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into something less sticky and meet me over there? I’ve got more than enough for one fella, trust me,” he said, tipping his hat at me as he headed for the back door.
     
    “Okay, I guess I can do that. Give me about ten minutes…” I said as Tanner walked out toward the guest house.
     
    What the heck just happened? I thought to myself.
     
     

Chapter 7
     
    Walking upstairs, I had my choice of three bathrooms, all elegantly decorated in period accents. I chose one off what appeared to be the master bedroom and turned on the light. Shocked at how tired and worn I looked, I dug through my overnight bag looking for any shred of makeup I could find.
     
    Within a few minutes, I had managed to put myself together enough to be presentable. I wore a red sundress, my boots and what little bit of makeup I could find. I swung my hair into a ponytail and headed back downstairs.
     
    As I walked through the kitchen, I grabbed the bottle of wine figuring it might go with pot roast.
     
    The air outside had cooled down a bit, and I could see lightning bugs all around. The back veranda had a large wooden porch swing and a couple of rocking chairs. I could see the lights on in the guest house which was down a cobblestone walkway about 50 feet from the house.
     
    “Miss Shannon…” Tanner smiled as he opened the door. “You certainly look less sticky now,” he said smiling as I brushed past him in the doorway.
     
    The thought that this man had seen me dancing around in my under garments sent shivers up my spine. So far, he had been a gentleman about it, but I wondered how much he had seen.
     
    “Mr. James. Thanks for inviting me over,” I said smiling with a quick bow.
     
    “How about you call me Tanner?”
     
    “Then I guess you need to call me Shannon,” I said with a smirk.
     
    “Okay… Shannon then. Have a seat,” Tanner pointed at the table in his small kitchen. Wooden beams stretched across the ceiling and the table was as rustic as I had ever seen. Candles were lit in the middle creating a beautiful orange glow on the walls.
     
    “This table is stunning,” I said running my hand across it.
     
    “Thanks. I made it,” he called back from the kitchen where he was busily working with something on the stove.
     
    “You made this? You are very talented,” I said continuing to inspect his craftsmanship.
     
    “Well, thank you. My Daddy was a carpenter, so I guess I got a little bit of that from him. You like sweet tea or water, Shannon?” he called from behind the refrigerator door.
     
    “Sweet tea, please. Can I help you with something?” I asked.
     
    “No, ma’m. You’re my guest… It will just be a minute more on the biscuits,” he said smiling as he looked at me from behind a cabinet door.
     
    “You are quite the cook for a man living in a guest house. You must have lots of ladies chasing you,” I said giggling without realizing that I was fishing for information more than anything else.
     
    “Not really. Most women would much rather have a man with a future… not working with horses and living in a guest house,” he winked.
     
    A few minutes later, he served me dinner. Pot roast with carrots and potatoes, fresh green beans and homemade biscuits.
     
    “This looks delicious, Tanner. Thanks for inviting me. It has been a very long day…”
     
    “Sorry I wasn’t here earlier when you were moving in. I ran to the horse supply store and then went to see my Mom at her diner on the square. Had I seen you, I wouldn’t have walked in on your striptease…” he winked at me again. This time, that wink caused some extra sensations that I wasn’t expecting in my body.
     
    “It wasn’t a striptease!” I snapped, half joking and half embarrassed. “It was a dance of freedom.” I didn’t mean to say it, but he heard it anyway.
     
    “Freedom?”
     
    “Long story… Anyway, I spilled some wine on my dress and thought I was alone…”
     
    “No need to explain, Shannon. I wasn’t