Chapter Thirteen

Tanner was surprised to realize that not only was Blake now on board with the idea of Tanner and Mia being together, he'd damn near appointed himself Tanner's official wingman for the cause.

The two of them stayed up late into the night after the others had gone to bed, talking and catching up on a decade's worth of life stories, and eventually the conversation turned to Mia.

"Dad mentioned earlier that he saw you two holding hands on the drive back," Blake pointed out as he poured two tumblers of whiskey and handed one to Tanner.

"And?" Tanner replied, a little nervous. Phil Jones' approval was just as important to him as Blake's.

"He said, and I quote, 'it's about damn time'," Blake revealed with a grin. "I had no clue until he mentioned it, but evidently, he and Mom – especially Mom - have been rooting for you two to get together for the last couple of years now."

Tanner was stunned. "Really?"

"Really."

"But how... I mean... Don't get me wrong, I am very glad to have their blessing," Tanner stammered. "I just... didn't think I'd get it, to be honest."

"You're good people, Tanner. So yeah, you were an ass in high school. So what? I was too. People change."

Blake took a sip of his whiskey, then continued.

"After that first phone call this week, I was so angry with you. It was a kick in the gut to realize that I was holding a past you can't change over your head. Which got me thinking. I used to be the exact same way - so how would I feel if someone held my previous stupidity against me the rest of my life?"

A sheepish grin preceded Blake's next words.

"I didn't like that revelation, and that pissed me off even more. Thank God you called me back, because I was too stubborn and angry to reach out. At you, at me, at Mia, at the world."

He looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot, then leaned forward suddenly.

"Can I tell you something? But you can't breathe a word, man."

Tanner nodded.

"Goes no further than us. What's up?" he asked.

“I don’t think I want to stay in after all. I have a year left of active duty. I’ve been thinking more and more about calling it good after that and coming home. I’ll still have four years of reserve to do, but at least my time will be mine for the most part.”

“I thought you were gonna be a lifer,” Tanner remarked.

Blake sighed heavily.

“I’d planned on it, and then… You know what? Never mind,” he said abruptly, then drained his glass again, then stood as Tanner narrowed his eyes.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Tanner reminded him.

“I know, and I appreciate it. I’m just not sure how ready I am to talk about anything more right now. I’m gonna call it a night, Tan. See you in the morning.”

Once Blake had gone upstairs, Tanner lingered on the couch a while longer, sipping his whiskey and letting his thoughts roam freely – and he found that Mia took center stage in every single one. 

I definitely understand big changes of plans. Been there myself lately...

He smiled as he emptied his glass and carried it to the kitchen, then headed upstairs to the guest room to sleep as best he could, knowing that a lush, ripe Mia was only two doors down.

Curb those thoughts or you'll never get any sleep tonight...

Tanner stripped his boots, jeans, and socks off before rummaging through his overnight bag to retrieve pajama bottoms. Suitably attired, he stretched his frame out onto the comfortably soft full-size bed and stared at the ceiling fan spinning lazily overhead.

As he lay there, arms up and fingers laced together behind his head, he couldn't help the huge smile that spread across his features.

Never realized how much my life was on auto-pilot until this week, he reflected. Work, and home, and nothing else.

Without meaning to, I stopped planning ahead. Hell, I stopped looking forward at all. I just drifted along from day to day...

And now?

Now, I feel like I'm finally awake again after a long, long sleep. I have something brilliant to look forward to, and that's building a life with Mia.

He drifted off to sleep, still smiling.

***

The following morning, after a very restless night, Mia stood at the counter in her mother's kitchen, knife in hand, her mind blissfully reliving the last few days as she grabbed the last freshly peeled and washed potato and cut it into small cubes.

Not the Christmas break I expected, she mused to herself as she lifted the cutting board and deftly slid the diced potatoes into the large pot of boiling water.

Vegetable chopping, yes. In a relationship with Tanner, the man I have loved for years?

Definitely not. But I'll take it.

She furrowed her brow, recalling his insistence that they wait a while to be physically intimate. From her point of view, there was no need to wait - she'd done plenty of that already where Tanner Greysen was concerned.

And knowing now that she'd soon be his, heart, soul and body?

Well, it was causing more heat in her than standing next to the four-burner stovetop that was in full use.

Mia shifted her stance, acutely aware of a growing hunger that had nothing to do with food, and everything to do with gorging herself on the muscled treasure that was Tanner Greysen. She wanted to explore every inch of that spectacular body with her hands, and then do it all over again, with her tongue...

I'm in my parents’ kitchen at 10:30 on Christmas morning thinking about sex, she realized, and blushed to her roots, then shot a glance over her shoulder to the other counter, where her mom was putting the finishing touches on her famous pecan pie.