by Barbara Gee
“Really?” Jolene winced. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“What do you mean?” Izzy asked, trying not to feel hurt by Jolene’s reaction. “Are we talking about me going back to my wild ways again?”
“No, not at all,” Jolene said hastily, her gaze earnest. “We’re talking about the possibility of you deciding you might be ready to pursue a healthy relationship. You’ve sworn off men for quite a while now, but having a guy like Tanner right next door might make you rethink that. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I just want to make sure you’re prepared for that possibility.”
Izzy shook her head adamantly. “You don’t need to worry about that. I agree Tanner’s a good looking guy, but I still don’t see him like that. It’s more like he’s a big brother who needs to be shaken up a little bit so he quits being so grumpy and learns to enjoy life. That’s where my interest lies. Not in trying to date him.”
“Does he know that?” Jolene asked skeptically.
“Absolutely. That’s why he’s comfortable going to look at the house with me. He knows I just want to be his friend and I’m not trying to hook up with him.”
Jolene gave her a long, searching look. “Would it be different if he wasn’t broody and moody?” she asked. “Because I think maybe the answer to that is yes.”
Izzy refused to give that question too much thought, because it didn’t matter, either way. Volunteers from out of the area were temporary, so even if her feelings were to change, Tanner would be gone long before she could get too attached.
While he was there, though, she’d do her best to bring a little levity to his life, and hope it made a difference. Her belief that God could use her to loosen him up a little was still very strong.
Jolene was waiting for an answer to her question. Izzy gave her friend an unconcerned smile. “But he is broody and moody, so it’s a moot point.” She tapped her temple with a fingertip. “He hides all his emotions really well, but I can tell there’s an awful lot going on in here. I think he’s seen things, been through things, that have scarred him. I don’t have illusions of healing him, I just want to help him hurt a little less.”
“You got all that from what, one or two conversations?”
“Uh, basically just from running into him a couple times, and one actual conversation. But it was like twenty minutes. He even ate some dinner with me, and we texted after.” Izzy pushed her empty plate aside, propped an elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her palm. “I’m pretty sure he has a good sense of humor. So far, he comes across as being kinda snide, like he’s barely able to tolerate my sunny disposition, but I know there’s a good, kind guy in there.” She grinned. “I think I’m actually growing on him.”
Jolene laughed. “Of course you are. Dark beings are drawn to the sun—they can’t help it.”
Izzy winced. It made her sad to hear Tanner described as dark, even if it was accurate. There was hope, though. He’d put his name as BFF in her phone contact list, for goodness sake. Definitely a sign of good humor fighting to be released.
The two women got up and carried their trays to the conveyor. “You coming to Virgil’s party tonight?” Jolene asked.
“Sure am. Hopefully bringing Tanner, too, although he wouldn’t commit.”
“I hope he comes. I don’t know how Ryan and Tuck know him for sure, but I know they’d be glad to see him.”
“He must work for the FBI, or at least be affiliated with them somehow, since he knows the guys, and also your friend Linc. I hinted about that last night, but he didn’t confirm or deny.”
Jolene nodded thoughtfully. “When Linc introduces him to people, he just says he’s a friend who works in cyber technology. He’s never said he’s FBI, but yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised. He has the look.”
“He definitely does.” Izzy agreed.
Jolene checked the time. “I need to go. I have to be in Grand Forks by two o’clock for an ice rink dedication. I’m filling in for Boone. It’s in an under-privileged neighborhood and he’s been helping them raise funds for almost a year. I’ll be back in time for the party, though. Hope to see you and Tanner both there.”
“We’ll have to see.” Izzy looked across the cafeteria to where Spencer was sitting with several other interns from various departments. It looked like they were having a good time. With Spencer’s easy-going personality, he’d have plenty of opportunities to make friends here, if he was so inclined.
He looked over and saw her, then stood and took his leave from his table-mates. Izzy and Jolene joined him at the conveyor, putting their dirty dishes on for the ride into the kitchen. Jolene left to get ready for her quick trip to the city, but Izzy and Spencer headed back to the PT department.
She hoped they would be able to finish the final preparations for Monday before it was time to go pick up Tanner for their house visit. If not, she’d just have to put in whatever time was necessary on Saturday. It wouldn’t be the first time.
***
Tanner finished giving Comet a good workout, having taken the horse repeatedly through the paces Molly had requested while one of the other stable volunteers rode him. Molly had watched with a practiced eye, making sure the horse gave no sign of wanting to get rid of the rider. She seemed pleased, and Tanner wasn’t surprised.
After getting to know the good-natured animal, he had been pretty sure something other than obstinance had thrown the horse off for just that little bit. Maybe one of the volunteers had messed up when putting his saddle on, not taking the time to adjust it properly, or maybe Comet had a stomach ache or a sore foot. During the time Tanner had spent with the animal, he’d seen no signs of aggression or stubbornness, and the big guy had done fine out in the ring today. He hadn’t faltered when going around the cones or across the ladder obstacle, and he hadn’t seemed to mind being ridden in the least.
Molly had been pleased to see Comet back to normal. She said they would have extra staff spotters for all of Comet’s riders for a while, just in case, but she seemed to share Tanner’s belief his behavior had been a one-off thing.
As Tanner walked the horse back to the stable area, Molly strolled along with them, making small talk consisting of mostly questions. His answers were short and cursory, and in his opinion, more than enough to get across the message he wasn’t interested in her getting to know him better, and vice versa.
Although she was an intelligent lady, she didn’t seem to pick up on his ‘I’m a loner so leave me alone’ vibe. When she asked him if he wanted to grab a cup of coffee in the lounge with her when he got Comet settled in his stall, he declined. Nicely though, because she was his boss, after all.
“I’ve got some things going on this evening, so I’d better get going as soon as I’m done,” he told her. “I’ll come in tomorrow and take Comet for a good long run outside. If there’s any lingering soreness I’ll pick up on it then.”
“I appreciate your help, and your expertise. I rarely get volunteers who know so much about horses.” Molly smiled up at him. “Any idea how long you’ll be sticking around, Tanner?”
“Sorry, but no. Could be a few weeks, could be a couple months. It all depends when I get called back to my job.”
“And what is your job?” Molly asked curiously, her shoulder rubbing against his arm as they walked.
Tanner carefully moved away. “I’m in IT for a large organization,” he said smoothly.
“No way!” Molly said, her eyes wide. “You’re a computer guy? I’d have never guessed that. I figured something active and probably outdoors.”
“Nope,” Tanner said shortly, thankful they had reached the turnoff to the stable area. “I’ll see you later.”
Molly stopped and watched him lead the horse in the opposite direction from where she was going. “I might be around tomorrow for a while,” she called. “Have a good evening.”
He lifted a hand in a short wave, hoping she wouldn’t cause unnecessary problems by trying too hard to get to know him on a personal level. If
Molly was the type to take his rebuffs personally, it could make for an awkward work situation.
Then Izzy came to mind, and he couldn’t help but smile just a little, shaking his head. That girl hadn’t taken his rudeness personally, but she’d refused to take the hint, too. He couldn’t have been any more blunt with her, and how had she reacted? With a smile and cherry cheesecake bars, and now, somehow, she’d convinced him to go house shopping with her.
On a positive note, the vibes he got from Izzy lacked the suggestiveness of Molly’s, and that was why he’d stuck around last evening. He’d been comfortable with her, and it had been a long, long, time since he’d felt that way with a woman.
Tanner hadn’t realized how much he’d missed that, until Izzy.
***
Izzy made sure she got off work in plenty of time to get home and changed before leaving for Barlow. She dressed for the birthday party, planning to go straight there from town. She hoped Tanner wouldn’t give her any grief about going—he needed to get over his moody self and enjoy a little social time with a great group of people.
Thankfully gatherings at the ranch were casual, because Izzy wasn’t the type who enjoyed getting all glammed up. She chose a steel blue sleeveless top with silky flowing layers, white skinny jeans, and strappy, silver sandals.
She carried the sandals to the front window, looking out to see whether Tanner was home yet as she put them on. His golf cart was nowhere in sight, and she frowned, wondering if he was going to stand her up. If he wasn’t here in ten minutes, she’d be late to meet the realtor.
It would be disappointing if he didn’t come, but she reminded herself he wasn’t obligated to help her out. They barely knew each other after all, and if he’d decided he didn’t want to bother with her house hunting issues, she couldn’t really blame him.
A text would have been nice, though.
As that thought crossed her mind, her phone dinged. She slid it out of her pocket and smiled when she saw BFF on the screen.
BFF: Got held up but I’m leaving now. I’ll be ready to go in ten mins.
Izzy: No problem. Thanks for letting me know.
Izzy poured herself a glass of tea, more convinced than ever that under that crusty exterior, Tanner James was a good man. Getting past the surliness was going to be a continued challenge, however. Something had made him stop smiling and turned those dark eyes cold. He was closed off and seemed to want to stay that way, but there was hope, Izzy was sure of it.
Wandering to the window again, she saw his golf cart coming down the lane. She took her tea out to the front porch and leaned on the railing, giving him a big smile when he screeched to a stop in front of his cabin.
“Hey, neighbor,” she called cheerfully.
He barely spared her a glance. “Gotta take a shower,” he said brusquely. “Five minutes.”
“Dress for the birthday party. We’ll go straight there from Barlow.”
He stopped his walk to the cabin and looked over his shoulder at her, his dark brows drawing together. Izzy braced herself for his refusal. He’d never agreed to go to the party, after all, only promised to think about it.
For a long moment he said nothing, then he gave a short nod. “Pour me a glass of that tea, would ya?” Before she could respond, he was inside, the front door closing firmly behind him.
Izzy smiled and went to do as he asked, happy he’d decided to give the party a whirl. She decided if he didn’t seem to be having a good time, she’d leave early so he didn’t have to suffer long. It was the least she could do.
He emerged right at the ten minute mark, which wasn’t a surprise to her. He didn’t seem the type to run late. She hadn’t been sure what he would choose to wear. So far, she’d only seen him in faded jeans and tee shirts. Now, however, he was wearing dark jeans and a light khaki colored button down, rolling the sleeves up his forearms as he walked. He looked extremely handsome and she almost told him so, then decided it might make him uncomfortable.
She handed him the tea and he took a long drink before getting in the passenger seat of her car. It was a small car, and he was a big man. His knees were actually touching the dash, and while he didn’t complain, he did give her a raised brow as he dropped his glass into the cup holder. Which seemed to be pretty much the extent of the emotion he was going to show for the time being.
The eight minute drive to Barlow was mostly silent, in spite of Izzy’s efforts to hold a conversation. Tanner didn’t seem inclined to talk about his day, and he didn’t seem interested in hers. It was a relief to get to the duplex where a very chatty Gloria took care of the silence in short order.
Introductions were made, then Izzy and Tanner followed the realtor inside.
“As you can see, it can use a little sprucing up, but new paint and flooring will work wonders. The layout is great, don’t you think?”
Izzy did like the layout. It wasn’t a completely open floor-plan, but there was a nice wide opening into the kitchen, so it didn’t feel too closed in. The kitchen also had lots of cupboard and counter space, and Gloria assured them all the appliances were in working order.
Tanner asked lots of questions, and inspected everything. The rollers on the drawers, the space under the sink, the shelves in the cupboards. Next they went through the combination laundry-room and pantry, the living room, the half bath, and the little office. Izzy loved what she saw, and she couldn’t help but start getting excited. It was the kind of place she knew she could call home, and she found herself picturing the kind of furniture she’d want to put in each of the rooms.
As they went down the hall, she dropped back and grabbed Tanner’s arm, putting distance between the two of them and Gloria, who was on a mission and didn’t notice she’d left them behind.
“What do you think so far?” Izzy whispered. “I really like it, but I don’t know if I should. Are there a lot of things wrong with it?”
He shook his head. “It seems fine.”
Gloria stuck her head out of the master bedroom, having finally noticed they weren’t on her heels. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you in the dust, I just get so excited when I show nice properties like this. Come see the master bed and bath.”
Izzy couldn’t hold back a happy little moan when she walked into the bathroom and spotted the big tub. “I’ll take it,” she teased. “Draw up the contract.”
Gloria gave a trilling laugh. “Bathtubs do the trick for me every time. Let’s go upstairs and take a look at the other bedrooms, then we’ll go to the unit next door. The tenants went out for supper so we could go through it. I did tell you they want to stay, right? It’s a young couple, they’ve only been married a year and they love living here. They’ll sign a two-year lease if you wish.”
Izzy liked that possibility. Having rental income guaranteed for two years without interruption would definitely give her some peace of mind. Tanner gave an approving nod, indicating it sounded good to him as well.
They finished going through the empty unit, then went over to the leased side, which had been updated with new flooring, granite countertops, and lovely paint colors.
“I love it,” Izzy declared. “This is how I want the other side to look. Updated, but still nice and homey.”
“Can I get in the crawl space and check out the furnaces and water heaters?” Tanner wondered.
The peppy realtor took them out into the back yard and showed him the small entry door in the foundation. Tanner stooped over and disappeared under the house, reappearing after a few minutes and giving Izzy a reassuring nod.
“I’m not seeing anything that alarms me,” he told Gloria, “but I do think the asking price is kinda high. I did some research last evening, and the houses that have sold in Barlow in the last six months all seemed to be quite a bit lower.”
“But none of them were duplexes,” Gloria pointed out.
“I realize that,” Tanner said patiently, “and I took that into account. Obviously, Izzy doesn’t need the extra unit. At the right pri
ce, it would be a smart investment, but at the listed price, even when you figure in the rental income, her out-of-pocket would be less on a single-family home at the average sales price.”
Izzy stared at him, pleased—and surprised—that he’d taken the time to look up recent sales and figure out various payments for her. Another sign that the man wasn’t as hard-nosed as he tried to portray.
Gloria was a seasoned realtor, and very used to the bargaining process. “It really is a one of a kind property in this area,” she insisted. “It was listed just two weeks ago, and there’s already been quite a bit of interest.” She turned to Izzy. “You like it, right, Izzy?”
“Yes, definitely, but I have a lot of figuring to do, and I haven’t even been to the bank to see if I qualify for a mortgage. I wanted to see the place before I go any further.”
“Of course. I’m glad it worked out to see it today. If you decide you want to make an offer, or if you have any questions, you just let me know, okay?”
“I sure will, Gloria. Thanks so much for taking us through it.”
“You’re most welcome.” The woman turned and offered her hand to Tanner. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Tanner. Did Izzy tell you she and I attend the same church? It would be great to see you there some Sunday.”
“I did tell him that, and I’ll make sure he has a ride if he wants to come,” Izzy said quickly, saving Tanner from having to answer. She had no idea if he went to church or not, and she didn’t want him to feel blindsided.
They said their goodbyes and headed back to her car. Once inside, Izzy gave Tanner a grateful smile.
“I’m so glad you came,” she said earnestly. “I feel like I’m in way over my head. I really liked the house, but I don’t want to rush into anything. It’s such a huge commitment.”
“I think you should consider making an offer,” Tanner replied. “I’m impressed with the place, and I think Gloria was telling the truth when she said there’s been a lot of interest in it.”
Izzy reversed out of the parking lot. “But if the price is too high, maybe a single house is the way to go.”
