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“Sure was. Turns out, I am pretty good at it,” I say with a smirk, then I wrap a hand around her waist and pull her body back into mine. We stand toe to toe, our heads close, and I take a moment to really look at her.
“How are you feeling, baby girl?” I ask her as I rub up and down her back. The tour group followed us in, and while I see them gawking at us, I couldn’t care less.
“Better. Physically, much better,” she says, her eyes on mine.
“And mentally?” I ask, eager to see where her head is at.
“Mentally, I don’t want to think about it anymore. I think about who it was and why every minute of every day and I am tired. I have no idea, nothing,” she says, her tone soft but frustrated, and I nod. I know she has been because I have been doing the same.
“Another thing that’s been on my mind, though…” She pauses, and it makes me a bit nervous, but then her smile takes over her whole face. “I can’t believe you flew my mom in and got me those incredible flowers.” She is looking at me like I hung the moon for her. “Thank you somuch, Tanner. For everything.” Running her hands up my arms, they settle around my neck as she leans in.
“Anytime,” I tell her, kissing her on the lips and almost getting lost in the way she feels, but then I hear the tour group’s chatter. Pulling back, I press one more quick kiss on her cheek, then walk us past the group. I don’t want to get negative reviews for passionately kissing and offering them a show.
The tasting room is packed full of people, and then the restaurant is also full to the brim, everyone sampling, eating, and buying. Heads turn to look at us as we walk through. I am well known for the whiskey, but I don’t jump into the spotlight too much. A few people come to introduce themselves, and one family even asks for a photo. I don’t make a habit of being here, so my presence is a novelty to our restaurant staff, who are all smirking at me. All the while, Victoria smiles wide, taking it all in.
I try to see it all from her eyes. The footprint of the property is massive, the warehouse and bottling facility not anywhere I have even taken her yet, and I appreciate that the business I have built is not like anything she has ever seen before. I watch as her gaze sweeps over everything, the smile never leaving her face, and I notice the admiration and pride within that expression. It makes me feel like a king.
I am proud of two things in my life. My son and my whiskey, and getting to share that with her makes me the luckiest guy in the world.
35
VICTORIA
Ihave been on edge all week. I jump at every noise. I have barely slept. I am scared to get into a vehicle. Thank God my mom was here; otherwise, I wouldn’t have left the house. The fact that she forced me to go outside and to get into cars has been what has helped. I didn’t disclose my uneasiness to her, but she just knew. Mother’s instinct, I guess. Pushing me to face the fears so they don’t consume me was overwhelming, but I am glad she did.
Plus, I got to spend the week with her, all thanks to Tanner. But I missed him. Missed his protectiveness, the way he just seems to know what I need and when. Even though I saw him every day, ensuring that Mom and I had everything we needed, including taking us to town and driving us around, I didn't have him in my bed at night, and he was respectful in front of my mother, stealing little kisses but otherwise being the perfect gentleman. My mother swooned hard and approved of him, something she never really did with Josh, I now realize.Although who wouldn’t approve of the man who had his private jet collect her and bring her promptly to me, pay for everything while she was here, as well take such good care of her daughter? I have never seen my mom smile so wide, her stresses seemingly disappearing more and more as the week went on.
I watch him like a king in his kingdom here at the distillery, smiling as his customers ask for a photo, people shaking his hand and whispering as he walks past them. He stands tall, obviously proud, the leader he is, and I want to jump his bones. I am so turned on by his passion, his abilities, his smarts, tenacity, and discipline. Not to mention, he dropped all of this at a moment's notice to help me. The week of having him near, but not near enough, has my body on edge. I may bake cookies for the townspeople for their help, but I plan on returning the favor to Tanner in a completely different way.
“You’re staring,” he murmurs to me with a sexy-as-sin smirk, like he knows exactly what I am thinking. I blink a few times as I gaze up at him, coming back out of my thoughts.
“There is a lot of you to look at,” I say cheekily, and he chuckles, taking my hand in his again. The smell in the restaurant is amazing, and when he drags me outside to the courtyard, the tables out here are full as well. It is clearly popular, and I see a few locals, but most people are unfamiliar.
“It is busy like this most days of the week. Tourists book us out months in advance.” He leads me through to a small cottage garden. The flowers are breathtaking, the aroma instantly hitting me, and I inhale deeply.
“This is beautiful,” I tell him, looking around at manicured boxed hedges, roses, daisies, lavender, and wildflowers. You name it, it is here.
“Connor and I planted this for my mom. When she was alive, this was her favorite spot. She used to sit here and read or knit. Like her own little private space away from the craziness of life.”This man.
We stick to the path that takes us through a thick, high hedge, privacy signs erected near the walkway as we move through a gate. It is clear that this is now his private land, not for the tourists or anyone else. I look around everywhere, not wanting to miss a thing, and I see nothing but expansive manicured lawn, the grass a vibrant green, and sitting right on it is a luxury log cabin.
“This is my place. Connor has one too, just over there.” He points to the left, and I see one that is almost identical a few hundred yards away. The grass between the two is vast, green, and pristine. Whoever does their landscaping is an expert, that is for sure. I take another deep breath in and feel my shoulders relax. It is quiet, the place surrounded by tall, thick hedges, which also hide what I think is a fence. It is like his own garden oasis; you can’t even hear the activity of the distillery from here anymore.
“This is amazing…” I say in awe. I turn to look around, spotting the top of my house in the distance. “Look! There I am!”
“I can see you from my porch,” he says, opening the front door and leading me inside. It is darker here and my eyes adjust. It is exactly how I imagined Tanner's place to be. Very rugged, large, and masculine. He hasvery high ceilings and oversized windows, the place made from dark timber that’s brightened by the clear blue sky shining in. I spot his kitchen over to the side, clean, polished, with every amenity you would expect. It is luxe. Just like the man who owns it.
“Is this the kind of decor most ranches around here have?” I ask him, thinking about the project I am undertaking with Griffin. After I recovered for a few days, I got back to Griffin by email to let him know that I would take on the job. I have started a Pinterest board, but seeing Tanner’s place now, it makes me think a little harder.
“I guess a ranch is just like any other home. It needs to take into consideration the people who will live in it, but I think a place like Whispers has a certain style. You need to bring the outside in a little,” he offers, and it makes sense. It is a nice vibe, most definitely welcoming, warm, but also secure and strong. I look at Tanner, who is watching me closely. The two feelings should be a little contradicting, but they aren’t. They work perfectly.
“I have taken a job with Griffin,” I blurt out, having not told him anything about it yet. The whole car accident derailed my news.
“You have?” he asks, surprised.
“He needs help doing the interior of a new ranch build here in Whispers. I started working on it this week.”
“You did, huh?” He smiles as I basically bounce on my toes with excitement.
