Page 36 of Piece Of Me

“That so.” Mike Paul finished off the cookie and reached for another one. “If you ever need another income stream, you might want to think about opening up a bakery or something.” He paused, mouth full, and took a few seconds to speak. “About Scarlett.”

Christ. Taz glared at his friend. “Spit it out, I don’t have all day. In fact,” he glanced at his watch again. “I’ve got to leave soon.”

“You’re taking the whole afternoon off?” Mike Paul looked confused.

“That a crime?”

“No, but it’s not like you.”

Taz shrugged. “The good thing about me being me, is that I’m the boss and I’m real good at delegating and organizing my time. Liam and Rich have got things covered.”

Mike Paul let that marinate for a moment then swiped at the crumbs around his mouth. “Scarlett is like a sister to me. I’ve known her my whole life and she’s been through it lately. I just…you’re…shit.”

“What the fuck are you trying to say?” Exasperated, Taz nailed him with a look that would make most folks cringe. Did everyone in town think he was a bad idea for Scarlett?

Mike Paul got to his feet, his light demeanor gone. “She’s not the kind of girl you play with. She’s no Nikki or Daniela, or Eve. And I mean no disrespect to those women. They’re just not Scarlett.”

At the mention of his past lovers, Taz’s frown deepened. “She’s like Ivy then.” His meaning was clear and Mike Paul’s face darkened; he looked away and swore.

“Yes,” he finally replied. “She is. She deserves everything.”

Taz studied his friend for a few seconds and then sighed. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Ivy. She’s been gone for months so I’m figuring it’s nothing good. I get that you’re looking out for a friend. Hell, I respect it. But I’m done talking about my personal life and this is the last conversation we’re going to have about it. Scarlett isn’t someone I’m using to pass time with. It’s more than that. But this is new. It’s early days, and I have no idea where we’re headed. What I do know is that you and anyone else who seems to think they have an opinion on the matter, need to back off. I won’t hurt her. I’m not that guy.”

Mike Paul digested his words and then slowly nodded. “Okay.” He pointed to the cookie tray. “Can I have one more for the road?”

Taz tossed one to him and followed him to the door. “How’s the mare?”

“She’s good. The colt is fine. I took blood and we’ll get it tested. I also checked on the heifer and she’s probably going to calve in the next week or so.” Mike Paul opened the door. “You partaking in the rodeo on Saturday?”

“I gave up bull riding a long time ago.”

“You don’t miss it?”

Taz shook his head. “Nope.” The truth of the matter was, he’d never been the guy who lived and breathed rodeoing. And if you took it down another layer, the simple truth was that he’d started up bull riding to piss off his grandfather.

“Where are the girls anyway?”

“Jesus, what is this? An interrogation?”

“Just wondering.” Mike Paul scowled.

“At my mom’s for the week. Bible camp.”

He closed the door behind Mike Paul. Taz had twenty minutes tops. He grabbed a shower, slicked back his wet hair and pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. He had just finished brushing his teeth when he heard knocking. With a toothbrush hanging out of the corner of his mouth, he opened the door and found Scarlett staring up at him, Hank tucked against her chest, snug in a baby carrier.

What the hell?

“I know you were going to pick me up, but it seemed silly to drive all the way to the Triple B when we were coming back here.”

He held up his hand and headed for the kitchen so he could spit out the toothpaste, then turned around and wiped his mouth, taking a moment to appreciate the woman who’d followed him.

She wore a pale-yellow tank top, tucked into a pair of jeans, cut off a few inches above her knees. Her hair hung in loose waves, curling over her shoulders, framing a face that was sun-kissed. And her eyes, wide and expressive, seemed to glitter with some kind of energy that should be bottled and sold—it would make millions. Her lips shone with a soft pink gloss and her cheeks were naturally flushed a rosy color.

She was simply…

“You look beautiful,” he said moving so that he stood in front of her.

“Oh,” she seemed flustered, and ran her hands over her hips. “My shorts are a little tight. I’m still trying to lose the baby?—”

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