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)
I stepped into his space, crowding him against the counter. “I shouldn’t have poked at you for that story, but I’m glad you told me. You have a funny habit of making me like you a little more every time you open your mouth, cowboy.”
Tanner plucked my hat off my head, set next to his empty glass, and dragged his finger through my hair. “I feel the same way about you.”
Our kiss was sweet and unhurried. A tender fusion of lips and tongues with gentle nips, the brush of noses, and the rasp of stubble. I could have stayed like this for hours, drinking him in, reveling in his easy company and the underlying pull of desire. It was a heady combination that might have led us to the bedroom, but—
“Daddy, Daddy!” The kitchen door banged open, and Phoebe tore into the room. “Did you see the lights on our house? And the big Santa and the snowman too!”
I winked at Tanner and squeezed his hip, then swooped Phee into my arms. “You saw Santa?”
“I did! I love it so much.” She hugged me tight and grinned at Tanner. “Did you see too?”
“Sure did,” he replied. “Let’s go look together.”
She wiggled out of my hold, grabbed my hand, and held her other hand out to Tanner. “Did you kiss my daddy?”
Tanner froze at the door, meeting my gaze briefly. “I…”
I ruffled Phee’s hair. “I kissed Tanner.”
“Did he kiss you back?”
“He did.”
Phee grinned. “Good. C’mon!”
Tanner snickered at my bug-eyed expression. “How long do you think we have before that rumor gets out?”
“Less than twenty-four hours.”
He laughed, seemingly unbothered by the notion as he listened to my enthusiastic five-year-old point out all the wonders that had magically shown up in the front yard. I watched them together. Tanner’s hair flopped into his eyes and his top right incisor caught his bottom lip with a winning smile.
He was handsome and kind. And I probably should have been a little worried about the butterflies in my stomach, but I steadfastly stayed in the here and now under the flicker of a thousand lights on a cool December evening. I let Tanner’s deep timbre and Phoebe’s high-pitched squeals of joy wash over me, carving a new sweet holiday memory.
Years from now, I knew I’d remember this night.
CHAPTER 12
TANNER
The holiday season was officially upon us. You couldn’t watch TV without being bombarded by commercials featuring Santa and his elves hawking amazing deals. Seaside towns sold ornaments of starfish and mermaids tangled in holiday lights, and every store was jam-packed with must-have items, like gift tags, bows, paper goods, and cinnamon-scented candles.
Naturally, Christmas Town outdid them all. The biggest tree in the West was a beacon, delighting awe-struck tourists who stopped at the bottom of the hill to take photos before venturing onto the bustling Holiday Lane where lights crisscrossed from end to end.
Phoebe and I talked Axel into taking a trip to see the holiday hullabaloo. We clandestinely purchased a few books for Phee from Moody’s Marvelous Bah-Humbug Bookstore, perused the toy store, and admired the gingerbread houses on display from the annual contest held for charity at Vicki’s Cantina while chowing down on her chicken noodle soup.
This was my second visit to Christmas Town with Axe and Phee, but this time, we were something more than friends and coworkers. We didn’t hold hands or kiss under the mistletoe in front of Donner’s Diner, but we didn’t hide either. Folks could think what they wanted, or…they could choose to believe Phoebe, who’d pretty much told anyone with a pulse that her daddy and Mr. Tanner kissed…a lot.
“Is that true?” Jax had asked one morning over donuts and coffee.
“Yes. Maybe. But…it’s complicated.”
Jax had stuffed an apple fritter in his gob and nodded. “Real complicated. He’s leaving soon, Tan. I just checked with him to be sure for payroll purposes. He didn’t sound like a man who was thinking of changing his mind.”
“I know.” I’d sipped my coffee and stared out the window. “Don’t worry. I know the score.”
And I did.
That didn’t mean I was okay with it. At all.
It seemed pretty fucking unfair to meet someone who felt like a breath of fresh air after suffocating in a safe space for far too long.
But life wasn’t fair. I knew better than to waste time wishing for more. In a way, the holidays provided a fortuitous distraction. I tossed out seasonal ideas while we fed the horses, checked on the herd, rounded up Nellie and her kids…
“You haven’t seen the holiday boat parade in the harbor. Let’s go.”
“I heard there’s some snow on the ground in the mountains. Want to take a drive? I’ll bring Lila and Gordy. They love the snow.”
“Vicki is hosting a cookie-decorating party for kids at her shop. Phee will love it.”
Axel usually grunted, but then he’d tip his hat and flash a lopsided, lazy smile. “Sure.”