I shrugged primly. “I have no problem with it when it’s warranted.”
“And you feel like it’s warranted for my dad.”
“Iknowit is,” I specified. I considered myself somewhat of a genius when it came to shitty parents. And from the sounds of it, Tanner Fine’s biological father broke the mold.
“When I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with him, he started showing up at the stadium. He was drunk half the time and got off on making a scene. He’d go on and on about how ungrateful I was, how he’d gotten me to where I was today. And when that still didn’t get a reaction out of me, he sold some bullshit story to a two-bit gossip columnist painting me as the bad guy.”
Okay, now I wanted to hunt the jackass down and beat him senseless.
“What happened after that interview came out?”
His chest rose and fell on a deep breath. “Well, my agent and everyone told me not to respond, that it would go away with time. That was hard as hell, especially when people started talking shit online like they actually knew me. But I did my best to let it roll off like water off a duck’s back. But then someasshole who thought himself a detective started digging into my mom. When stories about how I’d set her up in this cushy lifestyle and left my father to rot, I couldn’t stay silent anymore.”
“That couldn’t have been easy, airing all your personal history like that for strangers.”
“It might not have been if it hadn’t been my mom’s name in their mouths. But I’d be damned if I let anyone make her out to be the villain when that couldn’t have been further from the truth. You want to label me an ungrateful son, go for it. See if I care. But there isn’t anything I won’t do to protect her.”
Just when I thought this guy couldn’t possibly get any better, he said something like that. “Did your father at least take the hint after that?”
Tanner’s grin had a vindictive gleam I couldn’t fault him for. “Not right away, but after I spoke out and revealed him for the lousy piece of shit he was, no other rag would pay him a dime for another story. The cash dried up fast, and he bailed again. No clue where, I only know I don’t give a single damn if I never see him again.”
I didn’t blame him one damn bit. “That’s why Luke is so protective of you,” I guessed.
“Mostly. There have been other people in the past who tried using me.”
“You mean women.”
“You catch one woman poking holes in your condoms, another trying to sneak naked photos of you, andanotherwho steals your shit to sell online, you tend to get a little jaded.”
My jaw hinged open. “There are women who actually did that to you?”
He nodded grimly. “Yep. There’s no lengths some people won’t go to for a little cash.”
I leaned forward, placing my hand on his knee. “Tanner, I need you to know I would never do something like that.Never.Not to anyone. I’ve worked really hard for everything I have today. It might not be on the same level as what you have, but I’m happy with me, and I’m not looking for any shortcuts. It feels good to know I’ve earned it myself.”
He brought one hand up and placed his palm on the side of my neck, brushing his thumb across my jawline. “I know you wouldn’t, Sunshine. I believe you.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I know it probably sounds crazy, given my history and the fact that we still hardly know each other. But... I trust you. I don’t understand it, and everyone else might think I’m crazy, but I trust you.”
The smile that overtook my face pulled so wide it pinched my cheeks. But I didn’t care. “I trust you too.” I might end up regretting that decision in the future, but that was another thing I planned to worry about later. Right now, I was content in my happy little bubble.
He leaned in for a kiss, but before our lips could make contact my phone started ringing. “Shoot.” I forced myself to pull back and scanned the area for my purse. “I’m sorry, I have to get that. That’s the ringtone for the store,” I stated as I hopped off the stool and went in search of my bag. It was sitting on the table by the entryway, and sure enough, when I pulled it out, I saw my manager, Denise’s name flashing across the screen. She knew today was supposed to be my day off, so if she was calling, she had good reason.
“Hey, D. What’s up?”
“Sorry to call you when you should be relaxing, but Bethany has the stomach flu. I would have called Cara, but she’s got her cousin’s wedding out of town.”
“Damn, that’s right.” I reached up, pressing my fingers to my forehead and massaging the tension away. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible. You good to hold down the fort until then?”
“Of course. And, again, I’m really sorry to call you in on your day off.”
“No, don’t apologize. I’ll get there as fast as I can. And maybe it’s time we start looking into hiring another person or two.”
“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” Denise said with a giant amount of relief. “See you soon, Boss Lady.”
I disconnected the call and turned back toward the kitchen to see Tanner standing there. My face pulled into a wince. “I’m really sorry, but we’re down two girls, so I’m needed at the shop.”
He walked toward me in a way that reminded me of a panther, his movements sleek and hypnotic. His hands came up on either side of my neck, and he used his thumbs to tip my chin back so we were eye to eye. Ireallyliked how he touched me. “Don’t apologize. You’re a successful business owner. This is par for the course. I’ll take you home.”
As much as I didn’t want to leave Tanner’s luxurious cabin mansion in the woods, I needed to get back to real life.
