Page 62 of Tanner

Miles stood there another second, as if checking whether Tanner was really okay, then he left the room.

Tanner heard the front door open and close a minute later. After that the house went quiet again. He stayed where he was, staring at the bedroom door, going over their conversation.

Miles now knew of what Tanner had done and he’d heard it without looking at Tanner like he was something dirty or broken or beyond fixing.

He sat up when he heard Savannah stir in the next room, rubbed a hand over his face, and got out of bed. Whatever this was with Miles, it hadn’t gone the way Tanner expected.

Chapter Seventeen

Miles stepped out of Tanner’s house and paused on the porch long enough to pull the door shut quietly behind him, then stood there for a second with his keys in one hand and Tanner still on his mind.

He should’ve been thinking about work. About the paperwork issue. About what came next and how carefully he’d need to handle it, but he was thinking about Tanner in bed, quiet and watchful even first thing in the morning. Thinking about the things Tanner had said the night before in that voice of his, not asking for sympathy, but just laying the truth out and waiting to see what Miles did with it.

Miles drove into town with Tanner still on his mind. Later that morning, as he came out of the diner with a coffee in one hand, he spotted Santino heading along the sidewalk with a paper bag tucked under his arm. Santino slowed when he saw him.

“Morning,” he said.

Miles stopped. “Morning.”

Santino glanced around, then looked back at Miles. “You see Tanner?”

Miles held his gaze. “I have.”

“Right.”

Miles watched Santino then said, “You got something to say, say it.”

Santino nodded. “I figured I probably should.”

Miles waited.

“I’m not asking what’s happening between you. It’s none of my business.”

“Then don’t make it your business.”

“I’m not.” Santino’s tone stayed even. “But Tanner is.”

Miles said nothing.

Santino shifted. “You know he’s nineteen.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re older.”

“Yes.”

Santino nodded once, as if confirming Miles at least wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. “That gap matters.”

“You think I need that explained to me?”

“No. I think you need reminding it won’t only matter to you.”

He looked away for a second, across the street, then back at Santino. “You would know.”

“Yeah, and so does TJ, but there’s something else.”

“What?”