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Before, Tanner had been here in his hometown, and sure, he had friends, but he wasn’t a super social guy. But being here now, with a larger network of support, was likely why he’d had the courage to make the break and start his own law firm. It felt like going to battle with an army at his back instead of nearly alone. Timing was everything.
*
Carly
By the timewe’d cleaned up and gotten everything back to normal, it was around ten o’clock. Jake had an early meeting at the hospital and Leah was headed to New Orleans in the morning to do some work on her new art gallery. Since she’d moved back home from Paris, Leah had bought an art loft in the Bywater area on the Mississippi Riverbank. She had plans to assist local artists by giving them a place to paint and show their work.
The loft had a living space upstairs, so Leah was able to make trips there and stay on the premises while she got the place ready. The local manager she’d hired lived a couple blocks from the gallery, so they worked for a few days at a time together when Leah was in town.
This commute had been the trade-off for selling her half of a popular Paris art gallery Leah had inherited from her boss and best friend, Alaine, when he’d passed away a year ago. Leah was using the money as his legacy to do the most good for artists. New Orleans was a gold mine for talent in the state and was only a four-hour drive from Cypress Bayou.
I hated that she was gone so much, but it was better than her being in Paris and never coming home like before.
“Thanks for hanging around to help clean up.” Tanner pulled me out of my thinking. He was holding a garbage bag that held something that appeared heavy and wet.
“What kind of friend would I be if I left you with the mess after such a great dinner?”
“Well, I appreciate it. I’d better get these into the freezer before the flies get wind of them.” He indicated the bag he was holding. I assumed they were the fish guts. Daddy always double-bagged them and put them in the freezer until he could bring them to the dump.
I gathered up the remaining items sitting outside on the table and brought them inside his Airstream trailer. I had to admit it was nice. Since I hadn’t been inside it before today, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
It was small, but clean. Obviously newish. There was a flat-screen TV, a leather sofa, a tiny kitchen area with a banquette nook that looked like it might somehow double as a sleeper if one needed it. At the front end, there was a queen-sized bed, made up with a down comforter and several pillows. I’d used the little bathroom earlier and wondered how a big guy like Tanner managed to shower in there.
For a single person who had a temporary plan, it wasn’t a bad one. Plus, the outdoor living here was pleasant. The weather was mild most of the time, except in the hottest part of the summer. Or when it rained, which right now was often, but only for an hour or so, usually in the afternoons.
I noticed Tanner had a bug zapper that trapped flies and mosquitoes. A must for someone who enjoyed the outdoors in such a bug-rich environment. There was a colorful oversized hammock strung nearby between two hardwoods that appeared especially comfortable. The whole setup was cozy and inviting. Plus, he had no neighbors. Perfect for a somewhat introverted guy like Tanner.
A couple acres over, however, Jake and Leah had recently started building their home. It was far enough away to not bother Tanner, but close enough for him to hear the construction and for the trucks and workmen to enter and exit the same drive. They were building their own dock, so I guessed that was a good thing.
Tanner and Jake were a lot like Leah and me, as siblings went. We were all each other had. We appreciated that the other was different but got along most of the time and were each other’s best friend. So, living pretty much next door would likely be a good thing for the brothers.
I did wonder how things would change for Leah and me though once Allison became part of our lives on a regular basis.Ifshe really were to move here permanently. She was older than us by a few years and hadn’t had the shared experiences we did. So far, Allison wasn’t showing a strong interest in becoming an equal third sister.
She’d been here for a short time while she recovered from the bone marrow transplant several months back. The family had brought her food, checked on her, and texted. I was still living in Baton Rouge at the time, so I’d been more distant than the others, and I knew her the least. She seemed like a strong personality though. Had traveled as an army brat, was a great cook, apparently, and loved to paint and do crafts and such, from what I was told.
I guess there were worse things than getting to know my older sister. Time would tell for sure. Change was inevitable now that Allison was part of our family tree. And if Momma had her way, we would see her in June.
Speaking of Momma, we were scheduled to have another planning session tomorrow night at Nana’s house, where Leah and I would show our picks for dresses. Momma had decided on shades of lavender and purple as the color for the ceremony. My least favorite.
But tomorrow was also our day trip to Leesfield, so that was a far more interesting thing to look forward to.
*
We met atthe office at nine o’clock sharp. I decided jeans and a lightweight top were best for our purposes. Not sticking out was key. Too dressy in a rural town wouldn’t serve us, but then neither would too casual, as we wanted to appear professional. Tanner wore boots and dark jeans paired with a button-down shirt. I was glad to see that Lisa’s shoes were sensible for walking today. I could tell she was accustomed to high-end brands. Her slacks and blouse weren’t showy, but they were clearly expensive.
“Good morning, ladies. I cleaned out my truck for our short trip today.” Tanner’s truck was big, but it was new and nice. I decided to let Lisa choose where she wanted to sit.
“Thanks, Tanner. I’ll let Carly ride shotgun, as I’m sure the two of you have things to discuss.”
“Are you sure?” I hated sticking her in the back. Lisa approached the truck and used the running board on the side of the truck to get inside before Tanner could assist her. Case closed, I guess.
“Ready?” He lifted a brow at me.
“Let’s do it.” I didn’t wait for his gallant assistance either, though I believed he would provide it should I show a need.
The truck’s black interior was spotless. “This is very nice, Tanner.” Lisa commented on it as I was thinking the same thing. I’d had the same thoughts when I was in his trailer; he was neat for a single man.
“Thank you.”
