Page 14 of Tanner

“I’m not a boy.”

“No,” she agreed, and there was something in the way she said it that made his chest tighten. “You’re not.”

Silence stretched between them until Tanner heard a small sound from upstairs. A soft footstep and a little hum. Savannah. He turned his head toward the stairs before he could stop himself. The instinct was immediate.

Mrs. Hemsworth noticed and her gaze softened.

A second later, Savannah appeared at the end of the hall in her pajamas, hair sticking up in a wild tuft. She rubbed her eyes with one fist and clutched her rabbit in the other.

“Tanny,” she said, voice thick with sleep.

Tanner moved toward her at once. He crouched in front of her, hands gentle at her shoulders. “Hey, baby.”

Savannah blinked up at him, then her gaze slid to Mrs. Hemsworth. Mrs. Hemsworth didn’t move or reach out. She stayed where she was and watched, like she understood exactly how fast Tanner would react if she tried anything.

“She’s yours?” Mrs. Hemsworth asked quietly.

Tanner’s jaw tightened. “She’s my sister.”

Mrs. Hemsworth’s brows lifted. “Savannah?”

Tanner didn’t repeat himself. He just picked Savannah up and held her against his chest and Savannah immediately relaxed, her arms looping around his neck.

Mrs. Hemsworth looked from Savannah’s face back to his. “Tanner… I thought…”

“You thought I’d dump her somewhere?”

“No! I…just your parents, then…” She trailed off then asked, “How old now?”

“Three.”

Mrs. Hemsworth’s mouth parted slightly and her expression changed again. “Oh.”

Savannah shifted and whispered, “Hungry.”

Tanner pressed his lips together. “Yeah. I know.”

Mrs. Hemsworth glanced toward the kitchen. “There won’t be food in the cupboards.”

“I’ll handle it.”

She watched him for a second, then nodded. “You’ll need electricity back on too.”

“I’ll handle it,” he repeated, firmer this time.

Mrs. Hemsworth nodded again. “Alright.” She paused then asked, “Do you have papers for her?”

Tanner’s body went rigid and his hand tightened on Savannah’s back. Savannah yawned and rested her head on his shoulder like none of it mattered. Mrs. Hemsworth held his gaze, waiting for him to answer.

Tanner kept his voice flat. “She’s my sister.”

“I know that,” Mrs. Hemsworth said. “But other people will ask.”

Tanner’s stomach twisted. His first instinct was to shut the conversation down. To tell her to mind her business. He didn’t do any of that. Instead, he forced himself to say, “I’ve got what I’ve got. It’s enough.”

Mrs. Hemsworth didn’t push it any further. She nodded, but her eyes stayed serious. “Tanner, if you’re going to do this, you need to do it the right way.”

“I am,” he said.