Nora Roberts Land(36)
“It’s okay. I was only going to help.”
He unwound the material, his fingers brushing her soft hair. Boy, did he like her natural color better than the blond. She was more approachable as a red head. He kept his actions brisk and efficient so she wouldn’t bolt.
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me. Let’s be friends, okay?”
When he exposed the long slender line of her neck, she swallowed thickly. He stepped back, even though his fingers itched to touch that smooth skin.
“How about a friendly swim tomorrow? We can race each other. Maybe we can make it a morning habit.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He smirked. “You afraid I’m going to beat you?”
“In your dreams, McBride.”
“How about a little wager then?”
Her eyelids lowered to half mast. “What do you have in mind?”
“Since I’m new in town, how about a tour of the hotspots, including The Western Independent?”
“Grandpa would give you a tour if you asked.”
“Yes, but we’re trying to be friends. That can’t happen unless we spend time together.”
She looked away. “Tanner, I’m not sure.”
He almost reached for her. “Meredith,” he said quietly.
She studied him. “You may not win.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“You headed to class?”
“Yes, and I feel like a fish out of water. I’ve never taught before. Jill told me not to be boring.”
“There’s no worse offense to Jill. You’ll do fine. Talk about where you’ve been. They’ll eat that stuff up like it’s candy. You’re an unusual commodity in the department, Tanner. They’ll all want to be you.”
“Are you saying I’ll have a cult following?” He realized he was flirting with her, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“When was the last time you were around college kids?”
He scanned the shop. “Years. Most of the kids I’ve been around recently had weapons in their hands.”
She picked up his coffee and held it out. “Yes, I can imagine. Here you’ll be surrounded by green-as-grass wanna-be journalism students from fairly well-adjusted families whose main goal in life is to do what you do—or maybe be an anchorman like Brian Williams.”
He reached for his muffin to stop from grinning like an idiot. He liked this side of her, but pushing it was too risky. He needed to find the right balance. If they spent time together as friends, he’d be meeting the spirit of Sommerville’s law. Tanner didn’t have to tell him they weren’t involved. It bought him time. And he wouldn’t need to struggle with his own ethics.
“I need to run. How about a swim tomorrow? I’ll bring the Gatorade.”
She fingered her scarf. “We’ll see. Good luck today.”
He studied her for a moment longer. As he watched her, the morning sun broke through the windows, turning her hair to molten lava. His skin tightened. Uh-oh.
“Thanks. And Meredith? I will see you tomorrow.”
He waved to Jill and Jemma and headed off to class. Class?
Life couldn’t be weirder.
Chapter 14
A month later, Tanner was no closer to getting Meredith to agree to go out with him. While they raced each other at the pool almost every morning and he ran into her at The Western Independent when he dropped off an article, she still was resisting hanging out socially.
She was going out with every available man in sight but him. She certainly wanted her story. He’d tallied three dates yesterday. Coffee with a tall, nerdy biology professor. Happy hour with a computer expert from the local Internet provider. And dinner with a divorced local lawyer.
He’d sunk to the lowest form of journalism—paparazzi. He was tailing her on her dates, keeping tabs. And feeling a little jealous. Shit.
Jill was helping him by dropping hints of where they’d be when he came by the coffee shop on his daily run. He could tell Jill wanted him and Meredith to hook up. Tonight, she’d mentioned she and Meredith were heading to Hairy’s for drinks.
No one knew Meredith’s dating spree was part of a story. The town thought she was looking for a rebound man or a sure-fire relationship with a Dare Valley guy. The matronly lady at the grocery’s checkout told him everyone thought it was so sweet.
He’d wanted to gag.
Hours later, he walked into the bar, planning on using the only strategy he had left— disrupting Meredith’s playbook.
“Hi, Tanner.” Jill skipped down the hall from the emerald green bathrooms, wiping her hands on her jeans.