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When the ceremony was over, Teresa and Gregory stopped at our bench on their way down the aisle. She grabbed Zar first, since he was sitting at the end, and gave him a tight hug before she reached out for me and squeezedfiercely.
“It means the world to me that you’re here,”shesaid.
“I wasn’t gonna miss you getting hitched.” I was glad that I’d forced myself tobehere.
Teresa turned to Nina and pulled her intoherarms.
“Tanner told me all about you,” Teresa said. “Can’t wait to get toknowyou.”
Looking up at me over Teresa’s shoulder, Nina’s eyes grew liquid as she returned the bride’s hug. Teresa and Tanner didn’t keep secrets, so Tanner must’ve come clean up front and enlisted her in the effort to show Nina that we had a life beyond the mountain and that she could be part of that. I smiled down on Nina. If—no—whenshe decided to stay with us, she’d be a she-wolf running with just therightpack.
* * *
Tanner
Nina, the guys, and I stood outside the church, watching the newlyweds taking pictures when my father made his move. He stopped for a moment to say hello to Zar’s ex-wife, who’d gone to school with Teresa. My father was an excellent politician and a gracious performer, so he smiled for Laura as she took a selfie with him, before he stalkedmyway.
“Heads up,” Zar muttered, taking his place at my nine o’clock while Aiden moved silently to covermysix.
I wasn’t feeling exactly at my best after the conversation we’d had with Nina, but I straightened on my crutches, knowing that my father would thrive on tearing me to pieces if he smelled the faintest whiff of weakness in me. Nina must have known something was up, because she reached out and held my hand. My heart hammered mybreastbone.
After all my training and higher education, I still squirmed every time my father set his eyes on me. I knew that he no longer had any say in my life, that his jaded views and dictatorial style were the products of an obsolete belief system, and that I was never going to please him, no matter what. And yet, somehow, he still had the ability to make me feel like a piece of crap with but a flicker of hiseyebrows.
“Tanner.” He offered me his hand and nodded to the guys at the same time. “Zar.Aiden.”
“Father.” I shook his hand and looked to Nina. “ThisisNina.”
“Good to meet you.” He held Nina’s hand in his grip as he gave her a top-to-bottom look. “I must say. You’re good news around here. Mind if we take apicture?”
Before she could agree, he flickered his fingers and a photographer appeared from nowhere, zapped us with his flash and disappearedagain.
Father gave Nina a satisfied smile. “That should shut up therumors.”
Nina looked from my father to me. “Whatrumors?”
“You haven’t heard?” Father shook his head. “Why, with this trio holed up on top of that mountain as if they were a fucking threesome and Tanner refusing to publicize his medal of honor, people are going around saying some nasty things. But you, my dear, you’re the solution to thoserumors.”
His gaze brushed over the top of Nina’s breasts, on purpose, I think, to make me bristle, which I did. He wanted to provoke me into a fight, but I wasn’t going to let him ruin Teresa’s day. I justwasn’t.
Nina glanced at me then back at my father. “I don’tunderstand.”
Father leered at Nina. “Nobody will mistake my son for being gay while you’rearound.”
Nina’s fingers tightened around mine. Her cheeks filled with color. She gave me her what-the-hell look. I gritted my teeth and replied with an embarrassed shrug. My father was a fucking bigot. No two waysaroundit.
“Perhaps now you’ll come down and work for me,” Father said. “Stop building crap and concentrate on making some realmoney.”
“I have plenty of money,dad,and—”
“You may not like politics,” he cut me off. “But your girl here may enjoy a private tour of the governor’s mansion and the privileges of power. She might have some ambition and the balls you lack to tackle your future.” He turned to Nina and gave her one of his dazzling smiles. “What do you say? Will you accept myinvitation?”
“Oh. Wow. Well.” Nina looked momentarily dazed, but then her chin whipped up and her mouth curled into her battle-stations smile, her curious gaze flicking between me and my father. “You two look alike. You’re both finger-lickinggorgeous.”
My father flashed a magnanimous smile, drinking up the compliment like a man accustomed toadulation.
“But,” Nina continued, “beyond your good looks, your son is nothing like you. He’s his own man and for that, I’mgrateful.”
Father’s forehead furrowed in confusion. “Excuseme?”
