Chapter Nineteen
“Hayley, come sit down for a minute.” Tanner patted the couch beside him on Saturday night. He’d put off this conversation for long enough—they were having dinner with Izzy’s mother tomorrow. Mary had gone to her room about an hour ago. Tanner had given her a heads-up about the discussion he planned to have with Hayley, so she could give them some privacy, and so she could be prepared if Hayley came to her with questions. He’d gotten lucky when he’d found Mary and was thankful every day that she had come into their lives. But things were changing, and that was what he needed to discuss with his daughter.
Hayley leapt up from where she was sprawled on the floor with Blue. The puppy yipped and hopped around Hayley’s feet, jumping up beside her when she flopped on the couch.
Tanner snapped his fingers. “Down, Blue.” The puppy tilted his head and threw Tanner an expression that said, “I don’t understand.” Or more specifically, “I know what you’re saying but I don’t care because I’m cute and you’ll never make me get down.”
Yeah, it was probably the latter. Hayley scratched the puppy’s head and he rested his chin on her leg. When he looked at them with his little droopy eyes, and made Hayley so happy, it was hard to be angry at the chewed up shoes, ripped up tissues and peed on carpet.
“What did you want, Daddy?”
“I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow.”
The smile fell from Hayley’s face. God, he hated that she was so wary about any new situation. Tanner had learned long ago to discuss events with her in advance, answer any questions she had, and make it easy for her to transition with as little anxiety as possible. At least she already knew Izzy. “We’re going to go to Izzy’s house for dinner tomorrow.”
Hayley’s eyes brightened and she bounced on the couch. “Yay, I love Izzy.”
“Well, here’s the thing… We’re having dinner with her mother.”
“Oh.” Hayley fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt, worrying it into a bunch. “Do you think she’ll like me?”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Of course she will. She actually asked if we could have dinner so she could meet you. Besides, what’s not to love? Well, except maybe the messy room.” He leaned back so he could look her in the eye and lowered his voice. “But we won’t tell her about that, how ‘bout it?”
Hayley giggled and he knew she’d be okay. It didn’t usually take much, but telling her tonight would give her a chance to prepare for dinner tomorrow. She was always fine once she adjusted, and being with him and Izzy would make that transition smoother.
She started to climb off the couch, but he rested his hand on her arm. “Wait a minute, honey. There’s something else. I, uh, I wanted to know what you thought about Izzy?”
“I think she’s great. She’s always nice in class and helps the girls that don’t understand what to do, and she never yells. And she smiles a lot.”
“Yeah—”
“And she makes you smile more.”
He couldn’t argue with that. It was like a switch had been turned on when he’d met Izzy. He’d been the one to throw up roadblocks in the first place, all because of Hayley, but this was better. Discussing Izzy openly with his daughter. Hayley was getting older now—she could handle things that she couldn’t before. “Yes, she does. So how do you feel about her being my girlfriend?”
“I think it’s great. I like having Izzy around.” She hesitated a minute, and Tanner waited for the other shoe to drop. “What if… what if Mommy…?”
His heart broke and he pulled her into his arms. As Hayley got older, she asked more about her mother. He told her what he could, which wasn’t much. He would never say anything negative to influence Hayley’s feelings about Vanessa, but he wouldn’t sugarcoat the situation. Not anymore. “What about Mommy, honey?”
“What if she comes back?”
“For a long time after she left, I hoped she would. But after a while when I didn’t hear from her, I had to get on with my life. For me… and for you. I didn’t want you always waiting by the window, looking for her car to pull in the driveway. We’re doing okay, aren’t we? Just the two of us?” He held his breath. As much as he loved his daughter, there were times she needed a mother, and hers wasn’t here. More and more, though, he was feeling as though Izzy could have a role like that in Hayley’s life.
“We’re great, Daddy. But what if Mommy comes back and sees us with Izzy?”
Damn, the questions just kept getting harder. “You know how your friend Eva has two houses—how she spends some nights with her mommy and others with her daddy?”
“Yeah…”
“If your Mommy comes back, it would be like that. I’d like nothing more than for you to have Mommy as a part of your life, and I’m sorry I can’t make that happen. What I would hope is for you, me, and Izzy to spend more time together.”
“Like a family?”
He sucked in a breath. He’d been afraid to admit that was definitely a long-term goal. But he didn’t want to move too fast for Izzy or Hayley. This was getting complicated. Maybe it was time to reach out to the counselor again, to check in and get her advice. But he’d started this conversation, and he needed to see it through. “Right now, as three people who like to laugh and play together, and people who want to spend time with each other. How does that sound?”
“That sounds good, Daddy. But do you think Izzy could maybe sometime be part of our family?”
He scratched his chin. That wasn’t a question he’d expected to field tonight. “I don’t know, honey. That’s a big decision, and a grown-up one that we’ll have to talk about after we’ve known each other longer. Why are you asking about Izzy being part of our family?”
“Because the other girls have a mom to take them shopping and get manicures. You know, all that stuff that girls do. Since I don’t have a mom, I thought maybe Izzy could do some of those things with me.”
“She’s really busy at the dance studio, but I bet if we ask her, she’d love to take you shopping.”
“I can’t wait to ask her tomorrow.” Hayley’s exuberance woke Blue, who yipped along with Hayley’s cheers. He hopped down and Hayley followed. “Is that all?”
“Yeah, that’s all. Time for bed.”
“Aww, Daddy. Can I have fifteen more minutes?”
And just like that, his little girl was back. “I guess. But then straight to bed—no complaints.”
She popped a kiss on his cheek and rushed down the hall, Blue hot on her heels. That conversation had gone a lot better than he’d expected. Hayley was further along than he was as far as a relationship with Izzy. But to know that she was open to a serious relationship was a great feeling.
He sank back on the couch and laid his head back. He had thought when Hayley was a baby and he was bleary eyed from night terrors and frustrated with potty training was the hardest part of being a parent. He was wrong. That was physical exhaustion. This conversation exhausted him mentally and emotionally. How in the hell was he going to handle the teenage years? If he had his way, it would be with Izzy by his side. Hayley was certainly receptive to that idea.
Once he was confident Hayley was asleep, he locked up and headed to his room. After pulling on a T-shirt and boxers, he whipped out his phone and dashed off a text. “Hayley’s excited about tomorrow.”
“I’m glad. Can’t wait to see you both.”
“I also talked to her about us.”
“and…”
“Green light. But…” He wasn’t sure the best way to approach this. Maybe he should talk to Izzy in person instead of trying to dash off a text. As if she read his mind, his phone buzzed, and a picture of his Izzy flashed on the screen. “I was just thinking of calling you.”
“I figured you’d like to talk.”
“Maybe I like hearing your voice.” Which was the truth. He could sit and listen to her sweet, sultry voice anytime. She could make reading the phone book sexy. “But yeah, I wanted to talk about something. Hayley brought up her mom tonight.”
Izzy sucked in a breath. “Oh.”
“She was worried about what would happen if Vanessa came home and saw that you and I were dating and Hayley was spending time with you.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I reminded her of a friend of hers whose parents are divorced and how they have two houses. I explained that’s how it would be for us if Vanessa came home. She seemed okay with that.”
“That sounds good.” She didn’t respond and he appreciated the moment to gather his thoughts. “But that’s not the only thing bothering you.”
How had Izzy come to read him so well? “She wants to ask you something tomorrow and I wanted to give you a heads-up. She says all the other girls’ moms take them shopping and for manicures, and she wanted to ask if you’d go with her.”
Izzy grew quiet on the other end of the line. He thought he heard a sniffle. He should have had this conversation in person, when he could see her face. Izzy might think she held her emotions all bottled up, but her eyes revealed everything she was afraid to say. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t upset me. Well, kinda, but in a good way. I can’t believe she asked you that. Of course I’ll take her shopping and for a manicure. That is, if it’s okay with you. Some bonding time for the two of us outside the dance studio is a great idea.”
He did, too, and just wished he’d thought of it himself. “It’s absolutely okay. Her fears about Vanessa aside, the fact that she’s warmed up to you is a big deal. And since you’re going to be a part of my life moving forward, the two of you spending time together is important.”
“Am I? Going to be a part of your life?”
Had he moved too fast again? When had dating become so difficult? “I want you to be.”
He could hear her sigh through the phone. “Good. I want that, too. I know we agreed to take it slow, but we blew that out of the water pretty quickly.”
She could say that again. They’d gone straight from casual to serious, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.
“I know you were worried about damaging my relationship with Hayley as her teacher, but I think her questions show she’s ready for more. And I am, too.”
If only he had Izzy snuggled up against him, both of them laughing as they tried to stay quiet while they made love.
Her breathing hitched. “I wish I was there. Then I could show you exactly how happy this makes me.”
“Me, too.” He listened to the silence between them for a minute. “What are you wearing?”
“My dance capris and a fitted shirt. I went for a run after dinner.”
Just picturing her, her hair plastered to her face, sweat dripping between her breasts, had a twinge growing in his gut. “Sounds sexy. And what else?”
She scoffed. “Are you serious?”
“Well, since you aren’t here beside me…”
He heard a shuffling sound through the phone and then a muffled curse before Izzy spoke again. “I just climbed on the bed. It’s so hot in here.”
Her breaths shallowed, the sound reminding him of when she was about to come. That was enough to have him hard as nails. He rubbed himself, wishing it was Izzy’s hand on him. He still couldn’t believe how she took him in the shower. It was all he could do to hold off as long as he had. He sighed and stroked again. “Take your shirt off.”
A few more muffled sounds and then she came back. “That’s so much better. What are you doing now?”
“Imagining you lying on your bed, your perfect nipples getting hard as I pinch them.” Damn, just the thought of her naked beneath him had his breath hitching. What he wouldn’t give to have the real thing in front of him right now.
She gasped and a soft moan echoed through the phone. “Tell me what you’re doing to me.”
“I’m sliding down your body, rubbing my chest on your belly, on my way to taste you. I pull your pants down slowly, kissing each inch I expose until I reach the edge of your panties.” He rubbed himself harder while he imagined his words coming to life, Izzy bare and exposed in front of him.
“I like it when you do that. I’m helping you strip my panties off now.”
“You’re helping? A bit anxious, are we?” Izzy wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted, in bed and in life. “Are you naked yet?”
“Are you?”
“No.” He chuckled. “Did you want me to be?”
“It’s more fun being naked with someone than being naked alone, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely. Hold on a sec.” He set the phone aside while he stripped his shirt off and yanked his boxers down. He made sure the door was locked and then laid back on the bed, his cock stretching up his gut. “Are you still there?”
“Yes.” Her voice had grown deep and husky. “I’m naked, too.”
“If I close my eyes, I can see you on your bed, your hair spread on your pillow, your arms and legs welcoming me home.”
“I’m ready for you.”
His cock twitched and bounced, asking for something he couldn’t have right now. “Are you? Are you wet?”
“Yes.” She moaned. “So wet for you.”
He stroked his cock, tightening his grip and twisting, remembering Izzy’s hand on him in the shower. “I’m rubbing my cock along you, teasing your opening but not going any further.”
Her breathing grew ragged. “I need you. Please.”
“I like you begging for me. I’m thrusting my fingers inside you and you grabbed hold. Your hands are on my back, your nails digging in. I can feel you getting close.” He stroked harder and his balls clenched.
“I’m close.” Small gasps echoed in his ear as Izzy climbed toward her orgasm. “So close.”
“I’m inside you now. God, you feel so good around me. So tight.” He thrust his cock harder into his hand as he squeezed and stroked. He wasn’t far behind her. If only he could plunge into her wet heat, her warmth gripping and surrounding him as he drove into her over and over. His hips moved faster and his hand gripped hard. “I need you to come now,” he gritted out.
She cried out, her breaths only a gasp. He could picture her eyes closed and her head thrown back in pleasure as she squeezed his release out of him. With a few more strokes, he joined her with his own, moaning into the phone so she could hear what she did to him.
He finally came down from his orgasm. “God, that was unbelievable. You’re unbelievable.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, cowboy.”
He laughed while he caught his breath and then grabbed his discarded T-shirt to clean himself up. “No one’s called me cowboy since I was a kid.”
“Oh, yeah, a former girlfriend?”
Thankfully, Izzy’s voice was teasing. “Maybe. What about you? Any old boyfriends who might come out of the woodwork now that you’re back home for good?”
“I didn’t have time for boyfriends growing up. Dance took up every minute I wasn’t in school. I even got my GED early so I could spend more hours in the studio.”
And this was her dream? “That doesn’t sound like fun.”
“It wasn’t always. But I loved… love… dancing, and I was going to do whatever I had to do to be the best.”
“I’ve seen a little piece of how that training paid off. You’re amazing.”
“Thanks. So, was there anything else we needed to talk about before dinner tomorrow?”
“That was hardly talking, and not at all why I called.”
“Are you complaining?”
The sexiness in her voice had his cock springing back to life again. He spent much of his time these days in a state of arousal, and it was all due to Izzy. “Absolutely not. But it’s getting late. I probably should let you go.” He yawned and his eyes grew heavy.
“I’m not so tired now, but I can hear how sleepy you are. I seem to remember you barely kept your eyes open after sex the other night at my house.”
She definitely had that right. But this was nothing a power nap couldn’t solve. If he had her soft, naked body curled up against him, he’d be ready to go again in no time. But tonight, all he had was his cold bed to keep himself company. “That’s because you wore me out, woman. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Tanner.”
“Good night, Izzy. Sweet dreams.”
“I’ll be dreaming of you. They will be.”
Tanner clicked off with a smile on his face. He grabbed his boxers and slid them on before turning off the light. But by the time he laid down, he couldn’t shut his mind off. Hayley’s desire to have a deeper relationship with Izzy had surprised him, but not in a bad way. It was more than he had ever hoped for between his daughter and the woman he loved.