Chapter Nine
Tanner poured cereal into two bowls and slid one across the table to his bleary-eyed daughter, her hair poking out in several directions and her Wonder Woman pajamas hanging sideways off her shoulders. Hayley had always slept like a tornado, and she, and her room, reflected that.
He topped his bowl off with milk and then dug his spoon into his own. Why was he stalling on this? Hayley was going to be over-the-top excited about picking out a dog. But it wasn’t Hayley’s reaction that had kept him up half the night. It was seeing Izzy again that had him tossing and turning. It had been a long time since he’d been this interested in a woman. There was a lot at stake with this date. But that was the problem. It was just a date, and he’d do best to leave it at that and stop worrying about the implications of one dinner.
He couldn’t help it, though. He couldn’t make a decision without thinking about the long-term implications. That was what a father did, right?
“I have plans for us today.”
Hayley shoved cereal in her mouth and then spoke as she chewed. “Where are we going?”
He shoved a napkin at her. “Wipe your face… and don’t talk with your mouth full.”
She swallowed big and swiped at her lips. “Okay, where?”
“I thought we’d go to the animal shelter and look at the—”
“Oh my God! Really?” Hayley leapt off her barstool and bounced around the kitchen. “I can’t believe it. We’re really gonna get a dog.” She circled the island and threw her arms around him.
He chuckled as he absorbed the impact of Hurricane Hayley, his arms holding onto her so the two of them didn’t fall. He’d do anything to keep that smile on her face. “I take it you think this is a good idea?”
“You know it is. When are we going? What kind of dogs do they have?”
“Calm down a minute. This is why I didn’t tell you before. Sit back down and eat because we aren’t leaving until you’ve finished your breakfast and you’re dressed.”
Hayley ran back to her stool and started shoving food in her mouth.
“We’re going to Helping Hands animal shelter at ten. I don’t know what kind of dogs they have. They may not have the perfect one for us right now. It’s important for us to pick a dog that fits into our family.”
Hayley vibrated with excitement as she gulped her milk. “I’m sure they’ll have the perfect one. I don’t know how we’ll choose. How’d you find this place?”
“Miss Harper told me about the shelter. Her sister runs it. She’s, uh, she’s going to help us pick one out.” It may be a backwards way to gauge Hayley’s reaction to seeing Izzy again, but if he didn’t prepare her in advance, he might be confronted with a meltdown of epic proportions.
“Ms. Isabella’s gonna be there, too?” She pumped her arms up and down, nearly knocking her cereal off the counter. “Just wait until Meghan hears this. She’s going to be so jealous. She wants a dog but her brother’s allergic. I need to get ready.”
She hopped down and ran for the door.
“Hayley, your dishes.”
She rushed back, grabbed her bowl and glass, and practically threw them into the dishwasher, and hustled out of the room before he could take his next breath.
Okay, so she was excited. Good first step.
Mary strode into the kitchen, her gaze following Hayley down the hall. “What’s got her running like her pants are on fire?”
He rose and hugged Mary good morning and then crossed the kitchen to pour her a cup of coffee. “She’s excited that we’re headed to Helping Hands to look at the dogs today.”
“A dog? Oh lordy, things are gonna get exciting around here.”
“You don’t need to worry, Mary. We’ll take care of everything.”
She patted his shoulder, her expression one he knew all too well. It wasn’t often that Mary felt the need to pull rank on him, using her experience, as she called it, to tell him when he was screwing up. What had he done now? “Oh, Tanner, your innocence is so sweet. I know what’s up. Dogs are a full time job, and we’ll all be pitching in. No need to worry, though. I love dogs and I’m happy to help out. I had a little terrier when I was married to Mr. James. She died the year before he did, and I didn’t have the heart to get another one.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that. Are you sure it’s okay to have a dog running around here?”
“Absolutely. It’s been long enough. And it’ll be good for Hayley to learn the responsibility of taking care of an animal.” Mary busied herself with clearing his dishes before he could. She couldn’t help herself, and he’d long ago stopped asking her to.
“Do you want to come with us to pick one out?”
“Oh, no. I’ll stay here and enjoy the peace and quiet. I’ll pull out some old towels and make a place for him in the laundry room. He’ll want somewhere he can get away from the craziness.”
Tanner swallowed the rest of his coffee and climbed off his stool. “Thanks a lot, Mary. I don’t tell you enough how much we appreciate everything you do.”
“You’re my family, Tanner. Mr. James and I may not have had any kids, but you’re like my son, and Hayley’s like a granddaughter to me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Mary’s comments punched him straight in the heart. She and Hayley were kindred spirits in that way—both looking to fill holes in their lives. “We feel the same about you.”
Mary sniffled and turned away.
Maybe he didn’t tell her enough, and that was his fault. She was so much more than a nanny—she was helping to raise his daughter. “I’m going to leave Hayley with you for a few hours tonight.”
That perked her up. “What for?”
“I have a date with Isabella Harper.”
“Hayley’s dance teacher? That’s so great. We’ll pop popcorn and watch some movies and play with the new dog. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
“I never do.”
Mary rounded the island and gathered him up in her arms. He sank into her embrace, his head resting on hers. It was times like this he missed his family out in Colorado. His mother had died when he was a teenager, which is why he so acutely identified with Hayley’s struggles being raised by him alone. That didn’t mean Tanner didn’t need a mother himself from time to time. And Mary had taken on that role as well.
“Love you, Tanner.”
“You, too.” He pulled back. “We probably should get a move on. Izzy’s meeting us at the shelter at ten. Hayley?”
His daughter skidded to a halt in the doorway. “I’m ready, Dad.”
Some days he had to bug Hayley for an hour just to get dressed and here she was, barely ten minutes later, hair brushed, clothes on, ready to go. He should take her to get a pet more often.
“Mary, did you hear? We’re getting a dog.” Hayley bounced up and down and waved her arms in the air.
“I did, honey. I’m so excited. We’ll have to make sure we play with him a lot to tire him out before we go to bed.”
“I’m ready to go, Dad. What’s taking you so long?”
He laughed as he headed down the hall to get dressed. A few minutes later, he had Hayley tucked in the back of his SUV and punched the address into the GPS on his phone. The shelter was just outside of town on a swatch of farmland that had been donated a number of years back. He’d seen signs for Helping Hands shelter a number of times but had never ventured out there. Until today.
He found the turn easily. As he bounced along the rutted dirt road, his stomach began to churn. It wasn’t the bouncing but the prospect of seeing Izzy again. She had him tied in knots. He’d come on strong with her at the beginning, both at the bar and at movie night. Maybe that hadn’t been the best plan. There were times when he saw a wariness in her eyes, something that was holding her back. Izzy Harper didn’t need to be overwhelmed. She needed to be courted and wooed.
He was up for the challenge. Sure, he was a bit out of practice. He hadn’t courted anyone since Vanessa. But Izzy was worth it. He was sure of it. She’d grown up in Cedar Hill and had just opened a business. That was about as stable as you could get.
“I see it. I see it.” Hayley bounced in the back seat.
“I do too, honey. Just make sure you wait for the car to stop before you jump out.”
“I know, Daddy.”
Tanner could practically hear her eyes roll.
His heart warmed to see Hayley so happy. Behind every eye roll and sarcastic remark was a sweet girl who still called him Daddy and kissed him goodnight. He didn’t delude himself into thinking that would never change, but one thing he could make sure of was that she knew he loved her. No matter what.
As he pulled into the clearing in front of the shelter, his heart leapt for a whole other reason. Izzy was standing beside her Mini Cooper, tapping away on her phone. The car was impractical for the harsh Pennsylvania winters, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized the car fit her personality perfectly.
He studied her as they grew closer. Her golden hair framed her face and fell over her shoulders. Her pink T-shirt clung to every curve. Her hips were wrapped in a pair of jeans so tight that he didn’t know how she breathed. And he could see her kicking someone’s ass and taking names with those boots. Damn, he’d all but undressed her with his eyes. He needed to get this in check before he embarrassed himself.
As he pulled up, Izzy looked up from her phone, and her gaze locked with his. Her eyes brightened, and a smile broke out on her face. His heart lurched. Damn, he could get used to seeing that face. He’d barely slid the gearshift into park when Hayley threw open her door and flung herself into Izzy’s open arms. She hugged his daughter, and right then and there, he fell a little bit in love with Izzy. Hayley had never been so openly affectionate with anyone other than his family and Mary.
Hayley and Izzy leaned close and chatted. Tanner took the moment to calm his racing heart and draw in a few deep breaths. He adjusted his jeans. It would do him no good to climb out of the car in his current condition.
He finally got his heart… and his libido… in order and joined the two of them.
Izzy raised her head, and her sparkling gaze landed on his. “Hi.”
He smiled. “Hi.”
“Hayley was just telling me how excited she is about getting a dog. I had to remind her that it’s important to find a pet that fits into your family and you might have to come back for another visit.” She smiled down at his daughter. “Hopefully we’ll find one today.”
He basked in the affection that shone in Izzy’s eyes when she looked at his daughter. “That’s right. But we’ll never know if we don’t go in.”
That was all the invitation his daughter needed. Hayley rushed toward the shelter while Tanner fell into step beside Izzy. His hand crept to the small of her back, her heat warming him through her shirt. His fingers itched to feel her soft skin on his. She smiled up at him… and she didn’t pull away.
He leaned so his mouth was right next to her ear. “I’m looking forward to tonight.”
She shivered. “Me, too.”
She was so close that he could easily gather her into his arms and press his lips to hers. But he wouldn’t. He was going to take it slow. But she sure was making it tough.
They had barely stepped inside when a little sprite of a woman with long blond hair stepped in front of them. “It’s about time. I was wondering if you guys were gonna stay in the parking lot all day or come in and look around.” She rested her hands on Hayley’s shoulders. “I take it this one is yours?”
He chuckled at the woman who had to be Izzy’s sister. “Yep, she’s mine.”
Izzy wrapped her arm around the much shorter woman’s shoulders. “Tanner, this is Serena. Serena, this is Tanner and his daughter Hayley. They thought they’d come and see the dogs.”
Serena smiled at her sister and then spoke to Hayley. “We have some new arrivals that were caught up in that horrible storm in Texas earlier this month. Let’s see if one of these animals wants to adopt you guys.”
Serena guided Hayley toward the back of the expansive building, the two of them chattering away like they’d known each other forever.
“My sister is a force to be reckoned with,” Izzy said as they followed the dynamic duo.
“That she is. But Hayley seems to have made a new friend. She’s really responding to Serena… but not as much as she did to you.” Even saying it didn’t convey the magnitude of Hayley’s transformation since she’d met Izzy.
Izzy laid her hand over her heart. “That makes me so happy. I want the girls to like me.”
“It’s so much more than that.” She had no idea the effect she had on Hayley. Or him, for that matter. “Hayley rarely warms up to women. I think it’s because she has fears of abandonment. I mean, how can she not with the way her mother left us? But she’s been happier recently and interacts with you in a way I haven’t seen her do with other women. Even her teachers at school.”
“I, uh, I don’t know what to say.” She turned her head away.
Crap, that was too much pressure. It wasn’t Izzy’s job to make Hayley happy. It was his. He was going about this all wrong. All he wanted to do was pay her a compliment, and he’d screwed that up. “Izzy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lay all that on you.”
She swiped under her eyes. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. For a long time after I came home, after my injury, I didn’t know what to do with my life. Everything up to that point had been working towards my goal of dancing with a company. When that ended, I was lost. Natalie reminded me that I’d talked about opening a studio after I couldn’t dance anymore. But that had always been a pipe dream. What do I know about teaching and little kids? That I can make a difference in girls’ lives, that I may inspire another girl the way I was inspired, makes it all worth it.”
He pulled her to him, her soft body pressed against his chest as she sank into the embrace. He closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotions. He felt himself harden and started counting backwards from a hundred. That didn’t work. Just the feel of her had him imagining things he shouldn’t.
He stepped away from her, putting as much distance as he could between them without rousing suspicion. When she turned a questioning look his way, he gestured to Hayley. He’d do well to remember his daughter was around, and he’d vowed to keep whatever he had with Izzy private until he knew how things worked out. He couldn’t afford to ruin the relationship his daughter was building with Izzy.
Serena and Hayley stopped in front of a large open pen with straw on the floor. Tanner and Izzy stepped up behind them. “This beagle Mama was pregnant when she came to us. Her puppies are eight weeks old and ready for adoption. Three of them are spoken for, but the other three are still adoptable. Aren’t they cute?”
Hayley crouched down and extended her hand over the short fence. One of the more adventurous puppies stumbled over, rolling over his feet and popping up again, before sniffing at her hand. “Look, Daddy, I think he likes me.”
Serena bent down beside Hayley, but turned her head up to speak to Tanner. “If you’d like, I can set you guys up in a greeting room.”
“What’s a greeting room?”
“We’ve got several areas cordoned off with some toys. It gives you a chance to interact with the animals. To see if they’re a good fit. There’s nothing worse than taking an animal home and then finding your dispositions don’t match. We obviously encourage you to return an animal if the arrangement doesn’t work out, but we do everything we can to make sure the dog suits your and your family before they go home with you in the first place.”
He had never thought of that. He’d hate for Hayley to fall in love, only to find that the puppy wasn’t suitable for his family. “Would you like to do that, Hayley? To play with this one for a while?”
She jumped up. “Yes!”
The puppy reeled and scampered away. Serena laughed. “First rule is to be calm around the puppies until they get to know you. They’re a little skittish arounds strangers. After that, you won’t be able to calm them down.” She climbed into the pen and dug beneath the straw, pulling the little puppy with the blue collar out and settling the fur ball on her chest.
Serena led them to a door on the other side of the building. Tanner opened it, and Hayley and Serena headed in. He hung back, wanting to see how his daughter interacted with the pup. She was old enough to assume most of the responsibility for this dog that she had been bugging him about, and besides, it gave him a chance to stay close to Izzy for a few more minutes.
It wasn’t long before Hayley and the puppy were tumbling around on the mats like they’d known each other for a long time.
Izzy smiled comfortably, and her eyes sparkled when she turned her gaze toward him. The happiness emanating from her face slayed him with just a single look. “She really loves that puppy.”
“That she does. Thanks for recommending this place. I’m really impressed with the operation Serena has here.”
“She’s got a big heart and can’t bear to hear about shelters that put down animals when they can’t care for them. She has fosters spread out in homes all over Cedar Hill and some as far out as Oak Grove. She’d rather find them temporary homes than know one animal was killed needlessly. She’s also launching a spay and neuter push to help reduce the stray and abandoned animal population.”
He chuckled. “You sound like a marketing campaign.”
“Yeah, kind of. I’m just proud of my sister.”
“You should be.”
He didn’t say anything to break the easy silence that grew between him and Izzy while Serena and Hayley were engrossed in a fierce game of tug-of-war with the puppy. A gentle smile graced Izzy’s beautiful face and she stood at ease beside him. If only he could tell what was running through her mind. Was she as nervous about dinner tonight as he was? She hadn’t moved away from his touch, had almost sunk into it. He couldn’t wait until he could be alone with her, to spend time getting to know more about this intriguing woman. But for now, he had Hayley to worry about.
He eased his way toward the trio. “It looks like a winner.”
Hayley scooped up the puppy and held him like a baby in her arms. The puppy didn’t seem to mind, licking up his daughter’s face. She dissolved into giggles again and flopped back on the mat. “Can we keep him, Daddy? Please?”
“As long as Serena thinks he’s a good match.”
Serena climbed to her feet, her eyes focused on the pair on the floor. “I think Hayley made a good choice. The puppy clearly loves her.”
“What’s his name?”
“He doesn’t have a name yet. We call him blue because of the color of his collar that was placed on him when he was born. Every puppy in the litter got a different color.”
At the sound of his temporary name, the puppy scrambled out of Hayley’s arms and stumbled his way over to Serena, yipping in a high voice that Tanner was certain would deepen as he got older.
“I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to call you.”
Hayley scooped up the puppy. “He knows his name already. Are you Blue? Is that your name?”
Blue yipped and licked at Hayley’s face.
The rest of them laughed.
“I guess it’s decided. Serena, I’m sure there is some paperwork to fill out.”
She nodded. “If Izzy can watch Hayley and Blue for a few minutes, we can go complete it in my office.”
Tanner rested his hand on Izzy’s arm. “We won’t be long.”
Izzy nodded, her attention focused on his daughter and their new puppy. By the way that she eased onto the floor beside Hayley and Blue, he knew he could trust his daughter with Izzy. It had been a long time since he’d felt that way about anyone other than select family and friends.
Serena led him out of the greeting room and down the hall to an office barely the size of a closet. Papers were almost floor to ceiling in the corners, and several drawers of the filing cabinet hung open with sheets skewed in a variety of directions. He squeezed into a chair while she rounded the desk. “Sorry for the cramped office. We’d rather have more space for the animals.”
“Understandable.”
A few minutes later, he had completed a stack of paperwork.
Serena filed the papers and accepted his payment. “Everything seems in order. There’s just one more thing.”
What else could there be after the five pages of interview sheets he’d just completed?
“What are your intentions with Izzy?”
He blanched. She couldn’t have surprised him more if she’d slapped him.
“I’m sorry about that. Izzy always tells me that I’m too blunt. Maybe I am, but she’s my sister and I love her. Erik did a number on her before she left the company and came home. None of us liked him, but we believed her when she said he loved her. It took her a long time to get over the emotional scars of that relationship. I just don’t want to see her hurt again.”
What could he say to ease Serena’s concerns? In times like this, the truth usually worked better than platitudes. “I like her. We have a connection that I haven’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever. From the minute I saw her, there was just something about her that drew me in.” He smiled as he remembered how she glowed as she gave him a tour of her facility, how her hazel eyes deepened when she danced with him at FitzGerald’s, and how desire swirled in those eyes when he lowered his lips to hers for their first kiss.
“She does have that effect on people. Just be careful with her feelings, or you’ll have me to deal with. I’m not nearly as nice as my sister.” Serena raised her fists like she was itching for a fight, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
He chuckled. It had been a long time since he’d been warned away from someone by a well-meaning family member. “Duly noted. I care about her and don’t want to see her hurt any more than you do.”
“Good enough.”
Serena handed him a starter kit for their new puppy, and they headed down the hall. Izzy and Hayley were just coming out of the greeting room. When Izzy spotted him, she smiled.
Serena stretched up and whispered in his ear. “She looks happy. Keep it that way.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He didn’t have any intention of hurting Izzy. Just the opposite. For the first time in a long time, he saw the potential for something more meaningful with a woman.