Wearing high-waisted cutoff jean shorts, a washed-out rock-and-roll tee, a thin floral-print shrug, and wedge sandals, I hold on to Tanner’s hand like a lifeline as he leads me to a table in the Root, a small restaurant tucked against the side of a mountain on the edge of town. With most of the patrons dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts, including the man at my side, I’d think my bohemian style and wild mass of wavy hair would draw curious looks from the people calling out hello to Tanner as we pass. But I have a feeling it’s something else. It’s like they’ve never seen him with a woman, which would surprise me, given how amazing he is. It also makes me wonder if my assumption is true.
“Hungry?” Tanner asks as I slide into the booth, and he takes a seat next to me.
“Starving,” I say as he passes me one of the menus that was handed to him when we walked in. “What’s good here?”
“Everything.”
“That’s helpful.” I smile.
“All right,” he says, laughing. “If I were you, I’d go with the cornmeal pancakes with honey-pecan butter, or the Nutella crepes with fresh strawberries.”
“I’ve never had cornmeal pancakes.” I tip my head his way. “Are they good?”
“Delicious, and the iced coffee here is better than that place down the street with the green sign I saw you eyeing when we drove by.”
“I’ll believe that when I taste it.” I lean into him when he places his arm around my shoulders. “What are you going to order?”
“The southern omelet. Fresco, the guy who runs the kitchen here, makes his own chorizo and green salsa, and I swear it’s like eating a miracle.”
“They need to start paying you for advertising.” I watch him grin before his attention is captured by a very pretty woman with dark hair, and his smile turns familiar. As she approaches the table with a pen and pad of paper in her hand, I notice the roundness of her stomach and wonder who she is.
“Hey, Tanner.” She smiles at him, then looks at me with warmth filling her gaze. “I’m guessing you’re Cybil.”
“Umm, yeah.” I’m sure my expression is startled.
“Blake’s my twin brother.” She surprises me, since she and Blake look nothing at all alike. “I’m Margret.” She grins before moving her eyes to Tanner. “My brother just left before you came in. He was on a roll about your new girlfriend.”
“Margret,” Tanner sighs.
“Hey.” She holds up her hand. “I’m on your side with this one. I’m happy to see you’re interested in something other than work. Hopefully, you’ll rub off on my idiot brother, and he’ll realize there’s more to life than the lodge and making money.” She shakes her head.
“I wouldn’t count on that happening anytime soon. He married that place the day we signed the lease,” Tanner says, and I squeeze his thigh when I catch a hint of disappointment in his tone.
“Well, I can hope, right?” She looks at me. “Sorry, Cybil, I’m sure you don’t want to listen to me complain about my brother.”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
“You have any siblings?”
“No, but my best friend is like my sister, and I could complain about her all day,” I reply, and she laughs while Tanner chuckles.
“Right, well, enough about that. What are you two eating this fine morning?” she asks, and Tanner and I both rattle off our orders, and when we finish, she wanders off with a promise to return shortly with our coffees.
“I like her,” I say, watching her stop at the table of an older couple on the way to the kitchen.
“She’s easy to like, but you’ll find out that Blake’s whole family is like that, just good-to-the-core people.”
“You’re close with them all?”
“None of them gave me much of a choice. They brought me into the fold and wouldn’t let me go.”
“I love that for you,” I tell him honestly. Without Jade and her parents, I don’t know what would have happened to me, and even though he left his family by choice while mine was taken from me, I know how important it is to have people you can count on when things are difficult.
“Thanks, sunshine,” he says quietly, leaning in to kiss me swiftly.
“So tell me,” I prompt quietly, holding his gaze. “Do you always draw this much attention when you come to town? Because it feels like everyone in this place has been staring at us ever since we walked in the door.”
“It’s not me who’s captured everyone’s attention. I’m just sitting next to you.”
“Right.” I roll my eyes, and his hand comes up to capture my cheek and my attention.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Cybil, and that’s not some line; it’s the God’s honest truth,” he says, and I lick my lips as my cheeks warm. Not sure how to reply, because “Thank you” seems stupid and crying seems like a little bit of an overreaction, I bite my bottom lip. “It’s also cute that you blush when I give you a compliment.”
“It was a really nice compliment,” I say quietly.
“It’s just the truth,” he replies just as quietly, holding my gaze.
“Tanner!” a deep voice calls, breaking into our moment, and he pulls out of the bubble we’ve found ourselves in. When I look to the side of the table and at the man standing there, I realize it’s the bartender from the bar I ate at the first night I was in town. “I thought that was you.”
“Mason.” Tanner turns slightly to me. “You remember Cybil.”
“I do.” He gives me a wink and a smile, and I can’t help but wonder how many women swoon when he turns his attention their way.
“Are you having breakfast?” Tanner asks.
“That was the plan, but the tables filled up, so I’m getting something to go.”
“You should eat with us,” I offer, motioning to the empty seats across from us.
“Oh, I don’t—” he starts, shaking his head.
“Cybil’s right. Join us,” Tanner says, cutting him off.
“All right.” He takes a seat and motions between us. “So how did this happen? The last time I saw you two in the same space, Cybil didn’t seem to like you much.”
“I spent a week convincing her that I wasn’t a thief,” Tanner says, and I laugh while elbowing him in the ribs.
“I’m sure there’s a story there.” Mason smiles; then his eyes move over Tanner’s shoulder, and something in the look he has on his face has me turning to see what’s captured his attention. When I see Margret with her head back, laughing at something, I turn back to Mason and notice his jaw clenching.
“So, Mason, have you known Tanner long?” I ask, and he blinks as he focuses on me.
“Since he started coming to town years ago.”
“Mason and Blake grew up together,” Tanner tells me.
“That’s cool. This town is starting to feel like where I grew up, everyone knowing everyone.”
“Small towns tend to be like that,” Mason says. “How long are you in town for?”