38. Tanner

THIRTY-EIGHT

TANNER

"Baby, we're going to be late," I say, fastening my cufflinks as I walk in the door to the bedroom Grace has been using to sew. "You better be—" I'm cut off when I see that she hasn't even started getting ready for the evening. She sits on the floor in a pair of denim overalls, a pink pincushion on her wrist, and a pencil sticking out of her messy bun.

The grand opening for her dad's company's housing project is tonight and she has a whole big scheme planned to let everyone know just what Cash has been up to, how he used his relationship with her to get to the top, and how he plans to start a business of his own with the connections he's made. When she told me the whole story, I was livid. I wanted to get in my car and beat the shit out of him myself, but my girl deserves her retribution. She won't tell me what she's got up her sleeve, but I honestly can't wait to see the fireworks.

She looks up at me sheepishly. "Sorry. Inspiration struck and I promised Dalton I'd have his wife dressed like the queen of the WAGs this Sunday."

I laugh. "Dia could be in a burlap sack and every woman in the place would be terrified of her, while simultaneously wanting to be her best friend." She giggles as she continues cutting the fabric laid out in front of her. I reach out, swiping the scissors from her hand, making her scowl up at me.

"Tan!" she whines. "I need ten more minutes, then I'll get ready. I promise."

I shake my head. "Nope. You can finish this later. Get that fine ass up and ready, or I'll use these," I pause, waving her fabric scissors in the air, "to cut paper."

She sucks in a gasp, her jaw dropping in disgust. "You wouldn't dare ."

I raise a brow. "Shower. Now. Or I'll spend the night making a paper doll chain a mile long."

She scoffs. "Okay, Daddy Tanner ," she mumbles, making me chuckle before she hops up and saunters out of the room, swinging her heart shaped ass as she goes.

I pull up to the valet at the event center, tossing the keys to the attendant and rounding the front of the car to open Grace's door. Her parents know she's been staying with me while repairs are being made to the lighthouse, so arriving together won't raise any suspicions, but I'm making it a point not to be outwardly affectionate until she's told them about Cash. When I touch her and kiss her in front of her family, it'll be with their approval. I just hope they don't make me beg for it. I will if I have to, but I have a feeling her parents won't object. Her brother, on the other hand?

Let's just say I'm happy the Fury made it to the postseason, so I have a little more time to figure out how I'm going to break the news to him that I'm fucking his sister.

I'll work on my delivery before then.

I offer my hand, helping her out of the car before putting it gently on her lower back while she walks up the stairs. Since this was such a special project for Bill's company, he chose to make the grand opening into a charity event that'll benefit the families moving in. His goal is to furnish every unit and start college funds for the children. I made an anonymous donation of one million dollars already, but I plan on making another one in the name of the future Mr. and Mrs. Tanner Lake later tonight. We aren't engaged yet, but I don't plan on waiting much longer. I was born to be Grace Valentine's husband.

"I love you," I whisper, quiet enough so only she can hear me as I drop my hand and put a few inches of space between us. I instantly miss her warmth, but I'll make up for it when I have her alone later.

"I love you, too," she whispers back, raising her hand in a wave. I look away from her just in time to see both of our mothers making their way toward us. I swallow thickly, hoping I don't somehow blow our cover. I've never been particularly good at lying, and sweat beads at the back of my neck as I go through the million scenarios where I open my mouth and fuck this all up before my girl has a chance to get the revenge she deserves.

"Look at the two of you," Libby says, giving us each a hug. "Don't you make an adorable couple!"

My eyes go wide, and I look over at Grace, whose expression is mirroring my own. We're so fucked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Lib," my mom chides. "You know they're just friends . If it were anything more than that, they'd have made the leap years ago."

I grab a glass of champagne off a tray that's passing by, throwing it back in one go as they all turn to look at me.

"Eh, you're right," Libby replies. "But imagine all the sneaking around they could've done if they had. We'd have never even known."

If I didn't know any better, I'd say there was a mocking tone in their voices. But they couldn't possibly know my past with Grace, could they? We were so careful that summer, making sure we only hung out where nobody would see us together. If her mom knew, wouldn't she hate me for disappearing at the exact same time her daughter became inexplicably sad and decided not to go off to California for college? Wouldn't my mom have shown up at my dorm and dragged me back to Hope Harbor to make things right?

My head is spinning as they share a look and walk off, laughing amongst themselves.

"What the fuck just happened?" Grace whispers, making me shake my head in confusion.

"I have no idea," I reply.

We don't have long to dwell on it, because Bill takes his spot behind the podium on stage and taps the microphone. "Can I have your attention for a minute?" he addresses the crowd, making every voice in the large room go quiet to hear what he says next.

"I've been in the construction business for twenty-five years. I've always done my best to give back to my community, but it never felt like it was truly enough. You took me from a young man with a small startup, to a CEO who now has the means to make a difference in the lives of those who need a little extra help on their journey. This housing project has given over forty families a fresh start, so they can spend more time focusing on what's really important in life." He pauses for a moment, and I notice that Grace is no longer standing next to me. I look to my left and right, but she's nowhere to be seen as he continues.

"I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to the man who headed up this project. It was his first time working on something of this caliber, and I can't go without giving him the recognition he deserves for it. Cash Hadley, why don't you come up here and say a few words, son."

I grit my teeth together at the term of endearment because that shithead doesn't deserve an ounce of the respect he's being given, even if Bill doesn't realize what he's done yet. But considering Grace's current absence, I'm willing to bet it won't be long before it's all out in the open.

The crowd claps as Cash rises from his seat and walks toward the stage, stopping to shake Bill's hand before moving behind the podium. My hands tighten into fists at my sides, and it takes every bit of self-restraint in my body not to fly up there and beat the shit out of him for using the Valentines the way he did. But I need to let this play out. This is her moment, not mine.

"Thank you," he says with a fake-as-fuck smile. "I am so grateful to have been a part of this project. Knowing that I was able to oversee the construction of this building that is making such an impact in Hope Harbor, is a very humbling experience. I want to thank the Valentine family for trusting me with this responsibility. Especially my beautiful fiancée, Grace. Come on up, sweetheart."

My heart sinks to my stomach as she emerges from the group and climbs the stairs to the stage. Bill runs out, handing her a second microphone, looking like he couldn't be prouder of his daughter. As he walks away, Cash leans in, dropping a kiss to her cheek. I almost lose it right there, because he doesn't deserve to even breathe the same air as her, let alone fucking touch her. But I can tell by the look on her face that she has everything under control.

She pulls the microphone up to her mouth. "Cash, congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment. The long hours and dedication you've put into this project are truly admirable. To show you how proud I am, I put together a little video to celebrate your journey over the last year."

He looks down at her, confused, but wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her into him. She turns her head as a large projection screen lowers behind them and the lights in the room dim. Everyone watches with bated breath as the video starts rolling. It's obviously security camera footage from the corner of an upstairs hallway. Grace comes into the frame for a moment before disappearing into a room. Cash follows, standing in the doorway, his back still visible on the screen. While we can't see her at all, the sound picks up their conversation perfectly.

"What are you doing, Grace?"

"Packing your shit. We're done. You can go stay with Sophia."

"I'm not leaving, and if you tell your dad about any of this, we'll both get fired and the project will be put on hold because there's nobody else to head it up. Soph and I are the only ones who would be able to. Do you really want to be the reason all those women and children end up homeless?"

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"That's hardly blackmail, babe. I'm just telling you what'll happen if you open that fat fucking mouth of yours."

The crowd gasps and my jaw clenches so tightly, I'm surprised my teeth don't break. He's out of his fucking mind if he thinks he's going to get away with talking to my girl that way. I'll fucking kill him.

I try my best to push my emotions down and stay in the present.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the guy who's put up with your ass for years so I could get in good at your dad's company. Did you know I applied there while I was still in college so I could get a foot in the door, but my resumé was never even pulled? Why do you think I tried to hook up with you back then? You can't possibly think I'd have really wanted you when I had my pick of hot college girls at school. I was playing the long game.

"Here's what's going to happen. You're going to pack everything you need, and you're going to leave. You're going to tell everyone we're taking a break because you're getting cold feet, but that we still love each other. When the project is over and I have the experience under my belt, Soph and I are starting our own business, and you can go crying to daddy about how I broke your heart."

The video fades into another clip from the same camera, where Cash can be seen leading a tall blonde down the hallway, stopping to kiss her against the wall before lifting her up and carrying her into the bedroom and out of view.

The screen goes black, and the lights come back on just in time for that same woman, Sophia, presumably, to run through the crowd and out the doors as everyone watches. When they close behind her, all eyes return to the stage, where Cash stands next to Grace, looking like he's seen a ghost.

You can hear a pin drop as everybody whispers to one another, all waiting to see what happens next.

"I…I…," he stutters, unable to come up with a way to talk himself out of the mess he's in.

"Don't say another fucking word," Bill booms as he walks toward them. Grace steps away from Cash as her father lays into him. "How dare you disrespect my family like this? You were nothing but a cocky, immature boy until my daughter brought you in and begged us to give you a shot. You should be thanking her for your very short career, because I can promise you that you'll never work in this industry again. Now, get out of my sight, you piece of shit."

The whole crowd erupts into cheers as Cash backs away, disappearing backstage. I look at Grace, whose expression is completely blank, like she's in utter disbelief of how that all played out. She's my only concern as I run up the stairs and yank her into my arms, not giving a single fuck who sees as I hold her trembling body against me.

"You're okay, baby," I whisper into her hair. "You did such a good job. I'm so fucking proud of you."

She looks up at me, smiling weakly. God, she's so beautiful. My little badass.

"I can't believe I did that," she says on a shaky exhale .

"Me either," I laugh. "But it was fucking awesome. Made me a tiny bit hard," I say quietly, holding my thumb and pointer finger a millimeter apart in demonstration.

She looks up, scowling before she playfully slaps at my chest. "You're gross."

I give her a cocky grin. "You love it."

"We called this, you know," Libby says as both sets of our parents walk toward us. "We knew you'd find your way back to one another." My mom leans into her best friend, knocking their shoulders together. My dad just smiles as he shakes his head at them.

"You knew?" Grace chokes out.

My mom gives her a soft smile. "The hardest thing we've ever done is watch both of you go through the pain of heartbreak. But we knew it wouldn't be right of us to meddle in your lives, so we did our best to be there if you needed us, while letting you realize on your own that you were meant for each other."

"Took a little longer than expected, but we made it," Libby says in relief, rolling her eyes playfully as Bill wraps an arm around her waist and kisses the top of her head.

"Wow," I say, my eyes wide with shock. "That's…a lot of information. And you guys are okay with us being together?"

My dad scoffs. "Your mothers have been planning your wedding since Grace was born."

"I just can't wait to see what happens when you tell Riggs," Bill says with a laugh, rubbing his hands together with glee.

I have to admit the thought makes me a little bit sick to my stomach. He's my best friend. Even though we aren't as close as we used to be because of our careers, he's still one of the most important people in my life, and I don't want him to think that I betrayed him in any way. But the truth is, our moms are right. Grace and I were meant to be together, and nothing in this universe could've kept us apart. We may have taken the long road, but in the end, we found our way back to each other.

We all go our separate ways, with Grace and me deciding that we've had enough fun for the night and gathering our things to go back home.

"Oh!" she says as we make our way to the door. "I left my clutch backstage before I hooked up to the video system. I have to go grab it."

I follow, because there's no way I'm leaving her alone. She runs over to an empty chair, plucking her bag from the seat and turning back to me. But before we can make our way out, Cash steps out from where he was hiding in the corner.

"You fucking bitch," he seethes, not giving a fuck that I'm right here. He thinks I won't lay his ass out because we're at a charity event, but if he doesn't watch his mouth, he's going to find out just how wrong he is. "You just couldn't follow instructions, could you? You've never worked for anything a day in your perfect, privileged life, and now you've ruined everything for me. I should've known better than to trust a lying slut like y?—"

He's cut off when I grab him by the collar of his dress shirt, squeezing hard enough to make his eyes bug out. "Listen carefully, motherfucker. Because I'm only going to say this once," I grit out. "If you ever speak to my future wife again, you're going to find out just how hard it is to pick your teeth up off the floor with ten broken fingers. Do you understand?"

I tighten my grip, making him wince before leaning in. "Thanks for keeping my side of the bed warm, just like you used to do with the bench in high school. I just have a quick question though."

"What?" he rasps.

I grin. "How's it feel knowing that every time you fucked her, it was my cock she was thinking about?"

His jaw drops and I let him go, slowly stepping away with my eyes locked on his. I feel Grace grab my hand, her presence calming my raging emotions as I turn to see her smiling up at me.

"Take me home and show me what a good girl I've been, sir," she says, loud enough for him to hear. Not that I give a fuck. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't exist.

"My pleasure, Bunny."