Chapter 13

By Thursday,phone calls and FaceTime weren't enough. He needed to see the girls. Taz had finished up with Angel, who'd come out to the ranch to check on the new horses in quarantine, and then he'd spent three hours in zoom meetings with the board of Temple Holdings. It wasn't something he loved, but the legacy had fallen to his shoulders, and damned if he was going to let his uncle and cousin claw their way back in.

As always, anything to do with the family business left him pissed off. Never in his life had he met so many individuals who only thought of themselves. People who had no interest in looking to the future…to what they were leaving their children. He knew that to make big changes he had to take baby steps. And the day his grandfather's will had been read, the day he'd been put in charge much to the shock of everyone, Taz included, he'd decided that he'd do whatever it took to make the kind of changes that would make a difference. He would trim the fat and bring Temple Holdings into a future they could be proud of. But some days were worse than others. Thank God he had people he trusted in Texas, or he'd have to spend more time there than he wanted to.

Even so, today was one of the shit days. Mostly because of his uncle. He was going to have to make a move sooner than later, but in the meantime, he needed to clear his head.

Just thinking of Cameron and Ryan lightened his mood, so Taz headed to Big Bend and arrived at the church a few minutes before bible camp let out. It was another beautiful day and July was finishing up as hot and sunny as it had started. A few clouds dotted the bright blue sky and the forecast for the weekend called for rain.

He leaned against his truck and pulled on the brim of his cap, shading his eyes. There were groups of women, and a few fathers, waiting for their kids, and though he wasn't in a particular mood for conversation, he lifted his chin in a hello.

"Taz." He turned as Lacey Pearson walked up to him. He'd always liked Johnny's wife. She was quick to smile, always had a raunchy joke in her back pocket, and called things as she saw them. He liked that about her.

"Lacey," he replied. "Johnny at bible camp?"

"He is. Lord knows that boy needs some church in him." She smiled. "Your mama's been looking after the girls?"

"She's had them all week. It's easier with my schedule to get them here on time."

"Martha certainly doesn't mind." She leaned against the truck, beside him. "I bet she spoils them rotten."

"And then some." His eyes were on the doors as a few kids began to appear. "I miss them. Thought I'd surprise them today."

"You're a good dad," Lacey said quietly. "The girls are lucky to have you."

His chest tightened a bit. "I'm the lucky one. They're just…" Hell, how did he describe what the girls meant to him?

"I know." Lacey waved to her boy as he came barreling out of the church, Cameron and Ryan hot on his heels. "They have a way of claiming your heart." She gave him a look. "Though I hear you been holding a part of yours for someone else these days."

Taz was saved from answering as the twins ran into him, two tornadoes that were a mess of hair, giggles, pink, purple, with a dash of silver, and non-stop chatter.

"Daddy!" They squealed in unison. He scooped them up and accepted their hugs and kisses the way any man would do. He let them grab hold of whatever they could and submitted. When they began to wriggle too much, he let them down.

"Daddy, we learned all about Jonah and the big whale." Cameron's eyes were wide, and she impatiently pushed back her hair, which had long fallen out of its ponytail.

"The whale had him for supper," Ryan added. "He was really hungry."

"But then Jonah got out of him."

Ryan looked at her sister. "The whale got sick and puked."

"God told him to puke." Johnny joined the conversation.

"Well, let's not talk about puke when it's so close to supper time." Lacey ran her hands over the dark curls on top of Johnny's head and glanced at Taz. "You going to the big dance tomorrow night?"

"I'll be there."

"You bringing cookies?"

Here we go, he thought. Damn Mike Paul and the pic he'd put in their group chat. He'd taken more ribbing from the guys than was fair, and though the jibes had been good natured, he was nipping this one in the bud.

"Nope, but I am bringing Scarlett."

"She told me."

"She did?" He kinda liked the idea she was talking about him.

"What did she say?"

Lacey chuckled. "That you make the best damn cookies in Montana."

"That it?"

The look on Lacey's face told him that it wasn't nearly it, but she wasn't giving him any more information. He grabbed his girls' hands and helped them into the truck. "See you tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it."

He drove away before anyone else could corner him and less than ten minutes later was sitting at the kitchen table in his mother's house. The girls were busy showing Martha the popsicle stick houses they'd made during craft time, and only stopped their chatter when it was time to eat. Once the girls were fed, he took them into the bathroom and stayed with them while they had their bath, washing their hair and brushing it out after. They put on their pajamas and fell asleep in front of the television, watching The Lion King.

Taz put them to bed and after kissing each of them good-night, closed the door. His mother met him in the family room.

"Cold beer?" she asked, sitting down on the overstuffed chair by the window.

"I'm good. Thanks for supper."

"I'm glad you came in."

He sat down across from her and relaxed. It was closing in on eight o'clock and his phone had been blowing up with guys telling him to meet them at the Sundowner. He was considering it. An empty house wasn't exactly what he was feeling at the moment. He thought of Scarlett and wondered what she was up to. He pulled out his phone and sent her a text, asking that very thing.

"Who you chatting with?" The question was asked lightly, but he knew his mother. She didn't ask unless she wanted to know, and when she wanted to know something, she was like a dog after a bone. He wouldn't be sidestepping this one.

"Scarlett."

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. "Scarlett from the girls' birthday party."

He nodded.

"I like her," Martha said slowly. "She's Manley's daughter, isn't she?"

That made him sit up. "You know her dad?"

"He comes to town Sundays for the beef special at the Sundowner. I've run into him a few times." She set down her teacup. "He's a widower."

"Yes," Taz responded slowly, watching his mother. "He's had some issues. You know that, right?"

"Honey, we all have issues."

"With drinking."

"I'm aware."

Huh. They'd gotten to the part of sharing stuff. How long had this been going on?

"When am I going to meet Scarlett?" Her gaze was steady on him.

"You already have."

"I mean, properly." She paused, those eyes of hers narrowed. "This girl is different."

There was no sense in avoidance and Lord knows he couldn't lie to his mother. "I like her." An image of her face swam in front of him, and he smiled. "I like her a lot."

"Good," she replied. "I'd like you to bring her by for Sunday dinner."

"Ma, it's too early for that. I mean, the girls don't know her, not well at least, and we're not there yet."

"If you say so." She didn't look convinced. Martha Pullman got up and kissed him on the cheek. "Let me know when you are."

Taz stood and hugged her. "I will."

"I'll bring the girls back to the ranch Saturday morning. It will be early though. I'm meeting up with a friend."

"Sounds good."

He checked his phone but there was no reply from Scarlett. It wasn't out of the norm; she didn't always shoot him a text back right away. He left his mother and headed over to the Sundowner to meet up with Mike Paul and a few of the guys from the ball team. A band was playing when he walked in, and he ordered himself a beer before heading over the table. The guys were all single and there was a pack of women nearby. Again, not unusual, and normally something Taz didn't mind one damn bit. But tonight was different. Tonight, he wasn't looking for anything other than catching up with the guys. Taz grabbed an empty seat.

"I didn't think you'd come." Mike Paul filled his glass from the pitcher of beer on the table and raised it in the air before taking a good long draw.

"I was in town."

"I'm drunk."

Taz studied his friend and realized he was looking a little worse for wear. Mike Paul liked to have a good time, but he wasn't the type to get loaded on a Thursday night. Or any night for that matter. He stopped drinking when it was time and Taz had never seen him messy. Tonight, he was on the way to messy and beyond.

"What's up?" Taz asked lightly, watching him closely.

Mike Paul set down his mug and hung his head. "I messed up is all."

"What did you do?"

Mike Paul raised his head, his expression pissed off and angry. "I gave Ivy an ultimatum and she blew me off. She's still mad about Val and I don't know how to fix it."

"Val?"

"Hutchins. The redhead who works at the Frisky Coyote."

Again, Taz had no idea what Mike Paul was talking about.

"The new café at the end of town."

"What did you do with Val?" It didn't take much to figure out the answer to that question by the look on his pal's face. "You slept with her."

"Sure did," Mike Paul replied reaching for his mug.

"When?"

"Two years ago."

Taz frowned. "But Ivy wasn't in the picture two years ago."

"Nowhere near the picture," Mike Paul added, nodding his head.

"Then why is she so pissed?"

"That's what I asked her, and she told me that if I didn't know then I was an idiot. So, I told her of course I was an idiot. I asked her to help me out and she refused. Then I told her she needed to get over it."

"That doesn't sound good."

Mike Paul slammed his mug down. "I told her if she didn't then whatever the hell it is we're doing is over."

"Women don't like ultimatums."

"You got that right, Pullman. She told me to go fuck myself and now she won't return my calls. She's in town and won't see me."

Taz didn't get a chance to reply because Nikki Salter appeared from nowhere and squeezed between him and Mike Paul.

She said hello to Mike Paul and turned to Taz. "Hey," she said softly. "It's nice to see you."

She looked beautiful. No doubt about that. The dress. The makeup. The cowboy boots. All were meant to entice. A month ago, he'd have grabbed her hand, taken her back to her place and screwed her into tomorrow. But now? Nothing. Nothing sexual at least. He liked Nikki. She was a great lady, had a good sense of humor, and in his opinion was misunderstood by a lot of folks in town. But whatever they had was gone.

"Hey yourself," he replied. "You look good."

She glanced down at herself. "Do I?" With a sigh she set down her drink and leaned against the table. "I don't know why I bother coming in here. It's always the same guys."

He studied her for a few moments. "Maybe it's time to try something new. Maybe the kind of man you need isn't someone who comes to the Sundowner on Thursdays for half-price chicken wings and two for one pitchers of beer."

"You're probably not wrong." Nikki said, moving her drink around with her forefinger. "But this is Big Bend. The town where everyone knows everyone's business." She pointed to the guys at his table. "I've known all of these men most of my life. Even had some moments with one or two of them." She snuck a look his way. "You're the only man I wanted to hang around longer than a week or two and now you've gone and got yourself entangled with a woman who has more baggage than I do."

Taz frowned at that. "Raising a child on your own isn't baggage."

Nikki scooped up her drink. "To a lot of men, it is." She offered a sad smile. "But that's not what I'm talking about." She moved back. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and my guess is you're headed back to your place tonight."

"That's the plan."

"Okay." A small shrug. "A girl's got to try."

She disappeared and Mike Paul leaned closer. "See what I mean? How in hell are we supposed to figure women out when they're constantly changing the rules?"

Taz pushed away his unfinished beer and got to his feet. "Let me get you home. There's no way you can drive."

Mike Paul started to protest, but Taz wasn't having any of it. "Let's go." He said goodbye to the guys, to Jennifer behind the bar, and loaded his pal into the truck. Mike Paul lived on a nice spread just outside of town, not far from Millie Sue's place. The house was new and the outbuildings were where he had his veterinary practice. All was in darkness when Taz pulled up to the house. Mike Paul hadn't uttered one word on the way home. He's stared out into the darkness, head resting against the window.

Once the truck was in park and idling, Mike Paul reached for the door handle, but paused before slipping out of his seat. "I know I'm drunk and I probably sound like an idiot." He paused. "Ivy thinks I'm an idiot." He slid out and managed not to fall on his ass by holding on to the door. "Man, don't fall in love with Scarlett. Because this fucking sucks."

Taz didn't reply. He waited until Mike Paul managed to unlock his front door and disappeared inside, then he checked his phone. Scarlett hadn't replied to his earlier text and a part of him was annoyed. The other part of him knew how ridiculous it was to feel that way, though it didn't stop him from feeling it.

He was headed into uncharted waters with this woman, and hopefully he navigated it better than his friend was doing. He didn't want to screw things up. He glanced back at Mike Paul's place as he drove home.

The alternative wasn't pretty.