she neededhelp. There were probably plenty of people to look after Tessa's beloved horses--most of her friends were equine fanatics, after all--but she didn't like to ask for a hand.
Another joint inheritance from Lottie Quinn.
"Getting divorced is a bummer any time of year," she said. "Over the holidays it's a mega bummer. Everywhere I turn, I hear "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," or something equally depressing."
Tanner turned on the gas under a skillet and dobbed in some butter, recalling the first Christmas after Kat's death. He'd left Sophie with Tessa, checked in to a hotel and gone on a bourbon binge.
Not one of his finer moments.
When he'd sobered up, he'd sworn off the bottle and stuck to it.
"Look, Tess," he said gruffly. "Call one of those horse transport outfits and send the hay-burners out here. I've got a barn." Yeah, one that was falling down around his ears, he thought, but he owned a construction company. He could call in the crew early, the one he'd scheduled for Monday, pay them overtime for working the holiday weekend. "This is a big house, so there's plenty of room. And Sophie says the place needs a woman's touch."
Tess was quiet. "Feeling sorry for your kid sister, huh?"
"A little," Tanner said. "You're going through a tough time, and I hate that. But maybe getting away for a while would do you some good. Besides, I could use the help."
She laughed, and though it was a mere echo of the old, rich sound, it was still better than the brave resignation he'd heard in Tessa's voice up till then. "Sophie's still a handful, then."
"Sophie," Tanner said, "is a typhoon, followed by a tidal wave, followed by--"
"You haven't met anybody yet?"
Tanner wasn't going anywhere near that one--not yet, anyway. Sure, he'd gone to bed with one very pretty veterinarian, but they'd both agreed on the no-strings rule. "You never know what might happen," he said, too heartily, hedging.
Another pause, this one thoughtful. "I can't really afford to travel right now, Tanner. Especially not with six horses."
The eggs sizzled in the pan. Since he'd forgotten to put in chopped onions--did he even have an onion?--he decided he and Sophie would be having scrambled eggs for breakfast, instead of an omelet. "I can make a transfer from my account to yours, on my laptop," he said. "And I'm going to do that, Tess, whether you agree to come out to Arizona or not."
"It's hard being here," Tessa confessed bleakly. That was when he knew she was wavering. "The fight is wearing me out. Lawyers are coming out of the woodwork. I'm not even sure I want this place anymore." A short silence. Tanner knew Tess was grappling with that formidable pride of hers. "I could really bring the horses?"
"Sure," he said. "I'll make the arrangements."
"I'd rather handle that myself," Tessa said. He could tell she was trying not to cry. Once they were off the phone, she'd let the tears come. All by herself in that big Kentucky farmhouse that wasn't a home anymore. "Thanks, Tanner. As brothers go, you're not half-bad."
He chuckled. "Thanks." He was about to offer to line up one of Jack McCall's jets to bring her west, but he decided that would be pushing it. Tessa was nothing if not self-reliant, and she might balk at coming to Stone Creek at all if he didn't let her make at least some of the decisions.
Sophie clattered into the kitchen, wearing yesterday's jeans, funky boots with fake fur around the tops and a heavy cable-knit sweater. Her face shone from scrubbing, and she'd pulled her hair back in a ponytail.
"Talk to Hurricane Sophie for a minute, will you?" he asked, to give his sister a chance to collect herself. "I'm about to burn the eggs."
"Aunt Tessa?" Sophie crowed into the phone. "I'm at Dad's new place, and it's way awesome, even if it is a wreck. The wallpaper's peeling in my room, and my ceiling sags..."
Tanner rolled his eyes and set about rescuing breakfast.
" Serious shopping is required," Sophie went on, after listening
Another joint inheritance from Lottie Quinn.
"Getting divorced is a bummer any time of year," she said. "Over the holidays it's a mega bummer. Everywhere I turn, I hear "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," or something equally depressing."
Tanner turned on the gas under a skillet and dobbed in some butter, recalling the first Christmas after Kat's death. He'd left Sophie with Tessa, checked in to a hotel and gone on a bourbon binge.
Not one of his finer moments.
When he'd sobered up, he'd sworn off the bottle and stuck to it.
"Look, Tess," he said gruffly. "Call one of those horse transport outfits and send the hay-burners out here. I've got a barn." Yeah, one that was falling down around his ears, he thought, but he owned a construction company. He could call in the crew early, the one he'd scheduled for Monday, pay them overtime for working the holiday weekend. "This is a big house, so there's plenty of room. And Sophie says the place needs a woman's touch."
Tess was quiet. "Feeling sorry for your kid sister, huh?"
"A little," Tanner said. "You're going through a tough time, and I hate that. But maybe getting away for a while would do you some good. Besides, I could use the help."
She laughed, and though it was a mere echo of the old, rich sound, it was still better than the brave resignation he'd heard in Tessa's voice up till then. "Sophie's still a handful, then."
"Sophie," Tanner said, "is a typhoon, followed by a tidal wave, followed by--"
"You haven't met anybody yet?"
Tanner wasn't going anywhere near that one--not yet, anyway. Sure, he'd gone to bed with one very pretty veterinarian, but they'd both agreed on the no-strings rule. "You never know what might happen," he said, too heartily, hedging.
Another pause, this one thoughtful. "I can't really afford to travel right now, Tanner. Especially not with six horses."
The eggs sizzled in the pan. Since he'd forgotten to put in chopped onions--did he even have an onion?--he decided he and Sophie would be having scrambled eggs for breakfast, instead of an omelet. "I can make a transfer from my account to yours, on my laptop," he said. "And I'm going to do that, Tess, whether you agree to come out to Arizona or not."
"It's hard being here," Tessa confessed bleakly. That was when he knew she was wavering. "The fight is wearing me out. Lawyers are coming out of the woodwork. I'm not even sure I want this place anymore." A short silence. Tanner knew Tess was grappling with that formidable pride of hers. "I could really bring the horses?"
"Sure," he said. "I'll make the arrangements."
"I'd rather handle that myself," Tessa said. He could tell she was trying not to cry. Once they were off the phone, she'd let the tears come. All by herself in that big Kentucky farmhouse that wasn't a home anymore. "Thanks, Tanner. As brothers go, you're not half-bad."
He chuckled. "Thanks." He was about to offer to line up one of Jack McCall's jets to bring her west, but he decided that would be pushing it. Tessa was nothing if not self-reliant, and she might balk at coming to Stone Creek at all if he didn't let her make at least some of the decisions.
Sophie clattered into the kitchen, wearing yesterday's jeans, funky boots with fake fur around the tops and a heavy cable-knit sweater. Her face shone from scrubbing, and she'd pulled her hair back in a ponytail.
"Talk to Hurricane Sophie for a minute, will you?" he asked, to give his sister a chance to collect herself. "I'm about to burn the eggs."
"Aunt Tessa?" Sophie crowed into the phone. "I'm at Dad's new place, and it's way awesome, even if it is a wreck. The wallpaper's peeling in my room, and my ceiling sags..."
Tanner rolled his eyes and set about rescuing breakfast.
" Serious shopping is required," Sophie went on, after listening
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