Page 55 of Piece Of Me

He eyed his phone, his finger hovering over her name. “Not yet. I was thinking of taking the girls to the rodeo tomorrow. Maybe I should ask Scarlett to come with us.” He looked up. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”

“She spent the night, didn’t she?”

Irritated, he frowned. “I mean for the girls.” Was there a right or wrong way to do this?

Mike Paul got to his feet and checked his phone. “I’m not the guy to ask for relationship advice. But if you want my two cents, ask her.” He scrolled through a couple messages. “I have to head back to town. Maggie Donley’s dog was just hit by a car and she’s meeting me at the clinic.” He handed Taz the empty bottle and took a step down. “Thanks for the talk, though I’m just as screwed as I was before I came.”

“Hey, I can’t solve all the world’s problems.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Mike Paul gave a quick wave and headed to his truck.

Taz watched his pal drive away, more than a little amused at the drama. Mike Paul was his own worst enemy. A born charmer, women had always come around him like bees to honey. But now that he’d finally figured out there was only one bee he wanted, his past had somehow screwed it up.

“Daddy we’re hungry.” Cameron and Ryan spilled out of the house, dancing around like two little tornados. They were always dancing. Always happy. Something he was thankful for.

He got up and they followed him inside, asking for pancakes and with chocolate sauce.

“But that’s for breakfast.” He helped them onto the stools at the island.

Cameron’s hair had long fallen out of its ponytail, and she pushed a chunk off of her face impatiently, leaning her elbows on the counter as she watched him. “But Gammy says sometimes breakfast for supper is the best.”

“Well then,” he said reaching under the cupboard for the big mixing bowl. “If Gammy says it’s okay, then pancakes it is.”

He got busy getting their food ready. He’d eyed a steak for himself but decided to eat later, when they were bathed and ready for bed. By the time he had them dressed in their pajamas, it was nearly seven, and he grilled up his steak while they watched one of the many princess movies from the pile in the bin.

He was thinking of Sunday and what it would bring, the same as always, he supposed. Chores, the girls. But as he sat down at the island and ate his steak, he realized that he didn’t want to spend it alone. He grabbed his phone and called Scarlett. She picked up on the fifth ring.

“Hey.”

He liked the sound of her voice. Taz cleared his throat. “Hey yourself. You sound out of breath.”

“I am,” she laughed, and he found himself smiling in return. “I just put Hank down and my cell was in the kitchen. I nearly tripped over the last stair.”

“Would I be worth a broken ankle?”

“Maybe not a break.”

“A sprain then.”

“You might be worth a sprain.” Her voice was husky, intimate.

“Do you have plans tomorrow?” he asked, carefully, feeling this out, one eye on the girls as he toyed with the idea in his head.

“Cal and Millie Sue mentioned the rodeo but I’m not sure. You?”

“The rain is supposed to end.”

“I heard.”

“I was thinking of the rodeo myself. The girls would love it.” He paused, was he gonna do this? “Thought you and Hank might like to join us.”

She didn’t answer, and as the seconds dragged on, he thought he’d overstepped, but then she made a noise, a soft kind of thing and his anxiety eased.

“That sounds nice but do you think it might be confusing to the girls?”

“Hold on,” he said into the phone, then crossed over to the living room. “Cam. Ryan.” They both rolled over and smiled up at him. “Do you mind if Scarlett and Hank come to the rodeo with us?”

Cameron sat up and pushed that piece of hair off her face again. “Does she have a princess dress to wear?”

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