Destiny's Last Bachelor? (9 page)

And the surprises just kept coming. “It’s her birthday?”

“The actual date was a couple of days ago, I guess, but she let it slip this morning to Lee and soon a girls’ night out was in the works. Lee gets to be the designated driver, of course.”

As hard as he tried, Dean just couldn’t picture Priscilla knocking back a few beers with Leeann and her friends at the local saloon, even though he’d offered to take her to dinner at to the Blue Creek—what, two weeks ago?

Wow, had it really been that short of a time since they’d met? How had she so easily found her way into his daily thoughts? Sure, he’d been attracted to her from the moment he’d seen her, but how much did he really know about her?

She took her job seriously despite obviously rolling in dough. She wasn’t afraid to join in and get her hands dirty. She had a sense of humor that she tried to hide after her clumsiness during the tour had him saving her from spiders and taking a dunk in the lake.

He also knew a couple of people very close to her had hurt her deeply. She was obviously nursing a bruised heart.

“So, you interested in tonight?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah, sounds good. Count me in.”

“I’m heading back to the office to check on my wife. You coming?”

Dean glanced at his friend, not surprised by the smug grin on his face. “Yeah, I think I will. I want to congratulate the new mama with a big hug.”

The arrogance disappeared from Bobby’s expression as he glanced over at the corral for a moment. “Okay, well, I should warn you. Priscilla’s dog, Snake, is in the office with Leeann. He seems as infatuated with my wife as Daisy is with your—with Priscilla.”

Yeah, and Dean was finally realizing Daisy wasn’t the only infatuated one around here. The question was, what was he going to do about it?

The answer: nothing.

She was only in town for another few weeks and then she and her dog would hop into her sporty little convertible and drive off into the sunset. Alone.

* * *

He’d walked away.

After hearing Dean call out to his dog, Priscilla had been sure he’d come down to the corral to at least say hello to her and Holly. Instead, he’d whistled for Daisy to join him, but the dog had given her owner a quick glance over one shoulder and stayed put just outside the corral as Dean headed for the dining hall with Bobby.

Not that his leaving had stopped Holly from chatting about “Mr. Zip” throughout the rest of the lesson.

“I think that young lady has a pretty big crush on your master.” Priscilla sat on one of the benches that lined the back porch of the dining hall, Daisy at her side. She gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ear, noticing her fingers were long overdue for a manicure. “Not that it’s hard to see why. Holly might only be nine years old, but she can list Dean’s attributes better than any dating website. Smart, caring, good-looking, funny—”

Daisy gave out a quick bark.

“And he’s got a great dog.” Priscilla laughed when she nodded in agreement. “You know, Daisy, I think you’re a bit misunderstood when it comes to your aversion to females. You were very nice on the walk back from the barn with Holly.”

This time Daisy dipped her snout, but looked up at Priscilla with sorrowful eyes. “What happened, girl? Was someone not nice to you once upon a time?”

This time Daisy looked away and let out a sigh as she laid down, her paws hanging over the edge of the bench.

“Don’t want to talk about it, huh? That’s okay. Girl to girl, I understand.” Priscilla stretched out herself, crossing her legs at the ankles. “Sometimes talk is overrated. Sometimes it’s best to let actions speak louder than words. And boy, have we had an active day.”

It’d been a long day—a long week—but a very fulfilling one. She’d worked harder physically this past week than she’d done in years. Daily yoga classes and a few miles on the treadmill had her thinking she’d been in great shape, but the things she’d been doing around Camp Diamond had really given her a workout. And it felt good.

Not just the idle muscles that were slowly getting used to being active again, but deeper, in her heart and in her mind, where it counted even more.

She’d felt more useful digging in the dirt, painting walls and working in the stables with the horses than she had in the past few months at her office at the foundation. Even the bachelor auction was coming together nicely, mostly because everyone involved—from the committee members to the bachelors—all believed in the end goal of helping the camp.

Not that the organizations she worked with back home didn’t aspire to the same thing, but there always seemed to be at least two or three people who excelled at cageyness and gamesmanship that would often make pulling together an event more difficult than it needed to be. It’d been happening so frequently that Priscilla had felt only relief once the fund-raisers were over.

Not this time. She was enjoying her stay in Destiny, enjoying being here at the camp. Which was something she’d never expected that first day when she’d arrived—

“Boy, you must be a million miles away. Dreaming of a sun-soaked beach or shopping on Rodeo Drive?”

Startled, Priscilla looked up to find Dean leaning against one of the porch posts. Her breath caught in her chest. What had Holly called him? Oh, yes. A cutie-pie. Yes, he was that. “Oh! Hello. I didn’t hear you come up.”

“So where’s your watchdog?”

She grinned. “Snake is with Leeann. He rarely leaves her side anymore. Especially after she announced her pregnancy— Oh! I hope I didn’t ruin the surprise. Did you know?”

“Yes, Bobby told me earlier today.” He pointed to the bench. “Mind if I join you?”

A thrill raced through her that seemed so silly she ignored it. “Please do. I’m just waiting for Leeann to finish up a phone call.”

“I heard about your plans for tonight.” Dean sat on the other side of Daisy, who propped her head on his thigh. “So you’re finally going to visit the famous Blue Creek Saloon.”

“I’ve already been there.”

“Really?”

“Last weekend. Checking out the setup for the auction. Of course, it was the middle of the afternoon, so I’m guessing it won’t be as quiet this evening.” She smiled, remembering Leeann’s plans for tonight. “It seems Leeann and her friends are determined to teach me to line dance. But I must say, you were right. The burgers there are wonderful.”

Dean leaned back and propped his elbow on the back of the bench. “Well, look at you. Manual labor, hanging out in bars...” He tapped the curved brim of the straw cowboy hat she wore. “Even your clothes are looking a bit different these days. Has the city princess turned into a country girl?”

She’d forgotten about the hat, an impulse buy while shopping last week. Yanking it off, she pushed back her hair, which had fallen free of the ponytail and into her face. “It helps protect my skin from the sun, especially when I’m outside with the horses.”

“You looked pretty comfortable down there.”

Priscilla kept her gaze on the hat resting in her lap. “I’ve loved horses since I was a little girl. I’m more used to an English saddle—”

“Gee, now, there’s a surprise.”

She looked up. He was teasing her, but instead of getting defensive—her standard operating procedure—she returned his smile. “I know, right? But I do have some experience with Western and, well, a horse is a horse. You know, Holly was disappointed you didn’t come down to say hi earlier.”

“Yeah, she made that pretty clear when I saw her head out with her mom.” Dean leaned in close and lowered his voice to whisper, “Personally, I think she was looking for someone else to help with her barn duties, like dishing out the horses’ grain.”

Priscilla laughed. “You’re probably right about that. But we were able to handle it, which means I am in desperate need of a bath before I go out tonight.”

“You’ve been working hard around here this week.”

She nodded. “Yes, I’m exhausted, but it’s a good kind of tired.”

“I wanted to tell you that I think you’ve come up with some pretty good ideas for the camp. And it’s not just me. Bobby and Leeann are impressed as well, since they put them all into action.”

His approval made her go all soft inside. She’d only attended the weekly staff meeting as an observer, but once again found herself unable to stop from offering up her ideas. “Even the performance pavilion?”

Dean laughed. “Yes, even that. But I’ve got to ask you, what was the talent you performed at the show with the kids?”

A hot blush flooded her cheeks. “Oh, it was nothing. Just something silly. I wasn’t even going to join in, but the kids dared me.”

“You have to tell me now.”

She rolled her eyes but saw the determination in his, so she said, “I peeled the skin off of an apple with a sharp knife in one continuous piece.”

“One complete length? No breaks? That is pretty impressive.”

“It’s a skill I acquired one summer from our cook. I used to sit at the kitchen counter for hours and peel the apples she needed for her pies.” Priscilla smiled as the long-ago memory came back to her. “My mother always said the only thing she ever made in the kitchen was menus for her dinner parties, but Adelina had insisted my sister and I know our way around the stove.”

“I’m guessing this is the same sister who—”

Priscilla stood. Talking about Jacqueline, even thinking about her, was the last thing she wanted right now. “I should probably go find—”

“Hey, hold on a minute.” Dean laid a hand on her arm, stopping her escape. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not, but please don’t go yet. I have something for you.”

His tone was so sincere, she sat back down.

He patted Daisy on her rump and the dog jumped down from the bench and sat at his feet. He then stretched out his right leg and, reaching into the oversize side cargo pocket of his shorts, pulled out a cellophane-wrapped cupcake. He quickly unwrapped the packaging and held the treat out toward her in the palm of his hand. “Sorry if it’s a little squished. I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I could do under such short notice.”

She looked down at the chocolate cupcake with its familiar white loopy scroll across the top. “I don’t understand.”

“Bobby told me that it’s— And, well, you’re going out to celebrate—” He broke off and gave a halfhearted shrug. “Hell, everyone deserves cake on their birthday, even if it’s a small one.”

Stunned, Priscilla stared at the snack and blinked back sudden tears.

When she and Leeann had been talking earlier about the baby’s due date, somehow the discussion had gotten around to zodiac signs, with Priscilla revealing she was a moon child and her birthday had been just two days ago. Leeann had then insisted that they go out tonight to celebrate, and she would get her friends—a few of them whom Priscilla had already met—to join them. Other than a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Lisa that had arrived for her at the inn on Wednesday and an electronic greeting card from her assistant, no one else—meaning neither her father nor Jacqueline—had acknowledged her special day.

“Oh, Dean. You didn’t have to do this.”

“It’s no big deal. Just don’t expect me to sing, okay?”

She laughed and looked up at him. “Hmm, it’s just not a birthday cake without the song.”

Dean reached into another pocket of his cargo shorts and, with the flick of his thumbnail, ignited the wooden matchstick he held in his hand. He then stuck it into the top of the cupcake. “How about a candle? Will that do?”

Priscilla didn’t know what to say.

“Well, come on, before it burns out.”

“What do you mean?”

Dean moved the cupcake closer. “What’s a birthday cake without a wish?”

“I haven’t made a wish on my birthday in years. I wouldn’t— I don’t have any idea what to wish for.”

“Anything your heart desires. That’s what makes wishes so cool.” A grin tugged at his mouth. “And since it’s been so long, you better make it count.”

Priscilla returned Dean’s stare for a moment, then closed her eyes. She never did get to make that request in the church that first Sunday, but this time she wished on the first thought that came to her. She then opened her eyes, puckered her lips and blew out the makeshift candle.

Dean smiled and gently placed the snack cake in her hand. “I hope your wish was a good one.”

Oh, it was, but would it ever come true? Probably not, but hey, a girl could hope, and wasn’t that what wishes were for?

Chapter Eight

“Y
ou know, the last time I drank out of a shot glass was probably in college, but these birthday-cake thingies are so good.” Priscilla reached for another one of the festive drinks in the center of the table. “What’s in this again?”

“Frangelico and vanilla-flavored vodka. Here, don’t forget the lemon.” Racy Steele, the owner of the Blue Creek Saloon and wife to the town’s sheriff, held out the sugar-frosted piece of fruit. “It’s nothing without this.”

Priscilla took the lemon slice and, along with the other ladies at the table, except for Leeann, who was drinking only ice water tonight, raised her glass in salute before downing another shot.

The first time they’d done this, Priscilla had been the last one to set her glass on the table and bite into the lemon. This time she was the first and it had only taken her—she counted the empty upside-down glasses in front of her—four tries to accomplish that feat. Considering she still wasn’t getting the hang of dancing in a straight line to country music, Priscilla enjoyed this victory.

“Boy, you’re getting a little too good at this,” Maggie Cartwright said, laughing. She was Leeann’s other best friend—besides Racy—and ran a ranch outside of town she shared with her husband, daughter and toddler son. “Maybe we should slow down.”

“No kidding,” Racy’s sister-in-law, Gina Dillon, added. “I bet the guys aren’t going through as much alcohol tonight as we are.”

“They might be. It’s been a while since either Gage or I have had an evening away from the twins. And they turned two this past spring.” Racy waved over one of her waitresses, who cleared the table of the empties, replacing them with another round of beers.

“Same goes for me,” said Maggie. “Between chasing after horses and trying to keep up with Tyler, who’s just a few months older than Racy’s kids, Landon and I haven’t had too many nights out, either.”

“So all of you are relatively new moms?” Priscilla looked around the table. “With Leeann of course being the newest mommy.”

“I guess so.” Gina grabbed her beer. “I’ve been a stepmom since Justin and I married last year, but we’ve only got one more court appearance before my petition to adopt Jacoby is finalized. Of course, he’s already bugging us for a little brother or sister.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news about the adoption!” Racy leaned over and gave Gina a big hug. “You have been so wonderful with Jacoby from the very beginning. I know you’ll be just as terrific with a new baby. Besides, my brother isn’t getting any younger. And neither are you.”

“Hey! I’m not even close to thirty yet,” Gina protested, but her smile was full of mischief. “Unlike the rest of you. I’m still the baby at this table.”

Priscilla joined in the laughter and took another swallow of the icy-cold beer. Straight from the bottle. Another first for her in a long time. She had to admit she’d been a bit nervous about tonight’s plans, but Leeann’s friends were all great women and she was having a blast. So many people had come up to their table throughout the evening to talk about the auction and the camp. She’d even run into two of Dean’s fellow firefighters she’d met at bingo, but turned down both of their requests for a dance.

“You know, just because the rest of us aren’t interested in slow dancing doesn’t mean you have to sit out when asked,” Racy said.

“Yeah, you’re a pretty popular lady. Must be because you’re the mysterious out-of-towner.” Maggie took a swallow of her beer and looked around the bar. “Nothing like new blood in town to bring out the cowboys.”

“Or the cops or the firemen.” Leeann leaned forward, wrapping her hands around her glass. “Especially one fireman in particular.”

“Are we talking about Zip?” Gina chimed in. “Now, there’s one hunky guy.”

“Do we have a new romance in the works?” Maggie asked.

Priscilla shook her head and then suddenly wished she hadn’t when the room took an interesting tilt. “No. Dean and I are just...”

“Friends?” All four ladies asked in unison.

“We’re...well, we’re working together on the auction. Working together at the camp. Sort of. So I guess we’re...” Priscilla snapped her mouth closed when she realized a few too many seconds had gone by without her finishing that sentence. By the amused looks on the ladies’ faces, it didn’t really matter what she was about to say. But she said it anyway. “Yes, we’re friends.”

“Does that mean there’s no chance of you bidding on him at the auction?” Racy asked.

“He hasn’t said what his date package will be yet,” Leeann said, then smiled. “Maybe she’s waiting to find out how creative he gets before she makes up her mind.”

“Married or not, I think my hubby is going to have to step it up when it comes to planning a date night for the two of us.” Gina raised her beer in the air. “Anybody else with me?”

The ladies all clicked their bottles in agreement, Priscilla included, and the talk turned to the various dates planned by the bachelors participating in the auction. Listening to the women debate the various offerings reminded Priscilla of that simple yet special moment back at the camp with Dean this afternoon.

“Priscilla? You ready for another lesson?”

Leeann, Racy, Maggie and Gina all stood up from the table. She groaned. “Another lesson in scoot booting?”

Leeann laughed. “It’s called boot scooting, and yes, it is. Grab that cowboy hat and let’s get back out on the dance floor.”

* * *

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Dean looked over at Bobby, who sat in the passenger side of his truck.

The cupcake had been stupid. Schmaltzy and stupid, even though Priscilla had seemed to enjoy his gesture. But this latest idea was probably taking things a bit too far.

“Are you asking me if I think Leeann is going to tell me I’m being a bit overprotective? Yeah, probably.” Bobby leaned forward and peered out into the crowded parking lot. “But it was Maggie who texted Landon and said their evening was coming to an end and that she and Gina were heading out.”

“She also said Priscilla was acting a bit loopy. Whatever the hell that means.”

“I think it means she had a good time.” Bobby pointed at a group of women heading out into the parking lot from the bar’s double doors. “Which I don’t have a problem with—”

“But you’d rather Leeann not be the one who has to get Priscilla back to her room at the inn.”

Bobby pushed open his door and grinned. “Precisely. Thanks for agreeing to make sure she gets home okay. Even though I had to twist your arm.”

Dean kept his mouth shut as he got out from behind the wheel. There had been no arm-twisting. Hell, it’d been his idea to come here and make sure the girls got home okay even though they knew Leeann hadn’t been drinking tonight.

He and Bobby headed across the parking lot toward Leeann and Priscilla, who were walking their way, giggling over a private joke.

“Have fun tonight, ladies?” Bobby called out.

“Bobby!” Leeann halted and slapped a hand to her chest. “You scared me. What are you two doing here?”

“Our evening ended and you all were still out having fun. We figured we’d come down and join you.”

Dean glanced at his friend.
Good
line, buddy.

“Well, our party has just ended, too.” Priscilla flung her arms out wide. “You boys are too late to join in the fun.”

“I don’t know about that,” Dean said under his breath.

“It’s not polite to whisper, you know.” Priscilla propped her hands on her hips, causing her to take a couple of steps backward in order to keep her balance. “What did you say?”

Dean walked a few steps closer until he stood right in front of her. “I said I think it’s time for Cinderella to get home before the clock strikes midnight.”

“It’s still an hour until then.” Priscilla pointed to her fancy gold watch.

“But I got tired,” Leeann added, “so the party broke up early.”

“How about I take you home and tuck you into bed?” Bobby put an arm around his wife’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side. “Dean will make sure Priscilla gets back to the inn in one piece.”

“Are you okay with that, Priscilla?” Leeann asked.

“Sure. Whatever. You go on home with your hubby.”

Leeann turned to Dean. “She’s had a few drinks.”

“Just a few?” Dean smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the princess gets back to her castle.”

Priscilla and Leeann hugged goodbye, whispering among themselves and sharing another laugh. Then Leeann and Bobby headed toward Leeann’s car, and Dean turned to Priscilla and pointed at his truck.

“Your pumpkin awaits.”

The hands were back on her hips again as she stared at him for a long moment. She swayed a bit, but stayed upright. Dean wondered when the last time she’d been like this was. It had probably been years. Before he could ask, she marched across the parking lot, giving him a very nice view of her backside thanks to those shorts of hers.

Bellissima!
He followed and waited as she waved off his hand and climbed up into the passenger seat. By the time he got around to the driver’s side, she’d dropped her hat in the space between them and buckled her seat belt. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed down Main Street.

“Do you mind the windows being down?” Dean asked.

Priscilla sat with her head back against the headrest, eyes closed. “No, the cool air feels good.”

He drove well under the speed limit, as it would only take a few minutes to get back to the inn and he found himself, once again, wanting to spend time with her. “Hey, have you been to Sherry’s Diner? They serve a great cup of coffee—”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Priscilla sat up straight and opened her eyes. “We need to go back to the camp.”

That came out of nowhere. “What for?”

“I forgot Snake’s pillow there this afternoon. He’s going to have a hard time sleeping tonight without it.”

“Are you serious? A pillow?”

She nodded vigorously, then put a hand to her head. “Leeann and I had planned to stop by when we left the bar. Do you mind?”

No, he didn’t mind at all. Anything to be able to spend a few more minutes with her. “Sure, let’s get the pillow.”

Dean took the turn off the town square and headed toward the camp. The roads out there were dark, and with the only light coming from his truck’s dashboard, he couldn’t tell if Priscilla was asleep or not as she’d once again leaned back against the seat.

Eventually he turned into the camp, glad they had installed the security lighting on each of the buildings. He pulled to a stop outside the dining hall and shut down his truck. The camp was practically deserted. The only staff here during the off week were a few college-aged counselors from out of town and Sylvie, the camp director, who had her own cabin nestled away in the trees near the sports area.

“Priscilla, we’re here.” No response. “You awake?”

“Awake. Sure, I’m awake.”

The slight slur of her words and the fact she hadn’t moved an inch told Dean she really wasn’t. He sighed and released his seat belt. “I’ll go look for the pillow. Are you going to be okay out here?”

Priscilla gave a little wiggle, as if she were snuggling deeper into the seat. “Hmm. Yes, I’m okay.”

Figuring it was easier—not to mention probably quicker—to do this himself, Dean got out of the truck. He headed up the front steps of the main camp building, stopping to look back and check on Priscilla. He then unlocked the doors and slipped inside. Entering the office, he flipped on the overhead light and hunted around. He had no idea what the mutt’s pillow looked like, but since Daisy herself had a cushion bed, he assumed it must be similar. It took him more than half a dozen passes around the office before he found the stuffed pillow monogrammed with a capital
S.

Shaking his head, he grabbed the thing and closed up the office. He went back outside, locked the door and started for his truck. His empty truck. He raced across the yard, praying she was stretched out on the seat. When he got to the passenger side, all he found inside the cab was her cowboy hat.

Where in the hell had she disappeared to?

The woman was just drunk enough to be a danger to herself. Fear seized his chest, but he fought it off. He hadn’t been gone that long. She couldn’t have gotten far. “Priscilla?” he called out, not having to raise his voice much for the sound to be carried across the quiet night. “Priscilla, where are you?”

“I’m down he-re.” Her singsong voice floated back to him. “Isn’t it a beaut-beautiful night?”

Dean followed the sound of her voice. Thanks to the brightness of the full moon, he immediately spotted her about fifty yards away, walking across the open field and heading straight for the beach area by the lake. He tossed the pillow inside his truck and took off after her. By the time he reached her, she was already out of her boots and ankle-deep into the lake.

“Going for a swim?”

He should be pissed at her. Hell, he was already mad at himself for leaving her alone, but she looked so familiar, yet different, standing there, lazily walking back and forth in the water, much like the first time he’d seen her. She was still very much a water nymph, as tempting and alluring as that day down by the river, but now she seemed...

Relaxed. Comfortable. Approachable.

While he was sure whatever she’d consumed tonight contributed to that, she had been the same way earlier today sitting on the bench outside the dining hall with him and Daisy.

“Do you believe in wishes?”

Priscilla’s soft-spoken question pulled him from his thoughts. “I don’t know. Do you?”

“I mean when you were a kid. You must’ve wished on birthday candles, sent letters to Santa Claus, searched for a shooting star on nights like this.”

Dean stood at the water’s edge and crossed his arms over his chest. He thought back to his childhood and how certain toys always made it under the tree or appeared at birthday parties. How he and his brothers and sisters had many magical moments in their youth, from family camping trips to dinners around the large kitchen table. “Yeah, I guess I’ve had a few come true in my lifetime.”

Priscilla’s sigh was dramatic as she continued to pace back and forth, splashing in the water. “You’re lucky. I’ve never had one come true.”