by Cora Seton
Tanner chuckled as he slapped his friend’s shoulder. “Damn, Jesse, we’re barely through the door and you have women dissing you.”
Gwen’s pulse hiccupped at the sight of the handsome firefighter decked out in camouflage, looking all sexy and lean and lethal.
Caitlin sucked in a breath a second before her hand flew to her mouth, while Lacey muttered a curse; Gwen blinked, unsure whether to be horrified or amused.
“That’s okay, Lacey,” the dark-haired soldier replied as the men drew near their table. “I’d never invite you into my bed.”
Her friend glared and shot to her feet. “Why would you if you’re sleeping with Gwen?”
Oh shit.
“What?” Tanner’s head snapped back.
Gwen slowly stood. Things were getting way out of hand.
“You’re sleeping with Gwen?” He turned to his friend, jaw resting on his chest.
Yeah, big time out of hand.
Jesse muttered a curse. “I’m not sleeping with Gwen.”
Lacey hit her with an accusing gaze. “You said you slept with Jesse.”
“No. I didn’t.” All eyes focused on her. “I asked if you were afraid I’d—”
“Okay! Okay. I get it,” she cut her off. Then laughed. “You’re good. You were just trying to throw me off the scent.”
Jesse frowned. “What scent?”
“Yeah, what the hell’s going on?” Tanner asked, narrowed gaze bouncing between them.
“Nothing.” Gwen lifted a shoulder, wishing she could scoot through the exit, but the men blocked her path. “We were having a discussion over ice cream, and now it’s time for me to head to work.”
“More specific, we were discussing who she had Better Than sex with at Brandi’s wedding,” Lacey unfortunately informed.
Witch.
“Really?” Tanner sidled up to her, brown gaze alight with interest, lopsided grin tugging his damn mouth to tempting as sin. “I’d like to know the answer to that, too.”
She snickered and punched his arm. “Lacey just misunderstood. We were talking about Jill’s chocolate,” she lied through her teeth, completely okay with fudging the truth this time.
“Bullshit.” His grin broadened.
So did Lacey’s. “Think I just found my answer.”
“Good, then I can go.”
“What’s wrong, Gwen? Too afraid to talk about Better Than sex?” damn, sexy man teased.
And she was too weak to resist retaliating. “On the contrary, I’m always up to talking about Jill’s chocolate and the way the penis pop melted in my mouth as I slid it in and out…and in and out.” Her slow emphasis wiped the smiles off the men’s lips…and put it on the girls. She snickered on her way out the door. “See you around.”
Definitely, Tanner silently vowed. Hell…after a comment like that, and the cute little wiggle as she sashayed out the door, the minx could count on it.
“Damn, Tanner, you should see your face.” Jesse laughed good and hard.
Bastard.
“Kind of looked like yours, Sergeant Briscoe,” Lacey said, stepping to his buddy who suddenly stopped laughing. “And what do you mean you wouldn’t want me in your bed? That’s not what your tongue said when you had it in my mouth last month.”
“Oh boy.” Caitlin shuffled around the glaring couple. “What can I get you, Tanner?”
“Three vanilla milkshakes…and maybe some popcorn. This looks like it’s gonna get good.” He dropped into the chair Gwen had vacated and watched his best friend swing from an imaginary noose.
“Yeah, well, I’ve wised up since then.”
Ah, hell. The idiot was asking for trouble. Jesse should know better than to egg Lacey Turner on. That woman would never back down. It was like taking on Jordan.
Just plain stupid.
“No.” A slow smile stole across the dark-haired beauty’s lips. “I think it’s more like you know you’re not man enough to handle me.”
Ouch.
His buddy stepped right up to the scowling bombshell, dark gaze glinting like coal. But instead of grabbing her, he grabbed the chair, then turned and sat.
Lacey released a breath and lifted her chin. “Thought so,” she said, then marched out the door.
Tanner shook his head. “Why do you do that, man?”
“Do what?”
“Poke the tiger,” he replied. “You know Lacey’s got a sharp tongue to match her claws.”
Jesse shrugged. “She doesn’t scare me.”
“Really?” He eyed his friend. “Then why did you back down?”
“She’s Jace’s kid sister.”
“Yeah, so? We both know Jace would have no issues with you hooking up with Lacey.”
“Are you serious?” A deep groove cut across Jesse’s brow. “He asked me to keep an eye on her and his mom while he’s away, that doesn’t mean take Lacey to bed.”
“Then why exactly did you kiss her last month?”
And why the hell was he just hearing about it now?
“To shut her up,” Jesse replied, aggravation tightening his features. “Spoiled brat kept getting in my face, poking my chest, squawking about how to take care of her damn horse.”
“So, you took care of her.”
His buddy’s lips twitched. “It worked. She shut up, then pushed me away and ran from the barn, leaving me alone in blessed peace.”
Tanner laughed as Caitlin set their milkshakes on the table. “You’re asking for trouble, man.”
“Can I get you guys anything else?”
“No, thanks, darlin’,” he replied with a smile. “We have to head back to the armory.”
Caitlin Ryan was beautiful and sweet. The kind of woman that brought out a brotherly instinct in him. And apparently, Kade, too, because the first sergeant had given his men the ‘look but don’t touch’ order on Shayla’s kid sister months ago.
“Didn’t you just get off drill?”
“No.” He shook his head. “We’re on a lunch break.”
And he’d had a hankering for a milkshake, which had nothing to do with the possibility of running into Gwen. Absolutely nothing.
She frowned. “I didn’t know you could leave the armory.”
“Yeah, at certain times,” Jesse replied, reaching for his drink. “We told Kade we’d bring him back a shake.”
“Ah, I see, bribe the boss type of thing.”
“Exactly.” Tanner nodded again. “Thanks for the milkshakes. You put them on my tab, right?”
“I was going to, but there was an older couple at the counter who insisted on paying for them.”
“Where?” He glanced around, but the shop was empty, except for them.
She grinned. “They left, didn’t want any recognition, just said it was just a small way to show you their gratitude.”
Dammit. He shared a frown with Jesse, relating to the discomfort in the man’s eyes. Normally, they changed out of uniform before walking into a restaurant. Otherwise, people tended to feel the need to pay for their food.
“Okay, thanks, Caitlin,” Jesse said, rising to his feet.
Tanner stood. “Yeah, thanks,” he echoed, following his friend out the door.
He hadn’t joined the National Guard to get perks at diners or stores. Same with Jesse. A fact he contemplated on their short, silent ride back to the armory. They’d joined to fight for their country. Neither felt entitled to free meals because they fought overseas. That didn’t mean they were ever rude to those who tried to thank them—he appreciated being appreciated—hence the reason he’d asked if the couple was still around.
He also appreciated only having three hours left until dismissal. After attending drill all day yesterday, a call for a car fire last night, then drill today, he was dog-ass tired.
“Thanks for the shake,” Kade said when Tanner set the cup on the first sergeant’s desk five minutes later. “You two still coming out to the ranch on Wednesday to help with the new arrivals?”
“Yep.”
/>
“Absolutely.”
“Good. Thanks.” Top nodded before he took a drink. “Why don’t you bring Barry? I could use his help, too.”
There were several reasons why Tanner liked Kade Dalton. This was one of them. The man’s uncanny ability to know when people and animals needed help, and when they needed to do the helping. Top reminded Tanner a lot of Barry. Strong. Reliable. Kind. And now that the former fire chief was getting old, and aware that he was slipping away, he needed to feel useful. It was important, not only to Barry, but to Tanner, too.
A fact he suspected Kade knew as well.
“Thanks. I will,” he said, before following Jesse from the office to head to section training. “Is it just me, or does it feel weird not to bump into Jace in these halls?”
“It’s not you. It is weird,” Jesse replied before entering a classroom.
Tanner nodded and continued to the next room where he headed to the front to begin teaching his squad a mandatory class on sexual harassment.
Several changes had taken place in his life lately. Some good, like his promotion to squad leader in the guard, and section chief at the fire house. Some bad, like Barry’s increasing forgetfulness. And some in between, like Gwen showing up in Texas.
He was still undecided if the sexy, distracting woman was a good thing in his life, or bad, very bad. It may require more study. Hands on study.
Of the in-depth variety.
Chapter Five
‡
Wednesday afternoon, Gwen sat at the Dalton’s kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee with Brandi after their Skype session with Lea. Her sister was keeping them informed on Keiffer, and as expected, the guy wasn’t doing so good, unless you count drowning sorrows in scotch as good.
She didn’t—no one did.
“I wish there was something I could do.” Brandi sighed, staring into her untouched coffee.
It was on the tip of Gwen’s tongue to say things would be fine. To tell Brandi her brother had a great support system and would get through this tough time.
But that would be a lie. There was no guarantee. No crystal ball.
“No one can predict how things will turn out,” she said instead. “Just as no one can help Keiffer but Keiffer. In my experience, the key to salvation lies within yourself. You need to realize what’s good and healthy for you, then strive to meet that goal.”
Brandi lifted her gaze and blinked. “Wow. That was…deep.”
A smile tugged her lips. “I’ve been known to venture off my shallow shores once in a while.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply—”
“It’s okay,” she reassured. “I do swim in both waters.”
Her hostess reached out and touched her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“Whatever happened in your past to put such insight into your words?”
Oh, that. “No.” She sucked in a breath and pulled her hand away. It was too deep…too painful to share. Especially, since it proved she was unworthy of the compassion lighting the woman’s eyes. “I’m good. But, thanks.”
“For what?”
“For not judging me. You have every right to dislike me after how I treated your brother Ben.”
“Oh, Gwen, that was so long ago. You were a teenager who’d just lost her mother. That would throw anyone into a tailspin.”
“That’s no excuse.” She shook her head. “You lost your mother around the same time, and you didn’t treat your boyfriend so badly.”
Brandi giggled. “That’s because I was too young to have one.”
“True.” She smiled. Her friend had been ten, like her sister. Neither Brandi nor Lea had rebelled. “Still, that doesn’t excuse my bad behavior and horrific choices I made the decade that followed.”
“I’d say your peers where partly to blame, too.”
Possibly. Well, not to blame. That was all on her, but they didn’t help. She’d broken away from her bad influences, slowly but surely over the past two years.
“You seemed to have turned things around lately. You seem happy.”
She shrugged, then even released a smile. “I am, and now I totally understand what has kept you down here in Harland. No one judges you. You’re accepted. It’s so weird. I can walk around in flip-flops, cutoffs, and a T-shirt, with no makeup, and my hair tied back, and no one bats a lash.”
Brandi nodded, returning her smile. “I know. It’s refreshing.”
“Very. It’s like I can actually…breathe or something.” And she liked breathing. A lot.
“It is a great feeling,” her friend agreed. “I’m so glad you found it. And I’m proud of you, Gwen. I know it’s not easy to get out from under controlling people.”
Her heart rocked. “Why? What happened to you?”
She felt bad for not having kept up with the personal lives of her family and friends back home while she was living life to the fullest. Make that to the foolish.
Brandi snorted. “Let’s just say I was in an unhealthy relationship a lot longer than I should’ve been, and I’m not happy with myself for staying in it so long.”
Wow. She blinked. Never would she have expected Brandi Wyne to have poor judgment, or for her brothers to make sure her boyfriend didn’t treat her well.
“My brothers didn’t know,” the woman added as if reading her mind. “I kept the jerk’s abuse a secret. In fact, I hadn’t realized it was abuse until I saw an episode on one of those cops shows on TV.”
Gwen’s blood began to run hot. She sat up straight. “Who was he? Did he lay a hand on you? Who do I need to throat punch?”
Brandi laughed. “No one. It wasn’t physical abuse. It was mental and verbal, and done so slowly and slyly over a three year period, I didn’t see it coming. But the last straw was when I gained over forty pounds because of my dead thyroid, and was dealing with self-doubt, and he told me he didn’t find me attractive anymore and didn’t want to have sex. That was his excuse to cheat.”
“Bastard,” she grumbled. “He definitely deserved a throat punch. I hope you kicked his ass to the curb.”
“Yes. It was my wakeup call.”
She sat back in her chair. “What did your brothers do?”
“Like I said, I didn’t tell them.”
“Wise.” She snickered. “If my brother knew how some of my old boyfriends had treated me he’d…” She stopped talking the instant she realized they were no longer alone. Between Brandi glancing over her shoulder, and the awareness spreading across her skin, she’d clued in. A little late.
Dammit.
“It was one of those damn rockers you dated, wasn’t it?” Tanner’s voice was deathly low and sent a batch of shivers down her spine.
Both rockers, actually.
Not something anyone needed to know. Muttering a curse, she rose to her feet, along with Brandi, and together they turned to find Tanner and Kade just inside the doorway.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” She held the frowning cowboy’s gaze as he stepped closer. “And I really need to put that damn bell around your neck.”
“Hah. That I’d like to see.” Kade smiled, bending to kiss Brandi’s cheek.
“And I’m still waiting for an answer,” Tanner said, staring down at her, gaze the color of aged whiskey.
She was trying to come up with a passable answer when Barry and Jesse walked into the room and saved her from lying.
“Chrissie!” The older man’s face lit up like Vegas at night, then rushed forward to pull her into his arms for a tight hug. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? When did you get into town?”
Ah…Houston…anybody?
She stood stalk still, glancing over the hugging man’s shoulder and into four worried faces. Shit. With no idea who Chrissie was, she followed her own lead and patted the man’s back.
“I…uh…just got here.”
Tanner nodded, then stepped closer. “Yeah, it was a surprise, that’s why I brought
you to the Dalton’s ranch.”
Barry released her and stepped back, big grin still covering his face, making him appear years younger. “You’re a sly one, Tanner. I had no idea.”
The sly one smiled, slipping an arm around her shoulder. “That was the idea.”
What idea?
“Well, go on.” Barry waved his hand. “You can kiss my daughter. I know you missed her, too.”
Kiss? Wait…Barry has a daughter?
It’d be really swell if someone clued her in.
But the only cluing she got was Tanner tasted as good as she remembered and that cupping her face and kissing her softly wasn’t nearly enough. Her body demanded more. Much more.
The traitor.
Drawing back, Tanner stared down at her, apology blaring in his eyes.
The thing was, she wasn’t sorry. And that was probably bad.
But she was confused.
“Who’s Chrissie?” she whispered as he remained close.
“Barry’s dead daughter.”
Ah, shit.
Her heart squeezed tight. The poor guy forgot his daughter had died. What happened when he remembered? Cripes. Did he have to relive that pain over and over again?
It was bad enough losing a child once, but to have to go through the tragedy again… God, she’d barely…
“Okay, what do you say we go home?” Barry stepped close to drop his arm around her. “I’ll ride with you. Tanner can meet us there.”
She sought Tanner’s gaze and found it clouded with worry, as if he was afraid she’d try to set the man straight. That never crossed her mind.
She slipped her arm around the older man and smiled. “Sounds good. I can cook your favorite for supper.”
Too bad she had no idea what that was.
“Fried chicken and dumplings?”
She broadened her smile. “Absolutely. And gravy.”
“You know it.” He smiled.
She did now.
Waving to the others, she noted relief in their gazes as she played along, leading Barry out of the kitchen, wondering just what the hell she’d gotten herself into.
And just how serious things had been between Tanner and Chrissie Patterson?
