Page 58 of Clean Sweep
I shrugged. “Not even sure what I’m doing for lunch,” I said as I accessed all the messages that Maverick had sent this morning. “Don’t ask me about tonight yet.”
A bevy of text messages followed. Mercedys checking in with me as their flight arrived or asking questions about their arranged drivers. My fingers went to work as I slid into full coordinator mode.
By the time I’d answered all of the initial questions, the tinkle of the door opening came behind me.
I glanced back as Tanner strolled inside. He ran a hand through his hair, dusted with snowflakes, to shake them free. They turned to droplets on the black parka that he wore as he entered the room, clad in a pair of jeans, snow boots, and a quick smile. Stubble had filled out his face, giving him a softer appearance. I wanted to run my fingers down the hollow of his cheek.
Sweet baby pineapple.
I was in trouble.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice ringing with its usual caress. I forced my brain to work and spit out a smile.
“Hey! Glad you made it down the canyon. Roads okay?”
“Not bad, considering. Plows are out.”
He stomped his boots and advanced farther into the shop.
“What’s your poison, boss man?” Dahlia called. “Espresso, cream, no sugar?”
He grinned. “Spot on.”
She fist pumped and grabbed a cup. Thankful for the quick chance she bought me to gather my wits, I let out a deep breath.
“Thanks again for coming,” I said as I tucked my phone back into my coat pocket and reached for my car keys. A mental to-do list had started to overtake my mind. Time to get started and get my mind off his delicious silver-and-black locks of hair.
“My pleasure,” he murmured. “The Mercedy’s are always making history one way or another when they get together. Figured I didn’t want to miss the party.”
See?I wanted to say to Dahlia as I sent her a smug look she couldn’t see.Totally platonic, and platonic is totally safe.
She ignored me and handed Tanner his coffee.
I spun to fully face him. Quick as lightning, his eyes dropped to my feet and rose all the way to my face in an encompassing glance. My breath caught. I had to stop myself from doing the same to him. I’d already drunk in those delicious shoulders packed with muscles and arms I wanted to wrap around me.
I blinked out of those thoughts.
Right.
Time to move the Mercedy party forward and me out of the danger zone of stare-at-Tanner-all-day-and-never-stop.
“The first thing we need to do is head to the lodge and make sure that everyone’s bags get over there from their various hotels, houses, or places they’ve been staying. The Big Cousins are arriving right now in Jackson City.”
“Big Cousins?”
I grinned. “Really important, really rich, cousins from the other side of the country. Mav calls them the Big Cousins. He says that his family doesn’t see them much. Mav’s siblings are all already here so they’re all going to congregate at the Diner as the final people arrive for breakfast. You driving, or am I?”
He held up a ring of keys on one finger.
“I got this.”
I grabbed my folder filled with organized pages, a pen, some highlighters, and followed him out, studiously avoiding Dahlia’s wicked smile the entire time.
12
TANNER
I’d thought I’d seen Leslie in her element the day she coordinated the lunch with Landon and Starla, but that was nothing compared to what I witnessed on Christmas Eve.
