Western Flame

Chapter 23

Liana stared at a display of fancy yogurts, not really paying attention to them, just picking each tub up and putting it down again. She wanted yogurt, but indecision was having a field day with her ability to choose something and get her damned groceries done.

It didn't help that she was on the phone with Caitlin, who had steered the conversation to last night, which Liana was answering with uh-huhs while Caitlin probed.

"Stop it, Liana! I know something is up. Peony said you stayed in the guest room last night," Caitlin huffed, a worried tone in her voice. Liana groaned and hung her head. Fine, she'd answer her.

"I did."

"Did something happen with Tanner?"

Liana did not want to answer that question either and she growled into the phone and picked up her normal litre of milk with a jerk and set it into the cart. What had happened scared the shit out of her, and she didn't want to think about it today. She wanted to do her groceries, go home, eat junk food, and sit in the silence of her own space and not deal with West men drama for a day. Just one damned day.

"Well?" Caitlin prompted when she didn't answer.

"No. Yeah, sort of I guess. Just... memories reared up last night that I'd rather were shot dead and it spooked me."

"How are you ever going to get on the same page as him if you don't confront that elephant in the room, Li?" Caitlin said. "Memories are important. You can't just pretend they don't exist as you get involved with him again, or run when they come up."

"It's not an elephant. It's history, and I'm not sure I want to repeat it," Liana replied testily. "I can see myself going down that path and when shit hits the fan at the ranch, I'll be placed on hold again. Don't want to do that."

"It's been, what... twelve years? He's not a kid anymore, and has a few more brains in his head," Caitlin replied. "Listen, I get it. It's scary. Hell, when I was considering things with Brady, I was petrified I wasn't ready. But it didn't matter because that man understood what I needed. Tanner gets you, he really does."

"Thirteen almost. And how do you know? Do you talk about me when I'm not there?" Liana asked. Caitlin was a perceptive woman, it was what made her such a good nurse. Did she see something even Liana couldn't?

"Yep. He comes over and we do pedi's while we watch The Bachelor. I gossip about you all the time," Caitlin teased.

"Bitch," Liana muttered, giggling. "But seriously—"

"I mean it. I saw him today when we got home and I could see something was eating him up. He's normally all business when it comes to the ranch, even when there's an emergency, but he initiated a hug with Brady. That is so not him, right? So, yeah, he's upset about more than just the complications because of the fire."

"What complications?" Liana asked. "The building just burned down, right?"

"They think it was arson."

Tension crawled over Liana's shoulders. That was a whole new level of crazy to contemplate. If it was deliberate, could it be tied to Brady's accident? She hesitated sharing that with Caitlin, who would already be stressed out enough. That would be bad for the baby.

"Wow," was all she could say.

"Never mind that, we're talking about you and Tanner right now, so don't try and change the subject, missy," Caitlin said. "He still loves you, it's written all over him when he talks about you, when he looks at you."

"What if I don't love him?" Liana countered, trying her best to fend off the growing lump in her stomach that Caitlin's statement brought up. Love? She knew she was falling into complicated feelings more and more every day, but could it be that? She doubted they could go there. She had no idea what he wanted out of the time they had spent together, but love wasn't likely it. Tanner would never tie himself to anything other than that ranch, when push came to shove.