Page 13 of Let Me Be the One
“She left her cousin?” Kam whistled. “If she was scared, you would think she’d want to help Callie, too.”
He and Kam were big on backing each other up. For them, with how Addie had taught them, loyalty was everything. “Glory doesn’t seem to have Callie’s backbone. She ran off screaming while Callie just stared me down, smiling.” And ogling him. The way she’d lookedat him, so absorbed, fed his imagination. It would play big-time in all his future fantasies. “Blu took to her right away.”
Hearing his name, the dog’s ears perked forward, but otherwise he kept sleeping on a rug nearby. Kam’s cat, Percy, was snuggled into Blu’s side, but he effectively ignored them all.
“Blu’s smart,” Kam said. “Pretty women always get his attention.”
Tanner shot him a look, but Kam played innocent. “What? Was I not supposed to notice how drop-dead gorgeous she is? That mouthwatering figure? Her super-sweet smile?”
Addie raised her hand. “Well, I noticed. Course Kam would, too. He has eyes, right?”
From the day she’d brought them home, Addie had made it clear that no subject was taboo. She was a woman who encouraged them to share their every thought—even personal observations.
Of course, as he and Kam grew older, they’d started to censor things a bit anyway. Not their likes and dislikes, or their goals and determination. But their interests in sex? Some things a guy just instinctively knew weren’t meant for a parental figure.
“Doesn’t matter,” Tanner countered. “She won’t be sticking around. Once she sees the level of work and expense it’d take to fix up Reggie’s place, she’ll sell it to me so I can level it and get on with my plans.”
“Hmm,” Addie said. “I don’t think so. I got the sense she feels challenged, not discouraged.”
“That could be a good thing for you,” Kam insisted to Tanner. “With her living right next door, you havea shot now. If nothing else, maybe you can get her out of your system.”
That earned a shove from Addie. “He deserves more than that, and so does that nice young lady.”
See, that’s why they needed to censor things with Addie. The woman had no concept of overwhelming lust, and just how satisfying it could be to indulge.
In fact, now that Kam said it, the thought took root. Have Callie McCallahan for his own? Even for an abbreviated time? The idea had merit. How many times had he dreamed of sating himself on her, and then walking away, proving… What? That her complete indifference to him hadn’t mattered? That although he’d fantasized about her, wishing every day that she’d notice him, he’d outgrown that adolescent infatuation?
At least he could prove to himself that none of it had mattered, that his childhood—first devastating, and then later, after Addie, endearing—had gone along just fine without Callie’s notice.
The lost youth he’d been in high school had grown into an independent man who handled his shit and didn’t slow down for anyone…except Addie and Kam. They were the only people he counted on now and he knew they were rock-solid.
Giving himself another minute to think, Tanner tipped up his milk glass and drank it all. When he finished, both Addie and Kam were still watching him expectantly. He resisted the urge to huff. “Times have changed. Forget high school.” As if he could with her so close by, but he drummed up a lie and said, “I have.”
“But dude—”
Tanner’s scowl discouraged Kam from saying more. If he accepted the prospect of getting close to Callie, ofhaving a brief, no-strings, very sexual relationship with her, it wouldn’t do to tell Addie. That’d only encourage her to champion Callie. He and Kam both had firsthand knowledge of how she protected the underdog. And this time around, that’d be Callie.
Addie stood to pick up the empty dishes. “High school was one thing,” she agreed. “People change, their perceptions and their priorities change. Important part is that she’s noticing you now. The girl could barely keep her eyes off you.”
Refusing to believe that, Tanner pushed back his chair. “Let it go, Addie.” He took his plate from her, or tried to, but it turned into a tug-of-war. “Addie. I can clean up my own messes.”
Smiling up at him, she said, “But honey, you worked all day, and besides, I love taking care of you. Always have and always will. Let me do what little bit I can, okay?”
That attitude was nothing new. He’d left a home where abuse and neglect were the norm, and then was embraced with Addie’s unconditional love. It still had the power to emotionally bring him to his knees.
After taking the dishes from her, Tanner set them aside to gather her close. “God bless you, Addie.”
“He already did, with you two.”
Standing behind Addie, Kam smiled at him. “It never grows old, does it?”
Tanner shook his head. “No.” And it never would.
* * *
HER VOICE BARELYabove a whisper, Glory said, “I can’t believe we’ve ended the day camping out in a neighbor’s attic.” She glanced around the room with disbelief bordering on awe.
Callie shrugged. “I’m a little bewildered at how it happened, too.” Addie was a small tornado who swept everyone up in her path. Mostly, though, it had been her need to thwart Tanner that had convinced Callie to accept the offer. “We have clean beds to sleep in, so don’t complain.”
