by Debra Holt
If it was, he made no mention of it. The smile widened and that pleased her.
“I like to delude myself that I am in charge. And that was your plan all along given the knowing smirk I see lurking on your face.”
“I’m glad to see that you’re a man who can admit when he can be taught something new. Gypsy will teach you a lot. She’s a good dog.”
“I’m learning all sorts of things lately.”
His response was a bit cryptic, but she didn’t get to delve into it as their meal arrived. After that, it was small talk while they enjoyed the good food served up in the small, but popular Mexican food restaurant.
Thirty minutes later, they stepped outside. “That was way too much food,” she said, shaking her head. “How can I be expected to go back to work now? I’d think a nap would be nicer.”
“I’m in agreement there. But I think my brother might have other ideas if I’m not back and in the saddle soon. I told him I’d meet him to look over some land we’re thinking of clearing for additional pastureland.”
“Help! Please help! There’s a fire… in the back of the garage!” The shrill, pleading voice split the afternoon and made them both look in the direction, across the street, to where a woman was holding her cell phone to her ear and looking frantic for who could help.
Rissa had no time to comment, because Dev was already sprinting across the street in that direction. She followed a bit slower as traffic was still coming and going along the main street. It amazed her that Dev hadn’t been hit. He had stopped to speak to the woman, who pointed to the building, and then he was off in a flash again. In the distance, a faint siren could be heard.
Rissa reached the woman, just as a couple more men ran up and stood at the entrance of Wally’s Welding and Iron Works shop. Thick, black smoke had begun to exit the garage door on the side of the building and from the front doors.
“My brother’s in there. I was cooking lunch in the apartment over the shop and next thing I know he screams at me to run and get out. I made it downstairs and there was a fire climbing along the back wall. He was trying to swat it out with something in his hand and he kept telling me to run and call for help.” She was obviously scared and in a panic.
The men at the door stepped inside just as Dev’s tall figure, his arm supporting a smaller man that she recognized as the owner of the shop, came to the front of the building. It looked like he kept turning, wanting to go back inside. Dev passed him off and then instead of coming outside, Rissa saw him turn and disappear inside. Her own heart began to beat wildly when she lost sight of him. The fire trucks pulled up a moment later.
They were all moved back behind their trucks and Rissa felt so helpless. What had possessed Dev to do such a thing? Now and then, orange flames could be seen shooting out a window at the back. The smell was horrible and there was a jumble of sounds from the fire equipment, voices calling out orders, and people scrambling like ants. Shops had to be evacuated and traffic was rerouted. And still no sign of Dev.
Quite a crowd had assembled on the sidewalks of Main Street. Rissa still stood beside the woman, feeling totally helpless and fear squeezing her insides. The firemen had been alerted by the owner of the shop that Dev had gone back inside.
Hoses began to hum with water and the black smoke was becoming lighter in color.
A shout rose from the crowd as they caught sight of Dev once more coming through the front doorway… something wrapped in his shirt and cradled in his arms. He had lost his hat somewhere along the way. And there were streaks of black soot and sweat on the once-white T-shirt he had worn under his work shirt. He looked around and then walked over to the couple, smiles and tears on their faces. He handed over the bundle to them. It turned out to be their small Chihuahua dog… Benji. The woman hugged Dev’s neck and the man couldn’t shake his hand enough. There were slaps on the back from some of the firemen and the gathered townspeople. His eyes lit on Rissa and he headed her way.
Rissa could only shake her head… once her heart settled down and the rock dislodged from the center of her chest. “I can’t believe you just did that. Are you insane? You could have been seriously hurt or worse. Why in the world would you go back a second time?”
“I wasn’t hurt. I’m okay… except for losing one of my favorite shirts and a new hat. But the man was not going to leave the building unless I promised to find his dog. I know him and that dog is his child. I’d think you’d understand, Doc.”
His words gave her pause. She drew in a calming breath. “I understand, but it doesn’t make it any easier to watch someone you care about run into a fire instead of away from it.”
A slow grin brought a gleam to his bright blue eyes. “Someone you care about?” He leaned a bit closer and lowered his voice so only she could hear. “Was that for the crowd’s benefit?”
Rissa realized what she had said without thinking. And the fact she had done that so easily and quickly made her mind crash to a halt.
“You look a little pale, Doc. Maybe things are getting a little too hot for you to handle right now. We need to get you away from the heat.”
The hand on her elbow guided her through the remaining bystanders, many of whom reached out a hand to Dev, or gave him a slap on the back. She seemed to have suddenly become associated with a local town hero in the space of a few minutes. Dev was right when he said maybe she needed to get out of the heat. Only he was causing a large part of that heat. And she had the feeling he knew it, too.
*
Dev noted her quietness. He waited until they were seated inside his truck before he spoke. “Now back to where we were before we were interrupted earlier by a screaming woman. I mentioned what I was doing this afternoon for Chance. Was there something that amused you when I made mention about my afternoon’s work ahead of me?”
Rissa glanced over at him. “It isn’t so much that I’m amused. It’s just unusual… best word I can think of right now. I’m having to fit the previous version of you with the present version of you… and there are moments when it is… unusual.” She finished with an apologetic smile. “And not to mention the last few minutes… I can’t quite capture the Dev I thought I knew before with the one who went running into a burning building without hesitation. It is all… unusual for want of a better word.”
Dev nodded. “I get it. And that is scary… that I do get what you just said.”
They both laughed then, and it was a good feeling. It was enlightening and also freeing of the past hour’s tenseness. Dev’s admiration for the woman beside him grew by leaps and bounds. She was already a beautiful woman, but her mind and wit took her to a new level in his estimation. And there was that weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He drew up in front of the vet clinic, the engine idling.
“Don’t park,” she said, her hand on the door handle beside her. “You’ve got to get back to work and so do I. Lunch was a good idea. But let’s skip the fireworks next time? The next meal is on me… Friday night? At the diner? Big crowd there before the regional high school game.”
“Sounds good. Pick you up at six thirty?”
“That’s a plan.” Then to his shock, she leaned over in a quick movement and planted a kiss on his cheek. “That’s for not getting yourself hurt today, and saving that little dog.” Then she was gone.
He sat there… staring at her retreat. A horn honked behind him and he waved at the lady behind the wheel, waiting for him to move his truck out of the way in the parking lot. Back to reality.
Chapter Eight
“If we get the crew working on this field, it should be cleared by midmonth. If the winds stay quiet, we can burn the stacks. We’ll have a couple of tanker trucks standing by just in case. Maybe fly a couple of drones overhead and Tom and his crew will wear pink hats and have water guns, too. You agree?”
Dev nodded. Then he shook his head. Pink… drones? He had been caught out easily enough. Chance sat on his horse across from him and his face said it all. Dev had b
een caught drifting in his thoughts and his concentration wasn’t where it should have been.
“Well, I prefer them in green hats, if you’re asking.” He sat straighter in his saddle. “Sorry… I won’t drift away again. Guess I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
“Sleep? Maybe too many tortillas for lunch and too much excitement what with you bursting through flames and rescuing helpless dogs and people. Not to mention a few daydreams about a good-looking lunch partner? You forget how fast news travels in these parts. Seems we Braxtons now have a full-fledged local hero in our midst… not just in undercover, any longer.”
“Seems I hadn’t counted on the news getting all the way out here in the middle of nowhere so fast.”
“You’ll learn. But, you know Josie will be on you like white on rice if you aren’t serious about whatever this is between you and Rissa. So, if this is just another of your flings… move on. It would be better for your health. That’s my best advice. That and staying away from fire for a while. We better let Tom and the hands do the clearing of brush. Now, let’s move on from your love life and think about getting some cattle out here.”
Dev kept his mind on the work at hand for the remainder of the afternoon. Later, in the barn, as he was unsaddling his horse, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked around and Gypsy was sitting as still as possible… given her whole body was being shaken by the wagging of her tail as she waited for permission to come forward and greet her human. Dev tossed the blanket onto the sawhorse and then clamped his hands. The dog bounded forward, and Dev gave her a good rub down, laughing at its antics. It was nice to have someone so eager for his company.
Gypsy sat down and gave him a look. Dev stood and reached into the jar on the table. He withdrew a dog bone and handed it over. And then the words from earlier that day went through his head. Rissa was right. The dog had him trained. It wasn’t lost on him how easily the vet came to his thoughts. He couldn’t recall any other female of his acquaintance that managed to grab a space in his brain and hang on. Only it wasn’t only his brain that was effected. That was the scary part.
But when he had looked into her eyes as he came out of the fire and then she had said the part about caring… he had never known a better moment. And that was when he realized that perhaps he had made a big mistake in agreeing to their plan about making a simple friendship work for them. He shook his head. Why did he have the feeling that things were about to get crazy? And crazy was what he had escaped from… or so he thought.
*
“This is crazy,” Rissa stated for the umpteenth time.
Seated in the back of Josie’s SUV, she contemplated the childproof locks. Thoughts of escape were ripe on her mind.
“Who knew they were going to reschedule the charity baseball game for this week? It rained the first two times they tried to get this community game done. They have to do it tonight because so many people are going to be busy with branding or out of town on family summer trips. The guys need our support.” Josie smiled at her in the rearview mirror before turning her attention back to the road.
“Well, we old, married ladies can understand better than a single female with a sexy date planned… alone… just the two of them. I can remember those days. It might be a little harder for Josie, since she’s been married the longest.” Dee made the teasing comment from the front passenger’s seat. “However, it was nice of Dev to pitch in and help out the team. It’s nice to see all three brothers pulling together.”
Nice. Rissa hadn’t thought that when Dev had phoned on Thursday evening and explained he felt he needed to join in with the ranch’s team in the game. Braxton Ranch had underwritten many items for the new athletic fields in town and this game was the capstone of the season. They would raise even more money for the uniforms for all the Little League teams for the coming year. How could she say no to such a good cause? Easy.
Rissa had a well-kept secret. She couldn’t stand baseball. She’d rather take a trip to the dentist. She had been happy to write a donation check on behalf of the clinic and hand it over, but she hadn’t planned on having to actually attend. But then came the call from Dev. And he had sounded truly disappointed when she tried to get out of attending. So, she relented. And that was how she ended up in the back seat, locked in with no escape, beside a giggling Emma in her car seat.
“Are you hinting that I’m such an old, married lady that I have forgotten how great romance can be?”
Dee grinned at the driver. “I don’t think I hinted at anything. I said it.”
“Just because I’ve been married two years longer than you, doesn’t mean I’m ready for the rocking chair,” Josie shot back at her friend.
“Will you two stop already?” Rissa piped up. If she didn’t, her two friends would go on forever. “There’s no romance involved. But if there was any romance to be found, I am fairly certain it won’t be inside a baseball park.”
“You never know when you’re going to get hit with cupid’s arrow… or a fastball.” Dee smiled.
Rissa pulled the baseball cap down lower on her head and tried to cover her ears. Sheer torture lay ahead. If only cupid would hit her with an arrow then maybe she could escape. Once they arrived at the ballpark, Rissa followed behind the others to their seats in the bleachers. She sat down and took in a deep breath.
“You look pretty all decked out in our colors.” The compliment came from Dev as he slid into the vacant spot on the bleacher next to Rissa, surprising her. Rissa was trying to be supportive and had purchased the bright blue capris, along with the red and white striped top earlier that morning. The top had a peplum waist and gave a flirty look to the sporty outfit, leaving her shoulders bare. Red sneakers and the bright blue visor added to her ballpark ensemble. She had pulled her thick mane of hair back in a ponytail to keep cool. Dark sunglasses helped the glare of the setting sun a little. It needed to slide a little lower in the western sky before she could do without them.
“Thanks. And you look like a real pro there yourself.” She noted how the red, white, and blue striped shirt with his last name on the back of it and number twelve on the front only enhanced his looks. The cap looked good on him, as did the tight baseball pants. There was something to be said for that part of the sport.
“Looks can be deceiving.” He grinned. “I think I’m about to make a fool of myself. Sports weren’t really my thing.”
“I seem to recall that. You were more of the indoor-sports kind of guy. But I’ll promise to cheer for you, no matter what. If you’ll promise to end this game sooner rather than later.”
He looked at her. “I had heard a rumor today that baseball wasn’t your thing. I’m sorry I did this to you, when we had planned something else.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. I understand you wanting to help your brothers’ team out. It’s for a good cause. And it does give us another opportunity to be seen together as supportive friends. I’ll smile and pretend I am enthralled with your athletic prowess.”
“I’m honored. And I know I owe you one for this effort. Afraid I can’t say for certain, but I guess you were more the scholarly type in high school… not into sports and such.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. You want me to watch football… I am there. I will even watch basketball. But, say baseball to me, and I would rather watch paint dry… it’s faster.”
Dev laughed outright then, and she found herself responding in kind. It seemed natural in the moment. And she liked the sound of his laugh… it was deep and resonating. They had found a common moment and it felt… right.
There was a sharp whistle and they both looked toward the field where Rio motioned for Dev to join them as they headed toward the dugout.
“My team calls. This shouldn’t take too long for us to lose.” He gave her a wink as he grabbed his glove and headed down to the field.
Famous last words. He had said ‘shouldn’t take too long.’ Rissa had clung to that hope. But some three hours later, she had lost all hope
and, once, had resorted to tears. She had mistakenly thought the game was over. Only to have her happiness dashed by Dee informing her it was just a time-out. Dev had looked up in her direction a time or two, shrugging his shoulders and an apologetic smile on his face.
Who knew he had an aptitude for the game? Gauging by the comments of the people seated around them, Dev was proving to be a real asset to the team… even scoring a home run which had brought Rissa to her feet without thought and her screams were louder than anyone else’s. And she had heard the comments in the stands around them about Dev’s exploits in the fire. People were genuinely impressed over that. Slowly, but surely, it seemed the tide was turning in favor of the new and improved version of the old prodigal son.
Of course, the newspapers had eaten up the whole fire incident. She had to admit that if she hadn’t already known the man, by the time she had read the article and looked at the photo of him holding the little dog in his arms, she would have wanted to meet the hero herself. The new Dev was proving to be a hard man to ignore. Much less one to compare with the old one. Yet, part of her still clung to the fact she couldn’t fully trust the previous version wouldn’t surface again. Perhaps it was her need to self-protect… particularly since there was a very good chance that her heart was becoming involved despite all her objections to the contrary.
When she had erupted into another cheer when he scored again, the wide grins on the faces of Josie and Dee had brought her back down to earth. She shrugged and continued clapping. Let them think what they wanted. It just meant that the sooner they won, then the sooner they could leave. At least that was what Rissa told herself was why she was so enthusiastic for Dev.
When the game finally ended, the other girls headed down to the field to join in the team’s celebration. Rissa stopped along the way to speak to some of her clients who commented on the game and on Dev’s heroics. A hand on her arm interrupted one conversation and she found herself lifted off the ground and swung around in a pair of strong arms. When she came to her senses, it was Dev’s grin that registered and then in the next instant, he planted a kiss on her lips that spun the rest of the world around on its already tilted axis. She held on for her life as her brain tried to recoup its clearheaded foothold on reality.