Chapter 26 #2
Dillon laughed. “I’m a freak of nature, boys. Coffee?”
“Yeah,” Bax said, but Jase shook his head.
“I’m good.”
“You sit, Dillon. I’ll get it,” Tracy said. “Hey, boys.”
“Miss Tracy.” Bax nodded and Jase turned his head toward the voice, almost making eye contact.
Tracy looked to Dillon, and he shrugged. How could you explain Jason’s issues without freaking him out?
“Hey, honey.” She leaned down and kissed Jason’s cheek. “You hungry? There’s bacon.”
“I could eat the squeal,” Jason said. “Bax hates a drive through window.”
“Shut up, Mini.” Bax stood to grab a cup of coffee, lines of exhaustion written on his face.
Jason smiled faintly, but he clammed up. Damn, these two were wound tight as a toy from a Happy Meal after a kid’s birthday party.
“Aje said your trailer’s ready for you.” Coke came in, Benji on one hip.
“Unca Jason!”
That little boy lit up like it was Christmas again, wiggling and reaching for Jason.
“Hey, kiddo. Come sit with me a minute.” Jason reached for Benji, who leaped for him.
Jason hugged him tight. “Me and Uncle Candy brought Christmas in the truck.”
“Did you? Presents?”
Dillon had forgotten Christmas had just passed.
“Uh-huh. When everyone’s done their chores and Uncle Candy’s had breakfast, we’ll get them.”
“’Kay! I clean the toy room!” And off Benji went like a shot.
“Nice one,” Tracy said, bringing more plates of food and cups of coffee.
“Thanks. I’m learning. Missy’s a master.”
“She is.” Tracy flopped into a chair, making Jase jump. “Damn, my feet hurt. This is like tending bar.”
“You tended bar?” he asked.
“I did. That’s how I met Nate,” she said. “Two bullfighters walked into a bar…”
“And she didn’t fall for me!” Coke exclaimed, cracking the whole room up.
“She’s my girl,” Nate said. “What can I say?”
“That she is, Nattie. And one of the best ones ever.”
Nate flexed some, and Dillon ducked his head. Every so often he wanted to clock Nate in the face, but the way he loved his wife made Dillon happy.
Hell, the way the son of a bitch adored Coke made him pretty damned happy. Anyone who loved Coke could be okay with him. Eventually.
Coke came to Jason, clapped him on the back. “Merry Christmas, kiddo.”
“Merry late Christmas, Gramps. You have a good one?”
“I did.” Coke chuckled. “Dillon made everyone leave us alone.”
“Damned right I did.” His cheeks heated, because he hoped that wasn’t censure, just statement of fact on Coke’s part.
“Good on him. You work all the damn time, man.” Jason’s smile was crooked and glinting.
“A man has to stay busy,” Coke said, “but it sure was nice to have a quiet Christmas in the snow.”
“Did you make snow angels, Uncle Poppy?” Janey was AJ’s oldest and she came crutching in, her ankle busted.
“We didn’t. I’ll have to try that.”
Dillon would make sure the hot tub was running first, so they could sink that poor body into wet heat right after. Snow angels were bound to make Coke’s arthritis worse.
Coke met his eyes, and he could see how tired Coke was, how worried.
Yeah, there were so many chances for a cluster fuck here.
He wanted to go over, touch, but even here, where they were among friends, he couldn’t. Instead he rose and began clearing dishes, pressing Tracy back down when she tried to stand. “I got this.”
“You sure, honey?”
“I’m sure. I have hands.”
“He does at that.” The little tease was enough to make him blink, make him suck in a breath. Coke could be naughty, and damn he loved that.
Oh, who was he kidding? He loved Coke. Full stop.
Christ on a crutch.
Coke’s neck felt like frozen rope. Bax was growling like a bear with a sore paw, Jason was poking the man endlessly. Balta was beginning to make noises about going home, but he sure as shit wasn’t going.
AJ’s people were all starting to be wild around the eyes and Coke couldn’t get a damned thing done.
Missy was having a terrible time at the hospital, Mrs. Gardner was home at the big house, so all the Gardners were there instead of here at AJ’s.
Thank God for Tracy and Brenda, who could run the house like a military operation. Dillon pitched in all over, too, making things all civilized. All Coke had to do was keep the bassets out of trouble.
Nattie caught him out in the back of the barn and offered him a cigarette, which he waved off. “I’m good.”
“You need to go home, Hoss. We all do. We’ve helped.”
“I cain’t, Nattie. Leastways not until the babies are born. No sense getting Jase on bulls in his weather.”
“Hoss, ain’t no sense in much right now. Everything is fucked.”
“No shit on that.” He hated feeling like he’d lost hold of the rope.
“We should go have a beer and play some pool somewhere. Get our perspective back.”
“God, yes. I’m in, Nattie. I just want to breathe some.” He loved these people, loved them dearly, but his world was getting heavy.
“Let me tell the lady where we’re going. You gonna text Dillweed?”
“I’ll call him.” He grabbed his phone and dialed, waiting for Dillon to answer.
“Hello, Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.” Dillon was obsessed with Peanuts right now because of Benji, who thought Snoopy was the best. Crazy man.
“Hello, you nut. I’m going on a drive with Nattie. You need anything while we’re out?”
“Uh. ChapStick. Also? A Payday bar.”
“You got it. See you in a bit, cowboy.” He did love that beautiful bastard.
“Have fun, babe.” Dillon chuckled. “No fighting.”
“You have my word.”
“Then we’re golden. Love you.”
“Love you too.” More than anything.
Nate waved at him from the truck and he jogged over. He needed to get out and about. Stir crazy. That was what people called what he had. And he had it bad.
“Where to, Hoss? You know the area better than me.”
“There’s a pool hall down the way. It’s not a dry county, so we’re golden.”
“Better than a bowling alley. Remember that weird little town in Colorado?” Nate chuckled dryly.
“Shit, Nattie, you remember the bar in New York?” That one was imprinted on his brain indelibly.
Nate hooted. “Oh, God. Telling Jason Scott he couldn’t wear a gimme cap because it was a gang symbol.”
“Yeah, he expressed his position on both the dress code and the suggestion that he was in a gang real clear.” Like with both fists.
“You remember how Beau threw in and broke faces? That was before they got weird.”
“Yeah, they worked some of that shit out, I think, sorta.” He thought. The Cajun was a good’un. One of the best of them. Beau had to stop being young and stupid and Jase was still sowing wild oats back then. Two different places in life.
Coke had never been that young.
He looked out the window, letting that thought go. He had enough regrets.
Nate pulled into the empty lot of the pool place, the neon open sign blinking madly.
“Let’s go shoot some pool, Nattie.” Hell, he really just wanted the beer.
“You got it, Hoss. I’ll even buy the first round.” Nate grinned and hopped out of the truck, then headed inside. Sometimes it was good to have such an uncomplicated best friend.
Shit, sometimes? He gave thanks for Nattie every day.