Chapter 19

Mid-August in Montanawas a beautiful place to be, with warm breezes and sun, next to no humidity and cooler air in the evenings. Every single day was damn near perfect, and Taz had spent most of them with Scarlett. She was something he never saw coming, and up until a few months ago he thought his life was full. Thought he had all he needed with his mom close by, the girls, and this ranch.

Man, he'd been wrong.

On this particular Saturday things were a little different. He and Scarlett were making a move to the next level. Taz was taking the twins to a family barbecue at the Triple B, one that included all of Scarlett's siblings, her father, some of their ranch hands, and his mother was along for the ride.

None of this had been on his bingo card so to speak, but he was taking it.

It was just after twelve and Taz was headed from the barn to the corral when he spied a vehicle making its way down the lane. An older Chevy, red and rusted, pulled up beside his own truck in a cloud of dust. He glanced back at the girls, who were busy feeding the chickens, then waited for Angel Simms to join him.

Her dark hair was in a loose bun on top of her head, and her clothes were rumpled as if she'd been driving for hours. Not surprising since she'd been in Wyoming the day before checking out a horse rescue operation they were considering partnering with.

"Hey," she said with an easy smile. She came to a stop and leaned against the fence.

"Hey yourself. How'd it go?"

Angel rolled her shoulders and cranked her neck, then nodded. "They're good. Legit. The horses are all well cared for and they have a network that's deep. They've successfully rehomed over one hundred horses, and I think they'll be a good fit for us."

He studied her for a few seconds. "You didn't have to drive all the way out here to tell me that. What's up?"

Her shoulders slumped a bit and she kicked at the dust. "I need one of the ranch trucks and a trailer. I got a call a couple hours ago from a friend about an old workhorse in Michigan. A big guy, nearly twenty hands. He's worked his whole life, eighteen years, on an Amish farm and now he's headed to slaughter. He can't keep up with the workload. My friend works at a sanctuary up there, but they don't have any room for him. Because he needs to be quarantined, they're having trouble finding space for him elsewhere." She was angry and made no effort to hide it. "Right now, he's at a holding pen, and I have until Monday, or he'll be sent to a kill auction." She blew out a breath, clearly frustrated. "I was hoping to leave today."

"That's a long haul."

"I know but I can do it."

Taz studied the woman closely. She was clearly upset.

He'd met Angel shortly after he arrived in Big Bend. She'd worked with his sister and after the accident, had approached him with the idea of carrying on Taylor's rescue work. He'd been all in right from the start, mostly because it had been important to his sister, but working with the animals had helped him grieve losing Taylor.

He knew most folks thought of Angel as an attractive brunette who made videos and posted them to social media for attention. He knew otherwise. She'd cultivated a large following, but all the money she made from her socials, whether from partnering with companies or paid views, was used for animals in need.

And sure she was a looker, no doubt about that, something that had helped to garner more than three million followers on TikTok alone, but he'd never met a woman more skittish around men than Angel. He'd wondered about it, figured there was a reason, but knew if she wanted him to know what that reason was, she'd share.

"It's too long of a trip for you do to it alone. Not on top of the Wyoming drive. You'll need Rich but he's off today. I'll give him a call and let him know he's headed to Michigan with you tomorrow."

"But it might be too late."

"Give me the number and I'll get a hold of the holding facility. I'll make it work. In the meantime, you look like you could use some food. Why don't you come with me to the Bridgestone place, we're headed there for a barbecue in an hour or so."

Angel's eyebrow shot up. "Finally making it official, are you?"

He couldn't help but smile. "I guess so."

"Thanks for the offer but I need a shower and I'm not exactly dressed for a party."

He slipped his arm across her shoulder and leaned close. "I know you carry a go bag in the truck in case you need to shoot a video. Grab it and you can shower here."

"No, Taz, I?—"

"Come on. I need someone in my back pocket in case things go sideways. I don't think the Bridgestone boys are sure about my intentions."

She laughed. "You haven't made it easy for them."

Annoyed he frowned darkly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I know you're a good guy. You've never been a dick to anyone as far as I know. And trust me if you had been I would have heard about it. Big Bend thrives on gossip." She shrugged. "But she's their sister and you've got a bit of a rep. Brothers can get squirrely. That's something I know from personal experience."

"Gabriel overprotective?"

"Overprotective doesn't come close." Something in her tone made him look twice, but it was obvious she didn't want to talk about her brother.

He'd been wondering about something and felt it was the right time to ask. "You and Scarlett are the same age, aren't you?" At her nod he continued. "Were you guys ever close?"

"Not really," Angel said. "When we were younger, we used to dance together. I think we played softball a couple of years, but then her mom died, and she changed. We all did. I didn't know anyone else whose mother had passed. We were all too young to really know how to deal with it so we said nothing. Did nothing. And Scarlett disappeared. In high school she didn't take part in afterschool stuff. I don't remember seeing her at parties or anything like that. I don't remember when she left Big Bend. Truthfully, I hadn't seen or thought of her in years until she came back last fall." She cracked a smile. "But she sure looks good on your arm."

"I aim to keep her there." He called the girls over.

"Another one bites the dust," she murmured, following him and the girls inside.

Taz directed Angel to his bathroom so she could shower and freshen up while he herded the twins into theirs. They were rambunctious, full of energy, and it took some to get them clean. Once out of the bath, he got them dressed and then hauled Cameron onto the counter and grabbed a brush.

Her hair was a tangled mess and after a couple tries, and more than a few winces, she looked up at him.

"Daddy, you're doing it wrong."

"Sorry, sweets."

"It's okay," she replied, rubbing a spot on her scalp.

He rummaged through the basket looking for the detangle shit his mother had bought him.

"It's the purple one, Daddy," Ryan said seriously, watching them both.

He grabbed it, sprayed more than needed, and had her curls untangled in to time. He repeated the routine with Ryan, and then Angel volunteered to braid them while he grabbed a shower for himself. He didn't take long, and less than thirty minutes later his crew was ready to go. He loaded the girls into the truck and once Angel was buckled in, they headed for the Triple B.

Taz spied Scarlett on the porch as soon as he pulled up. By the time he got the girls out of their car seats she'd wandered over. The sight of her had him thinking of things he probably shouldn't be thinking of, not when this was their official coming out so to speak. But man, it was hard not to think about getting her naked when she looked like the most delicious thing he'd ever seen.

Scarlett was dressed simply in white shorts that showed off her tan, and a pale yellow T-shirt. Her feet were shoved into white flip flops, and her toes were painted pink, while her hair was loose, the waves shiny with barely a hint of purple left on the ends.

"I hope you don't mind that Angel is joining us."

The girls squealed when they saw Scarlett and laughing, she gave them each a kiss before smiling at Angel. "Not at all. Everyone is in the backyard." She pointed toward the gate on the far side of the house.

Angel grabbed the girls' hands. "Let's go find Nora."

The twins danced alongside her as they made their way toward the gate, their high, young voices musical as they chattered excitedly.

"Come here," Taz growled, pulling Scarlett close so he could get a taste to tide him over. She wrapped her arms around him, and he kissed her. His hands roamed hungrily as he deepened the kiss. Tongues danced, bodies pressed close, and it didn't take long for his desire to become evident. Shit, he was ready to go which was unfortunate considering they had a lot of folks waiting on them. He pulled away, breathing hard.

"We keep this up and I'll have to take you upstairs before we make it to the backyard." Taz kissed her forehead. "I don't think your brothers would take kindly to that."

She grabbed his hand. "We're really doing this." Her cheeks were flush, her lips swollen from his, and her eyes shone.

It was a look that would be burned to this brain for the rest of his life.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You keep saying things like that Pullman, and I just might take you up to my bedroom before the barbecue and I don't think it's my brothers you'd have to worry about." She leaned close and whispered, "Rosie is inside with Hank, and she's like a mama bear when it comes to us Bridgestones."

"Well, I don't want to get on Rosie's bad side." Scarlett led him toward the backyard and as he closed the gate behind them, he knew there was no going back. For the first time in his life, he was more than fine with it. In fact, he was looking forward to getting to know the family in a more intimate way.

The next few hours sped by, and it was nearly time for the eats to be served when he wandered over to Millie Sue, who'd taken refuge from the sun on a chair under the shade of a large oak tree.

"Grab me one of those cold drinks, will you?" she asked as he approached. Taz changed course and picked out a grape juice from a nearby bucket.

"I'm never doing this again," she muttered, after taking a good long drink.

"You don't like barbecues?"

She made a face. "I'm never growing a baby again." She groaned and stretched out her feet. "Look at them. My ankles are so swollen they've up and disappeared. I look like a Flintstone."

"You do not."

"You're lying."

"I am."

"I'm fine with that." Millie Sue sighed. "Promise to keep it up until the baby is born."

"Will do."

"Four weeks seems like forever at this point." Millie Sue made a face and moved a bit until she sighed and sank back onto the chair. "That's better." She angled her head and glanced up. "What's going on with Martha and Manley?"

Taz spied his mother across the yard, deep in conversation with the elder Bridgestone. "They've been keeping company."

"Tell me about it. Cal was up at the cabin yesterday and caught them in?—"

"Christ, Millie Sue, I don't need to hear that. Men don't want to know their moms are still getting busy."

She laughed. "Sorry, I've got pregnancy brain. All the blood in my body is down here." She pointed to her stomach. "Which means I have no filter. It's pretty much the only time I can say what's on my mind without consequence."

"In whose world?"

"The only one that matters." She winked. "Mine."

"She seems happy," he admitted, though was he the only one to find it weird she was spending so much time with Scarlett's father?

"Whose that?" Millie asked, struggling to sit up. Taz followed her gaze and noticed a stranger standing just inside the gate. The newcomer was tall, with a head full of dark wavy hair that fell to his shoulders, and a pair of aviators that shaded his eyes. He was dressed casually in khaki colored cargo shorts and a plain white T-shirt.

"He looks yummy," Millie Sue said. "Is he a friend of Angel's?"

"No." Taz frowned and scanned the yard until he found Scarlett, by the grill. He watched as she transferred steaks to a large platter and then glanced up. Her expression changed from light and easy, to something dark. And it wasn't too far off to say she looked shocked. In that moment Taz knew that things had just changed. This was no stranger.

By this time, he was near Cal and Benton, and she ran over to them, eyes on her brothers. "Where's Hank?" she asked, voice low and urgent.

"Inside with Rosie." Cal looked confused. "Who is that?"

For a moment she said nothing, and Taz wasn't sure if it was because she couldn't, or because she didn't know what to say. She looked at him and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

"Scarlett?" Cal prompted.

She took a step back. Visibly calmed herself. "It's Malcom. Hank's father."