He chuckled, and she sent him a dark look. “Not one word about my cooking.”
She took Rowan from him and then swung the diaper bag over her shoulder.
“You’re really good to him, you know. He loves you a lot. I could tell.”
Laura knew it was true, and sometimes it was the only thing that kept her in Gibson. “He and Gram have been very good to me, too.” She wanted to say how grateful she was that they’d never thrown the rumors in her face, but she didn’t want to open that can of worms with Tanner. “It’s the least I can do. That’s not to say I won’t try to save my sanity where I can.” She grinned. “And save him from an ulcer.”
He laughed again and she realized she liked the sound of it. It was happy and carefree, two things she hadn’t been in quite some time.
“The grocery store it is.”
They were walking through the diner when she realized the car seat had been in her car. “Tanner? I forgot her car seat. Oh no...”
Tanner walked ahead and opened the door. “I put it in my truck. I don’t have a clue how to fasten it in, but it’s there.”
Relief rushed through her. Gramps fussed and went on about how in his day people simply carried babies on their laps, but she would never do that with Rowan. She needed to be buckled in securely. Safe. Protected.
Laura swallowed against a lump in her throat. Everything she did these days was for Rowan’s protection.
At the grocery store, Tanner offered to stay in the car with Rowan while she ran inside. Her daughter was sound asleep, so she left her in the backseat, knowing she’d be perfectly safe with Tanner. In less than ten minutes, she was back in the truck and they were on their way to her place, the interior of his vehicle smelling like roasted chicken.
She and Tanner chatted about the ranch a bit, and she mentioned her graphic design work, which led to explaining what she’d been doing since leaving Gibson after high school. She left a lot of blank spaces, but then, so did he. He didn’t mention Cole or Maddy at all, and she knew why.
She wished she could tell him the truth about Rowan’s father. But the more people who knew, the more likely it was to get around, and right now that secret was her biggest form of protection.
He carried the grocery bags to the door while she managed Rowan and the diaper bag. When they walked in, Laura discovered her grandfather emptying the dishwasher. She nearly fell down from the shock.
“Gramps!” she said, slipping off her shoes. “You don’t have to do that.”
He gave his customary harrumph. “Don’t know why everyone thinks I’m helpless. I can put some dishes away now and then.”
“I guess I’ll get a start on supper, then. You’ll be relieved to know I stopped and picked up a chicken.”
“Are you staying, young man?”
Laura’s mouth dropped open. Had Gramps just asked Tanner for supper? Oh, she hoped he wasn’t getting any ideas. Tanner Hudson was the last person she should get involved with. Talk about complicated!
Besides, she was hardly looking for romance. She had her hands full right now.
“Thank you, but I should probably get home.”
Laura was surprised to feel disappointment at his refusal, but the last thing she wanted was for him to feel obligated. “You’re welcome to, Tanner,” she offered weakly, knowing Gramps would expect it. “It’s the least I can do for all your help. But if you need to get back to the ranch, I understand.”
He rubbed his chin. “I don’t need to hurry back. I guess it would be all right.”
Oh Lord. Oh Lord, oh Lord. She was actually nervous. Tanner Hudson was going to eat supper at her house. With her grandfather. After seeing her in a mess this afternoon. What on earth? He didn’t seem to care a bit about her reputation, either. And there was no way he could have remained oblivious. He had to know about the gossip. About what kind of woman she was... And that had nothing to do with Gavin Wallace and everything to do with her decisions before coming home to Gibson.
Gramps patted Tanner on the shoulder. “Come on in the living room. It’s been a while since I’ve had another man to talk to.”
Tanner looked over at her. “Do you need anything?” he asked. “I’m not a complete idiot in the kitchen.”
She shook her head. “Thanks, but no. You go. Entertain each other.” She gave a self-deprecating grin, glanced down at the chicken and then back at him. “It’s not like it’ll take long.”
He flashed her a smile that felt very intimate, as if they shared a joke. She liked, too, that he’d offered to help, and wondered if he’d said something to Gramps earlier that had prompted the dishwasher emptying, because that was an unprecedented event.
As the men sat in the living room and talked about community goings-on, Laura buckled Rowan into her bouncy seat and began putting together a green salad. She then took out a pretty bowl and transferred potato salad into it rather than simply putting the tub on the table, and placed a paper napkin in a little basket and filled it with buns from the market bakery.
Maybe she hadn’t cooked it, but she could at least make the meal look a bit homey.
Just before everything was ready, the baby woke and Laura made a quick trip to the nursery for a change and tidy-up, and then, by some miracle, it all came together.
The table was set, Rowan was playing with the activity bar on her bouncy chair and Laura called the men to supper as she put the carved chicken on the table, along with the salad bowls and butter for the buns.
There was chatter, and the clinking of silverware on plates, and the odd laugh. A lump formed in Laura’s throat as she realized this was the nicest meal she’d spent in her house. It had been so long since she’d experienced a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere that she’d nearly forgotten what it was like.
But as Tanner laughed at a story Gramps told, it all came rushing back to her. And it made her both a little bit happy and a little bit sad. She had been lonely for so long.
And that was why, despite the grumbling and inconvenience, she’d offered Gramps a place to stay, she realized. She was so tired of being alone.
After dinner, Tanner insisted on helping with the dishes, which didn’t take long at all. When they were done, he said goodbye to Gramps and then pulled on his boots and prepared to go.
“Supper was good,” he said, standing in the doorway. “Thanks for having me.”
“You’re welcome. And thanks for being so kind to Gramps. I think he’s been a little lost the last few days. It was good for him to have someone besides me to talk to.”
“He’s a good old dude,” Tanner said. “He’s pretty proud of you, you know. Says you have gumption.”
She blinked back sudden tears. “He’s not crazy about me being unmarried with a baby.”
“Being a single mom is hard. He knows it. He just wishes you didn’t have to do it alone.”
“He wishes I’d been smarter.”
Tanner studied her for a minute. “Maybe. But I think that’s you putting words in his mouth.”
He was right. She was pretty hard on herself, and she knew it. And yet Tanner didn’t seem to judge. She wondered why.
“Doesn’t it bother you?” she asked bluntly. “What they say about me?”
His eyes darkened. “You mean about Rowan’s father?”
She nodded, nerves jumping around in her stomach. He was the first person she’d broached the topic with, and she realized that for whatever reason, she trusted him. Oh, maybe not with the truth, but he’d already