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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

K AM WAS SOON heading out for a date, so Tanner told Addie they’d take Blu with them so she could visit with Liz and Frank.

With the dog at his side, and Callie’s hand in his own, they started across the yards. The scent of rain filled the air, a warm breeze heavy with humidity. “I’m glad I got that job wrapped up. Looks like we’re getting more rain.”

“Huh.” Callie stared up at the sky. “Another heavy storm, do you think?”

He shook his head. “Shouldn’t be, but we better get the animals put up for the night.”

Suddenly Blu stopped, his body going rigid. Back legs stiff, ears up, he stared ahead.

“What is it, bud?”

Blu didn’t move, and that told Tanner something was wrong. He tucked Callie behind him. “Maybe you should go back to—”

“No.” She knotted a hand in the back of his shirt. “I’m sticking with you and Blu. We have a date, remember?”

How could he forget? “Might be Dirk or Lang nearby, but stay alert.”

“Do storms spook him at all?”

“No, but could be a coyote.” He hooked the leash to Blu’s collar, just in case. They were close enough to her house to see the front and side. Nothing seemed out of place. Together, each of them watching the area, they moved closer, until Tanner saw the large boxes on her front porch. “Were you expecting a delivery?”

Immediately, she stepped around him. “Yes! That’s my bedding. I can’t wait for you to see it.” She reached over to stroke Blu. “It’s okay, sweetie. Just some packages.”

But Blu wasn’t convinced. Even after they’d reached the porch and Callie had the door unlocked, Blu didn’t want to go in. He circled the packages, his scruff up, and when he reached a smaller box, he jumped back and then snarled.

Callie petted him again. “It’s okay, Blu, That’s probably something for the house, too.”

“You don’t know?” Tanner asked.

“I’ve ordered a lot.” When she reached for it, Blu barked, making her hesitate.

And then the box shifted.

“Damn it.” Tanner was already guessing what might be in that box, but now he’d have to inspect all of them and it was starting to drizzle. “You have a box cutter?”

“Yes.” She darted inside and was back seconds later.

Tanner moved the box with his foot, but it was securely taped. Whatever was in there wouldn’t be able to breathe. Snake or not, he didn’t want it to suffer. “Here. Hold Blu’s leash so he doesn’t get too close. I’m going to take it across the street.”

“I’m going with you,” she said, holding the leash and following him out of the yard a good distance from the porch, until they reached the opposite side of the road. “What if it isn’t just a rat snake? What if it’s something poisonous?”

“Venomous,” he corrected again. “Snakes are venomous, babe.” He knelt down and set the box in the weeds. “Believe me, I don’t plan to handle it if I can help it, but I have to get it out of the box.”

Carefully, he turned the box until the end flaps were facing him, then he cut through the packing tape and stood. Again, using his foot, he tipped the box over and several rat snakes emerged. Not just one. Or three. It looked like five or six smaller snakes had been packed in there, crammed together, and now they angrily slithered away.

Callie whispered, “I’m going to have nightmares for a month.”

No, she wouldn’t. He’d be with her and he’d be damned if he’d let this chickenshit stuff continue.

“Enough.” Furious, Tanner searched the road, hoping he’d see Sutter hunkered down somewhere. There were no extra cars or lurking ex-fiancés. From here, he could see that Kam hadn’t yet left, but trees and honeysuckle blocked his view of Dirk and Lang’s driveway.

“We’re getting wet,” Callie said, reaching out to touch him.

“Come on.” He wanted her inside, and then he’d take care of rounding up the chickens and goats. The only problem was that Blu hadn’t yet relaxed. In fact, he had his nose to the ground and was trying to lead Callie toward the side yard closest to the Garmets’.

“Do you think—”

Just then, Blu angrily lurched away and Callie not only lost her hold on the leash, she almost did a face plant. Tanner caught her, but Blu was on a mission. “Get inside and lock the door. Call Kam.” He took off after his dog.

When Blu suddenly yelped, his heart stalled and rage imploded. If anyone hurt Blu, there’d be hell to pay.

Still running, he forced his way through the tangled honeysuckle—and found Lang on his knees, holding Blu tightly as the dog struggled to get free.

Worse, Sutter was there, holding a gun on Dirk. He wasn’t a firearms expert, but the damn thing looked deadly, especially jammed against Dirk’s ribs like that.

Tanner realized almost at once that Lang was trying to protect Blu. He could hear him murmuring, “Shh, shh, dog. It’s okay. Settle down.”

The problem was that Blu didn’t like the brothers, and he really wanted a piece of Sutter.

Seeing him, Sutter cursed. “Why the fuck do you hillbillies have to hang out in packs?”

Tanner said, “Blu, stay,” repeating himself twice before Blu, panting hard, subsided. His body remained tense and ready, and he was still emitting a low angry growl.

Keeping his gaze on Sutter, Tanner moved forward. He planned to happily rip the gun from his hand and jam it down his throat.

Sutter ground the gun against Dirk, making him grit his teeth. “If you make me shoot him, then I’ll have to shoot the dog, too! And you .”

Noting the tinge of hysteria in Sutter’s tone, Tanner stopped. “That’s a lot of talk for a dead man.”

“I’m the one with the gun!”

Deliberately, Tanner curled his lip. “Have you ever fired one before?”

Sutter’s mouth clamped shut and he didn’t answer.

“I didn’t think so. I’m a little doubtful that you handled a snake either, so how’d you get it in her attic?”

“Clearly, you don’t understand the power of money. It’s easy to hire others to do your dirty work. To move goats, to handle snakes.” He shrugged. “And around this shithole, people needing money are around every corner.”

So that was how her goat had gotten into the woods? He owed the brothers an apology. “Is that what you tried to do with Dirk and Lang?”

For a single moment, Sutter looked confused, as if he’d never heard their names before, or had long since forgotten. “Wait. You’re talking about this local trash?”

Seeing the way Dirk narrowed his eyes, Tanner half expected him to struggle—yet he didn’t. He got the feeling Dirk was waiting for his moment to strike. “I’m talking about my neighbors. Callie’s neighbors.”

“You’ll never convince me that Callie cares about either one of them, and I find it hard to conceive that you do, either. At first, they were willing enough to take my money.”

“That’s a lie,” Dirk growled.

“Yes, yes, you have scruples.” He smiled at Tanner. “He dared to be affronted that I wanted her scared.”

“I’m more than affronted, you cowardly prick.” Tanner edged forward again. “That’s going to be a big problem for you.”

Sutter’s brows snapped together. “Stop acting territorial, you bastard! Callie is mine .”

“She was never yours. She’ll never be yours.”

“Because of you?” Sutter laughed. “She might be indulging a walk on the wild side, but it doesn’t mean anything. Normally I’d be fine waiting for her to get over her little snit, but unfortunately for her, I’m out of time.”

Tanner paused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“My parents are threatening to give the company to my uncle if the wedding doesn’t happen in August, as planned.” With a negligent shrug, he said, “They’re absurdly old-fashioned and thought marriage to Callie and the ties to her family would influence me to settle down.” His self-indulgent smile curled. “All because I’d gotten myself into a tiny bit of trouble.”

To Tanner’s mind, too many people had wanted to sacrifice Callie. “They’re as delusional as you are.” He took a bored stance, when in reality he wanted to plant his fist in Sutter’s smug face. “Callie would never have married you. She’s too good for you.”

“But not you? Ha! Maybe you don’t know, but if Callie doesn’t marry me her parents will go bankrupt. Seems everyone wants the wedding—except you.”

“And Callie.”

Sutter shoved forward a step, making Dirk stumble and bringing Blu back to bristling aggression. “I was born to run that company! A few mistakes and they’re…” Catching himself, he drew a breath and straightened. “I told them those women weren’t important.”

“More than one, huh? You really can’t keep it in your pants.”

“No one would have known about the other bitch if she hadn’t gotten pregnant and come whining to my parents.”

New anger surged through Tanner. It was damning enough that Sutter wanted to ruin Callie’s life, but to make light of a woman carrying his child…

An enraged shriek cut through the quiet night and a body rushed up behind Sutter. Everyone seemed to move at once.

Sutter tried to turn as the lunging woman jumped forward, a fist-sized rock held in both hands over her head.

At the last second, Tanner recognized Glory.

The rock she wielded missed Sutter’s head but hit him hard in the shoulder.

He fired the gun.

Blu attacked.

Tanner and Dirk both went after Sutter.

Pandemonium reigned for a few moments. Shoving Dirk aside, Tanner landed a hard punch in Sutter’s gut, then another to his face. He was only vaguely aware of Dirk wresting the gun away.

Sutter staggered and would have gone down, but Tanner didn’t let him. He’d threatened to shoot his dog. He’d been terrorizing Callie. He’d ridiculed a woman carrying his child.

A beatdown was less than he deserved, but for now it’d do. Even enraged, Tanner quickly realized that Sutter had no clue how to defend himself. He squealed and cried out and tried putting his hands in front of his face, but none of it did him any good.

In the corner of his mind, Tanner could hear Glory sobbing, heard his brother calling his name and Blu barking.

A small body practically landed on his back. He was about to throw it off when he heard Callie saying, “It’s okay now, Tanner. It’s okay.”

She spoke to him much as Lang had spoken to Blu. He shot a glance at his dog, but Blu had subsided, panting hard while Lang praised and petted him.

The sound of his own harsh breathing filled his ears. Damn, he and his dog were acting the same.

Somewhere in the distance, sirens blared. By force of will, he opened his fingers and let Sutter drop to the ground. The sniveling bastard moaned and curled to his side.

Disgusted with the entire thing, Tanner took two steps away. Since Callie was still clinging to him, he gently drew her around in front of him and cupped her face between his bruised hands. “You’re okay? You didn’t hurt your arm or leg again?”

“We’re all fine. Well, except Sutter, but he deserved it.”

Damn right he had. Tanner glanced around again and found Kam holding Glory, his hand stroking her hair. When his brother met Tanner’s gaze, he said, “She’s upset.”

Yeah, Tanner could see that.

Callie’s mom and dad were there, too, both of them looking around helplessly.

Addie was kneeling on the ground, checking Dirk’s arm and using her lightweight jacket to dab at the blood. She looked up at Tanner and said, “He’s been shot.”

“Only grazed me,” Dirk grumbled, appearing dumbfounded by her care.

“He needs to go to the hospital,” Addie insisted.

Blu had calmed, and he didn’t seem to mind that Lang was practically hugging him.

“Swear to God,” Tanner said quietly. “It’s like my world has gone upside down.” Then he gathered Callie close, heard her groan, and quickly softened his hold. “Shit, I’m sorry. I hurt you?”

She snuggled closer. “Old bruises,” she murmured. “Tanner?”

It was so damn hard not to squeeze her, to confirm that she was his and only his, but he’d have rather taken that bullet than cause her pain. “Yeah, honey?”

“I love you.” She tilted her face back to see him. “I don’t care that it hasn’t been long enough. I don’t care what house I live in. I definitely don’t care what Sutter does or doesn’t do. We can be arguing, or talking, or just sharing coffee, feeding goats or…or even dealing with snakes . I’m so happy when I’m with you.” Tears welled up in her eyes and her lips trembled. “The kind of happiness I never knew was possible. I love Hoker, I love your family, and I love who I am with you. You’re it. You’re mine.”

And just like that, she made everything right again. He touched his mouth to hers. “I love you, too.” Nothing had ever compared to this. To the rightness of it. The completion and peace and sense of being where he was supposed to be. With the people most important to him. And with Callie.

He glanced at Sutter, at his battered, bloodied face. “I’m glad it’s me.”

She smiled. “It was always you—from the moment I saw you.”

* * *

I N A UGUST , a wedding took place. It wasn’t at all fancy, but Glory insisted on a lot of beautiful flowers, and her mother wanted her to wear the designer gown that had already been altered for her. Callie didn’t mind. In the dress, she felt like the princess Tanner affectionately claimed her to be.

Tanner made it clear that he didn’t mind either, since Sutter had never seen the dress and he knew she’d chosen it with her own preferences in mind, not Sutter’s.

He pulled her close now and kissed her, then grinned as they looked around at the one and only event hall in Hoker. Callie had to admit, it was pretty outdated with paneled walls, metal chairs with plastic-covered seats, and a worn linoleum floor. “This is their moment of fame, you know. The renowned McCallahan family, having the town’s biggest event in their hall. They’ll live off this for years.”

She smiled. Her wedding had been perfect, and the reception was too, because all her favorite people were here. Her mom and dad were now seated with Addie. That had taken some doing, because Addie wasn’t a sitter.

Kam, who’d served as Tanner’s best man, was laughing with Dirk and Lang. She saw Tanner shake his head. He was still having trouble accepting that the brothers weren’t quite as bad as they had once been. No, they weren’t role models for young people, but they’d left their most unsavory habits behind in their late teens and early twenties.

Plus she knew Tanner would never forget that Lang had protected Blu, and Dirk had been trying to catch Sutter in the act. That’s how they’d ended up in the woods with a gun pulled on them.

Who knew Sutter even had a gun? Of course, he’d gotten it from someone else, and hadn’t known how to use it, but still, things could have gone very, very differently. If it weren’t for Dirk and Lang, they might still be trying to prove Sutter’s guilt.

“Glory looks stunning.” Her cousin had taken her role as maid of honor seriously, and had worked with her mother to get everything arranged so that Callie didn’t have to deal with it.

“She always looks perfect,” Tanner said. Then he rethought that and said, “Not as perfect as you.”

They were alone for the moment, standing together and sipping drinks, so Callie shared something she hadn’t before. “She was once in a bad car wreck.”

“Who? Glory?”

Nodding at the awful memory, Callie explained, “Her parents died, and she almost died, too. She’d broken a shoulder, a leg, two ribs, her nose and jaw…”

“Damn.” He looked at Glory with new concern. “You’d never know it to see her now. If she has scars, they don’t show.”

Thanks to multiple plastic surgeries, many of them pushed by her parents, Glory’s physical scars were no longer visible. Now her scars are all on the inside.

Tanner took her drink from her and set it on the table with his own. “Can we leave now?”

“We need to make the rounds to tell everyone goodbye and thank them.” Glad that he’d drawn her out of the sad memory, she said, “Maybe ten minutes more? No longer. I keep thinking that Blu is missing us.”

She’d already moved in with Tanner’s family. Funny thing was that Kam had plans to move out. Not far, just closer to town, but he swore he’d be back so often Addie wouldn’t be able to miss him.

No one believed that.

Glory also had a place in town now. It was a house, as small as Callie’s but more updated. Definitely not fancy. She claimed she wanted to simplify her life, but not in the same ways Callie had.

And good thing, because Glory had officially been promoted in the family company. Her recent rushed travel had netted several new deals with promised commissions from multiple sources. That had earned her favor, but also, Glory had wisely recorded Sutter’s rambling threats and explanations—before she’d attacked him. For that, everyone was eternally grateful.

Knowing that Sutter’s family would soon be embroiled in scandal and legal troubles, her parents had gone to them in person and shared the damning information. It was a sign of respect.

In appreciation for their discretion, Sutter’s family had gone ahead with the deal, fully endorsing them. They were shamed by their son’s dishonorable behavior but they loved him and planned to stand by him through his legal ordeal.

Callie wondered if Sutter would ever learn his lesson, but he was no longer her problem.

“Blu isn’t the only one who misses you. I still can’t believe your folks want to relocate here.”

“It’ll be good for them to cut back.” Despite the new financial promise, her parents had downsized and were even looking to have a moderate—by their standards—house built in the more upscale side of Hoker. According to Liz, both her girls were “based here now,” and she wanted to be close to them.

Glory had spent so many years thinking she had to kowtow to Callie’s parents, but now that she’d finally stood up to them, she’d gained new respect. Callie planned to encourage her every single day—after her honeymoon.

“You’re sure you don’t want to go to Costa Rica?” Tanner asked for the hundredth time. “I could squeeze out some time—”

“No way.” She turned to face him, loving him with her whole heart and pleased that they’d spend the next two weeks in her little house for privacy. After that, they’d move right back in with Addie, and Kam would move out, and they’d begin the renovations on her house so it could be set up to accommodate more of the young people looking for security, guidance, and attention. It was Tanner’s dream and she was thrilled to take part in it.

So far, they were planning to remodel the attic and basement for extra sleeping rooms, with an addition to the side for two more bathrooms. When it was finished, it would be perfect for what Tanner had intended.

“You have a tree farm to run,” she reminded him, “and I have goats and chickens to feed. And Blu really would miss us if we were gone for two weeks. Plus, I love our plans and can’t wait to see it all taking place.”

Tanner put his forehead to hers. “I thought Reggie’s house was a teardown. You showed me otherwise, and thanks to you there are so many more possibilities now—for the kids, and for me.”

“For us.” Feeling silly, she said, “You know, if Sutter hadn’t been such a jerk, I might not have come here, and I wouldn’t have met you. So in a way—”

Tanner scooped her up, making her laugh when he turned her in a circle, drawing everyone’s attention and earning cheers from Kam, Dirk and Lang, and laughter from Liam and Nell. “I’m never thanking that ass, so don’t you dare ask me to.”

“We’re together, and that’s all I need.”

“Wave goodbye. I can’t wait a minute more.”

Smiling, Callie waved to her parents and Glory, her new family, and her new friends.

Oh, she’d proved something all right—that life was better when you listened to your heart.

* * * * *