“You have nothing to apologize for,” I reply, and she starts to fiddle with a loose thread that’s hanging from her shirt, not looking convinced. “Mav, Blake, and I are family. I don’t have brothers or sisters, and my parents aren’t in my life. Mav has a similar story to mine.” I set down my plate on the coffee table in front of me and scrub my hands down my face. “The three of us might disagree from time to time, but at the end of the day, we have each other’s back.” I turn to look at her. “Blake will come around after he pulls his head out of his ass.”

  “Okay,” she agrees, still not looking convinced, then winces when she moves her hand.

  “Pain pill, shower, then bed.” I push off the couch and take our plates to the small kitchen, dropping them in the sink. Then I take her one of her pain pills before I grab a rubber glove, along with a roll of medical tape.

  “I think I’ll be able to manage showering on my own.” She looks around at anything but me as I take a seat next to her and start placing the glove on her hand.

  “How about you do what you can, then shout for me if you need help?”

  “Yeah, okay, thank you.”

  “No problem, sunshine.” I tape the glove tight enough around her wrist that water won’t be able to get into it. “All set,” I say, and she stands, going to her suitcase to dig out a makeup bag and a fresh set of clothes before heading for the bathroom.

  “Be right back,” she says with her cheeks turning pink.

  “I’ll be here if you need me.”

  With a nod, she closes the bathroom door; then a moment later, I hear the shower turn on. Not long after that, I hear her start to grumble.

  “Tanner,” she calls, and I walk toward the door as she opens it just enough to peek out. “I can’t get my sports bra off.” The tears I see in her eyes make my gut clench.

  “Step back and let me in,” I say gently, and she moves, letting me into the room. Then, without a word, I turn her so that her back is to me. “Lift your arms.”

  “This is so humiliating.”

  “It’s not,” I assure her, and she groans before lifting her hands over her head. I grab the tight material at her sides and carefully maneuver it over her breasts, then head. “Do you want me to help you with your pants?”

  “No.” She crosses her arms over her chest and turns to face me. “I think I can get them off on my own.” She glares at her hand. “Hopefully.”

  “All right, I’ll be outside.”

  Not surprisingly, she doesn’t ask for my help again, but she does stay in the shower for close to an hour. When the door opens and she steps out wearing a baggy shirt and shorts, the scent of vanilla filling the small space, my mouth waters at the sight.

  “Feel better?” I take her hand and unwrap the tape before removing the glove.

  “Yes, but now I’m exhausted.” She yawns. “I’m sorry for taking so long. I had to wash my hair about ten times before it felt clean.”

  Smiling, I run my eyes over her long, wet blonde hair and pretty face and see that she looks more relaxed than she did. “The pill kicked in.”

  “Yeah.” She yawns again. “Between that and today, I feel like I could sleep for a year.”

  “I bet.” I motion to the bed for her to climb in, then go to the TV and swivel it around before I hand her the remote and steal a kiss. “I’m gonna shower.”

  “I’ll be here.” She lies down, and I give her one last look before I step into the bathroom and close the door.

  Fifteen minutes later, clean and wearing a pair of basketball shorts, I step out of the bathroom to find Cybil already asleep. Exhausted myself, I turn off the lights and crawl into bed next to her. I turn off the TV, then maneuver her until she’s lying half on me, careful to place her hand on my chest.

  As her warm breath brushes against my skin, I close my eyes, relishing how fucking perfect she fits against me and how easily I’ve come to care for her. Unlike her, I’ve never had a serious relationship. When I was young, girls tended to stay away. I grew up poor. My parents would spend what little money the government sent them each month on booze instead of on the kid they didn’t want. That meant I didn’t have more than one change of clothes, showering was a rarity at times, and food was scarce.

  I joined the military when I turned eighteen, and ever since then, I’ve been focused on making it so that any kids I might have one day will never have to struggle like I did. Women for me have been a fun distraction from time to time, but never more than that. With Cybil, things are different. There’s no denying the chemistry between us, but it’s more than that for me. I crave her presence, and how at peace she makes me feel when I’m around her, and there’s no denying the urge I have to protect and take care of her. Something she seems to need from me, and something easy for me to give her because I’ve never had someone who needed that from me before.

  I let out a deep breath and hold her a little tighter. Fuck, but I’m really looking forward to having her all to myself for the next week.

  Chapter 14

  CYBIL

  “Told you he was into you,” Parker whispers in my ear as his arms tighten around me, and I laugh. “I’m happy for you two.”

  “Thanks.” I smile as he passes me to Jacob, who hugs me just as tightly. Then I step back into Tanner, who wraps his arm around my waist. “I’ll call you guys and let you know when I’m driving home, so we can meet up for lunch or something.”

  “We’d like that,” Jacob says softly, watching stupid tears fill my eyes. “Do not cry.”

  “I’m not going to cry,” I deny, even though I’ve been a weepy mess all morning. “I think I might be allergic to the pain meds.”

  “Sure.” He smiles as Parker and Tanner both laugh. The truth is I had no idea it would be so hard to say goodbye to everyone. Oliver and Lauren were the first to leave this morning. I wasn’t too broken up about them going, but I still got emotional. Then Avery and Grant took off, anxious to see their son, and I cried like a baby. Now I feel the tears coming on again, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold them back.

  “We’ll see you in a few days.” Parker closes the distance between us, dropping a kiss to my cheek before looking at Tanner and patting his shoulder. “Take care of her.”

  Tanner doesn’t respond, but he does lift his chin, which I’m guessing is his badass way of agreeing.

  “Drive safe, guys.” I wave at the two of them as they get into their Jeep, then watch as they back out and drive off with a honk.

  “Are you okay?” Tanner asks, turning me to face him, and I nod, then drop my forehead against his chest. “Tired or pain?” His arms slide around me.

  “A little of both.” Even after going to sleep early, I still feel like I could sleep for a year. The pain in my hand was relentless all night and kept waking me up. “I’ll take a pain pill after we get to your house.”

  “I got some water for you in my truck. You can take one on the way.”

  “I’m driving, so I don’t think that would be smart.”

  “You’re not driving.” He gives me a squeeze.

  “Yes, I am.” I tip my head back to look at him and frown at the look he’s giving me.

  “You’re not.”

  “I am.”

  “Cybil, you can barely use your hand, and your ankle is fucked up. You don’t need to be driving. You can ride with me, and I’ll sort out someone to drive your Bronco up to my place later.”

  “I’m fine.” I cross my arms over my chest and match his glare with one of my own. “I can drive myself to your place; then you won’t have to worry about getting someone else to take time out of their day to deliver my car to me.”

  “You’re not driving.” He glares, and I press my lips together, because it would be rude to laugh in his face.

  “You are not the boss of me, Tanner. I want my car with me,” I say, and he studies me for a long moment. He must see I’m not going to give in, because he lets out a loud disgruntled sigh.

  “Fine, I’ll drive your car. My bike is at home. I’ll ride it down and pick up my truck later.”

  “Really?” I roll my eyes. “Tanner, that is not necessary. I can just follow you.”

  “No, either you ride with me, or I drive your Bronco. You choose.”

  Letting out a frustrated huff, I give in and toss him my keys. “Fine, but if you hurt Sammy, you and I are going to have problems.”

  “I don’t think Sammy would notice even if she was rolled off a cliff,” he says, looking at her rusty and dented exterior with his lip curled.

  “She was my mom’s, so I would notice,” I inform him.

  Understanding fills his gaze, and his expression softens. “Right, I promise I’ll take good care of her,” he assures me, walking to the passenger side to let me in. “I’m going to get my bag and shit from my truck. I’ll be right back.” He gives me a swift kiss before slamming my door. As I wait for him to return, my cell phone vibrates, and I open it up to find multiple messages from Jade asking if I’m okay. Instead of sending her a text back, I dial her number and listen to it ring as Tanner puts his stuff in the trunk.

  “You know, it’s really annoying that I can’t just drive out to your house to check on you when you don’t answer your phone,” Jade greets in my ear, and I smile.

  “Sorry, I ended up having to get stitches yesterday, and by the time I got back to the lodge, the only thing I wanted to do was shower and sleep.”

  “You had to get stitches?” I hear the worry in her voice. “What happened?”

  “Long story short, I tripped, fell, and cut my hand open. I’m fine, though,” I assure her.

  “You’ve always been clumsy, so I’m not even a little surprised. So when will you be home?”

  “Umm . . .” I look at Tanner as he opens the driver’s side door and gets in. “In a week.”

  “Oh. I thought you planned on driving back today.”

  “That was the plan before, but I’m going to spend a week with Tanner and—”

  “Sorry,” she says, cutting me off before I can explain who Tanner is. “What did you say? I think I heard you wrong. It sounded like you said you were spending a week with a man named Tanner.”

  “That’s what I said,” I say as he starts the engine, which transfers the call to the car stereo system. Sammy might be old, but she has been updated a lot, just not on the outside. “Please don’t start freaking out.”

  “You’re going to stay in Montana for a week with a man you don’t know, and you don’t want me to freak out?” Jade’s voice rings through the interior, and I smile awkwardly at Tanner.

  “I do know him,” I say with a sigh, trying not to get frustrated with her. “I just spent an entire week with him. He’s not some random man I met at a bar.”

  “Okay, but you still don’t know him, Cybil, and this is so not like you. I mean, is this because Galvin and Chris got married?” she asks, and Tanner’s hand on the steering wheel tightens, turning his knuckles white.

  “Are you kidding me?” I take a breath to make sure that I choose my next words wisely. “I agreed to this week with Tanner before I even knew about Galvin and Chris, so no, this isn’t because of them. I’m staying because I really like him. I like spending time with him, and I’m not ready to leave yet. Plus, I planned on taking two weeks off, so I don’t have to rush home.”

  “Mom and Dad are going to lose their minds,” she says, and I can picture her rubbing her forehead or stomping around in her store.

  “Probably,” I agree, not looking forward to calling them and wondering how long I can put it off. “Then again, they were okay that time you snuck off to Cabo with that guy you met at the airport when you were supposed to be coming home from seeing your grandma. So even if they are mad, they’ll get over it eventually.”

  “That and this are not even close to the same thing,” she hisses as Tanner drives us down the tree-lined dirt road away from the lodge, moving one hand to wrap around my thigh.

  “How is this any different?”

  “Because you’re Cybil. You don’t do wild shit like that, and I don’t even know this guy. He could be—”

  “You’re on speakerphone right now,” I say, cutting her off before she says something that will embarrass me more than I already am. “And I’m not doing anything wild. I’m spending more time with someone I just spent a week with.”

  “You’re spending time with a man,” she says, seemingly unconcerned that he can hear everything she’s saying.

  “Yes,” I agree. “And?”

  “You’ve never even talked to a man besides Galvin before. Sorry, but this is all a little much for me.”

  “I was always with Galvin, so I had no reason to,” I point out.

  “You’ve lost your mind,” she whispers, and I let my head fall back against the headrest. One thing I haven’t missed this last week is everyone questioning my judgment and thinking I can’t make decisions for myself.

  “You need to trust me,” I reply.

  “Cybil, this is—”

  “Jade, I love you,” I say, cutting her off again. “But I’m not a child, so please stop. You’re not going to change my mind.”

  “Okay.” She sounds somewhat stunned, then is quiet for a long moment. “Will you at least send me his information?”

  “She can do that.” Tanner glances over at me as he gives my thigh a squeeze.

  “Thanks, Tanner.” She laughs, sounding disgruntled.

  “I’ll be fine, and I’ll call your mom and dad so you don’t have to break the news to them.”

  “Dammit, Cybil, I knew I should have gone with you,” she grumbles. “I knew you’d go to Montana and find a cowboy with a deep voice and never come home.”

  “Tanner isn’t a cowboy. He’s a former marine, and I didn’t say I wasn’t coming home.” Truth be told, I have no idea what will happen after this week, and really I don’t want to think about it, because the thought of this not working out makes me feel anxious, especially after realizing that you can know someone for years and have no idea who they are.

  “Even worse,” she gripes. “Just promise you’ll call me.”

  “I promise I’ll call you.”

  “All right,” she agrees, then calls out, “Tanner!”

  “Yeah.”

  “If you don’t take care of my best friend, I will drive to Montana, track you down, and kill you in your sleep.”

  “Right,” he says, his lips twitching into a smile that causes his dimple to pop out.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I promise I’ll take care of her,” he says, glancing over at me, and my entire chest warms from the look he gives me. Right, it’s those looks that remind me exactly why I’m taking this risk.

  “Good, and Cybil? You’d better call Mom and Dad. I’m not dealing with that mess.”

  “I’ll call them.”

  “Love you,” she huffs.

  “Love you too. I’ll call soon.” I press end on the call, then tuck my cell back into my bag. I know I said I would call her parents, but I didn’t say when, and I have no desire to hear them lecture me with Tanner here for the conversation.

  “She loves you.”

  “Yeah. She’s also a little overprotective.”

  “She’s worried. It’s understandable, and you’re lucky you have people who care.” He gives my thigh another squeeze, and I cover his hand with mine. “You’re tight with her parents?”

  “They were my mom’s best friends.” I let out a breath as I fiddle with his fingers. “When Mom passed away, they took me in, and I lived with them until I was old enough to be on my own.” I lift my head to look at his profile. “What about your family? Are they going to freak out that you have a woman staying with you who you don’t really know?”

  “I haven’t seen or talked to my parents in nine years,” he says, and my chest starts to ache. “When I turned eighteen, I joined the military and didn’t look back.”

  “Tanner,” I murmur, not sure what to say, not even sure that if I said something, it would be enough.

  “They didn’t want kids; they didn’t want to do anything but party all night and sleep all day. I was an inconvenience.”

  “I hate that for you,” I say as the ache in my chest causes my eyes to burn.

  “Don’t.” He glances over at me while his fingers lace carefully through mine. “As fucked up as they were, I wouldn’t be where I am now without them,” he tells me quietly, then shakes his head. “I’ve made a life for myself, have friends who are like family, got money in the bank, and do a job I love. Because of them and in spite of them, I’ve succeeded.”

  “Well, I’m proud of you,” I tell him, giving his fingers a squeeze. “And not in the way you’re proud of me for doing nothing but walk up a hill,” I say, and he chuckles, the sound easing the pain around my heart and the lines around his eyes.

  “Thanks, sunshine.”

  “Anytime,” I say, shifting to look out the windshield.

  “We’re here.” He flips on the turn signal and turns onto a dirt road lined with tall spruce and pine trees.

  At the sight of a log cabin–style home with a large arch of windows and a wraparound porch, my breath catches in my throat. I never tried to picture where he might live, but if I had, it would have been a cool condo or something similar. Not this. The home in front of me looks like the house I grew up in, the wooden structure blending in with its surroundings and making it feel like a piece of the landscape instead of standing out.

  “This is where you live?”

  “This is it.” He sounds nervous, so I turn to face him.

  “It . . . it’s beautiful.” I bite my lip, then shake my head. “I have to show you something.” I dig through my bag until I find my phone, then quickly search my photos until I find the one I’m looking for. “Here.” I hold out my cell to him, and he takes it, studying the picture I took, looking confused. “That’s my house in Oregon, or the house I grew up in.”

  “Seriously?” His eyes meet mine, and I nod, my throat tight.

  “How wild is that?”

  “Wild,” he agrees, looking out the windshield before dropping his gaze to the photo once more. The two homes that are thousands of miles apart look almost identical, which should be impossible but is obviously not. Another connection we didn’t even know we shared. “I designed this place myself,” he says, sounding like he’s talking more to himself than me.