Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Bax sat, wiping his hands on his cut-offs before nodding to Coke. “Smells good, man. Thanks for making supper.”
Coke nodded at him, dark head bobbing. “Welcome. It ain’t fancy, but it’s food. C’mon, Jase. There’s a plate for you.”
“I ain’t hungry.” Jason stayed at the doorway and Bax could hear Mini’s stomach trying to eat itself.
“Bullshit. It’s chips and burgers. There ain’t nobody here but us. Andy knows how you like ‘em.”
“Yep. And I promise I won’t cut it up like Momma did.” He’d seen how Brenda fixed Jason’s plate. Lord. “Come on, Mini.”
“Okay.” Jason stepped forward, slow and careful, making it to the edge of the counter before stopping. “Help me out?”
“You know it.” Before Coke could move, Bax was up and there, hand on Jason’s arm. “Come around to the left, now reach out and feel the seat.”
“Thanks.” Jason relaxed, nodded. They needed to get him out of here, into a place where he felt like he could figure this shit out.
Jason got settled and Coke put a plate in front of him. “The burger’s in the front close to you, then the chips are behind it, ‘kay?”
Bax vaguely remembered some after school movie where a blind guy did his food on the plate by the clock or something. Maybe they’d try that. Later. “Lessee, you want lettuce, tomato, mustard and a tiny bit of onion, right?’
“Yeah. Yeah, thanks.” Jason’s fingers slid around the edge of the plate, exploring, and Bax and Coke shared a long, sad look.
Then Coke’s lips went tight and those dark gray eyes just flashed. “You want a Coke, Jase?”
“I’ll take a beer, man.”
Well, a beer was better than a whiskey. They’d go from there, since Jason was willing to eat. “One. Then you switch to Coke.”
“Bossy.” Jason’s eyes landed on him, just staring, and shit that was weird. “I’m a grown man, Bax. Don’t.”
“Stop it. We’ll all have a round and then switch. There’s not but a six-pack left.” Coke to the rescue.
Bax sighed, rolling his shoulders. “I’m not trying to be the boss of you, Jase. We need to talk, though. We’ll all need a clear head for this, okay?”
“Okay. Okay, man.” Jason frowned, grabbing a chip. “What’s up? I mean, beyond the obvious, gee, you’re fucked part.”
“Well…” He took a deep breath, appealing to Coke with his eyes. “We got this plan…”
“Yep.” Coke nodded, sat. “You ain’t gonna get better with your eyes, are you, Jase?”
“Damn it, Bax. Do you have to tell everything?”
“I didn’t tell Momma!” He wasn’t no tattler. “Goddamn it, this is Coke!”
Jason snorted and Coke chuckled. “Y’all know I’ll nag ‘til I know. Besides, it doesn’t matter. The fact is you can’t see, right?”
Jason clenched his fists around the edge of the plate. “Yeah.”
“Okay, then. We got to figure out how to get you back up on the bulls.”
“That’s not funny, Coke.” That plate jittered on the table, trying to crack.
Now it was out, Bax knew he had to throw in for Jase to believe it. “It ain’t meant to be, Mini. You could do it with your eyes closed, you always said. Didn’t you prove it on a dare? The only thing you need us to do is get you in the chute and get you out of the arena.”
“They ain’t gonna let me ride like this. Nobody’s gonna let me ride like this.”
“Nobody’s going to know, Jase. Nobody but a couple of us.” Coke slid the plate out of Jason’s hands.
“He’s right. We’ll get a couple folks, get AJ to let us use his place.” Nibbling at a chip, Bax stared at Jason, reading that body language.
“I… Y’all are out of your minds.” Jason looked a little panicky, a little shocky.
“I told Coke the same thing. He convinced me.” Shit on it. He reached out and grabbed Jason’s hand, rubbing his thumb in circles. “You can do it, Jase. You’re the best rider there’s ever been.”
“I cain’t see, Bax. People are gonna notice. The guys will notice. The press. I cain’t see.”
“Your eyes still track.” It kinda creeped him out, but they did. “If we’re careful, they won’t notice. We could have you on a machine by the end of the week.”
“I haven’t even figured out how to shave, yet.”
“So, we’re not asking you to go to the finals this year, Jase.” Coke still sounded so logical. “Train ‘til next season, do some Venture events to keep your status then. You can learn to do this.”
Bax held that hand, squeezing hard. “We got time. Plenty.”
“This is crazy.” Jason squeezed back. “Y’all are crazy.”
“Well, no shit. Look what we do for a living, Jase.” Coke rolled his eyes.
“He’s rolling his eyes at you, Jase. You gonna let him get away with that?” He wasn’t sure whether to bust out laughing or just cry. “We can start on the barrel, just to see what you think.”
“You’re serious, Andy?” Jason faced him, ignoring Coke altogether. “I don’t want to look like no fool.”
He reached up, tracing the lines etched next to Jason’s mouth. “I wouldn’t do this to you for nothin’, Mini. I think it’s crazy as Hell, but it’s so crazy it could work. You ride with your body, not your eyes.”
Coke cleared his throat, stood. “I’m going to take a shower, boys. Y’all talk on it, eat.” Coke met his eyes, the look knowing, sure.
“Thanks, Coke.” Nodding, Bax watched Coke go, then turned back to Jason. “You can do it.”
“Bax, I don’t know. Shit, I… I gotta sit down to pee, still. You’re talking about traveling, hotels, different arenas, all that noise.”
“No. I’m talking about going to AJ’s ranch, where we can work for a year. We can start small, work up. And I’m right here.” Goddamn, he needed Jason to believe. In himself, in Coke. In Bax. Something.
“I… You talked to AJ already?”
“No. Coke made some calls. Nate’s in. AJ’s supposed to call back when his wife gets a hold of him. She doesn’t know.” AJ wasn’t the be-all-end-all, though. They could get someone with a ranch.
“Nate, too? I… You think the sponsors’ll keep me?” Oh. Oh, hell yes. That was interest there.
“They never have to know. If it goes bad, they’ll drop you. You tell them now, though, they drop you anyway.” That was a Hell of a hook. He knew it was. Go him.
“I… You really think I could? You… You’d stand with me?”
“I’ll pull your rope, schlep your gear, and tell you what you’re seeing. I’m with you.” He didn’t know what else to say. He loved Jason beyond reason. But above all that, he believed Jason could win a title without seeing a bit.
“I… I’d try. I think. Yeah. Yeah, I’ll try.” Jason reached for his burger, fingers shaking.
“Then you’ll do it.” He moved the plate surreptitiously, putting it back where it had been, right where Jason needed it to be.
“I think so?” Shit, he hated that timidity.
“Mini. Eat your burger. You’re always a mess on an empty stomach. And Momma made lemon meringue.” Jason loved tart with his sweet.
“Oh, man. I do like that.” Jason found the burger, relaxed a little more. “This is hard, buddy. I thought about lots of things, lots of ways to get hurt, but never this.”
“I hear you.” Hell, it had never occurred to him.
He’d known guys who had to learn to walk and talk again.
But damn. Bax dug into his own burger, chuckling at how well done it was.
It did his heart good to see Mini eat, to see Jason rest and just sort of be for a second.
It was the first time that hard face had relaxed since the accident, and man, Bax reveled in it.
Coke came in, smelling like Old Spice, and Bax grinned at him.
“You gonna eat with us, old man? We’re a go.”
“You know it.” Coke clapped Jason on the shoulder, grinning ear to ear. “That’s the Jason I know. Brave fucker.”
“Yes, sir.” He handed Jason a napkin, tapping his free hand with it. “Right side. Mustard.”
“Thanks.” Jason wiped his mouth, the whiskers there heavier than he’d ever seen. “Y’all are going to get tired of helping me.”
“Bullshit.” Coke didn’t even hesitate.
“No way. I tell you what, Mini. I’m gonna clock you, you don’t stop putting yourself down.” No one put Jason down. No one.
“Fuck off. You don’t think I have reason? I don’t know how to do this!”
“I know! Shit, you think I don’t know? I want to know what to do to make it all go away, but I cain’t!” Goddamn it, they had to start thinking positive, though, right?
“If you two are gonna brawl, go outside. Miz Scott don’t need her kitchen busted up.”
“Oh, you hush.” That had him grinning, though, shaking his head. “All right, Mini. I’ll calm down. I just… You’re. You want some pie?”
“No.” He damn near growled when he saw Jason’s grin. “I want another burger, if there is one.”
Coke was up and over at the stove before he could blink, dishing up another burger. “You want pickles?” Coke asked. Yeah, Jase liked the sour stuff on the side.
“Yeah. On the side. Please.”
Well, he’d be damned.
Maybe this would work out after all. Bax finished off his supper. Somehow the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn’t near as bad as it had been.