Page 52 of Tanner
She didn’t respond, but he could tell she was growing angry.
With a sigh, he knew she would never understand what happened that day, but he had to try for Emily’s sake.
“It just happened. I had an episode, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her. She helped me come back from the battle I was in, and for that, I’m grateful. Things got carried away.”
The woman’s face grew red. “Until this moment, I wasn’t certain it was true. But now I know what was told to me was real.”
Crap, that meant one of his cousins must have viewed the footage and told her. Those nosy sons of bitches. Why had they not come to him?
“This is a business. Not the Love Boat or Fantasy Island or even the Dating Game. You may be family but you’re also an employee. What you did is against the rules in the employee handbook. Page twenty-seven to be exact. We could be sued for sexual harassment.”
Tanner just sat there and let the woman yell at him, his anger growing by the minute. He wanted that footage erased immediately. And he would find out which cousin had seen it and they were in so much trouble.
Because they liked to stir up shit.
“And then last night, you went inside her cabin. What the hell happened in there? You are fornicating with the employees,” she said. “It was bad enough that your brother Travis and Samantha hooked up. Do you men know how you endanger our livelihood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
“Keep your penis in your pants. If I catch the two of you again, I’ll be forced to let Emily go,” she said. “As for you, after the bull incident and this little fiasco, two weeks suspension. One for each transgression. Get off the property for two weeks. You’re lucky I’m not firing you.”
Stunned, he stared at his crazy old aunt. The woman was a hard ass. “Don’t fire Emily. I’ll go, but I don’t know if I’m coming back.”
Rising from the chair, he was shaking with anger. “Oh, and by the way, the ghost you keep trying to hide from the guests. Well, she is not going to be happy with you. She’s been playing matchmaker with me and Emily. In fact, I expect she’ll be serenading you tonight with her singing. Sleep well.”
Tanner turned and walked out the door. If he found out which cousin had seen them in the kitchen, he better hide. Right now, Tanner was so mad, he all but stormed out of the building.
Walking across the yard to his cabin, he saw Travis coming toward him.
“We’ve got to talk,” he said. “You’re not going to believe what’s happened.”
“Yeah, we need to talk,” Tanner said, thinking he was so over being a Burnett and working at the ranch.
“Samantha is pregnant,” Travis said, a grin spreading across his face. “She took the test this morning because she’s late and hasn’t been feeling good. She’s pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
Tanner tried to push aside his anger. This was what his brother needed. A new woman and a baby. Pausing in his stomp across the yard, he patted his brother on the back.
“Congratulations,” he said. “I know how much this means to you.”
“I’m so damn happy,” Travis said. “Samantha makes me so happy. But this is wonderful.”
Damn, now he hated to tell his brother what had just happened. He didn’t want to ruin his good day but he had to tell him.
“You deserve this,” Tanner said, remembering how much Travis had gone through when his first wife and child had been killed.
There was a perpetual grin on Travis’s face, and Tanner knew his bad news would end that feeling of joy he was experiencing.
“We’re getting married just as soon as we can. I was wondering if you’d stand up with me. Tucker has already said he would. But I really would like both of you.”
“Of course,” Tanner said. “Did you guys plan on her getting pregnant this quick?”
Travis smiled. “Not at all. We forgot to use a condom one night and here we are. One time and we’re expecting a baby.”
Like a slam to the gut, Tanner remembered.
One time. Only one time. Dear God, only one time.
The memory of them under the table, no condom anywhere near them, suddenly hit him. Damn, that little incident had caused nothing but problems. What if she were pregnant?
