* * *
“Look, right down there.” As he prepared for the final approach to the airport, Tanner gestured to a large spread of property bordered by white three-rail fencing. From fifteen-hundred feet in the air, it looked like a green, brown and white square in a patchwork quilt. But to Tanner, it was home.
“See that?” He felt like a giddy kid.
Jordana nodded.
“That’s home. All sixteen acres of it.”
“It looks…lovely,” she said. “At least what I can see of it from all the way up here does.”
Tanner laughed. “I’ll give you the grand tour once we get there.”
The noise of the plane’s engine made it difficult for them to talk. Instead of trying to verbalize further thoughts, he summed up what he was thinking with a thumbs-up.
He was proud of his spread and eager for Jordana to settle in and make herself at home. There was plenty of room for her and the baby—in fact, more room than he’d needed living there alone. But the property had come available at just the right time—just as business at the flight school had taken off and he was feeling financially secure and tired of throwing away his money on rent. He’d been thinking ahead when he purchased it. It was a place where he’d wanted to raise a family. He just hadn’t realized it would happen so soon. And while he was glad she’d come home with him, he realized as they flew over the ranch that he’d left out of Red Rock in such a furious hurry on a mission to track her down that he hadn’t given much thought to the logistics of bringing her back and what would happen once he got her home.
He stole a quick glance at Jordana, admiring her profile, the delicate curve of her jawline, the sweep of her neck, the swell of her breasts. The mere sight of her sitting next to him stirred longing that was all consuming.
He remembered the ardent passion with which they’d made love that night of the storm, and he knew that it would be hard to control himself if they shared a bed.
Could lovemaking that intense hurt the baby? He didn’t want to take a chance.
For the sake of his child, they should probably have separate bedrooms—at least at first, until Jordana settled in and the baby was born. He had to take things slow, allow her time to adjust and get used to their new life. Since she hadn’t exactly jumped into this marriage enthusiastically, Tanner knew, despite how much he desired her, he’d better keep his distance, at least for a while.
* * *
Tanner’s ranch was a scenic, twenty-minute drive from the airport. Jordana wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting or what she’d envisioned when she pictured Tanner in his natural habitat, but it wasn’t the sprawling, Spanish-style hacienda where they ended up once they were safely on the ground in Red Rock, Texas.
The plot of land he’d pointed out from the air did not do the property justice. It was a lot more house than a bachelor needed—four bedrooms and four baths, she discovered as he gave her the grand tour.
He started on the far side of the house, showing her three spare bedrooms—one, which he’d set up as an office. The other two were set up to accommodate guests. The two guest rooms had en suite bathrooms. A third bath was off the hall near the open, spacious family room–kitchen, where they ended up.
Jordana glanced around the large rooms, taking in the framed, aviation-themed, black-and-white photos hung in groupings on the white walls. The overall feeling to the decor was masculine and it very much reflected Tanner’s essence. On closer observation, she noticed many of the 8x10s were of Tanner, and what she guessed was Redmond Flight School and various aspects of his career. She walked up for a closer look. Some of the pictures featured him with other people—smiling from the cockpit of a plane, doing a grip-and-grin as he presented a certificate to what she presumed was a flight-school graduate, standing next to the Redmond Flight School sign, giving a thumbs-up and mugging for the camera. Other photos were of him in his Air Force uniform, standing with two colleagues presenting a flag, arm-in-arm with four men wearing identical camouflage in an aircraft hangar with a huge plane in the background.
“These are great photos,” she said, moving in for a closer look at one of a soldier in full camouflage gear and a child in what looked like a war-torn Middle Eastern city. It was a profile shot and he was wearing a helmet, but it looked like him.
“Is this you?” Tanner nodded and seemed to straighten with pride.
“Where was it taken?”
“Over in Iraq when I was in the Air Force.”
“You were in Iraq?” How did she not know this about him?
“Sure was. That was 2003.”
It was nine years ago. He’d been twenty-four. She couldn’t take her eyes off him and the little child he was helping.
“That day a school had taken the brunt of a suicide bomb and all hands were called in to help. It was a real mess. It was so sad that kids had to be dragged into grown-up chaos.”
Her heart ached for the child who was sitting up on a metal bench, sticking her foot out so that Tanner could put on her shoe. She was clutching a teddy bear under one arm and stared up at him with a forlorn look on her face.
Other soldiers were in the background outfitted identically to Tanner with the same fatigues, vests and camo-covered helmets. They were going about similar duties. Still, her eyes were drawn to Tanner and the child. He looked so big standing next to the little girl. Yet, his concern was evident. It was a side of him she hadn’t fathomed. Not that she doubted his compassion. He just looked so out of context in a war zone.
“What happened to the child?” she asked.
He frowned. “I don’t know.”
Her heart clenched and she crossed her arms protectively over her middle. Their child would grow up with every advantage. Two parents, food, shelter, safety, peace of mind. The details of how she and Tanner were coming together to make a family seemed insignificant when she considered how much worse others had it.
“Poor little girl. She must have been so frightened. Her parents must have been out of their minds with worry.”
Jordana hoped he didn’t see her shudder as she thought of the terror the child must’ve experienced, and then Jordana thought of the situation Tanner had faced; how he could’ve been killed like so many of the selfless men and women who’d given their lives for their country.
“You were very brave to serve over there,” she whispered, a little breathless. What if he’d been in the wrong place when a bomb had exploded, or what if an enemy bullet had picked him out as easily as the photographer’s camera lens had?
How different their lives might’ve been today. She splayed her hand over the small mound that had started to form in her middle. She drew in a deep breath and silently repeated her mantra: everything happens for a reason.
Tanner was alive today for a reason.
She dragged her gaze from the photo and looked around her new home, taking it all in. The big worries in her life had been pacifying her father and whether or not she’d die a virgin, or how she would deal with the disappointment of not realizing her dream wedding.
It all seemed a little shallow from this perspective.
Sure, theirs was an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, but they would remedy that soon enough by getting married. A child—their child—was a blessing, especially at this point in her life. Seeing that photo of the little girl in the war zone and glimpsing another chapter of this complex man’s life shifted everything into crystal-clear perspective.
With one last glance at the picture, she took a deep breath and made the mental leap into her new life.
* * *
Growing up, the kitchen had always been the hub of the Fortune family’s busy life. Even though her mother could’ve hired a full-time waitstaff, she’d been way too hands-on for that. Virginia had only enlisted outside help at holidays or when
her husband entertained for business purposes.
Jordana had never had to be very domestic, but as she stood in Tanner’s kitchen—her kitchen—the idea intrigued her. She imagined herself in the space—cooking delicious, nutritious meals for her brood—which meant they would have more than one child…she’d always dreamed of two or three. The possibility warmed her. So did the spacious and homey room, which opened onto an even larger family room with a cavernous fireplace big enough to heat the whole house, and windows that let in a lot of light and provided an enticing glimpse into what looked like a neglected garden outside.
From the look of the bare counters and the absence of the usual chef’s tools, she got the feeling Tanner didn’t do much cooking. Jordana loved to cook, but thanks to her busy schedule, she didn’t get a chance to indulge that pleasure very often. Plus, it never seemed to be worth the effort and mess when she was cooking only for one. It was much easier to throw together a quick salad or swing by the gourmet take-out place on the way home. Now that she was on leave from her job at Fortune South, trying a few recipes she’d collected would be a fun and rewarding way to keep herself occupied while Tanner was at work.
Getting ready for the baby would keep her plenty busy. Speaking of—
“Which room do you think would work best for the nursery?” she asked Tanner.
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
A pensive look washed over Tanner’s handsome face and for a moment, even though he was looking at Jordana, he appeared to be deep in thought.
“You know,” he finally said. “Now that we’re getting married, this isn’t my house anymore. It’s our home and I want you to feel at home here.”
Maybe it was the words, but it was more the nervous huskiness of his voice and the slightly vulnerable look in his eyes that touched her. It was sinking in—really sinking in—that she and Tanner were going to be a family.
“Thank you,” she said. “That means a lot to me. I’ve never lived with anyone before—well, other than when I was growing up—and I wasn’t quite sure how this was going to work.”
He nodded and she noticed his gaze drop and linger on her mouth. Her thoughts drifted to the way his lips tasted and how they seemed to fit perfectly on hers. The memory made her bite her lower lip. They would be husband and wife soon. That meant all the perks.
To distract herself from thoughts that could drive her crazy—crazy, in the purest, best way possible—Jordana turned in a slow circle, taking in her new home. Even if the place was in need of a minor cosmetic face-lift and a woman’s touch, she already had it in her heart that adding a woman’s touch would be a fun and rewarding project. No, not merely a project…this wasn’t work.
This was her life.
“I’m happy to give up my office to the baby, if you think that would be best.”
It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen the master bedroom, which, apparently, was on the other side of the house from the guest rooms and his office. That would mean that the nursery would be separated from where they slept. Sure, baby monitors were a good thing, but…
“I don’t know, now that I think about it, I’d prefer for the baby to be near us at night,” she said.
“Then the office will work perfectly as a nursery. You can have the master bedroom and I’ll move into the spare across the hall,” he said.
Spare bedroom? His words caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”
He shifted, appearing uncomfortable in the gulf of silence that spanned between them.
“What I mean is that I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”
Umm…?
She wanted to protest, to tell him she wanted to share a room, but she couldn’t form the words. Probably because she couldn’t bear the possibility of him rejecting her.
“I was thinking that for the short-term, you should have your own space. At least until you get settled in and we make everything official.”
Separate bedrooms…?
His lips were moving, but she wasn’t quite getting what he was telling her. Was this his way of telling her he wasn’t interested in a real relationship with her? That as far as he was concerned, their marriage was little more than a business agreement?
Right now, she didn’t want to know. If he was unsure, maybe he could learn to love her later. Because of that, for now, she would go along with his plan.
Her gaze meandered back to the family room and she found the photo of Tanner and the little girl.
Separate bedrooms might not be what she’d envisioned when she’d agreed to move in with Tanner. But for now, she’d count her blessings and make it work.
For now.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Tanner was eager to show off Redmond Flight School to Jordana. And yes, if he were perfectly honest, he was eager to show her off, too.
His staff would be surprised when he told them that he, the one everyone had deemed the confirmed bachelor, was finally settling down. As far as he was concerned, he wanted to invite the entire staff to the wedding, but he thought he’d better confirm it with his bride-to-be before he started randomly issuing invitations.
He walked around the truck and opened her door, offering a hand to help her down from the cab. She’d been a little quiet last night after he’d moved her luggage into her bedroom, but he’d chalked it up to exhaustion. Apparently, pregnancy was supposed to be a major drain on the mother’s energy—then factor in major life changes of the engagement and the move and that was a trifecta of stress. Good stress, he hoped. But stress was stress.
She’d gone to bed early and seemed a bit more herself today. Especially after he’d suggested that she come into work with him and then take the truck and drive around a bit to reacquaint herself with the town. She seemed to like the idea. He was glad, because the sooner Red Rock started to feel like home, the happier she’d be.
The saying A happy wife equals a happy life came to mind. So, when she was happy, he was happy.
“Welcome to Redmond Flight School,” he said as she slid off the front seat.
“Thank you.” She was looking around, seemingly taking in everything.
Tanner tried to follow her gaze, wanting to see everything through her eyes. Even though the storm that brought them together had devastated the structures that housed his office and the hangar that sheltered his planes and equipment, he was suddenly very glad that everything was shiny and new.
What a paradox that tornado had been. He’d lost one of his friends and employees, Gary Tompkins, in the storm. Gary had sustained a head injury during the storm and had fallen into a coma. When the doctor removed life support, he’d eventually lost the battle. The same storm that had given Tanner his wife and child had taken his friend and colleague. It was still difficult to reconcile the two.
Tanner uttered a silent prayer of thanks to Gary.
I miss you, buddy.
In his mind, he could see Gary’s broad grin and approving thumbs-up he would’ve given had he met Jordana. Tanner smiled at the thought and offered his arm to his fiancée.
She took it, and as they walked, he pointed toward the small building they’d parked in front of. “That’s the office—where we’re going first—and the larger building in the back is the hangar. It’s a pretty simple operation.”
“How many employees do you have?”
“We have four. Four flight instructors and myself. And there’s a guy, Max Allen, who helps out in exchange for lessons.”
Thoughts of Gary loomed large in the back of Tanner’s mind, but he decided now wasn’t the time to share the sad story with Jordana. He didn’t want to cast a shadow on this day. Gary would’ve understood. So instead, Tanner paid another silent respect to his friend, unlocked the door and held it open for Jordana.
“Oh,” she said when Tanner flipped on the lights.
“Oh? You sound disappointed.”
“No, absolutely not. I just thought you’d have an office manager or receptionist.”
Tanner chuckled. “I am the manager and receptionist.”
“Really?” she said. “You’re very hands-on.”
“That’s how I built my business. But actually, I’ve been thinking it might be time to bring on someone else to manage the office and expand our marketing endeavors. That way, I can concentrate more on flying. And with the baby on the way, it will free up some of my time.”
He glanced at her, surprised at how vulnerable the huge smile on Jordana’s face suddenly made him feel. He’d never been personally responsible for anyone other than himself, even though he and his siblings took pride in looking after their mom. She lived north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, nearly six hundred miles away. It was a completely different ball game when you were responsible for people under your roof, for a baby who depended on you day in and day out…for everything.
He wanted to make sure he did everything right. At least her expression seemed to indicate he’d said the right thing at the right time.
“More time for the baby…and me…is a good thing.”
There was something equally vulnerable in the way she glanced up at him, looked away and then looked back, snaring his gaze. It made him feel protective and a bit alpha. She looked so fragile standing there with her guard down. He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and put his arms around her, pulling her close.
She settled into him, fitting perfectly in his arms. He’d forgotten how good she felt. He buried his face in her throat, breathing in the sweet scent of her—fresh and clean, the scent of soap and shampoo, the faint hint of something floral and something uniquely her.
He kissed her throat at the tender point where the curve of her jaw gave way to the delicate slope of her neck. He felt her shudder in response. Then, as if his body was driving itself, his lips found hers in a smoldering kiss. One moment it was a leisurely and tentative lingering of lips, but then it exploded into famished need that had them parting their lips and deepening the kiss, as if their next breaths would come from each other. Tanner tried to quench his desire’s thirst from her life breath. But the more he took, the more he needed. He felt her fist her hands into the collar of his shirt, leaning into him, confirming that this was indeed what she wanted. And the very thought made him pull her tighter, staking his claim, so that every inch of her was pressed up against him. Their breaths ebbed and flowed as if they’d become one, and unspoken feelings poured out in this silent affirmation of how much he wanted her.
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