Once a Family by Tara Taylor Quinn

Author:Tara Taylor Quinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

SEDONA HAD NO business stopping by the Malone vineyard Friday evening. She knew it. Tanner would know it. But as soon as she hung up after a very disturbing phone call from her brother, Grady, who’d called to tell her his wife had been unfaithful, and then heard Tanner’s deadpan message on her voice mail, she climbed back into her car and headed out to the country.

Ellie had done her business and had her dinner. But she wasn’t happy about being left again so soon.

Sedona wasn’t all that happy with herself. But she didn’t turn around.

If she was using Tanner’s attraction to her to further a business goal—the need to keep Tatum and Tanner Malone from exploding into a crisis mode that would necessitate legal intervention—then so be it.

Bottom line was, her client, Tatum Malone, was not ready to come home.

And if her heart was reaching out to Tanner because she was falling for him...if she was on her way to his place because he was hurting and she couldn’t stay away?

Shaking her head, Sedona pushed harder on the gas pedal.

She figured if Tanner was in from the vineyard, he’d hear her old Thunderbird coming up the long laneway. He’d have plenty of opportunity to avoid seeing her.

He was waiting on the front porch when she pulled up to the house in a cloud of dust. He didn’t come down to greet her, though.

So, taking a deep breath, she made the short climb up to him, hoping that, in her black pants and black-and-white tailored jacket, she looked more professional than she felt.

The first whiff of fresh masculine scent, and her confidence in her ability to walk the thin professional line weakened. The hair hanging down the back of his neck was still wet. He’d just come from a shower.

He didn’t say anything. Just watched her step up next to him. And she had a vision of him minus the jeans and polo shirt he’d obviously just donned.

“Please don’t do this, Tanner.” She stood there, nose to nose with him, staring him in the eye—and pleaded.

When he turned his gaze to the horizon, her heart sank.

Sedona felt as if she was in the middle of a tornado—the calm eye of the storm part. Knowing that destruction was coming and unable to prevent it. To protect those she cared about.

“Why?”

The countryside was quiet. An occasional car drove by on the road but it was far enough away that she could barely hear it. There were no animals milling around. No waves bringing unending conversation—an unrelenting promise of life. Just quiet.

Was this what Tatum was running from? The quiet?

Or had Tanner provided his sister an oasis of peace out here? A place where delicate grapes grew strong and healthy?

Turning, she stood side by side with him, staring out at his horizon. “I stopped by The Stand on my way home tonight.” She spoke softly, withholding judgment. She had to persuade him.

For his sister’s sake. But for his, too. Not that she expected this distant, self-possessed man to believe that.

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