Chapter 16 Tanner
Tanner
Taking advantage of the chink in her defenses, Tanner talked Avery into showing him her workshop, following her back to her house when they were done in the diner.
He wanted to find out more about what she did, and it was an added bonus that it distracted him from the morning’s less-than-satisfactory workout session.
“You’re a neat freak, Stretch.” It wasn’t a surprise.
His eyes trailed around the benches and shelves.
Everything was tidy, ordered, and surprisingly fascinating.
A floor-to-ceiling storage unit held bolts of fabric, strapping, springs, and stuffing, along with power tools he couldn’t even identify.
An Anglepoise lamp on the workbench stretched over a sewing machine, an array of smaller tools hanging on the wall behind.
The bare bones of an old armchair sat on a small, raised platform in the center of the room.
Tanner ran his eyes over the suspended tools.
“What’s that one for?”
Avery followed his finger. “It’s a ripping chisel for removing old material.”
“That one?”
“It’s a tack lifter.”
“Cool. Looks evil. And just the right shape to get up each side of Tyson Dax’s nostrils.”
She snorted. “Scary to know that was your first thought.”
“You have a lot of chalk.” Tanner peered into a tub on the workbench. “Better make sure you don’t ask Sam over.”
Avery’s low chuckle warmed his chest again. Her laugh had never been directed his way at school, but it’d always had the power to turn his head when he heard it. It sounded even better all these years later, made him want things he couldn’t have.
He stooped to study the gutted armchair, fascinated by the process of her work.
“That belongs to a woman in town. It’s an old favorite and she wants it to match a redecorated room,” she said from behind him. “It’s rewarding to take something that’s seen better days and give it a new life.”
“I can imagine.” Running the edge of a swathe of velvet through his fingers as he continued to wander, Tanner jerked his chin toward the chair. “I can’t wait to see what you do with it. Always knew you were smart. Now it turns out you’re smart and creative. I’m impressed.”
Avery looked quietly pleased at the compliment. Maybe even a little surprised.
They sauntered back to the rented Escalade.
“You haven’t had to give this back yet?” she asked.
“Suited me to keep it for now.” Tanner hit the unlock button. “Mats is visiting sometime soon—probably after the wedding. He’s gonna drive my car up and fly back.”
“Nice.”
“Wait until you see my G-Wagon. She’s a beast.” He eyed Avery’s old Honda Element. Scraped, rusted, and one of the ugliest cars he’d ever seen, it set off a twitch in his right eye. “More than I can say for that.”
Avery shrugged. “It might be time for a change soon—the air con’s broken and it’s not worth replacing. But I don’t do a lot of mileage and I can fit furniture in the back.”
“You can get furniture in the back of a school bus and it’d probably beat that old junker for speed.”
This time, the mention of school brought shadows to her eyes; they cast clouds faster than Tanner could think of a smart comment to banish them. Avery twisted a hand in her hair and the sunlight picked out threads of gold in the burnished autumn strands.
“I’m sorry I didn’t answer your messages from college.
There was stuff going on here. I had nothing worth sharing with you.
” She swallowed hard. The fading bruise on her cheekbone and the scabbed cut on her temple added an air of fragility to her discomfort.
“You needed to move forward. Your life was exciting and I was stuck. But I’m sorry I just dropped out of touch. ”
“What kind of stuff was going on?” Tanner wanted her to tell him herself.
It took a visible effort for Avery to tip her lips upward.
“Just my parents screwing with my life. A mortifying meet-cute between my dad and Principal Harris that I got to sit in on after the parking lot incident. I’m still recovering from that one, by the way.
And then, you know, divorce, depression, desertion.
Nothing much.” She gave an empty laugh that hurt his chest.
“That smile doesn’t work on me, Stretch,” Tanner said, pushing his hands into his pockets so he couldn’t reach for her. “I could see through it at school and I can see through it now.”
“I didn’t go to prom with Tyson Dax—obviously. I didn’t go to prom at all.” Avery wiped at a smear on the front fender of his car. “My mom was in a facility for a while. Things were . . . difficult.”
“How long?” he asked, his throat keyed rough with sympathy.
“Three months. Not long.”
Long enough. And, dammit, she’d been alone all that time.
“All the best people skip prom, anyway. I didn’t go either.” He’d had no money for a suit.
The pasted smile that held no depth flickered and died on Avery’s face as she met his eyes. “It was tough back then but it’s all in the past. And it wasn’t stuff I wanted to bore you with at college. I didn’t really know you that well.”
That hurt. Even though it was true.
“I wouldn’t have been bored. I wish you’d told me.
But maybe we could get to know each other better now.
” Tanner was treading on eggshells, caught in unfamiliar territory.
It had been a long time since he’d had to work to get someone to spend time with him.
“I told my mom you were at Savannah’s bash.
She asked me to bring you over for lunch.
Reid’s visiting on Sunday. Come and join us? ”
Avery looked away with a frown, opened her mouth to say no. He knew it.
Tanner added some pressure. “She asked Sam and Kash too but they’re busy. Don’t make it a clean sweep. My mom would love to see you.”
They were interrupted by the noise of an engine as a car pulled up behind the Escalade. The driver’s door opened and a lanky pair of legs got out with Leo Marsh at the top of them.
“Hey.” He strolled over to pull Avery in for a hug, leaving his arm around her shoulders. “I was hoping you’d make me coffee and listen to me moan about my summer school kids.” He nodded in Tanner’s direction. “Hi, bud. How’re things?”
Tanner watched Avery relax in a way that sent a restive ache through the marrow of his bones. When she wrapped her arm around Leo’s waist and leaned into his side, a muscle pulsed in Tanner’s jaw. He tried to rub it away.
Lean on me, he wanted to tell her, and the thought came from an alien place. I’m here. Lean on me.
“All good, thanks.” Forcing a grin, Tanner tossed his keys from hand to hand. “Just heading out, though.”
“Thanks for brunch.” Avery’s blue eyes glittered. “And my hoodie.”
Tugging on the car door, he took a chance. “Lunch,” he said. “Sunday. I’ll pick you up around midday. How does that sound?”
Avery hesitated for a few seconds before she gave in. “I can drive. Send me the address and I’ll see you there.”
Tanner knew when to quit. It would have to be enough.
She was on time to the minute, holding a bottle of wine and a small potted plant. He didn’t know enough about horticulture to know what it was, but it was pretty.
Avery, though—she was gorgeous.
“Come in.” Tanner stood back, trying to temper the smile that grew on his lips as he held the door open.
“Wow, it smells good in here,” she said, following him through the entryway into the kitchen, where his mom, Henry, and Reid all turned as one.
His mother beamed. “That’ll be the spices. I hope you’re OK with hot food. Henry’s made his specialty—Hungarian chicken paprikash.”
“My friend Gemma won’t eat gingerbread cookies because they’re too spicy, but I’ll eat pretty much anything.” Avery held the plant out to his mom. “This is for you.”
“That’s so kind. Thank you, honey.” His mother waved them further into the kitchen; the double doors to the backyard were wide open. “It’s wonderful to see you! Come in and get a drink.”
“What would you like?” Tanner asked. “We’ve got beer, wine, pop, and some White Claw left over from mom’s book club.”
“I’m driving so I’ll take the pop, please.” Avery’s fingers toyed with the charm on the chain around her neck.
“Hey, Avery.” Unfolding himself from one of the kitchen chairs, his brother crossed the room and bent to kiss Avery on the cheek.
Tanner cursed himself for missing his chance to do the same.
He stepped hard onto the toe of Reid’s sneaker as he turned toward the fridge.
“Ow—fuck! Seriously, dude. Haven’t seen you in years, Ave!
How’re you doing?” Reid rambled through the string of sentences, the welcoming grin never sliding from his face. His brother was a charming sonofabitch.
As they settled at the table, Avery met the avalanche of questions from his mom and Reid with composure, delighting Henry with her enthusiastic appetite when they all tucked in.
“Me and my housemate don’t really cook,” Avery admitted. “I forget mealtimes and Bel works long hours. At the weekends, we’re both too lazy to bother.”
“I’m a terrible cook!” His mom laughed. “Henry takes over whenever he’s here and, believe me, it’s better that way. Even the boys make nicer food than I can. They all learned to cook when they were younger because I was ill so often.”
Avery swallowed her mouthful. “I’m glad you’re better now, Mrs. Stone.”
His mother lifted her glass to her lips. “Me too, Avery. And please, call me Cassidy.”
As the conversation rolled on around him, Tanner tapped his fingers on the label of his IPA, wondering why Avery’s presence in his mom’s house released the same cocktail of feel-good chemicals in his body that he felt when he was riding a wave.