Refocusing on the issue here and now, Tanner addressed his cousin. “You going to the cookout over at Jax’s tomorrow?”
Cash nodded. “I’ll be there. I have to train a lady at six, so it will be after that.”
“You seeing her outside the gym?”
Cash snorted and stood up to pull off his own gloves. “We dated once. We’re more friends than anything. She’s training for a competition, so her schedule is pretty strict right now.”
There were all types of people who came into Cash’s gym. People who just wanted a healthier lifestyle, people who wanted to strength train, athletes who wanted to push their endurance, and those who trained for a variety of competitions. All shapes and sizes came through the doors, and Cash took pride in his place and in each and every client. This was his life, his family.
Mainly because his own family had fallen apart when Cash was younger, and Cash refused to fall into the downward spiral of his pill-addicted father. That was Cash’s dirty little secret, one he didn’t share because he was too proud of where he’d come after his mother’s death and his father’s hellish attempt to cope.
“They’re here,” Cash murmured.
Tanner didn’t move, but his eyes started scanning the place. He took another swig of his water and noted two Caucasian men, probably no more than twenty-three. They both had black gym bags slung over their shoulders as they made their way toward the locker room. No cameras were allowed in areas where people took off their clothes, so this would have to be an area Tanner checked out personally.
Without a word, Tanner picked up his gloves and headed to the locker room. He went to the locker he’d been using and pulled out his cell, pretending to check texts as he eavesdropped.
The guys were muttering about something in the next aisle of lockers. Tanner strained to hear what they were saying, but could only make out a few words. Something about “a bag” and “ten o’clock.” Tanner checked the time and noted it was just a little after nine. Looks like he wasn’t leaving anytime soon.
All of this could be nothing, but it very well could be something major, and Cash deserved Tanner’s undivided attention. Anyone who had a tip on drugs deserved his full focus, for that matter.
Tanner knew he couldn’t possibly save everyone or stop every single illegal activity, but each time he was able to make a difference, he knew he was in the right career for the right reasons. He was damn good at his job and would stop at nothing to keep his small town and its residents safe.
A text flashed across the top of his screen. He nearly dropped his phone at the unexpected vibration.
I’ve been busy all day, but wanted to let you know dr appt scheduled for Monday @ 2
He pulled in a deep breath and started to reply two different times, but deleted each one. This was real. He was going to be a father and he was going to have to push aside his past and man up now, because Melanie needed him. Their baby needed him.
She might not want to admit that she needed help and support, but she did. No way in hell would he miss that appointment. He wanted to know how healthy Mel was, how the baby was doing, if there were any red flags or worries they should be concerned with at this point.
Damn it. She’d just found out about the pregnancy and he was already mentally freaking out. He had a long way to go.
The guys on the other side were still chatting. Tanner blocked out his fear and worries. He had to focus on this moment for now and reply to Mel later.
“He’s nothing but a little bitch,” one guy complained. “I’m not afraid of him.”
They’d yet to say anything incriminating, and Tanner hadn’t seen or heard their names before. So far, they were just guys working out. But Tanner wasn’t about to brush aside Cash’s concerns. Tanner had nothing else to do tonight, so sticking around here was just fine. He needed to work out some frustrations anyway and exorcise those demons from his past.
The woman and children he and his team were supposed to extract last night had backed out. Well, the woman had. Her kids hadn’t had a choice, which only pissed Tanner off all the more. He couldn’t save those who didn’t want to be saved, he’d discovered that a long time ago.
But, damn it, he wanted those kids out of that house. He wanted the mother to realize that she was worth more than the shit she put up with on a daily basis.
Locker doors slammed, pulling Tanner back into the moment. He stared down at Melanie’s text again. As the guys walked out, not paying him any mind, he used this moment to shoot off a quick reply.
I’ll be there. See you at the cookout
The second he’d hit send, he realized how ridiculous that sounded. He’d already told her he’d be at Jax’s for the cookout. Like some awkward teen with his first crush, he hadn’t known what else to say. Damn if this whole situation wasn’t making him a fumbling mess.
Maybe if he wasn’t reliving the worst time of his life, he wouldn’t be in such a panic. Oh, he was positive he’d still be scared, but having lost two people who meant so much to him, he honestly wasn’t sure he could go through another loss. Which is why he needed to keep his heart out of this equation. Being physically attracted was fine, and actually he couldn’t put a halt on that even if he wanted to. Everything between him and Mel had to stay superficial.
Tanner even feared getting too attached to the baby just yet. Because losing a child was a whole other level of hell he still didn’t want to talk about. Cash and Jax knew what he’d been through, but even they never brought up the delicate matter.
If Tanner delved too deep, he’d go into full panic mode, but he couldn’t go there. The only way to get through this was to remain ahead of his feelings and tell his past to shut the hell up.
All he could do was be there for Melanie, make sure she was safe and comfortable . . . because he couldn’t take another soul-crushing loss.
Shit. Tanner raked a hand through his hair and shoved his cell back into the bag in his locker. After shutting the door harder than necessary, he headed back out into the main part of the gym.