Page 8 of Let Me Be the One
“Okay, so I interrupted your day.” Whoop-de-doo. She pinned on her placating smile. “It’s my first night here. Going forward, I’ll do my best to avoid you.”
After shooting her an unreadable look, he went to a utility sink with shelving on both sides, filled his palm with liquid soap and scrubbed dirt from his hands up to his elbows.
Callie waited, but instead of drying his hands, he splashed his face, chest, and the back of his neck until his upper body glistened and rivulets of water ran down his long spine to the waistband of his low-riding jeans.
Lucky water. She wouldn’t mind tracing her fingers along that same path. Or maybe her lips. Her tongue…
“You’re a complication.”
Drawn from her sensual thoughts, she startled. Never in her life had anyone insulted her, much less repeatedly done so. “What does that mean?”
When he finished drying off, he braced his hands on the sink. Shoulders rigid and arms straight, he hung his head.
Callie looked at the dog, who tilted his head and looked back without any answers. For the first time, she saw the exhaustion in Tanner’s strong body. He’d washed off the sweat and dirt, but his muscles were still pumped as if they’d recently been strained in hard labor. It was late, and she wondered how long he’d been working and on what. After ten or more seconds had ticked by in silence, she said, “So, Tanner. Everything okay?”
“Fine.” Straightening again, he gave her a long look, and then strode past her, leaving the wagon behind. “Come on.”
They set out again, this time on a dirt path lined by beautiful trees. In the distance ahead, Callie could see a light shining off the back of a big farmhouse.
“Is that where you live?”
“Nah, I figured we’d visit the Pope.”
Okay, that did it. If he wanted to be a smart-ass, then she’d just ignore him. Sooner or later they’d near the road and she could cut over to her own property. Would Glory still be around? She’d have to be, since Callie had driven and she had her key fob hooked to a belt loop.
Unless Glory had gotten lost. Uneasily, Callie glanced behind her. It was dark enough now that it felt like she walked through a tunnel. She dug her cell phone from her back pocket and called Glory.
Her cousin answered on the first ring with a screechy,“Oh-my-freaking God, where are you?”
“I’m on my way,” Callie soothed. “Just following my neighbor, Tanner Patrick—the dude with the chain saw—to his house, then I’ll cut over.”
In a horrified whisper, Glory breathed, “You’re going with chain saw dude to his house?Are you out of your freaking mind?”
Probably. “He’s fine,” she said airily, knowing Tanner listened. She saw his naked shoulders stiffen and basked in her satisfaction. “He’s in a mood, you know? Pouty and stuff.”
Now his neck stiffened, too.
“His dog is nice, though.” At the worddog, Blu glanced at her, then scooted closer and tipped up his face for a pet.
“I thought you were dead, Callie, but I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t know if I should call the police or not.”
Callie missed a step. “I’m very much alive, thank you, so I’m glad you didnotcall anyone.” Please, please, please…
“Well… I sort of did.”
Damn.
“Call someone, I mean,” Glory said unnecessarily.
Callie barely held off her huff. “Who?”
“Now Callie, don’t sound like that. I was worried.”
Her jaw locked. “Who. Did you. Call?”
Talking fast, Glory said, “I knew you wouldn’t want your parents to know if you were being murdered, and I wasn’t sure it warranted the police, so I called Sutter.”
That did it. She stopped walking. Stopped breathing. Steam built inside her, until she blasted,“You are no longer my cousin.”
