Page 75 of Piece Of Me

She stared up at him for a long time and then reached for her bag. She walked past him toward the door but paused before opening it. She looked to the side; her profile visible. “I understand, you know. The things we do for our children.” Her voice cracked. “Because I would do anything for Hank. Anything.” The last word was whispered and then she was gone.

Taz stared at the door, his mind dark, his energy darker. He wanted to break things. Hit something. He wanted to yell and scream and curse.

But he did none of that. Instead, he turned off the lights, grabbed a bottle of Jack from the cupboard and settled himself in one of the chairs in his office. He would get good and drunk and not think about Scarlett or Hank or the future he’d envisioned hours earlier.

Then he’d get up Monday morning and go to work. He had a ranch to run. A business to oversee. And two girls who needed him.

CHAPTER 24

Scarlett woke up in tears. Her damp cheeks smarted, and she didn’t need a mirror to know her eyes were swollen. How could she be back here, she thought? In this dark place. She rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. She hadn’t felt this low since those first few weeks in Ireland after Malcom had deserted her.

He’d brought her so low. A sound escaped her, a cry like a wounded animal.

She made a face and sat up. She didn’t have time for a pity party. A glance to the right told her that Hank was still asleep, so she slid from bed and headed into the shower. She had a lot to get done before she left for New York City, and her arrogant ex had sent her a text message asking to meet him at the hotel at ten.

She planned on being there. Though, not for long.

She was in the kitchen feeding Hank when Benton walked in and headed straight for the coffee pot.

“You ready for another?” he asked.

“No.” She looked at her brother. “I need to borrow one of the trucks, but don’t worry Lacey will drive it back later.”

Benton poured a generous helping of cream into his coffee and turned to face her. He sipped from his mug; his gaze settled on her in that quiet way that made her nervous. Bent didn’t miss anything.

“Where you headed?” He pointed at her bags which were on the table.

Carefully she wiped Hank’s face and lifted him out of the highchair. “I’m going out of town for a few days is all.”

“This have anything to do with your baby daddy?”

She made a face at that. “Don’t call him that.”

“What do you want me to call him?”

She held her precious boy closely and shrugged. “Anything but that.” She motioned toward her stuff. “Can you help me with those?”

Bent followed her outside and once she had Hank secure in his seat, she faced her brother. “I can’t tell you anything. Not yet.”

Bent’s handsome face was about as serious as she’d ever seen it. “You don’t have to do this on your own.”

“But I do, Bent. I have a mess to clean up and I aim to get it done and then…” Throat tight, her voice trailed off.

“Then?”

She pushed down the lump and opened the driver side door. “Then I can come back here and live my life the way I want to. With the man I want to live it with.” She met Bent’s gaze. “That’s if he’ll have me.”

“You’re keeping whatever the hell this is from Taz?”

Her non answer was in fact an answer. Benton stepped aside and let her climb into the cab. He closed the door. “I learned one thing from the mess that was me and Daisy. Lies or half-truths will always kill the good stuff. At some point you will have to be honest with Taz or you’ll lose him.”

Her eyes flooded with tears, and she blinked them away as best she could. That damn lump was back so she said nothing but gave a curt nod. She backed away and headed for town.

Lacey was waiting for her, nervously chewing her bottom lip.

“Did your cousin drop off the papers?”

“He did. Notarized, which is kind of backward but hopefully Malcom won’t know. You just have to put your John Henry on the dotted line and get Malcom to as well.”

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