His shoulders lowered with a resigned exhale. "When you stay in Charleston after Cutter's wedding."
"And why would I stay in South Carolina?"
"Because of your head."
"My head's going to be just fine. You're not going to get rid of my mouth that easily, Bennett."
Wait. Back up. She did not need to lead this conversation into discussions about their mouths. Her lips tingled with memories of kissing him, long, deep' hard, not nearly long enough. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, partner. I'm not checking out because of some silly bump on the head."
"How about because of all these accidents that don't make sense? Missing evidence, now a double dose of flat tires. It's time for you to pack it in and take care of that concussion before something worse happens."
"This is one of your jokes, right?"
Only the wind answered as Tanner stood his ground, stone silent—a stubborn, immovable rock.
Then his words filtered through. What if the accident hadn't been a fluke? Why hadn't she considered that herself? This opened a whole new path for the investigation. Her mind sped through possibilities she couldn't wait to explore once they arrived back at base.
Except, he didn't intend for her to stay.
"You're serious? You really think I'm going to pull myself off the investigation team because someone may or may not be tampering with evidence? Maybe somebody wanted to spook us a little? The way I see it, that's all the more reason for me to press. I'm onto something."
"That's my whole point." Tanner advanced a step, jabbing the air with a finger. "You shouldn't be on to anything. We should be. We. The team. If you won't be a team player, then you're a liability to everyone else."
His words hurt more than any concussion. Apparently the name and the invitation to be his friend hadn't been genuine. He'd been trying to get her back to Charleston, with the side benefit of working his way into her bed.
And he'd almost succeeded, damn his too charming face. She wanted to bash him over the head with her Athena stick.
Anger whipped inside her to blunt the pain of betrayal. "You're one to talk about being a team player. You only want to play if you can be the captain. In charge. In control. Even sitting in the copilot seat, you've got to run the mission—forget that it's not your job. You're the one fixing things, like in your relationships. And on this whole investigation, you don't want to work with me any more than Andrew ever did. You want me to do it your way, on your schedule, by your rules. Well, I've got news for you, hotshot. You can't always run the show and still be a team player. Sometimes somebody else is in control."
Panting in the aftermath, she realized all she'd said. Some of it true, but some horribly harsh and unfair. Just as she started to backpedal, Tanner quirked a blond eyebrow.
"Are you through?"
Ice-flecked blue eyes stared back at her and Kathleen realized he was royally pissed. Not just miffed, or a little angry. Easygoing Tanner Bennett was full-out mad. At her.
She thought about apologizing, but the cold look in his eyes froze the words in her mouth. She settled for a quick nod.
"Good. Because so am I. I'm through trying to work with a woman who takes damn fool chances. I'm through trying to talk sense to you when you flat-out won't listen. And I'm sure as hell through fighting with you today because, unlike you, I happen to care about your health." He tapped his watch meaningfully. "I'm hauling butt out of here, O'Connell, and now that you know, consider me through talking today."
Kathleen blinked, more than once. She didn't deserve to shed the tears that burned her eyes. She'd taken a stupid risk and acted like a child, to boot. How could she blame him for not wanting to talk to her?
Unwilling to leave her present behind, she shook off the attack of self-pity and hustled back inside the mission before Tanner left without her.
She had a feeling this Christmas was going to be more than just a "Silent Night" kind of holiday. Tanner's cold shoulder threatened to extend into a full-blown silent day, night and freaking New Year.
And worse yet, she deserved it.
Chapter 13
Kathleen speared her fingers through her damp hair. A shower did wonders for restoring a person's spirits, especially when she had twenty-four hours' worth of sand, blood and pent-up emotions to wash away. A waterproof bandage over her stitches had enabled her to indulge in that much needed cleansing.>Definitely a hefty dose of Christmas cheer charging through the chapel.
Whistling "Jingle Bells," Tanner left the church in search of Kathleen. The mission porch was empty, along with the yard stretching to the fence. Tanner bounded down the steps, scanning the barren horizon beyond. A full-blown tequila sunrise of reds and oranges blazed across the desert, but no sign of Kathleen.
She wouldn't have ventured into the mine, would she? Nothing there but a bunch of rusty tin cans and rope.
Footsteps sounded behind him. From above. On the roof. Instinct told him he wouldn't like what he found when he turned.
A thud sounded behind him. Silence. Then another. He looked anyway, pivoting just in time to see Kathleen.