Fixing Tanner (Second Chances Book 3)

by Rachel Del

  Fixing Tanner

  A Second Chances Book

  Rachel Del

  Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Untitled

  Untitled

  Note To Readers

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  If You Liked This Book…

  Untitled

  Other Books by Rachel Del

  Other Books by Rachel Del

  About the Author

  Fixing Tanner: A Second Chances Book

  Copyright © 2016 Rachel Del

  First published February 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, other than brief quotes for reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to business, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely incidental.

  Cover Design by Rachel Del

  Fixing Tanner / Rachel Del. – 2nd ed.

  For E.A., whose strength and bravery inspire me each and every day.

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  Note To Readers

  Although this story is a standalone, it overlaps with characters from both Losing Lily and Finding Lily.

  Keep in mind that this story slightly overlaps in time with Finding Lily.

  Enjoy!

  Chapter 1

  Tanner Young was a hot mess: to begin with. And how he had ended up at Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club on a Friday afternoon was beyond him; but surrounded by loud music, half-naked women, drinks and doting fans, he was in his element – or so he led everyone to believe. It wasn’t hard to figure out how hours had passed and well over one thousand dollars had been spent.

  Pretending to be someone you’re not isn’t cheap.

  Tanner couldn’t recall what had made him look up from the topless woman gyrating in front of him, but there she was: Lily Gardner, all brown haired, brown eyed, five foot four inches of her, coming at him at break-neck speed. He couldn’t help but think about their weekend in California a couple weeks back.

  Under the guise of getting to know them better and hopefully using her to gather further research for his new book, Tanner had invited her and Nathan, another editor from Regan & Wiley Publishing, out to his Santa Barbara house. He often found it necessary to get away from the madness of Las Vegas and simply exist for a few days without having to be on. What Tanner hadn’t counted on was that the three of them would become fast friends.

  It made the little game he liked to play that much harder.

  Tanner was shocked to see her there, though it didn’t seem to register on his face as he greeted her and invited her to stay for a drink.

  “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Lily asked.

  Tanner felt suddenly tired then, desperately wishing that he were at home. Still, he agreed to speak with her, and motioned for her to take a seat beside him. Before he knew it, she had started in on him.

  “What are you doing, Tanner? All these games you’re playing? Jumping from meeting to meeting, juggling publishers like you are…you’re going to mess this all up if you’re not careful. You’re incredibly talented and you’re ruining it. You don’t think word of this kind of crap will get around, but it does. And once it does – when people know what a joke you are – no one will want to touch you, and this amazing career and body of work that you’ve built up? It will mean absolutely nothing. That I can promise you.”

  A silence fell between the two of them as Tanner stared down at his shoes.

  Lily reached out and touched his wrist. The loud, pounding music was beginning to hurt her head.

  “I believe in you. I believe that you have written two incredible books, and that you’re bound to write many more. But you have to drop the act and be real with people or they are going to see right through you. And they might not like what they see.”

  Tanner had never been spoken to that way before, and a red-hot feeling of shame began to pass through his body. He watched, mute, as Lily stood up and walked away, then raised a single finger into the air and asked for the check.

  At home, seated in his favorite club chair, he ruminated on her words, trying them on like a pair of shoes to see how they fit.

  __

  “Do you know who this guy is? He’s a freaking God, that’s who.”

  Tanner smiled at the two blondes in front of them, swaying slightly as his friend continued to slap his shoulder. “Nah… nah… I’m just an author.”

  “A New York Times bestselling author,” his friend added in for good measure.

  The womens’ faces lit up.

  Tanner didn’t hear what they said next, having already lost interest.

  It was the same thing every time he went out: his friends used the same lines, they met the same women, and the night always ended the same way; with some girl in his bed whose name he didn’t care enough to find out.

  From the outside it would appear that Las Vegas – and life – had treated him well. Some might say he had a good thing going, but Tanner knew better.

  He knew well enough to realize that he spent his days running from his past.

  “Excuse me,” he heard someone say as they began to brush by him. Tanner tucked his arm in against his ribcage to avoid his drink becoming a casualty.

  “No problem—” he saw her eyes first; their flecks of dark amber nearly taking his breath away. She smiled at him and reached up to tuck a strand of long, black hair behind her ear.

  “That was a close one,” she said.

  “Tell me about it. You almost owed me a new drink.”

  She smirked. “Isn’t it you who is supposed to buy me a drink?”

  “Not if you’re the one clumsy enough to spill mine,” he shot back.

  And there was that smile again.

  She held out her hand. “I’m Leah.”

  “Tanner.”

  That was really all it had taken for Tanner to forget everyone else in the bar that night. And it took only a few more days for him to forget there had ever been any women in his life other than her.

  __

  Leah Foster didn’t necessarily regret going home with Tanner that night; she’d known from the moment he introduced himself that that’s where the night was headed.

  She’d wanted it just as much as he had.

  Unlike most of the female population, Leah held no qualms about casual sex. In fact, she preferred it. It’s always, always, best not to get attached. No one gets hurt, no one is disappointed… no one falls in love.

  Clean, simple, fun.

  And the less she knew about him, the better.

  When it came to sex, Tanner had been exactly what she had expected. He
peeled her clothes off piece by piece. She watched them join his clothing in a pile on the floor beside her bed. He was the perfect mixture of sweet and sexy, attentive and assertive; just what she had needed that night.

  Until he surprised her by not running off.

  Leah wandered out of her bathroom, wiping her still damp hands on the towel wrapped around her small frame and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Tanner sitting at the end of her bed. He was naked save for a pair of black, Calvin Klein boxer briefs.

  He hadn’t yet noticed she had returned from her shower, so she pressed her back against the door frame and studied him.

  He was handsome in an obvious way: tall and well-built with jet black hair that made you think about running your hands through it; but it was his pale green eyes that Leah found most appealing; they gave him away.

  “I thought you’d be gone by now,” she said.

  Tanner turned to her slowly, taking her all in. “I was hoping I could get to know you a little better.”

  Leah smiled, though not terribly kindly. “It’s pretty late.”

  Tanner released a puff of air and grabbed his jeans and shirt from the floor. “I suppose you’re right.”

  She watched him, allowing her eyes to wander over his body, focusing on the way the muscles of his back moved and stretched as he dressed.

  If she were a different person she would give him her number and tell him to call her sometime. Instead, she smiled as he walked out the door, shutting and locking it behind him.

  __

  Ask anyone and they’d say that Tanner Young was well known for his calm and collected demeanor. But really, it was all a part of the version of himself that he projected to the world.

  It was a Monday morning when Tanner strode through the hallways of Regan & Wiley Publishing, doing his best to hide his nerves, his heart pounding in his chest as he caught sight of Lily Gardner.

  Her words, twisting and turning in his head over time, had gotten to him, that much was true.

  “Good morning Lily.”

  She looked at her wristwatch. “You’re right on time,” she said, rising from her seat. “You remember Nate Trainor and Jason Wiley.”

  Tanner nodded, shaking each one of their hands and then took a seat at the table opposite from them.

  “Before we finalize anything, I have one final stipulation.”

  “And what’s that?” Jason asked.

  Tanner pressed his palms flat onto the table in front of him. “I want Lily as my editor. It’s got to be her.”

  He noticed a flash of shock pass across Lily’s face.

  “She’s the only one I’ve ever known to put me in my place the way she did this past weekend.”

  Jason looked over at Lily and Nathan. “Do I want to know?” he asked, prompting nervous laughter from the others in the room.

  “Definitely not,” Nathan said, winking at Lily.

  “Do we have a deal?” Tanner asked. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

  “That can be arranged,” Jason said.

  “415K per book, 50% at signing as previously discussed,” Nathan added.

  “Fan-fucking-tastic. Let’s get started; where do I sign?”

  Tanner had always been the type of person who thrived on the unknown. Most people he knew were stuck in their routine, unable to deviate. But he found the unfamiliar exciting and full of potential. He had long ago made it a life-long goal to say yes to any opportunity that came his way, to jump whenever he saw the chance. It was one of the biggest reasons why he had chosen to leave his old publishing company. He wanted something new, wanted to be around new people and fresh voices.

  Signing with Regan & Wiley was a step in the right direction. For the first time in his writing career he was working with friends, with people he respected and valued. He was ready for a fresh start.

  The problem was: he couldn’t write. Not these days anyways.

  It wasn’t that he hadn’t put in the time. In fact, he had pages upon pages of notes spanning a three-year period. It was that he couldn’t envision what it was he wanted to say. He couldn’t form his thoughts and notes into something coherent. As if it wasn’t bad enough that he hadn’t written or released a book in over two years, he now had to deal with the expectations of a new editor.

  What it all meant was that Tanner was drinking more than normal these days, which usually wouldn’t have been a problem, but he had Lily now; who believed in him and had proved that she was ready to push him to be the best writer he could be, something he both loved and hated them for. Whereas in the past he had always written for himself, Tanner now had friends he couldn’t bear to let down. Regan & Wiley would have plans for him; plans that involve him actually putting a book together.

  With every glass of whiskey he consumed, Tanner found himself worrying more and more.

  What if he never wrote another book? What if this was as good as it’s going to get?

  What would he do then?

  But even as he entertained these thoughts, somewhere in the back of his mind was a nagging voice that screamed at him over and over again, always saying the same thing, making it impossible to ignore: it is up to you to save yourself. No one else is going to do it.

  Chapter 2

  “I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I could see you again without coming across as pathetic and needy. I worried so much I gave myself a frown line.”

  Leah couldn’t deny the fact that his concern was cute, but that still didn’t mean she was happy about coming home and finding him standing outside of her apartment door.

  It certainly didn’t help that he looked as good as he did. The man had perfected the tousled hair, three-day-old stubble look.

  “I just picked up dinner,” she said, motioning to the stuffed plastic bag in her left hand, “but lucky for you I always get far more than I can ever eat.”

  Tanner seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then reached out and took the bag from her hand.

  Leah could tell he was a little off his game. Maybe even out of his comfort zone.

  “I hope you like Thai,” she said, leaving him to shut the door behind them as she headed for the kitchen.

  “Thai is perfect.”

  She motioned for him to take a seat at the small, round table while she retrieved dishes and utensils. He let her dish first and then filled his plate with a mixture of pad thai, spicy eggplant and deep fried tofu, skipping the sautéed broccoli.

  “Not a fan of broccoli?”

  Tanner frowned. “Not a fan of vegetables as a whole.”

  “Oh, I see. You’re a child.”

  The jab caught him off guard and he involuntarily swallowed a chunk of chicken, making him cough and sputter as he laughed.

  Leah smiled at him from across the table, her fork poised at her lips, ready to take another bite.

  That smile.

  If they kept this up, that smile would be his undoing.

  Leah drew her mouth into a straight line. She knew that look.

  No, she thought, don’t you dare fall for me.

  __

  Tanner had been one of the lucky ones. Having discovered at a young age what it was that he wanted to do with his life he had been diligent and focused in his drive to reach his goals. Nothing and no one could stand in his way. Whatever he wanted he got. He made damn sure of that.

  “Do you do this a lot?”

  “Well, define a lot.”

  Leah rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow and looked at Tanner. The two of them lay on Leah’s bed, scantily clothed, taking turns staring up at the swirling ceiling fan above their heads.

  “How many women have you slept with? I promise that I won’t judge; I’m just curious.”

  “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  “You’re such a liar.”

  Tanner smiled. “How many men have you been with?”

  She answered without skipping a beat. “Eight.”

  “Not too muc
h and not too little,” he said, then seeing the look on her face added, “I’m still not telling you.”

  He liked this girl and logic told him to keep his mouth shut if he wanted a shot with her.

  Leah sighed and moved to climb out of the bed, but Tanner reached out and pulled her back.

  “Want to go again?” He pressed his lips to hers, feeling her smile against them.

  “Always.”

  There was something about Leah that made her stand out from the others; something beyond her shiny, black hair that seemed to always smell of mint, or the way she could have sex without the emotions that often went along with it. In some ways, she was the female equivalent of Tanner… only a much newer and well-adjusted version.

  In Leah, he had found someone who could match his sexual desires and needs.

  She could please him in a way that he never thought possible.

  They would set up the full-length mirror so they could watch each other. They would kiss passionately as if still in their teenage years. And with each explosive climax they would rest in each other’s arms until their eyes met in mutual amazement.

  While Tanner could sense Leah’s reluctance in pursuing anything beyond sex, he wanted more. For the first time in his life, he wanted more.

  It was becoming much more than he could handle.

  “You look deep in thought,” she said. He rolled over to face her, propping himself up on his elbow. He’d read somewhere once that mirroring someone’s movements was a sign of interest.

  “You know, I’m not usually like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “The kind of guy who sticks around after sex.”

  “Well aren’t I the lucky lady.”

  Tanner trailed her forearm with his fingers, smiling. “I’m glad you see it that way.”

  “You’re kind of not what I expected,” Leah admitted after a few quiet moments had passed.

  “And how is that?”