Page 118 of Tanner

Miles nodded. “Take your time.”

Savannah looked up then and spotted him. Her whole face lit. “Miles!”

She scrambled off the chair so fast it rocked on two legs before dropping back down. Miles caught her easily when she launched herself at him and lifted her onto his hip without thinking about it. He returned her hug and smiled.

“Hey, trouble.”

“I got a sticker today,” she informed him straight away. “And Ava said my rabbit is for babies, but I said no because he sleeps in my bed and that’s legal.”

Legal. A word she’d learned from Miles. He managed to keep the smile of his face. “That’s a strong argument.”

“I know.”

She patted his cheek, then twisted to point at the table. “Tanner doing math.”

Tanner muttered, still writing, “I’m aware.”

Miles stood with Savannah in his arms and watched Tanner finish the page. He worked right to the end of the line, put the pencil down, then rubbed a hand over his face once before reaching for the water.

“How’d it go?” Miles asked.

Tanner took a drink first. “Better than last week.” He tapped the page with one finger. “I keep messing up the same kind of questions.”

“You’re getting there.”

Tanner gave him a look over the top of the bottle. “Math’s still a dick.”

Miles huffed a quiet laugh. “Now that’s true.”

Savannah wriggled to be put down and the second her feet hit the floor, she ran back to the table and climbed into her chair again. Her workbook was still upside down and Tanner slid the crayon box closer.

“We’re going to the park before dinner,” Savannah announced.

“That’s if I finish this section and your bag’s packed,” Tanner said.

He opened the drawer beside him to pull out her things, and Miles caught a quick glimpse inside before Tanner pushed it shut again. Snack pouch. Wipes. A plastic folder with official papers tucked into it and a label across the front with Savannah’s name and permanent guardianship written in block capitals. The last hearing had been two months earlier. Permanent guardianship had been granted without drama, and Tanner still sometimes looked at the paperwork like he expected the words to change.

The diner apron was there as well, clean and ready for his next shift. Tanner had picked up more shifts and now knew more people than he ever thought he would. For Miles, it was nice to see his deepening friendship with Cody and Orsen. Especially more so once Cody and TJ had married a couple of months earlier.

Tanner went back to the practice sheet. Miles crossed behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

Tanner leaned back into it without thinking.

Miles said, “I love you.”

Tanner tipped his head back just enough to look up at him and Miles bent down to kiss him.

“Love you too,” he said.

Savannah looked up from her workbook at once. “I love you both. Can I have snacks?”

Tanner snorted as Miles reached for the cupboard. “You’re having dinner in an hour.”

“One snack.”

“You said that yesterday and it turned into four.”

“That was different.”