Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Bax loved the travel trailer. It took all the hotel pressure off them. No one would bother them at the campground, and the guys all hated the tiny space. Mini felt more comfortable too, and that relaxation suited Bax to the bone.
“You ready to stop for the night, Mini?” Bax glanced over at the passenger seat of the truck.
“I am, yeah. Where are we?”
“Uh. Somewhere outside of Tulsa.”
“Cool. Flat and green.” Mini’s eyes were open, following the shadows.
Bax turned back to the road. Trying to see if Jason actually noticed anything could make a man nuts. “Yeah. Weather’s pretty nice, too. We should grab a burger before we stop and have a little picnic.”
“Sounds good to me. I love springtime.”
Yeah. Bax smiled, happy he’d hit on the right thing. Mini could swing from one mood to another in seconds these days. It was a little like a video game.
Part of him—a real secret, damn near silent because Mini would kill him part—wondered if it wouldn’t have been good to get Jason some help, a head-shrinker, something. Wasn’t no way Jason Scott would see one of them doctors, but Bax could wish. And if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
“You’re awful quiet. You cool?” Oh, that one leg was starting to bounce. Someone was getting bored.
Good time to stop.
“I’m fine. Got to pee.” That was the truth.
“Me too.” Mini worked that little bent nail puzzle around and around, solving it, resetting it, solving it.
Time to find another one. Anything Jason could do by touch worked, and those puzzles were a staple of Cracker Barrels all over.
Bax liked to hold hands with Jason when they walked in the door. The looks were worth a fucking fortune.
He chuckled, which made Jason smile.
“So, we got Burger King, Jack in the Box and Popeyes.”
“Burger King… Oh, but Popeyes has the onion rings…”
“And the red beans and rice.” Mini would eat with a fork just fine when it was only them.
Jason nodded to him. “And the biscuits. We could get enough for breakfast.”
“We so could.” Some extra chicken fingers and packets of honey and they’d be better than Whataburger. “We’ll do that. Save our cereal for another day.”
“Cool.” Now Jason was simply beaming, his face turned up to the sun that was coming through the windows.
Score one for Bax. It made him stupidly happy, that grin. He reached over, put a hand on Mini’s leg, and Jason dropped one hand over his.
“Feels good.”
“Yeah?” They coasted to a stop at Popeyes. “You want to sit?”
“We’re going to take it for a picnic, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I better sit.”
Christ, Mini had to have a bladder that could hold a gallon. He’d go at the KOA, Bax reckoned.
“Okay. Back in a flash.” He squeezed Jason’s leg.
He hit the head then ordered a bunch—chicken fingers and onion rings and rice and beans and a dozen of those biscuits.
Bax got two iced teas and a Dr Pepper, then stopped to get mustard and honey.
They must think he was feeding an army, not the tiniest bull rider alive.
Bax shook his head. Mini had lost weight since they’d started training again.
Man never bulked up like he did. It wouldn’t matter, except the son of a bitch ate like a horse.
Bax tried not to have a jealous bone, but God knew he was gonna end up one of them cowboys who had to buy new Wranglers once a year because he outgrew ‘em.
Mini was gonna have to work on not fading away.
He grabbed all the bags so he could head back to the truck.
Mini was waiting, and some old cowboy was at the window, jabbering away. Mini was still, stiff around the fake smile.
“Hey, there. Anything I can do for you?” Bax asked, trying not to look like he was running.
“I was just talking to Mr. Scott here. I couldn’t believe it was him, but it was.”
“Yep. In the flesh. Andy Baxter, sir. Pleased to meet you.” He pushed the bags into the truck cab and Mini took them. “Take the drinks too, huh?”
“Sure. Sure, man.” There was a metric fuck-ton of stress in Jason’s voice.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Baxter. I saw you ride Buzzsaw in Oklahoma City.”
Bax let out a real laugh. “That was a heck of a ride.”
“Yessir. I thought you had your chickens scrambled for sure.”
“Well, we sure appreciate you watching the shows, sir.” Bax hoped the feller got the message.
“Are y’all heading to the bull riding in Tulsa?”
“We are. Just a small event, but you know Jason was hurt pretty bad.” He hated saying it, but a reminder to fans would give them time.
“I know. I was there. Worried us all bad. We’re glad to see you coming back.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jason clutched the bags of food like a drowning man.
“Well, I’ll let you boys eat.” The old guy slapped the side of the truck.
“Have a good one,” Bax said before climbing into the cab. “You need to roll up the window, Mi-Jase.”
“My hands are full. Can you just drive, please?”
“Sure.” He got the wheels moving. “You did great.”
“Yeah?”
Mini relaxed at his words.
“He had no clue.” Bax chuckled. “Good thing I got there before he asked you to sign anything.”
“No shit on that. I thought it was you knocking.” Jason swallowed hard, shook his head. “I just… Damn.”
“It’s bound to happen.” A lot…and Bax knew it. “Better one feller than twenty.”
“Yeah. I got this.”
Which was a lie and they both knew it, but what was he going to say? He just grunted. Then he found a place to pull off so they could eat. It would be cold before they got to the campground.
He took the bags from Jason and started getting stuff out. “You want ranch for the onion rings?”
“Nah. Plain is fine.”
“Okay. But I got some, and I’ll have it open if you want any.” He had one of those glove box trays that had a drink holder and all, that Jase could fold down. AJ’s buddy from high school, Carter Mason, did car detailing, so it had been easy-peasy.
Jason found the food with his fingers and ate a couple of onion rings without a fucking word.
He tried not to sigh. Jason had been so excited about Popeyes. Now he was wigged out.
God, what the fuck were they doing? What the fuck was he thinking, letting Pharris convince Jason that he could do this?
“I’m okay, Bax.” Jason reached over and touched his wrist, his fingers a little greasy. Offering him comfort, and didn’t that make him feel guilty as hell? “Just wore out. It ain’t no thing.”
“We’re about to go rest.” He opened the box of chicken. “Here, Mini. Have a bite.” Bax would get out a biscuit next.
“Is it going to be like this forever, you think?”
“Shut up and eat, Mini.” He didn’t have no more answers than anybody. He didn’t know. Maybe he needed to ask around, see what kind of training Jason was supposed to be having. Shit, who was he kidding? He’d have to google it.
Dear Google, How the fuck do I help a guy who’s trying to pretend he ain’t blind?
Right.
Fuck.
He nibbled a chicken finger. Might as well get them to the campground. “We’ll heat all this up, huh?”
“Yeah.” Jason carefully refolded the box of onion rings.
“You can have all you want. I was just kind of thinking we’d eat while it was hot, but we should get comfy.” Bax always felt like he had to overexplain, since Jase couldn’t see his face.
“You didn’t sign on for this, Bax. I know you didn’t.”
Bax got the wheels rolling again. “I was always yours.”
“Always is a long time.”
“Yep. Even when I didn’t admit it, I was yours.” Bax shrugged. “It’s just that simple.”
“Okay.” And there it was.
Whatever they had to figure, from fans to chicken fingers, Andy Baxter was all in.
They’d figure it out or they would go down in flames.
One way or the other, they’d be fine.
Once they stopped and he got in the trailer, Jason thought he could breathe. This was familiar, easy. He felt like he knew where he was, where everything was. Like he could eat.
Bax heated up the food in the little toaster oven, which got the crispy stuff crispy again. Yum. The biscuits and red beans went into the microwave.
“Smells good. Smells real good.” He pulled out paper plates and forks, then found the ranch in the mini fridge.
“It does, huh?” Bax sounded pretty happy, which was good.
He put the plates and stuff on the table, then went to the microwave and waited for the beep.
“You want some ranch now? I got butter out for the biscuits.”
“I want both. I got the ranch already.”
“Well, look at you,” Bax teased. “All efficient.”
“Shut up, you butthead.”
He laughed though, didn’t he?
“Mmm. Make me.” Bax swung him around, the tiny space in the trailer leaving him nowhere to go. He let it happen, knowing that Bax had him. All he had to do was keep his eyes open.
Bax kissed him, really letting him feel it. Oh. Oh, hello. He blinked, trying to catch a glimpse, something.
“Hey, just relax, Mini.”
“I am. I want to see you kiss me.”
“I want that, too. So bad.” Bax rested their foreheads together.
“I want another kiss worse.”
“That I can do.” Bax kissed him until his ears rang, and he held on, begging for one more, another. More. The damn food could wait again. “You hungry, Mini?”
“Uh-huh.” He was starving for Bax’s touch. He reached up to hold them together, to make sure Bax knew. “I got you.”
Jason pressed one leg between Bax’s thighs, rocking them together.
“Hell yes.” Bax was panting already, so hot off the mark, and Jason leaned in to take another of those wild kisses.
Bax rubbed on him, hard as hell through those starched jeans, so he worked one hand between them, squeezing hard.
“Oh.” Bax made a noise, hot as hell and twice as deep.
He wanted to hear that again. Needed to.
He needed to know he could make Bax wild.
If he couldn’t do anything else in this life, he could love this man to death.
“More, Mini. Please.” Bax sounded hoarse and needy. Perfect.
“All of it,” he promised, and he yanked at Bax’s buckle, his fingers tracing it. West Texas. He knew this one.
“That’s it.” Bax sucked in so he could undo the button and zipper.