by Ava Miles
“Are you okay?”
He swiveled.
Jill edged closer. “I take it Meredith had a panic attack.”
He set the empty dust pan on the floor and shut the pantry door. “Yes.”
She patted him on the arm, and then headed for the coffee pot. “Don’t take it too hard. Meredith’s been through a lot, and she’s doing so much better. It’s not easy trying to build a new life.” The cups clinked as she lined them up. “She must have had a strong reaction to you, or it wouldn’t have happened. Could you grab the cream? Bottom drawer.”
What the fuck? She could say something that charged and then ask him for the cream?
When he handed it over, she gave a small smile. “Don’t beat yourself up. Her reaction’s a good sign, but you’re going to have to give her some space.”
“Are you usually this forward?”
She reached up for a tray and slid the coffee cups onto it. “Yes. Do you expect me to believe it would take someone that long to make coffee?”
Smart ass. “No.”
“I love my sister, Tanner, and want to see her happy. From what I can tell, you’re a good guy. But if you hurt her, I’ll blast your balls with the steamer on our espresso machine and give you third degree burns.”
He could appreciate vicious family loyalty. He’d had some pretty violent fantasies when his sister’s ex had cheated on her.
“How do you know I’m a good guy?”
“I did my homework. The Internet is an amazing thing, Tanner. Since you’re a published writer, you’re pretty accessible. You care about people. What you’ve seen makes you bleed.”
“I’m not a fucking girl.”
“I can see that.”
“Didn’t you research her ex?” he asked.
Her eyes gleamed with fury. “Yes, and I knew he was a self- absorbed, arrogant prick who’d break her heart. He even checked me out when they came home on a rare holiday.”
“Didn’t you tell her?”
She pulled a can of RediWhip out of the fridge. “No, I was too young. She wouldn’t have listened. Sometimes people have to learn the hard way. Meredith can be her own worst enemy.”
Tanner followed her out. Weren’t they all?
He’d eat fast and get the hell out of there. He needed to regroup. Suddenly the assignment had become too personal. Meredith Hale didn’t deserve what he was supposed to do to her.
It was too bad they hadn’t met under other circumstances.
He might have fallen for her.
***
Meredith was so still and quiet in the car Jill was afraid she’d turned to stone.
“It’s okay, Mere.” She took her hand.
“No, it’s not. I humiliated myself in front of him—and over a little attraction and flirting.”
Jill spotted a deer on the edge of the highway, its wild gaze shining in her headlights. She passed it with relief. “I wouldn’t call it a little attraction, Mere. Maybe you should give him a chance. Take it slow. Start out as friends.”
“Does Tanner strike you as someone who would be friends with a woman?”
“Okay, no, but he felt horrible about what happened. I think he’s a good guy, Mere. He knows you’ve been through a divorce.”
“I can’t see him at all, Jill. I don’t have control of myself when I’m around him. I had a panic attack for Christ’s sake.”
“Well, huffing and puffing like one of the dragons on my dress might be a bit awkward when you’re having sex, but the French do call orgasm ‘the little death.’”
Meredith’s head rolled toward her. Her mouth pinched like she was fighting a smile. “Well, he already got to second base, so to speak. He helped me take off my bustier so I could breathe.”
“Oh, wow. So did he feel you up while you were having a panic attack?”
“No.” She burrowed in the seat.
“That’s something, right? Rick-the-Dick wouldn’t have restrained himself.”
Meredith turned up the radio. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
Jill stopped her hand. “Mere, I love you, but this is about you being afraid to lose control and get hurt again.”
“Are you getting in my head now?”
“Don’t be annoyed. I hate that. I’m only saying you should think about taking it slow with Tanner. There’s something special about him. I mean, he won Grandpa over right off the bat, and he handled your panic attack like a champ.”
“He ran out after dessert.”
“Can you blame him? You should have seen his ‘I kicked the dog’ face when he was putting the broken china in the trash.”
“I know, but I can’t go out with him. I promised myself I would never date another journalist.”
Oh brother, thought Jill. Sacred promises exacted a price. And the Hales could be a stubborn lot. Hadn’t she sworn she wouldn’t feel anything for Brian when he came home? That she wouldn’t even fight with him?
She was batting a zero there.
All she did was think about him and hope she’d run into him. She got a bigger thrill from fighting with him than she’d gotten from her interactions with any of the men she’d dated in his absence. God, she’d missed that son of a bitch.
She pulled into her driveway. “He’s not Rick-the-Dick, Mere.”
“I know.” Her sister left the car and headed into the house with hunched shoulders.
Jill watched a bat streak across the sky. The hardest part of growing up was realizing life was nothing like the way she’d imagined it. It was supposed to be easy to find a nice guy and coast into sharing a life together. Just like in Nora’s books.
Was Nora Roberts Land even real?
She wasn’t sure anymore.
Chapter 13
Tanner’s phone vibrated on the counter as he shaved. He snarled when he saw Sommerville’s number and nicked himself. “Shit.”
It was taking some time to become adept at shaving again. To blend in, he’d usually worn a full beard. He was still adjusting to the face he saw each time he looked in the mirror. What he saw right now was blood mixed with shaving cream. He dabbed it with a towel and hit the speakerphone.
“What?”
“Get up on the wrong side of the bed?”
Tanner tossed the towel aside. “Yes, I did. We have a problem. Your ex-wife has vowed to never date a journalist again. She won’t go out with me.”
“Well, isn’t that flattering?”
Tanner growled. What had Meredith ever seen in this asshole? He didn’t mention the panic attack. He felt worse about that than Sommerville ever could.
“Look, whatever ideas she might have about this story, she’s definitely not ready for a relationship. I don’t think this is going to fly.”
“You have to move fast. I told you that.”
Right, and he’d listened…that was the problem. Everything had been hot and steamy when they were talking about swim strokes. Then he’d crowded her, and she’d had a meltdown.
“Maybe it’s only with you.” It galled him to say it, but perhaps it would put Sommerville off.
“Then you’ll have to find some other way of getting through to her. I want this story stopped, McBride.”
He winced at the sting from his aftershave. “Fine, but it’s going to take time. I thought you should know.” Snapping his wristwatch on, he reached for a blue shirt. “Look, it’s the first day of classes. I need to run. I’ll call you in a week.” He clicked off and jerked on his clothes.
The urge for strong coffee was like a siren’s call, so he headed to Don’t Soy with Me before hitting campus. Jill chatted effortlessly with the crowd of customers while handling orders and taking money with artless efficiency. He liked her. She was open and honest and a good sister.
Her smile softened when she saw him. “How are you, Tanner? Recovered yet?”
“Yep, what about Meredith?”
“Working like a fiend at the paper. Grandpa’s overjoyed.”
“I bet. Venti dar
k roast and a blueberry muffin to go. It’s nice to be back in food nirvana.”
“Understandable.” Jill called out his order to Jemma. “Mere’s supposed to come in before work. Maybe you should hang around.”
He handed her a ten-dollar bill. “I’ll give her some room. Any advice for my first day of classes?”
She gave him the change and slid his muffin toward him. “Don’t teach anything useless. Most of what I learned there was pretty useless.” She twisted the large yellow beads around her neck. “And don’t be boring.”
“Got it. Nothing useless or boring.” He grabbed his coffee. Realizing he was nervous, he looked around at all the students in the shop. Teaching was new to him, but he’d prepared as much as possible. But even with a plan, he didn’t have a clue what to do.
Another reason Sommerville had to go down.
He pulled up short when he saw Meredith walking across the street, her red hair waving in the wind. Her step faltered when she caught sight of him. His mouth tipped up when she straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and strode to the door. Flat out guts. Something to admire.
He sauntered toward her. “Hi there.”
She didn’t meet his eyes. “Tanner.”
“Meredith, look at me.”
She slowly turned her head. Her cheeks had flushed to the color of her crimson coat.
“I’m sorry for the other night. Are you okay?”
“Fine.” She fiddled with her buttons.
“Don’t be embarrassed. Let’s forget it ever happened.” What a lie.
“I had a panic attack in front of you. You took my bra off! Of course I’m embarrassed!” she whispered.
He nodded toward a table in the corner and walked over, hoping she’d follow.
She tugged at her white scarf. Since her efforts looked like they’d be about as successful as a novice taffy puller’s, he put down his coffee and muffin and reached for it. Her gaze flew to his.
“It’s okay. I was only going to help.”
He unwound the material, his fingers brushing her soft hair. Boy, did he like her natural color better than the blond. She was more approachable as a red head. He kept his actions brisk and efficient so she wouldn’t bolt.
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me. Let’s be friends, okay?”
When he exposed the long slender line of her neck, she swallowed thickly. He stepped back, even though his fingers itched to touch that smooth skin.
“How about a friendly swim tomorrow? We can race each other. Maybe we can make it a morning habit.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He smirked. “You afraid I’m going to beat you?”
“In your dreams, McBride.”
“How about a little wager then?”
Her eyelids lowered to half mast. “What do you have in mind?”
“Since I’m new in town, how about a tour of the hotspots, including The Western Independent?”
“Grandpa would give you a tour if you asked.”
“Yes, but we’re trying to be friends. That can’t happen unless we spend time together.”
She looked away. “Tanner, I’m not sure.”
He almost reached for her. “Meredith,” he said quietly.
She studied him. “You may not win.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“You headed to class?”
“Yes, and I feel like a fish out of water. I’ve never taught before. Jill told me not to be boring.”
“There’s no worse offense to Jill. You’ll do fine. Talk about where you’ve been. They’ll eat that stuff up like it’s candy. You’re an unusual commodity in the department, Tanner. They’ll all want to be you.”
“Are you saying I’ll have a cult following?” He realized he was flirting with her, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“When was the last time you were around college kids?”
He scanned the shop. “Years. Most of the kids I’ve been around recently had weapons in their hands.”
She picked up his coffee and held it out. “Yes, I can imagine. Here you’ll be surrounded by green-as-grass wanna-be journalism students from fairly well-adjusted families whose main goal in life is to do what you do—or maybe be an anchorman like Brian Williams.”
He reached for his muffin to stop from grinning like an idiot. He liked this side of her, but pushing it was too risky. He needed to find the right balance. If they spent time together as friends, he’d be meeting the spirit of Sommerville’s law. Tanner didn’t have to tell him they weren’t involved. It bought him time. And he wouldn’t need to struggle with his own ethics.
“I need to run. How about a swim tomorrow? I’ll bring the Gatorade.”
She fingered her scarf. “We’ll see. Good luck today.”
He studied her for a moment longer. As he watched her, the morning sun broke through the windows, turning her hair to molten lava. His skin tightened. Uh-oh.
“Thanks. And Meredith? I will see you tomorrow.”
He waved to Jill and Jemma and headed off to class. Class?
Life couldn’t be weirder.
Chapter 14
A month later, Tanner was no closer to getting Meredith to agree to go out with him. While they raced each other at the pool almost every morning and he ran into her at The Western Independent when he dropped off an article, she still was resisting hanging out socially.
She was going out with every available man in sight but him. She certainly wanted her story. He’d tallied three dates yesterday. Coffee with a tall, nerdy biology professor. Happy hour with a computer expert from the local Internet provider. And dinner with a divorced local lawyer.
He’d sunk to the lowest form of journalism—paparazzi. He was tailing her on her dates, keeping tabs. And feeling a little jealous. Shit.
Jill was helping him by dropping hints of where they’d be when he came by the coffee shop on his daily run. He could tell Jill wanted him and Meredith to hook up. Tonight, she’d mentioned she and Meredith were heading to Hairy’s for drinks.
No one knew Meredith’s dating spree was part of a story. The town thought she was looking for a rebound man or a sure-fire relationship with a Dare Valley guy. The matronly lady at the grocery’s checkout told him everyone thought it was so sweet.
He’d wanted to gag.
Hours later, he walked into the bar, planning on using the only strategy he had left— disrupting Meredith’s playbook.
“Hi, Tanner.” Jill skipped down the hall from the emerald green bathrooms, wiping her hands on her jeans.
“Hey, Jill. How’s it going?”
She rolled those signature Hale green eyes. “Mere’s on a tear tonight. I’ve never seen her this focused. It’s like going out with guys is her new-found religion.”
“Except for me.”
He wondered if Jill knew about the story. He snorted. Oh yeah, she knew. She’d invited him to dinner the first day they met. He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Life.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t say that. It makes you sound old. My mom says that.”
He scowled. “Any suggestions about Meredith?”
“Give her some space. If you let something go, it comes back to you.”
“She’s not a bird, Jill.”
“Are you making fun of my analogy?”
“Yep. It’s something a kid would get wrong.”
She twirled her long necklace of orange beads around her finger. “Hah. Okay, professor, I’ll take that from you, but only because your command of the English language is better than mine. How are classes going?”
“Better than expected after I took your advice. I threw out my boring syllabus and described real-life journalism to the students. Tomorrow I’m starting a section on cultivating sources and building trust. They’re eating it up.”
“I’ve heard people talking. There’s nothing better than the rea
l deal.” She waved to a few people. “Let’s find Meredith. You need to relieve us both from hell.”
The invitation was a golden opportunity. He wouldn’t have to interrupt her unbidden.
“Why, what’s going on?” he asked.
“Ice-pick to head.” She tapped her palm to her temple. “You’ll see.”
Tanner followed Jill over to a corner booth. Meredith looked up in surprise, looking beautiful as usual in a cream-colored V-neck sweater. He moved her purse and nudged her over, pressing his thigh against hers.
Jill made the intros, and Tanner shook hands with the guy, Avery Miller. With a name like that, he’d be lucky to sprout one chest hair. He had a slight build, but he worked out. His hair was slicked up with some gel shit.
“So, Avery, what do you do?” he asked.
Meredith inched away, but the booth was narrow, and there wasn’t anywhere to go. She vibrated against his side.
“I own the cheese and gourmet store across the way.”
He gave Jill a “you’re kidding” look and decided to have some fun. “Wow. Sounds interesting. Are you into the bleu cheese craze or do you prefer the Italian classics like a good buffalo mozzarella?”
Meredith swung her head to look at him. She’d gone for dark eye shadow, which set off her arresting green eyes. Yeah, she was definitely cruising tonight.
He stared back blandly. “Hey, I’ve traveled!”
“I see you’re a man who knows his cheese.”
“Yes, I am.”
Meredith elbowed him under the table.
“I have eight bleu cheese varieties and only two buffalo. One is the classic large ball. I also sell the small balls.”
Muffling a cough to hide her laughter, Jill hid her mouth behind her hand.
“Packed in oil and herbs? Too bad they don’t serve the big balls like that. They’re tastier that way,” Tanner commented, trying to keep a straight face.
Meredith gave him a sharp kick.
“You could always marinate them yourself,” Avery suggested, oblivious to the innuendo swirling around them like the Irish flute playing over the loud speakers. Punky hair and no funny bone.
“I’d have to invite a special guest over to help with that.”
When Meredith’s leg moved in for another kick, he clamped his hand on her thigh. She jolted and muffled a shriek. He grinned, delighted she’d worn a skirt. She might not like it, but there were enough volts between them to run the Dare electricity plant. He hadn’t expected it, but there was a very real connection between them. It was time she stopped fighting it.