Still The One - Carrie Elks Page 0,26

it like that. She let out a laugh, trying to recover her equilibrium. “Don’t sweet talk me.”

“Wasn’t going to.”

“You’re crazy, Tanner Hartson. Completely and utterly twisted. Have you thought of getting some therapy?”

He leaned forward, tucking a lock of hair behind her ears. “Say yes,” he said softly. “Work with me. Let’s make this place into something amazing.”

She looked around again, her eyes widening as though she was seeing the field in a different light. That’s when he saw it. The spark of interest that made her lips part and her chest lift up and down.

How many times had he seen that before – when she had an idea and couldn’t wait to share it with him? It was her tell, the same way a bad poker player would give away the fact they were holding two aces. He had her, he knew it.

“I still think you’re crazy,” she said softly, licking her bottom lip as she brought her gaze back to his.

“Is that a yes?”

She laughed. “I have no idea if it’s a yes, a no, or a stay the hell away from me.” She breathed out heavily. “Do I have a choice?”

“There’s always a choice.”

Van wrinkled her nose. “Not with you there isn’t. When we were kids you always knew how to wrap me around your little finger. Just a little bat of those pretty eyelashes and I was a goner.”

He gave her a speculative look. It was the first time since he’d been back that she’d admitted he had a hold on her. It was hard to ignore the hope flaring up in his chest.

Leaning in closer, he kept his eyes trained on hers. “Say yes,” he whispered, curling his fingers beneath her chin, lifting it until their mouths were only a breath away from each other.

Van swallowed hard, her skin flushing as her gaze remained on his.

“I’ll think about it.”

Chapter Ten

Van hated the way her stomach kept contracting as she stood on the Fairfax’s doorstep, waiting for somebody to answer the bell. Somebody – Regan, probably – had decorated the porch with yellow streamers and balloons. Shifting on her feet, Van looked up as the door opened, and Nora Fairfax was staring at her, her face impassive as she stepped to the side.

“Come in.”

Van smiled at her, but Nora’s expression didn’t move an inch. “I have a gift, is there anywhere to put it?” She held up the sparkly gift bag she was carrying. It was filled with soft toys and toiletries – the type of things she could remember her mom getting when she was pregnant with Zoe.

“We said no gifts,” Nora said tersely.

“I know. But I felt wrong arriving without something in my hands. Oh, and I brought a bottle of wine to say thank you for having me.” She lifted the green glass bottle from her bag and passed it to Nora, who took it but held it at arms’ length, as though it was a grenade.

“Come in.” She sighed. “Everybody is in the living room. Would you like a glass of lemonade?” She glanced at the bottle again. “Or I can open this if you’d like something stronger?”

“Lemonade will be fine.”

Giving her an unsmiling nod, Nora led the way down the hallway. Van could hear the low-level buzz of conversation echoing from a room at the back of the house. As Nora peeled off into the kitchen, Van walked inside, taking a deep breath when she saw how packed it was in there.

Her skin prickled up as everyone turned to look at her. Walking into that living room with its perfectly polished wooden floor and whitewashed walls felt like walking into her senior homeroom. She caught one of the women in the far corner looking her up and down as though she was something the dog had brought in.

“Savannah! You made it.” Regan struggled to standing, and Van had to grit her teeth together when nobody offered to help her. “Girls, you remember Savannah Butler, right? From school?”

“I brought you a gift,” Van said, trying to ignore the way some of them were leaning in and whispering to each other. “I know I’m not supposed to, but you deserve something for carrying a baby around for nine months.”

“That’s so sweet. Thank you.” Regan gave her a quick hug. Why don’t you take a seat? There’s a free one over there.” She pointed at a chair by the fireplace.

Nora chose that moment to enter the room, carrying a glass of iced lemonade in