I stop dead, shifting to seek out Tanner, where he’s talking with my brother. As if he’s tuned into me, he looks right back and mouths what I know is,How’re you doin’, Annie Quinn?
My eyes gloss over as my head tells me to mouth back,Just peachy.But I can’t make my lips work. I’m not peachy. Because IthinkTanner bought me a car.
Not because he had to. He wanted to. So that I could pass my test and my life would get a little bit easier.
And he hid it, knowing I’d say it was too much.
Itistoo much.Heis too much.
Too generous.
Too kind.
Too handsome.
Too fit.
Too funny.
Too confident.
Too dadgum sexy.
Too desperately out of my league.
Sas, Darcy and I sing our way back to the hotel arm in arm. Line dancing took the edge off but we’re still merrily tipsy.
Darcy is staying in the same hotel as us because Tanner planned it that way, so we all hug by the elevators and agree to meet for breakfast tomorrow morning, then go our separate ways to our rooms.
Since Tanner is my adjoining roomie, eventually it becomes the two of us. As we walk the hallway, there’s an awkward silence between us that hasn’t been there before now. I consider thanking him for the car, which I think might be the thing hanging between us. But he doesn’t want me to know about it and I decide to respect that. It doesn’t make me any less grateful. In fact, I couldn’t be more thankful to him and for him being in my life.
In the most bizarre twist of fate, he’s made some of the worst months of my life seem immeasurably better than they could have been.
Mama always said the truth comes out in drink. I have all this stuff I’m feeling about Tanner bottled up inside but I can’t say it because if I do, my words might run away with themselves. My mouth could talk me into the sort of dangerous territory where I’m left saying things toanotherman I shouldn’t want, who doesn’t want me back, not like that.
I can’t survive another heartbreak. Not right now.
Tanner taps a key card to my door and lets us inside. Turn down service has been and left the bedside light on, as well as a chocolate delight on my pillow.
As I plonk down on the bed and kick off my boots, Tanner checks the windows, the bathroom and opens the wardrobe doors.
“Tanner, an intruder would have to go to an awful lot of trouble to break into my room on the top floor of this skyscraper.”
“You can never be too careful.” He stops in the middle of the room, suddenly looking… nervous? Uncharacteristically, he pushes his hands into his pockets, shoulders raised. In his hat, he looks like a small-town cowboy more than a football star. “Will you be okay? Do you need anything?”
I sit facing him on the edge of the big cozy bed. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’m next door if you want me. We can open the joining door if you like?”
“So I can listen to you snore your ass off all night?” I tease, coming to stand in front of him. He’s even taller than me now without my boots.
“Me? I’m not the one who sank a million margaritas. I hope you don’t sleep on your back.”
I smirk. “Tummy. I’m a tummy sleeper. And I have not had that much to drink.”
His smile fades as his eyes meet mine and he nods, swallowing deeply, then his eyes cast to my lips and I know I shouldn’t but I like the way he’s looking at me.
I’m fighting a big part of me that’s screaming, to hell with heartbreak. Maybe one more margarita would have obliterated Sensible Annie but I chose Coke for the last two rounds.
