Flawless Surrender (The Surrender Trilogy, #2)(45)

Tanner rolled his eyes and snorted before tugging her along behind him to the tack room to collect saddles for their mounts. As they rode out of the barn, Zoey caught a glimpse of Clint watching them from the shadows. He looked nervous and pleased all at once, and her stomach flipped over. This was it. No turning back now. She had to face Tanner head on—once and for all.

After about ten minutes of stewing over what to say, she got fidgety. The sun was almost set, and dusk was upon them. It would be much harder to ride back home in the dark, especially when she wasn’t a very experienced rider.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked Tanner’s broad back with an irritated huff. He looked magnificent in the saddle. His button down shirt hugged his wide shoulders, and stretched over his flexing muscles, while his sexy ass fit the saddle perfectly. She imagined straddling him while he rode, and letting the rocking sway of the horse force his cock deep into her hot pu-ssy. For just a moment her fantasy got the best of her and she faded out. By the time she was aware of her surroundings again, she realized she hadn’t even heard whether or not he answered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“That’s because I didn’t answer you, baby. You need to learn patience. Good things come to those who wait.” Tanner didn’t even turn to acknowledge her while he spoke, he just kept up the same even gate on his mount, like he had nowhere important to be.

“And you need to stop playing mind games. It’s getting old.”

She might have said more, but they had just topped a small rise and she found herself staring down into a dark hollow of trees. It wasn’t unusual to see a spot of trees on the ranch, but smack dab in the center of this cropping was an enormous tree that seemed to be glowing in the dark.

“What is that?” her voice came out a breathless whisper, as awe overwhelmed her earlier ire.

“The glowing tree,” Tanner responded, watching her as she took in the spectacle.

“Is the tree actually glowing?” She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes trying to determine the cause of the light. It seemed to be moving all around that one huge oak.

“No, come on, let’s get closer.”

Tanner nudge her horse ahead of his, and she heard him chuckle when she realized the source of the light. “Fireflies!”

Thousands of the tiny beetle bugs were blinking in the shadows of the oak and its cousin trees. They swarmed over each other in the air in front of the thick trunk, making it look from a distance as though the tree itself was lit up.

“I don’t understand. How is this possible? Why are they all here?” she asked, allowing Tanner to help her dismount.

He shrugged, “No one really knows. Pops had some students from the University down here running tests, but they never came up with a good answer. It’s just always been like this. Every summer in the evening at dusk you can come out here and find this tree all lit up like it’s covered in Christmas lights.” He caught one of the glowing bugs as it broke away from its friends, and held it cupped in her hands for her to see. “This used to be the site of an old well, which is why the trees grow so tall right here. There is plenty of water still under ground to sustain them. When they tested the tree, they estimated it to be about a hundred and fifty years old.”

Zoey stared up into the glowing ball of creatures in awe. It was a truly magical sight. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, so very little daylight remained, allowing the bioluminescence of the bugs to be that much brighter. In fact, the greenish yellow glow didn’t just light up that one spot. She was able to see into all corners of the small circle of trees. At least fifteen oak trees formed a unique little hollow that allowed the magnificent spectacle to safely occur.

“Why have I never heard about this?” she asked, taking a seat in the grass to watch the fireflies dance.

“It’s not like this is easily accessible, and if we started broadcasting that it was here, everyone would want to see it. The Keegan family has always felt like it was our duty to protect it.” Tanner sat next to her, leaning his back against one of the smaller trees for support. “I know I hurt you the other night, and I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting you.”

Zoey turned to face him, biting back a sigh as the glow of the fireflies lit his face so that she could see his frown. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me, but it seems like you’re always protecting me. Don’t you understand that I’m not looking for a knight in shining armor? I want a partner in life, but I want that person to be willing to stand behind me when I need to handle my own business. Sure, I want him to be willing to take up the sword for me if necessary, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have to.”

Tanner shook his head, “You can’t have it both ways. I’m a controlling person. I like things in my life to be neat and orderly, and—”

“And you have a strong sense of obligation and responsibility. All of those qualities are things that I love about you,” Zoey responded, laying her hand in his, and squeezing him. “What else is stopping you?”

Tanner remained quiet for several moments, and Zoey was afraid he wouldn’t answer. When he finally did, his answer surprised her. “I don’t know if I can share you.”

She stared at him in confusion, “Wait, you didn’t want me when I offered myself to you, but now that your brothers want me you don’t want to share me?”