Page 113 of Tanner

“Tanner!” I whisper-yell. “You said they were going to love me.”

He laughs. “They will. First, they’re gonna be pissed, and then they’re gonna love you. Trust me; if Bryce wasn’t high on cloud nine and in love right now, he would have kicked my ass in the hallway and then popped the champagne.”

I’m giving him my best evil death stare as Bryce says to us, “Austin’s here, too. I can’t wait to see his face on this one.”

“That’s perfect. I need to talk to the two of you. Together,” Tanner says.

“Now that he has a girlfriend, he’s been hanging out here a lot. Apparently, the racing circuit and drinking establishments he frequents are on the no-go list Jalynn has prepared. The guy is whipped. He’s here three nights a week. I like to think he’s here to hang with me, but honestly”—he stops and turns to Tanner—“I think he’s only here to play video games with Charlie.”

“Who’s Charlie?” I ask.

“Tessa’s son,” Bryce replies.

I do a mental tally of everyone I have to meet. Bryce, Tessa, and Charlie. Austin and Jalynn.

The apartment is grand, to say the least. A high ceiling and fancy artwork line the hallway of slate and marble with a crystal chandelier that is a perfect mixture of elegant and masculine. He must have paid a fortune for the interior design.

“Tanner’s here,” Bryce announces with a pause. Then, he adds, “And he has a wife.”

We turn the corner to a living room. A woman with long brown hair is standing by a large sofa that faces floor-to-ceiling windows. She looks up in confusion. I follow her gaze to the staircase where a man, woman, and a red-haired little boy are standing. Yes, there’s a staircase in the two-story living room of the penthouse apartment.

“Who’s Tanner?” the boy asks as he runs down the stairs to the woman whom I assume is his mom.

She lifts him up and whispers in his ear as she heads toward us. “Tanner? What an awesome surprise. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Tessa,” she says as she approaches us. “And this is my son, Charlie.”

“You look like Thor,” Charlie declares.

Tessa gives him a scowl. “Charlie has a thing for superheroes,” she explains.

Tessa is absolutely stunning. Tall with eyes that are an odd mix of violet and blue. It’s probably a trick from her makeup, which is absolutely flawless, as is her skin. This woman does not abuse the sun.

The couple from the stairs starts their descent, and I recognize the man with dark, wavy hair and—

Holy wow, this family has some nice-looking eyes.

Austin peers down at me with these navy-blue eyes that would make a sailor blush. He’s roguishly handsome with a cocky grin.

“Hold the phone,” Austin yells out. “Did you cut your hair?”

Tanner laughs. “You just found out I’m married, and my hair is the first thing on your mind?”

“I’ve been dying for you to cut that rat’s tail for years. Thank God you chopped it off.” Austin comes down to our level and makes Tanner turn around, so he can appraise the new look. He rewards his brother with a dramatic kiss on the head, which Tanner accepts and then pushes him away.

Jalynn hits Austin’s rib cage and then greets us, “Ignore him. Lord knows I try to. Tanner, we’ve spoken on the phone many times. I’m Jalynn.” She turns to me. “And, Harper, it’s so nice to meet you.”

Jalynn comes in for a small hug, and I’m overwhelmed with the scent of peaches.

“This is the first time Tanner’s brought a girl home. Okay, let me get a good look at you.” Austin appraises me from a few feet away. “You did good, baby bro.”

“Stop gawking at the girl. It’s creepy,” Jalynn scolds him.

“It’s flattering,” he says and then lifts my hand to kiss it in some sort of old-school greeting. His playful look goes horror-movie frightened in a nanosecond. “Holy fuck, what is that?” The entire room goes silent as he looks down at my wedding ring and then lifts Tanner’s left hand. “You two are married?”

Tanner looks confused. “Bryce just told you—”

“I know what he said, but I thought he was joking.” His arms are crossed over his chest. His face is stern. “How long have you known each other?”

“Long enough,” Tanner says. His fingers dig into my side where he’s holding on to me.