn’t have anything to do with their being a potential client and caregiver and everything to do with being a man and a woman.

It hadn’t lasted long. She’d managed to erase the gleam seconds after the interest lit up her eyes, but for the briefest of moments...

He glanced out the large window over the sink, his eyes following the direct sightline to the cabin. It wasn’t hard to imagine Tanya’s toned muscles slick with soap as she stood beneath the hot spray of the cabin’s shower—

“What are you grinning at?” Mac walked into the kitchen, having switched out his jeans for sweatpants, but still wearing the same T-shirt that boasted he was a founding member of the Mile-High Club—Huey Style in faded lettering across an image of a helicopter. “Or do I want to know?”

He probably didn’t, so Dev settled for a noncommittal shrug instead.

Opening the refrigerator, Mac grabbed a package of sandwich meat, cheese, mustard and a couple of water bottles. He shut the door with one hip, tossed a bottle at Dev and sat at the table. “Pass me that loaf of bread behind you.”

Dev did as requested.

Mac pulled out two slices and squirted a healthy amount of the yellow condiment on both. “You want one of these?”

“No, thanks. I grabbed a burger at the Blue Creek a little while ago.”

Mac stopped spreading the mustard and looked at him. “You went to the Creek for lunch?”

“Yeah.” His mouth suddenly dry, Dev cranked open the water bottle and took a sip. “So?”

“Your first time back in town in months and you go to a bar?” Mac’s surprised tone turned flat. “Alone?”

Dev returned his friend’s stare. “Yes, alone. I did fine.”

This time Mac only offered a raised eyebrow and went back to sandwich making.

“I did,” Dev pushed, wondering why he felt the need to defend himself. No, that wasn’t true. He knew why. He and Mac had had too many conversations like this in the past. Conversations where Mac had seen him in much worse condition than he was now. “I’m not saying it was easy. Hell, it was way harder than I’d thought it’d be. Racy stepped in, but I was...tempted.”

Silence filled the air for a long moment as Mac sliced his sandwich from corner to corner into two perfect triangles. “Well, we all get tempted,” he finally said.

Dev thought back to the sight and smell of that tall frosty beer. Swiping his tongue across his lips, he swore he could almost taste the forbidden liquid there. “But I got through it. I ate my burger and fries, washing it down with bland, boring ice water.” He took another sip of the same. “Then I got out of there.”

“Is that why you called me?”

There was no reason to lie. “Actually it was the idea of paying a visit to White’s Liquors across the street after I left the bar that made me call.”

Mac took a bite of his sandwich, chewed and swallowed before he spoke. “Yeah, I used to avoid that side of town like the plague. Still do at times. If you were interested in eating out, you should’ve come to the coffee shop at the airstrip. Everyone’s been asking about you.”

Dev’s fingers tightened, the plastic bottle crinkling in his grip. “I already told you I have no plans to get back in the air again.”

“I know you did, but that was when you were still in the hospital. I figured once you got some distance from the accident, you might’ve changed your mind.”

“I haven’t.”

“I read the report. It wasn’t your fault.”

Mechanical failure due to electrical wiring defect. Yeah, Dev had read the report, too. Actually, he’d listened as Adam sat beside his hospital bed and read it to him a few months after the accident.

Final determination: pilot not at fault. Commended for landing disabled aircraft resulting in no loss of life. License to fly fully reinstated.

No, thanks.

Dev took another long swallow of water. “Like I said, I’m done flying.”

Mac opened his own water bottle and did the same. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing Liam and Bryant started lessons last month. From what I’ve heard they’re both doing pretty well. Should be certified in the next few weeks.”

A buzzing filled his ears. Swallowing hard only expanded the noise until his head throbbed. “My broth— my brothers are taking flying lessons?”

“You didn’t know?” Mac looked at him, the last bite of his sandwich frozen halfway to his mouth. “Forget I asked.” He dropped his hand to the table, regret in his voice. “I can tell from your face. Sorry, man. I thought they told you.”

“Flying helos?” The question sounded stupid, but he blamed it on the still faint ringing. “They’re learning to fly helicopters?”

Mac nodded. “When they and your father came by looking for information on replacing the bird, I figured Liam and Bryant were backups for you. Isn’t that what you always planned once it was decided having the helo was helping the family business?”

Yeah, the few months they’d had the helicopter before the crash had proved the benefit of seeing their various work sites from the air. Not to mention the ease and speed in getting to jobs located outside of Destiny.

Dev searched his brain, trying to remember if anyone in his family had talked about buying a new helicopter, much less flying the damn thing.

Faint memories of his parents weighing the needs of the business vs. the safety of their sons while sitting at his hospital bedside came back to him, but once he’d made it clear to everyone he had no intention of getting behind the controls again, he’d thought the subject was dropped.

Apparently not.

“You okay?”

Dev blinked, realizing he’d been staring at the empty water bottle held tight in his hand. As he eased his grip, the plastic crinkled and popped back into place. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Mac only nodded as he rose and cleaned up his mess. He downed the rest of his water bottle then grabbed two more from the refrigerator, tossing one at Dev. “Not to change the subject, but are you sure you want to sit in on this pincushion session?”

No, he wasn’t, but it was better than heading home and dealing with his brothers and the secret they’d kept from him for the past month. “Sure. Why not? Just don’t expect me to change my mind.”

“About working with Tanya?”

Just the sound of her name lightened Dev’s mood. “Not necessarily.”

Mac shot him a dark look as they headed out the back door and across the yard, following a well-worn path to the cabin. “Why? You’ve already said you’re not interested in any of her methods.”

No, he wasn’t, at least not anything that had to do with needles or munching on foreign plants. He didn’t have any idea what that left in her bag of tricks, other than a massage, of course, but there’d been something about the tone of her voice when she’d spoken of her work.

She believed in what she did.

He used to feel that way about flying. About being a part of the Destiny Fire Department’s volunteer squad. Two pieces of his life that were gone now. The burning aches across his shoulders, hips and down one leg were constant reminders of that fact.

And he had no one to blame but himself, no matter what that damn report said.

Dev could see his friend was waiting for an answer, but they’d arrived at the cabin so he only said, “Let’s just say she intrigues me.”

“Look, seeing how Tanya and I have just started to rebuild our relationship, I don’t have any right to say this...” Mac paused, one foot on the low porch that ran the length of the cabin. He glanced at the closed front door for a moment, then turned to him. “But I’m going to anyway.”

Dev waited, not sure how he’d respond if Mac came right out and asked him to not to spend time with Tanya in any way, shape or form.

Up until this moment, he would’ve done anything his friend asked of him. Except fly.

And now, stay away from Tanya.

He had no idea why someone he’d just met fascinated him so much, but she was the first woman in the past year to make him feel like his old self, and he couldn’t walk away from that.

“Telling you to stay away from my granddaughter would be like telling kids to keep out of the penny candy aisle at Packard’s Store,” Mac continued, his voice low. “But she’s had a rough time of it for the past few months. I don’t know the details, but she’s been pretty down since the holidays. Until she found out about being accepted for this advanced schooling thing.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I don’t want anything—or anyone—to get in the way of her going to London.”

“Hey, all I said was I’m intrigued. You know, in learning more about her work. Spending time with an interesting lady. That’s it.”

“Don’t break her heart.”

Tanya’s heart was the least of her body parts that interested him. Not that he didn’t care about a lady’s feelings. He’d always made it clear to anyone he got involved with that he was a here-and-now kind of guy, and not someone to get serious with. “Me? I’m a confirmed bachelor. You know that.”

Mac sighed. “As long as you remember that, and the fact I’ll break you in two if you hurt her, we’re good.”

* * *

A confirmed bachelor?

Well, at least that answered the wife and kids question that had been running through her head the entire time she’d showered and changed.

She’d reached the front door in time to catch the end of Mac and Dev’s conversation. Hearing her grandfather’s warning made Tanya smile, but it was unnecessary.

There was no way Devlin would hurt her. After what she’d gone through over the holidays, no one could ever wound her that way again.

Especially since she had no one to blame but herself.

Tanya reached for the old brass knob, but then remembered her hair still hung loose around her shoulders. Ignoring the fact it was still damp, she combed it back into a ponytail and secured it with an elastic band from her wrist, finishing the same moment that Mac knocked.

Tugging the door open, she saw the guilty looks on both men’s faces but said nothing, not letting on that she’d overheard them. “Hey, I just finished dressing and was about to head over to the house to look for you two.”

“Well, here we are.” Mac offered a grin, reaching for the screen door. “Ready whenever you are.”

She stepped back and let them enter, watching Devlin’s face as he took in the cabin’s interior, from the curtains drawn against the afternoon sun to the soothing music and lit candles. The air carried a hint of sandalwood and vanilla, scents that Mac had said he liked the last time she’d worked on him.

Her portable massage table, draped in a white sheet and a light blanket, was set up in the middle of the room. The best place for it, seeing how the cabin was a wide-open space with a kitchen along the back wall, a distressed table and chairs separating the cooking area from the living room.

His gaze roamed the room, flinching a moment when he noticed the tools of her trade, a hand-carved wooden box, lid open and packaged needles in sight, on the dining table. Then he moved on, pausing for a long moment on the old iron bed in the far corner, half hidden by a set of folding screens.

“Wow, the old cabin sure looks different from the last time I was here.” Dev turned to face her. “I hardly recognize the place.”

“You’ve stayed here before?”

“A time or two over the years.” His mouth hitched into a half grin. “And you’re right about that mattress. It is a bit lumpy.”

Tanya’s cheeks heated for the second time today. A heat that raced the length of her despite the fact she was dressed in simple beige lounge pants, a white tank top and a matching lightweight knit cardigan.

Suddenly she wanted to wrap the sides of the sweater across her chest, but she settled for crossing her arms. “Yes, well, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

“You should’ve said something. We can replace it if you want,” Mac said.

“Don’t be silly.” She broke free of Dev’s gaze and walked to the dining table, reaching out to rearrange the supplies that were already in perfect order. “I’m only going to be here for a couple of months.”

“The old couch is pretty comfortable.” Dev headed for the piece of furniture and Tanya turned to watch him, noticing how he favored his right leg even more than before. “But it looks too clean to sit on now.”

“White is Tanya’s favorite color. Once I knew she was coming to visit, I gave the walls and the kitchen cabinets a fresh coat of white paint,” Mac said, walking over to join her. “Ursula helped with the decorating, everything from the white denim slip covers to the dishes.”

“Let me guess. You like vanilla ice cream best?”

She dropped her arms. “Actually, I prefer oatmeal cookie chunk. And fixing this place up for me was totally unnecessary, but much appreciated.”

“Not if you’d seen it in the before state.” Dev’s gaze wandered the length of her body. “Trust me, the after is a step up, even if it’s a bit...unexciting.”

“I prefer peaceful, tranquil.” Tanya pushed the words from her mouth, refusing to believe her sudden breathlessness had anything to do with the interest she saw in Devlin’s blue eyes.

Nerves, it was just nerves about working on Mac again.

She broke free from his gaze and dropped her hands, patting the table. “Mac, why don’t you hop up here and stretch out on your back? Dev, you can grab a seat where you are. Unless you’d like to get a closer view of my work?”

Dev sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, the smile now gone from his face. “This is close enough.”

Crossing to the kitchen sink, Tanya washed her hands again. When she got back to Mac, she found he’d already folded back the legs of his sweatpants before stretching out. Tucking the sheets and blanket around him, she left his lower legs and arms free.

“I’m going to talk as I go like the first time we did this, so Dev can understand what’s going on.” She offered Mac a smile, reaching for a needle packet from the box. “Ready to start?”

Mac flexed his fingers and then relaxed them across his stomach. “Ready.”

She looked up, centering her gaze on Dev. “I have no idea how much you know about acupuncture—”

His brows drew down into a sharp V. “You get stuck with lots of needles.”

“Well, not ‘lots,’ but let me back up a moment. Chinese medicine believes there are opposing forces, known as yin and yang, inside the body. When the forces are balanced, the body and the spirit are healthy. What helps to create this balance is an energy, a life force, called qi, which sounds like chee, but is spelled q-i. Qi flows through the body on a series of paths. When a path is obstructed, and in turn that force is blocked, illness can occur.”

“Is this where I start to call you Obi-Wan?”

Tanya smiled. “The point of acupuncture is that by using pressure on specific points within these paths, it will release any barriers that are hindering the flow of qi, which in turn will allow the body to heal. Make sense?”

He didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.”

“Yeah, I thought it was a bunch of hocus-pocus at first, too.” Mac turned his head and looked at Dev. “Now I’m a believer.”

Tanya saw the doubt in Dev’s eyes but continued, holding up the small packet in her hand. “Inside here is one needle. They are solid, hair thin and individually wrapped for sterilization. They are only used once and then tossed.”

Dev went visibly pale when she ripped open the sealed paper around the needle.

Dropping her hands to Mac’s lower leg, she held the needle between her index finger and thumb, out of Dev’s sight, while using her other hand to locate the first puncture location below his knee.

“Okay, here we go.” She looked at Mac. “Take a breath in...”

He did as instructed and after a quick tap on the end of the needle, it was in place.

“I thought this was to help Mac with the arthritis in his hands,” Dev said, his voice a bit rough. “Why are you sticking him in his legs?”

“There are almost two thousand acupuncture points on the human body and each one has a different effect on the qi. I’ve already mapped out the specific positions needed to help Mac find relief and yes, there are quite a few located in each hand as well as other areas of his body.”

“How long does he have to lie there like a human pincushion?”

“We did twenty minutes the past couple of times, but since it’s been a while I think we’ll go with a half hour today.” She had another needle and location ready on the same leg. “Another breath in, Mac.”

A quick glance up told her Dev was still watching, but his coloring had gone an even whiter shade of pale. “You okay over there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You might feel better if you stretched out on the couch—”

“I said I’m fine.”

He wasn’t. Tanya could see that plainly, from his coloring to the way he sat hunched forward, his hands clasped tightly between his knees, but she continued to work.

Keeping her tone light and even, she explained each step while keeping her attention on Mac, making sure her grandfather knew when she was going to insert each needle until he had a total of eight, two in each leg and two in each hand.

“Okay, now we move onto what is known as ‘Eight Ghosts,’ which is the web area between each finger. Very helpful for those who suffer from pain and numbness in the fingers.” Tanya completed one hand, then reached for the last set of needles. “Mac, maybe you can explain to Dev what sensations you are feeling as I finish up?”

“I would, but he’s disappeared.”

Tanya’s head jerked up. Her gaze shot to the empty couch and then to Mac. “What? Where is he? What happened?”

“He was messing with his phone a moment ago, but as soon as you mentioned the between-the-fingers thing, he headed for the door.”

Surprised that she hadn’t heard him leave, Tanya tried to see if Dev was really gone or just outside on the porch getting some fresh air.

“Go.”

She looked back at Mac. “What?”

“Go check on him. I’ll be fine here.”

“Not until your treatment is complete.” She concentrated on inserting the final needles and then made sure Mac was comfortable. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ve got no plans to move an inch until you tell me I can.” Mac grinned. “You better hightail it after him. He’s moving slow, but he could be in his Jeep and halfway home by now.”

Tanya crossed the room, slipped on a pair of wedge flip-flops and headed for the door. She left, leaving the inside door open in case her grandfather called out. She spotted Dev in a red Jeep parked at the hangar, the engine coming to life just as she made it to the passenger-side window.

“I understand, sweetie. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Dev spoke into his phone. “Have I ever let you down? Hey, stop laughing.”

She should step away and let him continue his conversation with his lady friend in private, but the moment Tanya moved he looked her way, doing a classic double take when he saw her.

“Gotta go, Abby. Driving and talking on a cell phone isn’t a good thing. Especially when driving a stick.” Dev ended the call, dropping his phone into the cup holder between the seats.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” Tanya noticed his skin tone was back to normal, even though she could still see discomfort radiating from the deep creases around his eyes. “Mac noticed you left the cabin pretty fast toward the end. He wanted me to check on you.”

“No need. I’m fi—”

“Fine. Yeah, you’ve said that already.” Not that she believed him. “So, I take it you’ve decided that you’re not interested in acupuncture.”

“Guess I’m not brave or crazy.” He grabbed the cowboy hat from the passenger seat and settled it on his head. “At least not enough to let you stick me.”

She should be happy he was turning her down. Getting involved with Devlin during her stay in Destiny would be a crazy decision on her part, but the healer in her wanted desperately to ease the pain he wore like a heavy overcoat. “Does that mean you aren’t interested in my help?”

“Oh, I’m interested.” He flashed her that same wide smile that had called her to his side at the roulette wheel ten years ago. “I’m very interested.”


Chapter Four

“For someone who said last week he was interested in my help, you don’t seem to be trying very hard.”

Dev tightened his grip on his fork and stabbed at the mound of mashed potatoes on his plate, but kept his tone light as he shot Tanya a quick wink from his side of the booth. “Well, I’m a little out of practice. Don’t worry, it’ll come back to me.”

She rewarded him with the beginnings of a smile, but he still read concern—no, more like pity, in her gaze. “I’m talking about your physical therapy session this morning.”

Yeah, he knew that.

Despite the fact he’d just about passed out watching her stick his buddy with a dozen or so needles, he’d told her he still wanted to work with her. But she’d insisted on meeting with Pete, his physical therapist, first, so she’d gone with him to a session today.

“And you pretty much glossed over what happened after the accident and how hurt you really were. Pete filled in the details for me.”

Dev shrugged and tried not to grimace at the soreness radiating through his shoulders and back. Hell, he was one giant wall of hurt after being stretched, pulled and twisted for sixty agonizing minutes.

Great way to start a Monday morning.

Not to mention the ride back to Destiny. He probably should’ve taken her up on her offer to grab lunch while they were in Laramie, but he’d figured the stretch behind the wheel would give his body more time to recover. Yeah, bad decision. He was stiff as a board.

And not in a good way.

“After eight months, it’s been talked about enough.”

She leaned forward, keeping her voice low despite the fact that Sherry’s Diner, a popular place to eat in Destiny, was pretty much empty. “What you went through was horrible, but you’ve come such a long way since last summer. Why are you giving up now?”

Refusing to give that question any serious consideration, Dev mimicked her posture, bringing their faces close together over their half-eaten meals. He threw in one of his famous grins for good measure. “Who said anything about giving up? Maybe I was just waiting for you to come to the rescue.”

“Except you’re not interested in anything I specialize in.” Tanya straightened and reached for her iced tea. “Other than a massage, of course.”

Hmm, strike one for charm. “Couldn’t be any worse than the beating I took today.”

“Considering it’s the first therapy appointment you’ve kept in the past three weeks, I’d say you’re lucky you walked out of the clinic at all.”

She was right on both counts. If he tried to stand up now he’d probably fall flat on his face. As it was, he’d had to use to the cane just to keep upright in the parking lot.

“Pete also said you refuse to take any pain medication.”

Now it was Dev’s turn to sit back, his gaze glued to the table, certain he’d failed in keeping his discomfort off his face as the fire raced from his hip to his knee. “That’s right.”

“At all?”

He nodded, then looked up at her, not surprised by the disbelief in her eyes.

Giving the green light for Pete to share his medical records with Tanya had meant she’d learn that little tidbit about him, and he’d been waiting for her to bring it up. He figured now was as good a time as any for a discussion he’d had too many times to count in the past eight months with everyone from doctors to his folks.

“But why?”

Dev was glad they had scored one of the booths in the far corner of the diner. Not that it had prevented a few people from stopping by to say hello, lie to him that he looked good and force him to introduce Tanya.

Now he was glad for another reason, even though what he was about to say was certainly no secret in town.

“Because I’m an alcoholic.”

Her eyebrows rose even higher until they disappeared beneath the fringe of bangs, her doubtful expression replaced with a look of pure surprise.

She didn’t know.

He hadn’t been sure if Mac had told her how the two of them had met and become friends since Dev had run out on the old man’s pincushion session last Wednesday.

“I was twenty-seven when I finally got sick and tired of being a highly functioning drunk and joined AA,” he continued. “Eight years ago this summer.”

“Is that where you met Mac?”

“At the very first meeting. Of course, it took me almost a year of still being stupid and denying I actually had a drinking problem before I finally got with the program. Mac was always there for me. Still is.”

Tanya’s gaze dropped to her plate. She suddenly seemed very interested in her ketchup-laden fries. “It took Mac...my grandfather years to admit he had a problem.”

“Didn’t you say you once lived with him?”

“I was just a baby when my father took off and my mom and I had to move in with Mac. They used to have some real knock-down, drag-out fights about his drinking.”

Trying to imagine a child living in that type of environment had Dev reaching for his ice water, his throat suddenly tight. “Is that why you moved when you were eight?”

She jerked her head up.

“Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good memory.”

Tanya stared at him for a moment, and then gave in with a soft humph and looked away. Before he could ask her about it, she shook her head.

“One night my mom just threw everything we had into a couple of suitcases and we took off. I guess she couldn’t take it anymore. I remember her saying Mac probably wouldn’t even notice we were gone for at least a week.”

“And you stayed gone for twenty-three years.”

Tanya pulled in a deep breath then slowly released it. “Yes, we did. Thankfully, Mac finally got the help he needed, even though it took him another ten years. He found my mom not long after that—something to do with making amends—but it wasn’t until last year we reconnected as a family.”

“I think Mac’s pretty happy about that and the fact you’re here,” Dev said, then grinned. “And not just so you can practice your voodoo magic on him.”

“Ah, which brings us back to working together and my original question about why you aren’t taking any pain medication during your recovery.”

She was a smart woman. At least he’d thought so. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Tanya stared at him for a moment, tilting her head to one side. The action caused her straight, shiny hair, pulled back into a high ponytail, to slide over one shoulder. Damn, that was sexy. “You were afraid of your addiction finding a new vice.”

Like he thought, smart. “Scared more of that than the possibility of losing a limb. Although that idea scared the crap out of me at the time, as well.”

“When did you make this decision? If you don’t mind me asking.”

He didn’t mind. Why should he? Lord knew, he’d been asked that question many times. “I don’t remember being rescued. Okay, that’s not exactly true. I do remember when the search team found me and my brother. Lucid moments were few and far between for me during the time we were lost, but I knew I’d been busted up pretty bad.”

This was where the memories collided with reality.

“I thought... I could’ve sworn I told the EMTs I didn’t want to be drugged, but I learned later I’d been in and out of consciousness most of that day. The next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital and had already had the first surgery to repair my leg. It was then I made it clear I wanted nothing that would take away the pain. The nurses thought I was nuts.”

“I can imagine.”

“I think I yanked out my IV tubing a few times...every time I started feeling numb...lost in la-la land.” Dev paused when the waitress stopped by and cleared away their dishes, waiting until she was gone before he went on. “It wasn’t until my folks came in... Well, they knew I was serious. Then we got the doctors onboard.”

“The pain must’ve been excruciating.”

“It was a rough road. I had three more surgeries to deal with my two broken arms and a bad infection that developed in my leg. That kept me in the hospital for a long time. After a lot of discussions, I ended up taking mostly NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but even those I weaned myself off as soon as I could. Hell, I rarely take anything even for a headache.”

She looked at him for a long moment and Dev felt his skin grow hot under her scrutiny. Outside of his family, medical team and Mac, Tanya was the first person he’d talked to about this part of his recovery.

“Is this refusal to take pain medication the reason you’ve been slack on your physical therapy?”

“Well, it sure hurts like hell afterwards.” Dev held up his hands, unable to truly spread his arms wide. “Usually I just ‘Duke’ it out.”

“I’m sorry, what does that mean?”

“You know, the Duke? John Wayne? Take it like a man?” Dev laughed and dropped his hands back to the table when she rolled her eyes at him. “Hey, I’m doing okay. Might not be a hundred percent, but considering where I started...”

“And no one ever offered alternative methods for dealing with the pain?”

“You mean like yours?”

“Yes. There’s quite a variety of disciplines out there. Acupuncture being one, of course, but there’s also self-hypnosis, Reiki, meditation, aromatherapy or even electrical nerve stimulation.”

“Well, some of those were talked about, but—”

“You’re not a fan of unconventional medicine.” Tanya crossed her arms, propping them on the edge of the table. “So tell me again why you want to work with me?”

Now it was Dev’s turn to stare as silence stretched between them.

Damn, she was pretty. Dressed in cream-colored slacks and a simple white cotton sweater, she looked very professional.

He guessed that was the point of today’s appointment, but he missed the revealing, body hugging outfits he’d seen her in last week.

He took in her peaches-and-cream skin, beautiful eyes with long, dark lashes and mouth that begged to be kissed.

His body responded to where his thoughts were headed, and why not, when the rest of him was tight and hurting.

“I’m not really sure,” he finally answered, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself. “You’re obviously skilled in your chosen profession and you believe in what you do. You already know needles are out, but you must have some other tricks up your sleeve. Besides, I trust you.”

An easy smile came to her lips. “You say that like it’s a surprise.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is, although I don’t really know why I trust you. Who knows? Maybe this whole thing between us was meant to be. I just can’t get over how you seem very familiar.”

“Do I?”

Two simple words, but Dev had noticed how her smile changed. Still there, but it wasn’t as easy and relaxed as before. “I know it sounds strange, but it’s almost as if we’ve met before. In a previous life, maybe?”

* * *

Before Tanya could respond, their waitress appeared again with their bill and flashed her pretty green eyes at Dev despite the fact she looked like she was barely out of high school.

Thankful for the timely interruption, Tanya took a moment to do her own relaxation technique. A few deep breaths and a mental image of a field of wildflowers slowed her heart from the frantic pounding that had started the moment Dev had fallen silent when she’d pushed for an answer about why he wanted to work with her.

Dev’s aversion to medication wasn’t something new to her. She’d successfully treated others with substance abuse problems, but those patients had been looking for and willing to take on alternative methods.

Dev wanted to work with her because he trusted her.

An important reason, granted, but was he using her profession and his accident as a way to spend more time with her? Was he finally remembering their night together in Reno?

Dev handed over cash, including a generous tip, and then turned his charming smile away from the waitress and back to her. “So, where were we?”

Changing the subject, that’s where. “I thought we were splitting the bill for lunch.”

“No worries. I can afford it.”

His casual tone had her fingers tightening around her glass. “Despite my grandfather’s monetary offer last week, I do have a few dollars in my wallet.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Dev placed a hand over hers. “You can get the bill next time.”

Tanya pulled in another deep breath and relaxed. “Who says there’s going to be a next time?”

“Oh, I’m sure there will be. We’re just getting to know each other.”

Thinking this was a great time for a trip to the ladies’ room, she opened her mouth to ask for directions when a low, deep voice suddenly filled the air.

“Hey, Dev, imagine running into you here. And with a pretty girl, no less.” A dark-haired man with black-framed glasses walked up to the booth. “Rumor had it you were getting back into the swing of things.”





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