Chapter Four
Tanner felt as though someone had stuck a spoon inside his head and given his thoughts a good stirring. He couldn’t think straight. There were a dozen questions he wanted to ask. He hadn’t lied when he said he wanted to know everything about Everly. At the same time, he had a whole bunch of questions for himself. Primarily, he wanted to know what the hell was going on with him. Why did he feel the desperate need to keep her sitting out here in the truck with him to talk?
He wouldn’t admit it to anyone except his brothers, but there had been a time – granted, it was when he was younger – that he used to time how long it took between leaving Chico with a girl and getting her into bed. He wasn’t proud of that – not anymore – but it still felt more normal to him than what he was doing right now.
He’d turned in his seat to face Everly, and she’d done the same. With any other woman, he would be leaning across the console toward her, and her lips would be eagerly waiting to meet his.
Everly wasn’t anything like the women he was used to. Yes, she’d turned in her seat, but she leaned back against the door and pulled one of her knees up in front of her.
She hadn’t spoken a word since he’d blurted out that he wanted to know everything there was to know about her.
After a long few moments, she smiled. “You’re going to need to be more specific.”
He chuckled. “Okay, let’s go with the easy stuff first. From what you said, it sounds like you work behind a bar?”
“I do. I… I’ve worked there for a few years now. It’s a fun place. I used to work in a small hotel. I loved it there, but they were bought out by a big chain, and it wasn’t the same after that. What about you? Is Chico your full-time job?”
“No. It’s just for fun.” He narrowed his eyes at her when she laughed. “What? Why are you laughing at me?”
“You know damn well why. I bet you get all the fun you can handle and more.”
He dropped his chin and looked up at her from under his eyelashes. “I’m not going to deny it.”
“Good. Why should you? I’m not judging you. And by the way? You don’t need to give me the puppy dog look and bat your long eyelashes at me.”
He had to laugh. “Damn! And I thought that would help. Are you going to call me on all my shit?”
“I sure am. But go on, if working behind the bar is just for fun, what’s your real job?”
He waggled his eyebrows and said, “I run the stud.”
She burst out laughing. “Excuse me? You do what?”
“I didn’t say I am a stud.”
“What do you mean then?”
“Horses. We breed them. The ranch is a cattle ranch, but I was always more about horses than cattle. We started a breeding program when I was in high school, and ever since I came home that’s been my full-time job.”
“Came home? From where?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “I’m not sure that I want to tell you. You’ll think that I’m just bragging again.”
She chuckled. “Try me.”
He blew out an exaggerated sigh. “Okay, so, I was in the Navy – I was a SEAL.”
She didn’t laugh at that. She seemed to tense, and little lines furrowed her brow.
“Okay, so you don’t find that as impressive as I thought you would.”
“No. I… Sorry. It’s just… I suppose I should say thank you for your service.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t have to say it – especially if you don’t mean it. It’s not a problem. I get that you might see it differently.”
“No! Sorry. It’s not that. It’s just… You took me by surprise, I guess. That was the last thing I expected you to say.” She frowned. “Was it just you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean … Did your brothers serve with you? Is there a whole bunch of former SEALs around here – friends, people you know?”
Women were usually impressed when he told them about his former military career. Everly seemed perplexed. It wasn’t a reaction that he was used to.
“Yeah. I served with Kolby, and Ty, and our eldest brother was a SEAL, too. Why?”
She shook her head slowly. “I was just curious. I… So, how long have you been back here?”
“A few years, now.” He wanted to get the conversation back on track – although where he thought that track might lead them, he had no clue. “But that’s enough about me. What about you? You live in Napa, you work in a bar, you used to work in a hotel. That’s all I know about you.” He smiled. “At this rate, it’s going to take a long, long time for me to learn everything about you. How long are you here for?”
She hesitated before she answered.
Tanner got a sinking feeling in his stomach. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m not going to keep pestering you if you’re not interested. I know I kind of manipulated you into saying that you’ll come out again tomorrow night, but don’t feel like you have to.”
“It’s not that.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t look so worried. I hesitated to answer because I’m supposed to be here for a week, but the only reason I planned to stay that long was because I was hoping to catch up with my dad. If he’s not around or if… if he’s changed his mind about wanting to see me, then there’s no point in me staying that long. That’s all.” She laughed. “Don’t worry, don’t think that you’re losing your touch or something. I’m not trying to put you off, I just honestly don’t know the answer.”
Tanner grinned. “Well, that’s a relief. And now I have a mission.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You do?”
“Yeah. I’m going to do my best to persuade you to stay for the whole week no matter what happens with your dad.”
She stared at him for a long moment before asking, “Why?”
“You know why,” he told her with his best charming smile. It usually had the effect of making women more open to whatever he suggested.
It didn’t work that way with Everly, though. She threw back her head and laughed.
“Why is that so funny?” he asked. Part of him wanted to laugh with her, part of him felt slightly offended.
“Oh, come on, Tanner! We both know that I’m not like the girls you go for, you don’t need to treat me like one of them. Or is it just so ingrained with you? Do you lay on the charm automatically and not even know that you’re doing it anymore?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “I dunno. Maybe I’m just so used to doing it that it does come automatically. But you’re right, you’re not… you’re not just another girl. This isn’t just another Friday night. You’re different, Everly.” His heart was pounding. He was desperately searching for the right words. He wanted to explain; needed her to understand.
When she laughed again, it was obvious that he wasn’t getting his point across.
“Is that a standard line, too? Tell them that they’re different – that they’re special ?” She rolled her eyes as she added that last part.
“No! Honestly, I promise you. I might be in the habit of talking girls into spending the night with me, but I don’t feed them bullshit to get them there.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. I’m sure you don’t need to lay it on too thick. I bet they go willingly without you having to say much of anything.”
He took his hat off and leaned back against the door of the truck. “Yeah. I guess I go for girls who like to play the game. They’re easy enough to spot, they tend to play by the same rules that I do.” He shrugged. “It keeps things simple. Nobody has any expectations other than a fun night – nobody gets hurt.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Am I making myself sound like an asshole?” he asked with a rueful smile.
To his relief, she smiled back. “No. I get it. And I’m not judging you. You’re young, free, and single – why not mingle?”
He chuckled. “That’s how I see it.” His smile faded. “It looks different tonight, though.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“I mean with you.” He held his hand up to stop her before she could interrupt. “And no, that’s not me feeding you a line. I’m dead serious. You… You’re different. You’re real. I don’t know how else to put it. Laney said it earlier – you could be one of us. I … shit! I wish I could explain it better. I feel like I’m out of my depth here – out of my league, if I’m honest.”
The way she smiled made him feel better. “It’s okay. I get it. There was a time – years ago – when I used to play the game. It’s so long ago now that I have the benefit of hindsight. I can explain it to you, if you want me to.”
“Please.”
“The way you work it, the way you play the game, that’s all it is – a game. You don’t see the girls, the other players, as people.”
He started to protest, but she spoke over him.
“I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just the only way to explain it. You’re not engaging with them as fellow human beings. You only see them as fellow players in the game.”
She wrinkled her nose, and it looked so damn cute that he wanted to lean across the console and hug her.
She didn’t seem to notice his reaction as she continued. “I bet you played football or something in high school, didn’t you?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. And why is it that with you I feel like I shouldn’t admit that I was quarterback and team captain?”
She laughed. “Hey, you can’t blame me. The reason I asked is because I wanted to compare the girls you sleep with to players on the opposing team. You know it’s a game; you engage with each other for the fun of it, you’re both looking to get something out of it, but once the game’s over neither of you will give each other another thought.”
He leaned his head back against the window and stared at her. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But…” He chuckled when a thought struck him. “That’s why you’re so different, isn’t it?”
She gave him a puzzled look.
“Because I see you as one of us – someone who I want to be on the same team with.” The idea had made him laugh at first, and he was pleased with himself for being able to follow her analogy and take it further. The more he thought about it, though, the less humorous and more appealing the idea seemed.
She was still watching him with that puzzled look on her face.
He couldn’t help it; he winked at her. “Want to try being teammates while you’re here?”
She wrinkled her nose again. “What does that even mean?”
“Honestly? I have no idea. I haven’t tried it before. I guess that means we can make it up as we go along.”
He was relieved when she gave him a small smile. “It’s not a terrible idea.”
“I think it’s an awesome idea.”
“But where do we start?”
He leaned toward her, resting his elbows on the console as he looked into her eyes. He was out of his comfort zone, no question about it, so he was relieved to see the way she reacted to his closeness – the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed deeply, the way she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. She might not be the kind of girl who’d happily waltz off to bed with him, but she was attracted to him, there was no doubt about that.
“How about breakfast tomorrow?” he asked.
The way she groaned felt like a slap in the face. “Seriously?” she asked. “To you, that whole conversation we just had was nothing more than a lead up to inviting yourself to stay the night?”
“What?” He shook his head as if doing so might be able to rearrange the words he’d just heard into something that made sense. “What do you…?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Breakfast? Seriously?”
“Shit!” He had to laugh when it hit him. “I didn’t mean it like that. Dammit, Everly! I want to say that you should know me better than that, but that’s crazy because you don’t know me at all – yet. I wasn’t feeding you a line, wasn’t insinuating that you should spend the night with me. All I meant was that, if you want, I can come and pick you up in the morning and take you out for breakfast.”
“Oh!” She eyed him suspiciously.
He laughed. “Honestly! That’s what I meant. If you think about it, you’re the one who jumped to the wrong conclusion.”
She pursed her lips. “Shit! I’m sorry.”
He shook his head with a smile. “No, don’t apologize. I suppose it was a reasonable conclusion for you to jump to, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was the wrong conclusion. I promise. So, what do you say? Would it be all right if I come to pick you up tomorrow – take you out for breakfast?”
She held his gaze and smiled. “Yeah, it would. Thanks, I’d like that.”
“Okay, then. And can we play it by ear from there? See how long I can get you to hang out with me?”
“Sure – or how soon you want to bring me back here and get rid of me.”
“If it were up to me, I’d tell you to pack your bag right now and bring you back to the ranch with me.”
They both turned when the front door to the lodge opened, and a couple came out. Tanner watched them walk hand in hand down the steps before heading over to a circle of Adirondack chairs where they sat to look up at the stars. It made him wish that he’d suggested that he and Everly should do that.
When he looked over at her, she was watching the couple. She turned when she sensed his gaze on her. “What?”
He grinned. “Those people gave me an idea. Want to go for a walk?”
“A walk? In the dark?”
His heart sank. Maybe she was one of those prissy, city girls who…
She interrupted his thoughts. “Sure, why not?”
“You’re not afraid of the dark, then?”
She laughed. “No. I don’t know why I said that. I…” She met his gaze and held it. “If you want to know the truth, I was debating with myself whether I should just invite you inside.”
All his breath caught in his chest. Was she saying…?
She gave him a wry smile. “But you’re right, a walk in the dark is probably a better idea.”
~ ~ ~
Everly reached for the door handle. She was surprised at herself for even considering inviting him to come up to her room, and even more so that she’d told him so.
“Wait there,” he told her.
She didn’t know why he wanted her to wait, but she did as he asked while he got out and jogged around the front of the truck. When he reached the passenger door, he opened it for her and offered her his hand to get down.
All her breath got caught in her chest when her feet hit the ground, and he reached past her to close the truck door.
He tilted his head to the side, and a small smile played on his lips as he asked, “You okay?”
She nodded rapidly, not trusting herself to speak. When he leaned in close like that, it was hard to remember why inviting him up to her room wasn’t a good idea.
He pointed to the path that she knew looped around the guest cabins before arriving back at the entrance to the lodge. “Want to go that way?” he asked.
“Sure. You’re familiar with this place, then?”
“I am. The Remingtons are good friends of ours. We all grew up together.”
“Oh. That makes sense.” It shouldn’t matter to her, but she was relieved to hear his explanation. She’d assumed that he knew his way around from bringing girls back here. On the other hand, she wasn’t thrilled that he knew the Remingtons well. “Did you go to school with them?” she asked.
“Sure did. I imagine you’ve met Shane since he runs the lodge, but there’s Mason, Beau, and Carter as well.”
She nodded but didn’t comment. It probably didn’t matter, but she was a little freaked out by the possibility that he might know her dad. When he’d told her that he was a Navy SEAL that felt a little too close for comfort, given that her dad was also a former SEAL. Since he knew the Remingtons as well, it just made her feel… She wasn’t exactly sure how it made her feel.
She hadn’t told him or his family the real reason that she was here in Montana. She wasn’t deliberately hiding it – they hadn’t asked.
He nudged her with his elbow as they walked. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. Sorry. You’re right, I have met Shane. And…” She might as well tell him, even if she didn’t want to get into all the details. “I’ve met Beau before as well.”
“You have? I didn’t think he was around the lodge much.”
“No, I mean I’ve met him before. Do you know his wife, Corinne?”
Tanner grinned. “Yeah, Corinne’s cool, and their little girl, Ruby, she’s awesome.”
Everly laughed at that. “She is. I’m glad you like her – some people think that she’s a handful, but she’s just a strong-willed little woman.”
Tanner laughed. “That’s a good way to describe her. She’s a little spitfire. So, you know them? Oh, wait, that’s right – Corinne and Ruby moved here from Napa, didn’t they? Did you know them when they lived there?”
“I did. Remember I told you that I used to work in a hotel? Corinne ran the place, and I was her assistant manager.”
“Wow! So, is that why you’re here – to visit her?”
“Kind of.”
He surprised her when he slung his arm around her shoulders and grinned down at her. “What are you hiding, Miss Everly?”
“I… I’m not hiding anything. I guess I’m just a little cautious.”
His smile faded. “Why?”
She shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t know. I… I’m kind of nervous that you might know my dad. And apart from that, I… Oh, what the hell. I might as well just tell you. I had an interview at a hotel over in Bozeman this morning. It didn’t go that well; I probably won’t get the job. But I need a change, and Corinne told me about the job.” She blew out a sigh. “Things aren’t going great at home in Napa – I won’t bore you with the details, but like I said, I need a change. I was hoping that maybe things would come together here. I mean, what are the odds that my dad would end up living in the same place as my friend? It seemed too good to be true…”
Her words trailed off, and Tanner’s arm tightened around her shoulders as they continued walking.
After a little while, she looked up at him. “Turns out that it was all too good to be true. The interview was awful, and even if they offered me a job, I don’t think I’d want to work there. And then my dad didn’t show tonight. I really thought that this time…”
“Hey, don’t give up on him yet. He might have a reason why he didn’t show. Maybe you should do like you said and give him until tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Tanner. You’re right. That’s what I’m going to do.”
He stopped walking and placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked down into her eyes.
A slow smile spread across her face as she looked back up at him.
He smiled back. “Are you laughing at me again?”
“No! If you really want to know what I was thinking, I was thinking that even though the interview was a bust, and my dad was a no-show, you’re not a bad consolation prize.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Well, that’s a new one. I don’t think I’ve ever been called a consolation prize before.”
She laughed with him. “I’m sure you haven’t, but I get the feeling that your ego’s robust enough to take it.”
“Yeah. It’d take more than that to hurt my feelings. And besides, I still get to be a prize of some sort, even if it’s not the main prize.”
Looking up at him, she imagined that a lot of girls would see him as the main prize. Yeah, he was the kind of good-looking that made women swoon, but more importantly than that, the more she got to know him the more she believed his claim that he wasn’t just a good guy – he was a great guy.
“The girl who lands you as her main prize will be one lucky lady,” she told him honestly.
“I’d rather be your consolation prize.”
She laughed. “When are you going to learn that you don’t need to keep feeding me…”
She stopped short when he took his hat off and leaned in close. One hand slid up from her shoulder to cup the side of her neck.
He rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. “When are you going to learn that I’m dead serious, Everly?”
All her breath caught in her chest when he slid his fingers into her hair. He leaned in closer still until his lips were only an inch from hers.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
As soon as the word was out, he brushed his lips over hers.
His fingers tangled in her hair, and he slid his other arm around her waist. She looped her arms around his neck and hung on for dear life as he kissed her senseless.
Holy crap! The man was lethal. She hadn’t kissed a guy in years, but she’d never in her life been kissed like that before. Every stroke of his tongue against hers made her feel like she was melting against him. The way his fingers stroked her scalp sent shivers chasing each other down her spine. His arm around her waist made her feel safe, as though nothing in the world could touch her while he was close.
When he finally lifted his head, his eyes shone in the moonlight. “Wow!” he breathed.
She laughed. “I think that’s my line.”
He shook his head solemnly. “Nope. You’re something else, sweetheart.” He frowned. “And please, whatever you do, don’t spoil this moment by assuming that’s a line. It isn’t. I… Damn, Everly!” He ran his fingers through his hair before cramming his hat back onto his head. “What are you doing to me?”
She was still trying to recover from that kiss, but she was touched by his openness. She ran her hand up his arm. “I have no idea, but you’re doing it to me, too.”
He held his hand out to her, and she took it, lacing her fingers through his as they started to walk again.
If he thought that kiss was a precursor to her inviting him up to her room, she… Oh, who was she kidding? If he wanted to come up, she’d take him willingly.
He chuckled. “And before you go getting the wrong idea again, I’m marching you back so that I can send you up to your room and drive away while I still have the willpower to leave.”
She laughed with him. “I thought you were in such a hurry because you wanted…”
“Want? Hell yeah, I want you more than I want my next breath. But it’s not the right move.” He gave her a pained smile. “Unless you think it is? If you say it’s the right move…”
She groaned. “I…” Her resolve was about to crumble; she’d be crazy to turn him down.
“No.” He cut her off. “That wasn’t fair. It’s not the right move – not if we want more than just one night, and I do.”
They’d arrived back at the lodge, and he came to a stop by his truck. He leaned in and pressed a quick peck to her lips.
“Can I have your number?” He tapped it into his phone as she told it to him. “Thanks. What time’s good for me to come get you in the morning? Are you an early bird? Or do you want to sleep in? Would you rather call me when you’re ready?”
“Any time’s good. I’m an early riser.”
He chuckled. “Is seven too early for you?”
“It’s early, but it’s not too early if that’s what you want to do.”
“I think you know what I want to do – but I’m not going to. So, I’ll see you back here at seven?”
“Okay.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and brushed his lips over hers. “You have no idea how bad I want to kiss you again, but I can’t. If I do, it’ll be game over.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I get it. I feel the same way. So, I guess this is good night.” She took a step back from him, but he followed and closed his arms around her again.
“It is; it has to be. But I’m only accepting this as good night if you promise that it’s not goodbye.”
She rested her hands on his shoulders. “It’s not.”
“Promise?”
She laughed. “Promise.”