Chapter 5
Tanner
TODAY IS A PILE OF dog shit.
I have more paperwork than I’m thrilled about on my desk and this morning I had a call out to a crime scene all the way past Austin.
I received word this morning that a person of interest in the attempted homicide of a man from West Virginia is hiding down around Rock Springs. Apparently, the woman had poisoned her husband’s coffee with arsenic. She must be a real gem.
This is also why I will never settle down. There are no good women left who can be trusted. Not that I have the time to date someone seriously or even get married with work and my family, but it’s cases like this that remind me not to dream. Hit it and quit it. That’s all I’m available for and the women I see know that.
As I pull the door to the cafe opened, I think about the petite blonde that I have done my damndest to stay away from for the last three weeks. The one with trouble in her eyes and a wariness of the badge that should give me pause. But no matter how hard I try, there she is, dancing at the edges of my mind. I can’t stop.
She’s also the only one who heats my blood and stiffens my cock these days. Ain’t that just a bitch.
The bell dings as I pass through the door and damned if I had any luck at all today it would be bad because there she is bent over a table, her perfect, heart shaped ass on display as she wipes down the table top. I stiffen in my jeans uncomfortably and try to remind myself that she’s not for me, but my dick won’t have it. He wants her. Badly.
I take a deep breath and head for my new favorite table—one outside of her normal section—and wave to Russell as I pass by.
“Hey, Tanner,” Jeff says as I pass by their table. “How’s it going?”
“Good, man,” I respond. “Living the dream. How are y’all?”
“Good, good,” he says.
“Gunner?” I ask.
“Can’t complain,” he smiles at his wife. I touch the brim of my white hat—my Ranger hat—as I look to Ellie and Ari and then move along to my table.
I breathe a sigh of relief as I slide into the booth and look around to see who might be watching before I adjust myself under the table.
“What’ll it be?” she asks in a soft voice. I look up from my phone and see the girl with honey colored hair and warm brown eyes. The girl who has starred in all of my dreams and X-rated fantasies for the last three weeks. It’s becoming a bit of a problem.
“Club sandwich and a coke, please,” I answer.
“Coming right up,” she says before scurrying away like a little mouse—a damned sexy mouse—one that has all of my predatory tendencies rising up to the surface to play big cat for her.
I shake off the naughty thoughts playing in my head when she carefully drops my plate and drink on the table in front of me.
“Thank you,” I say. She just nods and scurries away again. I shake my head and then tuck into my meal.
When I’m just about done with my sandwich, I pop the last bit in my mouth and toss my napkin on top of my plate. Russell comes over and drops the most magnificent looking slice of pie in front of me—my favorite pie.
“On the house,” he says.
“Fresh?” I can’t help but ask him.
“Made just this morning,” he smiles.
“Maw maw’s recipe?” I ask, feeling hopeful. I haven’t had a fresh strawberry pie since my Grandmother and my mom got into another row about who was the best baker in the family. I haven’t wanted anyone but hers or moms and neither of those two are giving up their grudge anytime soon. My belly is sad for the loss but that’s mom and Maw maw.
“Better,” he says with pride all over his face.
“I don’t believe you,” I narrow my eyes on him.
“Go on, try it,” he says sitting down across from me with his own slice of pie.
I scoop up the first bite of flakey crust and sweet, sugary strawberries. The flavors explode on my tongue and I moan at how good it is. He’s right, it’s amazing. Almost better than Maw maw’s and mom’s put together and no one will get me to say otherwise. Not that I would actually say that out loud. They would both have my ass.
“Good, right?” he says.
“Thank God you finally learned to bake worth a shit,” I mumble around another massive bite.
“I didn’t,” he laughs.
“Thanks for the pie, Abby!” Ellie calls out from the door. “It was delicious!”
“Anytime, guys,” she smiles softly and in that moment, looks so very young–and innocent.
I drop my fork to my plate. The sweet pie that once tasted delicious turns to ash in my mouth and it’s everything I have in me to swallow it down. The sexy woman with the secrets made a pie that would make me get on my knees and propose.
“I see you have some strong opinions about my new server,” Russell says quietly as he studies the set to my shoulders and the expression on my face. I can tell from his tone that he’s angry. At me.
“She’s trouble, Russell,” I say just as softly.
“Or just maybe she’s in trouble, or she’s known trouble, but she isn’t trouble herself,” he growls.
“How so?” I ask.
“Open your eyes, Son,” he says to me. “She’s a broken dove. Didn’t you see the bruises on her face when she first landed here or were you too busy looking at her other attributes?” he asks, and I feel shame burn across my face. He’s right, of course, I saw that she was beautiful and troubled, and I walked away. Some Ranger I am.
“Her husband?” I ask. Please say no, please say no.
“I don’t know,” he says thoughtfully, shaking his head. “I just don’t know. But I do know that she will always be safe here. I gave her my word.”
“I’ll help too,” I say looking over and seeing her in a new light. There’s an easing to the pressure in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, I can have everything I want too.
“I’m glad you finally got your head out of your ass, Tanner. Now, go talk to the girl. And don’t scare her. She bakes better than I do,” he says as he scoops up the plates in his hands and carries them off. I drop a twenty on the table only to hear him shout at me from over his shoulder, “You know that your money is no good here.”
I stand and make my way over to the woman who dances through my head only a million times a day. She’s over at the coffee maker, cleaning it out and dumping the old filter into the trash. She’s wearing tight skinny jeans that show off her slim legs and round ass and ends at her feet in battered white sneakers, it’s topped off with a black shirt from the cafe that all the employees wear. Her long blonde hair is pulled up on top of her head in a messy knot, but some curls slip free and hang around her face. She bats them away and I have the overwhelming urge to tuck them behind her ears.
“The pie was great,” I say for lack of anything better and I must have startled her because she knocks over a huge stack of Styrofoam cups and flings the second filter full of coffee spent coffee grounds across the counter where it splattered all across the white dress shirt that covers my chest and my blue tie.
“Whoops,” she whispers.
Russell throws his head back and cackles. I sigh and look down at the mess that is all over my uniform. Any other time and I would be mad. Hell, today was the day from hell and the last thing I need is to go home and change in the middle of the day, but I can’t help but laugh.
“I’m so sorry,” she says as she hurries around the counter with a rag. “So, so sorry.”
“Darlin’ it’s fine,” I say as I wipe the tears from my eyes.
“Are you sure?” she asks me. “I’d be happy to pay to have it dry cleaned,” she says and I’m humbled that this woman who obviously does not have much would offer to use it to clean my shirt and tie after an accident. And that’s exactly what it was—an accident—she didn’t do it on purpose.
“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s just a shirt,” I tell her.
“It’s a nice shirt . . . and a tie.”
“It is, but it’ll be alright.” I smile.
“If you say so,” she mumbles as she looks anywhere but at me and I realize how right Russell was. She is a broken bird. I want to smash the face of who ever put that fear and uncertainty in her eyes. And I know without a doubt, I want a chance to be the man to take it all away. Just a chance. No one knows what the future holds but I want a chance with her.
“I do,” I say gently. “Go out with me.”
“Wh-what?” she asks. “I couldn’t have heard you right.” I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing at her honest response.
“Will you go out with me Saturday night?” I ask sweetly.
“Oh, I did hear you correctly,” she says as she tips her head to the side in confusion. “But I don’t even know your name.” And I realize that she’s right. I don’t know her name either.
“My apologies. I’m Tanner Savage. Please, have mercy on me and say you’ll go out with me,” I say as I clutch my chest as if she has mortally wounded me. And then she grants me the greatest gift. She giggles a tinkling bell laugh and it’s absolutely breathtaking. I also get the feeling that she doesn’t laugh often or hasn’t had a reason to in quite some time.
“It’s nice to meet you, Tanner Savage. My name is Abby Williams,” she says holding out her tiny hand for me to shake. I take it in mine and feel the zap of electricity between our palms.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I say, my voice gruff with excitement. “Say you’ll go out with me.”
“Okay, I will,” she smiles and it’s everything.