A grin on his handsome face, he stepped forward and tipped her chin up with his hand. “Because when a guy likes a girl and he feels like it could get serious, he wants her to meet his family. And other than the guys, Alyssa is the only family I have.” Something painful flashed in his expression, distracting her from the nerve-inducing comments about them becoming serious.
“What is your relationship with your parents like these days?” He’d mentioned the fact that his mom was great to him growing up but nothing about her since.
A muscle ticked in his tight jaw. “Ever since she followed my dad’s lead in not supporting Alyssa or being there for her when she got pregnant, I wanted them both out of my life, but I was still at home. I had no choices. But even then, I knew that’s not what a parent does to their kids.”
“I agree,” Scarlett said softly, feeling sorry for him and his sister.
He’d begun his pacing, and she held back a grin because she’d come to know him well enough by now to expect it. Tough conversation? The pacing began.
“I already had a shitty relationship with my father. After the guys bailed me out of jail, he had his say, believe me. What a waste of time and space I was. How useless.”
His hands curled into tight fists, his knuckles turning white under the strain. Then, as if a light of awareness went on, he blew out a slow breath and released the tension, opening his hands and shaking them out. She narrowed her gaze. He clearly did work at getting ahold of his anger.
He paused in front of her. “I wanted nothing to do with him from that point on. I spoke to my mother once, after we opened the club and things were going well. I asked if she wanted help leaving him. She said no, he was her husband. At which point I figure she made her choice. So I made mine. I cut them out completely.”
She touched his cheek, calling his attention to her. “It’s their loss. Do you understand me? You’re a good man, Tanner. Worth a lot and worth knowing.”
Gratitude flashed in his expression, but instead of answering, he leaned over and brushed his lips over hers by way of thanks.
She tilted her head back, expecting him to deepen the kiss when she felt a playful slap on her ass instead. “Hey!”
“Who’s the one who said she can’t be late for work?” he asked, winking at her.
Clearly serious conversation was over.
An hour later, Scarlett found herself at work on time just like Tanner had promised. And to her dizzying shock, her time with Tanner hadn’t stopped the world from turning or her witness from being in the conference room so they could go over trial prep. Putting Tanner and her feelings for him out of her mind for now, she dove into work.
* * *
Tanner and Scarlett drove to his sister’s house, a small house in Bayside, a well-kept home with little land but a lot of love inside. Alyssa and Nick had made the best of her getting pregnant unexpectedly and stayed together, falling in love over time and raising a great kid.
When he’d told Scarlett he wanted her to meet his sister, he hadn’t been kidding. With his feelings for her growing by the day, he intended to do everything he could to ingrain her deeper into his life. It was the only way he could see her opening herself up to the possibility of a real future with him.
Because of what he didn’t have growing up – the kind of family his sister now had – since meeting Scarlett, Tanner realized he could envision that for himself. Scarlett in his house, his bed, his life. The mother of his kids. Too bad he had no idea if she’d ever considered the idea of becoming a mom, or even getting married. Hell, he’d barely thought of it himself.
He glanced over at her pretty profile as he parked in front of his sister’s place. Until now.
“We’re here,” he said unnecessarily, parking behind an idling navy car.
She’d surprised him by picking up flowers during a break she never usually took, to give to his sister for having her over. “Ready.”
They headed up the walk just as the door opened and his nephew, Cal, barreled out and down the two steps outside, a duffel bag in his hand. “Uncle Tanner!”
“Hey!” He wrapped an arm around the boy’s neck and pulled him in for as much of a hug as he’d allow these days. “Cal, this is Scarlett Davis. Scarlett, my nephew, Cal.”
She smiled at the teen. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“Where are you off to?” Tanner asked.
“The soccer team is having a sleepover at Steven’s house. Joe’s mom is waiting for me.” He pointed to the navy car Tanner had seen earlier. “Are we still going to a Mets game soon?” He looked at Tanner with big brown eyes.