Page 44 of Just Can't Fall for the Enemy

I became fully and painfully aware of everywhere our bodies touched—his chest against mine, our stomachs, his hand pressed against my lower back, holding me against him—and my heart pounded like I’d just run a race. My legs even betrayed me by shaking like a lovesick schoolgirl.Come on, brain. Work.

I forced myself to look him right in the eyes. “And what about the future?”

Tanner sighed. “Well, you see, I was going to charm you with my wiles and overpriced sandwiches and warm you up to the idea, but since we’re on the subject . . . my invitation still stands. But you don’t need to answer yet. We have a few things to work out first.”

He didn’t have to explain what he meant by that. His ex-fiancée was in town, and he’d spent the day ignoring her and trying to win me back—me, who he’d known for five days. Surely that counted for something.

There was just one more problem . . . a gigantic one.

“And what about Olivia’s accusations?” I said quietly. “The other women. Saying she knows who you really are and I don’t.”

He took a step back, but his hands slid down my arms to take my hands so we didn’t break contact. “Come on. Let’s sit for this.”

We made our way to the blanket. He took a seat and patted the spot next to him. I broke free of his touch—it muddled my brain—and sat as far from him on the blanket as I could, folding my legs and facing him warily.

He noted my posture, a glint of disappointment in his eyes, and plunged on. “I’ve never talked to anyone about this before. Not even my brother, who knows pieces of it.”

I nodded.

“I told you my parents divorced when I was three. What I didn’t tell you was that my father had a string of girlfriends when I was younger. Typical story. My mom took the opposite route, refusing to date and rejecting men entirely. She turned all her attention to us and never remarried. We weren’t allowed to discuss Dad at all. I think she secretly hoped he would come crawling back, but he never did.”

That sounded terrible. “How sad.”

He looked down at his hands. “You’d think I would have learned from my dad’s mistakes. I did see the pain he caused. But I spent a summer with him once and saw the world through his eyes. He believed that true happiness was always elsewhere, away from home, just out of reach. He found glimpses of it with many women rather than a single person he promised to love forever. Both of my parents seemed miserable, so I wasn’t sure who was right. I’ll admit that I met lots of women during my travels and found plenty of fleeting glimpses myself, but nothing substantial. So when Olivia came along, I decided my dad’s way was wrong and I was ready to commit.” He released a long sigh. “I was, but she wasn’t. I bought us a house and found a buyer for my channel so I could be with her on the road. That deal was almost final when I surprised her with the house. She just stared at the keys for a minute and called everything off, right then and there.”

I stared at him, swallowing back the tightness in my throat. “So you felt that your dad’s way could be right after all, that choosing one woman could only lead to heartbreak. And you returned to your old life.”

“I tried, but that way of life went stale pretty quick. Those women left me feeling emptier than before. Although I’ve met plenty since then, I haven’t been with a woman in almost a year.”

I nodded, resisting the urge to brush my hand along his frown and the thickening stubble that surrounded it. “That’s why you left your family behind. You’ve been traveling ever since, trying to find happiness where your parents failed.”

“I’ve been avoiding going home because I’d have to face the fact that I’ve become my father.” He paused and chuckled to himself. “It’s funny, actually. I was thinking about my dad, feeling sorry for myself while sitting in this cheap Italian restaurant one night, when the woman in the next booth picked me up, slapped me in the face, and turned my life upside down—which, ironically, put it right-side up again.” He reached out to place his hand over mine.

I didn’t pull it away. In fact, despite what he’d just told me, I wanted to take both of his hands. “Interesting. That’s not the way I remember it.”

“It’s exactly what happened.”

“If I’m to be accused of slapping you, I’d prefer to actually do it. Because it would have felt really good a few hours ago.” My tone was playful, but my smile was real. I could almost see the walls between us crumbling. In my heart, I felt the truth of his words. Tanner Carmichael had opened his soul for me alone, and I really liked what I saw there.

His chuckle turned into an easy laugh. “I can’t imagine moving on without you, Sophie. Exploring this town with you has been the best time I’ve ever had. But I have to admit that getting to know you has been infinitely better. I never knew someone could be a delightful mystery full of unexpected questions to be answered and riddles to solve yet also feel like home.”

“I feel like home to you?” I murmured, feeling drunk in his voice. I wanted him to stop talking and start kissing me already.

“The best home in the world. And I would know.”

At his words, the memory of Alan’s wrecked car and the ambulance reared its head. When I shoved it out of my mind, an image of my parents’ headstone replaced it. All my fears seemed to rise up at once, that shrill internal siren screaming that this wasn’t safe, wasn’t comfortable. This moment felt way bigger than jumping from the top of a waterfall. It felt like climbing onto the biggest airplane in the world with the intention to jump out without a parachute. My shoulders tensed and my heart galloped faster than any palomino.

And it felt glorious. Like a bird who had just discovered her wings and couldn’t wait to use them.

“Then we’d better not make you homeless,” I said meaningfully.

His eyes widened, and he grasped my shoulders. “Please tell me you’re saying what I think you’re saying.”

I nodded.

He brushed his lips on my nose. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the universe.”

“Excuse me. My lips are down here, sir.”

---