Talking about Presley today had messed with my head. I’d been trying to forget, but the more effort I put into that, the more it seemed to screw with my game. Actually speaking about the situation aloud made me feel even worse about how I’d left things with her.
I’d had multiple opportunities to drown my sorrows in other women, but I had no desire to go there. It would be disloyal to Presley, and more surprisingly, I had no desire for sex with anyone else. I wasn’t ready to move on, even if I’d tried to encourage Presley to do just that. Instead, I’d close my eyes at night and imagine her smell, her taste, lying next to her, holding her. Then I’d get sick to my stomach imagining Tanner doing the same.
It didn’t matter that I was a grown-ass man. When you’re feeling this low, there’s only one person who has a chance at making it better.
Taking out my phone, I scrolled down to her name.
After a few rings, she picked up.
“Levi?”
“Hey, Ma. What’s been going on?”
“It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“You too.”
“You sound tired.”
Another way of saying I sounded like shit. “Yeah, it’s been hectic at practice. How are things at home?”
“Well, I’ve currently got your nephew here.”
“Yeah?” I smiled. “Put him on.”
“Okay. Hang on.”
My mother called Alex to the phone, and I could hear him running toward it.
“Uncle Levi!”
The sound of his voice went straight to my heart.
“Hey, buddy. What’s going on?”
“Nothing much. Hanging out with Grandma. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.” I shut my eyes. “Believe me.”
“Did you know I was here at Grandma’s? Is that why you called?”
“No. I didn’t know, actually. But it’s a nice surprise. How’s school?”
“It’s okay. My friends still ask about you. They say hello.”
“Well, tell them I said hey too.”
“I wish you were here. We could play Trouble.”
“I would much rather be there playing Trouble with you right now than here.”
“Grandma always lets me win. It’s no fun. I bet you would try to beat me.”
“You’re probably right.” I braced myself. “Where’s your mom tonight?”
“She’s out on a date with Dad.”
His words were a swift kick to the gut. My heart raced.
I hadn’t realized I’d fallen silent until he said, “Are you there?”
“Yup.” I swallowed. “Did your mom say she was going on a date with your dad?”
“Dad told me.”
While it brought me some relief to know Tanner was the one who’d referred to it as a date, this still sucked. Whether it was officially a date or not, they were out together, which meant they were bonding.
Fuck. This was supposedly what I’d expected to happen, what needed to happen, but I’d never get used to the idea.
We talked for a few more minutes until Alex put my mother back on the phone.
She’d apparently read my mind.
Mom lowered her voice. “I don’t know if they’re officially on a date, Levi. From what Tanner tells me, he’s still trying to earn her trust.”
My heart pounded. “How is she?”
“Presley seems good—good but busy. The Palm Inn is up and running, fully booked for two months.”
I smiled. “Wow. That’s great.”
She paused. “You did the right thing, son. I’m proud of you.”
If only it felt right. Instead, my insides felt like they were twisting in knots.
After we hung up, I was desperate for a distraction. Despite knowing I’d pay for it tomorrow, I needed something to numb this feeling. I reached for a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and crashed.
CHAPTER 30
* * *
Presley
Six weeks after Levi left, I’d finally fallen into a routine. I’d get Alex ready for school, make breakfast for the guests at the inn, teach four periods of art, pick up Alex, come home and make dinner, check in on the guests, eat, do homework and bath time with my son, tidy up the common areas, take a shower, and fall into bed exhausted. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It was easy to forget what day of the week it was since they all looked the same.
Today I’d just finished tidying up the inn and was about to turn off the lights and head upstairs to take a shower when someone knocked at the front door. Shelby Miller smiled when I opened it. I had to force a similar greeting. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Tanner’s mom, but most of the conversations we had were draining, and it had already been a long day.
Nevertheless, I stepped aside for her to enter and put on my best fake smile. “Hi, Shelby. I didn’t know you were coming by. Tanner isn’t here. He and the assistant coach are working on some new plays. He said he’d probably be back pretty late.”
“I know. That’s why I came by. I was hoping you and I could talk for a few minutes alone.”
“Ummm… Yeah, sure. Of course. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“If you’re having one, that would be great.”
We made small talk while I prepped two teas, mostly chatting about Alex and how he was settling into school. After I was done and put out cream and sugar, I sat across from her and sipped my tea.
“How are things going with Tanner?” she asked.
“We’ve been getting along pretty well. But we’re just friends, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t see Tanner in a romantic light, and I’ve told him that a number of times.”
Shelby sighed. “That’s what I thought.”
“Did he…say something to you to make you think otherwise?”
She shook her head. “Not directly. But I received all of the confirmations for Jim’s jersey ceremony next weekend, and I noticed there was a one-bedroom suite under Tanner’s name with three guests listed. So I asked him about it.”
“Oh?”
“He said you, Alex, and he would all stay together in one room. Their suites have a separate bedroom and living room, with a king-size bed and also a small couch in the living area, but it’s not a pull-out couch. I let Tanner know that, thinking maybe he thought the couch converted to a bed he could sleep on, but he said it wouldn’t be a problem, that Alex would fit on the couch.” Shelby caught my gaze. “He also asked if I’d mind keeping my grandson one of the nights, so you two could have some alone time.”
I blew out a deep breath. “I definitely didn’t know about that. I only decided to go a few weeks ago because Alex’s begging made it impossible to say no. I’ve been so busy that I hadn’t even considered where we were staying or the sleeping arrangements. I knew Tanner said there were rooms blocked off for everyone. But I had no idea he thought it would be okay for us to share a bed.” I paused. “I swear, Shelby, I haven’t been leading him on at all. I’ve been very straightforward about how I feel, even though he keeps telling me he plans to wait me out.”