I haven’t spoken to her since that day out in the shed. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like that, but I know that if I get too close to her again, I won’t be able to maintain my resolve.

A shiny, black older-model BMW pulls up out front of Iris’s and Adele’s trailers and honks the horn, jerking my attention away from the conversation I was just having. A tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a tan suit gets out of the driver’s side and then buttons his jacket with one hand and raises the other in greeting when he spots Adele and me sitting outside.

“Hi, Tanner! How are you?” Adele waves back and then whispers to me, “I can’t stand that little snake.”

I hold back a laugh as Adele continues to smile at the man, because I don’t want to give away her true feelings about him.

“I’m great, Adele. You look fantastic.” He points to Iris’s place. “Is she home?”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I can tell from a mile away that whoever this dickhead is, he’s as fake as a fucking three-dollar bill.

“I’m not sure,” Adele replies, but we both know Iris was just watching us through the window.

For whatever reason, Adele isn’t willing to give this guy info like she just did me. Must mean she likes me.

Just then, Iris walks around her trailer. The sight of her nearly steals my breath every time. She’s not wearing anything fancy, just her typical jeans and T-shirt, but I’ll be damned if she doesn’t make it the sexiest outfit known to mankind.

The woman looks great in anything she wears.

“Iris,” Mr. Fake says with a sly grin on his face, and I’m not sure if it’s the abundance of gel in his dark hair or the grin that makes me determine he’s a prick, but I’ve already made my judgment about him. “Wow. You look . . . wow. It’s so good to see you.”

Iris folds her arms across her chest. “What do you want, Tanner? I thought I told you I didn’t want to see you again.”

“Baby . . .” Tanner takes a step toward Iris and my back stiffens.

The thought of this guy touching her is enough to make me grit my teeth. Adele must sense it, because she pats my knee again and whispers, “Stay calm. She’ll handle him. Stubborn, remember?”

I give her a small nod and attempt to relax in my seat with no luck. When it comes to Iris, the protector in me gets out of control really quick. I’m not sure if it’s because in my heart of hearts I know I’m the one who’s meant for the job or if it’s because I know for a fact that she’s alone on this earth like me.

“Don’t baby me. You don’t get to call me that.” Iris holds up her hand and Tanner stops in his tracks. “You have exactly five seconds to tell me why you’re here before I call the cops and file a restraining order.”

Adele cackles beside me, delighted by Iris’s feistiness, and it makes me smile too.

He rubs the back of his neck. “Jesus, Iris. I said I was sorry about before. Aren’t you ever going to forgive me?”

“No. You’re an asshole. Two seconds, Tanner,” Iris warns.

He sighs. “I did come on business. I’m the new county tax auditor, and Gee-Gee was nearly four years behind on paying the property taxes on Willow Acres. I hate to be an asshole, seeing as how you just inherited the place, but it’s my job to tell you that you have thirty days to get them paid before the state begins the process to take possession of the property.”

“They can’t do that!” Iris argues. “I need more time than that.”

Tanner frowns. “If I could give you an extension, I would, Iris. You know how I feel about you.”

“Damn it,” Iris grumbles as she shoves her hand into those thick, flowing locks of hers and pushes them away from her face. “Where would all these people go? Tanner, please. You know I’ll figure out a way to pay it. How much is it in total?”

“It’s twenty thousand dollars, Iris. There’s no way you can come up with that.”

Adele gasps beside me while grasping at her chest and staring up at the sky. “Oh dear Lord in heaven. How could you not tell me it was that bad, Gee-Gee?”

The thought flows through my head. Twenty thousand would save this place? I could go withdraw the money from my account, but I know as soon as I do, Jane Ann will have her spies everywhere and she’ll find me in no time.

But if Iris and the good people like Adele who live here need it in order to keep their homes, I’ll do it.

Iris scrubs her hands down her face and Tanner wraps his fingers around her wrists and pulls them away. Instantly, I feel the jealous twinge that he gets to touch her when I can’t. “Iris, come to dinner with me. We’ll talk things over and figure this thing out together.”

She jerks out of his hold. “Don’t ever touch me again. You lost the right to do that when you decided you couldn’t keep it in your pants. There will never be a ‘we’ or a ‘together’ involving us ever again, Tanner. Never. Get that through your head. When I said I was done, I meant it. I’ve moved on.”

My jealousy turns to absolute selfish delight when I hear her speak those words, because I can’t help but be elated that maybe it’s me she’s talking about moving on with.

Tanner swallows hard. “Fine. But you don’t have to make it so rough on yourself, Iris. Call me when you come to your senses and want to take me up on my offer to help.”