Page 13 of The Rule of 3

Once Zoë sat back down next to him, Tanner couldn’t stop himself. He leaned in to kiss her. Softly at first, and as she relaxed, he pressed his tongue to her lips. She slowly opened to him, and he greedily invaded her. She tasted like heaven. Like his Zoë.

Eventually gaining the perspective he sorely needed, Tanner pulled back and took a deep breath. “My mama is right, you know. We were excellent together. We can be again.”

Clasping both of Tanner’s hands Zoë looked at him seriously. “Do you really think I’m a suitable woman to be with you in the long run? I know I’m getting way ahead of myself by asking this, but it needs to be said. Do you really think I’m fit to be a governor’s wife? Why do you think I’ve been working so hard at avoiding you? I’m a nobody.”

“Never say such a thing about yourself. Everyone loves you. I love you! I’ve watched you for years around town moving with grace and your beautiful manners—well, except for the blow-job posters at the Piggly Wiggly.”

Fluttering her eyelashes at him, she asked in a falsely coy voice, “Whatever do you mean? You think I had something to do with that?”

Tanner snorted.

Skewering him with a look, she asked plaintively, “Seriously, my parents are vagabonds who are basically born-again hippies. Wouldn’t they embarrass you?”

“Your parents are just, um…” he hedged, “colorful! And besides, everyone has skeletons in their closets. Did Madison ever tell you the story of how our name changed from Ascot to Lassiter?”

Furrowing her brow, she answered, “No. How does a name change? Did someone immigrate or something?”

“Hah! No. Our daddy’s kin come from the southern Appalachian Mountains. His great-grandfather Thomas L. Ascot was a scoundrel and a moonshiner.” Zoë noticed that Tanner’s southern accent became more pronounced the more he got into his story. He’d lost a bit of it while he’d been away during his four years at Princeton, but it was back with a vengeance now.

Tanner continued, “He and his neighbor Wayne Dooley used to get into feuds all the time and steal from each other. One day, Wayne got so mad watching Thomas running away with a jug of moonshine, he shot Thomas in the ass with a shotgun. Everyone in the area could hear Thomas yelling, ‘Oh, my ass! It hurts! My ass, it hurts!’ So, from that day forth, everyone called him Thomas Assithurts instead of Ascot. Then one day, a tax collector came around, and asked who owned the still next to Wayne’s property. Wayne, who was drunk and didn’t want to pay any extra taxes, slurred, ‘That’s ol’ Assithurts’ property. He’s prob’ly still off somewheres pickin’ buckshot outta his butt.’ The taxman misunderstood ol’ Assithurts and wrote down Lassiter. So, the land became the property of the Lassiters.”

“Tanner Lassiter, that is the most hair-brained story I’ve ever heard. You made that up,” Zoë laughed.

“Oh, no. True story. Just ask my daddy. And you can ask my uncle; he owns a large distillery. Claims this is how the family business was founded.” With a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and kissed her again. “I could stay here all night and kiss your face off, but I think it’s time for me to go home. Thank you for the wonderful time and the fine Kentucky bourbon.” He took one last swallow and asked, “May I take you out on a proper date next weekend? I know you have four days off because of Thanksgiving.”

“Yes, I’d like that. What do you have in mind?”

Tanner gave her a thoughtful look. “Well, since I had no idea tonight would go this well, I haven’t given it any thought. Can I see what I can come up with and get back to you?”

“That sounds good.”

After a few more kisses, Tanner took himself home. He truly had not been this euphoric in years.

The knowledge that she’d been avoiding him for what she considered his own good made his heart hurt, so he promised himself to make it clear to Zoë that she was more than worthy. She was the most important person to him.

Then he thought of Eli and hoped he wasn’t lying to himself. The idea that he’d have to give up having Eli as a lover just about killed him. Eli was always so steadfast in his devotion to Tanner—always thinking of what was best for him. If that wasn’t true love, Tanner didn’t know what was. Cutting Eli out might be like cutting off his right hand.

Chapter 14

Since Honeybee Hollow had limited nightlife, they ended up driving over to Middlesex where they had an exquisite dinner in a rather incongruously located Moroccan restaurant. They laughed and felt self-conscious at first about eating with their hands, but quickly they got used to it. Feeling like having some fun, they began to feed each other bites of food.

The next day, photos of them surfaced all over the internet and the major caption read:

Who is this stunning mystery woman who has stolen the heart of Mayor Tanner Lassiter, Kentucky’s most eligible bachelor and the youngest entry in the Kentucky gubernatorial race? That sound you hear is the weeping from hundreds of southern belles who may have lost their chance to snag the handsome politician. The two lovebirds were caught canoodling after dessert in this romantic Middlesex, KY restaurant. Sorry, ladies! Dum-dum-dee-dum! Will there be a June wedding?

Courtesy of several friends who sent the story to her, Zoë was mortified. “Who writes like this, and who wants their photo plastered everywhere stuffing food in their mouth?” she asked Tanner.

In a soothing voice, Tanner countered, “It’s fine, Zoë. Look how beautiful you look in the pictures. There’s not one bad thing in the article. Relax.”

Sighing, she relaxed. “I guess not. I wonder how long before my name’s everywhere, too, and I’m not your ‘mystery woman.’”

Laughing, Tanner asked, “So… June wedding? Shall we make them happy?”

“Tanner! What happened to slow?

“Slow went out the window when we got back from Middlesex and you jumped my bones, Miss Deliban!”

Zoë laughed, “I blame it on the figs.”

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