and Cheryl were both grinning like idiots.
“Yeah, I’m definitely going to go with ‘not a bad surprise’ for my final answer,” Judy said.
Cheryl turned Bree around so Bree’s back was to her.
“What are you doing?” Bree said as she felt the knot of her apron loosen.
“Dan’s basically been running the whole restaurant by himself for the last half hour anyway. We don’t need you here.” Cheryl pushed her gently between the shoulder blades back toward the front of the restaurant. “You’ve got a gorgeous man out there who couldn’t bear to wait one more hour to see you. Go get changed out of your work clothes. Whatever his surprise is, you want it.”
It didn’t take Bree long to figure out where they were going, and the last of her tension eased away. He was taking her to her favorite place on the planet: the ranch Tanner shared with his brother, Noah, about thirty minutes outside Risk Peak.
She’d stayed here when she’d been on the run, and it was impossible not to fall in love with this place. Horses and quiet and mountains. No people ever around except for Noah, who rarely made his presence known at all.
She and Tanner usually came here on the weekends. He’d taught her how to ride and care for the horses. But they’d never come in the evening.
Her heart clenched a little as he led her around the house. Of all her memories of the twins, waking up and seeing them both outside in Tanner’s big, capable arms as he walked and showed them the horses was forever ingrained in her psyche.
“Hey, what’s that sad look for?”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Just... Beth and Christian. I miss them.”
“Have you Skyped this week?” He took her hand, his long fingers stretching securely over hers.
She nodded. “Of course. Melissa and Chris know if they don’t call me as scheduled, I’ll never let them hear the end of it. But it’s just not the same.” She couldn’t help her little sigh. “They’re happy and safe and together as a family, and I want that for them.”
“But you miss them.”
“Crazy, right? They were never mine to begin with.” She’d tried to warn herself of that, but those babies had stolen her heart.
“Not crazy at all. But maybe my surprise will help make it better.” He led her over to his barn.
“Did you guys get a new horse?” Now, that would be a wonderful surprise. Bree loved interacting with all the animals here, since she’d never had any sort of pet growing up.
“Better.” He took her hand and pulled her toward a stall in the far corner.
She rounded the doorway so she could see and couldn’t stop her near squeal of pleasure. “Corfu had her puppies!”
“And one is yours, if you want it.”
“Really?” It was all she could do not to jump up and down and clap her hands. She knew she was acting like an idiot but couldn’t help it.
A puppy.
It wouldn’t be the same as having the twins, but it would be a puppy. And it would be hers.
Tanner took her hand and led her closer to Corfu—a mixed-breed dog who’d just shown up on the ranch a year ago. “They’re nearly a week old already, since Noah didn’t see fit to mention the fact that Corfu had given birth to me until yesterday.”
The four pups were lying snuggled next to Corfu, who lifted her head and sniffed at Bree as Bree crouched beside her.
“Is it okay to pet her?”
Tanner crouched down, too. “Sure. She knows you’re her friend.”
Bree scratched the dog’s head gently, smiling as she leaned into Bree’s fingers.
“They’re so little!” She touched one gently. “Which one is mine?”
“There are three boys and one girl. You’ll have to decide.”
“Boy,” she said instantly. “I want that one. I’ll name him Star.” She pointed to the one in the middle—black, with a large white spot on its head.
Tanner laughed softly and scooped the puppy up. “I’m afraid you’ll have to make a tough decision.”
“Is he already spoken for?” It was ridiculous to be disappointed. Any puppy would be great.
“No, you just can’t have a boy pup and this one. Star is a girl.” He held the pup out to her.
“A girl,” Bree breathed then smiled, taking the tiny pup in her arms. “Of course you’re a girl. You’re a beautiful, sweet girl, and we’ll be best friends.”
They played with the pups a few more minutes before Tanner said they should let Corfu and the babies rest.
“I can’t take her with me tonight?” The thought of having the pup around in her apartment that always seemed too quiet was so appealing.
Tanner slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they walked out of the barn and toward his house. “It’ll be another five weeks before she’s weaned. No sleepovers until then.”
Five weeks wasn’t that long. Hell, before a couple of months ago, she’d spent years without talking to anyone or having any human contact. Surely she could survive a little over a month without a dog.
He spun her around to face him as they got to his house. “It’s been harder than you’ve let on, hasn’t it? Being by yourself.”
She shrugged. She didn’t want to be a whiner. “I was by myself for a lot of years, even before my mother died. Seems silly to complain about it now when I’m finally not alone.”
He took a step closer, his hands dropping to her waist. “I know I’m not as cute as those twins, but you really aren’t alone. I’m always here if you need me.” His forehead dropped against hers. “Okay?”
She couldn’t worry about anything when Tanner was this close. All she could do was breathe in the scent of him, woodsy and fresh and undeniably male.
She rose up onto her toes when his lips moved toward hers. Her mind might work like a computer, but her body was all woman when she was around him. She shivered as his thumb brushed over her jaw, then felt like she was melting out of her own skin as he kissed the side of her mouth before running his tongue over her lower lip.
He kissed her gently like that until she couldn’t stand it anymore and she threaded her hands into his hair at his nape and pulled him hard against her. She gasped as the pleasure radiated through her, heard him groan and knew he was feeling the same. They both surrendered to the heat between them, lost in sensation.
When
