“So she flushed a plastic bottle?” Tanner asked on a sigh and stepped around Livie. “Don’t be too hard on her. At least she was trying to spare your feelings.”
“I guess so, but Jax is pretty pissed and now Piper is crying in her room.”
Ah, family life. He couldn’t wait. Drama and tears, clogged toilets. Days of unknowns awaited him.
Of course he wasn’t marrying Melanie and they weren’t living together, so this wasn’t exactly the same situation he’d have. But even with all the craziness in the Morgan household tonight, Tanner felt a pang of jealousy. Maybe he did want all of this—the crazy and the unexpected.
Tanner headed inside and up the stairs to the second floor. The second he stepped into the bathroom, he lost it and doubled over with laughter.
“Shut up,” Jax said through gritted teeth. “Keep laughing and I’ll give you a swirly as soon as this toilet is back up and running.”
“Threaten me and I leave.” Tanner squatted down beside the commode. “I assume you tried the plunger.”
Jax’s dry look answered the stupid question.
“Fine, so what’s the plan?”
“We’re taking the toilet off,” Jax stated. “I’m going to go turn off the water valve and then we’ll lift the toilet off and hopefully find the bottle of whatever the hell she put in here.”
“Sounds like a fun night.”
Jax rolled his eyes. “Were you spending it with Melanie?”
“No.” Not that he wouldn’t have in a heartbeat. “She’s coming to Thanksgiving at Mom’s, though.”
Jax stilled for a split second before a shitty grin spread across his face. “Meeting the family. Sounds perfect for you two.”
Tanner sank onto his butt and raked a hand over his face. “Can we just do this so I can get home?”
“Don’t want to talk about family life?” Jax questioned. “It sneaks up on you, man. Nothing you can do but hang on for the ride.”
“Yeah, I’ve discovered that. Twice.”
Jax grabbed the wrench and tapped it against his palm. “You told Melanie about—”
“No. Not yet.”
Coming to his feet, Jax blew out a sigh. “You don’t have to take my advice, but if you want a future with her, not just the baby, but with Melanie, then you need to be completely honest.”
Tanner nodded. “I don’t want to have this conversation with you over your shitter.”
Jax smiled. “You wouldn’t want my advice no matter what. Figured now was as good a time as any.”
Flipping Jax his middle finger, Tanner stood up. “Let’s get this over with. I left your wife near tears, and apparently Piper is in her room crying, too.”
“Yeah. Dealing with a clogged commode is nothing compared to two crying women.”
* * *
“Ask your doctor about marathons.”
Melanie chopped the cauliflower and eyed Jade across the island. “I’m not so sure about a big belly crossing the finish line.”
“It’s only two months out,” Jade explained. “You won’t be huge by that point.”
“Who knows with me.”
Jade set her phone on the island and braced her hands on the granite. “Listen, I’m sure you’re concerned with the weight, but you’re a different person now. You’re supposed to gain when you’re growing a person.”
Melanie attempted a smile, but the burn in her throat indicated tears were a definite threat. “It’s still scary, Jade. I mean, I worked so hard to better myself and what if I lose sight of that person, that vision?”
“Or what if you are in the best shape of your life and inspire other women who are expecting?”
Melanie refocused her attention on the cauliflower. She was hoping to try a new recipe and take some pictures for her blog. The last recipe she’d posted two weeks ago had been a huge hit and had gotten her the attention of a few personal chefs. She was in contact with them now about guest appearing on her site. Bringing in people from various fields, like chefs and trainers and motivational speakers, was only one of the ways she’d expanded so quickly in such a short time.
“When are you announcing your pregnancy on your site?” Jade asked.
“I was thinking in the next couple weeks, but apparently I’m announcing it at Tanner’s mother’s house first.”
“What?” Jade gasped.
Melanie met her friend’s shocked gaze. “On Thanksgiving.”
Jade let out a whistle. “Damn, girl. When you go for the family thing, you go all-in.”
Using the edge of her knife, Melanie slid the chopped veggies to the side and pulled out another freshly washed chunk of cauliflower.
“This certainly wasn’t my idea.”
Jade shifted on her stool and crossed her arms on the island top. “But you’re going along with it.”
“Might as well, right? I mean, it’s not like I can hide from his mother forever. She is going to be the grandmother to my child. I just hope she’s not an ogre and overbearing.”
Her ex-mother-in-law flashed through her mind. The woman epitomized the MIL from hell. It was no wonder Neville was so damn controlling and abusive. His mom definitely wore the pants in the family and his father bowed to her every command.
Melanie couldn’t even imagine what her life would’ve been had she gotten pregnant by Neville. A whole new level of hell she was thankful to have escaped.
“Tanner’s mom is a sweet woman,” Jade stated. “Trust me. In fact, you two may have something in common. Tanner’s father was a complete asshole.”
Melanie studied the notes on her phone to see what steps she needed to do next. Her recipes were completely original, but she always jotted down her ideas when they came to her.
“Tanner mentioned his mom remarried and his stepdad is nice.”
Jade reached over and grabbed a piece of the sliced red pepper. “I’ve never met the stepdad, but that woman deserves all the happiness after what she endured. Same with you. I want to see you happy and I think Tanner is perfect for you.”
Melanie set the knife down and glanced up from her phone. “Tanner and I aren’t . . . we aren’t . . . well, shit. I don’t even know how to finish that.”
“Exactly.” Jade laughed. “This may have all started with physical, but you feel something for him.”
“Of course I do,” Melanie argued. “I’m having his child.”
Jade leaned across the island, holding her gaze steady. “You know that’s not what I meant. You feel something for him. Had you not gotten pregnant, would you have seen him again?”
Melanie wanted to deny it, but in all honesty, she wasn’t sure she could’ve stayed away. Tanner tugged at something deep inside her. The strong, powerful man was sexy and intriguing and he continued to prove to her that he wasn’t like her ex, that he respected her and he wanted to show her how she should be treated.
Everything about him had her wanting to discover more.
“You don’t need to answer.” Jade took a crunchy bite of the pepper. “I’ll let that subject drop for now.”
“I’m sure we’ll revisit it before the night is over,” Melanie muttered.
“Maybe, but let’s discuss what you’re making, because my stomach is growling.”
Melanie smiled and shifted her phone around for Jade to see. “I thought this up the other night when I couldn’t sleep. Tell me what you think.”
Jade read over the notes before sliding the phone back across the island. “I think I want the first bite the second it comes out of the oven.”
Melanie went to pull a baking sheet from the cabinet. “I love how you and Olivia always want to be my test dummies.”
“And I love how she’s gone now so it’s all mine.”
Melanie put everything together and slid the pan into the oven. After wiping her hands on a dish towel, she pulled a glass from the cabinet. She smiled at the outline of a plane and the words Pilots: Looking down on people since 1903.
When Olivia had come ba
ck home after her father passed, she’d made several changes in an attempt to sell the house and push her past behind her. But she’d kept most of her father’s things, including the humorous dishes and several T-shirts with snarky pilot humor.
Melanie filled her glass with a smoothie concoction she’d made earlier.
“Care for some?” she asked, holding up the pitcher.
Jade shook her head. “I’m saving room for what you just put in the oven.”
“Want to talk about Atlanta?”
With a slight jerk, Jade tipped her head and narrowed her eyes. “My issue with Atlanta or yours?”
“Yours.”
“Not really.” Jade blew out a long sigh, tapped her fingers on the counter, then shook her head with a humorless laugh. “What have you heard?”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Melanie stated. “But you’ve acted a little strange the past few days.”
“How can you say that when you’ve barely seen me? I’ve been out with Brad nearly every night.”
Melanie took a drink of her fruit smoothie. “That’s my point. You hide from other people, but you’ve never steered clear of me or Livie.”
“It’s nothing major. I was offered my job back with a hefty bonus, but after the humiliation I endured and then to have my loyalty and reputation smeared, I think I’ll find another route to take.”
Jade had gone through too much emotional turmoil in her career over the last year and a half. She’d been a victim of sexual harassment by one of the partners in the firm, and then when she attempted to come forward, he’d denied all claims, stating it was Jade who had harassed him.
Once the truth finally came out, the other partner tripped all over himself trying to get Jade back.
“No amount of money could make you go back?” Melanie asked.
“None. I’ve saved enough over the years, but I’d rather downsize everything and live simply than go back there. Maybe I’ll even build one of those tiny houses. I don’t need anything major in my life.”
“Good for you.” Melanie peeked into the oven. “Just a few more minutes.”
Jade’s brow quirked. “Enough time that I want to hear more about you and Tanner.”
Rolling her eyes, Melanie let out a groan and set her cup on the counter. “He’s hot, okay? Is that what you want to know?”
“Obviously you’re attracted or you wouldn’t have slept with him. I want to know how you really feel.”
“I wish I knew the answer to that as well. I mean, I go back and forth between wanting to get to know him more and then pulling back because I feel like I’m trapped. That’s a terrible thing to say, but I’m being honest.”
Jade came to her feet and circled the island. “Trapped because of the baby?”
Melanie nodded. “Not that the baby is trapping me, but I’m going to be part of Tanner’s life forever, no matter what.”
“Tanner isn’t Neville.”
A fact Melanie had reminded herself of, over and over. “I’m learning that. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t make Tanner and me some perfect couple. We had sex once and it’s been awkward since.”
“Awkward from sexual tension,” Jade stated with a wry grin. “I’ve seen how that man looks at you and it’s no wonder you couldn’t hold out from sleeping with him. I don’t know how he feels about you, but it’s damn obvious he wants you. Bad.”
Well, at least their physical attraction was on the same page. It was everything else that remained fuzzy.
“Why don’t you just go to his house and have your wicked way with him?”
A bubble of laughter escaped her. “Jade, I was ballsy one night and ended up pregnant. You know that’s not usually me.”
Jade shrugged. “You can’t get pregnant again and there’s no way he’d turn you down. Why don’t you just go?”
Nerves spiraled through her. She wouldn’t go because. . . well, just because. Sex and attraction was one thing, but shouldn’t she be more controlled, focusing on her baby? Melanie’s sex life wasn’t top priority, which was a shame because Tanner was the second man she’d been with in her life and she was still reliving their passionate night together.
“I do like that gleam in your eye,” Jade murmured. “But if you could fantasize later and get that dish out of the oven, I’d be grateful.”
Melanie jerked from her thoughts and spun toward the counter for a pot holder. “Damn it. I almost forgot.”
“Which is precisely why you need to go claim your man.”
Her man? Was Tanner hers? Did she want him to be hers?
Melanie swirled one question after another around in her mind as she served Jade the new dish.
One thing was for certain, she wasn’t so sure she could just march over to Tanner’s and “claim” him. She may have gotten stronger and more courageous since her divorce, but she was still a woman longing for a man, and the fear of rejection of any kind kept her from what she wanted.
Chapter Ten
Cupcakes are muffins that believed in miracles.
—Mel’s Motivational Blog
“Tell me again why I can’t just beat the hell out of them?”
“Because Tanner doesn’t want to arrest you,” Jax told Cash.
Tanner propped his feet up on the edge of Jax’s desk in his small office. They’d met up earlier in the day to get some demolition done. By doing some things themselves, they were saving money on these renovations.
“If these guys are peddling their drugs through my gym, I’m pretty sure I have a right to kick their asses.”
Tanner laced his fingers over his abdomen. “You can do whatever you want, but don’t bitch at me when I have to arrest you.”
“Arrest them,” Cash demanded.
“We will,” Tanner assured him. “Following the law and letting the justice system work takes a little time. But I’d say we’ll have them behind bars within the week. My guy on the inside is waiting to get the name of the supplier these guys are buying from. We want the top dog, too.”
“Well, I want them out of my gym.”
“He’s got it covered,” Jax chimed in. “Just let him do his job.”
Cash took the final drink of water from his bottle and tossed the bottle into the trash in the corner. “Fine.”
“When is Zach coming by?” Tanner asked, needing to shift the focus away from Cash’s frustrations.
“He and his crew will be here Monday. I told him with the holiday coming up that he didn’t need to stop and start.”
The holiday. The one where he was taking Melanie to meet his mother and tell her about the baby. Just the first of many holidays that would be completely different now that Mel was in his life forever.
What would this time next year look like? Would they be sharing their time with the baby or would they live together? Would there ever come a time when she wanted to try to make this work like a legit family all under one roof?
“Livie is going to make dinner tomorrow if you guys are free and want to come,” Jax invited.
“I’ll never turn down a free meal.” Cash stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his ankles. “Tell me you’re going to smoke the turkey.”
“Is there any other way to have it?” Jax asked.
“I’m going to my mom’s house,” Tanner stated. “I never make it on the actual holiday, so there’s no way I’ll miss this year.”
“You’re taking quite a bit of time off lately,” Jax commented, then shrugged. “Not that I’m judging. You need the breaks. Melanie is good for you.”
That last statement stirred something deep inside him. At this point Melanie was the mother of his child, a one-night stand, and a friend. She was cautious, but he was persistent.
“Everything go well at the doctor visit?” Cash asked.
Tanner nodded. “So far everything with Melanie and the baby looks fine.”
“You’re still terrified.”
Tanner eyed Cash and simply nodded. His cousins knew full well wha
t he’d gone through before. They knew the pain he carried and the guilt that had never vanished.
“Hard not to be,” he admitted. “She’s hesitant to let me get too close and if I had it my way, I’d move her in with me so I could keep an eye on her.”
Jax eased forward in his squeaky office chair and rested his forearms on the old metal desktop. “You can’t save everyone, and Melanie will be fine.”
Tanner nodded and pulled in a deep breath. “I keep telling myself that.”
“Maybe if you clued her in to what you went through, she’d understand why you’re so pushy,” Cash stated.
“I’m not pushy.”
Cash merely raised his brows.
Pushing to his feet, Tanner looked to his two cousins. “If we’re done with the demo for the day, I’m heading home.”
“Does that mean we’re done sharing our feelings?” Cash asked.
Tanner flipped him the bird and headed toward the door. “Neither of you shared anything, you were too busy trying to get inside my head.”
“Stay and have a beer with us,” Jax invited. “I promise we’ll stay out of your head.”
“He’s lying,” Cash countered. “I want to annoy you some more.”
Tanner shook his head. “I’m out.”
He headed through the side entrance and around the mess of metal they’d removed from the exterior outdoor patio area. They’d managed quite a bit of demolition, and Tanner knew this place was going to look a whole lot worse before it got better. The renovations would take months, but in the end, the women’s vision seemed to be huge and could be a total game changer for the tiny town of Haven.
Jade had been on to something when she’d tapped in to the fact that the film industry was coming in and out of parts of Georgia nearly all the time. With the taxes on the movie and television industry so low in Georgia, it was no wonder so many things were filmed here.
And the way Bella Vous had exploded onto the scene, pulling in so many women from literally all over the country, Tanner had a good feeling about Jax and Olivia’s airport.
The thought of Bella Vous had Tanner taking a slight side trip to the women’s only resort and spa. Liam Monroe ran the kitchen at the place and had recently opened a bakery. Tanner’s side trip before heading home would be the perfect surprise for Melanie.
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