Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
But lately, I wasn’t stressed about money or work. The bungalow was, as Phee said…cute. We had neighbors I trusted ’cause I’d spent time with them and the animals. And let me tell ya, you learned a lot about folks by how they treated kids and animals.
When Angie organized a trip for the girls to go to the beach and stop by Christmas Town for hot chocolate on the way home, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Sleepovers, no problem. Movie night with popcorn in our living room, sure thing.
And when Tanner invited us to the main lodge for Thanksgiving, I didn’t think twice about saying yes.
We dressed up in our finest and enjoyed an incredible feast prepared by a talented chef. Abby and her family weren’t there, but Phoebe got a kick out of being the only kid in a roomful of fancy adults, most of whom were aunts and uncles of Tanner’s and Jax’s, business partners, old friends, and a few employees.
Like Rich—a pretty, professorial-looking man with a soft smile and a mop of brown hair. He had eyes for Tanner, who was polite as always but didn’t pay his ex any extra attention.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Rich gushed, pushing glasses along his straight nose. “Tanner mentioned he’d hired a new vet.”
“Did he?”
“Yes, I work for Santiago at the winery. Word gets around,” he added blithely.
“Um…I noticed that. You’re a wine expert.”
“I am, actually. I’m a viticulturist. I manage the vineyards and the harvest. I had a great job with a winery in Napa out of college, but after the fire a few years ago, I needed a change of scenery. I’d heard that Tanner and his brother were growing their own grapes and decided to take a leap. I landed on his doorstep with a résumé and my suitcase, and thankfully, he hired me on the spot.” Rich’s smile dipped slightly. “I’ve been here for four years now. No regrets.”
Something in his expression indicated he might have one regret. I was nosy, but I was a gentleman. Mostly.
“We’re happy to be here,” I commented. “Everyone has been very gracious. Jax, Josh, Hudson, Tanner—”
“He’s my ex,” Rich blurted.
I winced, unsure how to respond, and decided honesty was the best policy. “I heard that too.”
“Oh.”
We stood awkwardly under the glitter of the crystal chandelier in the grand living area, watching Phee flit about. She paused in the middle of the room to show off a few spin moves and once she finally ran out of steam, she skipped off to raid the appetizer table.
“That’s my daughter, Phoebe,” I said to fill the growing silence.
“She’s cute and…”
Rich’s voice faded when Tanner crouched in front of Phee to share cheese from his plate. My daughter giggled with my lover while his ex anxiously crinkled a cocktail napkin, and I couldn’t help thinking that life was strange.
Something so sweet could be laced with pain, depending on your point of view.
I knew all about pain and longing, and for a split second, I wondered if I was setting myself up for another dose.
Maybe I had more in common with Rich than I’d thought…’cause I knew it was going to hurt to lose Tanner.
But I didn’t want to dwell on endings. I was too used to looking for ulterior motives, ways my house of cards would collapse, and how I could undo the damage. Just enjoying the ride was a new one.
For now, I’d take Tanner’s lead and…let go.
Finding innovative ways to grab a few minutes to ourselves was a challenge. We’d started sneaking off at lunchtime so we could have an hour naked in one of our beds rather than a furtive fuck in a stall or in Tanner’s office. It was fun and sexy and life-affirming in a way that sex hadn’t been for me in years.
And we talked…constantly. Tanner was more loquacious by a long shot, but he was easy company. We rode horses from one end of the ranch to the other, chatting about everything from high school football exploits to random questions that could seemingly spark major conversations, like:
“What’s the worst haircut you ever got?” he asked, tossing a ball for his dogs.
“My grandmother put a bowl on my head and snipped loose hair all the way around. It looked goofy, so she shaved the sides. I had a bowl-cut mullet. The first of its kind.”
Tanner barked a laugh. “No way.”
“Yeah, my third grade picture was a doozy.”
“You made that up.” He snorted.
I did, but it was fun to yank Tanner’s chain. “Can you really remember a bad haircut?”
“No, but the weirder the question, the more you learn about someone. It’s a fact,” he said, pulling his arm back and launching the ball. “Here’s another one. What’s the worst place you ever got sick?”
“A movie theater.”
He snickered. “What was the movie?”