Page 21 of Shelter for Tanna

“That’s not about not being neat. That’s about having two kids and a full-time job.”

“So true.”

“So.” She could see him in her mind, phone in one hand and the other arm braced on a countertop as he leaned back in that sexy slouch she’d seen him relax into. “I was wondering if Max will eat barbecue or if I need to get him something else.”

“Probably need to get him some hot dogs. I know he’ll eat those.”

“Okay. That’s doable. You’re still coming, right?”

Even though she almost shuddered in fear, she knew she couldn’t back out. “Of course.”

“Good. Tanna, I…” His voice trailed off and she was about to ask if he was still there when she heard him say, “I really care about you. I mean, really.”

“I care about you too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have signed on for something that I’m pretty sure is going to be a huge fiasco.”

“Ah, have a little faith! It’ll be great. You’ll see. Guess I’d better go so I can finish up here and go to the store, but I’ll give you a call this evening, okay?”

“Sure. Talk to you later.”

“Talk to you later, doll. Bye.”

The call ended, but the feeling didn’t.I really care about you. He wasn’t blowing smoke up her ass. Everything she’d seen of Braden told her he didn’t have the inclination to do that to anyone. It wasn’t the same asI love you, but it also wasn’tWe can just be friends. It was somewhere in between, and she hoped that meant it could swing in the right direction.

Max was sound asleep and Daniel was in his room playing a video game when her phone rang again. “Hi.”

“Hi. Getting ready for bed?”

“Yeah. Did you get all your cleaning done?”

There was a snicker from the other end of the phone. “Yep. Got all the groceries bought and put away and everything’s ready. One o’clock?”

“Sounds good. Where am I going?”

“Eighteen two thirty-seven MorgantownRoad. Know where that is?”

“No, but I can find it with no problem. One o’clock. Guess we’ll see you then.”

“I hope so! Goodnight, doll. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Tanna sat and held the phone to her ear until she could tell he’d ended the call. God, what a mess the next day was going to be!Don’t think like that, she scolded herself, but in the next breath, she found herself almost running out the front door.

She dropped into one of the old lawn chairs sitting on the porch, bent double to rest her face on her folded arms, and cried. She sobbed for all the broken things in her life, for Max and his brokenness, for Daniel and his inability to be a kid, for the loneliness and fear she’d felt during Michael’s illness and after his death. Tears spilled onto her arms as she thought about her whole shitty life. God, she wanted to be hopeful about something with Braden, but all hope had done in the past was let her down, and she was afraid to even entertain the thought. She’d just get disappointed again.

But hell, she’d been disappointed so many times?what was one more?

* * *

“You there, Jess?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’m here,” his sister answered back.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, honey. I’m here, but I hate these three-way calls.”

“This is just easier.” Braden took a deep breath, blew it out, and got started. “I know I invited all of you over for lunch tomorrow, but there’s a reason.”

“Please, god, tell me it’s because you’ve met somebody,” Jessica whispered.

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