Tempting Tatum (13 page)

I’m not sure how long the fireworks show lasts. I looked toward the sky the entire time, but I don’t remember any of it. Before I know it, the show is over. I’m brought out of my trance when Blaise again whispers in my ear, “Show’s over, sweetheart.”

I pull away from him and jump to my feet. I survey our group and see no one is paying any attention to us. I sigh with relief. That’s all I need is for Ember to get it in her head to play matchmaker with her brother and her new roommate. Not to mention Leah and Brent. They both are constantly telling me I need to get back on the horse. They avoid talking about Josh and the day I found him cheating on me. They choose to ignore the entire day, but they do remind me daily, well Leah reminds me daily, I need to put myself back out there and Josh is a douche. She gets no arguments from me on that account.

“Dad’s going to get the fire going,” Ember says, stepping up beside me. She throws her arm over my shoulders, oblivious her brother just had me wrapped in his arms. “Please tell me you like S’mores,” she begs.

I can’t help it. I laugh at her. This girl is so carefree and fun. “Yes, I love S’mores. To not like them would be un-American,” I tell her, still laughing.

Ember hugs me tighter. “This is a beautiful friendship in the making,” she says before releasing me and running to catch up with Jackson.

I shake my head as I watch her go. I see the others have walked on as well. I breathe a sigh of relief. No matter how damn tempting Blaise Richards is, I will resist him. Josh was not even in the same caliber as Blaise and he hurt me. I can only imagine my shredded heart after a guy like Blaise is through with it.

Must. Resist. Temptation.

Holy fucking shit!
I’m not sure what has come over me, I think Tatum has some kind of secret voodoo and she has cast a spell on me. I’ve had a few beers, but that’s no excuse. I don’t cuddle, not since Beth, and even then, that just wasn’t our thing. There is this connection, this pull that Tatum has. She draws me in. It’s like if she is anywhere close, I need to be next to her. This is all new to me. I know I sound like the biggest pussy, but I don’t know any other way to describe it.

When she sat down in the shadows on the dock, I didn’t even hesitate. I sat down beside her. If that wasn’t bad enough, I couldn’t seem to get close enough. I moved closer. In my mind, I was sure she would pull away, and then I would have a reason to think logically about the situation. She didn’t. The longer I sat next to her, breathing her in sweet scent, holding her hand, the more I wanted.

I was supposed to be watching the fireworks display. Instead, I was thinking of how it would feel to really hold her in my arms. The next thing I know, I’m tugging her close and pulling her back against my chest. She’s cast a spell.

The show’s over, so I slowly stand and follow the group to the fire. I hear Ember asking Tatum if she likes S’mores and my heart skips a beat at her laughter. I’m walking behind Asher and Grace, and watch as she snuggles next to him as they walk. I’ve never been jealous of my twin, but right now, I am.

I roll my neck and my shoulders, trying to shake off some of the tension I feel. The universe is playing tricks on me. I need another beer.

Everyone is paired up, but Tatum and me. This makes it harder for me to focus. There are a lot of single guys here, Cade being one of them. Any minute now, one of them could waltz up to her and latch on. That thought alone doesn’t sit well with me. Needing a distraction, I help Dad with the fire.

“Thanks, son,” he says to me as I throw another log on the fire. “What did you think of the show this year?” he asks.

I clear my throat. I didn’t see much of it; I was distracted. “Good,” I reply.

Dad watches me. “You all right, son?”

I sigh. Should I bother telling him Tatum has me in knots? Dad has always been good at listening and helping us through any issues. “Well, I didn’t really watch much of the show.” I decide to go with honesty. Obviously, he can see right through me.

“I see. Are you going to elaborate on that statement?” he asks.

“Tatum.”

He smiles. “Yes, she is a very beautiful girl.”

“Yes, she is. She’s also cast a spell on me,” I mumble.

I can tell he wants to laugh; he’s trying hard to hold it in.

“I mean it. I met her at Mom’s work the day of her interview and again the day her car broke down. I helped her fix it. I think about her a lot.” All the time is more like it. “When girls come into the shop, I compare them to her. Now today, I got pissed off when Cade was talking to her.” I take a swig of my beer. “That’s not the worst of it. We all went down to the dock to watch the fireworks. Just like we have for as long as I can remember. Out of the eight of us, everyone was paired off except for Tatum and me.”

Dad holds up his hand. “Wait, wasn’t Ember with you?” he asks.

Shit!
I hope she didn’t want to keep Jackson a secret. “Yeah, she and Jackson were watching together.”

Dad shakes his head and smiles. Shew! Jackson is a great guy; looks like Dad approves.

“Anyway, Tatum sat off by herself in the shadows. This is where the spell comes into play. She pulled me to her.”

The grin on Dad’s face gets even wider. I continue with my story, telling him how I couldn’t get close enough and how I held her. Once I finish, Dad doesn’t say anything. He continues to poke at the fire.

“Well?” I say. The suspense is killing me.

Dad walks over to the cooler and pulls us both out another beer. He hands me mine. We both twist off the tops and throw them into the fire. “You really want to know what I think?” he asks me.

“At this point, yes. I’m at a loss,” I say, sitting down on a log.

He walks over and sits down beside me. “I had this same conversation with Asher about a year ago. I was wondering when your time would come.”

I watch him, not saying a word. What the hell is he talking about?

“I met your mother the first day of school, senior year.”

“I know. High school sweethearts, yada, yada, yada.”

He chuckles, “You know that’s when we met, but you don’t know I knew then that she was it for me. We were young, but I knew there would be no one else.” He takes a sip of his beer. “It’s not something you plan; it’s not something that you can control. It just happens.”

“So, why did you tell Asher a year ago and not me?” I ask.

Dad shakes his head. “Your brother had just met Grace and was feeling a lot of what you are now, I suspect.”

He’s watching me, waiting for my reaction.

“Wait. You don’t think?” Is he saying what I think he’s saying?

Dad nods his head yes. “I do think. It’s in our blood, son. When you find ‘the one’, you can’t control it. Instead, you need to embrace it and hold on with everything you’ve got.”

“I just…I don’t even…” I stop and take a deep breath. “Beth.” I say. “You didn’t have this talk with me when I told you I was going to ask Beth to marry me.”

“Nope,” he says. “I didn’t. Do you know why?”

He doesn’t give me time to answer.

“She wasn’t the one. When you talk about Tatum, even though you’re fighting what you feel, your eyes light up. I bet your heart even races at just the thought of her, or even from just hearing her name. That didn’t happen with Beth.” He shrugs.

I’m stunned speechless. What do you say to that? My dad just schooled me, and even though I hate to admit it, he’s right. “I never felt half of that with Beth. I cared about her, but she never—”

“Life is all about choices, Blaise. You can choose to take the next step in a situation because it’s what you think is the right thing to do. You can also choose to follow your heart. Let it lead you.”

Finding my voice, I ask, “Is that what you did? Followed your heart?”

“Yep and look where it led me. I have the most amazing wife who blessed me with three amazing children. I wouldn’t change a single day.”

“I barely know her,” I try to reason.

“I’m not saying you have to marry the girl tonight. Just let your heart lead you. Spend some time with her. If the feelings remain the same—” laughter from the other side of the fire interrupts us.

We both look to see what’s going on. Ember, Tatum, Leah, and Grace are all dancing around the fire with S’mores in their hands. They all look so happy and carefree. I zero in on Tatum. Her green eyes shine with laughter in the firelight. The sight of her takes my breath. I can’t tear my eyes away.

It’s not until I feel Dad slap my shoulder and chuckle that I do, reluctantly.

“She just took your breath away, son. Do you need any more confirmation than that?”

Wait? What? “How did you—?” I ask his retreating form. I watch him as he walks over to Mom and wraps his arms around her, kissing her cheek.

My eyes drift back to Tatum. I still think she’s cast a spell on me.

Walking into work the next day, Nancy greets me with a warm smile. That same warm smile I’ve grown accustom to since I started here. “Good morning, Tatum,” she says brightly.

“Good morning, Nancy. Thanks again for inviting us to the party. We had a lot of fun,” I tell her. “I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, but duty calls.”      

“I’m so glad you made it. We can be a lively bunch,” she says with so much affection in her voice. “So, Ember tells me the two of you are going to be roomies.”

I shake my head in agreement. “I’m moving in this weekend. Brent is off all weekend, so he and Leah are helping me.”

“Oh, well I’m sure one or all three of the Richards men would be happy to help.” She holds up her finger while dialing the phone with the other. A brief pause and she starts talking into her headset. “Steve, honey, can you tell me what y’all’s schedule is for this weekend?” She smiles at me. “Well, Tatum is moving in with Ember and I was wondering if any of you had the weekend off to help her move.”

“Nancy, I—” She thrust her finger up again, telling me to wait a minute. I can’t help but smile.

“Okay, dear. Would you please? Great! I’ll see you at home later. Love you,” she says before hitting end on the switchboard.