Now and Forever (2 page)

Chapter 2

Tanner jumped, trying to shoot the ball into the basket. He missed by a mile.

“Bro, your game is off today!” Diesel Strickland shouted, taunting Tanner all over the place. “Maybe you’re getting too old to play.”

Tanner narrowed his gaze at his best friend. He was almost tempted to call him Ralph, his given name, instead of the nickname he’d received during his years as a pro football player. However, Tanner wasn’t in the mood to be reminded how Diesel had earned his nickname in the first place.

Their weekly basketball game ended with Diesel kicking his butt, which doesn’t happen often. Tanner sat bare-chested on a bench with a towel draped across his shoulders. He was weak. But basketball hadn’t drained him. It was the long night he’d spent tossing and turning, while fantasizing about making love to sexy Grace.

“So, what’s her name?” Diesel asked, grabbing a sports drink out of the cooler.

“Don’t insinuate that my lack of concentration, or victory, had something to do with a woman,” Tanner shot.

Diesel grinned. ‘Man, you’ve got it bad.”

Tanner cringed inwardly, knowing Diesel had scored big time.

Diesel smiled wickedly. “It could be the lack of a woman that has your game off.” He laughed at Tanner’s stormy glare.

“Well, I heard you can find some real
hotties
at The Pigeonhole, including the owner. She looked
smokin
’ hot in
Smash
.”

Tanner stiffened. Why the hell was Diesel concerned with Grace?

“I would love to take a turn with her on the dance floor,” Diesel said, rotating his hips for emphasis.

Tanner clenched his jaw. Despite his rage, he managed to state calmly, “She’s not your type.”

“How would you know?”

Tanner raked his hand through his curls, agitated. He didn’t know. After all, Diesel turned heads. With his muscular frame and shoulder-length wavy hair, he’d mesmerized a number of women. Many have called him the dark-haired version of Fabio. However, most of his dates tended to be on the wild side. Diesel was thirty-seven and retired from the NFL. The current sports agent didn’t believe true love was in his future.
 
So he was content with having one fling after another.

My Grace won’t be another notch in his belt
, Tanner thought.

He sighed heavily. He felt uncomfortable thinking of Grace as his possession. Besides, Grace was strong and independent. She’d probably deck any man who tried to claim her as his property. In Tanner’s mind, he didn’t view her as some trophy. She was the woman who captured his dreams, and made his body aware he was a man with powerful needs. Not only sexually. Grace moved him mentally and spiritually. Through no will of his own, he envisioned sharing a life with her—complete with brown babies with her eyes.
 
It was a vision he wanted to protect. He would fight to keep any other man from making it his reality, including Diesel.

“Well?” Diesel prompted, folding his arms over his broad chest.

“I’m sure you’ll find another ‘
hottie
’ to light your fire.”

“Most definitely,” Diesel agreed. He picked up the basketball and tossed it to Tanner.
“How about one more game,
old man
?”

Tanner stood and threw his towel aside. He stared Diesel down. “I’m always up for a challenge. This time, I intend to win.” He wasn’t just referring to the game of basketball. He also meant to win in the game of love.

*

“Lean back,” Ava commanded.

Grace obliged, reclining in the soft leather chair. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She put herself in Ava’s capable hands, allowing her best friend to work magic with her hair.

“Thanks for opening the shop to me on your day off,” Grace said.

Ava waved an impatient hand. “No problem. That’s what friends are for.”

Grace was elated. Moments like this left her feeling extraordinary. She suspected women who were fortunate enough to have the money, connections and unquenchable desire received the royal treatment on a daily basis. Although Grace enjoyed being pampered and fussed over once in a while, she tended not to roll that way. She was found of the simple pleasures life had to offer.

“All done,” Ava announced
,
swiveling Grace’s chair around until she faced the mirror.
“
Omigod
!”
Grace was amazed. She inspected her hair from every angle. She ran her fingers through it several times, giggling when it fell back into place. Ava had given her a sassy little bob with reddish highlights. “I love it!”

Ava smiled. “I thought something new was in order,” she said, walking to the back of the shop. She returned with two glasses and a bottle of wine.

“Voila.”

Grace accepted a glass. “OK, what’s the occasion?”

“Nothing much,” Ava said, popping the cork. “I just wanted to propose a toast to the owner of the hottest lounge and grill in Nashville.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Grace said, raising her glass.

“So will
I
.” Ava added. She spoke a few words and raised her glass towards Grace.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Sure, you could have. All I did was give you a little push in the right direction. The rest you did on your own.”

Grace sipped her wine. “Well, I’m glad you were there to share that special moment with me. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourself.”

“Let’s just say the night would have been perfect if only I could have danced with this delicious-looking man all the single women had their eyes on,” Ava said, pouting slightly.

“Why didn’t you?”

“Oh, he only had eyes for one woman.”

“Really?
Who?”

“You.”

Grace almost spilled her drink. She had no idea who Ava was referring to. Furthermore, she didn’t like strange men ogling her. “Is that so?”

Ava saw the uncomfortable look plastered across Grace’s face. “Don’t worry. He didn’t strike me as being a nut job. In fact, he was very polite when he turned the other ladies, and me, down. He was so very sexy, very mysterious, and very content just to sit and stare at you all night room from the back of the room.”

Grace’s stomach tightened.
 
“Well…uh…how did this mystery man look?”

“Absolutely yummy.
His body reminded me of a bronzed god. His eyes looked like arctic pools. They made me hot. But it took the strength of ten men to keep me from running my fingers through his curly hair.” Ava sighed with pleasure at the memory.

Grace downed the rest of her wine in one gulp. She slapped her glass on the counter. Her pulse raced. There was no way to control it. Just the thought of Tanner caused her senses to go into overdrive. Surely he must have cast a spell on her with his kiss.

“Are you alright?” Ava asked.

Grace nodded. Then, she spoke and everything came out. She revealed how she had met Tanner while working as a private investigator. She talked about Sheila and the wedding that never happened. The night outside of The Pigeonhole even entered the conversation.

Information about the earth-shattering kiss almost knocked Ava out of her chair.

“Wow!” Ava exclaimed. “If a fine man like him had kissed me, I’d probably be freaking out too.”

“I’m not freaking out.” Grace sighed and sank into her chair. It was just a kiss, she thought. She suddenly felt foolish for getting all worked up over a man she’d probably never see—or kiss—again.

Ava saw the tension in her friend’s face. “Lighten up,” she said. “You act like you haven’t been kissed in years.”

Grace poured herself another glass of wine and downed it quickly. Then, she stared into the empty glass.

“Oh.” Ava said. “How about…you know?”

Grace shook her head. She reached for the bottle again. However, Ava intercepted it. “That’s the last thing you need, girlfriend.”

“Well, what I really
need
, I can’t get,” Grace said sourly.

“Don’t give me that. You can have any man you want, but you haven’t allowed one to get too close to you because Kevin betrayed you.”

Grace sighed. Ava was right. There have been a number of men who’ve asked her out on dates, but she always turned them down. She didn’t want to play love games. Besides, what if she fell in love?
 
Then again, who said she had to? She could be like a man—keep it strictly physical. But that wasn’t her style. Damn.

Ava interrupted her thoughts. “I’m certain you’ve let some good men slip away. You’d better snap up the next good one that comes along.”

Grace gave her a mock salute.
“Aye aye, Captain.”

“Sarcasm will get you nowhere,” Ava playfully assured her.

“With my fabulous new hair style, I’ll take my chances.”

They laughed.

Grace decided it was time for her to go. She hugged her friend goodbye and tipped her generously before leaving. Since she was in town, she decided to run some errands. Unexpectedly, she received some nice comments about her hair. Carl at the dry cleaners thought she looked like a
Vogue
cover model. At the corner market, Jessica liked her new hairdo so much that she promptly set up an appointment with Ava. Grace even had to endure whistles and catcalls from a group of construction workers. However, she didn’t sweat it. She was having a good hair day.
           

Grace’s arms were full. Luckily, she had parked her car behind the library, which wasn’t far.
 
Just as she stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street, she lost her balance. The heel of her shoe got stuck in the sewer grate. Her bags went sailing into the air as she tumbled forward. Out of nowhere, a pair of strong arms saved her from hitting the pavement.

“Thanks,” she said, regaining her composure.

“No problem. Are you okay?” the man asked, concerned.

She examined her ankle. Besides the rapid pounding of her heart, everything appeared in order. “Yes.”

Grace looked into the face of the gallant man who had saved her.

Her eyes widened. “Tanner.”

“Grace.” A smile crossed his lips. “I almost didn’t recognize you. Your hair is different. It looks great.”

Grace blushed and touched her hair self-consciously. “Thanks.”

They gathered her belongings.

“I appreciate your help,” Grace said, turning to leave.

Tanner wasn’t having any of that.
 
The woman he’d savored at night in his dreams was standing before him. He couldn’t just let her walk away. She was so close he could smell the sweet scent of her floral perfume. She was so close. Not close enough. He would have to change that. He grabbed the bags Grace carried. “I’ll help you with these to your car.”