51. Ava
Chapter Fifty-One
Ava
Meet the family
“And this is my sister, Sophie,” Tanner said.
When I glanced her way, I felt a little jolt.
Her eyes were exactly like Tanner’s. She had the same coloring and shared his striking gaze, but she was medium height with a curvy build and a wide, unapologetic smile.
While Tanner gave off that loyal, steady quality that I knew had come with a price—I loved that about him, not the price he paid, but the man he became—she had a sharp quality to her.
She gave off the vibe of the kid in class who questioned everything.
Sophie thrust her hand out toward me. “Ava!” she exclaimed, and before I could fully process it, she flung her arms around me and gave me a breath-stealing hug.
Her embrace felt like an exclamation mark. When she stepped back, she glanced at Tanner, and I saw the unquestioned love of a sibling who knew exactly who her brother was. “He’s always been the best older brother,” she said.
My cheeks warmed. “Tanner is the best kind of guy.”
My heart felt full at that moment. Whatever this was, whatever future we were building, I would never let him down. Not for a second. Something told me she sensed that.
“I’m the problem child,” she said, leaning in slightly, her tone conspiratorial.
“You’re not the problem child,” Tanner cut in, curling his arm around Sophie’s shoulders and squeezing.
She looked up at him. “Oh, but I am, and you know it. Someone has to be, right?”
Tanner chuckled. “Love you, sis. Where are you staying? I knew you were coming, but you didn’t tell me what day or what time, and now you’re just here.”
Janet’s voice floated over to us. “Hey, Sophie!” She bustled around the counter and pulled Tanner’s sister into a hug. You could practically see Sophie soaking it in.
“Hey, Janet.” She stepped back, smiling. “Good to be here.”
“What can I get you?” Casey asked from behind the counter.
“Well, I’ve heard about these donuts,” Sophie said.
At that moment, Luna came through the swinging door in the back. “Luna!” Sophie exclaimed.
“Oh, you know each other?” I asked.
“Of course we do,” she replied. “Luna and I were in the same grade. And then, she went off on her RV journeys,” she added with a dramatic brow waggle.
Luna rolled her eyes at that. I had heard the story at a card night. Luna’s parents had been RV influencers, and Luna had been a prime subject for many of the videos. She hated it and was happy staying in one place now. “We all have our stories,” Luna said. Her tone wasn’t bitter, just thoughtful.
“We do, don’t we?” Sophie agreed.
Casey glanced between them. “I’m Casey, by the way.”
Sophie turned toward her. “I’m Sophie. So, so good to meet you.” She pivoted back toward the counter. “I’ll take the special sandwich. The secret one.”
Janet chuckled. “It’s not really a secret. Beck tells everyone about it. It’s just not on the chalkboard.”
“I want that with extra cheese,” she said decisively. “And at least one of Luna’s donuts. What do you recommend?”
Casey tapped her fingertips against the counter thoughtfully.
“How sweet do you like?” Luna asked.
“Well, I mean, they’re donuts,” Sophie replied.
“But some are sweeter than others. Like icing and all,” Luna explained.
“I don’t like icing on donuts.”
“I would recommend the blackberry,” Luna said. “It’s my current favorite. It’s got a little punch to the sweetness.”
“I’ll take two of those with my sandwich.” Not missing a beat, Sophie turned back to him. “I’m staying with Mom.”
Tanner blinked. “Okay.”
“Don’t look so surprised, Brother,” she teased. “We have unfinished business. It’s going to be plenty awkward, and we’ll get through it.”
Tanner’s brow furrowed. She reached up and patted his shoulder. “I’ve got it. You don’t need to worry about Mom or me. You set the stage nicely for us.”
“God help me,” Tanner muttered under his breath.
“But I definitely want to spend time with you two,” she added. Her gaze sharpened slightly. “Is Laney still in town? Am I going to have to give her some hell for that shit she pulled?”
“Nope,” Tanner said quickly. “I don’t love what happened, but she apologized. She went back to Seattle.”
“And you changed all the passwords and everything?” she pressed.
Tanner let out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair. “It was a good refresher. I updated my passwords on everything.”
“Smart move,” she said firmly. I loved seeing how protective his sister was. “I figure it’s good to do that once a year or something like that.”
“We’ll have you out for dinner, but we can also come for dinner out at Mom’s,” Tanner said.
“Has Ava met her?”
“I have. I actually met her when I was in the hospital, but I met her again just the other day,” I said.
Sophie grinned at me. “She loves Tanner so much, and he was less trouble than I was.”
Tanner just shook his head at that. “I’ll catch you later,” he said.
A few minutes later, we walked out of the Firehouse Café, and Tanner held the door open for me to climb into his truck. I still felt a little self-conscious when he did that, but it was just how he was. Once I was settled in the seat, I carefully flexed my ankle.
“How’s it feel?” he asked as he buckled up.
“Good. No pain,” I insisted.
He chuckled. “I’m just checking. Wouldn’t you check if I’d broken my ankle like you did?”
“You’re never going to break your ankle like that,” I insisted.
He laughed. “You never know.”
As we drove out toward my place, he glanced over at me. “Do you mind if I stay tonight?”
“Of course not. I want you to stay every night, Tanner.”
His hand slid down my thigh, and I savored the weight of it. I loved every touch, and Tanner was generous with his touch. Something I had never experienced before.
Even though it sucked, I’d been humiliated, and I would probably always carry some regret about my marriage and have to work through it, I was grateful.
If I had not had such a terrible marriage and an embarrassing breakup, I probably never would have taken my dramatic divorce trip to Alaska.
Life shifted in surprising ways. Sometimes the worst chapters cracked open the door to the best ones.
I took a quick breath. “Are we ready?”
“Ready for what?” His gaze slid to mine before returning to the road.
“I don’t know. Maybe we should move in together.”
“I’m ready for anything with you, Ava,” he said with such easy confidence and zero hesitation that tears sprang to my eyes.
“Anything?” My voice wobbled a little.
He squeezed my thigh before turning his palm upward. I laced my fingers with his and savored his warm, steady grip.
“Anything.”
“Growly has to come.”
Tanner’s chuckle vibrated through me. “Obviously. Do you know how old he is?” he asked.
“The vet told me he was in bad condition when they found him, but that he might be younger than we thought, just because he’s lived in the wild. He looks like he’s lived a rough life. He survived Alaska winters. He kept himself safe from wolves and bears and lynx.”
“We can foster other cats if you want,” Tanner added.
“You’re a good man, Tanner,” I murmured.
“I try to be.”
“I like your sister,” I added.
He chuckled again. “I do too. I’m glad she’s staying with my mom.”
“They’ve got stuff to work out, huh?”
“Don’t we all?”
“How are you feeling about that?” I asked, referencing the whole situation with his mom.
He was quiet for a moment. “Better than I was. You know, I understand what happened. I mean, it still sucked, but all we can do is deal with it now. We definitely can’t change the past, and it took me a long time to figure that out.”
I squeezed his hand. “I love you, Tanner.”
He cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was rough. “I love you, Ava.”