Chapter 13

Friday afternoon, all of Chloe’s students were quietly reading.

Except one.

James Emme kept looking over at her, and she knew he had something on his mind. So, she smiled and quietly waved him over. “Is everything okay, James?” she asked.

“Miss Donovan, how come we aren’t going on the field trip?” he asked quietly.

“Field trip? What field trip?”

“My best friend Tommy is in Mr. Westyn’s class and they’re going skiing next week,” he explained with a pout. “How come we can’t go?”

She looked at him oddly. “I…I didn’t know about the field trip,” she told him, doing her best to smile again. “But I’ll tell you what, I promise to go down and talk to Principal Kincaid while you’re all in art class and see what I can find out, okay?”

He smiled and looked like he wanted to jump for joy, but then he looked over at everyone reading and reconsidered. “Thanks, Miss Donovan,” he whispered and went back to his seat.

She had ten minutes before she took her class down to art, and her mind was racing. Tanner was taking his class skiing? What in the world? How was that even possible? Or practical? Or safe? Was he using this as a publicity stunt?

The snort was out before she could stop it.

Just when she thought she was ready to test the waters with them again, he goes and pulls a stunt like this. Unbelievable. For over a week, she’d been struggling with keeping her distance. She missed him so damn much and then something like this was like a giant bucket of ice water being thrown at her.

By the time she made it to the front office, she was fuming.

“Hey, Chloe!” Susan said. “What can I do for you?”

“How on earth is Tanner taking his kids on a ski trip?” she demanded. “And why wasn’t I told about it?”

Susan looked incredibly offended by Chloe’s tone as she shifted primly in her seat. “Well, if you must know, Tanner organized a trip to the indoor ski school up at Summit Ridge. It was something he said felt went along with the theme of his room this year. And as for why you weren’t told, no one thought you’d be interested,” she said stiffly. “You’re very regimented, and it didn’t seem like something you’d want to do. Your classes aren’t joined, Chloe, and if you want to know what Tanner’s doing with his class, then the two of you should discuss that.”

Crap.

“Oh God, Susan. I’m so sorry. That was incredibly rude of me.”

“Mm-hmm…”

“I just…one of my students just told me about it and it caught me off guard. Maybe it’s not something I would have thought of, but it doesn’t seem fair for one kindergarten class to go and not the other.”

“I agree. But it was something Tanner worked out with Summit Ridge and…”

“Is it a publicity thing? Is this something his…his PR team asked him to do to drum up business for their newest line of ski apparel?”

The look on Susan’s face this time was almost comical. “Um…no. That’s not it at all. He specifically asked that his name not be used at all. This is to be a school field trip. Although, he asked for me to reach out to the local paper and possibly the news to draw attention to the first ski season up at Summit Ridge and how it’s a family-friendly place. And last I heard, he’s even made it into a fundraiser for school supplies. Again, without once putting his name on any of it for publicity’s sake.” She smiled smugly. “So if you have any concerns, you need to talk to him. We’re supposed to give them a final head count on Monday. If you’d like your class to go…”

“I’ll talk to Tanner,” she murmured while silently cursing herself. “Thanks, Susan. And again, I’m so sorry for being so awful.”

Susan studied her for a long moment. “You haven’t been quite like yourself for the last several weeks. Is everything okay? I know your mom had the accident and all, but…”

“She’s doing much better, but there’s been a lot of…personal issues that I’m trying to deal with.”

“Like breaking up with Tanner?” she quipped before her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh! Now I’m sorry! That sounded very catty.”

But Chloe just waved her off. “Not at all, and yes. Breaking up with Tanner was a huge part of it.”

“I honestly think that’s why he didn’t reach out to you about the field trip. He didn’t want to make it awkward. I know the students should come first, but it’s not worth it if the two of you are going to be that uncomfortable.”

“It shouldn’t be this hard,” she said miserably. “And I hate that it is. We work together and should be able to put those personal feelings aside. I know my students would love to go up to Summit Ridge and learn to ski.”

“I looked up Tanner online and saw a lot of videos of him when he used to compete. He’s really impressive.”

“Yeah, I have too. Especially lately.”

“The man looks good in a ski suit,” Susan said with a wink. “I’ll bet a lot of women wouldn’t mind getting a skiing lesson from him.”

And that’s when inspiration hit.

“Susan, I’m not going to talk to Tanner about this. I mean…I will, but not to ask his permission. Can you print me out permission slips and email me everything I need? I’d like to send out an email to all the parents this afternoon and send reminders home in everyone’s book bags today. Just tell me what I need to do, and the date and time of the field trip and count us in!”

Susan’s smile grew. “Going to fight for your man, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t a question.

“I’m certainly going to try.”

“I’m emailing everything right now, and good luck!”

“Thanks! I think I’m going to need it.” With a quick wave, she rushed out of the office and back down to her classroom. As much as she would have loved to talk to Tanner right now, she didn’t want to interrupt his class. Plus, it would be better for her to look over everything about the field trip and take it from there.

At her desk, she pulled her laptop out of her bag and quickly logged into her email. And what she read was…amazing.

Tanner had managed to pull together an incredible opportunity for not only the students but to benefit the school as well. For every family that used the ski school between now and the end of the year, Summit Ridge would donate a percentage of the sales for school supplies. It was the most selfless thing he ever could have done.

And she loved him for it.

The gasp was out before she could stop it.

Love? Did she love Tanner?

“Oh my God…I do!” she whispered. “I really, really do!”

That was immediately followed by a wave of self-loathing because she had made a serious mess of everything where they were concerned. In the past, if an obstacle seemed too hard to overcome, Chloe’s go-to was to just give up.

And…sometimes hide.

“Not this time,” she murmured. This time, she was going to do exactly what Susan suggested. She was going to fight for her man.

Just…in her own way.

Feeling energized, she quickly put together an email that included all the pertinent information about the field trip, attached the permission slip, and sent it out to all the parents in her class. Then she emailed Susan to thank her and ask if she could print out copies of everything for her so she could send physical copies home as well. By that time, she needed to pick up her students. Her plan was to speak to Tanner after school.

She just hoped she’d be able to wait that long.

Of course, the rest of the day dragged on and by the time her last student was picked up, Chloe quickly gathered her things and ran next door to Tanner’s room and…

It was dark.

He was gone already.

Drats.

Okay, all hope was not lost. She could call him. And as she walked out to her car, she pulled out her phone and did just that.

It went directly to voicemail.

“O-kay…” She didn’t leave a message because she decided to go to his house on her way home. The urge to stop at Books Beans and grab some snacks was tempting, but she was a little too eager to talk to him.

But, because she seemingly had crappy luck, he wasn’t home when she got there. It was possible that he stopped somewhere on his way home, but she wasn’t desperate enough to sit in his driveway and wait.

Now what do I do?

Her mind was filled with questions about the field trip. Were all the students going to get one-on-one attention? Were the parents going to be able to take part or just watch? Would she have to get on skis or a snowboard?

And while that last one filled her with a bit of dread, it also filled her with a great idea to pass the time.

After driving the two blocks to her house, she ran inside and changed her clothes. Wearing a pair of leggings, a bulky hoodie, and a pair of UGG boots, she grabbed her coat, purse, and keys and was back out the door. It was possible that she should have called Summit Ridge to see if it was too late in the day for a lesson, but she’d rather talk to someone in person. And if they couldn’t help her today, then she’d reserve a spot for either tomorrow or Sunday.

Excited, she turned on the radio and sang her way all the way up the mountain. At the lodge, she parked and practically jogged inside. She had no idea where the indoor facility was, but figured anyone at the front desk could point her in the right direction.

“May I help you?” a young man with a bright smile called out as she walked toward him.

“Hey,” she said breathlessly when she approached the desk. “My name is Chloe Donovan and my class is coming up here next week for a field trip with the indoor ski school.” She paused for a moment. “And here’s the thing, I can’t ski. It actually terrifies me a little, and I thought if I could come up here and maybe get a lesson or two, I’d feel better about helping my kids next week. I don’t want to look like a baby in front of them.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile. “I think that is awesome, and you are in luck. We have an instructor who has availability right now!”

She frowned. “But…how do you know that off the top of your head? Don’t you have to look it up or something?”

Now he laughed softly. “Oh, he was just up here at the desk. He’s new to the Summit Ridge family and the school, and we were all encouraging him that it wouldn’t be long until he had a student! And here you are! It’s like you were sent here just for him!”

“Um…”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll walk with you to the indoor summit. There are a lot of twists and turns when you come in from the main entrance here.”

“Thanks,” she said, relieved.

“I’m Ted, by the way.” Stepping out from behind the desk, he came up beside her. “And I think you’re a great teacher to be doing this for your students.”

“Thanks, Ted. I’m hoping there’s a tiny hill for me to start with.” They began to walk. “And I obviously don’t have any equipment. Will that be a problem?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. We’ll provide everything for you, and I promise it won’t be scary at all.”

Yeah, she wasn’t sure she believed him, but there was no way she was going to back out now.

They went down a flight of stairs, down a long hallway, turned and went down another glass-encased hallway, up a flight of stairs, and then stepped outside and walked under a covered, paved path that led to what she assumed was the ski school, talking the entire time about what it was like to be a teacher. Ted opened the door for her and stood back.

“Here you go, Chloe! Good luck!”

“Ted, wait!” she said nervously. “Who am I supposed to talk to? Who’s my instructor?”

He laughed softly again. “Oh, right! Forgot about that.” He stepped inside and looked around before waving to someone. “He’s heading this way now.”

Chloe turned and looked in the same direction as Ted and froze.

“Chloe Donovan, let me introduce you to your instructor, Tanner Westyn,” Ted said cheerily.

“Chloe?” Tanner said in wide-eyed shock. “What are you doing here?”

“Um…”

“Do you two know each other?” Ted asked.

“Um…”

“I need to get back to the front desk, but Chloe’s your first student, Tanner! And go easy on her. She wants to make a good impression on her students.” And then he turned and walked away, completely oblivious to just how awkward everything was.

The door closing sounded incredibly loud, echoing throughout the area.

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Tanner said slowly.

And rather than stand there second-guessing herself, she embraced the awkwardness. “I hear we’re taking our students on a field trip next week,” she said confidently. “And I’m going to need you to show me how to ski.”

For a moment, Tanner looked around as if this was some sort of prank, because there was no way this was happening. It wasn’t possible for Chloe to be standing here in front of him for any reason, let alone to learn how to ski. It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t…

“Wait, what do you mean we’re taking our students,” he said, now even more confused. “It was just supposed to be my class.”

She nodded. “It was, but my students heard about it and were very upset about being left out. You’re not looking to shun my class, are you? Because if this is your way of one-upping me in your quest to be a better teacher, then let me tell you something, Tanner Westyn! I won’t allow it!” Poking her finger into his chest, she kept getting closer. “We were supposed to be the kindergarten team and you have done everything possible to keep us separate and I’m putting an end to it!”

There wasn’t anything funny about what she was saying, and yet she was kind of adorable when she was riled up.

And it was a bit of a turn-on too.

So not the time, dude…

“Oh, you are, are you?” he asked, deciding to play along. “So you’re just going to tag along on my field trip?”

Crossing her arms, she nodded. “Yes, I am, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I already emailed all the parents and sent home the permission slips in everyone’s backpacks. And since it’s so spur of the moment, I plan on following up with all of them over the weekend to make sure no one misses out.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I would have thought you’d be completely against this. After all, it’s not part of any lesson plan or curriculum and it’s all about skiing. Something you hate.”

The eye roll was a given. “I don’t hate skiing, Tanner. I never said that. I just can’t ski. There’s a difference.”

“That part I knew, but where me and skiing are involved…”

“Still never said I hated it,” she interrupted firmly. “I didn’t like a situation that I was put in. What you do and the career you had were amazing. I’m not looking to be a part of that—not as a VIP or mindless cheerleader who’s supposed to just stand in a corner while everyone fusses over you. And that doesn’t make me a bad person,” she went on. “I was completely honest with you about how I felt.”

“Okay, I get that, but…I still don’t get why you’d want to be here with me. I get that your students would have been disappointed, but you could have come at another time without me.”

“Absolutely not.” She stomped her foot. “We are the kindergarten team, Tanner. All this separation is over, do you hear me? Over!” Another stomp. “My class and I are coming on this field trip and since you’re the instructor here, I’m going to need you to teach me how to ski right now!”

Glancing around nervously, he wondered how rude it would be for him to ask one of his new coworkers if they would take Chloe on. There was no way he could do this with her, no matter how much he wanted to. It was entirely possible that he would end up groveling and begging her for another chance, and he wasn’t sure he could handle the rejection again.

“Maybe I can ask one of the other instructors…”

“No,” she said defiantly. “I want you to teach me. You’re the ski pro, Tanner.”

“Yeah, um…”

“Are you afraid to work with me? Do you think I’m unteachable or that you’re not up to the challenge?”

Now he looked at her weirdly. “What’s going on with you? Why are you trying to pick a fight with me? I’ve been respectful, Chloe. I’ve stayed out of your way because I didn’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. Now you show up here and you’re kind of not doing the same for me.”

For a moment she didn’t say anything and he figured he’d made his point. But then she surprised him.

“We’re adults, Tanner. We work together. There’s only so much avoiding we can do. And you know what, it didn’t help anything.” Her shoulders sagged. “I’ve missed you. A lot. So many times I thought about picking up the phone or just going over and talking to you, but…I always chickened out. It’s what I’m good at.”

“Chloe…”

“But I’m trying, okay? I want to try again.”

Wait…was she saying what he thought she was saying?

Taking a tentative step toward her, he asked, “You mean…you want to give us a try? Like…get back together?”

She nodded even as she bit her bottom lip. “I behaved so poorly, Tanner. And bratty. When I heard about this field trip, I was convinced it was a publicity stunt. I got into it with Susan about it, and…”

“I went to extremes to make sure no one took this as a PR thing. At least, not PR for me,” he quickly interrupted. “That’s not why I did it, I swear.”

“I know.”

He explained about how he found out about the ski school and his thought process on why it would make for a fun field trip. “I wasn’t doing it to outshine you or win any popularity contest—real or imagined. This is just a huge part of my life and the thought of being able to combine it with teaching my class…”

“I’m sure your students are going to have even more of an appreciation for all the work you put into decorating your classroom after coming here next week. And when they see you demonstrate everything, they’re going to think you’re the coolest teacher ever.” There was no condescension in her tone. If anything, she sounded genuinely happy.

Like she was proud of him.

“And what about you?” he asked gruffly. “I like the thought of us doing this trip together, but…why come here for lessons? No one was going to make you get up and ski in front of the kids. I would have never let that happen because I know how you feel about it.”

She laughed softly. “I’m not trying to compete, so please don’t think that. I’m doing it because I know some of the kids are going to be scared and I want to be an example. I want to be able to say that I understand and then share how I got up and did it too.” Pausing, she laughed again. “I just didn’t want to have to do it for the first time with an audience in case I failed and fell and made a complete fool of myself.”

Closing the distance between them, he carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. “I promise to catch you if you fall.” Resting his forehead against hers, he added, “And not just while we’re skiing. We can take things as slowly as you want, and I’ll still be there to catch you. Always.”

Smiling, she moved her arms around him as well. “You may regret saying that. My athletic skills are seriously awful.”

“Doesn’t matter. And for the record, I would thoroughly enjoy holding you up as well. It’s not just the catching.”

He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back. “I think if we do that, the lesson is never going to happen,” she told him with a grin. “And it took a lot for me to come up here and do this, so before I chicken out…”

“Ah. Got it.” Taking her hand, he led her over to the area where they had all the equipment. “Come on. Let’s get you fitted with boots and skis.”

She nodded, but didn’t say anything and he could tell her nerves were starting to get to her.

“There’s nothing to fear.” Gently, he turned her toward the ski area. “There are several hill levels. We’re only going to go on the smallest one and that’s only after I get you used to having the skis on. We’ll go over how to walk and move in them and then how to get up off the floor in them.”

“Already planning on me falling?” she asked with a nervous laugh.

Unable to help himself, he hugged her. “Everyone falls. And for the record, everyone gets that part of the lesson. It’s actually one of the first things we teach everyone.”

“Oh. Okay.”

They got her a pair of boots, and Tanner picked a pair of skis for her before taking her over to a bench to sit down. Together, they got her into the boots before he showed her how to get them attached to the skis. “Alwayslisten for the click and check to make sure the skis are on right. I know it sounds silly, but to really be sure, you can jump up and down a few times. Not big jumps, just enough to test that they’re attached.” He helped her to her feet and made her do it.

And she almost fell.

“Dammit,” she mumbled, frantically reaching for him.

“It’s okay. You got this.” Slowly he let her go and explained how to waddle walk in the skis and the best ways to keep her balance with and without poles. Next, he explained some of the positions she’ll be using at the top of the hill.

Glancing over toward the hill, she bit her lip before looking back at him. “Do I have to walk all the way over there from here with the skis on?”

“No,” he assured her. “This is just a little practice area to get you comfortable with the equipment. When you’re ready, we’ll take the skis off and I’ll show you the proper way to carry them. Then, when we get over there, I’ll let you get the skis back on to make sure you’re comfortable doing it on your own.”

It took another twenty minutes before they made the move to the hill. He wanted to make sure she felt confident in not only walking in the skis, but in the poses, positions, and how she’d be starting, stopping, and picking herself up if she fell. When they walked up to the hill, she seemed way more at ease than he would have predicted.

Then he stood back and watched as she clicked her boots into place, stood up straight with her poles, and got into position. She looked serious but determined.

He talked her through everything they had just learned and didn’t want to rush her. “Just take your time. You have this entire hill to yourself. Remember when you want to slow down, all you have to do is…

She was gliding away before he ever got to finish.

With a bit of a squeal of delight, she made her way down the hill without waiting for him. He jogged after her—because as her instructor, that was what he was supposed to do—and caught up with her near the bottom. She stopped just like he had taught her, and when he came up beside her, her smile was positively radiant.

“I did it!” she cried. “I seriously did it!” Then she dropped her poles and launched herself at him, knocking them both off their feet in a fit of laughter.

Tanner held her tight as they rolled away in an awkward tangle of limbs. She twisted her body a bit to keep the skis from breaking off or from hurting herself, and it was a great moment.

“I know that was just a kiddie hill, but can I try the next one? Please? Please? That was amazing!”

Hugging her tight before helping her to her feet, he said, “How about we try this hill a few more times first? Then we’ll move on to the next one.”

The pout she gave him was adorable. “Fine. But I think I could totally do it now.”

“Trust me. You don’t want to get too cocky about this. Just humor me and then we’ll move on. I promise.”

“Fine.”

“Now let’s see if you can get up to the top of this hill just doing side steps.” It wasn’t steep at all and it was a good exercise for her to learn. She did it and as soon as she got to the top, she got into position and took off again.

They did that another three times before he told her to remove the skis so they could move over to the next hill.

“Yay!”

And for another hour, he stood back and watched as she mastered this new skill. It was longer than he was supposed to do an average lesson, but there was no one else waiting for his assistance, so he didn’t think it was a big deal. Together they walked back down to return to boots and skis, and as they sat down on the bench, he reached for her hand and smiled.

“I’m proud of you. You did a great job.”

The smile she gave him was beautiful. “Thank you. I feel really great about bringing the kids here now. Like…I know what to expect and I can fully help any of them who might struggle or be afraid.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for this. And for everything. For bringing me out of my comfort zone without pushing.” She paused. “Most people around here know me and just sort of…well…they treat me the way they’ve always treated me. And while it’s comforting, it’s not always what’s best. That night at my house, you gave me a lot to think about. It just took me a while to do anything about it.”

“You did the same for me,” he admitted. “I’d been walking around for a lot of years thinking everything I did was great and how everyone should want to be like me. It never occurred to me that it wasn’t like that.” He let out a long breath. “I can’t say that I’ll never be that guy whose big mouth or colossal ego won’t be an issue again, but…I’m working on it.”

“The colossal ego might not be a great thing,” she teased, playfully nudging his shoulder with hers, “but I genuinely like the person you are, Tanner. I fell for that guy—huge ego and all. You don’t have to change for me. I think who we are and all our differences make us a great team.”

He ached to kiss her, but he wanted to put everything he felt out there. “I want to be there beside you, Chloe—to be a team with you not only as a teacher, but…in life. I want you to lean on me and be confident in knowing that I’ll always be there for you. You are what’s important to me. I can walk away from being a spokesperson. That’s a part of my life that was never going to be permanent. But you? I think you could be. When I think of the future, I’m not seeing what products I can promote, but I see you. And me. And…a life. If you’ll give me another chance…”

He never got to finish. Chloe turned, pressed her lips to his, and it was the perfect interruption. Her hands cupped his jaw as he took the kiss deeper. If they were anyplace else, he’d have her in his arms, in his lap, and making this something wildly erotic.

And later, he would.

Slowly, he broke the kiss, but then dove back in for one more taste before pulling back. “I’m in love with you, Chloe Donovan,” he said gruffly. “I love the way you’re passionate about teaching and your town and your family. Every day without you was miserable.”

“I felt the same way,” she told him, still caressing his jaw. “But it gave me time to take a good look at my life and all the ways I wasn’t handling things well. My family had an intervention with me and I sort of…well, let’s just say that I went off on everyone. I’d never done that before. And you know what happened?”

He shook his head. “No, what?”

“The sky didn’t fall. I was able to express how I felt and no one freaked out. The only thing that happened was that I felt better. It was wild!” She laughed. “Although, I felt a little bad afterwards because some of the stuff I freaked out about really wasn’t such a bad thing.”

“But to you they were. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re entitled to your feelings, and if people can’t handle it, that’s on them.” He paused. “Believe me, I know from personal experience. I didn’t want to accept the things you were telling me that night because it wasn’t convenient for me. And that was wrong. We don’t have to feel the same things, but we have to respect each other’s feelings.”

She nodded. “I think that’s something everyone struggles with. I don’t think it’s exclusive to us, but thank you for saying that.” Now she let out a long breath. “Either way, it’s kind of nice to not internalize so many things. It changed nothing. All it did was make me feel sad and alone.”

Holding her close, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “And that’s something you had to come to on your own.” Then he paused. “Why did your family have an intervention?”

“After you and I broke up, I didn’t tell anyone. I just sort of stopped doing things with them for like a week. It wasn’t a big deal and I think they completely overreacted, but it was sweet that they cared.”

“Definitely,” he agreed, realizing he didn’t share their breakup with his parents either. Any time they talked in the last two weeks, he’d focused on school and how teaching was going. They’d asked about Chloe and he’d said she was fine and then changed the subject. “I should probably call my parents tomorrow.”

“Oh?”

“I haven’t exactly been honest with them either. It just seemed easier because they worry over every little thing—and not in a bad way, but I just didn’t want to upset them. Does that make sense?”

“It does. And I know that my family worries, but I realized I’d never talked to them about my relationship stuff. I mean, I talk to Ash about it, but not the rest of them. This time I didn’t even talk to Ash.”

Pulling back, he looked at her. “How come?”

“Um…”

He realized immediately that she might not want to talk about it and quickly backpedaled. “You don’t have to tell me. It’s not a big deal. You’re entitled to your privacy.”

Chloe instantly groaned. “Please don’t do that. Don’t feel you have to walk on eggshells with me, Tanner. The reason I didn’t talk to Ashlynn about our breakup is because deep down, I knew I was being unreasonable. I was overwhelmed in a way I’d never been before and was lashing out like a brat. And if anyone was going to call me out on it, she was.” She shrugged. “So it was safer to just keep canceling plans and seeing how long I could get away with it.” Then she chuckled. “It actually lasted longer than I thought it would.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Definitely a good thing because it forced me to work it out for myself before I had anyone trying to tell me I was wrong or why I needed to look at it their way. It felt good to know I could do it on my own. That I’m not as weak as I always thought I was.”

Again, he hated that she saw herself that way, but it sounded like things were changing. “Then I’ll agree and say it was a good thing.”

They sat in companionable silence for several moments. “So what happens now?” she asked. “Should I come back here tomorrow for another lesson and again on Sunday? Are you working all weekend or would you just come here with me to cheer me on?”

He laughed as he shook his head. “I think we may have created a monster. Tonight you did great and I don’t think you need any more lessons before the field trip.”

“I’m not worried about the field trip. I guess I wanted to keep learning so I could be ready when the actual season starts. It’s going to be fun for us to come up here on the weekends and ski! Obviously, I can’t possibly ski on the trails that you’re going to use, but it will be great if we could come up here together and I can watch you do your thing, you can watch me, and then we can come inside and have cocoa…”

“That sounds like a perfect weekend,” he said before leaning in and kissing her. “And while we can totally come back here over the weekend—I’m on the schedule for Sunday afternoon and it’s only to see if this is something I want to do—what I’d really like is to spend some time alone with you. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she said softly. Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder. “What time are you done here? Maybe you can come over when you’re done?”

“I’m here until eight and…” He glanced at his watch. “It’s already 7:30. We can grab dinner here and then go to your house if you’d like.”

“Or…I can leave now and pick something up for us to have and we’ll eat at my place. I think I’d rather have you all to myself sooner rather than later.”

“I love the way you think.” Getting to his feet, Tanner held out his hand to her, helping her up. “Can I pick up anything?”

She thought about it for a minute before giving him a sexy grin. “Maybe just your overnight bag.”

Hauling her in close, he kissed her again. “Like I said, I love the way you think.” He gave her one last kiss. “I should be at your place by nine. Is that too late?”

“Not at all. I’ll see you then!”

Watching her leave, Tanner’s heart felt ready to burst. He had his girl back.

Life was good.