Chapter Eight
People in your life either inspire you or they drain
you—pick them wisely.
—Mel’s Motivational Blog
Tanner didn’t know if this was the most absurd idea he’d had or if this was a stroke of brilliance. But, as he pulled into the airport and risked a glance at his passenger, he knew instantly he’d made an excellent decision. A breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding eased away some of his tension.
“Tell me we’re going for a flight.”
Smiling, he drove down the narrow gravel road toward the very last hangar where he and Cash kept their Cessna. “We are.”
Melanie let out a little squeal. “I’ve wanted to go up in one of these planes, but I hated asking Jax since he’s been so busy.”
“You could’ve asked me anytime.”
Tanner actually wished he’d thought to ask her months ago. He’d been attracted to her, but they’d rubbed each other wrong and he wasn’t so sure asking her would’ve been wise.
Then again, maybe a plane ride would’ve been the better route to take as opposed to grinding on the dance floor and taking her home for a quickie. Yeah, he definitely needed some help with his gentlemanly manners, because where Melanie was concerned, his hormones seemed to override everything else.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, unbuckling her belt as he pulled into the parking space.
“Where do you want to go? I still have to go over the flight plan. I didn’t choose a final destination because I wanted you to decide. We can go to lunch somewhere or we can just fly for a while and come back. It’s your call.”
He hadn’t thought too far ahead in regards to plans. Tanner just missed the skies, and had double-checked with Cash to make sure he wasn’t going to be using the plane today. But whenever possible, he wanted Melanie to have control. No matter how minor, no matter how silly it might seem, he wanted her to feel like she was in the driver’s seat.
“Oh, no. I’m just along for the ride.” She turned in her seat and flashed him a smile that cut straight to his gut. “I’m at your mercy.”
Tanner’s gaze dropped to her lips. Her pink tongue darted out and her eyes widened as if she realized the impact those words had in this enclosed space.
“I just meant—”
Tanner reached across and gripped her hand. “I know what you meant, Mel.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” he asked.
She blinked. “Like you want to kiss me.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since you left my house that night. I can respect you enough to control myself, though.”
Melanie’s brows drew in. She closed her eyes and shook her head before focusing back on him. “I don’t understand you.”
“I’m a pretty simple guy.” With a past he wasn’t ready to share and a job he couldn’t. “You know I’m attracted to you. But for now, we’re going to get to know each other.”
“I’m not doing a relationship.”
Tanner lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I’m not, either. At least not today.”
Melanie tipped her head and narrowed her eyes. “Tanner, I can’t. This baby has to be our focus. Not the attraction.”
Unable to help himself, Tanner closed the distance between them and nipped at her lips. “The attraction is only going to get stronger, so fighting it is a waste of energy.”
Silence enveloped them and Tanner wanted to know what she was thinking. The fact she hadn’t eased back or pulled her hand from his was a good sign. He wasn’t quite sure himself what he wanted with her, but he needed to start somewhere. Chemistry was a hell of a place.
“I promise not to kiss or touch you in the plane.” He sat back and watched as her lids fluttered open. “You’ll be completely safe.”
The side of Melanie’s mouth kicked up. “I wouldn’t go that far. Being in a confined space with you . . .”
“Care to finish that sentence?”
Melanie curled her lips in and shook her head. “I better not. Let’s go for that flight. Take me anywhere for lunch. My treat.”
Like hell
. “When I take a woman on a date, I pay for the damn meal.”
She tugged on her door handle. “This isn’t a date.”
Tanner reached across and took her hand once more. The movement brought him right back within an inch of her mouth. He covered her lips with his, swallowing her gasp. He ended the kiss just as abruptly as it started.
“This is a date, Mel.”
He hopped out of the truck before she could disagree or give him another excuse to put her mouth to better use.
As he rounded the hood, Melanie hopped out and slammed the door. Of course she wouldn’t wait on him to get the door for her.
“Uncle Tanner.”
Tanner turned to see Piper racing across the gravel and grassy lot. Lopsided pigtails bounced with each step. The energetic girl never failed to put a smile on his face. Jax had done an incredible job raising her on his own. Tanner couldn’t even imagine how scared Jax had been when his ex had decided to skip out on them. Tanner was terrified, and he had Melanie.
That last thought put an image in his head he wasn’t quite ready to explore. He and Melanie weren’t some happy little family. They were somewhere between strangers and friends with a baby in the middle. He’d done the family thing before. Well, he’d been on his way to the family life, but fate had stolen everything from him in a split second.
“Hi, Mel.” Piper ran up and hugged Melanie around her legs. “Can I call you Mel? I’ve heard Uncle Tanner say that.”
Melanie smiled and tugged on one pigtail. “I’d love for you to call me Mel. Is there a special name you want me to call you?”
Piper pursed her lips and scrunched her nose. “Hmm . . . I like Badass, but I don’t think Dad will say yes to that one.”
Tanner laughed. “Yeah. Your dad isn’t going to go for that. You need a call sign.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed, then drew her brows together. “But nothing will sound cool like you guys.”
Tanner, Cash, and Jax all had call signs. Anyone in the air force had one, usually not one they preferred, but it definitely stuck, no matter what. Tanner had quickly learned that if you complained about your given nickname, another more offensive one would be given to you.
“I’ve got the perfect one,” Tanner stated. “Pip.”
Piper wrinkled her nose. “Pip? That doesn’t sound fierce or brave.”
Reaching out to tug on one of her curly pigtails, he shook his head. “Pip is just the nickname. You’re brave and fierce, so you’ll make the name way cool. How’s that sound?”
She took about a second to process before her face lit up. “I love it! I’m the bravest girl here. Right, Uncle Tanner?”
“Absolutely.”
Piper nodded as if affirming her new title. “Okay, Mel. You can call me Pip. Is that okay?”
Melanie took Piper’s hand. “That’s perfect. Tanner and I are going up in his plane. Do you want to come? If your dad says it’s okay.”
Tanner had no problem taking Piper, but at the same time, he’d wanted some one-on-one with Melanie. Which is precisely why he figured she invited the young chaperone.
“Daddy gave me chores.” Piper pouted as she tugged on Melanie’s hand and led her toward the offices. “Maybe if you come in and ask him.”
“Hold up, Pip.” Melanie stopped just outside the side entrance. “If your daddy needs you, I’m sure Tanner and I could take you another time.”
Tanner didn’t bother hiding his smile or flashing Melanie a glance. Her implication that there would be another time thrilled him. Knowing she was eager to fly was definitely an added bonus to their attraction, the pull they had going on, whether she wanted to admit such a thing or not.
The baby would obviously bind them together, but Tanner wanted to get to know Melanie. He wanted to see where they went together, because he was absolutely on board with spending more time with her, in the bedroom and out.
“Piper!”
Jax’s yell had Piper cringing. “Oops, gotta go.”
She took off running back toward the office. Once she disappeared behind the rusty office door, Tanner reached for Melanie’s hand. She turned and attempted to pull back, but he gave her a gentle squeeze.
“Don’t do that.”
Adjusting his shades, he asked, “Do what?”
“That smiling thing when you think you’re getting away with something.”
He hadn’t even realized he was smiling, but now he couldn’t stop himself. “I’m holding your hand, Melanie. I’ve gotten away with far more.”
Her eyes widened a fraction before she tipped up that defiant chin in her signature move. Damn if he didn’t find that attractive, too. A woman who challenged him, who made him smile more than he had in a while, how the hell could he pretend he didn’t want her?
“Let’s go,” he stated, tugging her hand and leading her toward the far hangar. “If you’re a good girl, I might even let you fly the plane.”
“What? I’ve never flown a plane.”
“Relax. You can take the controls once we’re airborne and I promise to talk you through everything. You think I’d let something happen?”
“I’m a little cautious when it comes to trust.”
“No kidding. I hadn’t noticed.”
She glanced his way with a half grin. “You’re a smart-ass.”
Tanner shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”
He released her hand and slid the large hangar door open. Melanie squealed and ran inside to the Cessna. Just as he was about to follow, his cell vibrated in his pocket.
Please, please, don’t let this be work.
He loved his job, loved helping where he could, but today he wanted to be completely selfish. After all the years he’d worked and put his personal life on hold, he deserved to take these stolen moments with Melanie.
When Tanner pulled his phone out, relief settled as he swiped across the screen to answer. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, sweetheart. Is this a bad time?”
Tanner kept his eyes on Melanie as she slowly circled the plane. When she reached up and stroked her fingertips along the edge of the wing, he had to shut his eyes and focus on the fact that he was on the phone with his mother.
“No,” he replied, turning away from Melanie and her tempting fingers. “What’s up?”
“Thanksgiving.”
That one word had him holding back a groan. Holidays were always a bone of contention. He worked and let someone else stay home with their family. Why should he take those days off when he didn’t have a wife or children to spend time with?
This time next year would be a whole different scenario, though . . . and his mother still had no idea about the baby. Perhaps Thanksgiving would be the time to tell her she was getting a grandchild. Of course, he’d have to discuss that with Melanie and he wasn’t so sure how she’d handle the whole “meet the mom” scene.
Raking a hand through his hair, Tanner sighed. “I’ll be there.”
Silence.
“Mom?”
“I’m here, I’m just not sure I heard you correctly. You mean you’ll be here for dinner on actual Thanksgiving, or a week later when you can squeeze in family time?”
He focused his attention back to Melanie, who stood next to the plane, her eyes on his from across the hangar. Family time was about to take on a whole new meaning and priority in his world.
“I’ll be there on Thursday,” he assured her. “Just tell me the time.”
“Oh,” his mother gasped, then sniffed.
“Don’t cry,” he begged. Tears never did anything but make him feel awkward because he had no clue how to console. “It’s just dinner, Mom.”
“It’s Thanksgiving,” she said in her tear-clogged tone. “This is going to be the best year ever. I won’t even ask about Christmas.”
Tanner laughed. “We’ll discuss that next month.”
He weighed his decision for about a nanosecond before he decided to jump face-first into this next conversation.
“I’ll be bringing someone, if you don’t mind.”
“Cash, or Jax and Piper?”
He had brought his cousins in the past, and his mother doted on them. Family was so important, and considering she was the sister of their late mothers, she adored the guys.
“Actually her name is Melanie.”
Silence once again, followed by another sniffle.
“A holiday and a woman,” she squealed, and Tanner had to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment to save his eardrum. “I’m going to have to go back to the store and get ingredients for something special to make. Does she prefer chocolate or pumpkin for desserts? Or maybe I should pull out the recipe for my mother’s cinnamon cake with that glazed icing.”
Tanner started toward Melanie, her eyes locked on his, and he flashed a smile . . . the kind he knew she didn’t want to see again. Too bad.
“I’ll ask her.” He covered the phone with his hand and whispered to Mel, “What’s your favorite dessert?”
“Um . . . I have no idea. I don’t recall the last time I had dessert.” Her eyes narrowed as she darted a glance toward his phone. “Why? And who is on the phone?”
Tanner removed his hand. “She said to surprise her. See you Thursday. Love you.”
He disconnected the call and slid the phone back into his pocket. Melanie’s bright eyes were still in dramatic slits, completely focused on him.
“Who wanted to know about my likes and who do you love?”
Tanner leaned his shoulder against the side of his Cessna. “Is that jealousy I hear?”
“Of course it’s not jealousy.” Melanie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “But it’s rude, considering the mother of your child is standing right here and you’re on the phone telling someone you love them and—”
“My mother.”
Melanie’s mouth instantly snapped shut. “Oh. Well, then. Why was she asking about desserts?”
“Because you’re coming to Thanksgiving dinner with me.”
Tanner spun away, knowing full well she was about to explode, and he didn’t want to be standing too close. He wasn’t completely stupid . . . only when it came to bringing her home to meet his mother without asking.
He started to circle the plane, doing his exterior pre-flight check, when a hand clamped around his arm.
“What the hell, Tanner?”
Spinning back around—yup, there was that anger if her pink-tinged cheeks were any indicator—Tanner removed his shades and hooked them on the V in his shirt.
“My mother called about Thanksgiving and I figured it was the perfect time for you two to meet, and we can tell her about the baby. She has to learn sometime. Why not then?”
Lips thinned, eyes widened, fists clenched at her sides. Maybe he was an idiot where she was concerned.
In his defense, he had no idea how the hell to deal with taking a woman home to meet his mother. He’d done so once with his fiancée, and his mom had gotten all excited about the upcoming wedding and the grandchild.
Damn it. He was indeed a complete and total moron.
Tanner spun around and paced to the open end of the hangar. He hadn’t thought through the implications of taking another woman home, a pregnant
woman, to meet his mother. Would she even be ready to jump on this roller coaster again? Because Tanner wasn’t so sure he was ready, either, but he damn well wasn’t going to allow himself the vulnerability of doubt. He had to be strong for Melanie, for the baby, for his own mother, who would no doubt be thrilled at the news.
“Tanner?”
At Melanie’s questioning tone, he shifted back around to face her. She’d followed him, but stood a few feet away. No longer was she staring at him with anger and disdain, but with concern and confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
When was the right time to tell her about his past life? The life he hadn’t planned, but had been ready to grab hold of and live to the fullest. When did he tell her he was terrified, if he was being brutally honest?
Never
was the answer to that last question. He’d never admit that he was scared or worried. The last thing he needed was to cause Melanie any type of stress.
As for the question of when to tell her about his former family . . . now wasn’t the time.
“I should’ve asked you first.” There. He’d play it off like he was apologetic with regards to the holiday and his mother. “When she called she was so excited I was actually coming for dinner, I just asked if she cared about a guest.”
Melanie pulled in a deep breath and licked her lips. She swiped her hand over the top of her hair and smoothed her fingers through her ponytail.
“I’m not sure how to do the whole family thing,” she stated. “My father worked for my in-laws, so I always knew them in some way. I guess I never thought about your family or having to play the role of . . . I don’t even know what to play here.”
Tanner quickly realized Melanie was trying to figure out how to fit in. Had this been an issue in her previous life in Atlanta? Clearly, and that filled Tanner with rage when he thought of that asshole Melanie had been married to.
“Listen,” Tanner stated, closing the gap between them. “My mother won’t care if you burp at dinner or know which fork to use and have your napkin in your lap. There’s no right or wrong.”
Melanie stared back, unblinking. “There’s always right and wrong. But don’t worry, I know how to handle mothers.”
“You’re not listening.” He reached for her hand, but she held them both up.
“I’m listening,” she assured him. “I’m meeting your mother and we’re telling her about the baby all while having Thanksgiving dinner. It sounds a hell of a lot more serious than I was ready for.”
Tanner swallowed and shot a grin. “And here you just thought you needed to find some other term for today other than date
.”
Melanie laughed, which was exactly the response he wanted to pull from her. “This still isn’t a date. Now, are you taking me up in this plane or not? I believe I was promised a flying lesson.”
Tanner gestured back toward the plane. “Lead the way.”
“You know, you are really good with Piper,” Melanie said as she reached the side of the Cessna. “You guys are her family, aren’t you?”
Tanner nodded as he reached into the cockpit and pulled out the pre-flight checklist. No matter how seasoned a pilot was, the checklist was of the utmost importance.
“Jax gave up everything for her when his ex skipped out,” Tanner explained. “There’s nothing Cash or I wouldn’t do for them.”
“She’s one lucky little girl.”
“Now that Livie is staying here, I’d say Piper hit the mother jackpot.”
Melanie let out a laugh. “A year ago I never could’ve imagined Olivia in that role, but she’s perfect here. Playing hostess and mommy. She smiles more than I’ve ever seen. Her job back in Atlanta was sucking the life out of her.”
Tanner propped one arm along the wing and met Melanie’s eyes. “And what about you? Was Atlanta sucking the life out of you?”
“I’m not sure I had much life left there,” she murmured. “But today isn’t about that, right? Let’s go for a flight and leave our problems down here.”
Tanner wanted to press her for more. He wanted to know everything she came from, everything that still haunted her. He wanted to slay every damn one of her dragons and make the rest of her world puppy dogs and rainbows.
Since when had he turned into such a sentimental guy? He was always quick to ride to the rescue, but after that he moved on to the next job.
Melanie wasn’t a job, though. She was the mother of his child and the woman in his life whom he vowed to protect at all costs. Soon he would find out about her ex and what she was still dealing with there.
“Leaving our problems down here sounds like the perfect day,” he agreed. “Now why don’t we start your first lesson with the standard pre-flight check?”