Page 107 of Well Played

I took a deep breath. “I have to be—for Alex. This is the last I’m gonna speak of it, Harper. As soon as I get off the phone with you, I’m letting it go for the rest of this trip.”

“You need me to come down?” she asked.

“No. Of course, I’d love to see you, but I have to do this on my own. Even if it kills me, I’ll force myself to move on.”

She sighed. “If you change your mind, I’ll be on the next plane, okay?”

A friend who’d hop a plane just to make you feel better is definitely a keeper.

“Thanks, Harp. I love you.”

***

A couple of days later, it was back to reality after Alex and I returned to The Palm Inn. The trip had turned out exactly as I’d wanted. I’d done the best I could, giving Alex all of my attention as we toured Myrtle Beach. We spent a lot of time together in the water, ate at the local restaurants, had ice cream, and browsed all the shops.

Being back home, though, reignited the emptiness of realizing Levi was gone.

Tanner walked into the kitchen as I was putting away groceries. I hadn’t gone shopping since before Levi left and had badly needed to restock the pantry.

“How about we drop Alex off at my mother’s tonight and go out to dinner, just you and me?” he suggested.

I paused before making an excuse, which wasn’t entirely a lie. “We just got back. I kind of feel like being a homebody for a little while.”

He nodded, looking a bit deflated. “Well, then, we can have a date nightin. I’ll cook something for us? Give you a break if you’re tired?”

His use of the worddateforced me to take a more direct approach.

“Tanner, I’ve already told you where things stand for me. Nothing has changed. We’re co-parents, but that’s it. Not to mention, my focus right now needs to be on the grand opening next week, and Alex starting school soon.” I shut the pantry door. “But even if those things weren’t happening, I’m not interested in a romantic relationship with you anymore. I thought I made that clear.”

He grimaced. “Oh, you did. But I can’t give up without a fight. You mean too much to me. I’ll be trying from time to time, fully expecting to get shot down for a while. And you know what? All things considered—the mistakes I’ve made in the past—this is to be expected. But I won’t give up on you, Presley. I willnotgive up on us. You and Alex are the most important people in the world to me. Every day from now on is a step toward earning your trust back.” He took a few steps closer. “In the meantime, I’m here to help you. Tell me what you need from me. I’m on your side, on your team. Put me to work, and we’ll make this the most kickass grand opening this town has ever seen.”

***

Over the week that followed, Tanner definitely turned out to be a man of his word. He’d done so much to help me, from tending to Alex to deep cleaning the rooms in preparation for our guests.

In just a few days, people would start arriving to stay at The Palm Inn, and tonight was the grand-opening party. We’d invited the local press and arranged for prepared food to be brought in. Two of the reporters would even be spending the night in the recently renovated bedrooms in exchange for write-ups about the inn.

I was getting the kitchen ready for the caterers when Tanner and Alex walked in from back-to-school shopping. Alex carried a bunch of bags to his room while Tanner joined me in the kitchen. I knew I couldn’t have focused and been ready for the party tonight if Tanner wasn’t here paying attention to Alex. I was more grateful for his presence by the day.

“How’s my girl?” Tanner shook his head and corrected himself. “I’m sorry. Old habit.”

I sprayed the counter and wiped it down as he came up behind me.

“You’re so tense, Presley. You need to relax.”

The next thing I knew, Tanner’s hands were firmly around my shoulders. He dug his fingers into my muscles, massaging. As inappropriate as this seemed, I closed my eyes and relished the feel of the tension releasing from the base of my neck.

For a moment, as I closed my eyes, I imagined it was Levi touching me. My body stirred before I snapped out of my trance and pulled away.

Letting out a breath, I said, “Thank you.”

I swiftly exited the kitchen—and ran into a smirking Fern in the hallway.

“Feeling refreshed?” she cracked.

Great.I could only imagine what that had looked like in the kitchen. But I couldn’t be concerned with her assumptions right now.

I walked right past her, went straight to my room, and shut the door before lying down on the bed. My body buzzed from the massage—not because it had been Tanner’s hands on me, but because being touched reminded me of everything I still longed for.

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