Using both my thumbs, they flew over the screen.

Talked to Ryker. He’s been briefed by Tanner. He’s all over the church lady.

I was so pissed, I hit send before I was done.

That means you broke your promise to me. Right to my face, you promised. You lied.

I hit send again, even though I was still far from done.

You know what that means, Merry. You shared my shit. That means we’re over in every way we can be over.

I hit send right when my phone started ringing.

I declined the call and finished up.

DONE, I typed and sent, my phone telling me that Merry was calling again. I declined that too.

Then I went in and blocked a second number that day.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and, with wooden movements, walked on my spike heels around the bar.

The door opened and our first customer came in.

That meant I did one of the few things I was really good at doing.

I hid the shit of my life, burying it down deep, plastered a cocky smile on my face, and called out a greeting.

* * * * *

Garrett

Garrett took the steps up to Tanner’s office two at a time.

He slammed the door at the top, entering the reception area, and stalked to Tanner’s office off the side.

His friend was standing by his desk, his eyes narrowed and on Garrett the minute he cleared the inner door.

“Jesus, brother, like that door the way it is. What the fuck?” he asked irately.

“Set Ryker on Cher’s shit,” Garrett ground out.

Tanner’s chin jerked back before he confirmed, “Yeah. The deal I was workin’ with him got sorted this weekend. Like Ryker, next day he comes in bitchin’ about bein’ bored. Learned things can be not good if he doesn’t have some action, seein’ as he’s got no problem drummin’ up action, and I don’t have any action that I can involve him in. So I set him on Cher’s shit.”

Garrett lifted a hand and jabbed a finger Tanner’s way, not giving that first shit that his friend’s face changed, showing exactly how much he didn’t like that.

“Told you, brother, you kept your mouth shut about that,” he reminded him, dropping his hand.

“And I told Ryker to keep it quiet,” Tanner returned.

“Well, he didn’t. He told Cher about it.”

Tanner’s head twitched, his mouth set, then he forced through his lips, “Fuck, told him to keep quiet. Didn’t tell him to keep it quiet from Cher. He probably thought she knew we were workin’ it for her.”

“Well, she knows now,” Garrett pointed out.

Tanner focused more fully on him. “She pissed?”

Garrett spoke low, giving his understatement. “Oh yeah, big man, she’s pissed.”

Tanner folded his arms on his chest. “Talk to her, Merry. I know she’s stubborn and wants it clear to anyone who might get close that she can look after herself, but bottom line, we give a shit about her and wanna help. She’s gotta have it in her to see it that way eventually and settle in.”

“You don’t know Cher,” Garrett shot back.

Tanner tipped his head to the side. “I do. Not as good as you, but I do. Though, I’ll listen you wanna give it to me why you’re all of a sudden so into her space, she throws a fit about people she doesn’t want bein’ in her shit, you’re slammin’ into my office to get in my face about it.”

“I made a promise to her when I found out she had issues that I wouldn’t share. I broke that promise for a good reason, but I did it thinkin’ the man I broke it with would have my back on that and, by extension, hers. He didn’t, and it isn’t you who’s gonna pay that price, Tanner. It’s me.”

Tanner’s voice quieted when he asked, “What’s the price, Garrett?”

“She and I are over.”

His brother-in-law’s brows flew up. “There was a Cher and you?”

Already pissed, Tanner’s question made him more pissed because Garrett didn’t buy his shit. From Darryl leaving Cher with him Friday night to Garrett strong-arming Cher into the office at J&J’s on Sunday, word was flying around the ’burg. If Tanner hadn’t heard it directly, Rocky heard it at work or Ryker had heard it, and one, the other, or both of them had shared.

“You been livin’ in a hole since last Friday?” he fired back sarcastically.

“Rumor is flyin’ but not confirmed,” Tanner told him, finishing, “until just now.” His gaze stayed intent. “You wanna share where that’s at?”

“Right now, it’s not anywhere, seein’ as Ryker shot off his mouth and by that, Tanner, I mean the woman is done. I told you she was there when I was dealin’ with the finality of losin’ Mia, and she was there in a way that left somethin’ to explore. I was makin’ no headway with that but you are in the know that she means something to me, we’re tight, and with Ryker’s play today, that’s gone. She’s done with us any way she can be done.”

“You were tryin’ to make headway?” Tanner cautiously pushed.

“Fuck, you seen the Cher we’re talkin’ about?” Garrett asked.

Tanner grinned and mumbled, “Yeah.”

Yeah.

Not a lot of men would look at the kind of pretty Cher Rivers had and not feel it somewhere, primarily in their dicks. Took a certain kind of man to see the barbs she surrounded herself with and give it a go. But there weren’t many who wouldn’t take it if a miracle occurred and she gave them a shot.

Tanner wouldn’t take it because he had a wife, kids, and a happy life he worked hard to get.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate a good view.

“That’s the package, Tanner. Found Friday night, wrapped up under it, what she’s got blows the mind. I don’t mean just the fact the woman is fuckin’ outstanding in bed. You get that with the attitude, her sense of humor, and Christ, never laughed so hard with another being, man or woman. All that comes with her brand of loyal and protective, which is sharp, but that edge hides a warm so warm, you got hold on that, you’ll never be cold.”

“Jesus, Merry,” Tanner murmured.

“Now,” Garrett kept on, crossing his arms on his chest, “not lost on anyone in this ’burg, especially the ones with a vagina, any woman who gets my attention after Mia made the finality of our final obvious by accepting another man’s ring, that woman would be a rebound. And straight up, that’s what I thought had happened with Cher the morning after. I needed to let go and she gave me that opportunity. Then I found she had a situation, and my reaction to that bore contemplation. I contemplated.”

“And you wanna explore,” Tanner surmised.

“I did. She doesn’t. She’s certain she’s a rebound fuck, and she’s certain of a lotta other things she was tryin’ to convince me about in a way I knew I had my work cut out for me. One thing I knew, the way things are with me and the way she just fuckin’ is, I could make no promises I couldn’t keep. Not for her, so she didn’t get in too deep. Not for her kid, who she isn’t gonna drag into another situation that might go south. The last man she let in, turned out he was as bad as it gets. She doesn’t need another man to make promises and shit all over her. But in all that, I’d made a promise. One promise. I broke it for a reason. Now she really doesn’t wanna explore.”

“I had no idea about any of this shit, brother, or my brief with Ryker would have gone different,” Tanner told him. “I didn’t expect he’d say shit anyway, but you know I wouldn’t lay you out like that if I knew where your head was at with Cher.”

Garrett drew a breath in through his nose and looked out the window.

“You really over Mia?” Tanner asked quietly.

Garrett turned his gaze back to him. “It’s an uncomfortable feeling, kickin’ your own ass for years, knowin’ you let go the only woman you loved and knowin’ you should’ve pulled out all the stops to get her back, then switchin’ that on a dime to kickin’ your own ass when you realize she wasn’t worth that emotion.”