He grabs me around the waist and pulls me back down onto the bed. His hand slides under my shirt and cups me over the lacy material of my bra. Those lady parts I said were too sore? They don’t care about my well-being at all as Tanner rubs his thumb back and forth over a nipple.

As quick as he started, he removes his hand and hops up. “I’ll be ready in five.”

“You’re an evil man, Tanner Shaw.” I right my shirt and take a steadying breath before I go find Emily.

My friend stands from a stool at the kitchen counter with a knowing smirk. “Hard to pull yourself out of bed these days now that there’s a boy in it, huh?”

“You made it.” I hug her middle and squeeze tight.

She steps back and eyes me closely. “You are so tan. You bitch.”

“A few days here and you will be, too.” I go to the fridge and grab two waters and then lead her out to the deck. “Tanner is going to take us out this morning and then there’s some big Fourth of July party at his friend Jonah’s house this afternoon.”

“Is the evil sister coming with us?” she whispers.

“I doubt they’re here. She and Corinne have started going over to the local gym to do yoga in the mornings, but she’ll be at Jonah’s party, yeah.”

Things with Tara have been awkward, but she hasn’t been outright mean since the night of the storm. I don’t have any delusions that she has suddenly started to like me, but I’m worrying less about her coming between me and Tanner. I have to make peace with the idea that she may never like me.

I don’t know what I would do if I had a sister who hated Tanner. Emily’s the closest thing to it, but she and Tanner get along great.

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Please don’t say anything. I said my peace; she said hers. It puts Tanner in an awful position and today is supposed to be fun. One last big celebration before our senior year.”

“All right,” she concedes. “But if she so much as looks at you the wrong way, I’m not going to be able to hold back.”

“Fair enough.”

Emily and Jonah hit it off right away. He wraps an arm around her shoulder and leads her into the middle of the party to introduce her to people.

“Come on, I have a surprise for you.” Tanner takes my hand and we weave through the people in the back yard at Jonah’s house.

Where the badminton net stood the last time I was here is a volleyball court—complete with sand.