Page 61 of Piece Of Me

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.”

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