Page 105 of Long Time Coming

“We’re going to be okay as well.”

With a playful grin, she asks, “Promise?”

“I promise, but I’m thinking this is the last one I should ever give. They tend to get me in trouble.”

“Keep it down,” McCall says, banging on the mesh separating us from him.

You know what?Fuck that.“I’m not going to keep it down. I’ve been hiding too long.” Turning to my girl, I say, “When I get back to the city, I’m going to figure out a way to make this work. I don’t want you sleeping alone in our bed, and I’m tired of missing you so much. I promise you the whole fucking universe, Pris, because you deserve nothing less.”

A sniffle fills the air, but it’s not Pris.

“That was beautiful, Tagger.” McCall is pulling a tissue from a box in the front seat.

“Thanks, man.” I look at the woman beside me, caring more about what she thinks, though. “What do you say?”

“I do love that bed.” She falls to the side and rests her head on my arm. “So is that bed in Texas or New York?”

CHAPTER 37

Tagger

Three weeks later. . .

“Thanks for meeting me, Tagger.”Anna takes a sip of wine, our eyes meeting in the mirror over her glass.

I’ve wanted to talk to her for so long about the promotion and Paris, but voicing it gave it life I wasn’t prepared to face yet. I’m on a mission, but I need to respect that there are two parents to consider. “What’s this about?”

She turns to face me, spinning the stem of the wineglass and resting her other hand on the wooden bar top. My gaze is drawn to her finger. “Oh . . .” It’s all I can muster.

“That’s all?” she says with a trickle of a laugh. “I almost expected something snarky.”

“It’s a beautiful ring. Quite the statement piece.”

“Five point five carats and the only statement it’s meant to make is that I’m engaged.”

“Congratulations. Marcel?” I don’t purposely rub her wrong. It just works out that way. Another reason we’re not together any longer.

“Funny.Of course, it’s Marcel. He popped the question last week when you had Beckett.”

“Have you told him?”

Her eyes travel to the solitaire on her finger, a wistfulness coming over her as she sighs quietly. “I have.”

I imagine it’s a difficult conversation to have and one I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. “How did he react?”

Righting her shoulders, she sits straighter. “Marcel adores Beckett, but it’s not necessarily mutual. But these things take time.”

It didn’t for Pris. He took right to her. Not having met Marcel myself, I’ll assume our son has a good judge of character.

She says, “The wedding will be next spring.”

Hate stating the obvious, but I’m unclear how the pieces are falling together. “Beck will be in school.”

“I think it’s best. It’s going to be a large affair in the French countryside. Royals will be in attendance.”

“Sounds like all your dreams are coming true.”

She moves the diamond back and forth on her finger, then sets her hands in her lap. “We’ll do a smaller celebration with Beckett and some family when he can visit in the summer.”

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