Authors: Aubree Lane
She
passed through the entrance of Granite Gates Estates and the smile that had been forming on her lips was wiped clean off. Tanner stood next to a little red car, and he was holding the charming, blonde, doe-eyed lovely in his arms.
Cara
stopped abruptly so she could spy on the parting couple. She bent over and placed her hands on her knees. She gazed down at her shoes, and hoped it looked as if she was trying to catch her breath. Her lungs were burning and Cara knew she it wouldn’t be hard to achieve the desired effect.
The
couple shared an easy and genuine affection. Tanner tousled the young woman’s hair when she ducked inside her car.
The blonde smack
ed his hand for mussing it.
Tanner
told her to drive safely as she closed the door.
She
powered her window down and told him to stop worrying.
He replied that he would always worry.
The young woman scoffed.
As her car pulled away from the curb Tanner
called out that he loved her.
Strands of her wispy hair
blew out the window as she picked up speed and the sweet young thing waved.
Then the
strangest thing happened. As the woman drove past Cara she made eye contact, definite eye contact. Like they knew each other. Then the young woman smiled. The girl’s pearly whites gleamed almost as brightly as the lake and left Cara baffled. She swiped a trickling band of sweat off her brow and raised a confused hand in reply.
When the little red sports car turned out of the drive
, Cara shook her head and began an easy cool down around the complex.
The
moment Tanner saw her, a big smile flashed across his face and he waved her over. She didn’t want to, but she found herself beating a trail toward his location. The man obviously worried about the blonde beauty’s welfare and had even proclaimed his love. Regardless of the attraction Cara felt for the man, there was no way she was going to get in the middle of their relationship.
She was no Blackjack
Barbie.
She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
Cara felt her respect for the man plummet. He had turned out to be just as bad as Duncan. The moment his girlfriend was out of sight, he was smiling in her direction and was probably about to continue the flirtation they began the previous night.
Tanner
fell into step alongside her.
“So,” Cara began as casually as possible, “she spent the night.”
Tanner nodded. “By the time we made it home from the gala it was too late for her to head back to Los Angeles. It was nice to be able to spend some alone time with her this morning. She had a blast dancing and carousing last night. I haven’t seen her smile like that in a long time. Thank you, it was a great event.”
Tanner clearly was not the jealous type. He obviously enjoyed the fact that his date had a good time
, and it didn’t seem to matter that it wasn’t exclusively with him. Then they spent the morning together
alone
.
Translation: They
’d had sex.
Yet
, here he was smiling his sexy smile and flashing his baby blues like there was no tomorrow. He was not like any man she had ever met before. Did TJ Reed play it fast and easy with every woman’s emotions?
Cara was more confused than ever
. He hadn’t appeared to be the least bit jealous as he watched Duncan hold his date in his arms, or as their bodies pressed tightly together. Tanner hadn’t flinched when Duncan charmed her with his attentive eyes and seductive smile.
Cara shook her head. Just now, TJ and the blonde
appeared to be on solid ground. Having morning sex and expressing a caring goodbye were all good signs of a healthy relationship.
Maybe they weren’t exclusive. Maybe the addition of a few lovers spiced it up for them. Cara didn’t pretend to understand
the infatuation of having an open relationship. Having Duncan bring home his sex partners hadn’t done a thing for her, except make her question herself down to the core.
Cara shook her head and regained
her focus. “When she drove past right now, she waved at me like she knew who I was. Do I know her?”
“I pointed yo
u out at the gala, then again when you ran by earlier.” He shot her a sly grin. “I hope you don’t mind, but I told her about our moment yesterday. She’d like to meet you.”
Cara stop
ped dead in her tracks. The thought of Tanner standing alongside her at the railing had filled her mind, but there was no way she would ever share her man again! “Of course I mind!” Cara couldn’t imagine what he could be thinking. She shuddered at the implication of what his girlfriend wanting to meet her actually meant. She had to know if what she suspected was true. “Are you asking me to have a three way with the two of you?”
Tanner stop
ped and blinked hard several times. Then he shook his head repulsed. “No! Why would you think that?”
“
The two of you obviously have a close relationship. I’m sure you’ve read all about me and Duncan. You probably think we did that sort of thing all the time. Why else would your girlfriend want to meet the woman you flirted with last night?”
Tanner’s entire body began to shake.
A smile spread out over his face, and his head began to bob. The laughter that followed was full bodied and warm. It took Tanner a while to regain his composure. The only thing that kept Cara from continuing on with her cool down was because it felt like he was laughing at her, and she didn’t understand why.
When his mirth finally sputtered to a stop, he
said, “I think there have been a few misconceptions building between us. How about we start from scratch and get to know each other without any preconceived ideas.” He reached out his hand and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m TJ Reed. Despite what Beth Rainy has led you to believe, I am your landlord.” He took the hand Cara had left hanging and pointed down the empty road. “That irritating girl in the little red Corvette is my baby sister, Erin.”
Cara stop
ped and blinked several times. A moment later she rolled her eyes skyward and continued on with her jog. She held up a halting hand to prevent him from joining her, but turned back after she put some distance between them. “I think we should have dinner sometime.”
Tanner’s smile grew wide
and he called back with delight, “How about tomorrow night?”
Cara glanced back over her shoulder. “Make it Tuesday and you’ve got a deal.”
“Tuesday it is, Cara Lee.”
As Cara’s pace too
k her further away, she could not believe Tanner had called her Cara Lee. That’s what her father called her right before one of his lectures. She hoped her tool-man didn’t make a habit of calling her that. TJ was nothing like her father, and she certainly didn’t want to be reminded of dear ol’ dad while she was with him.
Cara slowed to a walk. If she was Cara Lee to him,
then he would be Tanner to her. Besides, Tanner sounded much more eloquent than TJ. After all, he was a property owner, not a department store.
The look on his face and the sound of his laughter was priceless. It had been worth making a fool out of herself for the joy of seeing that smile.
Unlike his little sister, Tanner’s smile had been genuine. The shallow grin on Erin’s face reminded her of Duncan, and Cara crossed herself at the thought.
~~~**~~~
Lunch time Tuesday her divorce was final, and once again Cara was on top of the world. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders to no longer be Duncan Alexander’s blind wife. A new sense of power and freedom rocked her world. She knew one of the main reasons behind her jubilation was spelled, T-A-N-N-E-R. Cara woke up with thoughts of the man in the Armani suit sweeping her off her feet, and went to sleep with fantasies of her tool-man’s tight, firm, backside climbing a ladder as he replaced fascia board riddled with dry rot. Cara didn’t know which man she liked better, but if things worked out with Tanner, she wouldn’t have to choose.
Their first date was only hours away and
she couldn’t wait for the afternoon to end. Having a paper signing celebratory freedom lunch with Leah had been planned weeks ago, now it had the added benefit of making the time go by faster.
Cara
pushed through the door of one of her favorite Tahoe City restaurants, Jake’s on the Lake. She quickly waved off the hostess by pointing towards the outdoor dining area indicating she was meeting someone. Leah was sitting on the deck, which overlooked their beautiful sapphire lake. The cumulonimbus clouds over the mountains were billowing up high in the sky. It was a warm day. As the heated air was forced up the side of the mountain, Cara knew the cooler air would sink. She could feel the unstable air mass forming and was certain they were in for a late afternoon thunderstorm or two.
As Cara drew closer
, she put on her game face. She had known Leah too long to successfully hide something as monumental as her growing infatuation with Tanner. No one ever had to guess what Cara was thinking. Her face was an open book, and in this gambling town she had never been able to bluff or fake her way out of anything.
“Hey girl!
” Cara hailed as she rounded Leah’s chair and pulled her in for a quick hug. She hid her face in Leah’s shoulder and inhaled the scent of sweet peach blossoms in the waves of Leah’s chestnut hair. She kept her sunglasses on to hide the sparkle in her eye and to hopefully prolong the inevitable conversation about Tanner.
Leah handed Cara a mimosa in celebration. “Congratulations
, single sister!” She tipped her own glass in salute. “To Greene-r pastures, my friend.”
Cara
giggled. This moment had been a long time coming. She tinked their glasses together and gave a happy cheer, “Go Greene!” Cara brought the glass to her lips and let every last drop of the sweet sparkling wine and tangy orange juice slide down her throat.
Leah stud
ied her face intently. She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her gaze. “So, how does it feel, Ms. Greene?”
Cara could not stop the devilish curl on her lips.
Leah shook her head. “Okay! Spill it! What’s going on? Take off those shades and start talking.”
“What?
” Cara protested. “I’m just happy because my divorce is final.” Cara knew she was busted. They had been friends too long to have secrets. Cara’s body felt like she had just unloaded about five years of burdensome baggage and she could not stop smiling.
“Cara! Tell me!” Leah demanded.
Needing just a bit more liquid courage before she dished out the details, Cara reached out and relieved Leah of her untouched mimosa. “Well,” she began, “I have a date tonight.”
That wa
s all Cara was able to get out before Leah jumped in. “What? Who? Your divorce was just finalized. Is it the judge? The court reporter? I know it’s not your lawyer, he’s as old as your dad!” Leah tilted her head and shot her a sheepish grin. “The bailiff and his handcuffs could be fun.” She grabbed Cara’s hands and shook them excitedly. “Who? I can’t believe this. The ink hasn’t even dried on your signatures! I want details, all of them. Talk!”
Cara smiled shyly and played with the stem of
her glass. She wanted to torture her friend by giving out as few details as possible, but it all came tumbling out in rapid succession. “He’s a little hard to figure out, but I can’t stop thinking about him. I feel like I’m back in college. I get so excited when I see him. I even get a little jealous when he talks to other women. I’ve only known him for a short time, but there’s something about him. This gorgeous man is distracting in a big way.”
Leah held up her hand. “Slow down. Doe
s this distraction have a name?”
Cara drew in a breath
and blew out the crowning clue with an airy sigh, “You went to high school with him.”
Leah’s face froze and her eyes
went wide with surprise. “Tanner Reed?” Leah’s head shook in the negative. “Are you serious?”
A perplexing frown crossed Cara’s brow
. Leah didn’t sound happy. “Yes, Tanner James Reed, my tool-man. Why?”
“Your t
ool-man?” Leah instantly waved off her question. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. You remember I told you he was a widower, don’t you?”
Leah’s voice trailed off and Cara felt a growing sense of unease.
“What are you trying to say?”
Leah
bit her lower lip and filled her in. “It was awful. It made all the news. Kate was killed in a single car accident out on the highway towards Truckee. She hit some black ice. Her car went off the road and hit a tree. None of us have seen much of Tanner since.” Leah leaned back in her chair and crunched down on a breadstick and waited for Cara to respond.
Cara didn’t know what to do with this new information. She
had known he was a widower, but hadn’t really considered the fact that he used to love another woman. “That’s so sad about his wife.”