Page 58 of Tanner

“No.”

“Good.”

Miles rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m serious.”

“I know.” Cody’s voice dropped. “That’s why I’m answering seriously. Don’t spring it on him in a way that makes him think the whole date was a setup. If you bring it up, it needs to be after he knows exactly why you’re there.”

Miles exhaled heavily. “I’m not trying to play him,” Miles eventually said.

“I know that.” Cody straightened. “Don’t sound like a deputy when you speak to him. Sound like a man telling him there’s a problem and asking Tanner if he wants help.”

Miles looked down at the table. “You trust me with this?”Cody held his gaze. “I’ve been where he is. I know how this could go if you don’t handle it carefully.”

“Yeah.” Miles nodded.

Cody twisted the cap back on the bottle. “He won’t trust easily, and if he does, it’ll matter more than you think. Don’t take that lightly.”

“I won’t.”

After Cody left, Miles finally picked up the file on his desk and made himself work for the next couple of hours. Reports. A call-out note from the previous shift. A follow-up on a vehicle complaint near the edge of town. He got through all of it, but Tanner never moved far from his mind. Every time Miles thought about their date, the same thing kept coming back to him. He couldn’t afford to handle this badly.

That evening, when the station had quieted down and the light outside had begun to fade, Miles stood by one of the windows and looked out over Main Street. He thought about Tanner at home with Savannah and the life he had built with no help and no legal protection.

If preschool kept asking, or a doctor wanted paperwork, or somebody made a report, things could go wrong fast. Tanner already knew it. Miles had seen the change in him the second he looked at his phone.

Miles rested one hand on the window frame and made a decision. He was going to bring it up during dinner, but he was going to do it carefully. He would tell Tanner the truth, make it clear he saw the risk for what it was, and offer help that kept Tanner in control of the next step.

Pushing away from the window, Miles grabbed his keys and headed out. Dinner was tomorrow night, and whether Tanner knew it yet or not, Miles was already treating this with the care it deserved.

Chapter Sixteen

By the time Savannah finally fell asleep, Tanner felt wrung out. She’d been clingy all evening, more tired than usual and grumpy with it, and getting her settled had taken longer than it should have. He stood beside the bed for a minute after she drifted off, one hand resting lightly on her back, waiting to make sure she stayed down. Only when her breathing evened out properly did he straighten and step away.

The house was quiet. Tanner moved through it, checking the front door, then the back, then the window over the sink even though he already knew it was shut. After that he went into the kitchen and looked around without really seeing any of it. Miles was bringing food. He’d agreed to it. He’d agreed to let him come here again.

When the knock came, Tanner went to the door straight away. He didn’t make Miles wait, but he didn’t open it fully at first either. He looked through the gap, saw the takeout bag in one hand and Miles standing there in the dark, then stepped back and let him in.

Miles lifted the boxes. “I brought pizza.”

Tanner took them from him. “Thanks.”

Miles shut the door behind him. “She asleep?”

“Yeah.”

Tanner carried the pizzas through to the kitchen and put them down on the table. The place wasn’t big enough to pretend Miles wasn’t there. He could feel him behind him, while he reached for plates they didn’t really need and changed his mind halfway through.

“You don’t need those,” Miles said.

Tanner glanced back. “I know.”

Miles’ mouth twitched.

Tanner gave him a look. “Don’t start.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”