Turn and Burn (Blacktop Cowboys 5)

Tanna could so identify with the tomboyish spitfire. And the way she bossed her little brother around. She hadn’t heard from Garrett since that last phone call and that worried her.

“So what did I miss?” Lainie asked.

“Tanna was about to tell all about her and Fletch,” Celia said slyly.

“No, I wasn’t. We’re . . . hanging out while I’m here. That’s it.”

“But he’s still staying up at the Split Rock?”

“No. He’s back in Rawlins as of today, actually.”

“What happens now?”

“He’ll be busy with his practice.”

Celia rolled her eyes. “No. I mean what happens between you guys now?”

“I guess we’ll see.”

“That’s it? That’s all the juicy insider stuff we get?”

“What else do you want to know?” She dropped her voice. “Yes, he absolutely rocks my world in bed. Happy now?”

Lainie and Celia looked at each other and laughed.

“What?”

“Oh, you’ve got it bad for Fletch if you don’t wanna give us explicit details.”

Tanna bared her teeth. “Or maybe I’ve just grown up and no longer need to brag about everything and everyone I’ve done.”

“Or maybe Fletch is the one and you don’t want to admit it to us, let alone yourself.”

“I stopped believing in, and looking for, the one a long time ago.” Such a liar, Tanna.

Celia pushed to her feet. “That tea ran right through me.”

After she waddled into the house, Lainie leaned over. “You don’t have to tell us everything. You don’t have to be upbeat, wild child Tanna around me all the time either, okay? I’ve had darkness in my life, if you’ll recall.”

“Which is why I’m so thrilled to see you living the dream with your hunky hubby, your beautiful two-point-one kids in this bucolic place. I’ve missed you. And it’s been . . . I won’t say good for me to learn to deal with this stuff on my own, but it’s been necessary.” She blew out a breath. “So can you please steer the conversation away from horses and Fletch? Celia’s like a dog with a bone when it comes to this stuff.”

“Only because she cares about you as much as I do.” Again Lainie looked at her and seemed to look through her. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

Tanna nodded, but didn’t say anything further.

“I can see by the look on your face you haven’t told him.”

“There’s too much up in the air for both of us right now.”

“I understand.” Lainie squeezed her hand. “But all this that you see? The hunky hubby, the beautiful two-point-one kids and a home in this bucolic place . . . you deserve that too. So does Fletch.”

“I know. But what if I’m not the one who can give it to him?”

The door squeaked and Celia lumbered into view. “Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?”

Lainie gave her a haughty look. “A pregnant woman shouldn’t be asking questions, lest she ruin a possible surprise.”

She groaned. “Not another surprise shower. I still haven’t lived down the last one.” She jabbed her finger at Tanna. “I never did get even with you for the basket of vibrators.”

Tanna laughed.

“My mom is the shower queen,” Lainie said.

“She did throw a great bash in California for Brianna. I was glad I got to come. No issues from your mom about you naming your son after your late father?”

“None. She was actually pleased. It helps that Jason looks nothing like me or my dad.” She shot a fond look at her son. “With the exception of those curls.”

Tanna looked at Celia. “What baby names are the front-runners in the Gilchrist household?”

“Since we don’t know the sex, we’ve picked a couple.” She scowled. “Kyle nixed Marshall; I thought it would be nice closure to name the baby after his grandfather.”

“I think you’re having a girl,” Lainie said. “So Marshall definitely won’t work.”

“So how about . . . Jasmine?” Tanna suggested.

“Stripper name,” Celia said.

“Mallory?”

“Too stuffy.”

“Gillian?”

“Ugh. Gillian Gilchrist? No. Poor kid. First letter of her first name and first letter of her last name both start with G but it isn’t pronounced the same? And it always looks like Gilligan to me.”

“I’m thinking Skipper would be awesome for a boy or a girl,” Tanna said.

Celia laughed. “We watch entirely too much classic TV. But I can promise you, we won’t be saddling the poor kid with a weird name like some people I know.” She and Lainie exchanged a look.

“What?”

“Our neighbors? Josh and Ronna? They named their little girl Style.”

“Style? As in . . . doggie style?”

“Only you would think of that, Tanna.”

“What? You didn’t?”

“No. I thought of freestyle, no style, bad style and hairstyle.”

“I can guarantee the kids on the playground will have thought of it.”

“True.”

“Besides, I have the perfect name for a girl,” Tanna said smugly.

“Spill it.”

“Kyla.”