Page 85 of Let Me Be the One
Good Lord. Expecting fireworks at any moment, Callie tried to tighten her hold on Tanner, but it proved unnecessary. Once again, other than his mouth curling in a small, taunting smile, he showed no signs of being provoked. “I’ve given her an accurate representation of you.” He took one step forward. “And now it’s time for you to go.”
“Yeah, it is.” Sneering, he glanced at Callie. “Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson on being a concerned neighbor.I won’t make that mistake again.” He stomped off before she could think of anything conciliatory to say.
If only she’d gone in and made coffee as Tanner had suggested, instead of confronting Dirk. Her heart lay heavy in her chest. Disliking the Garmets on principle was easier than admitting she’d badly overreacted.
“They were trying to get the goat back for me.” Color washed from her face as she realized her own misjudgment. “And I climbed a tree.” Feeling sick, full of regret, she watched Dirk until he disappeared behind a wall of thick honeysuckle that ran in a tangled line between their properties.
Taking her arm above her elbow, Tanner urged her inside, and then to the couch. He crouched down in front of her.
Given he was barefoot and bare-chested with his jeans undone, it was an enormous distraction.
“Listen to me, Callie.”
Right. She’d messed this all up and she needed to pay attention, so she forced her gaze to his.
He surprised her by saying, “Never, under any circumstances, trust Dirk or Lang. Do you understand me?”
“But—”
“But nothing. If you got a vibe, then you were smart to act on it. God gave you instincts for a reason.”
And her instincts had been clamoring. Was that an actual issue she had with them, a residual fear left over from her college experience with Warren, or something instilled by Tanner and his dislike of the brothers? She frowned over the thought. “I climbed a tree.”
“A big one, I know.” His mouth twitched. “I’m proudof you. Couldn’t have been easy, but you got up there and took yourself out of harm’s way.”
His attitude helped to lessen her embarrassment. “I think I might’ve flown.”
He laughed. “No, you did what you had to and that was smart. If you’d stayed within reach, who knows what they might have done?”
Today, with the skies clear and the sun bright, she had a feeling they’d have helped her find her goat. Tanner’s earnestness kept her from admitting that out loud, but it didn’t eradicate her guilt. “I’ll keep my keys and phone on me from now on.”
“Probably not a bad idea, even when Liam’s around. He’s a capable guy, but only nineteen.”
“I wouldn’t want to put him in the position of thinking he had to protect me.”
“If I told him you said that, he’d be mighty insulted.”
No doubt. She looked at Tanner, at his thighs spread on either side of her, his hands now holding hers, and she felt…things. Too many to decipher all at once, especially after the stunning night she’d had with him.
Tipping forward, she rested her forehead on his bare shoulder. “What now?” She felt his slight stiffening.
In a carefully neutral tone, he said, “I have work to do, and you have critters to tend.”
So that’s where they were. Back to business as usual.
It saddened her, but she’d already decided she wouldn’t push for more. Neither of them was going anywhere and with their off-the-charts chemistry, this sort of thing was bound to happen again. She’d bide her time until then, and probably miss him every minute. “I understand.”
“I doubt that.” Standing, he said, “Sorry, honey, butI need one minute.” He went down the hall and into the bathroom. The door closed with a quiet click.
And of course, that made her need to go too, but she only had the one bathroom. Confused, unsure how to take his back-and-forth mood this morning, she curled up on the couch and waited. After the flush of the toilet and the sound of running water, Tanner emerged.
Completely cavalier about their morning-after, he bent to give her a quick kiss, leaving her with the scent of her mouthwash. “I’ll get the coffee started.”
It bugged her a little that Tanner coasted through the inevitable awkwardness like it was nothing, while she was left floundering. “Thanks.”
Deliberately, she took longer than he had, brushing the tangles from her hair, splashing her face, and cleaning her teeth. Lastly, she pulled on socks to protect her feet from the cold floor and shrugged back into her flannel shirt.
When she got to the kitchen, Tanner had just sat down at the table, with two mugs of steaming coffee at the ready. He’d even prepped hers for her.
