“Six more days.” I chew the inside of my cheek as the reminder makes my skin itch.
“Are you really going to be the third wheel on Tanner’s first-ever date with a woman?” Margret breaks into the moment as she stops at the side of the table to pass Tanner and me the coffees she’s holding.
“Yep.” Mason shrugs; then his eyes drop to her stomach. “How’s Little Miss Orange doing today?”
“She graduated. She’s now the size of a grapefruit,” she tells him, resting her hand on her stomach.
“Just three months left.”
“I know.” She blows out a long breath. “And I still have to take that birthing class.”
“Is Hank going with you?” Mason asks, and Tanner’s muscle tightens under my palm.
“I don’t know—maybe, maybe not.”
“I’ll go if he doesn’t show,” he tells her, and I wonder who Hank is and why the air around us seems to have thickened with tension.
“Mason.” She shakes her head.
“If he bails, I’m taking you, Margret.” His tone brooks no argument, and she nods before looking over her shoulder when his name is called.
“Your to-go order is ready. Do you want me to change it to stay?”
“Nah.” He pushes up to stand. “I have some stuff to take care of.” He leans down and places a kiss on her cheek that causes her face to turn a pretty shade of pink; then he looks at Tanner and me. “Come to the bar for a drink before you head out of town.”
“Sure.” I nod before saying goodbye and turning to watch Margret and him chat near the door.
“Never gonna happen,” Tanner says quietly, and I turn my head to meet his gaze.
“Pardon?”
“Margret and Mason are never gonna happen.”
“Oh.” My heart sinks. “They like each other, though, don’t they?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you never know what might happen.”
“I wouldn’t get my hopes up about that situation, sunshine. He’s one of Blake’s best friends, so he won’t go there, and she’s still fucked up over her ex and praying he pulls his head out of his ass before their daughter comes screaming into the world.”
“Her ex is a jerk?”
“Her ex is a dick,” he says, and my nose scrunches.
“So how was everything?” Margret asks when we stop to pay at the register near the front door after eating.
“Delicious.” I don’t even hesitate to answer. Like Tanner promised, the coffee was a whole lot better than at the place down the street, and I don’t even think I paused to take a breath between bites of pancakes because they were so good.
“So you’ll be back.” She grins at me, then looks at Tanner. “Mom said you two are coming to dinner this week.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Good.” She smiles at me. “And just so you know, Cybil, if you ever need a break from this Neanderthal, I’ll give you my number. We can get lunch and putter around some of the shops down Main Street.”
“I might just take you up on that. A few of the places we drove by on the way here looked cute, and I doubt Tanner would be fond of me dragging him around a dozen shops.” I nudge his shoulder with mine.
“I’m going to have to veto you taking Cybil anywhere alone, since the last time you were out in town without supervision, you broke out the windows in Hank’s truck and poured sugar in his gas tank.”
“Wow, you really have no faith in me.” She bats her lashes. “I’ll have you know the cops said there wasn’t proof that I had anything to do with that incident. Also, that entire situation could have been avoided if Hank was at work where he was supposed to be, instead of taking a woman out on a date.”
“Right.” Tanner sighs while I fight the urge to ask about a million and one questions. Like why the hell she is with Hank and not Mason, who is obviously into her, is clearly paying close attention to her pregnancy, and is willing to go with her to a birthing class.
“Anyway, enough about that.” She locks eyes with me. “Ignore whatever he tells you about me when you two walk out the door, and”—her head dips after she rips off our receipt from the register and jots down her number, handing it to me—“use that if you need me to break you out of Tanner prison. I’ll come help you escape.”
“I’ll call you.” I can’t help my grin as I tuck the piece of paper into the front pocket of my shorts.
“I knew I liked you.” She grins back before turning her attention to a couple who walks through the door, causing the bell to ding. “Duty calls.” She gives us a smile before grabbing two menus from the holder on the counter. As she walks around to greet them, we head out the door.
“I don’t care what you say. I’m going to pray to whatever god is listening that Mason and Margret get together,” I tell Tanner when he opens the door to let me into his truck.
“Why am I not surprised by that?”
“Because girls gotta stick together, and she and Mason are obviously perfect for each other.”
“Cybil . . .” He starts to say more, but I cover my ears with my hands, then watch him shake his head before he shuts my door. When he gets in behind the wheel a moment later, he raises a brow, and I remove my hands. “All right, sunshine, where to now?”
“I’m okay with whatever we do, but I do need to stop by the store to get some body wash and stuff, since I don’t have much, and whatever that bar soap is you have in the shower isn’t going to work for me.”
“Are you going to fill my shower with girly shit?” he questions, reaching over to wrap his hand around the back of my neck and pull me closer.
“Yes, do you have an issue with that?” I ask, slightly breathless, and his eyes scan my face as he seems to ponder the question.
“Not even a little bit.”
“Good,” I say, not having much time to think about the fact that my heart suddenly feels a little too big for my chest as he leans in, covering my mouth with his. As his tongue slides across mine, my thighs press tightly together. I wish we weren’t in his truck.
Or at least not in his truck in a public space outside a busy restaurant.
Chapter 17
TANNER
With Cybil lying on top of me—the softness of her curves pressed against me from chest to thigh—and my eyes to the TV, I settle in the feeling of contentment that only she seems to be able to give me.
“Later on, will you help me wrap my hand for a shower? I did it this morning, but some water got in, so I’m obviously not as good as you are,” she says, and I tip my head down as she places her chin on the back of her hand that’s resting against my chest.
“Sure.” I push her hair back away from her pretty face as her fingers move to my bottom lip. Looking into her eyes, I think back to her comment yesterday about this being so easy. She’s right; this shit between us is easy, from conversation to just being like we are right now, lying out on the couch in the living room, watching a movie. Every moment feels like we’ve done it all before, even though we haven’t, not with each other.