Page 32 of Just Can't Fall for the Enemy

“Aww,” Carmen said from behind me. When I whirled around, ready to hiss at her, she shrugged an apology and bolted for her room.

“Thanks,” I said, accepting them while examining the buds closely. “I’ve always wanted a vase full of spotted knapweed.”

He chuckled. “Those aren’t flowers, are they?”

“Not in the least, city boy.” I couldn’t hold back a smile now. “I’ll put them in water anyway. Want to come inside?”

He glanced at the corner where Carmen now hid, her eyes barely visible in the dark hallway. “Actually, would you like to go for a drive? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

My heart flipped again. Whatever the topic of conversation was, he didn’t look too serious. More like apologetic. “If you don’t mind that I’m wearing my painting outfit.”

He grinned and held out his arm, which I took. “A classic. I left mine at the hotel, unfortunately.”

“I’m happy to help create a new one.”

“I’m sure you are. Maybe I’ll take you up on that sometime.” He closed the door behind me, and we headed for his car. “It’s pretty late, so I thought we could drive around your neighborhood and talk.”

“Huckleberry Creek’s Hillside Park Homes,” I said in my best announcer voice. “The ultimate travel destination.”

He opened the door and held it for me as I slid inside—swoon—and soon we were off. His leather seat contoured to my body perfectly and the interior smelled like oiled leather and mint gum. I kept my hands folded against my chest while he drove. To his credit, he didn’t seem bothered by it.

“I know about your parents,” he finally said.

“Carmen?” I guessed wryly.

“Sort of, yeah. Don’t be upset with her. I wouldn’t let her go until I had answers.”

“Answers as to why I acted the way I did.” Looking back on our earlier conversation, I could understand his bewilderment. I’d been so overwhelmed with emotion, I couldn’t deal with the firehose of feelings that washed over me simply from being in his presence. It had all been too much.

He looked at me, the passing streetlight illuminating half his face. “I was an idiot to be so insensitive about the cemetery. It should have occurred to me that would be a difficult place for you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Truly.” And I meant it. “It’s just the timing of all this. Tuesday is the tenth anniversary of the day Sheriff Woodhouse showed up at my door to tell me my parents wouldn’t be returning. It’s been a hard memory to shake these past few days.”

“I’m amazed you’ve handled it as well as you have considering the circumstances. I can’t imagine how painful that was. My parents are both still alive, though they’ve been divorced since I was three and I barely see either one. I would have been devastated to lose them both at the same time, especially as a teenager.”

“My grandma moved in with me, but, yeah. It was hard. Staying here in the same house, walking by their room for those first few months? And then there was graduation and not seeing them in the audience . . . so hard. They were nowhere and everywhere at the same time—the backs of strangers’ heads on the bus, the whispers in the movie theater, the echoes of memories wherever I looked. I came home from school once after I got a part in the school play and called for my mom so I could tell her. She didn’t answer. It took me half a minute to remember she never would.” I took a shuddering breath. What was it about Tanner that brought out all my secrets? I hadn’t even told this to Carmen.

“So you feel like you can’t leave now,” Tanner said.“Because your being here was what your parents wanted.”

His voicing my thoughts so accurately, and being the first person I knew who truly saw what I kept hidden in the deepest recesses of my soul, left me speechless for a moment. I fought for control and won, managing to keep the tears at bay and the pain hidden away once again, deep inside where it belonged.

“I know it sounds silly,” I said, too lightly. “Grammy moved back to Florida to help her arthritis, but I wouldn’t go—not when it meant leaving my safe haven and my family.”

“And then that jerkface of a date insulted them at the restaurant, which led me to you,” he said, his voice soft.

I met his gaze. The cocky travel show host was completely gone. All that remained was a man whose eyes were open, honest, and vulnerable. A man whosawme. Not the person I wanted the world to see, but the real me. Even better, he was showing me who he really was too. He’d taken the first step toward me and waited now, watching to see if I would take a step toward him. Not pushy but hoping. Waiting. Not at all the man I thought I’d met that first night.

I’d been wrong about him. Tanner Carmichael was as far from Alan as a man could possibly get.

“As interesting as my neighborhood is,” I said, “there’s something I want to show you.”

Fourteen

She directedus toward the national park. I was grateful I’d charged my car this afternoon. By her somber expression, this would be no casual drive. When we reached the entrance booth and the gate blocking the road, she slid out and unlocked it, swinging it open so I could pass. Then she secured it again, plopped into her seat, and slammed the door closed. “Follow this road for three miles and make a right at the fork.”

I followed her directions for nearly fifteen minutes, climbing upward all the while. She opened the window and pulled the hairband from her ponytail, letting her hair fly behind her in the crisp fall air. The wind held a deeper chill than at the harvest carnival earlier, but she didn’t seem affected by it.

Finally, she told me to park at the side of the road. When we got out, she took my hand. “This way.”

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