knew, more than anything else. She’d protect her sister forever, the way she’d never been protected. From nastiness, from speculation, from gossip. She’d never have people teasing her because their mom brought home a random guy, or because the rumor about her stealing from the Fairfaxes had finally reached the school gates.
Kissing her sister’s head, Van promised herself she’d always be Zoe’s protector. Nothing else mattered. Not the way their mom was almost certainly still curled up in bed, nor the way her heart skipped every time she saw Tanner Hartson.
She was here for Zoe. Nothing else.
“How about you call your brother once in a while?” Logan complained over the phone to Tanner later that night. “I just spoke to Becca. She told me you bought the drive-in. How the hell didn’t I know this?”
“It only happened last week. The ink on the contract isn’t even dry.” Tanner shook his head, though he couldn’t help but smile. Of his three other brothers, he’d grown closest to Logan over the years. Maybe because Gray had been so busy touring the world and Cam had been chasing his football dreams, leaving Tanner and Logan to spend more time together. It had been Logan who was there for him when Van had told Tanner she never wanted to see him again and followed through with her threat.
And as they both built their own businesses – Tanner in New York, Logan in Boston– they’d become confidants. Bitching at each other about how hard it was to please their employees. Talking through business options when they needed somebody they could trust.
It was natural Logan was a little taken aback that Tanner hadn’t discussed the drive-in with him. Tanner couldn’t help but feel bad about that.
“I bought it on a whim,” he confessed. “I don’t have a business plan or anything. Just signed the contract and now here I am.”
Logan laughed. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
No it didn’t. “Yeah, well I had money burning a hole in my pocket. And I was bored.”
“There’s always a job for you in Boston,” Logan reminded him. “I could use somebody I trust.”
Tanner lifted a brow. “I think I’ll stay in Hartson’s Creek for now, but thanks anyway.”
“So what are you planning to do with the drive-in?” Logan asked.
“I’m gonna rebuild it.”
“Seriously?” Logan sounded skeptical. “How the hell are you gonna do that? You don’t have any experience of the hospitality industry.”
“I know. But I know some people who do.” He grinned. “Like you.”
“Yeah. I’m a bit busy to be playing movies with you. Seriously, bro. I thought you weren’t supposed to be doing any work for a year? Wasn’t that part of the conditions of your sale?”
“Only in a competing company,” Tanner told him. “And I’m not planning on doing much work anyway. I’m going to get somebody to do it for me.”
“Who?”
“Van Butler.”
“What?” Logan chuckled. “As in Van Butler the girl you used to hang around with, then you dicked over until she was in pieces?”
“Shut up.”
“Come on,” Logan said, his voice disbelieving. “I heard you tell Becca you weren’t interested in seeing Van again. And now you’re talking about employing her? How long have I been gone? When did the two of you reconnect?”
“It’s a small town.” Tanner shrugged. “We’re friends, that’s all.”
Logan was silent for a moment. “Friends?” he asked, as though he couldn’t quite believe it.
“What else would we be?”
“You tell me? She’s always felt like the one who got away.” There was a shrug in Logan’s voice. “There was a point I thought you’d never get over her. Or what happened. It just feels… I don’t know… weird, that you’re talking about her like you don’t have a past.”
“Maybe I grew up,” Tanner said. “We’ve bumped into each other a few times. At the diner, running… that kind of thing. And then Aunt Gina invited her to dinner this evening. We’re okay. What happened between us is water under the bridge. I think we can be friends again.” And if he wanted more? Well, they’d see what happened.
“Just be careful, man,” Logan said softly. “I remember what you were like ten years ago. The situation broke you. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” He cleared his throat. “And she doesn’t deserve to get hurt either.”
“I won’t hurt her.” Tanner was certain of that. “We’re both adults, we know what we’re doing. And thank you. It’s good to know you’ve got my back.”
“Always.”
“You okay?” Tanner asked his brother.
“Yep. Busy as hell at