Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dillon woke up to two very desperate basset hounds, a freaked out border collie, and a snoring Taggart snuggled up next to him. He thought it might be Chrissy.
He poked with his fingers, right in the ribs, just to be sure. Adam wasn’t ticklish. Chrissy was.
Chrissy squealed and turned over, landing on him. “Dill!”
“Hey.” Dillon blinked. “Aren’t you the straight one?”
“Uh-huh. No matter what Adam says about that time with Coke. You surprised me.” Chrissy grinned, winked, and slid off.
He blinked some more, rose up on one elbow. “Time with Coke?”
“Uh-huh. We was all drunk. I mostly held the video camera.” Chrissy grabbed a pair of jeans, slipped them on.
Dillon tucked two fingers in the waistband, his other hand poised to tickle again. “There’s a video?”
“You’d have to ask Evie, Dill. I ain’t got it.”
Evie. Adam, then. The other two of the triplets called Adam Evie as a play on Adam and Eve. Bryan was Bubba and Christopher was Sie, for Chrissy. Some days it amazed Dillon how many nicknames Texans had for each other.
“Where’s my phone?”
“Uh…” Chrissy’s nose wrinkled. “I think one of your dogs’ butts was ringing earlier.”
Dillon raised his eyebrows and started hunting under Jerome’s droopy ass. Oh, whew. Just laying on it. Not eating it. He called Adam.
“Tell that lazy butt brother of mine to get his ass to the barn, Dill, and come help feed.”
“I will in a minute. I have a question first.”
Adam chuckled. “No, I won’t suck you.”
“Tag! Jesus.” Dillon choked, then cackled. “I want to know where the video is.”
“Sure, honey. You let me know which video and I’m on it.”
Chrissy snorted. “He ain’t gonna tell. I’m gonna grab some Cokes and head out.”
Dillon nodded. “Take that one.” He pointed at the border collie. “The one with you and Coke and Bry where Chrissy held the camera.”
“Is that what Chrissy told you? Lying little fuck. He did way more than hold the camera.”
“Tag, you’re missing the point.” Dillon scratched Pansy’s ears. “Where is the evidence?”
“In my bedroom at the house under the bed where Granny won’t find it. She cain’t bend so good no more.”
Oh, God. There was a video. Of Coke. And triplet Taggarts. “I want a copy for my birthday.”
“I could maybe do that. If Coke says it’s cool. Man, that was fun. The man was… Damn.”
Dillon tried not to growl. It was up to Coke, he guessed. Maybe. Damn it. “Well, if I can think of a reason you owe me…”
“You do, and I’ll deliver.”
He just… Damn. Coke and Adam and the others and…
Uhn.
Dillon cleared his throat, feeling a little dirty being so turned on with the bassets right there. “Thanks, Tag. Chrissy is on his way. I’ll make food.”
Adam chuckled, that sound perverse as hell. “I can give you a blow by blow later, if you make burgers.”
“Ah, so you won’t suck, but you’ll blow.” Dillon grinned hugely. “I’ll make burgers. You get ready to be windy.”
Adam made weird ooo-ooo sounds before the phone clicked off, which ended up more monkey than wind, but Dillon got it.
Grabbing his jeans, Dillon hoisted himself up to let the babies out and go start food. Except they weren’t his jeans. They were Chrissy’s. Lord. He just lost it, laughing until he had to hold on to the bed for support.
“Good Lord, Dillweed, put some clothes on.” Nate peered in, looking extremely tanned. “Hoss ain’t back yet. He says he’s staying until Janie falls asleep.”
“Hey, Nate. Have you seen Chrissy? He has my pants.” That set him off again, just hooting.
“Dude. He must’ve lost weight. Either that or you’re getting puffy…”
“Oh, asshole. I’d throw a basset at you if I had any strength.” Dillon went to his bag and pulled out some sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “Tag says there’s hamburger, so I’m making burgers. How many am I feeding?”
“A zillion. Maybe two zillion.” Nate winked. “There’s four of us, the Taggarts, two Brazilians, Hank, possibly one of the brothers whose wife is up to the hospital.”
“Lord.” He did a little math. “Okay. Anything else I need to do right now?”
“Not that I know of. Tracy’s dealing with kids. They all got chicken nuggets.”
“Cool. Thanks, man. Lead the way to the kitchen?” Coke had taken him to the guest room and shoved him in.
“You haven’t been here before?”
“Nope.” Dillon shrugged. “My first phone tree call-in, too.”
“Huh.” Nattie shrugged. “You fit right in like you belong. Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour before I go feed the dogs.”
Oh. Wow. Dillon knew Coke thought of him as family, but Nattie had been hard to win over. That was so cool, even if the situation sucked. A trip to the bathroom made him feel even better, then he got to making enough burgers and frozen french fries to feed an army.
Tracy came in, two babies and a pretty lady in tow, and kissed his cheek. “Any word from the hospital? Lassie, this is Dillon. Dillon, this is Aje’s oldest sister.”
“Hey.” Dillon nodded at Lassie. He vaguely remembered that her name was actually Las Vegas. The Gardners were creative.
“Hey. I brought potato salad and brownies. I’m going to run up and take the night shift at the hospital so Gramps can come home. Cheyenne’s taking tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, thanks.” That worked. Brownies good. “The Taggarts are feeding, making sure them animals are settled.”
“Good deal. Dallas is out there, along with my Kendall and Clay.”
Jesus, there were a lot of them.
Dillon sort of faded into the background, letting Tracy and them talk to the Gardners while he made food like an assembly line. Burgers, buns toasted, hot dogs.
Someone tugged on his pants, AJ’s son Benji’s eyes meeting his. “Who are you?”
“I’m Dillon, honey.” Dillon wiggled like he would at the shows. “The clown.”
“You’re the bullfighters’ friend.”
“I am.” He took a chance and touched Benji’s head, ruffling the sparse hair. He knew the story, how Benji had come out with the cord around his neck.
“I’m gonna be a bullfighter just like Uncle Poppy.”
“Yeah? You been practicing? Basset hounds are a lot like bulls. You could play with them.”
Benji blinked at him and Tracy chuckled. “Did you see the puppies? They’re Uncle Poppy’s and Uncle Dillon’s.”
“Puppies?” Benji was so excited.
“Uncle Nattie has them, if you want to go find them.”
“Puppies!” Off he went, feet banging on the floor.
Both women looked after him with bittersweet smiles.
He knew Benji was on the wrong side of right, but those smiles were a little worrying. “Is he okay?” Dillon asked. “You know, with all his folks being away?”
“He’s okay. I’m not sure he understands. He’s more worried about Janie.”
“Poor guy.” The whole thing was such a mess that Dillon didn’t want to think too much on it.
“Yeah.” Lassie nodded. “Fact is that Janie will be home tomorrow, so will Denny. Dad’s going to be released as soon as his fucking blood pressure goes down and that just leaves Momma.”
Mrs. Gardner was the cornerstone of the clan, though. That was gonna suck. He put three burgers on the plate and started three more.
“She’s going to be fine, honey.” Tracy didn’t sound completely convinced.
Dillon nodded and flipped a burger. “She is. Coke has taught me a lot about announcing my will to the universe.”
Lassie grinned at him. “Mr. Coke’s a doll baby.”
“Yep.” Dillon pondered a doll-sized Coke and chuckled.
“Why is the clown laughing, huh?” Balta came in, clapping Dillon on the back.
“Balta!” Good Lord. How many people were here?
Joa came in next, along with Eduardo, Silvano, and about four others he didn’t recognize.
The Brazilians were there in force. They did like to work cattle… Dillon grinned and nodded and put on more burgers.
“You need some help?” That was Joa, bumping shoulders with him. “That little boy’s outside with the dogs, playing bullfighter.”
“Good. Nate’s out there, huh?” He hated to think of Benji being alone. “Can you toast buns and stuff?”
“Sure. Taggarts are out there, too, more of AJ’s people. Someone’s making a fire in the pit.”
“Cool.” He slapped Joa on the back. “Thanks, man.”
Balta was talking to one of the girls, filling her in on the state of the back forty, and there was a low buzz of Portuguese from the other guys. It was like being at an event.
Tracy came over, smiled at him. “Can you burn one for me, honey? I’m craving.”
“You bet. Crispy critter, coming up.” Tracy liked her burgers black. Balta would want one mooing with that weird cheese…
“Thank you!” Tracy patted his ass, grabbed a short person, and wandered off, hollering something about cartoons.
An hour later, he’d fed everyone except himself, and he wondered how anyone could be a short order cook for a living. His feet were gonna fall off.
He also wanted to know where his bullfighter was.
Adam came over, grinned at him. “You look tired, Dill.”
“I am. You know me. Man of leisure.” He grinned back, leaning a bit when Tag slipped an arm around him.
“Shit, I know Pharris. That man ain’t spent an idle day in twenty years.”
“Nope. Doesn’t mean I can’t nap while he works.” That was bullshit, too, but he did love to tease Tag.
“Uh-huh. When we get a sec, you and me, we prob’ly need to talk. You know, you, me, Pharris, Nate.”
“Yeah?” Oh. Oh! He’d bet about Jason. “Yeah. Okay.”
Tag nodded, grinned and Dillon felt stupidly good at how quick he’d caught on.
Sometimes he felt like the brand new in-law. Like he didn’t know all of the jokes.
Still, everybody was letting him in, letting him be a part.
It’d only taken five years.
“Want a burger, Tag?”
“God, yes. Please. Sie will need one, too.”
“I can do it.” He would make a couple for Coke, too, and put them away.
Adam stayed close, gossiping about Christmas and Bry, about Granny Taggart and Beau and Sam.
“How’s Sammy, man? You’ve seen him in person.”
“Better. If he’s not tired, he almost seems like normal.”
“Oh, thank God.” He’d been afraid that Sammy would be hard to be around.
“Beau might kill him, but all in all? The man’s going to make it.”
“Good.” Beau wouldn’t.
“Yeah. Weird, though, them retiring.”
Dillon nodded, but he didn’t think it was all that weird. Coke would have to someday soon, especially if that poor neck took another hit. Dillon would see to it.
Balta came over, making the sign of the evil eye. “No talk of retiring. Is bad luck.”
“Hey. It works for Sammy.” He winked, knowing Balta was terrified of the very idea.
“Silva. Joa.” Coke nodded, shook hands, then bent to scoop Benji up, carry him off.
Dillon fought off the urge to follow, going to the kitchen instead to heat up burgers. He threw buns in the toaster, knowing how Coke liked his burgers.
Tracy came in, smiled. “Are you two staying in Coke’s room? Nattie wants to know where he wants us.”
“Uh. I was in the…” He couldn’t remember what color the room was. He’d been so tired.
“The blue room, girl. You and Nattie take the master for now, then we’ll work out details tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Gramps.” Tracy smiled and grabbed a carrot stick out of the bowl Dillon had filled and left out. She abandoned them, and Dillon felt a little weird, finally being alone with Coke.
Coke gave him a sad glance. “Miz Gardner ain’t doing so good. The wee gal and Denny will come home tomorrow.”
“Well, the last part is good. How’s Missy?” Poor Coke. He looked so tired.
“Swelled up like a big ole frog.”
“Ouch.” Poor Missy. She had enough stress.
“Yeah. AJ says it’s day by day, there.”
“I bet.” He nodded toward the kitchen table. “Sit, babe. Mustard?”
“Please. You talked to Jason?” Coke sat carefully, shoulders tense.
“Not yet. Tag wants to pow-wow first. Jason’s not due for another three days, he says.”
“’Kay.” Coke stared at the burger, just stared at it.
“Babe?” Dillon slid into the chair next to Coke, setting down a glass of iced tea. “Try a bite, huh?”
“Yeah. Sorry. Just tired.” Coke dropped his voice. “‘bout ready to get back to work, though.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” He reached over and pinched off a bit of the hamburger, holding it up so Coke could have the bite.
“Thank you.” Coke snapped it out of his fingers.
Dillon grinned. There. Better. He pulled off another part and offered it up.
Coke’s smile was warm, fond. His.
All his.