Page 31 of Long Time Coming

He’s comfortable here. It’s good to see him acclimating, but I knew he would if given the chance. And it’s great to see him expanding his wings.

I barely get the light turned off before I pass out.

CHAPTER 11

Tagger

My alarm startlesme awake at five o’clock.

I have many regrets in my life, but promising Mr. Greene I’d be out there again today might be my biggest. I won’t disappoint, though. I gave my word, so I get ready and wake Beckett from the dead. I don’t remember him sleeping this heavy back in the city. Can’t blame him with sirens going off throughout the night. Even twenty floors up, there’s no avoiding the sounds of the city. And out here in the quiet countryside, the days are more physical, draining the body at night. So I get it.

“Hey buddy, good morning,” I whisper, lifting him out of bed and setting him on his feet. “You still want to go with Daddy to the ranch today?”

“Mm-hmm.” His eyes don’t open, and I’m second-guessing if this is a good idea. I don’t want to deal with a bad mood that could have been avoided. That won’t be good for either of us. His arm comes around my back, and he rests his head in the crook of my neck. “I want to go with you.”

“Okay. Let’s get you ready, and we’ll eat some breakfast before we head out.”

Not twenty minutes later, he’s wide awake and singing with his whole chest in the back seat of the truck like he’s auditioning for Broadway. I try to keep my eyes from crossing. I love to hear the enthusiasm, but it’s not even six in the morning.

Pris comes galloping down the porch steps as soon as we park. Going right for Beck, she opens the door and leans in to unlatch him. “I heard you were coming to visit today.”

“Daddy said I can ride a horse, Miss Christine.”

She restrains herself from glancing up at me, but I can tell ignoring me doesn’t come easy. “Did your daddy? Well, we’ll make sure that happens. But first, I wanted to see if you can help me collect the eggs as soon as the sun fully rises.” When his feet land on the ground, she taps his nose. “What do you say, buddy?”

He looks at me. I can tell he wants to go with her but doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. “You go, Beck. We have all day to spend together. Okay?”

Turning to her, he says, “Daddy said I could get eggs with you.”

“And whatever Daddy says apparently goes.” She slams the door closed before I can say anything.

Guess I’m not in her good graces like her dad led me to believe. I open the door and get out, ready to get on with it since it’s going to be a long fucking day.

I wasn’t wrong. I spent most of the day covering Davey’s daily duties, herding being a part of it. Reggie didn’t hold back on my duties. I even wondered at one point if Pris was behind the list. She’d make a great spy, considering how she managed to be out of my sight most of the day, to my disappointment.

So much for my plan of making it right.

I’m running out of time, and it might just have to be something I say on the way out later. I’m too busy to take a break in the meantime. At least my kid is having the time of his life riding Nightfall with me. There’s no reason to complain.

By the time Reggie releases me for the day, Beckett is tired and cranky. His missing his nap means a rough evening ahead. I could bet a million bucks he won’t make it past the cattle guard before falling asleep and would clean the house of their money.

Pris comes from the barn. She must have heard us cutting across the gravel of the drive to get in the truck. I toss my hat inside the cab, then duck back out when she says, “You leaving without saying goodbye?”

“I figured you didn’t want to talk to me.”

“I meant him.” Deep cut to my ego. With her arms wide open, she squats down and says, “Come here, kid.”

He runs to her, hugging her tight. They’ve built a bond that will only enhance his memories of this trip. And for her, I’m grateful. She took him in like he was one of her own.

They hug, and she kisses his head. “You be good for Daddy, alright?”

“I will.”

When he shuffles back to the truck, she remains standing there looking at me like I’m a lost cause. I shove my hands in my front pockets, beginning to wonder if I am. I’ve lost myself over the past few years. It’s been good here, but this is only temporary. But even so, I don’t want to leave things on a bad note with her.

“I’m sorry, Christine.”

“Christine? That was a fast-track change.”

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