Chapter 13 #2
A beer and a long nap. Thank the good Lord he could stay in his little room back here and never see no one. He loved the room in Beau and Sam’s barn almost as much as he loved his man cave back home.
He grinned, thinking how Laurel had got him a new TV there just last month.
The soft scrape of a boot on straw made him stiffen up, but when he glanced over, it was Mr. Sam, not Adam like he’d both hoped and feared.
“Mr. Sam. How it goes? I got her all cooled down and fed.”
“Good. Candy rides good for you.”
“She’s a great horse.” Horses was so much easier to understand than people. Trés much.
“You better? Your head?” Sam nodded to his hand, where the handkerchief was glued to his palm, the blood mostly dried. Sam mixed up head and hand.
He flexed his palm, frowning. “Could have Beau’s Grandmère see to it.”
“She go to bring the food. You come to eat and heal it up.”
“Sure. I’ll come to supper.” No way would he insult Beau’s Grandmère by not showing up for her feed. She made the best shrimp ever.
Sam nodded. “Good you, for telling Tag what for.”
Yeah, in front of the whole damn world. Well, at least in front of every one of his heroes but for Balta Silva. Lord. Landon still grinned. “Had to. He needed telling.”
“Damn honking. You went and burned his ham.”
Listening to Sammy was like hearing his Maw-Maw come back to life, weirdly enough. The rhythm and meaning of Sam’s words might be a mystery to most folks, but Landon got it.
“I did.” They headed into the big house, Landon doing his damnedest not to look for Adam with every step.
Sam chuckled. “He’s a dog.”
“Woof.” They both laughed, good and hard, and the sound drew Beau right on outside, grinning at them.
“Hey, you two. Supper’s almost on.”
“Smells like etoufée.” Please be etoufée.
“It is. I was going to start some for later, but Grandmère was reading my mind and making it anyway.”
“Oh, yum. I don’t get that at home as much as I like.” He held up his hand. “Your Grandmère still about? I got something that needs doctoring bad.”
“In the kitchen.” Beau jerked his head toward the big open room in the back with all the new appliances Beau had bought for his Grandmère after the big win last season.
“Thank you, sir.” He headed into the big old kitchen that smelled of all good things—cayenne and shrimps and peppers and leather and cowboy.
Adam. Oh, he couldn’t smell the man over all the food, but he was right there, sitting in the corner, one of Dillon and Mr. Coke’s pups on his lap.
Damn, there wasn’t nothing on earth as fine as that man. Lean and long, with eyes like lasers and the best smile. The man was rubbing basset ears, and Landon knew how strong and hot those hands were.
No staring, Landon. None. Adam didn’t think a thing of him, didn’t need him. “Grandmère? You up to some doctoring?”
“Sure, chou. Just let me wash my hands.”
“Merci.” He kissed her cheek. “You lookin’ lovely, girl. You been dealin’ with M’sr Lucifer for to stay so young?”
“Vraiment.” She winked at him, patting his arm. Her wrinkled face lit up when she grinned so she looked like an apple carving. She took his hand over to the sink and started soaking the handkerchief off. “Lawd, there’s some blood. Bébé, get me kerosene and some spider webs from the porch.”
“Sure, Grandmère.” Beau went and gathered up all the stuff and Granny set to fixing him up.
He heard someone ask, “Spider webs? Is she serious? That’s goo from a bug’s butt.”
“Everybody knows spider webs keep a cut closed.” Granny gave everyone the stink eye, then went back to work on him. She poured the kerosene over the cut, cleaning it out, then she started packing it with the web.
Landon grunted. Whoo. Kerosene. That did burn like fire. Not as bad as that red stuff from when he was a kid. Maw-maw had loved that stuff.
“It don’t sting.”
“Yes, ma’am.” All women said that. Landon knew better. Ouch.
“Okay. I’ll wrap it with a tea towel. I’ll come to visit it tomorrow.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“I made you etoufée, chou. I hear you like it.”
Now, that was what he wanted to hear. “I love it, me.”
“I’ll spoon you up a bowl.” She bustled to the stove, pulling him up a dipper of rice and a ladle of etoufée.
When he looked around, everyone was busy suddenly, like they’d all been watching him get patched up.
Adam, though, just sat there, still watching him, bold as brass. Landon took the bowl from Beau’s Grandmère, kissed her temple in thanks. “Bless you.”
Then he took his supper back outside where there were fewer eyes to see him eat it. He didn’t need to feel any more like a freak than he did. Of course, Dillon and Mr. Coke came out and sat with him, which blew that idea right out of the swamp water.
“Y’all.” He smiled, nodded as they settled, trying not to be nervous. They’d been right nice to him these last months.
“Hey, kiddo.” It might be that Dillon couldn’t remember his name, but he thought Dillon just called all the young riders that.
“How’s the hand, Nutbutter?” Gramps asked.
“Getting better all the time.”
“Good. That was some quick thinking today.” Mr. Coke nodded like that was that, so at least he wasn’t gonna yell.
“Had to do something, huh?”
“Yup.” Those hazel eyes landed on him. “Carry a knife on you, next time.”
“Yessir. Like a bullfighter, no?”
“You know it. You’re a damn good safety man. You should do that work more often.”
He beamed. No one had ever said that to him before. It meant a lot, coming from Mr. Coke. Fearless Coke Pharris was everyone’s hero, including his.
Dillon nodded. “I’ve never seen anyone leap off a horse onto a buckin’ bull. Steers, sure…”
Landon ducked his head a little, not sure if that was good or bad.
“Shit, cowboy, not even Tag has done that.”
“I needed to help,” Landon murmured, trying to make them understand.
“I can tell. You got it in you, the angel thing.” Coke sounded so sure, and it soothed him, deep.
Mr. Sam wandered out, then. “There you be all.”
“Hey, Sammy. Have a sit.” Dillon motioned to another chair with his iced tea.
“I do.” Sam sat. “Nice night.”
“It is.” Mr. Coke lit all up with a goofy smile. “Y’all should get a pool.”
“Shit. Have big damned lizard teeth in it, we did.”
“Ain’t that why you got the dogs? To hunt ’gators?” Surely Coke was joking. Bloodhounds like Beau and Sam raised weren’t ’gator dogs.
“Nope. Dogs is for rugs,” Sam said, motioning at Daisy, who lay on a rag rug by the back door.
“I ain’t never seen a dog liked hunting cocodries. Nutria, though? They love that.” Landon took the dogs to get them beasties a lot. Otherwise they ruined the walls of the ditches and you had floods.
“The bassets hunt those when we come down.” Dillon rolled his eyes. “Someday they’ll drown.”
“The Cajun got them floaties, cowboy.”
Landon almost choked on a shrimp. Oh, Lord. “I’d pay to see that, Gramps.”
“Bassets are heavy.” Coke nodded solemnly.
“They got some bones,” Sam agreed.
“Yes, sir.” Them pups were heavy as all get out. Adam’s legs were probably asleep in there, in the kitchen, where Adam was without him.
He glanced over his shoulder, feeling the weight of someone’s stare on the back of his neck.
Adam stood there, staring at him from under the brim of his Stetson. Landon couldn’t see those mossy eyes, really, but he knew Adam was thinking hard. Not holding a basset hound anymore, either.
Landon looked away, refusing to do anything. He’d done said his piece.
A chair scraped hard, and Adam sat down across the way from him, smiling and nodding at everyone. Damn it. He didn’t need the uncomfortable staring. Or the fidgeting or picking at his food.
Sammy grinned at him, winked. “You tasting the food good?”
“Yessir. Mr. Beau’s Grandmère makes the best etoufée in the parish.”
“She does at that,” Coke murmured. “Beau makes the best gumbo.”
The clown started wheezing and hacking, flopping in the deck chair dramatically. Landon stared. Everyone knew Beau made good gumbo, right? What was Dillon going on about?
“I get Boug to stir some for you. He likes.”
“Mr. Beau’s gumbo is legendary,” Landon said. It was true. Flavorful and spicy and light on the okra.
“For giving people fiery poops. Back me up here, Tag.” Dillon glared at Adam.
“I’m out of this one,” Adam said. “Chris and Bri will be here tomorrow, so they can be the judges.”
Landon fought the urge to just shrink in the chair. “Well, sounds like you got the pros coming to help y’all, Mr. Sam. I reckon you don’t need me no more.”
Sam raised a brow, lips twisting. “All three them not worth you, right, Taggie?”
Adam chuckled. “I think you’re right, Bell.”
Landon snorted, but Sam grabbed his hand. “I need for your help.”
“Anything I can do, Mr. Sam. You been good to me.”
Jason Scott and Andy Baxter walked out just then with AJ Gardner, and all the focus shifted to them, thank God.
“How you feeling, son? You gathered your chickens all together yet?” Coke asked Jason, and grinned like a fool, but those eyes seemed serious.
“I’m fine as frog hair, Gramps. The little Cajun saved my bacon.”
“He’s a good ’un,” Beau said, raising a beer bottle at Landon.
“Just helpin’.” He clinked bottles, though, refusing to let Adam make him ashamed, damn it. He was happy he’d been there.
“You did more than help, kid.” Andy smiled at him with real gratitude.
He shrugged, but he couldn’t help but beam, though. It was good to hear someone sing his praises sometimes. He glanced at Adam—he couldn’t help it. Adam stared at him, the expression hard to read, but not…bad. No, it was good, whatever it was.
He sucked his beer back, telling his stupid body to just chill the fuck out. This was no time to get all het up and ready to do the nasty. Adam didn’t want anything but that, right? Too bad Landon did.
He wanted…everything. Long term. Landon wanted Adam to wake up next to him every day.
It was time to go to bed, he thought. Time to just be to himself for a bit. “I’ll see y’all in the morning. Mr. Beau, you holler and I’ll get on that list of things you need me to do.”
“Thanks, Nutbutter.” Beau waved him off, and he was glad to escape all those curious folks.
He headed for his room in the back of the barn. How cool was that? That he had his own place here? Beau and Sam were good friends. Good men. Landon rubbed the back of his neck, put his hat on its nail. One day he was gonna be a good guy, solid. One day. He still had time.