Destiny by chance: A Contemporary Romance Fiction Novel by Margaret Ferguson Page B

economics and finance and worked in banking until he decided to buy a bed and breakfast and raise his daughter on his own.  If only his dad could see him now.
    Bill remembered his grandfather’s stories of World War I and II, and then his father’s tales of Korea, and Vietnam.  He used to tell them they should write a book.  How many father-son adventures would span five wars?  Bill had begun volunteering at the Senior Center after joining Rotary International, through his time in banking.  Through Rotary, he had helped bring an end to polio, helped build water wells in impoverished cities around the world and created libraries and schools where there were none.  And now, he helped serve veterans every week by feeding them while they played bingo at Veteran’s Night at the Senior Center.  Bill looked forward to his time with the veterans.  He served every week for varied reasons.  Now, there was one more.
    Ever since he first looked into Destiny’s eyes, he had thought of nothing else.  No one else.  He found himself distracted, almost to the point of annoyance.  Even when he had a million things to do, her face kept coming to mind.  And thanks to his stubborn pride, he couldn’t even ask her out.  Owen, his older brother, had just been through a nasty divorce with his third wife.  It didn’t seem fair that he had already set his sights on Destiny as the next potential Mrs. Owen Ireland.  And they hadn’t even had a first date yet.  Now he drove to the Senior Center in anticipation of her being there, in the hopes of seeing her there—though part of him hoped she wasn’t.
    Bill parked under the light as he always did because he was usually the first one there.  It was his job to unlock the dumpster and the back door, in preparation of hoards of volunteers arriving shortly after that.  It was his responsibility to turn on the lights and the air, or the heat if it was winter.  Bill turned on all the equipment and prepared the counter to accept guests in the next hour-and-a-half.  Owen walked in almost five minutes later and nodded to his baby brother before starting his own routine.  Although inventory was checked each week at the end of their shifts, it was Owen’s responsibility to double-check it before opening the register.  It assured that nothing had mysteriously disappeared or was overlooked the week before.
    The staff consisted of mostly volunteers, but there were a few paid part-time workers.  Owen and Bill were both in their mid-thirties and financially secure.  Although offered a small salary for what they did, both rejected their individual offers.  They weren’t necessarily close.  They didn’t share a lot of the same characteristics, either physically or traditionally.  However, they did have the same core values, mostly based on their father’s strict military training and their mother’s faith and her belief in making a difference in the world.  Combine those two with the perfect alignment of the stars and their life circumstances, and they ended up serving fish and chips to a bunch of veterans on Friday nights at the Senior Center. 
    “So, did you ask her out?” Bill asked casually, for lack of anything else worthwhile to say.
    “Who?”
    “Destiny,” Bill reminded him.
    “Who?”
    Bill sighed in annoyance.  Owen didn’t even remember her name.  “The woman Lisa introduced you to last week,” he clarified. 
    “Oh, her,” he grinned.  “I’ll work on her again tonight.”
    “Wear her down, huh?” Bill said under his breath.
    “Whatever works.”
    “Do you even like her?”
    “I just met her,” he exhaled.  “But, tonight,” he grinned mischievously, “I won’t take no for an answer.”
    Bill stopped talking.  The conversation only served to discourage him more. 
    “I think she’d look good,” Owen began.
    Bill turned to his brother and waited expectantly.  Knowing Owen, there was no telling what would come out of his mouth. 
    “I’ll