Page 84 of Home in the Country
FALLON
“Hey! Did you make it okay? I’m so sorry I’m late.”
My ex-husband stands from the table and wraps me in a tight hug. The tension in his body seems to dissipate the longer we stand there, until finally, I pull away and take the chair opposite him in Smokin’ Joes.
“I know you told me Clementine Creek is a small town, but that didn’t sink in until I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Isn’t it great?” He chuckles and I smile. Tanner has always been a handsome man with these evergreen eyes that always project warmth and affection.
“Hey Fallon, who’s your friend?” Joe asks with curiosity laced with a big helping of warning.
“This is my ex-husband, Tanner. He just got out of the military and moved here so we can coparent.” I give her my most confident smile as her gaze drags slowly from me to him and back again. Like everyone else in this town, my ex-husband included, she knows I’m dating Otto.
Tanner’s eyebrows are so far into his hairline they practically disappear. He’s a private person and this is a lot of sharing.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he says, and she onlyhmmsin response.
“What’ll ya have?”
Tanner orders a burger, and I order a chicken salad wrap, then wait for Joe to be out of earshot.
“Well, that went about as well as the conversation with my parents,” he states sadly.
My heart sinks. “Really? I thought they’d be understanding.”
“They’re…adjusting.”
“I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to call your mom?”
He shakes his head and then moves the conversation toward Briggs, and we catch up on things he’s learned and how excited he’ll be to see Tanner.
Joe drops off our food and Tanner sighs. I grip his hand and smile.
“It’s going to be fine. Once we’re all settled and you meet everyone—and Otto—they’ll see that you’re here for Briggs and it won’t be an issue.”
The bell over the door rings, and Tanner freezes in his seat.
“Is that your guy?”
I look up in time to see Otto retreating and then look down to see my hand clasped with Tanner’s.
Shit.
Let me just add another thing to my list of things that I need to do that will absolutely suck.
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell him?”
“HeknowsI’m divorced and that you are moving here.” He eyes me expectantly with a brow raised, and I sigh. “I didn’t really get to tell himwhenyou’d be here or the rest of it.”
“Fallon…” His tone is pure disappointment, and it raises my hackles.
“Is it so wrong that I wanted to just bemefor a little while without the rest of it?” I hiss, and I feel like such a bitch.
“Um, it is when your ex-husband is about to crash land into your little bubble and pop that fucker like a piece of gum.”
I hate when he’s right.
