“My mom spent a year drawing up designs for our house. The builder threatened to quit at least once a week, because she could never make up her mind on what she wanted.” I smile as a million memories come back to me and then take my phone back, studying the photo. “All she cared about was the light. She was an artist at heart.” I look at him and swallow when I see the look in his eyes.

  “How about we go inside?” he suggests, and I nod, watching him get out of Sammy, and then a moment later, he opens my door and lifts me out. Taking his hand, I walk with him toward the front porch of the cabin, then stand back as he types in a code and opens the door.

  I step in when he motions me to enter before him and am slightly disappointed when the place looks nothing like the house I grew up in. The walls are bare instead of covered with paintings and photos, and the wood floors are naked rather than covered with random mismatched rugs to keep out the cold. After setting down my purse on the island in the kitchen, I go to the open living room and turn in a circle. Where the house I grew up in was worn from time and use, everything here is new and modern. Top-of-the-line appliances fill the kitchen, high-back barstools line the counter, and a comfortable-looking gray-suede L-shaped couch takes up most of the large living room in front of the fireplace, where the TV is hung.

  “I love it.” I stop turning and look out the windows into the forest, noticing a big building tucked into the woods with two glass rolling bay doors. “What’s that?”

  “My bike, a couple of four-wheelers, and some of the backup equipment for the lodge.” He comes to stand at my side. “I’ll show you around the property later, but for now, I’m gonna get you your pill. While you rest, I’m going to take my bike down to pick up my truck and go to the grocery store, since the fridge is basically empty except for a couple of eggs.”

  “I can drive you,” I tell him, and he gives me a look that has me holding up my good hand. “Or not.”

  “Yeah, or not.” He leans in, touching his lips to my forehead. “Be right back.” He turns and heads outside, and a few minutes later, he returns carrying my bags and his. He takes them down a hall, then reappears holding my pill bottle.

  “Thanks.” I meet him in the kitchen, where I take my pill and the glass of water he hands to me.

  “You wanna hang out here, or do you wanna lie down in bed and try to sleep?” he asks as I swallow the pill down.

  At the reminder that I’ll be spending the week in his bed, my face warms, which is ridiculous, given the fact that I’ve already slept beside him every night since I got here. “If the pill hits me like it did last night, I’ll probably fall asleep.” I hold up my hand. “Dr. Smooth said the pain would only last a couple of days. I hope he’s right, because I hate taking these pills and sleeping so much.”

  “It just happened yesterday. It’s going to take a day or two for the pain to become manageable. Right now, rest is the best thing you can do to heal.”

  “I guess.” My nose scrunches. “This just isn’t how I thought we’d spend the first few days of our week together,” I say, and his eyes seem to darken, which sends a thrill down my spine. Besides kissing, he’s kept everything PG—something I appreciate, even if it is making me a little antsy.

  “It’s just day one.” He pushes away from the counter. “Anything special you want me to pick you up from the store while I’m there?”

  “Veggies, fruit, yogurt, snack bars, those kinds of things.” I dig into my bag for my wallet and grab what cash I have, holding it out to him.

  “I’m not taking your money.” He frowns at my hand with the same frown he gave me earlier when we were arguing about me driving myself here.

  Here we go again. “Tanner, I can pay for my own food.”

  “I know you can, but you’re not going to.” He takes the cash and tosses it toward my bag, and I watch it fly across the counter and teeter on the edge. “I’ll show you the room, then hit the road.”

  “You did not just do that.” I shake my head in disbelief as he drags me behind him down the hallway.

  “Sunshine, I don’t want to spend the next ten minutes arguing with you about taking your money, especially when I’m not going to do it. I’m skipping that argument so I can go and get back here.”

  “Great. I’m already learning something about you,” I tell his back.

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re unbelievably annoying.” I sigh as he pushes open the door to his room and stops just inside.

  “You’re just upset you’re not getting your way. You’ll get over it.” He grins down at me, then points to a door off to the right of the king-size four-poster bed that matches the two dressers and side tables. “Bathroom is through there, TV remote is next to the bed, and your stuff is in the closet if you want to change.” He turns toward me, cups my face in his large palms, and kisses me, making me forget I was annoyed with him just a moment ago. “I shouldn’t be gone long.”

  Licking my lips, I nod, and his eyes drop to my mouth, causing my belly to dip.

  “Rest up. I’ll be back.” He touches his lips to mine once more quickly, then lets me go and heads out the door. With nothing else to do, and already feeling sleepy from the lack of sleep last night and the pain pill, I slip out of my flip-flops, crawl into his bed, and fall asleep with a smile on my face.

  Chapter 15

  CYBIL

  As the smell of something delicious filters through my sleep-addled mind, my stomach rumbles and my eyes flutter open. It takes a minute to remember where I am, and when I do, I sit up and search for a clock. Not finding one in sight, I look to the window, noticing that the light outside has dimmed drastically.

  Pushing my hair out of my face, I get up and head to the bathroom, and after taking care of business, I wash my good hand and check out my appearance. The braid I put my hair into this afternoon is falling out, and my mascara has smudged under my eyes. I pull out the tie and undo the braid, which leaves my hair a mass of waves, then wipe the mascara off the best I can.

  With nothing to do about the wrinkles covering my thin cotton T-shirt dress and too lazy to change, I leave the room barefooted and follow my nose to the kitchen. I find Tanner wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a white tee, standing in front of the stove. Like he senses me, he turns, and a smile lights his eyes. “I figured if I started cooking, you’d wake up.”

  “You were right.” I step up to his side and rest my head that still feels heavy on his shoulder, and he wraps his arm around my waist. “What are you making?”

  “I called Blake’s mom to get some ideas for dinner when I was at the store, and she gave me a simple recipe for fajitas that she promised I couldn’t fuck up.”

  Laughing, I tip my head back toward him while my heart melts that he took the time to call someone and find out something to cook for me. “Well, it smells delicious.” And it does. Between the peppers, onions, mushrooms, and seasoning, my mouth is watering.

  “Let’s hope it tastes as good as it smells.” He leans in for a kiss, so I lift up on my toes, meeting him halfway. “Did you sleep okay?”

  “Yeah, but I slept a lot longer than I thought I would.”

  “You were tired.” He shrugs, then lifts his head and frowns when there’s a loud knock on the front door.

  “Expecting someone?”

  “No.” He hands me the spatula he was holding. “Can you keep an eye on this?”

  “Sure.” I take it, and he kisses the top of my head before leaving the room. A moment later I hear the front door open, then what sounds like a woman speak. Feeling something uncomfortable settle in the pit of my stomach, I set down the spatula, then quietly peek around the corner and watch an older woman with dark-brown hair that’s cut into a stylish bob place a few plastic containers into Tanner’s hands. She then reaches up to pat his cheek affectionately.

  “You can come in and meet her,” Tanner says, turning in my direction, so I duck back quickly and rush to the stove, pretending I wasn’t just spying on him. A second later, the two of them appear around the corner, and I know instantly that the woman is Blake’s mom. They might not have the same hair color, but her eyes and features are almost identical to her son’s.

  “Cybil, I’d like you to meet Janet, Blake’s mom. Mom, this is Cybil,” Tanner says, setting the containers on the island, completely missing the way her face softened when he called her Mom.

  “It’s so nice to meet you.” I smile as Tanner comes around to take the spatula from me. “Tanner told me that you’re responsible for all the delicious food I ate this week. You’re an amazing cook.”

  “It was fun trying some new recipes, so I’m glad you enjoyed everything.” She motions to the containers. “That’s why I stopped by. There were some leftovers and dessert from last night that I didn’t want to go to waste.”

  I don’t believe her, not even a little. My guess is she heard I was staying here, and like any good mama bear, she came to check me out and see what her cub was up to. And honestly, that makes me like her even more, especially after finding out today that Tanner didn’t have that in his life growing up.

  “Thank you, it won’t go to waste,” I say, and she nods; then her eyes drop to my hand.

  “How are you feeling today?”

  “Better. The pain pills are kicking my butt, but I’m definitely better than I was yesterday. Tanner’s been taking good care of me.”

  “I’m sure he has been.” She smiles softly, then glances at the watch on her wrist. “Darn, I need to get home to make dinner myself before Dave burns down the house. It was nice meeting you, Cybil. I’m sure I’ll see you this week for dinner.” She looks to Tanner for confirmation.

  “We’ll set it up,” he assures her, and she nods. Then, after a quiet goodbye, Tanner walks her to the door. When he comes back a few minutes later, I can’t help but laugh. “What?”

  “You do realize that she only stopped by to make sure you didn’t invite a crazy woman to stay with you, right?”

  “No, she didn’t,” he denies with a shake of his head.

  “She totally did.” I take a seat on one of the barstools, and he looks toward the door, seeming surprised by the thought. “It’s sweet that you call her Mom.”

  “Yeah.” His expression gentles. “When Blake, Mav, and I would get time off, we’d come here, and after about the third visit, she started insisting we call her Mom. We didn’t fight her on it. She’s a good woman.”

  “She loves you.”

  “The feeling’s mutual.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, but I know it is, especially given his relationship with his own parents. “Are you ready to eat?”

  “Yes.” I start to stand but stop when he shakes his head.

  “Stay. Just tell me what you wanna drink. I have pop, water, and juice. I’ve also got beer and wine, but you can’t drink with that pill.”

  “Juice, please.” With a nod, he grabs two plates, setting them on the counter before taking beans and tortillas from the oven and sour cream, salsa, and cheese from the fridge. Once he has everything laid out, he pours us each some juice, then takes a seat next to me. “Thank you for cooking.”

  “Anytime.” He turns his head my way and leans in, so I smile and touch my mouth to his.

  An hour later, stuffed full, I watch from the stool I haven’t been allowed to move from as he shoves the dishes into the dishwasher, and I somehow manage with a whole lot of willpower not to tell him he’s doing it wrong or to cringe when he doesn’t rinse things off. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help?” I ask, watching the gunk-covered pan go into the dishwasher, and he gives me the same look he’s given me every time I’ve asked. “Okay, do you mind if I call Jade’s parents?”

  “You don’t have to ask if you can make a call, sunshine. You just can’t help me clean up.” He grins, pushing my bag toward me, and I roll my eyes as I listen to him chuckle. Once I find my phone, I ignore the messages on the screen and dial Maisie’s number.

  “Cybil, honey,” she greets softly after the third ring. “I’ve been anxious for you to call and check in.”

  “Sorry, we didn’t have service. Then yesterday, I had a little accident.”

  “Oh no, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I just have a new set of stitches.”

  “Child, you’re so clumsy. What did you do this time?” she asks, and I smile at her exasperated tone.

  “The usual. I tripped over my own feet and fell. Only the rock I landed on wasn’t happy about it.”

  “How many stitches this time?”

  “Six.” I study my palm, which is now an ugly shade of purple and green.

  “So less than the time you fell down the stairs and more than when you decided to cut a frozen chocolate cream pie with a butcher knife.”

  “Yeah,” I say with a laugh.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.” She sighs. “So besides ending up in the hospital again, how was your trip? I know you were nervous about going.”

  “It was really good. I learned a lot and actually had fun.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad you had a good time.” I hear her moving around; then she asks quietly, “Do you know when you’ll be home?”

  I glance up at Tanner, and my stomach flutters. “In a week or so. I’m . . . well, I actually met someone here, so I’m going to spend some time with him before I head back.”

  “You met someone on a couples retreat?” I hear the frown in her voice.

  “He was our guide. His name is Tanner, and he and I were partners all week. He—”

  “Did Jade tell you about Galvin?” she says, cutting me off before I can tell her how great he is and how much I like him.

  “She did.”

  “I knew she wouldn’t keep quiet about that. I told her not to tell you until you got home. That girl never listens.”

  “Maisie—”

  “Honey, people are going to say what they want to say. You can’t run away from this. You’re going to have to come home eventually.”

  “I’m not running away,” I say to defend myself, disappointed that she thinks I would; then again, maybe I haven’t given her much of a reason to think differently.

  “Honey, you spent the last few months since Galvin ended things locked in your shop. I get it—we all get it—but you can’t live like that, pretending things aren’t happening when they are. You didn’t do anything wrong. You have nothing to be embarrass—”

  “Maisie, please stop,” I interrupt while dropping my eyes to the top of the island. “Please listen to me. Really listen to me.”

  “Okay, Cybil, honey. I’m listening.”

  “I met someone I, like . . . really like, and I’m spending a week with him. I know that, given what happened with Galvin and Chris, it’s easy to assume the two things are related, but they are not. I’m spending a week with Tanner because I’m not ready to leave him yet, and he’s not ready for me to go.”

  “Cybil—”

  “Maisie, I’m asking you to trust me.”

  “Okay,” she says, giving in quietly, and I let out a relieved breath.

  “Are . . . are you sure about this guy, honey?” she asks, and I meet Tanner’s gaze, and as I look into his eyes, I know that no matter what happens, I want to see where things might go between us.

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “Okay,” she whispers. “I love you.”

  “I love you too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Tell him to take care of you.”

  “I will.” My shoulders sag as I end the call.

  “That bad?” Tanner asks as I drop my forehead to the top of the counter.

  “Not bad. It would just be easier for people to accept that I’m here with you because it feels right if Galvin hadn’t just gotten married. Right now, everyone is assuming that I’m staying because I don’t want to go home and deal with that situation.” I lift my head, and he takes a seat next to me and wraps his hand around the back of my neck, smoothing his thumb up and down.

  “It’s mostly my own fault,” I whisper. “When Galvin ended things, I was embarrassed and hurt, so I lost myself in work and stayed out of town. I didn’t want to deal with the questions I knew people would ask, especially when I didn’t have any answers.” I shake my head, then drop my elbows to the counter and pull my hair back from my face.

  “Hey.” He takes hold of my chin, forcing me to look at him. “You had a reason to be upset. You didn’t do anything wrong.” His eyes scan over my face; then his eyes lock on mine. “Your family is worried. I’d be concerned if they weren’t.” He pulls me forward until his forehead is touching mine. “They will come around, but in the meantime, I’m happy you’re here. I want you here with me.”

  “I want to be here.” I lift my good hand and rest it against his jaw.

  “Then let’s just be, and we’ll figure the rest out when it’s time.”

  “Okay.” I nod, closing my eyes as his lips press to mine; then his tongue skims my bottom lip, and I open for him. As one of his hands slides into my hair and the other curves around my waist just under my breast, I latch onto his shirt, ignoring the pain in my hand as I make a fist.

  “Tanner,” I breathe when he drags his mouth from mine so he can skate his lips down my throat. My knees between his press together and heat pools in my lower belly, making me dizzy with desire.

  “Shit.” He pulls back suddenly, and my eyes flutter open as he removes my hand from his tee so he can inspect it. “Damn, sorry, sunshine. Let me get some gauze.” He gets up, and I notice my hand is bleeding, not a lot, but I definitely opened part of the wound. When he comes back over, he takes my hand and wipes it down before wrapping it with clean gauze. “How does it feel?”

  “It’s okay, honestly. I didn’t even notice,” I say, and he gives me a look that causes the space between my legs to tingle.