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Tanner shifted around to sit beside her He looked at the floor as he said, “She was a good s mothers do”

“No, tell me about her” Whitney leaned forward “What does she like? Do? Her favorite things?”

His father, his father, his father Tanner thought for a oing to the beach But most of all she loved my father beyond reason To the point it broke her heart”

Whitney’s gaze was intent “How’s that?”

Tanner knew better than to start this conversation He also knew Whitney wouldn’t let it go “She would do anything for hi, and he treated her like dirt He had a traveling job that she hated She desperately wanted hihting, her crying, and the next ing him to stay”

“That must have been hard on you”

“She just adored hi I’ve never understood why she stayed in the e Let him treat her that way”

“She must have loved him deeply,” Whitney said softly

Tannersound “If that’s love, I want none of it Obsession was more like it It wasn’t healthy for her, or my brother and I And my father didn’t care one way or another” He could hear the anger building in his voice “Look, that’s enough on that subject Let’s go put in that appearance at the pool then we can find soave her a wolfish grin, took her hand and pulled her off the bed

“Okay”

Despite hi seen all of her, she still went into the bathrooey, flowy thing over her swi to the dresser nearby, she picked up the hat he’d bought her the day before in town

He’d already put on his swim trunks and his polo shirt “You ready?”

She nodded but there wasn’t much enthusiasm in it

Tanner reached out his hand and she placed hers in it He pulled her to hiave her a kiss She had a sh the château One that he knew he’d caused

There was no one at the pool when they walked out of the hotel into the afternoon sunshine Tanner not only heard Whitney’s sigh of relief but saw her physically relax He didn’t lad to have more ti to concern him Was this how his mother had felt about his father?

No, no, no He wouldn’t care about anyone to that nitude!

“I’ in Join me,” Tanner said as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on a lounger

“I think I’ll sit in the sun for a few er next to the one he’d tossed his shirt on She lifted her feet and rested them on the cushion

Whitney had pretty legs Ones that had been wrapped around hiht She’d alreadyto et in the pool soon

After swie where Whitney sat Splashing water with accurate aim, he was rewarded with a yelp

Whitney jerked forward and glared at hi?”

Tanner grinned “I’m lonely Come in”

“After that I’d like to drown you!”

He pushed away fro to the middle of the pool “Why don’t you come in and try?”

Seconds later she stood, dropped her hat to the lounger, pulled the band from her hair, jerked the cover-up over her head and let it flutter to the chair He liked this side of her It reminded him of the Whitney he knew in bed

He couldn’t keep his eyes off her Whitney wore a plain, navy one-piece suit that showed her curves to their best advantage Her ly rounded, which attested to the fact that she had once been heavy It ure

There wasn’t much ti into the pool Seconds later she i she was just swi out to him Instead, when she reached him she put a hand on his head and pushed him under the water

Seconds later he ca “Hey, as that for?”

“For splashing th

He swaht its prey “What if I dunk you?”

“I don’t think you can so it doesn’t matter” She moved farther away

“Cocky, aren’t you?”