Chapter 14

Fourteen

Tanner

As I drive toward Maeve's house, excited to see her, I shake my head, hardly able to believe it's Thanksgiving weekend. Where the hell did November go? Oh right, I know. Hockey and Maeve on repeat, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Maybe that's not true. Maybe I would like to think about something a little more permanent, something that doesn't come with a Christmas Eve deadline. After the wedding in Santorini, we have no reason to pretend, no reason to continue hanging out. I fucking hate all of this. But hey, I'm the one who got us into this, the one who asked her to be my plus one.

At least her father isn't suspicious as to why we're spending so much time together. Her mother however, if I'm reading her right, seems quite delighted to have me around. But Felix…my gut tightens, that knotted rope of guilt squeezing a bit tighter. I don't ever want to do anything to hurt or upset him.

I guess when this thing burns out for Maeve, what he never knew never has to hurt him. Will any man be good enough for Maeve in his eyes? Will he always think he's the only man who can take care of her? I guess, like my family, he'll always see me as the rookie, the baby of the family who needs taking care of. Why would he trust a guy like that with his daughter? Will anyone ever see me as capable?

Are you capable, Tanner?

If she was caught out with me, the paparazzi would be all over that, and I'd be powerless to stop it. Jesus, if anything ever happened to Maeve because of me, there's no way I could live with myself. As worry grips my gut, I park my truck on the street, leaving room in Maeve's driveway for her parents. That's when I notice the new, festive wreath on her door. Everything about it screams home and hearth, and dammit, I want that.

Flowers and wine in hand, I climb from the cab and spot Maeve walking past her big living room window. The second I see her, my heart fills with all the things I feel for her. Yeah, this ‘thing' hasn't burned out for me and it certainly hasn't seemed to burn out for her either, judging by how many times I've been in her bed lately.

My brothers and sister have all been messaging me, warning that Mom is coming for me. I guess I'm now the last unattached. Problem is, the only woman I want is Maeve and Mom will be wasting her time and energy trying to hook me up with anyone else.

With some good news to share, I open the front door, and delicious scents of pumpkin spice and cinnamon fill my senses. "Hey Sweetness, I booked our flights," I tell her, as I kick off my boots and poke my head into the living room. "Oh, shit," I murmur. "I didn't realize you had company."

With a glass of wine in her hand, Kate arches a curious, almost angry, brow. "Tickets?"

"Oh, ah. Tanner," Maeve begins, blinking rapidly. "Kate got in early and surprised me." Her gaze darts to Kate and she waves a shaky hand toward her. "You guys remember each other? Wait, you were never formally introduced. Tanner, this is my best friend, Kate Morgan. Kate, this is Tanner Bang."

Kate sets her glass down, pushes to her feet and crosses the room. She holds her hand out, and Maeve hurries to me to take the flowers and wine. "Nice to formally meet you, Tanner," she says, puckering her painted lips as I take her hand in mine.

"You too. I heard a lot about you," I say.

"Funny." She cocks her head toward Maeve, who is shifting from one foot to the other. I get it that Kate wanted to go out with me a while ago, but that can't be the case anymore, right? She knows Maeve and I slept together. That changes things, doesn't it? "Maeve hasn't really said much about you, or that you two are going on a trip."

All righty then. Maybe nothing has changed at all.

"I just didn't get the chance," Maeve pipes in.

A flash of something—something that looks like malice—darkens Kate's eyes. It disappears when she puts a smile on her face and cocks her head to look at Maeve. "Do tell," she says playfully, but there's something sinister there. Can't Maeve feel it? Perhaps I'm just overprotective of Maeve, and there's nothing there at all. Maeve has known Kate forever and I shouldn't be judging after a simple introduction.

I let Kate's hand go. "How about I put these in water and open this wine?" I turn to Maeve, taking the flowers and wine.

Maeve swallows and nods. "Yeah sure."

"And he knows his way around your place," Kate snipes as I dart down the hallway to the kitchen. I unwrap the flowers, drop them into the vase she keeps on her windowsill, and as I add water, I note her new ceramic mug. Maybe she got it at the school craft fair when she went with her mom a couple weeks ago.

Speaking of her mom…

I check the time, hoping Felix and Hannah get here soon. That makes me laugh. Here I was looking forward to a few minutes alone with Maeve, and all I did was make things complicated between her and her best friend.

I open the wine to let it breathe for Hannah, and grab a cold beer from the fridge. Maeve and Kate are chatting in the living room, and I hear mumbles, but not what they're saying. I walk to the back patio door, and open it, stepping outside to get air. That's when I notice Buck hissing at me from the tree.

"Yeah, right back at you, buddy."

He hisses some more, clearly irritated by something, and for some strange reason, the little hairs on the back of my neck lift. I walk to the steps and glance around the back yard. The sun is low on the horizon this late in the year, and the time has changed, which means it's darker earlier, but I don't see anyone lurking.

I step onto the walkway leading to the side of the house, and check on the trash cans. Maybe our buddy the racoon was back causing trouble. But no, I find them upright. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway draws my attention, and I head back in through the patio doors, and my heart stalls when I see Maeve jump back, fear all over her face.

"Maeve."

"What were you doing out there?" she asks, looking around my body, fear in her eyes.

"I…Maeve, what's wrong?" I take a step closer, and her body stiffens.

"You thought someone was out there?" As she questions me, her gaze goes up and down my body, and she inches back a bit. Cold invades my flesh and hits like a puck to the face, but it has nothing to do with the air seeping in through the slightly open door.

"Maeve, what's going on?" I glance over her head, but don't see Kate. Shit, did I somehow fuck things up between them? "Where is Kate?" I glance back at the patio door. Did she leave the house? Is that who Maeve thought was out there? "Is everything okay?" I ask, although I sense the fear in her eyes has more to do with me, than her friend, judging by the way she eyed me up and down. Did I scare her coming in from outside like that?"

"Yeah, Kate and I talked. She just ran to the bathroom." She leans into me, her body relaxing slightly. "When I first told her about that night in the hotel in Florida, I had explained it was a one-time thing." She glances down. "I told you I don't make good decisions." Is she talking about sleeping with me or telling me it was just a hook-up? "But," she continues. "I thought it was only a one-time thing. So, you can imagine her surprise when you mentioned our trip."

Okay, maybe her worry has more to do with Kate than me. "I didn't realize she was here."

Maeve shakes her head. "Not your fault. Anyway, I explained that we were ‘fake dating' and why." She does quotes around the words. "So, she thinks we're just fake it."

I take in the upset in her eyes. It's clear she doesn't want to hurt her friend's feelings, who laid dibs on me first, but hey we're not twelve and Maeve already licked it and claimed it. "Are you two good?"

She steals a glance over her shoulder, and her nose is crinkled when she turns back to me. "I think she still likes you. Maybe you'd be better off?—"

I hold my hand out, palm facing her, stopping her before she can finish telling me I'd be better off with Kate. "I like you, Maeve."

She holds her hand out and starts counting things off on her fingers. "She loves the limelight, and there'd be no conflict on the team, and your mom would love her, and heck, who knows, maybe she could be the one."

"I like you, Maeve," I state again, my voice a little deeper, firmer. "Does she not know that?"

"We didn't get that far. Mom and Dad pulled into the driveway. Maybe we should just let her think this is fake. I mean it's not going anywhere." She turns away and stares at some spot on her kitchen table.

I clench my teeth at the reminder. "Babe, if she sees the way I look at you, she'll know."

She pokes my chest, but there's a smile on her lips. "Just don't look at me like that around my father."

"I can control myself, Maeve," I tease. "It's you who can't keep your eyes off my cute butt."

She laughs out loud at that and Kate comes around the corner. "What did I miss?"

Before Maeve can answer and I'm not really sure what she could have told her, the front door opens and in walks Felix and Hannah.

"Felix, Hannah," Kate calls and throws her arms out to go greet Maeve's folks.

"Is everything okay back there?" Maeve asks me, noting the door is still cracked. She walks over, shutting it tight and locking it.

"Your buddy Buck was screaming. I went to see what the commotion was all about." This time real fear spreads across her face, and my heart jumps. "Maeve." She looks down, shadowing her face. "What's going on?"

"It's Thanksgiving. I just want to have a nice dinner with no one worrying," she responds an edge to her voice.

"What would we be worried about?"

"If I tell you, don't say anything to Mom or Dad, okay?"

I step closer, and put my hands on her arms, rubbing them slightly. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Kate wanted to surprise me, so she took an Uber here, and when she was coming down the street, she said there was a man, all dressed in black, stopped on the street and staring at my house."

My protective instincts kick into high gear. "Did she get a good look at him?" She shakes her head no. "How long ago? I can go up and down the street right now."

"No, and it could have been nothing."

"It could have been nothing," I agree. "But it also could have been something." I know Maeve's been on high alert lately, but I'm not going to dismiss anything. "Should we phone the police?"

A tortured groan crawls out of her throat as she wrings her hands together. "No," she responds. "I'm sure it was nothing. My ex doesn't know where I live, Tanner, and a million people dress in black." She pauses and looks at my coat. "I mean, you're dressed in black." Ah, that's why I scared her coming in the back door. She thought I was the man from the street. Wait, unless she thought I was the man out on the street. No, of course she doesn't think that. That would be ludicrous. Right? "Maybe he was admiring the wreath I put on my door."

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and she leans into my touch. "Yeah, maybe. We don't need to do or say anything to anyone, but we'll stay aware and vigilant, okay?"

She looks down, avoiding my gaze. "I'm probably being silly."

"You're allowed to feel what you feel, Maeve." I put my finger under her chin and tip her eyes to mine. "Your feelings are legit."

"I have dessert," Hannah announces as she steps into the kitchen.

"That smells amazing," I tell her and take it from her to set it on the counter. I lean in and breathe in the delicious pumpkin spices. Hannah glances around at the beautifully set table.

"Maeve, this looks gorgeous." She cups Maeve's face and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Kate comes into the kitchen, followed by Felix, who has a bottle of scotch in his hands.

"It's not Thanksgiving without scotch," he tells us and Hannah rolls her eyes. "Looks like I'm driving home tonight."

"Have a glass with me, Tanner."

"Love one."

Maeve holds up a bottle of wine. "I was just about to pour your favorite."

I groan. "You're saving me, Felix. Just one, though. I'm driving too."

Maeve glances at me over her shoulder. "I do have a couple of spare rooms," Maeve says, not wanting to allude to the fact that we've only needed her room the last month. She turns back to topping up a glass for her and Kate, and reaches for the full bottle I brought to give her mother.

Felix hands me a glass of scotch and I take a swig, loving the way it burns down my throat and takes the edge off from earlier. "Okay, what can I do to help?" I ask.

Maeve sets me to work on setting bowls of beautiful food and casserole dishes steaming with deliciousness on the table, and after a flurry of activity from all of us, we take our seats at the table, with Felix at the head, the turkey in front of him. After he gives a blessing and starts to slice it and tells us to go ahead and fill our plates with food.

We eagerly dig into all the dishes, and once my plate is overflowing, I sit back to take in Maeve's small family. Tightness centers in my chest, a part of me missing my own rambunctious siblings, and the traditional fight over who gets the turkey leg. As the youngest, I never won. A rowdy dinner is followed by football, fighting and roughhousing, and finally thumb wars that Annie somehow always wins. I think she cheats.

My heart thumps a little harder, and I find myself grinning. With my thoughts a million miles away, my gaze moves around the table and I can't help but grin. I catch the way Maeve is watching me carefully and I give her a little wink to let her know all is good. I have to admit there's a part of me that might like a visit from my mother. Maybe then she'd see I'm a grown-ass man capable of taking care of myself.

Then again, maybe I'm feeling a little homesick because all this food is making me hungry.

Felix says something to Hannah and then turns to me. "Tanner, you look like a breast man."

I nearly swallow my fucking tongue as my gaze jerks to Felix, then to Maeve who is across from me and beside her mother. "What?" I blurt out. I pull my hands off the table quickly, like there somehow going to get me into trouble, and my fork clatters to the floor. I hear Kate snicker to the right of me. Jesus.

"Would you like a breast?" Felix asks.

"Yes, that sounds great. Thank you."

"Pass your plate," Felix says and that's when I notice that everyone already has turkey on their plate. Shit, I was so lost in thought I hadn't even realized.

I hand my plate to Kate, and when our hands touch, she gives me a sexy little smile that is completely lost on me. I really hope she doesn't think we're going to hook up when she's here. Felix fills my plate and hands it back.

He sits down, and we all dig into our meals. "How long are you here?" Hannah asks Kate.

"Just a week, but…" she wags her brows at Maeve. "I'd like to make it permanent. I'm searching for a job."

Hannah claps her hands. "How wonderful. It would be so nice if you two were close to each other again."

"It will be. I have a few girlfriends in the area, too. One from high school and two from college."

"Oh, I didn't realize," Hannah says.

Kate waves her hand toward Maeve. "Of course, Maeve doesn't know them. She was always working the runways in high school, and was tutored, of course." She pokes a carrot on her plate. "In college, Maeve never went out…" She lets her words fall off, and an uncomfortable silence falls around us. We all know why Maeve never went out, and did she have to bring this up during this nice family dinner? "I plan to have a girls night soon, and introduce Maeve."

Maeve gives a tight nod. "That will be nice."

"Anyway," Kate continues, breaking the awkwardness. "I was actually hoping to get on at the Bucks, with Maeve." Her gaze goes to Felix and she gives him a playful wink. "Unfortunately, I don't have a father in the franchise able to pull strings."

What the fuck? Playful wink or not, that's fucking rude.

I resist the urge to tell her Maeve got her job because she was qualified. I don't want to start something. Kate grins at me. "Maybe if I was dating a player." She flattens her hand on the table and directs her stare at Maeve. "Instead of pretend dating," she adds with a laugh. "That might help."

Maeve sets her fork down and takes a sip of her wine before speaking. "Kate, I told you I would check with management, and put a good word in for you."

"You're the best, Maeve, and I really appreciate you letting me shadow you this week." She turns to Hannah. "I guess you could call it a working vacation."

"Let's hope it works into something full time for you," Hannah says with a hopeful smile.

"Who's going Black Friday shopping tomorrow?" Kate asks, her gaze going around the table, only to be met with zero enthusiasm. "Oh, come on. It will be fun." She gives Maeve a sympathetic look. "I know you're not going, but no one else wants to be a part of the craziness?"

"Our team has a yearly tradition," Felix explains. "The women go shopping and then meet us for dinner and drinks. The guys go to the bar early, team bonding and all, and to get away from the madness."

"Oh, that sounds fun." Kate's smile widens. "Are you doing that, Hannah? We could do it together."

Maeve shrinks into herself, and my stomach tightens at the way Kate is leaving her out. That's just not right. I don't fucking care if she knows Maeve doesn't like to leave the house or party. She should at least extend an invitation.

Hannah shakes her head. "We don't do that anymore. I prefer a quiet day at home with a book."

"What about you, Tanner?" Kate puts her hand on mine. "Are you going?"

I gently pull my hand away and set it on my lap. "I guess…it's all part of team bonding."

"Great, I'll meet you there."

"Ah, okay," I say for lack of anything else. She's Maeve's best friend and I'm not going to stop her if she wants to go.

She takes a bite of her squash. "What bar?"

"It's a…kind of a secret. We change the location every year, so we don't end up with paparazzi, and fans. We love our fans, but sometimes we just want it to be family."

"Understandable. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

I reach over my head and rub the knot in my shoulder. Both Maeve and Kate notice the clunky movement. "You need to get in for another appointment," Maeve says.

I nod, and look at Kate, who's watching me with curious eyes. "It's a place downtown called Kilting Around. Scottish pub. They're closing it for our private event."

"Fun, I'll meet you there. Shopping first."

"Maeve," I say and she lifts her head. The sadness in her eyes rips into my heart. Does Kate not have any sympathy for what happened to her?

Her dark lashes fall and lift slowly over her big blue eyes. "Yeah?"

"Would you like to come?"

Kate snorts. "That's not her thing, Tanner. Jeez, last time I was here, she didn't even take me sightseeing."

"I'll be there," I say, our gazes meeting and holding, like there's no one else in the room but us. "It's a private event," I tell her and never more serious in my life, I add, "No one knows we'll be there, and nothing is going to happened to you when you're with me."

Kate throws her hand out. "You clearly know nothing about?—"

Maeve cuts her off. "I'll come…"