Chapter Thirteen
Izzy brushed her hands down her jeans, drying the sweat that had built up on her palms. She raised her hand to knock but lowered it again. Why was she so nervous? She knew Hayley and Tanner already. This was just dinner. So why did it feel like she was meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time? Well, this would be the first time she was seeing Hayley as Tanner’s girlfriend and not Hayley’s dance teacher. Girlfriend? Was that what she was? That term seemed hardly applicable at their age.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she slid it out. Tanner. You OK?
Her gaze snapped to his front window. Were they standing behind the curtains, watching her debate with herself whether she was ready to knock on the door or not? Just peachy! :) :)
Her phone vibrated with a response almost immediately. Did you want to come in, or were you going to stand on the porch for the entire evening?
She laughed. Just like Tanner to make a joke to put her at ease. She’d spent the entire trip over here trying to silence the fears running through her mind. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and knocked on the door.
She’d barely pulled her hand back when the door flew open and Hayley threw herself into Izzy’s arms. “Miss Harper. I’m so happy to see you. I can’t believe you’re coming to my house for dinner.”
Hayley dragged Izzy into the house, and her gaze immediately sought Tanner. She spotted him in the doorway to the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. The corner of his mouth quirked up into a grin, and he shrugged.
She gave him a finger wave and turned her attention back to Hayley, leaning down so she could look the sweet little girl in the eyes. “You can call me Izzy. But only when we’re not in class, okay? In class, it’s still Miss Harper. How does that sound?”
Hayley threw her arms around Izzy. “I think it’s great. Did you hear that, Dad? She said I could call her Izzy.”
Shoot. Izzy should have checked with Tanner first to ensure that was okay. She wrapped her arms around Hayley and then mouthed to Tanner, “Is that okay?”
He nodded. “I think that’s great, honey. Now how about you give her a chance to breathe?”
“Oh, sorry, Miss Harper -er Izzy.” Hayley released her and bounced across the room. “How long until we eat, Daddy?”
“About half an hour.”
“Okay. Call me when dinner’s ready.” Hayley rushed down the hall. What Izzy would give to have that kind of energy again.
As Hayley scooted down the hall, the click of toenails scurrying on the floor echoed through the house, and a minute later, Blue skidded in the room, all ears and paws, and slammed into Izzy’s legs. She laughed and picked him up. “Hey, sweetie. They taking good care of you?”
“When he’s not peeing on the floor or chewing up my shoes.”
“Poor sweetie. Are you lonely during the day with most of your people gone? It’s no wonder you have to get their attention.”
She scratched behind his ears and set him on the floor again, his legs flailing as his body tried to move faster than his feet. He finally got his footing and tore out of the room. There was the telltale slap of rubber against wood, a sound she was familiar with from her own cottage. Blue must have headed into the backyard.
They were finally alone. Or alone as they could be with Hayley down the hall and Mary somewhere in the house. She stared at Tanner, his intense gaze boring into her from where he leaned on the doorframe. Finally, he stalked toward her, throwing the towel onto the couch. A minute later, she was in his arms and his mouth took hers in a powerful kiss. A collision of lips and teeth and tongue and arms. Tanner kissed with his entire body and consumed her from the first moment his lips touched hers. She held onto his arms so her knees wouldn’t give out from the intensity of his possession. Her tongue tangled with his, and the faint flavor of tomatoes exploded on her taste buds.
He moaned and tilted his head, thrusting his tongue deeper into her mouth and sliding his hands down to her ass. Everywhere he touched tingled, the sensations building in her gut and heat pooling between her thighs. She pulled him closer, wanting to climb into his body and feel him around her.
He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. She loved how he could go from deep and passionate one minute to sweet and intimate the next. How could anyone leave Tanner like Hayley’s mother had? He was caring and sensitive. About Hayley… and about her. Every minute she spent with him convinced her that a future together was possible.
“Hi,” Tanner whispered as his fingers slid along her back.
“That was quite the greeting.” She nudged him and pushed off the wall from where he’d moved her while they were kissing.
“You mean mine or Hayley’s?”
She threw him a saucy grin. “Hayley’s, of course.”
He kept his hand on her arm, his fingers blazed a path up and down her bare skin, like he didn’t want to let her go.
“She’s so sweet. And she’s so good with the younger kids in class, helping them out when they don’t understand something. She’s got a gentle heart.”
Tanner rested his hand on his chest. “That’s about the nicest thing you could say about Hayley.”
She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him, raising Hayley alone. “You should be proud. You’ve done a great job with her.”
He kissed her, no that wasn’t right, he devoured her, again, and then stepped away. “Wanna see the rest of the house?”
“I can’t wait.”
Tanner grabbed her hand, linking their fingers together, and swung his arm wide. “This is obviously the living room.”
The welcoming space had just the right amount of masculine and feminine touches. Two large leather couches faced the fireplace that dominated one wall. And as she would have expect, a huge television hung above the mantle. She imagined Tanner and Hayley, feet up on the couch, watching movies. And Tanner probably turning on the sports channel as soon as Hayley was tucked into bed. An area rug covered the well-worn hardwood floors, and piles of magazines and papers were stacked on the coffee table. An empty glass sat waiting, like someone was coming right back to claim it. Very practical and lived in. “I love it. It’s so cozy.”
“Thanks. We spend a lot of time in this room, so I wanted it to be comfortable.”
Tanner guided her down the hall and poked his head into the first door on the left. “This is Hayley’s room. I apologize in advance for the mess. No matter how often I say something, she can’t seem to keep it clean.”
Izzy poked her head around the corner. Hayley was sprawled on the bed in the middle of a room that looked like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol exploded in it. Everything, including the ceiling, was bright pink. Even the carpet was pink under the barrage of toys. Hayley’s feet swung in the air as she bounced her head to some beat she was listening to through headphones. Izzy waved at Hayley and pulled the door closed. “That room is so Hayley.”
“Yeah, it is. She’s been my princess since the day she was born, and now she lives in her own castle.”
Tanner gestured to a closed door next to Hayley’s. “That’s Mary’s room. She has her own private bath and a door to the deck outside.” He then gestured down a side hall and led her to another open door. “This is my room.”
If Izzy could have described how Tanner might decorate his room, based on what she knew of him, this was it. She sank into the plush carpet as she stepped toward the king-size bed that dominated the center of the room. A deep burgundy and gold quilt covered the mattress and matched the heavy curtains at the window. Very masculine… but inviting. She wanted to lower herself onto his bed and pull him down on top of her. To feel his weight pressed down on her.
He led her through an open archway.
She fell in love the minute she stepped into his bathroom. A huge sunken tub with jacuzzi jets was nestled in one corner, and a glass-enclosed shower sat on the opposite wall with a wide shower head suspended from the ceiling.
“Heated tiles, jacuzzi tub, and rain shower head.” Tanner spouted off the attributes. Shoot, if she lived here, she would never leave this room. She could just imagine soaking her sore muscles in that tub after a day at the studio or relaxing with Tanner’s warm body behind her, soaping her arms, and…
Tanner lowered his mouth and brushed a kiss across her lips. She snaked her arms around his neck and deepened the contact, pouring every bit of her desire into him. The minute his lips touched hers, heat spread through her body and settled between her thighs. She’d never been so turned on with just a kiss before, but Tanner could do that to her. She couldn’t wait to make love with him. Was it too fast. She hadn’t known him very long—but during the time they spent together, he revealed more about himself than she had learned about Erik during the entirety of their relationship.
Erik never let her in, never let her see what was really going on in his mind. He wanted to be the best danseur in the country—he’d made that clear when they first started dating, but he never shared anything about what drove him. About what he wanted for his life when he couldn’t dance anymore. She never got below the surface with him.
But Tanner let her in. He wasn’t hesitant to discuss what kept him up at night, his fears about raising Hayley. He certainly made no secret about his feelings for Izzy.
“I have to get you out of here before I start something I can’t finish.” He pulled her out of the bathroom and down the hall. When they stepped in the kitchen, an older woman stood in front of the stove, the straps of an apron wrapped around her waist.
This must be his nanny.
Tanner’s features immediately softened and an easy smiled turned up the corners of his lips. “Mary?”
Mary turned around and a smile spread across her face. “Well, it’s about time you introduced me.” She strode across the room, smacking Tanner with a dishtowel as she passed him. Before Izzy could stop her, Mary pulled Izzy into a hug. “Honey, I’m so happy to meet you. Hayley and Tanner have told me so much about you already, I feel like I know you.”
Izzy hugged the woman back, and a feeling of home washed over her. She hadn’t really known her grandparents, all of them dead when she was a child. But Mary was like a mother and grandmother all rolled into one. It was no wonder Tanner had made her a part of his family. “It’s so nice to meet you, too. Tanner told me he couldn’t live without you.”
“He’s darn tootin’ right about that. I swear that boy would lose his head if it wasn’t attached to his body.”
“I’m standing right here.”
Mary kept her gaze focused on Izzy, but her lips twitched as she responded. “That’s all right. How about you make yourself useful while I get to know Izzy?”
Tanner laughed. “I’m not sure I should leave you two alone. Who knows what you’ll cook up?”
“Nonsense.” Mary guided Izzy to the table in front of the wide window overlooking a large, fenced back yard where Blue was chasing his tail in a circle. Typical puppy—so much energy.
Mary folded her hands on the table. “Hayley tells me that you used to dance in New York.”
“Yes, ma’am. Eight years with the Lincoln Ballet Theater.”
Mary patted Izzy’s hand. “None of this ma’am. Just call me Mary. I don’t know a thing about New York, but I can say that I bet your Mama’s glad you’ve come back home.”
“Yes, ma’am, er Mary, she is. Right now, I’m staying in the guest cottage behind her house.”
“I’m sure she loves having you close.”
Izzy laughed. “She does, but I could do with a little less of my siblings popping in all the time.”
Mary joined in. “They’re probably just making up for lost time, having you back and all.”
So much had happened in their family since she’d returned, and for all of her bluster, she needed her sisters and brother more than ever right now. And they needed her. She couldn’t ignore Justin’s exhaustion or the haunted look that filled Alexis’s eyes when she thought no one was looking. They had all been rocked by the news about Dad. Why couldn’t she have had a father like Tanner, completely committed to his family? Tanner would never cheat on a wife like her father had. That much she knew.
Speak of the devil. Tanner pulled something out of the oven, set it on the stovetop, and then winked at her. Was he trying to embarrass her in front of Mary? Her heart lurched and heat pooled in her belly. She squeezed her legs together—like that would do anything to extinguish the fire he’d lit when he kissed her. How could he make something so innocent as a wink to be anything but?
Whether Mary noticed the interaction or not, Izzy didn’t know. But she appreciated that the woman chattered on. “I love living in Cedar Hill. Tanner does, too. That Vanessa, this town never would have been good enough for her. I hate speaking bad about anyone, and Hayley misses her mama so much, but that woman was no good for this family. What kind of parent leaves her own daughter like that?”
What kind, indeed? Izzy’s own father had left a daughter to be raised by another man, not ever seeing her. If only he was here so she could get some answers about what had possessed him to keep a secret like that.
“Hayley, dinner,” Tanner yelled down the hall.
Mary jumped up from the table. “Oh my goodness, I completely lost track of time.”
Tanner wrapped his arm around Mary’s shoulder. “No worries. I finished up while you were talking with Izzy.”
“You don’t pay me to sit around, Tanner.”
He smiled down at the older woman and Izzy’s heart melted into a puddle. “You do so much more than what we ask of you. You’re a member of this family, and I wanted Izzy to get to know you.”
Tanner hurried back to the counter and grabbed a bowl. Mary followed him to the table with a dish of her own, and Hayley fumbled with four glasses in her hands. The little girl had snuck in when Izzy wasn’t looking. Izzy felt useless as she stood there while everyone else worked. “What can I do to help?”
“You can grab the salad dressings off the counter. Thanks, hon,” Mary said as she placed the rest of the food on the table. By the time Izzy reached Tanner’s side, Mary and Hayley were already seated. He led Izzy to a chair and held it while she sat. He rested his hand on her shoulder for a minute and then took his own seat to the right of her. Just a little touch, a reminder of the connection that they shared. But that wasn’t what this dinner was about—this was about spending time with Hayley as a couple.
As soon as he was seated, dishes started getting passed. When she was growing up, her family rarely had dinners like this. The four of them were always scattered to sports practices and dance classes. By the time they all came back together, Dad had finished off his third or fourth glass of whiskey and had little interest in whatever Mom had made to eat.
That wasn’t the case with Tanner. Heck, he helped make dinner.
Tanner rested his hand on her knee and squeezed. How did he know exactly what she needed at exactly the right time? She looked at him and he smiled. He didn’t make any other overt moves in front of Hayley, and Izzy appreciated that he wanted to go slow. She had no idea where this relationship was going, but they had to be sensitive to the impact on his daughter.
Izzy certainly hadn’t been looking for a relationship when she’d met Tanner, but the minute she looked into his eyes, she’d been hooked.
Dinner flew by, a chorus of funny stories, updates from school and work, and plans for the weekend discussed across the table. Just like a family should. And Izzy was knee-deep in it. They had to determine what was happening between them without letting Hayley get her hopes up. Not just that. Izzy becoming part of Tanner’s life would impact his relationship with Hayley. This was complicated, but there was no way she was backing away now.
They talked and laughed long after the bowls were emptied and the plates cleaned.
Mary yawned and stretched. “I don’t know about you kids, but I’m bushed. I’m turning in for the night.”
Tanner and Hayley grabbed their dishes and headed to the counter. Before Tanner could tell Izzy to stop, she jumped up to help. This family had welcomed her and it was the least she could do. In a few minutes, the table was cleared and the kitchen was reset. Izzy loved being around this family full of love and respect for each other. Sure, Izzy loved her siblings and they were closer than many adult brothers and sisters, but they’d rarely had the comfortable relationship like she’d experienced over dinner here.
Nothing was stopping them from strengthening their relationship as adults. Bonding over the situation their father had thrust them into. She’d use this chance given to them to spend more time with them.
“Thanks for dinner, Mary. I’ll make sure the door’s locked when I take Izzy home.”
What was he saying? She’d driven here. “You don’t have—”
“Yes, I do.”
His heated gaze bore into her. All right, maybe his taking her home was more about snagging some time alone than anything else. When she’d driven over here tonight, she hadn’t fathomed anything more than dinner with his daughter and Mary.
Hayley tugged on Tanner’s sleeve. “Dad, you said we’re gonna watch a movie.”
“That’s right, Hayley. Izzy, are you up for some Disney tonight?”
She directed her gaze to Hayley while she answered Tanner’s question. “Absolutely.”
She couldn’t refuse those sweet, sparkling eyes and that innocent smile.
And then she met Tanner’s gaze again and he threw a heated look at her that made her want to curl up beside him and snuggle in deep.
Tanner brushed his lips over her cheek. “Why don’t the two of you go pick something out while I make some popcorn?”
“Yay, popcorn!” Hayley grabbed Izzy’s hand and dragged her into the living room.
Izzy perched on the edge of the couch. “So, you didn’t seem real excited about your science class over dinner. Why is that?”
“It’s Booor-rinnnng.” Hayley rolled her eyes as she stretched out the single word.
Izzy laughed. She’d felt the same way about school growing up. Her mind had always wandered, imagining music and dances in her head while the teacher rambled on about math and science.
Hayley leaned forward, like she had a secret to share. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, honey. You can ask me anything.”
“Are you going out with my Dad?” Hayley turned a knowing gaze on Izzy, a maturity in her look well beyond her eight years.
While Izzy and Tanner hadn’t shown any affection in front of Hayley, dinner with his family was like announcing it on Twitter. “I don’t know, honey. What do you think about that?”
“I think it’s awesome. He gets sad sometimes, but he’s been happier recently.”
Izzy had been equally unable to keep a smile off her face. She thought back to how she’d practically mauled him at the teen center the other day and how Natalie had immediately picked up on Izzy’s mood when she returned to the dance studio.
“I’m glad that your Dad’s happy. But I want to make sure you don’t have any worries about you being in my dance class.”
Hayley’s eyes widened, and she clasped her hands in front of her as she bounced in her seat. “Are you kidding? I think it’s awesome. I just knew this was going to be a great year.”
Tanner returned at that moment carrying a tray filled with popcorn and sodas. “What are you girls talking about?”
She shared a private look with Hayley. Girls gotta have their secrets, after all. “Nothing.”
Tanner slid the tray onto the coffee table and sank onto the couch beside Izzy. “Are you sure? Hayley?”
“It’s nothing, Daddy.” She hopped up and sprawled on the floor in front of the television. Did she always watch movies like that, or was she intentionally leaving the couch for Izzy and Tanner? Either way, she’d take it. Hayley approved of her relationship with Tanner, although Izzy wasn’t quite sure Hayley had a full understanding of what that meant. Well, that was something for Tanner to handle. For now, she’d take Hayley’s acceptance for what it was and enjoy an evening with Tanner and his daughter.
Tanner turned down the lights, and a few minutes later, animated characters danced across the television.
Izzy kept her eyes focused on the screen, but she wasn’t seeing the movie. How could she focus with Tanner beside her, her thigh pressed up against his, the spicy scent of his after shave sending jolts through her system? Especially when he rested his hand on her knee and drew circles with his thumb. Each revolution brought his hand up her thigh, and heat built in her core. She slapped her hand over his and whispered, “Behave.”
He flipped his hand over and linked his fingers with hers, sliding their joined hands into her lap. She glanced at Hayley.
He leaned in close. “You don’t have to worry about her. She fell asleep thirty minutes ago.”
Izzy looked closer. Hayley’s eyes were closed and her head rested on her hands. Izzy had been so focused on Tanner’s touch, she hadn’t noticed how Hayley had gone quiet.
“She never makes it through an entire movie after dinner.”
He wrapped his arm around Izzy and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. Spending the evening with the family reminded her of what she had always wanted but never had. She’d all but given up on having a kids of her own while she was with Erik, but after dating Tanner for even this short period of time, hope grew in her heart.
She snuggled deeper into Tanner and focused on his scent and the warmth that wrapped around the two of them while dreams of a future with more scenes like this danced through her mind.