Acceptable Risk Read online

  Mrs. Little frowned. “Dan just yelled for you. Don’t you need to go get the food?”

  Bree smiled gently at the older woman. Mrs. Little came in a few times a week since her husband of sixty years had passed away recently. Bree knew Dan would much rather Bree stay out here and talk to Mrs. Little—to listen to her tell a story Bree had already heard—than to rush back and get the food.

  “Don’t you worry about Dan. He’ll take the food out himself if I don’t get back there in time.”

  There would’ve been a point not long ago that Bree wouldn’t have realized that staying and talking to Mrs. Little was more important than getting the food from the kitchen. She wouldn’t have realized there wasn’t a single customer in the Sunrise Diner who wouldn’t gladly eat a lukewarm meal if it meant seeing Mrs. Little—a woman most of them had known all their lives—forget her sadness for a spell.

  It had only been over the last few weeks of living here in Risk Peak that Bree had begun to understand the nuances of interacting with people. It wasn’t something that came easily for her.

  She was probably the only genius-level hacker in the world working at a mom-and-pop diner in the middle of nowhere, without a computer in sight. Most people would say it was a waste of her talent, but Bree didn’t care. If she never saw another computer, that would be just fine with her.

  Computers, and her talent with them, had gotten her tortured as a child, gotten her mother killed and had nearly cost her her life a few months ago. So working as a waitress was just fine with her.

  “And then he surprised me by getting down on one knee right then and there and asking me to marry him. On our third date,” Mrs. Little said, a dreamy look in her eyes.

  Bree’s smile was genuine, feeling no urge to tell the older woman she’d heard the story before. It was so sweet and romantic.

  At least she no longer sat tensely through every conversation worried that however she responded would be wrong or inappropriate.

  While Bree didn’t miss working with computers, she had to admit she found them much more simple than people. Coding held no subtext—it was straightforward, inputs and outputs, and for Bree as basic and simple as breathing.

  Relationships and people, on the other hand? They were the opposite: full of unspoken rules and expectations and subtext.

  Simple things other people took for granted, like talking and joking and, heaven forbid, flirting, were causes of darn near panic attacks in Bree. Part of it was from growing up without any friends and a mother terrified they’d be taken back into captivity at any moment. The other part of it was just how Bree’s brain worked.

  Like a computer.

  Mrs. Little patted Bree’s hand as she finished her story, and Bree turned back toward the kitchen. Sure enough, someone had already taken the food out to the table where it belonged.

  For just a moment she tensed, second-guessing herself and whether she’d made the wrong decision by talking to Mrs. Little rather than concentrating on the job she was being paid to do. But both Dan and Cheryl smiled at her when she turned back toward the kitchen, so Bree decided not to worry about it.

  She had bigger things to worry about. Tanner was on his way to come get her. Said he had a surprise for her this evening.

  Bree did not do well with surprises.

  She knew he’d been in Denver today providing testimony in court. The fact that she couldn’t call him and ask him for more details about this evening had just ratcheted up her anxiety.

  What did it mean when a man said he had a surprise, but that it wasn’t a date and that she should definitely not get dressed up?

  What did that mean?

  “You okay, honey?” Cheryl came and stood beside her and rubbed her arm.

  Not too long ago that sort of casual touch would’ve been completely foreign to Bree. Living a lifetime without anyone touching her had made all touches feel odd.

  Judy, the other full-time waitress, came and flanked Bree on the other side, knocking Bree’s hip with her own.

  “You’ve been staring at that pitcher of tea for a full minute. You thinking about asking it out on a date? Tanner would probably be jealous.”

  The sound of his name just made her abdomen muscles tighten more.

  “I’m scared,” she finally whispered.

  Saying it, talking personally about herself, was still so difficult. But these women were her friends.

  Friends. Still such a foreign concept.

  Both women immediately pulled in closer. Cheryl wrapped her arm around Bree’s waist. “Scared of what, honey? Do you feel like someone is watching you again? Do you think it’s the Organization?”

  “They’re gone,” Judy assured her. “They may not be in prison yet, but none of them are free. Especially not Michael Jeter. He’s not going to get anywhere near you.”

  Bree shuddered at the name of the man who’d kept her and her mother captive and hurt them both to force Bree to use her computer talents to further his agenda. Her mother had never fully recovered from his torture. But they were right—Jeter was currently awaiting trial and couldn’t hurt her anymore.

  “No, not Jeter,” she whispered. “Tanner.”

  “You’re afraid of Tanner?” Judy asked.

  This was why Bree didn’t like talking. She always messed it up. She could feel herself withdrawing, falling back into old, bad patterns of retreat that were more familiar.

  But Cheryl got right up in Bree’s face. “Hey. Talk to us.”

  Bree looked in the older woman’s eyes. There was no judgment there, just acceptance and kindness.

  “Order up,” Dan yelled from the kitchen window a few feet away.

  “In a minute!” both Cheryl and Judy responded in sync. Dan sighed.

  “Why would you be scared of Tanner? Did something happen?” Judy asked.

  Spitting it out was probably the best option. “He’s coming to get me in an hour. Said he had a surprise and not to get dressed up.”

  “A surprise isn’t bad, Bree.” Cheryl rubbed her arm again. “Granted, that boy should know better than to think you’re going to like surprises, but it’s definitely not something to be afraid about.”

  “But he told me not to get dressed up! That means he doesn’t want me to go to any trouble with my hair and makeup if he’s just going to tell me it’s over.”

  The other two women met each other’s eyes.

  “Or...” Judy drew the word out. “He has something else planned and he doesn’t want you to worry about a dress or fancy shoes.”

  Bree’s forehead wrinkled as she considered that. “Like what?”

  “I’ve got another order up, gals,” Dan said from the window again.

  “In a minute!” Now Bree joined the battle cry. She looked to her friends with a little more hope.

  “Maybe a hike,” Judy said. “I know it’s colder out, but you both like to hike.”

  Cheryl took the pitcher of tea from Bree’s hands and set it down on the counter. “Maybe stargazing. That’s romantic. He wouldn’t want you to get dressed up for that.”

  Judy gave a one-shouldered shrug. “A motorcycle ride. I know he doesn’t have one, but maybe he borrowed one.”

  “The point is, the words surprise and casual are not bad. Tanner Dempsey is nothing if not straightforward. That man is never going to blindside you.” Cheryl kissed her on the cheek, and then both women smiled and headed toward the kitchen to keep Dan from having a fit with undelivered food.

  Bree turned and made her way back over to Mrs. Little, pouring her some more tea.

  She wasn’t convinced surprises weren’t bad. She’d had a lot of years where the unknown meant dangerous or painful.

  But one thing they said was definitely true: Tanner wouldn’t blindside her.

  He’d spent the last month helping her with damn near everything.
Helping her move back into the Andrewses’ small apartment on the outskirts of town. Helping her learn how to interact with others. Helping her figure out how to navigate her life now that she wasn’t on the run anymore.

  And most important, helping her deal with the crippling loss of the twins she no longer had to care for. She knew Christian and Beth were back where they belonged, in their mother’s—Bree’s cousin Melissa’s—care. But after nearly three months of being their sole caretaker, losing them so suddenly had left a huge gap in Bree’s life.

  Tanner had distracted her with dates and horseback rides at his ranch and kisses that curled her toes.

  So Judy and Cheryl were right. Bree wasn’t exactly sure where her relationship with him was going, but if he had something bad to say, he wouldn’t beat around the bush.

  The door to the diner chimed as it opened, and as if her thoughts had conjured him, Tanner was there—all long legs and big, broad shoulders that almost filled the door before he made his way inside. Her gaze continued up to his face, his thick dark hair cut short. That square jaw covered in what seemed to be an almost perpetual five o’clock shadow.

  Those brown eyes.

  Bree couldn’t stop staring. Even knowing she was standing there holding a pitcher of tea in the middle of a restaurant and just staring, she still couldn’t stop.

  But at least he was staring at her, too.

  He closed the distance between them, stopping when he was a few feet from her. “I know I’m early. I just had to see you. Today has been...”

  She took a step closer. “Are you okay? Did anything happen?”

  Every single part of her body seemed to clench as he reached out and trailed his thumb down her cheek. “It’s all fine now.”

  She couldn’t look away from those brown eyes. It wasn’t so long ago that she found it hard to look him in the eyes, but more often than not now she found it impossible to look away. “Fine. I mean, good. I’m glad it’s fine.”

  He took her awkwardness in stride as always. “I’ll just sit out here until you’re finished and chat with Dan and folk, if that’s okay.”

  Sure. The word formed in her brain, but she couldn’t seem to get it out of her mouth as his thumb trailed down her cheek again. She nodded abruptly then turned away, almost running back toward the kitchen.

  Judy and Cheryl were both grinning like idiots.

  “Yeah, I’m definitely going to go with ‘not a bad surprise’ for my final answer,” Judy said.

  Cheryl turned Bree around so Bree’s back was to her.

  “What are you doing?” Bree said as she felt the knot of her apron loosen.

  “Dan’s basically been running the whole restaurant by himself for the last half hour anyway. We don’t need you here.” Cheryl pushed her gently between the shoulder blades back toward the front of the restaurant. “You’ve got a gorgeous man out there who couldn’t bear to wait one more hour to see you. Go get changed out of your work clothes. Whatever his surprise is, you want it.”

  Chapter Four

  It didn’t take Bree long to figure out where they were going, and the last of her tension eased away. He was taking her to her favorite place on the planet: the ranch Tanner shared with his brother, Noah, about thirty minutes outside Risk Peak.

  She’d stayed here when she’d been on the run, and it was impossible not to fall in love with this place. Horses and quiet and mountains. No people ever around except for Noah, who rarely made his presence known at all.

  She and Tanner usually came here on the weekends. He’d taught her how to ride and care for the horses. But they’d never come in the evening.

  Her heart clenched a little as he led her around the house. Of all her memories of the twins, waking up and seeing them both outside in Tanner’s big, capable arms as he walked and showed them the horses was forever ingrained in her psyche.

  “Hey, what’s that sad look for?”

  She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Just... Beth and Christian. I miss them.”

  “Have you Skyped this week?” He took her hand, his long fingers stretching securely over hers.

  She nodded. “Of course. Melissa and Chris know if they don’t call me as scheduled, I’ll never let them hear the end of it. But it’s just not the same.” She couldn’t help her little sigh. “They’re happy and safe and together as a family, and I want that for them.”

  “But you miss them.”

  “Crazy, right? They were never mine to begin with.” She’d tried to warn herself of that, but those babies had stolen her heart.

  “Not crazy at all. But maybe my surprise will help make it better.” He led her over to his barn.

  “Did you guys get a new horse?” Now, that would be a wonderful surprise. Bree loved interacting with all the animals here, since she’d never had any sort of pet growing up.

  “Better.” He took her hand and pulled her toward a stall in the far corner.

  She rounded the doorway so she could see and couldn’t stop her near squeal of pleasure. “Corfu had her puppies!”

  “And one is yours, if you want it.”

  “Really?” It was all she could do not to jump up and down and clap her hands. She knew she was acting like an idiot but couldn’t help it.

  A puppy.

  It wouldn’t be the same as having the twins, but it would be a puppy. And it would be hers.

  Tanner took her hand and led her closer to Corfu—a mixed-breed dog who’d just shown up on the ranch a year ago. “They’re nearly a week old already, since Noah didn’t see fit to mention the fact that Corfu had given birth to me until yesterday.”

  The four pups were lying snuggled next to Corfu, who lifted her head and sniffed at Bree as Bree crouched beside her.

  “Is it okay to pet her?”

  Tanner crouched down, too. “Sure. She knows you’re her friend.”

  Bree scratched the dog’s head gently, smiling as she leaned into Bree’s fingers.

  “They’re so little!” She touched one gently. “Which one is mine?”

  “There are three boys and one girl. You’ll have to decide.”

  “Boy,” she said instantly. “I want that one. I’ll name him Star.” She pointed to the one in the middle—black, with a large white spot on its head.

  Tanner laughed softly and scooped the puppy up. “I’m afraid you’ll have to make a tough decision.”

  “Is he already spoken for?” It was ridiculous to be disappointed. Any puppy would be great.

  “No, you just can’t have a boy pup and this one. Star is a girl.” He held the pup out to her.

  “A girl,” Bree breathed then smiled, taking the tiny pup in her arms. “Of course you’re a girl. You’re a beautiful, sweet girl, and we’ll be best friends.”

  They played with the pups a few more minutes before Tanner said they should let Corfu and the babies rest.

  “I can’t take her with me tonight?” The thought of having the pup around in her apartment that always seemed too quiet was so appealing.

  Tanner slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they walked out of the barn and toward his house. “It’ll be another five weeks before she’s weaned. No sleepovers until then.”

  Five weeks wasn’t that long. Hell, before a couple of months ago, she’d spent years without talking to anyone or having any human contact. Surely she could survive a little over a month without a dog.

  He spun her around to face him as they got to his house. “It’s been harder than you’ve let on, hasn’t it? Being by yourself.”

  She shrugged. She didn’t want to be a whiner. “I was by myself for a lot of years, even before my mother died. Seems silly to complain about it now when I’m finally not alone.”

  He took a step closer, his hands dropping to her waist. “I know I’m not as cute as those twins, but you really aren’t alon
e. I’m always here if you need me.” His forehead dropped against hers. “Okay?”

  She couldn’t worry about anything when Tanner was this close. All she could do was breathe in the scent of him, woodsy and fresh and undeniably male.

  She rose up onto her toes when his lips moved toward hers. Her mind might work like a computer, but her body was all woman when she was around him. She shivered as his thumb brushed over her jaw, then felt like she was melting out of her own skin as he kissed the side of her mouth before running his tongue over her lower lip.

  He kissed her gently like that until she couldn’t stand it anymore and she threaded her hands into his hair at his nape and pulled him hard against her. She gasped as the pleasure radiated through her, heard him groan and knew he was feeling the same. They both surrendered to the heat between them, lost in sensation.

  When they finally broke away, both of them were breathing hard. His forehead fell against hers again. “I think I better get you home.”

  She wanted to ask him to stay with her tonight. To take that next step their kisses had been moving them toward for the last few weeks. Every time they were pressed up together, it was abundantly clear he wanted her. If she gave him the go-ahead, would he make that next move? Would he finally give her whatever it was her body needed to ease the restlessness and heat that seemed to thrum through her every time he was around?

  If he were just waiting on her, she’d tell him she was ready right now, this very moment. She might not have experienced sex before, but she wasn’t afraid. Not with Tanner. He wouldn’t hurt her. She knew that more than anything else.

  But it was more than just her own natural hesitation. Something was holding him back, too. Something she was too bad at interpreting interpersonal cues to figure out. He never made her think it had anything to do with her. But still...

  She was missing a lot of the emotional components other women—normal women—weren’t. Women who hadn’t been born with a brain that worked like a computer and sentiment that sometimes didn’t seem to work at all. Women who hadn’t had to shut down emotionally because they’d been tortured. Women who hadn’t been on the run for half their life with no interaction with other people.