“More like what, I think,” a male voice drawled from inside. “Come in here, cher cousine and ’splain all this to your Dev, eh?”
She felt Paul jerk in reaction to Dev’s voice, but she didn’t have time to think about that. She whipped open the door and ran inside.
“Dev.” She hugged him tightly, but carefully. “You’re out of the hospital. Are you okay? Are you—”
He laughed and hugged her back as he interrupted her. “Hold on, little cuz. You go too fast. I’m fine. I mend quick, and I’d been better if I’d’a remembered GoodMama’s warning to me. She tol’ me not to go see you, to jus’ call.”
Torie caught her breath. “Oh, Dev.”
“Yeah, call me a horse’s ass. Might as well.” He grinned a bright, wry grin. “She did, and a whole lot more.”
“She told me to watch out for fire, but I didn’t have time.”
“I know.” Dev’s smile faded. “I’m sorry ’bout that.”
“Not your fault.”
“No, but…”
“Yeah. I get it.”
“Besides, it’s had some benefits.” Dev turned his dazzling smile toward Pam. “I got to meet this lovely friend of yours.”
Torie looked at Pam’s face and her heart sank. Pam was hooked. Damn. On Dev of all people. This was
Paul cleared his throat.
“Oh, sorry. Paul, this is my cousin from New Orleans, Devereaux Chance, also known as Dev. And you remember Pam, don’t you?”
“Your cousin?” Paul asked, looking relieved about something. “Pleased to meet you. I heard you were hurt.”
“Dev was cut up pretty badly,” Pam volunteered. “But he’s healed with amazing speed.” Torie saw the sly twist to her smile, just before Pam dropped her gaze. Crap, they were sleeping together. Pam never slept with anyone, she just dangled the lure and the men followed her anywhere.
The fact that she had actually slept with…no, she could not think about Dev in bed with her best friend. It was just…wrong. Not to do it, just for her to be thinking about it.
Cripes. There was that image again, popping into her head. Nope. Not going there.
Meanwhile, the two men were shaking hands.
“So, you’re the attorney, eh?” Dev said, eyeing Paul. “The one that was the best man, right?”
“That was a long time ago, Dev. Water under the bridge.”
“There are some long bridges, where I come from, cher cousine. Plenty of time to dip some water.”
“No, there isn’t,” Torie said flatly. She was not going to referee some stupid male dominance battle, nor let her cousin defend her over long-ago slights. Much as he obviously wanted to, which was sweet. Hadn’t she already dredged up enough of the past, shouting at Paul? “I let the water flow, Dev, and I’ve moved on.”
“Hmmm.”
She glared at him. “Water. Under the bridge. Done. Over. My battles, Dev. Remember?”
“Yeah, yeah, cher. I read you loud and clear,” he said with a laugh. He shot Paul an amused look. “She defends you pretty good, counselor.”
Paul nodded, but didn’t respond. He nodded at Pam. “Pam, long time, no see.”
“All the better,” Pam managed without a smile.
“Pam, you said it was urgent.” Torie redirected the budding blowup. She knew Pam and, new beau or not, she’d always wanted a chunk of Paul Jameson’s hide. It had been Pam who had helped her pick up the pieces of her college life, Pam who had made sure she survived the heartaches. Pam was the one who had introduced her to Todd.
Instantly contrite, and distracted from Paul, Pam responded. “Oh, it is. He got away. I don’t know how.”
“Where’s Carlos?” Now Torie was deeply worried.
“Out hunting him.”
“How did he get out?”
“It was a mistake. He’d been doing so well.” Pam was pacing now, her worry prompting her to move. “I wasn’t ready to move him yet. I don’t have a home lined up.”
“The family in Harrisburg fell through?”
“Yeah, they paid more to someone else, but they got reliable merchandise, you know?”
“But this boy is reliable. We know that. You can’t do all that, and oh…” Torie wanted to cry all over again. It was bad enough that her life was totally screwed. She hated that this little project was going to hell in a go-cart as well. “I had so hoped that home would work and work quickly. Carlos has done so much.”
“Carlos hasn’t minded the work. He used to be a tech, you know?” Pam replied. One part of Torie’s brain noted that she was pitching her voice like Dev’s, and using the same rhythm and speech pattern that her cousin
