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“You got injured. You were outside in a robe and bare feet,rollingin the backyard. Who knows what would have happened if I didn’t turn up!” He steps closer, bringing us almost toe to toe.
“That doesn’t matter. If it wasn’t for your stupid helicopter, none of this would have happened!” I fist my hands tight as his arms cross over his chest. We are going around in circles; it’s ridiculous.
“You shouldn’t be here on your own. A farm is too much…” Shaking his head, he speaks more calmly this time, and I look at him like I want to gut him. Is he implying I can’t handle it?
“I know you want my land. But listen to me, Tanner,and listen good. I. Am. Not. Selling.” I seethe as I point my finger at his very hard chest, and he frowns. Grabbing my finger, he curves his hand around mine, holding it to his beating chest.
“Let’s get to the shower,” is all he says before his familiar strong hands scoop me up, and I loop my arm around his shoulders, feeling the solid muscle and briefly wondering what he looks like underneath his clothes. I huff, not liking relying on him for this as he walks me to the bathroom, then sets me on my feet. The act genuinely takes me by surprise, with the amount of care and attention I am getting.
“Next time, you should wear boots and not be so clumsy,” he says under his breath, and my hackles rise immediately.
“I tripped over something in the backyard,” I push back at him as I flick my dirty hair out of my face.God, what a nightmare.
“It was a surveyor stick.”
My brow crumbles as I look at him.
“How did you…” Realization dawns, and I scowl at him as my fingers grip on to the bathroom door. “You put it there, didn’t you?” I feel my face redden as the pent-up anger I have been feeling toward this man rises within me.
“I did.” He nods, not even lying about it.
“Unbelievable!” I say, slapping my hand on the doorframe, his concern for me now making sense. He wasn’t doing it out of kindness, but rather guilt. “What? How?” Is this a deliberate ploy of his to get my property?
“Over a month ago. Before I knew about you, Iplanned out what I wanted to do with the land. I forgot to remove them when you turned up,” he explains, his expression stern. At least he is being honest.
“I should sue you. I should have you charged with trespassing!” I will never do it, but I’m sulking just the same.
“As I said… that was over a month ago. I forgot about them. They were not placed to harm you on purpose.” He really has the nerve to look grumpier than me right now.
“Well, you can leave. You did your good deed. I am in the bathroom, I am fine,” I say, steeling my spine. I look a hot mess and I need to get cleaned up.
“You are not fine. You can barely walk, you smell like shit, you have boxes outside, and the animals need locking up. Or did you forget the amount of work required to run a farm already?”
My shoulders pull up around my ears, but I don’t say anything because he is right. Instead, I swallow my pride and take a big breath.
Tanner steps back from me and leans against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest again, watching me like a hawk as I slowly close the bathroom door on him. I take a big breath and bite my tongue to push past any pain. I am so angry. This is all his fault. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for him.
15
TANNER
She looks cute when she sulks. Her lips purse and she gets these little lines around her mouth that make me want to kiss them away. When her eyes squint, they get this fire in them that is sexy as fuck. I shake my head, trying to dislodge the thoughts.
Leaving her to shower, I make my way down the stairs. I can’t look at her anymore because I am so pissed off at this entire situation. I rub my chest, because for the first time in a very long time, my heart feels like it is about to lurch out. Either that or I am having a fucking heart attack. I need to move, to expel energy.
The stress and worry about her hurting herself, along with the realization that my plan to own this property is not progressing like it should, has completely pushed me to the edge. But not as much as the new feeling swirling in my stomach, the one that feels like I am about to take flight just thinking about the fact that she is staying.Staying.
I spend the next twenty minutes outside, pulling outthose stupid stakes, and getting her goatGarryand the cow into the barn, as it is almost dusk, and locking up the shed. Then I bring in all the boxes and pile them up against the wall in the dining room where I spot some others. By the looks of things, she has single-handedly supported the entire US economy with her spending.
Walking back outside, I collect her basket of eggs, and as I do, I pick up her cell. It lights up with missed calls, many from a contact namedJosh, and I balk.Is that her fiancé?That thought sits heavy in my gut because it is in direct conflict with the image I have of the slither of her black lace underwear that my eyes snagged on to earlier.
As I get back inside, I place everything on the kitchen counter and look at the time, surprised to see it is already late. The sun is lowering, and I have missed the entire afternoon at the distillery—yet another thing that frustrates me. Lacy will be fuming since I told her I would only be gone for five minutes.
“Tanner!” I hear her yelp out for me. She sounds like she’s in pain, and I run, panicked, up the stairs, moving at the speed of light. I’m not even thinking until I push open the bathroom door and see her gripping on to the vanity for dear life, her body half on the floor.In just a towel. I swear to God, she’s teasing me on purpose.
“Shit. What happened?” I jump into action, swallowing harshly as I try and get my shit together. I help her up so she can stand on her good leg.
“I was turning off the taps. One got a little jammed, and I slipped as I tried to tighten it,” she says quietly, almost resigned. I look at the taps, noticing one still dripping slightly, and I lean in to tighten it off, the act takingsome strength that I know she wouldn’t have in her right now.
