Chapter 22 #2
Coke stood up, started gathering dishes about the time Andy wandered in, looking rode hard and put away wet. Jase perked right up, smiling, and it amazed Dillon that the man knew Bax’s footsteps without the ring of boots that usually came with them. They so had it bad.
“Breakfast is in the microwave, Bax.” Dillon grabbed another cup and filled it for Andy.
Jase’s grin lit up the room. “You get enough sleep, cowboy?”
“Some, yeah.” Bax sounded like a frog, too.
Dillon handed him coffee. “You just get too much sun, or are you coming down with something?”
“He don’t seemed sunburned, really.” Coke gave the guy once over, but who could tell, with all that tanned skin.
“I’m fine. I ain’t gonna give y’all nothin’.” Andy looked put out, now, cheeks going red.
“Bax, come sit.” Jason patted the chair next to him. “Dillon does good eggs. Is that jeans contract in my duffle?”
“Yeah. I think it is. I’ll get it after I eat.” Andy finally sat, scooting his chair close to Jason, and Dillon stared. Surely that wasn’t a hickey…
“Cool.” Jason nodded, leaning back in his chair, T-shirt stretching over the flat belly. Those eyes never moved from Andy. Not once.
While he was up, Dillon heated up Andy’s food, letting his fingers trail over the back of Coke’s neck as he went by.
He understood how Jason felt. He really did.
He stared at Coke a lot. Of course, Dillon could see.
They were probably going to have to talk about that, too.
Jase couldn’t stare at Andy in public. It’d be weird.
He’d bet they could train Jason’s eyes, since they still worked.
It wasn’t like someone who had no actual sight. Or whatever.
Bax tucked into breakfast just fine, so maybe his sore throat was just from…vigorous activity.
Okay. That was a little gross.
Coke started doing dishes, warbling some old country song that Dillon couldn’t recognize on a dare. Andy powered through breakfast, staring at Coke as if he’d lost his mind. Dillon thought the singing was cute as hell.
Coke finally stopped, blinked at Bax. “Whut?”
“Huh? Nothin’.” Stuffing his last piece of toast into his mouth, Andy shut up, which was probably a good thing.
Maybe it was time for Dillon to sing. He broke into an impromptu rendition of a popular Tim McGraw and Faith Hill duet, guaranteed to make the kiddies gag. Coke stared at him, then the man hooted, applauding wildly and cackling.
He held the last note about making looooooooove as long as he could, before breaking off and taking a bow. Bax seemed about to choke, but Jason was laughing, clapping along with Coke.
“Man, you should add that into your act. The buckle bunnies would love it.” Jason wiped his eyes, all flushed and grinning.
“You freak me out a little, Dillon.” Andy was even grinning, now, the perpetual joke making everyone hoot again.
“Oh, I won’t let the big, bad entertainer of the year hurt you, Andy.” Coke grinned, that smile pure devil. “After all, he’d just hire someone to do it for him…”
“You know it,” Dillon agreed. “My hands are worth more than your whole hide.” They were back on familiar ground, back to smiling and laughing. It was good.
“Actually, clown-boy, I think it’s your legs that are worth the money.” Jase snorted. “You could run amok without hands.”
“I could, but I’m so much more expressive with them.” Dillon reached out to flip Jason’s cowlick, just to see what the man would do, with something coming at his face.
To his utter shock, Jason caught his hand.
Coke and Bax went quiet, staring, and Dillon snorted. “Good catch, man. You want more coffee? I made another pot. You know where it is.”
He held his breath, wanting Jase to show the guys even more.
“Yeah. I’ll take another cup. You want one, Dillon?” Jason stood up and Coke moved to get a chair out of Jason’s way. He shook his head, held one hand up.
“Sure do. There’s a chair in front of you, man, don’t trip over it.”
He got a nod, and he handed Jason his cup. Jason managed, just fine, even finding the handle without burning himself. Coke stared, moved over, slowly waved his hand in front of Jason’s face. The kid never flinched. Never even noticed.
Dillon took Coke’s hand and led him away, trying not to let the excitement that faded into sadness get him down. “Repetition is good, huh, Jase?”
“Yeah. I’m getting better about stuff, right Bax?”
Coke stared at him, and he could see the confusion, the worry.
“You sure are, Mini. I swear, soon no one will be able to tell.” Bax was smiling, at least, not worried a bit, and Dillon nudged Coke and nodded toward Andy.
Coke looked at Andy, lips wrinkling. “Okay, explain it to me, y’all. How come you catch Dillon’s hand, and you cain’t see me?”
Jason’s head did that tilt-thing again. “Whut?”
Bax grunted. “He can get some stuff if it’s fast, Coke. Like his body’s natural defense, you know? Or if it’s off to one side. Peripheral, or some shit.”
Jason nodded. “If it’s fast it’s like… What’s that thing where Doc hits your knee with the rubber hammer?”
“A reflex test.” The temptation to whack Jason on the knee was tough to resist, but Dillon did it. Manfully.
“Right. Reflexes. That’s all it is. It’s not real.”
Coke frowned thunderously. “Why isn’t that real, son? What’s not real about it?”
“Well, I mean, it’s not seeing?”
“So?” Oh, man, he knew that temper. “It’s still real. It’s still something you can use, Jase. Hell, that’s something we can all use to help you.”
Andy chuckled, stretching his legs out and pushing his plate away. “Not only that, but he can see in his dreams, huh? He has instant replay on his rides, built in.”
“Sort of.” Jase shrugged, blushed. “I cain’t tell, for sure, if it’s real or not. Like I knew Bax’s cast was blue, but I dreamed he had a beard, when he didn’t.”
“Well, Coke’s right. We can use it.” Dillon nodded, slipping an arm around Coke’s waist from behind to stop him pacing. “We’ve got more to work with than we thought.”
Coke nodded, leaned into him a little bit, enough to make Bax stare. Dillon puffed up, staring Bax down enough that Andy had the grace to look away, a little puzzled frown on his brow. The boys would just have to get used to it.
“Dillon, man? Where’d you go? I got your coffee.”
“Thanks, Jase.” He only took a few steps, enough to get around Coke, letting Jason come to him.
Jason came toward him, walking careful, stopping when he nudged the chair, and moving around it. Dillon waited for Jase to hold it out, mostly in the right direction, before saying, “A little to the left, man.”
Coke and Bax watched him like he was Simon Legree, but Jason would have to learn to be precise. Follow the voice commands.
“Thanks.” Jason found his hand, managed to only splash the tiniest bit. The look of satisfaction on Jase’s face sort of made him sick to his stomach a little.
“Good job.” Not a bit of his upset came out in his voice, and he was proud. “Now comes the hard part. Get me the milk?”
“Is it on the table still or in the fridge again?” Smart boy.
“On the table. Bax moved it, though.” He held up a finger, trying to get Bax and Coke not to speak.
Coke was vibrating, and Dillon knew he was wanting to help, so bad.
“Well, then, clown-boy, give me a hint.” Jason was actually grinning.
“It’s at almost twelve o’clock from Bax’s left hand.” Bax had sat on Jason’s left side, so it would be a ways over from where he’d put it down to begin with.
Jason’s forehead wrinkled, and Dillon could swear he could see the gears working. Then Jason went right, taking the shorter route, following the table around to Bax. “Hey, you.”
Bax’s arm got a quick caress, then Jason followed it down, sliding to Andy’s fingers, and then to the milk jug.
Smart Jason. “You won’t be able to get away with that in public, but it works.”
“I don’t know what to do in public yet. Or with the cameras. Fans.” The milk bottle shook a little, then stopped.
“Well, you’re learning fast.” Dillon took the jug when Jase finally handed it over, pouring some in his coffee before handing it back. “Here you go.”
“Where do you want me to put it?”
“In the fridge, son. In the door.” Coke’s eyes were dark, devastated, but Jason wouldn’t hear it in the easy words.
Jason found the fridge easily enough, got the door open, and fumbled a little with the milk to get it into place.
Damn.
“You want to take a swim, Bax?”
“Sure, Mini. I’m all for it.” Bax had perked up a bit with food and coffee, and grabbed two water bottles out of the fridge before taking Jason’s hand. “Come on. Y’all coming?”
“I’ll be out in a while. I need to shave.” Coke turned and headed down the hall, shoulders up by his ears.
Sighing, Dillon waved Bax and Jason off. “You guys go ahead. I’ll clean up in here and stuff.” And go give Coke a little massage in the shower.
Jason shook his head. “No. You oughta go with Coke, huh? Me and Bax can break dishes real good.”
“Thanks, Jason.” Dillon patted Jason’s arm on the way by. “Just watch the knife in the sink, okay? I used the bread knife to cut toast.”
He trotted down the hall, his footsteps sounding loud after a morning of working with Jase.
Coke was sitting on the edge of the bed, face in his hands. Shit. Dillon shifted from foot to foot, biting his lip. Then he went for it, going in and sitting next to Coke. “It’s kind of shattering, huh?”
“I just… If I’d got to him in time. If I’d only been faster.”
“Coke.” Oh, no. No, no, no. Dillon turned and wrapped his arms around Coke, holding on tight. “You couldn’t have done any more than you did. You have to stop that thinking if you’re gonna help.”
“It’s my job. It’s my job to save ’em, and now he’s blind, and I just keep thinking about his daddy, how disappointed he’d be.”
“Coke. I bet even his dad would understand. I mean, it happened so damned fast. How could any of you be there that quick?”