by Barbara Gee
Or maybe she was getting a little ahead of things, as she tended to do. At any rate, she had high hopes for the guy, and was eager to see what he could do come Monday, when their new group of retreat families arrived.
After a long and busy day, she drove her golf cart up the lane toward her cabin, wishing it was equipped with a big soaker tub. She could certainly use a relaxing lavender bath right about now.
She passed cabin five and thought of Tanner for the first time in hours. Wow, that was a surprise. He was usually never far from her thoughts, even when she made an effort to forget about him for a while. Today she’d been going non-stop, though, and her over-worked brain hadn’t had a chance to dwell on her attempts to befriend him—nor his consistent rejection of said attempts.
Now that she was done working for the day, however, she needed to give some thought to her next step for breaching that wall of his.
Parking the cart in front of her porch, she got out and stretched. She’d been too busy to get a work-out in during the day, which meant she should probably go for a run to loosen up. It was the last thing she felt like doing, but it would nag at her all evening if she didn’t. Plus, she’d sleep a lot better if she worked out the stresses of the day through physical activity. Too bad she wouldn’t be able to soak in that bubble bath after she was done.
Izzy went inside and stood with her hands on her hips, looking around her small but homey abode. It was a nice cabin, but six months in one room just might be long enough. Suddenly the thought of a big bathroom and a nice big kitchen with a real stove and a normal sized refrigerator sounded real appealing. And a bedroom where she could close the door, so if she didn’t feel like making her bed, she didn’t have to. A living room would be nice, too, one that was big enough to have a few friends over if she wanted to. And a TV—a big one, for watching hockey and movies.
The idea grew on her as she changed into shorts and a tank top, and put on her favorite running shoes. Maybe she wasn’t quite ready to take on buying a house, but surely there were places she could rent in or around Barlow. It would feel strange to leave the campus every evening, but it might be beneficial. Living so close made it way too easy to go in to work after hours, which sometimes left her feeling like she never left the office.
She took a bottle of water from the fridge and went out onto the front porch to stretch and hydrate a bit before taking off on her run. Bent over in a hamstring stretch, her palms pressed to the porch floor, she heard a golf cart pull up next door. She slowly straightened and took a long drink as she watched Tanner grab some folders and a cafeteria to-go container off the seat.
He looked over at her warily as he got out of the cart, obviously wishing he’d waited just a few more minutes to come home. Izzy couldn’t help but find his discomfort amusing. The man was so determined to reject her at every turn, but circumstances were conspiring against him. At some point, he was going to have to accept that being her friend was out of his control.
“Hi, Tanner,” she called, setting her water on the porch railing to await her return. She went down the steps, fully intending to engage him in conversation, whether he liked it or not.
“Izzy,” he said briefly. Then he turned and walked toward his own porch steps.
Normally that wouldn’t have deterred her, but instead of following him and forcing the issue, Izzy found herself stopping in her tracks, something telling her to let him go. To go on and get running and worry about Tanner James later.
She was so surprised by the strong feeling, she listened to it without trying to analyze it any further. It wasn’t like the voice of God coming down from the clouds or anything, but for some reason, she knew she was to leave him alone for the moment.
Without another glance in his direction, she headed out the lane.
***
Tanner opened his front door, searching for an excuse to keep Izzy outside so he could shut himself in, alone for the evening. It was too bad she kept opening herself up to his rejection. Most women would have flounced off in a huff after their very first encounter, but not the persistent Izzy.
He looked over his shoulder, ready to send her back home, then frowned and pivoted to fully face the way he’d come, his eyes focusing on a lone figure moving at a brisk clip down the lane, already past cabin three. What the heck? Why wasn’t she trying to follow him inside?
The frown deepened as he remembered her lunch companion. Oh, so that was it. His speculation that Izzy had found a new person to befriend must have been correct. Well, good for her. Hopefully the new guy was more receptive than he’d been.
He spun on his heel and went inside, dropping his dinner on the small table by the back door before going to the sink for a glass of water. He’d prefer a Diet Coke, but that would have to wait until after he found a store.
He hit the door of the fridge with the side of his fist as he walked past, causing it to rock back and hit the wall. Why did he feel like hitting things?
Dropping onto a chair at the table, he opened the food container to reveal the roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, apple salad, and rolls he’d chosen a few minutes ago. The food was still hot, steaming a little, and smelled delicious.
So why was he feeling almost too disgruntled to eat it? Was he that ticked about Izzy giving up so soon? That was exactly what he’d wanted—right? He’d pushed her away and she’d finally gotten the message. So why was he angry?
He shoveled in a big bite of beef, potatoes and gravy and reached for the iPad on the end of the table. He opened his email and went through it as he ate, trying to take his mind off the neighbor who was turning out to be less persistent than he’d expected. The neighbor who had looked so good in those little shorts, he was sorry she’d gotten so far away before he’d turned around to look for her.
Instead of concentrating on the emails, he speculated about how many miles she usually ran. Three or four he’d guess, and then he wondered whether he’d be able to match his much longer stride to hers if they ever decided to run together.
He chided himself for that thought. Why was he letting this girl get to him?
***
Izzy only ran three and a half miles, but she did them quickly and was sweating and hungry by the time she got back to her cabin. The steak in her fridge sounded mighty appealing, and she took the time to pour some marinade over it before getting in the shower.
Clean and refreshed, she pulled on baggy sweatpants and an equally baggy tee shirt, then went out to the small deck in back of the cabin and dumped charcoal into her little hibachi grill. It wasn’t much bigger than her steak, but it served its purpose since she almost always cooked only for herself.
If she found a rental house, she’d definitely get a bigger grill. A gas one so she didn’t have to wait so long for it to heat up.
She lit the charcoal, then headed back inside to put together a salad and make a pitcher of iced tea. Soon after that the grill was hot enough to put the meat on. Her stomach rumbled as it sizzled and almost immediately began letting off a delicious aroma.
While it cooked, she sat cross-legged on the deck with her computer and went to a local realtor’s website, a woman she knew from church. Gloria had offered several times to help find her a place, and Izzy remembered her saying she worked with owners who rented their properties, as well as sellers. Sure enough, a list of rentals came up on her site and Izzy clicked through them eagerly.
Unfortunately, it became clear pretty quickly that her options were limited. An upstairs apartment, a four-bedroom house, a converted garage apartment, and a large farmhouse ten miles on the other side of town. Not exactly what she had in mind.
Izzy scrolled further down the page, following a link that took her to all properties for sale in Barlow. She moved through that list, stopping when she saw a double house—a duplex. It caught her eye because it was just the kind of place she could see herself living. It was all brick, with two matching peaks housing dormer windows on the second story. Cute front porches, lot
s of windows, and lovely landscaping. Izzy checked the address, uttering a long “hmmmmm” when she saw it was located on the same street where Jolene and Boone lived when they were around. She knew it was a nice street with large lots and well cared for homes, and only a block off main street.
While she loved the look of the property, she didn’t need two houses, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to actually buy a place anyway. Although the blurb did say it was a great investment property, and one unit was currently rented, with occupants who were interested in extending the lease for another two years.
Izzy found herself wondering whether she could possibly swing it. She had a pretty nice amount in her savings account, which she could put toward the down payment, and with the rental income from one of the units to help with the monthly mortgage payments, it might be doable. If the price was right, that is, and since she had no knowledge of local real estate, it was impossible for her to know if the listed price was reasonable. She did know it was a lot of money!
She flipped the steak and went inside to get a knife to test whether it was done. As she took the knife from a drawer, she was shocked to hear a knock on her front door. She ran through the possibilities of who it could be as she walked over, but the man who was actually standing on her porch hadn’t even come close to making the list.
“Tanner?” she asked, staring up at him and wondering what on earth had brought the reclusive man to her door step. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” His eyes dropped to the large knife she had clutched in her right hand. “Is this a bad time?”
Izzy held up the knife and gave him a mock scowl. “This is all I could find to protect myself from my new stalker neighbor. Seriously, Tanner, you’ve got to stop showing up every time I turn around. It’s starting to freak me out.”
He raised one dark brow and Izzy thought maybe, just maybe, one corner of his mouth might have ticked up for a micro-second.
He didn’t bother with a witty reply. “I brought this back,” he said simply, holding up the container she’d used for the bars, now empty and clean.
“Oh, great. Maybe I’ll fill it with something else for you.” Izzy reached out for the container, then remembered her steak and whirled around. “Hang on,” she called over her shoulder. “I have to rescue my supper!”
She ran through the French doors and knelt down by her hibachi, stabbing the steak with the knife. Thankfully, it was perfect. No blood but still juicy. Another thirty seconds and it would have been too dry. She lifted it off the grate and onto a plate and stood up, shocked to see Tanner standing in the doorway. He’d been given a perfect opportunity to leave the container and flee, but instead he’d followed her.
She didn’t want him to feel awkward because she was really glad he hadn’t cut and run. So she did her best to hide her surprise and pretend they were amicable neighbors.
“Do you have designs on my steak, Tanner?” she asked, putting a hand on her hip. “Let me guess. You were out in your back yard and smelled the divine aroma of a perfectly cooked Full Heart Ranch raised cut of beef, so you came up with an excuse to come over. You probably dumped out the bars that were left, rinsed out that container, and came hurrying over, hoping I’d share. Am I right?”
He folded his arms across his chest, his dark eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at her. “No. I ate every single bar, and probably gained five pounds.”
Hearing that thrilled her and she couldn’t stop a wide smile. “Well, thank you for the almost-compliment.” She went inside the cabin and put the steak on the table. “Okay, so, this perfectly cooked steak doesn’t include cherries, which seem to be your weakness, but I can assure you it’ll be delicious. And since it’s huge, I really don’t mind sharing.” She crossed the kitchen area and took the big bowl of salad from the fridge. “This, too. There’s plenty for both of us.”
“I already ate, but thanks.”
Izzy pulled out a chair and patted the back of it. “Sit, Tanner. A big guy like you can handle a second dinner.”
“I really did come over just to return that,” he said, pointing at the Tupperware and looking a bit uncomfortable. “I should go. I have a lot to get done this evening.”
Izzy thought fast. She couldn’t tell whether he really wanted to leave, or was hoping she’d insist he stay. The man was a puzzle. A huge, hard, two thousand piece one, with all wavy edges instead of straight. She had a long way to go in figuring him out, but for now she just needed to keep him here, because she was still determined to be his friend.
“I could use your help with something, if you have a few minutes,” she said quickly. “I need some advice.”
She saw his chest rise and fall on a silent sigh and she braced herself for another rejection.
“Will it take longer than ten minutes?” he asked gruffly.
“Um, it doesn’t have to. Sit. I’ll get you a plate.” Izzy quickly gathered a place setting, before he could change his mind.
He sat down across from her and she feared he wasn’t too happy about her basically forcing him to stay. Not that she could tell for sure. Although his lips were slightly compressed, the rest of his face, and his eyes, had gone all expressionless again. He was way too good at that, which was maddening because she was the opposite. It took a lot of effort for her to hide what she was thinking.
“Do you mind if I say grace?” she asked.
His dark eyes glittered as he studied her. She knew he was trying to figure her out, just as she was him. “I don’t mind,” he said finally.
She bowed her head and said a simple prayer, thanking God for food and shelter. Then she added, “And Lord, please, convince Tanner it’s okay to talk to me, and also, please, please reassure him his face won’t crack if he smiles. Amen.”
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her, and she giggled. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”
He let it drop. “What do you need help with?” he asked as she cut into the big slab of meat and slid half of it onto his plate.
“Hang on a second, I need to go get my computer. Help yourself to salad.” Izzy went out to the back porch and retrieved her laptop, then grabbed the pitcher of iced tea and poured them each a glass. She put the computer beside their plates and swiped the mouse-pad to bring up the photo and description of the duplex.
“So I’m thinking of leaving this luxury abode and getting my own place. There’s nothing much for rent anywhere close, and I saw this and wondered if it might be a good investment. One side of it has a long-term renter, and I could live in the other side. Isn’t it cute?”
He arched a brow in her direction before returning his attention to the screen, not bothering to give his opinion on its cuteness. He chewed a bite of steak as he reached out a finger and scrolled down so he could read the entire description.
“Each unit has a little over eighteen hundred square feet,” he commented. “Not a bad size. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms in each. New paint and flooring in the rented side, but not in the empty one. That’s not hard to fix, though.”
“I wonder if it has a bathtub,” Izzy mused before taking a bite of salad.
Tanner scrolled back to the top and clicked on an arrow that brought up another photo.
“Oh, I didn’t even notice there are more pictures!” Izzy leaned toward the computer, looking at the photo of the backyard. Both sections were fenced, giving some privacy, much like her current cabin. “The yard isn’t huge, but it’s plenty big enough for a picnic table and a hammock. That’s all I require of my outdoor living area.”
Tanner moved to the next photo and Izzy gave a murmur of approval. The kitchen was roomy and well laid out, with white cupboards, lots of counter space, and plenty of room for a table and chairs. They kept scrolling through, seeing the living room, a small office, the combined laundry room and pantry, a hall half-bath, two spare bedrooms and a bath upstairs, and finally, the master bedroom and bath at the back of the house.
“Ooooo,” Izzy breathed, enthralled. “
Would you look at that bathtub.”
“Who even takes baths anymore?” Tanner said dismissively. “The shower is way more important.”
“The shower is really nice,” she agreed, “I like the tile, and that it’s separate from the tub. But I do take baths. Or I would, if I had a bathtub. Not every day, but once in a while. I was craving one just today, in fact. It’s what got me thinking about getting my own place.”
“If you’re serious about buying, this could be a good option,” Tanner said, scrolling quickly back through all the pictures before cutting another bite of steak.
“I love it,” Izzy said. “I wonder how much the payments would be.”
“Depends. You’ll get a better interest rate if you can put twenty percent down on it.”
Izzy looked at him curiously. “Do you know a lot about mortgages?”
He shrugged. “I own a few rental properties in Minneapolis.”
“You’re a real estate tycoon?” she asked, impressed.
“Hardly. But I’ve been working since I was twenty-one. No wife or kids to spend my money on, so it seemed wise to invest it in something other than just the stock market.”
“Are you from Minneapolis originally?” Izzy wondered, hoping he’d open up a little.
“Grew up in California and Montana.”
“Do you have any family?”
He scowled. “If you’re going to turn this into a question and answer session, I’m outta here,” he told her. He didn’t get up, though. Instead he turned the computer toward him and began typing something, his fingers moving across the keyboard at lightning speed.
“You’re not hacking my computer are you?” Izzy asked as she finished her salad. “I know you’re a computer guy, probably for the FBI since you’re friends with Tuck and Ryan, so I figure you must be a hacker.”
He kept typing, his lips firmly closed. Izzy knew she shouldn’t push it, but she was so curious about this man. He certainly didn’t look like he spent his days in front of a computer. He was too tanned and ripped for that.