Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

TANNER

“ A nd then Kam showed up to her own mother’s funeral in a hot-pink dress with hot-pink stiletto heels?” Layton asks.

Cheetah and I both nod, and all the guys start laughing hysterically. Vance shakes his head. “Damn, Cheetah, she’s fucking nuts. She must be a real wildcat in the sack.”

We’re sitting around my poker table with our cards in hand. Cheetah remains tight-lipped, something I’ve never before seen from him.

Vance’s mouth widens. “No jokes, Cheetah? Wow, you must have it bad for this chick.”

Cheetah twists his lips. “You want a joke? I’ve got one for you. How do you know a car mechanic has a girlfriend?”

Vance asks, “How?”

He holds up his hand. “Two clean fingers.”

We all burst out laughing. I know that was his way of deflecting the interrogation about Kamryn, but it was still funny as hell .

We’ve been playing for a few hours. These guys always bring a smile to my face.

Daylen pushes all his chips into the pot. “I’m all in. You motherfuckers are going down like my prom date. This is my night to win.”

Layton whistles. “Damn, Daylen. Did you just come into a lot of money or something?”

I recently negotiated a substantial new contract with a huge signing bonus for him. Everyone knows that he just came into millions of dollars, making him among the highest paid tight ends in professional football.

Daylen smiles innocently. “I did, in fact, recently come into a lot of money. It’s so odd because I usually do it into a sock.”

We all start laughing again. This is just what I needed the night before Fallon and Harper get home from Colorado.

As I’m cleaning up a little while later, Layton wobbles over to me on his crutches and knocks on his cast. “I get this off tomorrow.”

“Your wife must be excited.”

He smiles. “She is. We’re flying out to LA for her appearance.”

“Oh right. Good luck with that.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe you two pulled off getting married on the sly. But I’ve never seen you happier, and I’m happy for you.” I’m one of the only people who knows about it. They’re waiting to reveal it publicly.

“Thanks, buddy. We’re going to have a big reception to celebrate with everyone. Quincy is still MIA, or we’d have it before the season. If he doesn’t get back soon, we’ll push it until after the Cougars and Anacondas’ seasons are over.”

“No matter when it is, I’ll be there with bells on.”

“Will you be there with Bails on? ”

I’m quiet.

“Ooh. Do tell. How are things on that front?”

I consider my words for a brief moment. “I have feelings for her, but I know I’m not the long-term guy for her. We’re having fun while it lasts.”

I hate the pain in my gut at saying those words out loud. I don’t want her with anyone else, but it’s inevitable. I can’t give her what she needs.

He winks. “We’ll see.”

“We might have issues sooner rather than later. Fallon found out about us and blew a gasket.”

His eyes widen. “Oh shit. What happened?”

“It was out in Colorado when everything went down with Bailey’s mom. We didn’t really get a chance to talk about it. Fallon and Harper get back tomorrow. I’m in for it. Wish me luck.”

He pats my back. “Good luck, buddy. You’re gonna need it.”

I’m at the airport baggage area waiting for Fallon, Harper, and Dylan. As soon as Harper sees me, she takes off in a dead sprint and leaps into my waiting arms.

I squeeze her tight and pepper kisses all over her face. “I missed you, bug.”

She giggles. “I missed you too, Daddy.” She wipes her face. “Stop kissing me.”

“Never. Did you have fun?”

She nods. “Yes. Mommy took us back to make our own steaks four times.” She holds up four fingers.

“Four times? I hope you ate some veggies with all those steaks. ”

“I did. Bailey says veggies are important for athletes, and I’m an athlete.”

I look up at Fallon at the mention of Bailey’s name, but she remains fairly stoic. I can’t get a read on her mood. She’s a foot shorter than me and weighs half of what I weigh yet I’m terrified of her.

Trevor walks into the baggage claim area, and Dylan runs into his waiting arms. “Daddy!”

He smiles as he hugs her. “We missed you, firecracker. Life is bo-ring without the famous Dylan Knight to add some color.”

She nods and dances in his arms as she sings, “’Cause the party don’t start ‘til I walk in.”

He winks at her before he holds out his hand for me. “Thanks to you both for having her. I hope she wasn’t as much trouble as her mother is.”

The girls giggle, and I smile. “No trouble at all. She’s a great skier.”

He nods. “With my father originally being from Colorado, skiing has always been a part of our lives, though Cassandra prefers the hot tub to the slopes.”

Dylan smiles. “The hot tub is awesome.”

Fallon gives a big, fake smile. “I know Tanner loves it.”

Yep, I knew that was coming.

An hour later, I’m pulling into Fallon’s house. Harper is coming home with me, but we’re dropping Fallon at home first.

She turns back to Harper. “Daddy is going to help me bring in my suitcase and we have to talk about your party this weekend. He’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Harper doesn’t even look up from her book as she wordlessly nods and throws a few Skittles into her mouth.

I carry Fallon’s bags inside and run them up to her bedroom. As I walk back down, I cover my balls with my hand, bracing for impact. “Give it to me. I’m ready to be kicked.”

She lets out a laugh. “I’m not going to kick you in the balls. I’m not the bad guy here, Tan.”

“I know you’re not.”

“Bailey called me after you guys got home.”

“She did?”

“Yes. We had a long talk. She assured me of her commitment to Harper no matter where things head between you guys. She said she knows you two are short term, but that won’t impact anything with Harper. She loves Harper and wants to stay on as long as we’ll have her.” She takes a breath. “I know she believes her words, but I equally know how hard it is to lose you. I suppose we’ll see how things go. All I ask is that when things go south, please keep Harper in mind when you decide how to conduct yourself.”

I pinch my eyebrows together. “That’s it? I’ve developed a twitch all week for that? I thought you were going to key my car or slash my tires.”

“I’m not the crazy jealous ex-wife in this scenario. I’m trying to be reasonable. All I care about is Harper and what’s best for her. It’s such a catch-22. You want your daughter’s nanny to love and protect her like she’s her own, but then you equally fear too much attachment and eventual heartbreak. I gave it a lot of thought this week. At the end of the day, I couldn’t possibly ask for a more perfect person to have around our child. Do I wish she was the ugly duckling? You bet I do. But she’s not. She’s a stunning, talented, wonderful young woman.” She smiles playfully. “Honestly, Tan, she’s too good for you.”

I chuckle. “I’m aware.”

“Does she know you’re done having kids? She’s the kind of woman who probably wants ten.”

“I told her from day one that I have no intentions of ever getting married again or having more children. I told you; she knows what we are. I’m not misleading her.”

She studies me carefully. “If you say so. Have fun with Harper. I’ll see you at her party. I look forward to our parents’ annual trading of the barbs.”

I smile. It’s true. My father doesn’t get along with her parents at all.

“Bailey is bringing Kamryn and Arizona to surprise Harper.”

She responds, “That’s nice of them. She’ll be over the moon.”

Dad arrived this morning, just in time for Harper’s laser tag party. The three of us drive to the venue and arrive at the same time as Fallon and her parents. I look back at my father. “Play nice in the sandbox.”

Harper innocently answers, “I always play nice, Daddy.”

“I wasn’t talking to you. You’re a good girl. I was talking to Grandpa. He’s a bad boy.”

Harper giggles and pats his head. “Be a good boy and I’ll let you have some of my cake.”

Dad rolls his eyes. “I’m always a good boy. It’s your Nanny and Poppy—”

“Dad,” I warn.

He straightens his shoulders. “I’m very much looking forward to seeing Nanny and Poppy. They’re…lovely. And I’m most excited to meet this Bailey woman you’ve been talking about nonstop, Harper. She must be very special.”

She sure is.

Harper nods. “She’s transcendent.”

Dad smiles at her use of the word. “I look forward to meeting this transcendent nanny of yours. ”

Harper whispers, “She’s also my best friend in the world.”

I clutch my chest. My heart.

We step out of the car, and Fallon’s parents immediately gush over Harper. They give my father and me significantly less warm welcomes. I see Fallon give them a look of warning similar to the one I gave my father. This is going to be an interesting day.

The party is just underway when Bailey walks in with Kamryn and Arizona. She’s holding a cake and smiling at me.

My father coughs. “What the hell is happening? Do models frequent the laser tag facilities? I need to find one in Florida.”

My lips curl in amusement. “That’s Bailey, her twin sister, and their friend. They’re all professional softball players.”

He mumbles, “No wonder Philly has become a softball town. Holy shit.”

I mumble back, “Behave yourself, old man.”

Bailey places the cake on a nearby table, approaches me, and smiles. “Hi, Mr. Montgomery.”

Dad stands in front of me and holds out his hand. “I’m the original Mr. Montgomery, but you can call me Stan, or anything you want, just call me.”

She lets out a laugh. “Stan works just fine. I see where your son got his charm from.”

Dad shakes his head. “Tanner charming? No, no, no.” He takes her hand and kisses it. “Allow me to open your eyes to a true Montgomery Casanova.”

Kamryn flashes her mischievous grin and throws her arm around my father. “And I’m the charming Hart. My name is Kamryn. You and I should hang out, Daddy Stanley. ”

Bailey narrows her eyes at Kamryn. “What did we talk about in the car, Kam?”

“That I have to be a good girl.” She turns to Dad and bats her eyelashes. “You think I’m a good girl, right, Daddy Stanley?”

He links his arm through hers. “I most certainly do. Allow me to get you a drink and tell you about my manscaping.”

Kamryn lets out a laugh. “I love a man who isn’t afraid to talk about his manscaping.”

They walk away toward the sodas, and I shake my head. “Sorry about that. He’s kind of a dirty old man.”

She giggles. “She’s kind of a dirty young woman. They’re a perfect match.”

“They sure are. Show me the cake I’ve been hearing about.”

We walk toward the table where she left it, and I look at it. It’s a professional-looking cake of a softball field and players with Happy 8 th Birthday Harper written in the outfield. The shortstop even has Harper’s number and hair color. No detail is missing.

“Wow. Incredible.”

Fallon walks over and shakes her head. “Holy shit, Bailey. I knew it would be nice but not like this. It’s amazing. I’m afraid to cut into it. This must have taken forever. Thank you.”

Bailey looks both relieved and happy. It’s the first time she and Fallon have seen each other since Colorado. “It was my pleasure. I hope Harper likes it.”

Fallon’s parents walk over. Doris nods toward Dad fawning all over Kamryn and mumbles, “Like father, like son.”

Fallon briefly closes her eyes. “Mother, go make yourself useful and take pictures of Harper and her friends. ”

They leave, and she sighs. “Sorry, Bailey. The cake is amazing. Harper is going to flip. Having you and your friends here alone is enough to make her day.” She turns to me as she digs through her purse. “I forgot to tell you.” She finds a business card and hands it to me. “A man approached us on the airplane. He’s from a talent agency and said he thought Harper and Dylan were stunning and asked us to call him if they want representation. I looked him up. He’s legit, but—”

Bailey shakes her head emphatically. “No. No way. I don’t want Harper involved in any of that.”

Fallon’s smile fades as she turns to Bailey. “No offense, but sleeping with Tanner doesn’t give you a say in what Harper does and doesn’t do. You’re not her mother.”

I grit my teeth. “Fallon. Watch yourself.”

Bailey slowly nods. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Just take it from someone who did that kind of stuff at her age, it’s not as glamorous as it seems. I care about Harper, and I don’t want her to experience anything I experienced. It’s long days being manipulated by dozens of adults. She’ll have to miss things like softball games, school, and sleepovers. It robs you of your childhood.”

Fallon considers her words. “Thank you for your input. If you had let me finish, I would have told you that Harper said she wasn’t interested, but Dylan was. Before I flip the card to them, I was going to ask Tanner to check out the company.”

I take it from her. “I’ll look into them and call the Knights.”

The three of us stand there in silence. That got awkward fast. Fortunately, Harper and her teammates run over and gush all over Bailey, Arizona, and the cake.

I see my father and Fallon’s parents in a heated discussion. Somehow Kamryn is also involved. I can only pinch the bridge of my nose. This day is a disaster.

Later that night, my father and I are alone at my house sipping whiskey when he smiles. “I can’t believe you’re diddling the babysitter.”

I sigh. “Don’t cheapen her like that. It’s not tawdry.”

He chuckles. “I got an earful from Doris about it. Even no-personality Joel chimed in.”

“It’s really no one’s business, with the possible exception of Fallon, and only because of its impact on our daughter. Honestly, Fallon has been pretty cool about it. She likes Bailey.”

“As do you, son.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “A little too much.”

“Cut it out. We’re simply having fun together. It’s casual.”

He holds up his hands in surrender. “No judgment from me. I’m happy for you. Her sister is a pistol.”

“She’s nuts. They’re complete opposites.”

“Speaking of opposites, your brother called me this week.”

I roll my eyes. “Did he want money or money?”

“Both. A lot of it. Said he’s in dire need .”

I roll my eyes at Lincoln’s dramatics. “You didn’t give it to him, did you?”

“Hell no. I told him if he held a respectable job for a year, I’d match the salary. He wouldn’t even consider it. Can you imagine that?”

“It’s a generous offer.”

“I only did so to make a point. I knew he’d never do it. He’s never held a job for more than a few months. It’s amazing how different my two sons turned out. He’s such a disappointment on every level.”

I slowly nod. “Are you disappointed that I never made it to the big leagues? You were so happy when I was in my pitching glory. I feel like I let you down.”

He jerks his head in surprise. “Where did that come from after all these years?”

“Bailey thinks I bottle things up inside and avoid deeper conversations with people. She got me to open up about that time in my life and how it shaped me. It’s had me thinking about it.”

“Opening up to your casual paramour, are you?”

He gives me a playful look, and I roll my eyes.

He continues, “It’s good to talk about things that weigh on you. To be clear, I was never disappointed in you; I was disappointed for you. It was your dream, not mine. Nothing is more fulfilling as a parent than seeing your child achieve their dreams. Nothing is as horrible as seeing that dream slip away. But dreams change. Do you know how many little boys dream of being professional baseball players? A lot more than achieve it. You’ve succeeded where most don’t.”

“But I didn’t succeed.”

“The hell you didn’t. You’re forty-three, almost forty-four. If you had played, your career would be long over. You love baseball and sports in general. You get to advocate for the best athletes in the world every single day. You run a business that’s afforded you a beautiful home, good food on your table, and your daughter will never want for anything a day in her life. Speaking of your daughter, she’s smart, stunning, kind, and so damn special. It all sounds like success to me. Disappointed in you? Not for one single minute of your life. You’re my pride and joy. The best thing I’ve ever done. The only thing left for me to wish for you is happiness.”

“You don’t think I’m happy?”

“I think you’re unfulfilled in certain parts of life.”

I’m about to ask what he means by that, but I’m pretty sure I know the answer. I stand and stretch. With a bit of a yawn I say, “I’m getting tired. I think I’m going to head up to bed.”

He chuckles. “I guess that Bailey is pretty smart.”

I pinch my eyes together in confusion.

“About avoiding deeper conversations.”

I twist my lips and mumble, “Baby steps.”