Security Risk. Janie Crouch
to hike.”
Cheryl took the pitcher of tea from Bree’s hands and set it down on the counter. “Maybe stargazing. That’s romantic. He wouldn’t want you to get dressed up for that.”
Judy gave a one-shouldered shrug. “A motorcycle ride. I know he doesn’t have one, but maybe he borrowed one.”
“The point is, the words surprise and casual are not bad. Tanner Dempsey is nothing if not straightforward. That man is never going to blindside you.” Cheryl kissed her on the cheek, and then both women smiled and headed toward the kitchen to keep Dan from having a fit with undelivered food.
Bree turned and made her way back over to Mrs. Little, pouring her some more tea.
She wasn’t convinced surprises weren’t bad. She’d had a lot of years where the unknown meant dangerous or painful.
But one thing they said was definitely true: Tanner wouldn’t blindside her.
He’d spent the last month helping her with damn near everything. Helping her move back into the Andrewses’ small apartment on the outskirts of town. Helping her learn how to interact with others. Helping her figure out how to navigate her life now that she wasn’t on the run anymore.
And most important, helping her deal with the crippling loss of the twins she no longer had to care for. She knew Christian and Beth were back where they belonged, in their mother’s—Bree’s cousin Melissa’s—care. But after nearly three months of being their sole caretaker, losing them so suddenly had left a huge gap in Bree’s life.
Tanner had distracted her with dates and horseback rides at his ranch and kisses that curled her toes.
So Judy and Cheryl were right. Bree wasn’t exactly sure where her relationship with him was going, but if he had something bad to say, he wouldn’t beat around the bush.
The door to the diner chimed as it opened, and as if her thoughts had conjured him, Tanner was there—all long legs and big, broad shoulders that almost filled the door before he made his way inside. Her gaze continued up to his face, his thick dark hair cut short. That square jaw covered in what seemed to be an almost perpetual five o’clock shadow.
Those brown eyes.
Bree couldn’t stop staring. Even knowing she was standing there holding a pitcher of tea in the middle of a restaurant and just staring, she still couldn’t stop.
But at least he was staring at her, too.
He closed the distance between them, stopping when he was a few feet from her. “I know I’m early. I just had to see you. Today has been...”
She took a step closer. “Are you okay? Did anything happen?”
Every single part of her body seemed to clench as he reached out and trailed his thumb down her cheek. “It’s all fine now.”
She couldn’t look away from those brown eyes. It wasn’t so long ago that she found it hard to look him in the eyes, but more often than not now she found it impossible to look away. “Fine. I mean, good. I’m glad it’s fine.”
He took her awkwardness in stride as always. “I’ll just sit out here until you’re finished and chat with Dan and folk, if that’s okay.”
Sure. The word formed in her brain, but she couldn’t seem to get it out of her mouth as his thumb trailed down her cheek again. She nodded abruptly then turned away, almost running back toward the kitchen.
Judy and Cheryl were both grinning like idiots.
“Yeah, I’m definitely going to go with ‘not a bad surprise’ for my final answer,” Judy said.
Cheryl turned Bree around so Bree’s back was to her.
“What are you doing?” Bree said as she felt the knot of her apron loosen.
“Dan’s basically been running the whole restaurant by himself for the last half hour anyway. We don’t need you here.” Cheryl pushed her gently between the shoulder blades back toward the front of the restaurant. “You’ve got a gorgeous man out there who couldn’t bear to wait one more hour to see you. Go get changed out of your work clothes. Whatever his surprise is, you want it.”
It didn’t take Bree long to figure out where they were going, and the last of her tension eased away. He was taking her to her favorite place on the planet: the ranch Tanner shared with his brother, Noah, about thirty minutes outside Risk Peak.
She’d stayed here when she’d been on the run, and it was impossible not to fall in love with this place. Horses and quiet and mountains. No people ever around except for Noah, who rarely made his presence known at all.
She and Tanner usually came here on the weekends. He’d taught her how to ride and care for the horses. But they’d never come in the evening.
Her heart clenched a little as he led her around the house. Of all her memories of the twins, waking up and seeing them both outside in Tanner’s big, capable arms as he walked and showed them the horses was forever ingrained in her psyche.
“Hey, what’s that sad look for?”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Just... Beth and Christian. I miss them.”
“Have you Skyped this week?” He took her hand, his long fingers stretching securely over hers.
She nodded. “Of course. Melissa and Chris know if they don’t call me as scheduled, I’ll never let them hear the end of it. But it’s just not the same.” She couldn’t help her little sigh. “They’re happy and safe and together as a family, and I want that for them.”
“But you miss them.”
“Crazy, right? They were never mine to begin with.” She’d tried to warn herself of that, but those babies had stolen her heart.
“Not crazy at all. But maybe my surprise will help make it better.” He led her over to his barn.
“Did you guys get a new horse?” Now, that would be a wonderful surprise. Bree loved interacting with all the animals here, since she’d never had any sort of pet growing up.
“Better.” He took her hand and pulled her toward a stall in the far corner.
She rounded the doorway so she could see and couldn’t stop her near squeal of pleasure. “Corfu had her puppies!”
“And one is yours, if you want it.”
“Really?” It was all she could do not to jump up and down and clap her hands. She knew she was acting like an idiot but couldn’t help it.
A puppy.
It wouldn’t be the same as having the twins, but it would be a puppy. And it would be hers.
Tanner took her hand and led her closer to Corfu—a mixed-breed dog who’d just shown up on the ranch a year ago. “They’re nearly a week old already, since Noah didn’t see fit to mention the fact that Corfu had given birth to me until yesterday.”
The four pups were lying snuggled next to Corfu, who lifted her head and sniffed at Bree as Bree crouched beside her.
“Is it okay to pet her?”
Tanner crouched down, too. “Sure. She knows you’re her friend.”
Bree scratched the dog’s head gently, smiling as she leaned into Bree’s fingers.
“They’re so little!” She touched one gently. “Which one is mine?”
“There are three boys and one girl. You’ll have to decide.”
“Boy,” she said instantly. “I want that one. I’ll name