Page 49 of All Night with the Cowboy
He grabbed his phone off the counter and she watched him move, jogging a few paces, bending, leaning, walking. He was holding himself differently now, moving like he should be moving, and she was amazed at how quickly he’d managed to recover from his injuries. It had been just shy of two weeks and he was doing incredibly well.
“Everything okay?” she asked when he returned.
“Pack up fast,” he said, brows furrowed. “We need to get off the island and back to the mainland as quick as we can. I’ve offered to pay for my own fuel and take supplies to some of the islands since they’re so short on pilots. I’ll bring anyone back with me who needs to come, too. Some of the workers leave their families for weeks on end to work at the resorts, and I’ll bring back anyone who needs it, not just tourists.” He gave her a pained expression. “Sorry, I’d rather be with you but I can’t not offer to help, not when I can fly for them and help people.”
Lauren moved to give him a quick hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight. She rocked back to look up at him, knowing that no matter what she told herself, she’d never ever be able to forget the time they’d spent together. He was actually a really decent human being, she’d always known that, and she just wished the rest of the world could glimpse his kindness, instead of presuming he was some unfeeling, rich son of a bitch.
“You’re a good man, Tanner,” she whispered.
“I’m an asshole just as much as I’m good,” he replied, his expression hard to read, eyes like big blue pools looking down at her. “Don’t go thinking I’m anything special, Lauren. I only do what I have to do, what anyone would do in my position.”
She knew a lot of wealthy guys. They’d been her clients for years, and some of them were lovely and some of them were assholes, and she doubted any of them would have volunteered to fly in a storm and offer to help like that. The difference with Tanner was that he didn’t discriminate and he wasn’t so worried about his own safety that he wouldn’t help others in need. Maybe that came with the territory of bull riding—a job almost guaranteed to hurt him, but one he did anyway, not to mention the fact that most of the guys he rode alongside probably struggled to make ends meet, but they were still his friends.
Lauren left him and went to pack, wishing she had time to shower and put on some makeup. But after Tanner got her to the mainland, she’d have plenty of time to do things like that—in between worrying about him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me? Isn’t there government relief for this kind of situation?” Tanner said, sounding angry.
Lauren poked her head out, wondering who Tanner was talking to. He looked frustrated as he paced back and forth, and she noticed again how strong he looked, how well he was moving.
“Yeah, I’m well aware I’m not in the United States right now,” he said sarcastically, and Lauren wondered what the person on the other end of the line had said.She guessed it had been pointed out that, luxury islands aside, Fiji was a third-world country facing a serious natural disaster if the storm intensified.
“Look, find out if they take Amex. Fill the goddamn helicopter with as much bottled water and whatever other supplies are needed before I get there, and I’ll pay for it all when I arrive.”
She ducked back into her room and finished folding her clothes. So much for calling himself an asshole. He might talk the talk of being tough, but when it came to walking it, he was sweet to the core. And that’s when she realized why he’d been hurt so bad, because for all his macho talk and arrogant behavior sometimes, he was soft on the inside, and she’d gone and broken his heart. She only hoped that it hadn’t made him weary of all women, because she knew he’d make some lucky girl one hell of a husband one day. She blinked away tears. And a darn fine dad to some kids, too.
***
It was less than an hour later that Lauren was running across the grass, head ducked low, about to get into the same helicopter that had brought them to the island. The wind was starting to whip up and she hoped it was safe enough to go up in the bird. She threw her bag in and got in herself as Tanner followed close behind, stowing their two larger bags safely and climbing in behind her. The door was shut and the helicopter was preparing for lift off almost instantly, needing to get them to safety as soon as possible. Other guests had left during the afternoon too, the island was going to be deserted of tourists soon, and it made Lauren sad to think of only the workers being left there. The beautiful restaurant no longer full of guests, serving deliciousfood and providing the most romantic of backdrops, and the pristine beach deserted.
She took one last look at the Vomo sign, reminding her of the time she’d gone up in a helicopter and seen the Hollywood sign when she was in la-la land with its enormous white letters.
She vowed to come back. One day she’d make that happen. Only the next time she came, she wouldn’t be with Tanner, and the thought sent a ripple through her body that left her mouth dry and her heart empty. She thought of Casey and her sister and tried to smile, imagining them here with her. It would be different, but they were her best friends in the world and it’d be just as good. Or if not just as good, then close.
***
Tanner went to the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort with Lauren and checked in, but the moment he saw her safely to one of the little golf carts with a friendly porter, used for ferrying guests and luggage about, he prepared to turn straight back around and leave.
“You okay here on your own?” he asked, his arms wrapped tight around Lauren as he gave her one last hug and said goodbye.
“I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about,” she said, kissing his cheek and stroking his shoulders. “Don’t try to be a hero, Tan. Just stay safe. Promise me?”
He laughed, but he could tell she wasn’t joking. Her eyes were too wide, her hands clenched at her sides already.
“I promise.”
Tanner stared down at her and opened his mouth, stopping the words before they fell from his mouth. How easy it would have been to say “I love you.” To tell herthat he cared for her, that she meant something to him, something so deep that he’d never be able to stop thinking about her if he tried. And lord knew he’d tried! So many damn times over the years, and yet she’d always been there, lurking in his mind.And his heart.
“Goodbye,” he said gruffly, instead of anything that he’d regret later. “Hunker down and I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye,” she replied, folding her arms around herself as she ducked down into the golf cart. He blew her a kiss and watched her go, the little white vehicle speeding off and narrowly missing colliding with another one coming in the opposite direction.
Once she’d disappeared from sight, Tanner spun around and jogged the short distance across the open-air lobby and down the timber steps to where his taxi sat waiting. The sound of Fijian guitar music echoed behind him in the lobby as they pulled away, his window wound down, and within thirty minutes he was dropped back off at the airfield where the helicopters were being prepared. He’d flown almost as much as he’d driven a car, used to flying around River Ranch and helping out at muster time since he was a teenager, as well as flying for pleasure whenever he could. It was his happy place being up in the air, although today he was going to have to be extra careful. The winds were okay at the moment, but if they got any worse it would be too dangerous to stay up.
He introduced himself, talked to the other pilots preparing to head out—most of them Australian and New Zealanders working in Fiji—and then he was going through the checks as the big bird warmed up and he waited for clearance.
Within minutes he was lifting upward and then flyingforward, and he settled into pilot mode, trying to push all thoughts of being naked on a beach with the one woman he couldn’t get out of his head, the one woman who’d always made him want more, made him refuse to accept anything less than what they’d had.
Back when they’d broken up, he’d started to sleep around, which was fun for a while, but he’d compare every girl he met to Lauren. None of them were as beautiful, as strong, as smart, or just as… He didn’t know what it was about her, but no other woman had ever compared to her. But as the years had passed he’d never lost that pain deep inside, and he’d never forgiven her for ripping his heart out. Now, he knew it was dangerous to get too close to her—theirs was a rematch and it was just a fling, a blast from the past, which was why he needed to smarten up and stop letting his heart rule his head. No more thinking how much he could love her, how easy it would be to let her back in or to let down his own guard.
