Chapter 5
The following morning, Tanner woke up to find the bed empty. Thinking that Lilac had to be in the bathroom, he lay there for a while.
Then he realized that the hotel room was too quiet. Getting out of bed, he rushed to the bathroom.
What the hell?
Where had she gone?
Grabbing his phone, relief filled him as he saw a message from her.
Lilac:Sorry to run out on you. I had an appointment I couldn’t miss. And you looked so peaceful sleeping.
Tanner: Next time, wake me.
He waitedbut there was no reply. After showering, he made sure he had everything and headed out. The rodeo was finished, but he’d decided he was going to stay on for a while.
Because of Lilac.
His phone beeped.
Lilac:You looked tired. I thought you needed your sleep. Can I see you tonight?
Disappointment filled him.He’d thought they were going to spend the day together.
Tanner:Yeah. Where should I meet you?
Lilac: At the bar at eight. I have something I need to talk to you about.
Worry filled him.What could she possibly have to tell him?
Tanner:You could tell me now.
Lilac: I would rather do it in person. See you at eight.
* * *
Tanner walkedinto the bar just before eight and looked around for her. There were a couple of other waitresses working tonight.
He sat down at the bar and ordered a beer.
Getting out his phone, he sent Lilac a text. She didn’t reply, but he didn’t let it get to him.
Not until half an hour passed.
Where was she? Fuck. What if something had happened to her?
He tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail.
Where was she?
“Hey!” he called out to the Harry, the bartender.
“Yeah? You want another one?”
“No. Do you know where Lilac lives?”
The guy frowned down at him. “What’s it to you where Lilac lives?”
“I’m her friend.”
“Yeah? You’d think her friend would already know where she lives.”
He sighed. Fucking asshole. Although he did understand.
“Look, I get you’re trying to protect her. But I was supposed to meet her here tonight at eight; however, she’s not here and she’s not answering her phone.”
“Sounds like she stood you up.”
“She wouldn’t do that. Haven’t you seen her with me lately?”
Harry gave him a skeptical look. “Maybe. But that might be that you’re hassling her. Lilac has only worked here for two weeks. Don’t exactly know her that well.”
Two weeks?
Really?
He’d thought she’d lived here all her life. Although, now that he thought about it, he realized she’d never said that.
And you never really asked.
A strange feeling developed in his stomach. But he was being ridiculous. He and Lilac had shared something.
They’d had a connection.
Harry eyed him for a moment, then waved over one of the waitresses. “Hey, Shelley, you know when Lilac is back on?”
“She’s got a shift tomorrow night, but Julie tried calling her to see if she could work tonight and it went straight to voicemail.”
“Do you know what kind of car she drove?” he asked desperately.
“Why would I know that?”
“Uh, because you walked her to her car every night she worked,” he said. Jesus. Surely, he had to notice what she drove and maybe what the plate was if Tanner was lucky.
He didn’t know how he’d track her using her license plate, but Tanner was a resourceful guy. He knew he could use his charm to get his way.
“I don’t know what Lilac’s been telling you, but I never walked her to her car. Offered to, but she always took off in a different direction.”
“I don’t think she even had a car,” the other waitress said.
What the fuck? She didn’t have a car? But she’d told him . . . no wait. She hadn’t exactly told him. Had she?
Fuck. How much had she left out or not told him?
He was going to spank her ass until she couldn’t sit for a week once he found her.
If you find her.
“If you see her, can you call me?” Tanner asked.
“Sure.” Harry grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, and wrote his number and name down. He gave Tanner another pitying look before turning away to serve someone.
Yeah, he got it. He didn’t think that Lilac wanted to see him. Or talk to him.
But she did.
He knew she did.
* * *
Tanner went backto the bar the next night.
But she didn’t turn up for work. No one had heard from her. And the look on Harry’s face told him that they didn’t expect her back.
That’s when he knew that their connection had been all one-sided. There hadn’t been anything there.
He’d been fooling himself.
She’d been using him. And now she was gone.