Chapter 10

For a week, everything was a bit idyllic. As much as she hated that they had to have that talk, it made her feel stronger and more confident in their relationship. Heck, she felt stronger and more confident than she ever had in any romantic relationship, and it was a great feeling.

Outside of school, life for the Donovans was chaotic. Her mom was doing okay in rehab, but she was very vocal about going home. The key problem was finding someone who could realistically stay with her all day and all night because they couldn’t afford twenty-four-hour nursing care for her.

So on Saturday afternoon, they all met up at Jade and Levi’s house to discuss the possibilities and to work out a schedule where everyone took a night staying at Marie’s house. It wasn’t ideal, but it made the most sense. When she’d mentioned it to Tanner, he asked if she wanted him to go with her, and while it hadn’t been something she’d initially thought about, she had agreed.

Now, walking up to the door with Tanner’s hand in hers, she felt like a peer to her siblings—like she could walk in there and not be the baby of the family, but an equal.

Which was silly because having Tanner with her really didn’t change anything, but he bolstered her confidence. And when dealing with the Donovan family and the craziness that went with them, she definitely needed it.

“Chloe! Tanner! Hey!” Levi said as he opened the door. “Come on in! Everyone’s in the kitchen right now.”

They followed and it was crazy how loud such a small group of people could be. They were greeted with a round of hellos and Chloe put the bowl of guacamole and the bag of chips she’d brought with her down on the kitchen island. Levi poured them each a drink, and everyone helped themselves to some snacks before they all went and sat down at the dining room table.

“I’m so glad everyone could make time for this today,” he began. “I know the last several weeks have been trying for all of us, but Mom’s going to be coming home soon and I think we really need to all be on the same page for it.”

“I think we’re being a little overdramatic,” Ashlynn said. “By the time she comes home, she’s going to be in much better shape than she was in the hospital. I don’t think she’s going to need round-the-clock supervision like you’re all thinking.”

“That very well may be,” Billie commented. “But it still doesn’t hurt to be prepared just in case. Obviously, we all work during the day, so we can’t be there for her.”

“Well, I kind of can,” Levi volunteered. “Not every day, but I do work from home a lot. So if I needed to, I could just as easily work from Mom’s house.”

“Let’s call that Plan B,” Jade said, patting his hand. “The things your mom is going to need help with, she might not want her son doing for her.”

It took Levi a minute, but then he realized what she was saying. “Ah. Gotcha. Okay.”

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing for us to each take a turn sleeping over,” Chloe said, wanting to contribute to the conversation. “But I know that I have to leave early in the morning, and Billie would have to leave even earlier unless you changed your baking schedule.”

“Which I could do if I had to,” Billie agreed.

“My schedule’s a bit more flexible,” Ashlynn begrudgingly chimed in, “but we all know that Mom and I still aren’t on great terms. I don’t want to be the one to hinder anything because we’re arguing.”

“Well, I think you can be mature enough to have a little self-control,” Levi said. “And things have gotten better between the two of you, but we all know that Mom can be a little…you know…um…you guys know what I’m saying.”

“She’s a pain in the ass,” Ash finished for him. “Sheesh! Just say it, Levi. She’s not here. She can’t hear you.”

Before he could respond, the doorbell rang and he jumped up to answer it.

“My mom has offered to help a day or two during the week,” Jade offered. “She and Marie have become friends, and I have to agree with Ashlynn. I don’t think this is going to go on for as long as we all first thought.”

“Has anyone reached out to her friends?” Tanner asked, and then kind of seemed to regret saying anything.

“It’s fine,” Chloe assured him. “That was a great question.” Then she looked around. “Have we?”

“I know I haven’t,” Billie said. “But I could easily make some calls and see if anyone’s available to help. It might make her feel better if she’s surrounded by friends instead of more nurses. You know how they’ve been making her cranky.”

“Everything makes her cranky,” Ash mumbled.

Voices came from the entryway and Chloe glanced in that direction, wondering who else could be here. “Did Levi invite Patrick and Marissa?”

Jade shook her head. “They’re not planning on coming back to town until after the new year. Marissa said it’s too hard to travel back and forth so much with the baby. Plus, there isn’t anything they’re really needed for here that they can’t do over a video call.”

“I wonder who…”

“There are my girls!”

“Dad!” They all called out, and Chloe instantly got to her feet and ran over to hug him. “What are you doing here?”

Ronan hugged her tight and then did the same to Ashlynn before giving a more reserved hug to Billie and then straightening. “Well now, I’ve been keeping in touch with all of you about your mom and I’ve come to help!”

You could have heard a pin drop.

“Um…what?” Billie asked as she slowly made her way back to her seat.

Nodding, Ronan smiled when Levi handed him something to drink. “I’ve had to cut back on my hours at the pub. Kate and Shane keep nagging me about taking it easy, but they’re just worriers. Plus, with Jamie essentially running the pub, I’m feeling like a bit of a dinosaur there.” He let out a happy sigh. “So it was the perfect time to come up here and see where I can lend a hand!”

“But…uh, Dad?” Chloe asked hesitantly. “I’m not sure you’re exactly the…right person?”

“Bah! Your mother and I have had some time to talk through some things since I’ve been coming up to visit all of you some more. And while I’m never going to be her favorite person, I’m probably the most qualified to step in and help her.”

Ashlynn’s maniacal laughter brought everyone up short. “This is perfect!” she laughed. “Perfect!”

“Ash, come on,” Chloe murmured, nudging her sister. “That’s not funny.”

“But it is! Can you see the two of them together with Mom on crutches and unable to do anything for herself? It’s poetic justice!”

“Ashlynn Jane!” Ronan boomed. “You will respect your mother! She’s injured and you should not be mocking her or taking delight in her trauma. Shame on you!”

At least her sister had the good sense to look remorseful. “Sorry.”

“Believe it or not, I’ve spoken to Marie several times since she got to that rehab place and she knows I’m coming. And again, I’m not her first choice and she openly admitted that I was the last person she ever thought would come through and help her, but…there was a time when we loved each other. I don’t wish her any ill will. Plus, I know how hard all of you work and how little free time you have. She doesn’t want to be a burden on any of you…”

There were several snorts that no one seemed to want to own up to.

Ronan paused and his attention turned to Tanner. “You’re new,” he said with a big smile. “Ronan Donovan. And you are…?”

Beside her, Tanner gently cleared his throat. “I’m Tanner Westyn, Mr. Donovan. Chloe and I are…uh…we’re dating.”

“Really?” Ronan sang. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you! How did the two of you meet?”

“We work together,” Tanner explained. “I just started teaching at Sweetbriar Elementary.”

“Fabulous! What grade?”

“Kindergarten.”

Ronan’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my! What a wonderful coincidence! Like fate!”

Oh God…

All she wanted to do was slink down in her seat and slide under the table out of embarrassment.

Tanner laughed softly as he nodded, but all her siblings were giving her sympathetic smiles.

“Are you from around here, Tanner?”

“Um, no, Sir. I grew up in upstate New York.”

“Tanner used to ski professionally,” Levi said cheerily, winking at Chloe.

Why? Why wink, you doofus? She wanted to yell!

Her father’s eyes went wide as he looked back at Tanner. “You don’t say! That is fascinating. I don’t think I’ve ever met a professional skier.” He shifted slightly in his chair before leaning a little closer. “So tell me, what exactly does that mean? Did you compete in the Olympics? Do you have any gold medals?”

Folding his hands on the table, Tanner shook his head. “I competed in two Olympics, but never placed. I do, however, hold several national titles, and I’ve competed in several Alpine World Cups. And while an Olympic medal would have been great, I’m very happy with everything I’ve accomplished.”

“As well you should!” Ronan said. “Good for you! Your parents must be very proud of you!”

He nodded. “They are.”

“And now you’re teaching kindergarten? That seems like a complete one-eighty for someone like you. I would think you would have gone on to coach or be a spokesperson.”

“Oh, I am a spokesperson for a major company, but it’s not something that I could make a career out of. Besides, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. Skiing was just something that went from being a hobby to a little something more for several years. Now I’m exactly where I was always meant to be.”

Chloe listened to him and couldn’t help but notice how passionate he sounded.

And instantly wondered if she’d ever sounded that way when she talked about her job.

Of course you have…everyone always says how much you light up when you talk about teaching. Stop comparing yourself, dang it!

“Good for you,” her father said, sounding like he was proud of Tanner, even though they just met. “And you’re dating the best teacher this little town has ever seen! You could learn a lot from my Chloe.”

“Dad…” she whined.

“What? Can’t a father brag about his daughter? Especially when she’s won awards, too?”

“It’s not a competition,” she murmured.

“Okay,” Ashlynn said loudly. “Back to you being here to take care of Mom. Now that I think of it, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

To his credit, their father didn’t look the least bit offended. He took a slow sip of his drink before he addressed them all. “I know every one of you has ideas about how you’re going to juggle your jobs and your busy lives while taking turns to help Marie. And while it’s all very commendable, it’s not practical.” He paused for a moment. “The last thing she wants is to be a burden.”

There was a collective round of snorts and murmurs of disbelief.

“Dad, I don’t think you’re familiar with the current version of who Mom is,” Billie said diplomatically. “She kind of…thrives on being a martyr. I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s going to be worse if we don’t all inconvenience ourselves a bit to help her when she gets home.”

Frowning, Ronan shook his head. “Then it’s an even better thing that I’m here. I know staying out of your lives for all those years was a mistake, and this sort of thing just confirms it. Now, I can’t tell any of you not to make time to help your mother, but I am telling you not to disrupt your entire lives to do it.”

“Dad,” Levi began, but his father stopped him.

“Son, you’ve got a company to run. Almost every business in town relies on you for their advertising needs.” Then he looked over at Jade. “And you run a very successful coffee shop every single day while being a great mom to Silas.” Then he looked at Billie. “I don’t even know when you sleep, Wilhelmina.”

“Dad!” she cried in mortification. “No one calls me that! Ever!”

“Bah,” he said, waving her off. “It’s a fine name!”

“Oh my God…”

“Fine, I don’t even know when you sleep, Billie. Happy?”

She nodded.

“You’re already overextended between all the baking you do and helping both Jade and Ashlynn with their businesses. When’s the last time you did anything that was just for you? Heck, when’s the last time you went away for a few days and just had some fun with your friends? Or a boyfriend?”

Groaning loudly, Billie gently banged her head on the table. “Make it stop.”

“We get what you’re saying, Dad,” Levi countered, “but…”

“Ashlynn, your salon is always busy! Your customers are willing to wait weeks to get in to see you. The first year of business is critical. You can’t just take time away or go to work grouchy because you spent too many nights with your mother and she made you crazy.”

That made them all snicker a bit.

“And you, my sweet Chloe,” he went on. “You are preparing our greatest treasures for so many things. You are the foundation of everything they’re going to learn in school. Your mother is so proud of you and everything you’re doing, and no matter how big a martyr she may think she is, she isn’t the kind that would feel good about taking you away from your students.”

Honestly, Chloe wasn’t so sure about that, but she kept it to herself.

“Dad, we all really appreciate what you’re saying and what you’re doing, but…we’re skeptical, okay?” Billie said.

Finally, he nodded. “And I understand that. I’m not suggesting tough love or anything, just…have a little faith that things are going to work out.” He paused before nodding again. “And maybe…have a little faith in me.” The last words were a mere whisper, but they packed a punch.

No one spoke for a few moments, but Reid broke the silence. “Between Ronan, her friends, her physical therapist, occupational therapist, and the visiting nurses that are going to be coming in to check on Marie, she might actually prefer having some time to herself. I’m not saying it’s wrong to have a plan in place for an emergency, but maybe we need to wait a bit and take our cues from her once she’s home.”

“It just feels a little wrong not to be prepared and ready to step in,” Billie admitted. “I feel like we’re being bad kids.”

“But we’re not,” Chloe argued, surprising herself. “We all took turns at the hospital. We slept in chairs or chairs that turned into beds and brought meals up to her. And when she moved to the rehab facility, we all went up to see her almost daily. They didn’t allow us to sleep there, but we’ve been showing up and loving on her. How could that make us bad kids?”

“Chloe’s got a point,” Jade said. “Everyone that’s come into Books Beans and asked about Marie has marveled at how much time all of you have been spending with her. And you know your mom has loved all the support and care and love you’ve given her.”

“I know I think it’s been enough,” Ashlynn commented dryly. “Some days she’s just not in the mood to even be social, but I still sit there and chat away with her. I think she’s going to love coming home and having some time to herself without people hovering all the damn time.”

“Maybe,” Bille said.

“I think we’ve beaten this topic practically to death,” Ronan said. “How about we change the subject for a little while so we can relax?”

“That sounds good,” Levi agreed. “How about we move all the snacks in here and just eat and talk and catch up?”

Everyone got up and helped move all the food to the dining room table before refilling their plates. Levi refreshed all the drinks, and Silas ran in to say hello to everyone and give Ronan a hug before running back to his room to play video games.

When everyone was settled and there were multiple conversations going around, Chloe leaned back and felt Tanner’s arm go around her. “Sorry about all the craziness. I knew we were going to talk about my mom’s situation a little, but I hate that you had to sit through all of that.”

He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “It really wasn’t a big deal. Plus, it’s been kind of cool listening to your father. You’ve never really mentioned him before, so…”

“Yeah. Long story,” she murmured. And it wasn’t one she particularly liked to talk about, so hopefully he’d be willing to leave it at that and not want to bring it up ever again.

As if reading her mind, he reached over and picked up a tortilla chip and scooped a bit of guacamole on it. “As usual, the guac is delicious.”

She felt herself blush. “Thank you.”

“So Tanner!” Ronan called out. “Tell me about this Alpine skiing. Do you think I’m too old to try it, or is it a younger man’s game?”

Chuckling, Chloe got comfortable and simply enjoyed listening to her boyfriend diplomatically explain all the reasons why her father should not take up skiing.

It was after nine when he and Chloe left Jade and Levi’s, and Tanner had to admit that he had a great time. Watching the family dynamic had been riveting.

His brother passed away so long ago that he kind of forgot what it was like to be in that kind of setting. For years, it was simply him and his parents so he’d never had the opportunity to witness a gathering like this. It was intimate and emotional one minute, loud and boisterous the next, and then, when you least expected it, things got heated and almost instantly resolved.

Yeah, riveting.

Everyone was very welcoming to him and there wasn’t ever a time where he felt like an outsider. However, he had been wildly curious about Ronan Donovan. He could tell that it wasn’t something Chloe wanted to talk about. The whole, “Yeah. Long story,” spoke volumes. Fortunately, he and Reid had stepped out into the yard at one point, and that’s when he got the scoop.

“About a year ago, it sort of all came out that Marie had kind of pushed Ronan out,” Reid explained. “She wasn’t having an affair, exactly—at least not sexually. It was more of an emotional affair at that point. But once Ronan was gone…”

“Then it turned…?”

“Exactly. Unfortunately, she couldn’t explain that to her kids, but she really painted Ronan as the bad guy. And to be honest? He was in a small way. Just not motivated to take care of his family. He loved them, just not enough to buckle down and actually work hard at supporting them. For years, they all accepted that he was a deadbeat and the fact that he never came around just made it all plausible.”

“So he just took off?”

“Basically. It finally came out that he stayed away because Marie told him it would be best for the kids and he listened. It’s all fairly recent that they’re working on repairing their relationships.”

“And now he wants to come and help take care of Marie?” he asked incredulously. “Am I the only one that doesn’t think that’s normal? Are we sure he’s not going to torture her or something?”

He was only partially kidding.

“Nah. Ronan couldn’t hurt a fly,” Reid explained. “But you should know that this is all kind of new to them—having him in their lives like this. Honestly, I think Chloe and Levi were the most forgiving and have really welcomed him back with open arms. Ashlynn put up a good fight for a little while, but then she got furious with Marie. They all were upset with her, but my girl can really hold a grudge.”

“Wow.”

“And Billie’s been the most forgiving of Marie, not so much with Ronan, but I can tell she”s warming up to him. She’s the oldest, so I think his leaving hit her the hardest.”

All he could do was nod. It was a lot of information to take in.

“Ash and Chloe blamed themselves for Ronan leaving.”

“Seriously? Why?”

“Because they felt like they were the reason their father left. Both of them have some abandonment issues. Ashlynn was a bit hard to pin down when we started dating. She was defensive and standoffish one minute and then the next…?” He shrugged. “And I think Chloe tends to hold on to people that she shouldn’t because she doesn’t want them to leave.”

Tanner stiffened. “Are you trying to say…?”

“What?” Reid asked and then laughed softly. “No. Sorry. I wasn’t talking about you at all. It’s something Ash has shared with me and I’ve noticed that sometimes she takes the scraps of attention friends or colleagues may give her because she doesn’t want to do anything to push them away.” He paused and grinned at Tanner. “Honestly, seeing the two of you together has been a really good thing. She looks happy and seems a little more confident in herself. A few months ago, she never would have chimed into that conversation with anything more than a plea to do more to help. It was cool to see her have an opinion of her own.”

“Oh, well then…that’s definitely a good thing.”

“Just know this,” Reid said, some of the friendliness gone from his tone. “The Donovans are tight now, but some of that is fresh. However, they are fiercely protective of each other. And Ash has been known to threaten more than a few people who have hurt Chloe. So just a bit of advice, don’t cross her. Ashlynn, I mean. Because she can be a little scary when she wants to be, and since she and Chloe are twins—and she’s the older by like three minutes—she’s especially protective of her.”

He nodded. “Good to know. And for what it’s worth, I have no intention of crossing Ashlynn or hurting Chloe.”

And because he didn’t have anyone else to talk to about this, he figured he might as well confide in Reid.

“I’m crazy about Chloe,” he said. “I didn’t see this coming, and we had a really shitty first meeting, but that was solely on me. I came here with the intention of beating her at the Teacher of the Year award. And the fact that it was Chloe didn’t faze me in the beginning. Then I got to know her.”

Raking a hand through his hair, he wasn’t sure how much he should share, but his mouth wasn’t waiting for permission.

“We had a…a thing last week because she felt like I was outshining her. I didn’t share with her the things I was doing with my class because they were very different from what she was doing, but that’s more because of my teaching style than anything else. I needed to make this position my own. I’ve been waiting a long time to get started, so…”

“There’s nothing wrong with being your own teacher, Tanner. She can’t fault you for that.”

“But…she did. And I have some guilt because of…you know…the way I was when I first got here. Ever since we talked it through, I’ve had to keep asking myself if I’m doing this because it’s my teaching style or if it’s the competitive part of me still looking to be the Teacher of the Year. Even when the person I’d be beating is the woman I’m involved with.”

“Damn.”

“I know.”

“And what conclusion have you come to?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. The thing is, this is who I am. I’m competitive! It’s something I’m working on to try to curb it a bit, but I don’t want to hurt Chloe. You have to believe me.”

“I do,” Reid told him. “But it sounds like if this relationship is going to go anywhere, she has to accept that part of you—the competitive guy—and you need to accept that maybe that guy already had his days of glory.”

“Yeah, but…not in this field.”

“You don’t need to be the best in every field. You know what, I’m a great firefighter. I’ve received a ton of commendations and I have the respect of my peers. It’s awesome. On the side, I work in construction and I’m not so great at it. I’m the guy who goes in and does the demo—you know, tearing down walls and ripping out cabinets. And you know what? I love both jobs! I’m not looking to be the best; I’m just happy to be there doing the work to help the rest of the contractors.”

“O-kay…”

“Look, you can be great at your job and still not be…well…Teacher of the Year. It doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. And you have no idea how much that title means to Chloe.”

But…he did.

Dammit.

“What if I can’t repress the competitive guy?”

“Then you’re probably going to have Ashlynn threatening to punch you in the throat.”

He groaned.

After that, Levi called them in for dessert, but the conversation was still heavy on his mind.

Even on the short drive back to Chloe’s.

He parked in her driveway and followed her to the door. They had already agreed that he was staying over tonight—something he’d been looking forward to all day—and yet they both seemed a little quiet. He knew why he was; he just wasn’t sure what was on her mind.

“Everything okay?” he asked once they were inside.

“Hmm? Oh, I think so. Sometimes it takes a lot of energy to get through a day with my family. It’s a little like sensory overload, and I need some time to decompress.”

“I get that.” He glanced around and got the perfect idea. “How about you draw yourself a hot bath with some of those bath bombs you have stockpiled next to the tub? And I’ll pour us some wine, and when you’re done soaking and relaxing, I’ll give you a massage. What do you say?”

She blinked at him for a moment. “You want to give me a massage? Really?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.” Then he moved in close, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You already know how much I love running my hands all over your body.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “So really, it will be good for both of us.” He placed another kiss along the shell of her ear. “And then when you’re like putty in my hands, I’m going to make love to you until you’re breathless and boneless and barely know your own name.” The kiss he placed on her lips was deep and possessive and full of promise.

When they broke apart, Chloe was breathless. “Or maybe I can skip the bath and…”

But Tanner was already shaking his head. “Nuh-uh. I think you need that time to really make the rest of it even more enjoyable.” Placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, he gently turned her toward her bedroom. “Go and do your thing while I get everything else set up. I left my duffel bag out in my car, but as soon as I grab it, I’m going to work my magic around here.”

She giggled. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Only for you,” he whispered, giving her a soft nudge. “Go. We’ve got all night, but I’m eager to get started.”

And as she turned to walk away, his conversation with Reid started playing in his head again.

“Honestly, seeing the two of you together has been a really good thing. She looks happy and seems a little more confident in herself.”

He was genuinely happy that this relationship was making her happy.

“I’m crazy about Chloe. I didn’t see this coming.”

And he hadn’t. A relationship was the last thing on his mind when he accepted the position at Sweetbriar Elementary. Picking up and moving his life on such short notice had been his top priority. But now that they’d found each other, it made him realize that this was possibly the first time in his life that he felt like he had…everything. He’d accomplished what he wanted as an athlete, he had the job he’d been working toward—almost—and he had a woman who he could easily see himself falling in love with and having a future with.

He just had to hope that he didn’t do anything stupid and ruin it.