Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“That doesn’t make sense, Tagger.”
Of course it doesn’t. None of this makes sense, even to me, other than I just played with fire and feel burned in the aftermath. I need to get out of here because she’ll never understand. “Get dressed, Pris.”
“And just drop it because you don’t want to answer?”
“Exactly fucking that.” I finally get the denim over my wet legs and button them up.
She finally reaches down and grabs her shirt to slip on over her head. Reaching underneath, she unfastens the bra and slips it off before it soaks through the fabric. “That’s really weak, you know that?”
Grabbing my socks, I bend to put them on, not bothering to respond. We’re only going to end up arguing, and that’s not what I want despite being the instigator.
She pulls on her jeans and then walks to where she left her socks and boots. She says nothing more as she finishes getting dressed.
If she were most women, I’d probably be grateful they got the message. With her, though, I feel like shit. Standing tall in my boots again, I lower the temperature of my tone, and say, “Listen, Pris—”
“No. I don’t care what you have to say, so save it for somebody else.” She walks to the softer covering of the needles and then calls out, “Sunrise? Here, girl. Sunrise.”
Sticks crack under her feet as she makes her way through the trees, taking her hat with her to the openness of the rest of the property. “Sunrise?”
Taking my hat off the branch, I start behind her but stop when her horse comes trotting into the woods. Her saving grace from me. Animals know these things. She gets on without any assistance needed and takes off toward the barn.
Hurting her feelings was the last thing I intended, much like her comment in the water. But I fucked up, and I’m not sure she’s the forgiving type.
Guess I’ll find out as soon as I get up to the house. To avoid the long walk back, I try her trick, and call out, “Nightfall?” Clapping my hands, I keep walking. “Come on, boy. Come, Nightfall.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’m walking my ass up the last hill, finally spying the house ahead. When I pass the barn, I see Nightfall. His saddle is put away, and he’s content eating just outside of the open doors. “Traitor,” I mumble and keep walking. Not like he cares. The ornery thing didn’t even bother looking in my direction.
I’m hoping to make it to the truck before Mr. Greene sees me and wants to have a sit-down. No such luck. Fuck.
He stands from the chair on the porch and rests his hands on the railing. “You sure have gone and done it, son.”
I lift my hat to run my fingers through my hair. I stretch my neck to the side but keep walking, hoping to get out of here in one piece. “Sir, I, uh, I can explain—”
“You best be getting to it, and real fast now.”
I stop at the front of the truck, not planning on going anywhere near that front porch. “I know I shouldn’t—”
“Shouldn’t? I feel betrayed, Tag.”
The sweat beading at my hairline falls in buckets under the intensity of his eyes on me. “I’m sorry. I’ll apologize to Pris right now.”
“Your apology is no good here.” He comes down the steps steadier on his feet than he was yesterday. Guess anger does that to a man. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“There was no need to upset you. She handled it just fine on her own. You raised a fighter.”
His forehead creases as he narrows his eyes at me. “Pris? She holds her own.” He stops a few feet from me. “Are you okay? You look poorly.”
The question stumps me. Am I okay? Is she okay? What’s happening here? “Yeah, sure.” Holding the hat to my chest, I graze over my head again, my nerves still on edge. “But I should check on her. I didn’t mean to hurt any feelings.”
“Pfft.” He waves me off, crossing his arms over his chest and resting them on his belly. “She’s not upset. Not even bothered.”
My brow flattens over the top of my eyes. “Alright . . . I guess that’s good.”
“It’s not like she expected you to drop your life in the Big Apple to come play cowboy here on the ranch.” More salt is tossed on my wounded pride before he continues like nothing happened, “But you have a job if you ever want it.”
“Huh?”
Moving in, he claps me on the shoulder. “Yeah, Pris said how you held more than your own out there today. It was a big help.” He glances at the house, and then lowers his voice to add, “I’m not the same help as I used to be. She can do any task she’s given, but I wish she didn’t have to every time something arises.” Stepping back, he crosses his arms like before. “So I really appreciate you stepping up to help herd today.”