Chapter 30 Tanner
Tanner
Yeah, the bar was free. Because he’d put a fuck-ton of money behind it as his wedding present to Savannah and Griff. But that wasn’t something Tanner planned to announce to this prick. To anyone, in fact.
“Thank you.” Avery smiled at him as she took the glass, and he thought he might stage a heist at a vineyard to bring her wine for the rest of her life if she’d curve her lips like that every time.
He’d shed his jacket inside the barn—glad of a momentary reprieve from the damn sling before he’d put it back on—and rolled up his sleeves, loosened his tie, undone the top button of his shirt. And his skin still sizzled. He was hot under the collar just from being near her.
As they rejoined the others, Tanner felt the zap of electricity from Avery’s bare arm even though they weren’t touching.
Knowing how she tasted, how she felt, had flipped a switch inside him and he couldn’t find a breaker for it.
When he’d watched her walk outside with Johnnie, the churn of his stomach had blindsided him.
Catching her comment about being a free agent, he could have thrown up. What the hell had she done to him?
While Avery collected drinks for Bel and Gemma, Tanner took in her softened shoulders, the ease of her lips. If the conversation with Johnnie had bothered her, it wasn’t showing on her face now.
“You look relaxed,” he murmured near her ear, the scent of her perfume in his nose. He wanted to duck his head and nibble her neck; she tempted his taste buds whenever he was within touching distance.
Avery’s mouth lifted at the corners. “Left my phone in Drew’s car. I didn’t want to look at it today and I like being without it. My mom knows I’m at the wedding so she shouldn’t call.”
“You didn’t want to take any photos?”
She shrugged. “Bel’s been snapping away all day. I’ll get her to send me a few.”
Maybe he’d get Bel to send him some, too.
Avery’s daily presence in the outbuilding and her brief forays into his house were killing him; the past ten days had been a wake-up call. He’d thought he could back off and accept that maybe they weren’t meant to be. But the distance he’d put between them had only shown him the opposite.
Her presence close by teased him with everything Tanner wanted for real and couldn’t have.
He’d grown to love the sound of Avery’s sneakers on the tiled floor of his kitchen, her hoodie draped over the back of a chair, her music drifting in the air outside while she worked.
It unwound parts of him that he had thought would always be strung tight, and he wanted more of it. More of her.
If she’d take a chance on a guy whose career hung in the balance.
He’d overheard Johnnie’s snarky comments and they echoed in Tanner’s head. On the off-chance Avery did want shiny, he’d shiny the fuck out of her. Because she deserved it and because he wanted her to know he was serious. It was time to double down on his persuasive skills.
“You found her!” Gemma squealed from behind them.
“Dying of thirst over here, girl.” Bel swooped in to relieve Avery of their drinks, thrusting one at Gemma and looping an arm around Avery’s waist.
“How was Milwaukee?” Tanner asked Bel, since Drew had told him she’d had an overnight work trip at the back end of the week.
“Interesting.” She sipped her drink. “I was called ‘little lady’ twice in the first half hour. I let the initial one go because I am little and I am a lady.”
“Fifty percent right . . .” Avery murmured.
Sniggering into her wine, Gemma chipped in, “Second time around, she told the guy he wasn’t passing her vibe check and to come back when he’d had a rethink.”
“I have too much shit to do to spend time re-educating sexists.” Bel’s smile was steely.
Drew pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’d have fucking kicked his ass but your take is better.”
“No one got my Stefan versus Damon references either. It was painful,” Bel complained.
“Do you shoehorn The Vampire Diaries into many liability discussions?” Leo asked from where he leaned against a light-bedecked wooden post.
“More than you’d imagine,” Bel admitted after a thoughtful pause. “I link to sources whenever it’s practical.”
“And sometimes when it’s not,” added Avery.
In the far corner of the barn, the band returned from a break and jumped straight into an upbeat cover. A rolling wave of wedding guests headed for the dance floor. Turning to place his empty beer bottle on a nearby table, Tanner cleared his throat.
“Want to dance, Ave?” Dammit if Leo hadn’t beaten him to it.
Avery’s smile creased the bridge of her nose. She’d swapped out the hoop for a tiny crystal stud today; it glittered as she turned and held out her hand. “I’d love to.”
Watching Leo lead her away hurt more than finding out Lily had slept with the goalie.
Without a drink, Tanner had nothing to occupy his hands and his fingers went to his watch strap.
Unclipping and clipping it a handful of times in quick succession, he imagined body-checking Leo in a way that would get him a very long stint in the penalty box and probably screw up his shoulder for good.
He honestly did his best not to stare, but Tanner couldn’t tear his eyes from them. The creamy tones of Avery’s skin, her long, lean outline and the delicate curve of those goddamn lips—they had him running a finger along the edge of his shirt collar.
“Tanner Stone?”
He didn’t recognize the female wedding guest in front of him. “Yes?”
“I’m a huge fan! I wondered if you’d sign this for me.” The woman held out one of the Order of Service cards.
“Of course—although it won’t be my neatest work.” He gestured to the sling. “And I don’t have a pen.”
She pushed one forward. “I’ve come prepared!”
Tanner smiled automatically as he scrawled a messy autograph and handed it back.
“What did you do?” she asked, wide-eyed and eager to chat.
“It’s nothing. Just an old injury.” Tanner brushed her off, keeping his reply on the polite side of brusque.
“I couldn’t believe it when Savannah told me she’s your cousin.
Like, no way could I be lucky enough to come to her wedding and meet you!
And now I have, and I hope you don’t mind me bothering you.
” The woman reached out to touch his forearm and, as always, it felt weird and inappropriate.
He’d had worse though—an arm petting was nothing.
Bethany Jenner’s face floated into Tanner’s mind, tightening the muscles in his neck.
Fuck. At some point, I should really take the leap and talk to Avery about that particular shitshow.
Tanner took a step back, his smile dialing down a notch. “Not at all. It’s fine.”
“Well, thanks for this.” Sav’s friend waved the Order of Service and looked as if she wanted to prolong the conversation, but he didn’t help her out. “Good luck with the Rapids!”
Before she’d taken a half dozen steps, the woman turned back, tearing a strip off the lower half of the card in her hand.
She scrawled something across the blank surface, leaning on the nearest table.
Folding the scrap in half, she stepped forward and tucked it swiftly into the pocket of Tanner’s pants before he could move away, a flush running high across her cheekbones.
“My number,” she stuttered, her teeth flashing briefly. “If you wanted it. Just because I’ll always wish I’d given it to you if I don’t.”
She turned and fled before he could respond.
Drew chuckled. “Not gonna lie, I’m surprised you haven’t had more of a line forming.”
Tanner fished the piece of card from his pocket with grimace. “I’m pretty sure Sav had a hand in that.”
If his cousin had told her guests to keep it chill, he was grateful. Maybe in a previous life, he’d have enjoyed the attention of her friend, even kept and used the phone number. Who was he kidding? He’d have definitely called her. But these days, he had no interest in anyone who wasn’t Avery.
Sliding the scrap of paper surreptitiously onto the table and covering it with an empty beer bottle, he turned back to the dance floor.
Avery and Leo danced well as a couple. For all his long arms and legs, Leo had musicality in spades. He moved naturally to the rhythm and Avery’s dress shimmered with each fluid twist of her body. A hot restlessness swelled inside Tanner’s chest.
“They look good together, don’t they?” Gemma muttered dispiritedly.
Bel rubbed her arm. “Avery and Leo have only ever been friends. You know that.” She raised an eyebrow at Tanner. “Leo says she used to watch you all the time in school.”
Tanner grunted. If she had, he’d never caught her. “I hadn’t done anything to deserve her attention then.”
“You’re a celebrity now though,” Gemma said. “A household name and a famous face. It’s so romantic.”
A household name for how long? He refused to listen to the nagging voice inside his head.
Bel’s eyes were pools of warm chocolate. “And you’re the one looking at her like she’s a celebrity.”
“She is to me.” Tanner watched Avery for another ten seconds. Then he cracked his neck with a practiced roll, easing the tension in his shoulders, and moved purposefully toward her.
Enough was enough.