Chapter 16 #2
“It does. They do it up big down here.” He watched people milling, laughing, the musicians setting up with fiddles and guitars.
“Yessir. Landon’s done a good job with his place. I like it. I ain’t never been before.”
“Yeah?” He didn’t want to admit he’d driven by, but he wouldn’t lie to Coke, so he just nodded along.
Coke nodded. “I do. It’s got a good feel. Bet there’s good fishing.”
“I bet.” He could so drop a line in the water. “You remember that time we went to Oklahoma?”
“God, yes. We ought to do that again. We can go up and get a cabin, iff’n you want.”
“That would be a hoot.” Of course, Coke would be having sex with Dillon, and Adam would have Landon, so that would be different, for sure.
They stared at each other, one of those shared looks that remembered all the wickedness they’d got up to, back in the day, in the name of fishing. Adam chuckled. “Maybe we should just go with Nate and Tracy.”
“Maybe so. ’Course, I bet your Cajun can catch him a fish.” Adam got a wicked, slick grin from Pharris. “He caught him a Texan, after all. A damnably slippery one, I hear tell.”
“Well, I guess it just took someone with lots of energy.” Adam winked, letting go of the rest of his worry over Bri, and his nervousness at meeting Landon’s people.
“The Energizer Cajun.” Coke snorted in his beer.
“Hey, you’re the one doing the clown.” That got him tickled.
“I am. Well and often. He’s got that wiggle thing, you know?”
“Ew,” Adam teased. He had no room to talk. He’d loved on that wiggle a goodly bit after Dillon had broken up with a longtime lover. Still, his wanting had tightened up to a certain black-headed cowboy with a knack for the horses and a wild laugh.
“I got a question for you, Taggart.”
He glanced at Coke, but the man didn’t seem like he was angry or anything, so he nodded. “Sure. What’s up?”
“You ever thought about using Landon as a safety man? He’s damn good at roping and he’s like magic on a horse.”
Adam pondered that. He’d had a passing familiarity with the notion, but that was it. “I haven’t thought on it too much, no. It’s a good idea, though.”
“It is. You might talk on it with him. He’ll have a good future on it and I’d be willing to speak for him with the suits.”
“I’ll see what he thinks. You get Dillon to negotiate for him.” The clown knew how to get an amazing deal.
“You got it.” Coke held out one hand and they shook on it.
He couldn’t believe he hadn’t followed up on the idea before now. They could travel together, him and Landon. Fuck, the thought had him grinning like a fool. His Cajun, right there, in his back pocket to talk to on the road, to ride with.
That would be a blessing. It would be amazing. He clapped Coke on the back, nodding hard, then went hunting for Landon to share the news.
The place was swamped, food and music and laughter filling the air. He could hear Beau laughing, a sound that used to draw him right to the man, but he passed by, just smiling.
His Cajun was leaning on a huge old tree, eyes on him, warm and happy. On him and him alone.
“Hey, honey.” He went and kissed Landon on the mouth, not a bit worried someone might see. “Pharris had a great idea.”
“Did he?” Landon grinned at him, bird-black eyes twinkling. “Did it involve you riding a bull, because I’m thinking you’re damn tall for it.”
“No, it involved you being a safety man.”
“Me? For real?” Landon’s lips twisted in a half-grin. “I don’t think your brothers would want me doing that.”
“Oh, fuck that. Chris wants to stay at the ranch more—he’d love to have someone to fill in.”
“You know I love team roping. That way I get a bigger target and a paycheck, no matter what.”
“Well, there you go. I can talk to the boss.”
“Do I need to do anything?”
“You’ll have to fill out some paperwork, I’m sure.”
“I know how to write. I can do that.”
The words shamed him some, made his cheeks heat. Adam gave Landon a long look. “I know that, dorkface. I just mean you’ll need your ID and all for the taxes, so don’t forget it.”
“Okay.” And that was that. Landon just gave it up for him, just like from the start.
Adam grinned and hugged Landon close. God, he was a happy fool.
“Look at you, lovin’ up on me.” His Cajun hugged right back. “Come on, now. Let’s go get us some pig.”
“Oh, I like that idea.” He’d have to thank Laurel for the amazing food he could see spread out.
“Yep. Mr. Beau’s fixin’ to get his fiddle out and Sammy can sing.”
“Can he?” Adam grinned huge. “My Sam can sing, too. Ooohoooo.”
Coke’s bassets started running, heading for him, big ears flopping. They screeched to a halt in front of him and started howling, black noses up in the air. Oh, God, that was hilarious. Landon started howling, too, just rockin’ it.
About two dozen people turned to stare and Chrissy met his gaze, eyebrow arching.
Adam was done being worried. He just howled along, knowing he was about to completely change his definition of family.
And that was okay with him.
Landon sat out on the steps, pleasantly buzzed, listening to the music. The sun was done gone and it was warm, wet, perfect.
What a party.
Laurel liked Adam. ’Course, it wasn’t Adam making cow’s eyes at her. No, that was the youngest Taggart triplet that was following her around like a dog. Chrissy had it bad, yessir.
Mr. Sam sat next to him, nudging his arm. “Good, you?”
“Yessir. I’m a little drink… A little drunk.”
Sammy laughed, that weird hoot loud and clear. “Him, too?” Sam nodded toward Adam.
Adam was playing horseshoes with Coke Pharris, shirt off, skin sheened with sweat.
“He ain’t driving and he’s laughing pretty hard, huh?”
“Yeah. Good day party.”
“You know it.” They clinked their beers together, and they both laughed. “Glad you’re here, Mr. Sammy.”
“Me on too.” Sam settled back, watching everyone and everything.
Dillon was dancing in the moonlight, the dogs chasing him, and Mr. Beau was playing his fiddle. Laurel was leading Adam’s brother on a merry chase, flirting in an awful quiet way for her.
“Nutbutter!” One of the newest riders waved at him. “Nutbutter, I brought some Cheetos and beer!”
“Put them in the kitchen, y’all.”
Cheetos and beer. Lord. Landon chuckled. He was turning into the old man he teased some of the guys about. Cotton. Packer. The fellers who had settled down. The folks that had found someone.
“Mr. Sam? You know a tattoo artist close by?”
“Uh-huh. In Baton Rouge.”
“I want to get something done.” Something on his chest.
“Yeah? Butter jar with peanuts?” Sammy’s words still got tangled sometimes.
“Nope. Gon’ get an infinity symbol made out of rope.” Like his Cher. His Adam. He was more and more confident that Adam was his.
Even better, he was damn sure he was Adam’s.
Adam caught his eye, grinning, and his whole body tightened. He grinned back, lifted his chin in greeting. Sammy wandered away, chuckling over some line about Cajuns. Before Landon knew it, Adam had thrown the horseshoe game and come to sit next to him.
“Mmm. Hey, cher.” He leaned some, the world spinning.
“Hey, honey. You having fun?”
“I am. It’s better now. I’m a little tipsy. You?”
“Sweaty.” Adam chuckled, patting his leg.
“Mmm. I like it.”
“Yeah?” That grin went super wide.
“Uh-huh. I like lots of shit about you, cher. You make me happy.”
“Do I?” Adam took his hand, fingers twining with his. “That’s good.”
“Uh-huh.” He rested against his cowboy, the stars so bright up there. The night seemed like there was a little magic in the air. Some good hoodoo.
“Love you, cher.” He did. Simple as that.
Adam leaned close, lips next to his. “Love you, too, Landon. That’s all that matters right now.”
“Shit, Adam. That’s all that’s ever mattered. The rest, it’s all just dancin’.”
Adam laughed for him, kissing the corner of his mouth. “Good thing I like dancing.”
“Know that, me.” He leaned hard. “Come to the bed, cher. I’m wantin’.”
Adam nodded, rising and pulling him to his feet. “Anything you need, honey. I got this whole couple thing figured.”
“Well, you know, you been used to a trio…” he teased.
That got Adam hooting. “Yeah. Triplets is way more complicated than twins.”
“Hey, I got to be the one to deal when Sister started her monthlies.”
They held hands on the way back to his room in the barn, but no one so much as raised a brow. More important, Adam didn’t pull away a bit. That started a warm glow deep in Landon’s belly.
“You happy, cher?”
“I am. Are you?” Adam stopped and stared him right in the eye, waiting.
“As a pig in shit, me.”
“Then we’re solid.” Adam kissed him then, hard, right on the mouth.
Landon’s knees went weak and he held on, kissing Adam back with all he had. The man could flat out kiss. He’d said that all along. Hell, he’d said a lot, where it came to Adam.
Now it was just time to stop talking and start doing.