“They should be going out this week. And you’ll be invited, of course. Everybody in town will.” Tanner gave him a short smile.
“And how’s young Savannah getting on? I have to say I was surprised when I heard you’d employed her to manage the place.” Johnny lowered his voice. “Her mom once stole a lot of money from me. I think it’s laudable that you’re trusting her with your business.”
“She’s working out great.” Tanner took a deep breath and checked his watch again, this time making a show of it. “I need to go. Have a good day.”
“Wait!” Johnny grabbed his arm and Tanner did his best not to shudder. “Just keep an eye on her. That’s all. Take it from me. There are certain families around here that would steal the coat off your back if you let them. I always check my staff’s work. Even Regan’s, and she’s so stupid she couldn’t steal money if she tried.”
God, he was odious. “I trust Van implicitly,” Tanner said, shrugging him off.
“Wait! Did you check out that house Regan emailed you? I’ve had a couple of other interested parties.”
“I’m thinking about it,” Tanner told him. Without saying goodbye, Tanner stalked across the pathway, past the bandstand and the benches, to where his car was parked on the far side of the square. Wrenching the door open, he sat down heavily in the driver’s seat and let out a sigh.
Is this what Van dealt with every day? Sneaky words and pointed judgement? People comparing her to her mom? No wonder she wanted to fly under the radar.
He hated that they didn’t see her the way he did.
Switching the ignition on, he pulled from the parking space onto the road, steering his car in the direction of the drive-in. And as the town disappeared behind him, he felt his muscles relax and a slow, steady breath escape from his lips.
Every roll of the wheels took him closer to her, and though it had only been a few hours since he escaped from her room, he couldn’t wait to see her again.
She was worth a hundred of all of them – the judgers and the haters.
She was everything.
And now that he had her, he wasn’t planning on letting her go.
“Hey,” a soft voice broke through her dream, making Van blink her eyes as she sat up in bed. “You fell asleep.”
Tanner was walking across her bedroom, her curtain still swaying from his climb through the window. She stretched her arms up and smiled at him. “What time is it?”
“Only eleven. Am I wearing you out already?” He pulled his shoes off, then his t-shirt, followed by his jeans. She lifted the bedcovers and he climbed in, wearing only his shorts.
“I was up early this morning,” she reminded him. “Thanks to your alarm.”
“Yeah, well Aunt Gina’s getting suspicious. And I can’t stand the way Becca smirks every time she looks at me. I need to get home before any of them are up.”
He pulled her against him, then rolled her over on the mattress, adopting their usual position with him spooning her. His arms were warm, his biceps hard against her sides. She tipped her head back and breathed him in.
“And it doesn’t look at all suspicious when you saunter in at six a.m.? I’m sure you’re fooling every single one of them.”
“You’re the one who insists I leave before the town wakes up,” he pointed out. She could feel him grin against her hair. “And anyway, we won’t have to do this for much longer. I’ve found a place to rent.”
“You have?” She tipped her head back to look at him.
“Yup.” He lifted an eyebrow. “No more sneaking out, no more banging my head every time I climb through your damn window.”
“You should have stopped growing at fourteen. You wouldn’t have that problem then.”
He chuckled. “I might make you climb through my window. Just for fun and giggles.”
“Who says I’m coming to your place?” she asked, biting down a grin. “Maybe I prefer staying here.”
“I say you are,” he told her, pressing his lips to her shoulder. “I can’t sleep without you.”
“Just what every girl dreams of hearing. That she puts the guy she likes to sleep.”
He kissed her neck. “I like the things we do when we’re awake, too.” Sliding his fingers beneath the hem of her tank, he feathered them up her side. He was hard against her, his desire a reflection of her own. He only had to touch her and she felt like she was on fire.