Page 44 of Piece Of Me

“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.”

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