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CALLIE HAD JUST finished dressing after her shower when Tanner tapped on the bathroom door. “How long are you going to linger in there?”

She’d come out when she was good and ready. Or…when she could stop crying.

Everything she’d planned, everything she’d thought she knew and it had just dissolved as if it never existed. Why hadn’t Tanner told her?

She dried her eyes yet again. “Two more minutes.”

“Honey, we need to talk.”

Yes, they did. But it should have happened weeks ago. Of course, if he’d told her right off why he wanted Reggie’s place, she’d have sold it to him and moved on and now she wouldn’t have him at all.

Miserable at that thought, she opened the door and tried to look composed.

His gaze dipped over her, and he bent to take her mouth in a warm, leisurely kiss. “Holding up okay?”

It was nice having his attention and concern, but she wished it wasn’t over an accident. “I’m fine, I promise. I was just stiff when I first woke up, then having to deal with Sutter…”

“You never need to defend me.”

No, of course not—because Tanner didn’t need her, he just needed her property. Drawing a shuddering breath and willing herself to stay dry-eyed, she leaned into his warm chest. “He’s lucky I didn’t smack him.”

He tipped up her face, his astute gaze missing nothing. “You’re upset.”

“A little.” A lot . “We could get that discussion out of the way. That is, if you have time to stick around…?”

“I’m all yours.”

Oh, how she wished that was true. “Where’s Blu?”

“Kam came by and got him.”

Okay, then she could use more coffee. “Let’s go to the kitchen.”

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable on the couch?” he asked as she limped along.

“No.”

“At least sit down.”

She tried a smile, but she knew her frustration showed through. “That night we spent together was…” Astounding. Eye-opening. Heart-stealing. “Pretty awesome?” Ugh, how weak that sounded. “I enjoyed myself. And you. I mean, us together.”

“In case there’s some confusion, I enjoyed it, too.”

She eased down into a chair. “Tanner, why didn’t you tell me?”

He didn’t pretend not to understand. He just poured the coffee, then sat across from her. “There didn’t seem to be a point. I assumed you’d be gone soon enough.”

Did he believe that still?

He looked down at his mug for a moment, then back to her. “Whenever you’ve asked, I’ve answered your questions.”

And she’d had plenty of them. She wanted to know everything about Tanner. “Yes, you have.”

“Now I have a question of my own.”

She got as comfortable in the chair as she could. “Go on. I’m an open book.”

He surprised her by asking, “How are you affording this?”

Her mind went blank. “This?”

“Far as I can tell, you don’t have a paying job. Even though Reggie didn’t have a mortgage, there’s still insurance, utilities, upkeep, feed to buy for the animals, your own groceries—”

“Right. I get it. I have expenses.” She’d have to address them soon, anyway.

Idly, he turned the coffee cup while scrutinizing her. “Seems every time I turn around, you’re buying something new.”

Settling in even more. Clearly it bothered him, but if Dirk hadn’t shared Tanner’s plans, she’d still be in the dark. “Early on, my parents started investing on my behalf. I think at first it was a tax thing, though I don’t keep up on all that. Then when I turned twenty-one, I got my own investment counselor. He suggested diversifying some of my accounts, and to do that I had to sell a few things, move them around. Eventually, all of my accounts were well away from my parents’ influence—and thriving.”

“So you’re independently wealthy?” His expression was unreadable as he asked for clarification. “Not just as part of the McCallahan family, but as your own entity?”

“Wealthy? No, it’s not like that. I couldn’t go out and buy three houses or a yacht or anything.” She winced. “I am comfortable, though. Even when I worked for my parents, and later with Sutter’s family, I was a saver.”

“You’re saying you did without?”

“No.” She was starting to feel defensive. “I had nice things, but I’ve never really had extravagant tastes. Not like my mother or my friends.” Probably because so much had been given to her. Throughout college, her parents had paid her way, including an allowance for food, clothes, and transportation. “Mom and Dad love to travel. They’ll go off for a month or more at a time, but I’m more of a homebody. You saw my car versus theirs. And my wardrobe? Even when I dressed for business in designer suits, my casual clothes were just that—casual.”

Skepticism narrowed Tanner’s eyes. “You’re saying you like living like this.” He gestured at the kitchen, and even rocked the table, showing that it had an uneven leg.

Funny that she hadn’t noticed that before.

“You like mucking out goat shelters and collecting eggs?” Forearms on the table, he leaned forward. “Living in a small, two-bedroom house with a damp basement, an unattached garage, and thugs for neighbors?”

Why was he being like this? Now that she knew him—and loved him—she figured he had to have a reason.

She tilted up her chin. “I’ve found it challenging and in some ways rewarding.” Hoping to tease him out of his mood, she added, “Plus, I’d hardly call you and Kam thugs.”

Instead of cracking a smile, his mouth tightened and he sat back again, putting added distance between them. “It’s challenging, but the novelty of it won’t last.” While her heart ached, he said, “It’s not the life you want.”

That hurt more than she was willing to show him. “I decide what I want, not you, and I’ll have you know I was trying to prove—” Hurt caught her breath, ending the words that she’d been about to say. “Never mind. Why should I explain anything to you when you obviously don’t know me at all?”

“No, go ahead and finish.” He challenged her with his gaze. “You were proving yourself to me?”

“Ha! Get over yourself.” Shoving back her chair, she awkwardly got to her feet and went to the sink to dump the rest of her coffee. She’d suddenly lost her appetite. “I have nothing to prove to you or anyone else. Not a damn thing.” Covering her heart with a fist, she struggled to contain the angry overdose of emotion so she wouldn’t cry again.

A lifetime ago she’d learned that a smile disarmed people more than an outburst. And she’d witnessed it from Tanner many times, the way he tempered his reaction, calm when others tried to incite his anger.

At least in that, they were alike. Turning back to him now, she got her lips to curve. Not much, but it was the best she had at the moment. “I was proving to myself that I could do it. That’s the only standard I have to live up to. Me and what I think.” Saying it made her believe it, and that went a long way to illuminating the choices she now had to make.

Tanner said nothing, but he stood too.

The length of the admittedly small kitchen spanned between them. “Right now,” she said, “I happen to like myself.”

His voice emerged as a rough whisper. “No reason you shouldn’t.”

She wasn’t about to get drawn in again. “If you and Sutter and my parents don’t see me for who I am, I don’t care.” In truth, she cared too much and it disappointed her because she should have learned by now. “I see myself. I like and respect the person I am.”

“With good reason.”

“You should go.”

“No.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What do you mean, no?”

“You’re pissed, I get it. But I rearranged my day to be with you, so I’m not budging and you’re in no shape to throw me out.”

Flabbergasted, she stood there fuming until he slowly closed in.

“I told you once already, I more than like you. Hell, Callie. If you stay around I’m going to love you.”

Whoa. She stared up at him, hoping she’d heard him right. “But—”

“Forget the property,” he said, before she could bring it up. “Now that you’re here, I don’t want you to leave.” Gently, he framed her face in his hands. “I didn’t tell you about my plans at first because they didn’t matter. I figured you’d move on soon so I was only delayed. Then I got to know you better. Not just the princess who seemed so untouchable, the girl I’d idolized through school.”

“I wish I’d gotten to know you then.”

He shook his head. “No. Hell, no. Everything might have been different. I’m glad you didn’t know me. You said you like who you are now. Well, I feel the same. That scared, pathetic kid I was—”

“You were never pathetic,” she insisted.

He lightly kissed her for that. “My point is that I’m a better man now. Faults and all, I’m the person I want to be, the man I want you to know.”

Damn, those tears were back again. “I have great respect for the person you are.” Even knowing it was too soon, she said, “I think I started falling for you that very first day.”

Humor and satisfaction made his dark eyes gleam. “Was it my big…chain saw?”

She laughed. “Your chain saw, your sexy body, how you are with Blu and Addie. That first morning we shared coffee, I realized how different you are from anyone I’ve ever known, and how different I am with you.”

His mouth twisted. “I unloaded on you and that’s not something I ever do.”

“Maybe even then,” she teased lightly, “you knew you were the one for me.”

Breathing a little deeper, he put his forehead to hers. “I want to be—if you’ll let me.”

“Yes.” Whatever she had to do, even if it meant handing over the house to him for free, she’d do it, because Tanner meant that much to her. Who he was, what he did for others and how he did it, made him the most lovable person she’d ever known. “Anything you need.”

He tunneled his fingers into her hair. “I need you to please let me help you to the couch.”

“Being with you like this, hearing what I want to hear, it made me forget my leg.” Now that he’d mentioned it again, the ache intensified.

He huffed a soft laugh. “Well, I haven’t forgotten. Come on.”

* * *

F OR THREE DAYS , Callie hobbled around, hampered by discomfort as she eased back into her chores. Feeding the chickens was the hardest part because of the heavy bucket to carry, but she was determined to push herself.

And what a fit Tanner had. Addie, too.

That was almost reward enough for the pain her independence caused her. Neither of them was used to losing an argument. It was a wonder they got along so well.

The first time she’d insisted on feeding the hens herself, Kam, being the goof he was, had rolled his eyes at her and said, “Go on then. Make a point. I just hope you know what it is.”

Of course she did. The point was, come hell or high water, she could do this. She didn’t need them to do it for her, but she loved that they were around, concerned and caring.

Honest to God, she was starting to love them all. Addie was in her element when she could fuss like a mother—a mother very unlike Callie’s own. Addie worried first about others, not herself.

Kam teased like a younger brother. At one point, when Callie was heading out to corral the goats, Kam had jogged past her, saying, “Race you,” when he knew she was barely walking. His lighthearted joke had taken away the sting of his help.

Best of all was Tanner. Callie closed her eyes, thinking of how he spooned her each night. The warm, damp kisses he put on her shoulder and the back of her neck. How he came alert anytime she moved.

It had to be frustrating for him, but he didn’t complain, and instead swore that he was right where he wanted to be.

She really loved having Blu around, too. And twice Percy the cat had come over with Addie to visit. It was like they were one big family—but living in two houses.

That was the problem. She needed to show Tanner that while she could hold her own, she’d rather live her life with him.

His plans mattered to her. They’d matter even more to the young people looking for a purpose, needing to feel valued and appreciated.

She badly wanted to discuss her house with him, but she also wanted a commitment from him. Proximity couldn’t be the only reason they were together now. If she wasn’t right here, next door, would he be willing to put out the effort to be with her?

On the fourth day, she awoke recovered enough to really tackle business—namely, her life, which included Tanner and his amazing family. As usual, she found him in the kitchen with coffee ready. She heard the goats and chickens and knew he’d already tended to them, too. He even had cookies on the table.

“You’re a very domestic man,” she said as she strolled in. She wore only the shirt and panties she’d slept in, and she hadn’t done a thing to pretty up for him.

Didn’t matter. Despite her messy hair and wrinkled shirt, he came to her for a warm kiss. “How do you feel today?”

“Ready to take on the world—or one large, sexy man.” She bobbed her eyebrows.

“Is that so?” He guided her to a chair. “You’re walking better.”

“The pain is nearly gone.” She flexed her arm and easily took her seat without a single grimace. “I’m a little stiff, but that’s all.”

“Seeing you like this”—he slid the back of one finger over her breast—“I’m getting a little stiff, myself.”

That set her heart to racing. “Wait.” She grabbed up her coffee mug and chugged back half, then got to her feet again and started out of the room. “Give me five minutes to freshen up.”

Laughing, the diabolical man caught her waist and tugged her back against him. “Easy there.” He nuzzled her ear, his breath hot, his morning whiskers raising gooseflesh on the sensitive skin of her neck. “If you’re really feeling up to it, maybe we could shower together.”

“Yes,” she breathed, turning to cuddle against him, saying a little desperately, “I need you, Tanner.” In so many ways. Now more than ever.

Both of his big, hot hands cuddled her backside, sliding over the slinky material of her panties. “It’s been the best kind of torture, being with you but not having you, not loving you.”

Her heart rapped harder. Forget the shower. Forget everything else. She looked up at him and whispered, “Love me now.”

Thankfully, he needed no more encouragement than that. The kiss he gave her was far better than caffeine could ever be. With one hand he stroked her breast, his palm rasping over her nipple, and with the other he cupped her backside, urging her into delicious contact with his erection.

“You need to lose those jeans.”

He smiled against her mouth. “Yes, ma’am.” He opened the snap and pulled down the zipper, then hooked his thumbs in the waistband—and a split second later, a frantic knock sounded on her door.

Callie let out a groan of massive frustration. “I’m cursed.”

“No, you’re not.” With yet another firm kiss of promise, he said, “I’ll get it, okay?”

Another faster, harder knock rapped on the door, the sound insistent.

“What the hell?” He snapped his jeans as he strode out of the room.

Hoping it wasn’t anything important, Callie trailed behind him—until he paused. “Babe, you aren’t dressed. It could be Dirk or Lang.”

She looked down, saw her nipples were pressing against the cotton material of her shirt, and huffed. “Go on. I’ll be right back.” As fast as she could, she went down the hall and found shorts, then a loose sweatshirt.

She was still pulling it on when she heard her mother demand, “Where’s my daughter? Callie! Callie .”

“Mom?” Alarmed, she adjusted her clothes as she stepped into the hall. Both her mom and her dad met her halfway. “What’s wrong?”

“Callie!” She got swept up into her mother’s arms and squeezed too tightly, causing a strain to both her arm and her leg.

“Ouch, Mom.”

Tanner stepped in, gently separating them. “Sorry, ma’am. Callie had a mishap and her arm and leg are still sore.”

Tears swam in her mother’s eyes. “Oh, my God. I hurt you?”

Her dad said, “Hush, Liz. You can see she’s okay, but there’s no way to miss all those bruises.”

Callie realized her dad was staring at her bare thigh, and yeah, the bruises did look horrendous.

Drawing back, her mother gazed at her leg and her face paled. “Dear God, they look even worse now than they did in your video.”

The discolorations had darkened to mustard yellow and a sick shade of green. They weren’t pretty, but Tanner hadn’t minded.

“Yeah, they’re icky, but I’m feeling much better today.” Callie tipped her head. “How did you—?”

“Let’s all sit down.” Her dad wedged himself in front of Tanner and put a hand to the small of her back.

Tanner trailed behind them, his expression wary until Callie pulled away. “Why don’t you both go in the kitchen? There’s fresh coffee. I’ll be there as soon as I grab some socks.”

Both parents stared at her, her mother clearly devastated and hurt, her father concerned. “Come on, Liz,” her dad said, leading her mother away.

The second they were out of sight, Callie dropped against the wall and closed her eyes…until Tanner’s lips touched hers.

“Hey,” he said softly. “They love you and they’re concerned.”

“And they have lousy timing.”

“Family is family.” He took her hand and led her to the bedroom, then urged her to sit at the end of the mattress. Because he was now familiar with her house, he found socks for her and knelt to help her get them on. “We were probably jumping the gun anyway.”

“No you don’t.” The second he stood Callie stepped against him. “We have plans, buster, so don’t go changing them because of a minor delay.”

“I won’t.” He stepped back to pull on a shirt. “Want me to head out until they’re gone?”

“No!” She twined her fingers with his. “Do you mind sticking around?”

“I’d rather stay.”

Relieved, she smiled at him. “Thank you.” A few moments later, when they stepped into the kitchen together, her dad noted their closeness, but her mother pounced again.

“Glory posted your video and I saw it. Of course, I came right away.” She pulled out a chair for Callie and then refilled her coffee mug.

Tanner got the creamer out for her.

“I called her to ask what had happened, and the girl was nearly hysterical. Now I can see why.”

“I was hurt days ago, Mom.”

“I only just saw it!”

Wow. Okay, that was very real upset in her mother’s voice. Callie wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it. “There was no reason for Glory to be hysterical.”