“Right here,” Tanner pointed as we came to a diner on the right. His mom’s diner.
As we entered, I immediately felt at home. This was a true old fashioned Southern diner. There was a long bar at the front where patrons could sit and enjoy a meal. There were red, old timey booths lining the walls. The floor was black and white checkered. I thought places like this only existed in the movies.
“Hey, Momma!” Tanner yelled out as a woman who looked to be in her 60’s came out from behind the counter. Wearing a hot pink apron with a big poodle on it, the woman looked like she had just stepped out of the 50’s. It was like traveling back in time.
“Hey, honey!” The woman planted a big kiss on Tanner’s cheek. For a moment, I had a pang of jealousy that she got to kiss him.
Where did that come from
, I thought to myself.
“Momma, this is my new friend, Shannon Harris. She’s living at the house now. Shannon, this is my mother, Claire,” Tanner made the introductions just like a good Southern gentleman.
“Well, hi there, honey! Give me a hug, that’s how we greet each other up here!” she laughed a hearty laugh as she gave me one of the biggest bear hugs I’d ever had. It made me miss my own mother. There is nothing like a mother’s love.
“Nice to meet you, Claire. You have certainly raised a fine son. And quite a cook,” I said smiling as she continued to hold my hands in hers.
“Oh, yes, he definitely has my cooking skills. He’s a wonderful son,” she said letting go of my hands and putting her arm around his waist. She was a tiny, yet plump, woman with fiery red hair worked up into a bun.
“Thanks, Momma… Listen, do you still have an opening here for a waitress?” Tanner asked.
I could feel the fear welling up inside of me. Was he asking her for me? I had no waitressing experience, and honestly didn’t think I wanted any either.
“Yes, I do actually. I need someone part-time… about 20 hours a week. Why do you ask?”
“I think he is asking for me, Claire. And while I appreciate that, Tanner, I don’t have any waitressing experience…” I started.
“Oh, honey, you don’t need any experience! It’s not exactly rocket science,” Claire said with a deep belly laugh. “Shannon, if you need to think it over, you can just let me know in a couple of days. The pay is $9 an hour, and I would need you to work Monday through Friday from 11 to 3,” Claire said.
“Thank you, Claire. I will definitely consider it. I appreciate your generosity,” I said. She looked at me for a moment as if she was sizing me up.
“You ain’t from around here are you, Shannon?”
“No, ma’m. I am from Atlanta. My husband died recently, and he owned this place so I moved in…” I couldn’t figure out how to explain my strange situation. Suddenly, I felt Tanner’s hand on the small of my back, as if he was supporting me while I explained who I was. I didn’t pull away.
“Momma, you nosy lady, leave the poor girl alone. She may not like to gossip like you do,” Tanner playfully chided Claire.
“Claire! We need you over here. This stupid cash register is acting up again…” called one of the waitresses from behind the counter.
“Sorry, folks, gotta go. Duty calls. Tanner, hon, call me later. I want to get an update from you about Emmy, okay?” she whispered as she hugged Tanner. There was the name Emmy again. I wondered where his daughter was.
“Are you ready to eat?” Tanner asked.
“Yes, I am starving. Shall we get a booth?”
“Yes, we shall, my lady,” Tanner responded mocking my use of the word “shall”.
Tanner chose a booth in the corner of the diner. We sat down across from each other, and I struggled with what to say. I felt that I had already given him way too much information about me. But, it did feel nice to have a man actually listen and try to help me for once.
“Can I ask you something? I mean since I bared my soul to you in the truck,” I asked with a smirk.
“Sure. I’m an open book…” Tanner responded.
Just then, a waitress appeared to take our orders. Tanner ordered cured ham, two eggs over easy and a cup of coffee. I ordered hashbrowns covered in cheese, a waffle and orange juice.
When they waitress finally left, I worked up my courage to ask him about Emmy.
“Your daughter… does she come to visit often?” I asked without looking up.
Tension hung in the air like a thick fog for a few moments. I felt like I may have stepped over some invisible line that shouldn’t have been crossed with a man I had only known for less than 24 hours.
“My daughter is missing. I haven’t seen her in over two years,” he said in the saddest, most defeated tone I had ever heard. I wanted to reach out and take his hand. I wanted to comfort him, but I was too scared to attempt that.
“I am so sorry, Tanner. How… do you know who…” I didn’t know what question to ask him.
“My ex wife… we were divorced when Emmy turned two years old. Not a good situation. My ex got into drugs, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Anyway, we divorced and she got custody of Emmy. I fought her, but it’s hard. The judge thought the mother should have her…” his voice trailed off. I could see the pain in his face, the tears starting to well in his eyes. He choked them back down and continued. “About two years ago, I was supposed to be going back to court for custody. This time I had a good shot at it because Tina, my ex, had been in trouble with police because of drugs. Instead, she didn’t show up to give Emmy to me for visitation and I never saw her again…”
“Oh my, Tanner, I don’t know what to say. Do the police have any leads?”
“We’ve had a few here and there, but somehow Tina gets wind of it and manages to flee. I don’t even know if Emmy is still okay. It’s just very, very hard,” he said looking out the window off into the distance.
There was nothing else I could say at that moment. We sat quietly until the food came.
Chapter 10
Breakfast had been a little bit awkward after Tanner told me about Emmy. I felt so bad for him, this virtual stranger. I wanted to reach out to him like he had reached out to me in the truck, but I didn’t want to lead him on in any way.
Trying to be a friend, I asked him what his plans were for the rest of the day.
“Well, first we had better get you over to the grocery store so that you don’t continue looking for TV dinners in the kitchen,” he said, the smile returning to his handsome, chiseled face.
“Yes, please. I need some fruits and vegetables badly,” I laughed looking down at my less than healthy meal.
“After that, I have some stuff to do on the farm. Maybe you can hang out with me a bit, learn about your new home?” he said with a hopeful grin.
“Sure. I guess I’d better understand about the horses. I know nothing about horses. I’ve never even been on one… Scared of them, actually. I think that’s why John…” I cut myself off not wanting to belabor the point that John was an ass.
“That’s why you think John got the horses? To taunt you?” Tanner asked knowing the answer.
“Yes. But, let’s not waste any more time talking about him. What’s done is done,” I said waving my hand in front of me as if that wiped away years of painful, emotional memories.
We finished our meals and headed back outside onto the sidewalk. Just as I cleared the door and took a step, my heel caught in the crack of the sidewalk sending me tumbling backwards into Tanner’s waiting arms.
This time I almost hit the ground. Tanner was down on one knee and I was facing up looking directly into his rugged face. Time stopped for a moment as I felt my breath catch. Our eyes met and the tension between us was palpable.
A car honked in the square which brought me quickly back to reality… the reality of my life… of my own feminine desires… and my promise to keep them at bay.
“Sor… sorry, Tanner,” I said scrambling back up to my feet. “I am just a klutz today…” I laughed nervously as Tanner stood back up and continued looking right into my eyes.
“You have the most beautiful blue eyes,” he whispered not taking his eyes off me. His eyes were searching mine as if he was looking into my soul. It unnerved me in a way I hadn’t felt before.
“Thank you… So where is that grocery store, anyway?” I asked with another nervous giggle as I looked around the square.
“You really don’t like compliments… or should I say intimate moments… do you?” Tanner asked as we began to walk toward the truck.
“If you had been in a marriage like mine, you wouldn’t like those quiet moments either…” I muttered being careful not to trip over another sidewalk crack.
Geez, don’t they have county funds to fix these sidewalks?
I thought to myself.
“Yeah, well my marriage was short lived. I can’t imagine what you must have gone through,” Tanner said as we reached the truck. “Maybe someday you will tell me more…” he smiled.
“About my marriage?” I asked confused.
“No, about YOU. I’d like to know who you are, Shannon,” Tanner said quietly looking into my eyes again. I was starting to feel a little undone inside. “After all, we are living together,” he said with a chuckle.
“We are NOT living together!” I said smacking him on the arm. Wow, those were nice arms….
“I know, I know… Just a joke. Let me help you up,” he said pointing at the truck door. Without missing a beat, he picked me up in his strong arms again and hoisted me up into the passenger seat. I could have sworn I felt his hand linger a bit longer than necessary on my right butt cheek. I wasn’t going to argue about it, though. The kind touch of a man was foreign to me, but not unwelcome.
After a quick stop at the grocery store to get some essentials, we made it back to the farm. Driving with Tanner was relaxing to me. Even though we had just met, he felt like home. Not just the property. HE felt like home. Younger than me, and obviously from a different background altogether, I knew that I needed to keep my mind away from dreaming up this perfect romance. But, I somehow could not help it.
“Need some help getting down from there, pretty lady?” he said in that Southern accent that made me want to plant a kiss on him.
“I think I’ve got it,” I said gingerly climbing back down out of the truck. “Next time I will wear jeans and boots if I go out with you,” I said.
Go out with you? That was a seriously poor choice of words.
“
You’re planning to go out with me?” Tanner asked raising his eyebrows.
“Bad choice of words… I meant go to town on you… with you, I mean!” I responded trying to sound detached.
“Go to town ON me?” Tanner said laughing.
“Gosh, why are my words so jumbled today?” I said as I moved quickly away from him toward the house.
I keyed the door and made my way to the kitchen as fast as I could. My face was red hot with embarrassment.
“Shannon, it’s okay to have fun and laugh,” Tanner said walking up behind me.
I was poised with my hands on the breakfast bar facing away from him.
“I know it is, but I am not at all used to this,” I said slowly turning around.
“Used to what?” Tanner asked moving closer.
“To a man who is kind to me. To having fun with a man. To a man who calls me ‘pretty lady’ even though I know it doesn’t mean anything. To flirting…” Again, my mouth had overrode my brain as I let the word flirt escape my lips.
“You’re flirting with me?” he asked with his tempting lips quirking into a smile.
“No, you’re flirting with me,” I whispered back making eye contact again.
“Who said I was flirting?” Tanner laughed as he backed up a bit and leaned into a bar stool that was pushed back to the breakfast table.