Page 101 of Long Time Coming

“Blink of an eye,” he snaps at her.

I’ll fight him if he wants. Not sure what that will accomplish, but he apparently needs a lesson in not fucking with the wrong guy. I weave around her. “I’m not proud of kicking your ass?—”

“Wha—” My fist lands right where I want it—on this upper cheek.

Pris gasps, holding her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.” On the receiving end of a dirty look, she throws her arm out and points at the barn. “Go over there.”Shit.Now she’s upset with me?Damned if you do . . .

I throw my hands up like I’m innocent in all this. “He was threatening me.” I’d be lying if I said this was the first physical fight we’d been in, but we competed for everything growing up. We could be happy for the other, but we also came to blows a few times.

She huffs, her anger getting the better of her. “Just go.” Going to her brother, she says, “Why are you doing this? You disappear for years of my life, then come back like you have a say in who I date?” Holding his face, she forces him to look at her. “You don’t. You don’t have a say anymore.”

Her words hit harder than I ever could, and they change him. The tension in his face lessens, the veins in his neck not as obvious, but the pain in his eyes has me wondering where we go from here. Redirecting his anger, he scoffs. “What the fuck, Tagger?”

“What’s going on out here?” Their dad comes stomping across the porch and leans on the railing to figure out what he’s missing. “Baylor?”

“Surprise.” The friend I have, the one who cracks jokes and gets a little too close to the sun sometimes in some of his decision-making, doesn’t back down from much. Except when his dad gets involved.

Mr. Greene comes down the steps and around the house. His eyes latch onto me first, then volleys to his daughter and back. When he sees Baylor, he releases a heavy breath from his chest. “Good to see you, son.” He taps his temple. “You got some blood to clean up.” Shooting me the next judgment, he asks, “Did you do that, Tagger?”

Why do I suddenly feel fifteen again?

Mr. Greene’s always been a fair man, a good dad, and devoted husband. I don’t want to anger him more than I have, especially when it involves Pris and me dating, or moving in together, or whatever else we decide to do together.

Considering my knuckles are beginning to swell, I don’t think lying is the direction to go in. “Yes, sir. I did.”

A scowl wrinkles his forehead. “You sure do sound proud about punching your best friend in the face.”

I catch Pris rolling her eyes. She glances my way but maintains the distance between us. Nobody wants the heat of Thomas Greene on them. I say bring it on. I’ll go down in infamy for her, be Clyde to her Bonnie any old time. “Not proud, sir, but also not backing down because of someone’s demands.”

He eyes his daughter again. “Did those demands involve you?”

She pauses from the storm brewing in his voice, but then stiffens her spine like the woman I know her to be. “Yes.”

“And Tagger here?”

Raising her chin, she replies, “Yes.”

He looks at Baylor again and nods toward the house. “Go clean yourself up so you can say hello with respect.”

Baylor seems to have forgotten how things work on his father’s ranch. He and Pris have the final say since Baylor walked away.

Regret starts to set inside, not for loving my girl, not even for making love to her in the barn, but I never wanted to cause problems between her family. I can’t claim I didn’t know better, no matter how much I regret this conclusion.

Baylor glares at me once more before leaving to go inside the house.

It’s that look on his face, the one of anger and betrayal, that tells me where we stand in our friendship. It’s over, which fucking sucks. It didn’t have to be this way, but I’m sure he sees it the same.

Her dad approaches to stand in front of us, though the five feet remain between Pris and me. “You aren’t that clever. I don’t know why you were sneaking around. And I don’t think I want to, but the man in the moon could see what’s happening between you two. So let’s cut the shit and figure out how to deal with the unnecessary mess you found yourself in.”

“I love her, Mr. Greene.” I was pleading my case to him, but the look of surprise I catch in my periphery draws my gaze to her. “I love you. I’ve said it before, but I’m not hiding it anymore.” Turning back to face her dad, I say, “I’m in love with your daughter.”

“I know.” He sighs. “So what are you going to do about it with you up north in New York City and my daughter running our family ranch down here in Texas?”

“Dad.” Pris steps forward. “We’re?—”

“I want to hear from him, Christine.” His eyes never leave mine. “What are your intentions for my daughter?”

Seeing her worry her lip in concern, I reach out to hold her hand. When she slips it in mine, I whisper, “It’s okay. I don’t mind answering his question.” I don’t either, but I say, “We may not have it all figured out, but I’m confident in the direction we’re heading.”

---