Almost Midnight (sweet contemporary romance) (Colorado Clearbrooks)

by Teresa McCarthy

  “Think you could buy a tutor like everything else?” Fritz countered back. “Your ancestors settled this town and this territory. They had brains and grit. The duke—”

  Tanner closed his eyes, trying to tame his temper. “This is not England, Dad. And I may be a descendant of some grand peer, but I am not a duke!”

  Tanner tried to inhale a calming breath. Why his father had to talk about their family lineage all the time was beyond him. “And this isn’t about money. It’s about me hiring a good tutor. Not you.”

  “You ain’t knowing a thing about hiring tutors,” Fritz said. “And you dang well know it. All you do is fiddle with that phone of yours, readying for your next deal.”

  “We can talk about this tonight.”

  “You can’t come home tonight, I...”

  A bad connection slowly drowned out the conversation and Tanner frowned. He loved his father, but he had no intention of entering into that argument again.

  Pushing the older man to the back of his mind, Tanner stepped into the first class section of the plane and took his seat.

  When the announcement allowing the elderly and families with small children to board, Tanner noticed a young mother, probably no older than twenty-five, carrying an occupied baby seat in one hand and an overloaded diaper bag in the other. The poor woman was barely able to maneuver her way passed first class as she headed toward the back of the plane and stumbled. Sweat beaded along her brow, and her muscles strained under the weight.

  At that moment a pang of sympathy shot through Tanner. He instantly recalled the long nights when Jeremy had kept Julie and him up until dawn.

  “Ma’am,” Tanner said, rising from his seat. “Can I help?”

  The young mother looked at him hesitantly, then looked back at the flight attendant who seemed to be having trouble with one of the passengers.

  “I have a son of my own,” Tanner said, catching the wary look she gave him.

  Her shoulders sagged with relief, and she rested the baby carrier on the seat behind him. “Thank you, yes, I could use help with my bag, if you don’t mind. My husband is waiting for us in Denver, and this is my first trip with my baby alone.”

  She looked about ready to cry, and Tanner felt a moment of pure panic.

  “I think I can do more than carry your bag. Why don’t you sit right here.” He pointed to the seat next to the baby.

  Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, no. I have a seat back there, not here in first class.”

  Tanner smiled. “I happen to have an extra ticket for my wife, but she couldn’t make the trip. The ticket was nonrefundable. It seems we were the only ones in first class, so take a seat and relax. I’ll see what I can do.”

  The lady burst out crying, and fifteen minutes after takeoff, Tanner asked himself whatever made him tell that whopper of a lie about his wife and the nonexistent ticket. But the answer to his question was soon answered as he peeked over his shoulder, eyeing the lady and her babe fast asleep.

  The flight attendant walked by, and Tanner gave her a knowing wink. They had worked together to get the young mother situated in first class. Tanner didn’t mind paying for the lady’s first class ticket, as long as it was without her knowledge. He didn’t want to embarrass the lady. But to Tanner, any loving mother was priceless.

  However, after a minute, Tanner’s satisfied grin turned upside down as soon as he opened his briefcase, catching sight of the scrap of paper he’d received weeks ago when he’d taken the back roads to the airport to drop off the limo for his friend Jimmy. The crumpled paper stuck out of the pocket beside his laptop.

  Hannah.

  He couldn’t seem to forget her. The green-eyed beauty had certainly pulled the wool over his eyes.

  Before helping her with her car, he’d seen the lady walking down Main Street. Golden hair the color of wheat. Long legs that went on forever. A willowy body that moved with a cat-like grace. She was a pretty package any man would notice. He’d even seen her leaving the parking lot of the hospital where his brother worked, and more to the point, he didn’t see a ring on her finger.

  No doubt, he could find her if he wanted.

  Not that he needed her address or phone number now. She’d made a fool of him and good riddance. The Clearbrook Valley police had a good laugh at his expense, and he was sure Hannah had, too. Maybe he had been a little forward that evening, but with women like her, he had been out of practice.

  His bold attitude toward her that night had surprised even him. But there had been something about that woman.

  The vulnerability and gentleness he’d seen in her eyes that night had pulled him in like some kind of spell, and without a second thought, he’d asked her out like a stupid schoolboy.

  Everyone in town knew who he was, at least he thought they did. Did she really think he was a limo driver? Not that a limo driver would be bad, but being rich and eligible, he had to admit, he was used to women falling at his feet, but not this lady.

  A baby cooed behind him, invoking memories of yesterday. But yesterday was gone and so was his gentle Julie, his high school sweetheart, his dead wife, the only woman he had ever loved.

  Scowling, he jerked the paper from his briefcase and crushed it in his hands for the umpteenth time. What the hell had he been thinking? Vulnerability and gentleness were a dangerous combination. Luckily for him, the date had never become a reality.

  “I do too know what two times five is.”

  Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Hannah hung her freshly painted toes over the family room sofa and lifted her gaze to the eight-year-old standing in front of her. Jeremy Clearbrook puffed out his chest, daring her to challenge his multiplication facts. She had accepted a second job of summer tutor to the sandy-haired boy. According to Fritz, the boy’s grandfather, Jeremy’s entire demeanor, along with school work, had taken a turn for the worse the past two years since his mother’s death.

  “Okay, tell me, Smarty-pants, what is two times five?”

  “Ten.”

  Jeremy, his gray eyes twinkling, squatted on the floor beside her and began to splash globs of red nail polish on the toes of his rubber Tyrannosaurus Rex that was sitting on yesterday’s Clearbrook Valley Gazette.

  “Right again.” Hannah delighted at the crooked teeth smiling back up at her. The boy tugged at her heartstrings more than anyone had in a long time.

  When she’d met Jeremy’s grandfather at church, who was a friend of her mother’s, the man had surprisingly offered her the part-time position as tutor.

  Sixty-year-old Fritz had taken over as babysitter to Jeremy since the death of the boy’s mother. When Jeremy’s father was out of town on business - a man she had yet to meet - it seemed Fritz had taken over that job too.

  Hannah watched as Jeremy closed the bottle of nail polish. This job as tutor to the boy while he was on summer vacation had been almost too good to be true.

  In fact, she had obtained the position just a few weeks after her car had died on that mountain road.

  Her heart turned over with guilt when she thought about that night. The handsome Tanner had fixed her car, and she had been grateful for his help. However, she still carried a bit of remorse for they way she had treated him in the end. She should have just told him that she didn’t feel comfortable saying yes to him or any other man.

  But she had taken the coward’s way out. She had to stop thinking about it.

  Hannah grabbed a nearby tissue and couldn’t hold back a sneeze.

  “Are you cold, Hannah? Want one of my Dad’s big sweaters?”

  “No. It’s just a little bug. I’m fine.”

  She wasn’t going to let a nagging cold stop her from working. When she’d first arrived at the mansion, Jeremy had barely said a word to her, but she’d slowly gained his confidence. After working here for two weeks, he acted as if he’d known her for years.

  She soon discovered that the job was not only tutoring, it included being a part-time nanny, but she didn’t mind a bit.

 
; Jeremy handed her the nail polish. “Know what? My dad’s going to be home real soon. Grandpa said so. I talk to Dad at night when you’re not here, even in the morning sometimes.”

  “I know. Your Grandpa told me you can speak to your father and see him on the computer when he calls.”

  “Yeah, but sometimes we just talk on the phone.”

  The wistful look in his eyes twisted her heart. Jeremy missed his father. But the man had been gone too long if you asked her. Two weeks was a long time, even if he did call home and show his face on the computer screen once in a while. A child needed his parent.

  “I can’t wait to meet him, pumpkin. I’m sure he misses you.”

  Jeremy shrugged and stared at her red nails. “Gosh, that stuff stinks.”

  Hannah lifted her brow. “Didn’t hear the dinosaur complaining about the blood you put on his toes a minute ago.”

  He lifted the dinosaur up to her nose and frowned. “Do you think the blood on his feet is dry? He just ate a triceratops.”

  “A triceratops?” Hannah faked a gasp, holding a hand to her breast.

  “Yeah, a mommy one. She saved her baby triceratops by hiding it in the bushes.”

  “I see.” Hannah pulled the boy to her chest and stroked his hair. He obviously missed his mother. When he had started asking her why people died, she started painting her own nails. Death. It wasn’t something she wanted to talk about either. Her plan to keep him occupied seemed to have worked, for a little while at least.

  “You forgot one.” He pointed to her feet. The boy leaned over the sofa, his fingers dipping into the cotton balls, drawing one out for her.

  “Thanks, pumpkin.” Hannah grabbed the cotton ball and placed it between her last two toes.

  “Know what?” he asked. “I can do up to ten times ten.”

  Hannah smiled. “I know you can and your dad will be so proud of you.”

  She didn’t miss the frown that flashed across his face as she swung him off the sofa.

  She stood and wiggled her feet. “Don’t they look pretty?”

  Jeremy snickered as he put a piece of cotton between the bloodied toes of his dinosaur. “Gosh, Hannah, you look funny.”

  “And I thought I looked like a duck.” Hannah pulled her jeans above her ankles and started to walk on the heels of her feet. “Quack-quack. Quack-quack.”

  Jeremy’s warm laugh touched her heart.

  “I’m going to get you, little ducky,” he said.

  “Aha, so dinosaurs do speak.” Hannah waddled to the corner of the room, side-stepping a deck of cards and a pile of cotton balls.

  Jeremy grabbed his dinosaur and bolted toward her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. “Gosh, I love you, Hannah.”

  “I love you too, pumpkin.” Her throat grew thick. How long had it been since she had opened her heart to anyone besides her mother?

  Jeremy’s hopeful gaze met hers. “Will you marry me, then?”

  She tried not to chuckle. Marriage? That was something she would never think about for a long time. She would never depend on anyone ever again either. Being independent was too important. She didn’t mind taking care of her mother, she loved her. That’s why she had gone back to school and was waiting for her job application at Reach Medicals to come through in the fall.

  Reach Medicals was a local company she’d applied to last month. When she’d left Illinois and moved to Clearbrook Valley, Colorado, more than a year ago, she attended the nearby four-year college and just finished her bachelor’s degree in General Engineering, hoping to start a new life. Of course, she had wished her engineering degree would have taught her the basic mechanics of a car. But sometimes the analytical side of things was much different than the practical side.

  And although she could have obtained a more lucrative position in the city with her schooling, she liked it here in Clearbrook Valley and so did her mother. They were staying, no matter what. Her quality of life meant more to her than money. She had learned that the hard way.

  “Hannah?”

  A regretful smile crossed her lips, and she patted his head. “I can’t marry you, pumpkin. You’re only a little boy.”

  “Oh, pooh!” The dinosaur flew across the room with a thud.

  “Jeremy.” Her reprimand couldn’t hide her grin. “No more card games if that continues.”

  “Sorry.” His puppy eyes didn’t fool her. “But I got a great idea! Maybe you could marry Grandpa. He’s not married! And he’s not that old! And he’s really smart!”

  Hannah slid into the leather recliner beside the hearth and stifled the laughter that bubbled in her throat. The boy was persistent, she’d grant him that. “I can’t marry him either.”

  Jeremy sighed, slipping a hand over her palm.

  Her heart swelled with love for this boy.

  “Yeah, I guess not,” he said. “Grandpa’s an old weasel.”

  Hannah choked out a cough and sat up. “Excuse me?”

  “Dad says Grandpa’s an old weasel, always weaseling in on other people’s business. My two uncles say the same thing. Maybe you can marry one of them. Rafe is a doctor and Uncle Max is kind of crazy, but he has a big ranch with lots of horses.”

  “Don’t think so, pumpkin.” Hannah smiled as Jeremy ran across the room to pick up his dinosaur.

  “Yeah, you probably don’t like that horse poop smell and blood probably gets you sick.” With another sigh, the boy returned to her side. “Maybe you could marry my dad. I know he works a lot, but maybe he would stay home more if he was married.”

  Hannah shook her head again. “Nope.”

  Jeremy was not about to give up. “What if I had a talk with him? You could call him Tanner, instead of Mr. Clearbrook. And he has lots and lots of money that you could spend.”

  Tanner? Hannah stiffened. “I thought your father’s name was John.”

  Jeremy shrugged. “Yeah, but everyone I know uses his middle name and that’s Tanner. Gosh, no one but strangers call him John. Well, I guess some people in town might call him John. You know, because he’s rich and all that, and the town is named after someone in my family.”

  Hannah’s heart slipped a notch as the boy kept talking. There had to be more than one Tanner in the world.

  “Did you know that I had a duke as one of my great, great, great, well, I don’t know how many greats he was, but he was my great grandfather from a long long time ago.”

  Hannah swallowed. Her Tanner from the limo could not be the same man who owned half of Clearbrook Valley! The man was a limo driver for heaven’s sake, not a millionaire! Not Jeremy’s father!

  Yes, there was a part of her that had regretted not giving the man her phone number after he had fixed her car. And she knew she might run into him eventually.

  Yet why had Fritz told her his son’s name was John when everybody called him Tanner? Everyone had heard of John Clearbrook, the rich millionaire who made his money investing in real estate and buying out companies. That was Jeremy’s father.

  She had spent a minute or two looking the man up on the Internet, but the photos were so bad, she thought she would wait to meet him. Now, she wished she had dug harder. When she got home tonight, she would hop onto that computer and do some real digging. How stupid could she be?

  This had to be a coincidence. But John Tanner Clearbrook?

  “Jeremy, don’t ever ask your father to marry me.”

  “Why?” The boy wrinkled his nose. “Some people say he looks like me. I have a picture of him in my drawer upstairs, if you want to see it. Or we can find a picture of him on the Internet. Some of them don’t look so good. He usually is wearing sunglasses or a hat and it’s hard to see what he really looks like. But Grandpa showed me some pictures of him from the newspaper that were on the Internet and they look really good. We used to have lots of pictures of him around when my mom...well, Dad took them all away. Anyway, you’ll see, he looks a lot like me.”

  Hannah’s heart gave another painful twist when Jeremy
mentioned his mom. The little boy was still suffering. Yet as she stared into Jeremy’s gray eyes, a cold shiver swept down her spine as she recalled a pair of silvery eyes the night on that mountain.

  She’d see all right. She’d see herself right out the door!

  Why, oh, why hadn’t she looked up more about his father on the Internet? She had recalled a photo of the man skiing in Aspen. But he had on a ski helmet with goggles!

  Besides, at that time, she hadn’t really cared what he looked like anyway. She just wanted this job!

  Anyway, she hated dissecting a person’s private life by scouring the Internet. She thought knew enough about the man. The pay was decent, and this job worked out well with her library job and classes. And though she’d heard that Mr. John Clearbrook was a handsome man, she really couldn’t have cared less. After Nick, she wasn’t interested in dating anyone, especially rich men. She didn’t keep up with Clearbrook Valley social life either.

  However, right now, she regretted not having the town paper delivered to her apartment. Surely Mr. Clearbrook would have been included in some local stories – with his photo! Yet that was more money to spend on a paper, money she didn’t have.

  She glanced at the Clearbrook Valley Gazette stained with red nail polish. She was a part time librarian. She should have been more diligent. But with her mother not feeling well, caring about what John Clearbrook looked like was the last thing on her mind!

  This job had been perfect for her. Her mother knew Fritz. She had met Jeremy’s grandfather at a church. And Fritz Clearbrook had made it quite clear that his son had approved of her working at his home.

  She groaned. She knew it had been too good to be true!

  However, something told her this job was more than coincidence. Did Tanner set her up? Did he ask Fritz to meet her at church and offer her a job? What was going on here?

  The fear of her mother’s cancer returning, along with rising debts, was enough to worry about. No, she wasn’t about to lose this job.

  Independence was one thing she had learned these past three years. Her imagination was running away with her.

  And what was she worried about anyway? She’d been almost assured the position at Reach Medicals in the fall. She would just make ends meet until then, Tanner or not.