Chapter 6
Chapter Six
“AJ! You got any Cokes?” Bax loved AJ’s ranch. Even with all the kids and other assorted family members, it was a comfortable place, and the guest house was real nice. A break from hotels and RV living.
“In the fridge.” AJ was braiding one of the little girls’ hair, his fingers surprisingly nimble.
“Cool.” Andy grinned, making his way to the fridge. He was dry as a bone.
The house was full of family, just like always, and he welcomed the noise, the distractions.
They were fixin’ to have to talk about the big leagues, and Andy had to admit, he was worried.
Their plan had worked so far, but what if that was a fluke?
What if…the bulls on the big show were twenty times more powerful, the guys more competitive, the cameras—
This couldn’t work.
He popped the top on his Coke, then took a long swig. Oh, that burned good. There was nothing like that, nothing.
Coke came wandering in, nodding to him.
“Gramps? What the hell are you doing here?”
“Came to talk to Jason on my way home. AJ says there’s Cokes?”
“In the fridge.” He rolled the bottle against his neck. “Mexican Coke, even.”
“Any Dr Pepper?”
“Here, Unca Poppy.” Benji trotted to the fridge, AJ’s oldest always willing to help Coke out.
“Thank you, son. You are a good kid.” Coke smiled at Benji and took the can with a smile.
“I try.” Benji gave Coke an adoring smile, and Coke ruffled the kid’s hair.
“You doing okay, Andy? You look pinched.”
Bax spread his hands, looking for answers. “How are we gonna do this, Gramps? I ‘bout died when Ace caught Jason up at the show.”
“We’re gonna brazen it out like the whores we are. I can’t think of anything else to do.”
Bax chuckled. “I guess so. Lord, lord.”
Gramps winked at him. “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
“Uh, we could get sued.”
“For what? No one’s asked us if he was blind.”
“No, but ain’t we endangering—”
“Who? All us bullfighters and the gate pullers are in on it.” Coke snorted. “Jason ain’t being forced. What they gonna do?”
“I dunno. I’m scared he’ll get hurt again.” There it was. The worst that could happen.
“He could.”
And that was that, right? It was what their kind did, got hurt.
Coke shrugged. “He needs this, son.”
“I know. I’m hanging on, Gramps.”
“That’s all we can do. We got to make this happen. Jase is getting twitchy.”
“He is,” Bax agreed. “He’s wanting to get on to the realities of his life.”
“Then we finish this chapter up.”
“Right.” He grabbed Gramps’ arm. “Thanks. I mean it.”
“Sure, Andy. We’ll manage. Where’s Jase?”
“Sitting in the quiet.” The kids could wig Jason out fast. All but Benji. Mini loved that little boy and had the patience of a saint with him. It was bizarre.
“Unca Jason?” Benji clapped his hands. “I’ll take him a Coke.”
“He would love that, I bet.” Jason would never send Benj away.
“Okay. I’ll be careful.” Benji pulled out another Dr Pepper and walked off, his face a study in concentration.
Coke watched Benji with a soft smile, then turned to Andy. “Once it comes out, it’ll fall apart fast, but until that happens, we just keep praying.”
“Got it.” God knew he could pray. He had Jason-shaped calluses on his knees.
“You two look too serious, eh?” Dillon came bebopping over.
“Do I?” Coke wrapped one hand around Dillon’s waist.
“You do.” Dillon beamed, then nodded at him. “Jason did good at the event. I was pleased. He’s smarter than he looks.”
Bax snorted. “He’s smarter than me, for sure.”
“I ain’t smarter than no one,” Coke hummed, and the sound was familiar. Solid.
Dillon dug into Coke’s ribs. “You’re just as smart as you need to be.”
“You’re Coke Pharris. You just are, man.” No one would ever be Gramps. No one.
Coke chuckled. “Whatever that means. Okay, y’all get rest tonight. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Sure. Sure, you going to hang out then?”
“We’re going to pick up a bill of groceries. I’ll get a couple briskets.”
“Ooooeee.” He made the Beau Lafitte noise, just because that was what Beau would say to brisket.
“Very nice. Y’all have something for supper?”
“Uh.” They probably had a box of mac and cheese.
“You want we should grab y’all tacos and drop ‘em off?”
“Thank you. That would be great, man.” He handed Coke a few bills. “Can you bring us some Cokes?”
“What kind? Dr Pepper?”
“Yeah.”
“Got it.” Dillon plucked the money from Coke’s hand. “We’ll be back.”
“Good deal. I appreciate it.” He headed off, hunting his man. He found Jason on the back porch in a rocker, Benji in his lap, along with the twins in a carrier at his feet.
“Hey, you,” Jason said softly.
“Heard me coming, huh?”
“Always.”
The single word made the pit of his belly ache.
“You got roped into babysitting?”
“I told them I’d sit here while they were changing the babies’ beds and stuff. Apparently there was drama.”
“Ah.” He sank down in a chair next to Mini. “Coke and Dill are getting tacos.”
“Rock on. Crispy beef?”
“No, soft chicken,” he teased. “You know I got your back.”
“You do. You so do.” Jason grinned at him. “I got me a Benji.”
“He’s pooped, huh? All the excitement.” Poor kid tired out fast—maybe faster than he used to.
“I guess? He might be getting a cold. He has a little wheeze.”
“Aw, man. You better tell Missy.” With Benj, colds could be bad.
“Yeah, when I see her.” Jason grinned in his direction again, looking happy as a pig in slop.
“Ha ha. You’re so funny.” He did laugh, though, because he had to. “Coke wants to powwow in the a.m., but he’s giving us tonight off.”
“Well, thank God for favors, large and small.”
Ooh, Mini was a little snippy now.
“You want me to tell him no?” Bax would, even if they did need to strategize.
“No. No, I just… I’m just being a bitch. No worries.”
“You know I will. Hell, Dillon might call it off for a few days. Gramps is tired.” Bax could see it in every inch of the man. The weight of the world was on him.
“We’ll see. Dill is good for him. Keeps him in line.” Jason rocked Benji slowly.
Bax sat on the porch steps, looking at the babies. “You ever want any?”
“Any what? Clowns?”
“No. God. Kids, Mini. Did you ever think on it?”
Jason shook his head. “Nope. I only ever thought about you.”
He had to smile at that. “Took us long enough.”
“It did. Took me damn near dying.”
He reached over to put his hand on Jason’s arm. “We had shit timing, but I got you now.” They had this conversation a lot, but he wasn’t gonna complain. They both needed reassurance right now.
“And you’re fixin’ to keep me.”
“I so am. You think you’ll get a dog?” He meant a seeing-eye one, but kept it neutral in case someone was nearby.
“I think so. I want to. I want to be useful, you know? I mean, shit, Bax. I ain’t got no skills.”
“Sure you do, Mini.” Most of them required a man to see, but they had people to help teach Jason. Bax had looked it up online.
“You heard of many blind ranchers?”
“Nope, but that don’t mean nothin’. People lie all the time.”
“True, that. We’ll reckon it, one way or the ‘tother.”
“We always do.” Lovers or not, they’d been two heads better than one for years. Neither one of them was worth a plug nickel alone.
Jason beamed at him. “Yessir, we do.”
Benji stirred. “Unca Jason? Did I sleeps on you?”
“You did, man! We napped together.”
“Oh, good! Momma might yell, though. Naps this late make me stay up.”
Jason chuckled softly and hugged Benji. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“Okay. Are you hungry? I saved you a bag of Ruffles.”
“You know how I feel about my chips, little man.”
“I’ll go get them!” Benji eased off Jason’s lap. He was always so careful.
“Lord have mercy. The babies okay, Bax?”
“Sleeping the sleep of the righteous.”
“What do they look like?”
“Babies.”
“Bax!” Jason laughed, though, and he didn’t elaborate, because it was true. They were baby-shaped. Babies all looked like soft old men without the wrinkles. It was weird.
AJ came out with a grin. “Y’all rock. Thank you for watching them.”
“Hey, no problem. Not like they could crawl away.”
Bax chuckled at Jason’s words.
“Soon. So damn soon.” AJ sighed. “They might not be able to say what they need, but man, they’re not mobile. So much easier.”
“You have to be used to it now, though. Right?”
“Practiced, yeah. Used to? No. The new ones always have something to teach you, I promise.”
“Huh. Like dogs or horses?” Bax could see that. All baby animals had to be the same, right?
“Andy Baxter, my babies are not like horses.” Missy’s lips were tight, and she was glaring, but he thought she was playing.
“Oh, I dunno. They get to where they run around like foals eventually.” He winked at her through the gloom.
“Butthead men. Thanks for watching the babies, Jase. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime, Missy. They just sat there.”
“Still did me a world of good. You two hanging out until Fearless returns with the tacos?”
“We’re gonna go to the house and rest. I need a shower.” Jase stood, sounding sure as shit.
Bax rose as well. “Thanks for letting us stay, huh?”
Missy snorted and waved them off while AJ chuckled. “See you tomorrow.”
Jason knew the way, picking along steadily, and no one would know in the half-light that he wasn’t just being careful not to trip.
Pride swelled in Bax’s chest. Jason was a freakin’ miracle. He really was.
“So…you really want a nap?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“A shower?” Bax needed a roadmap here.
“Mmhmm.” Oh. Oh, okay. That was a hungry little sound…
Shower together then. With benefits. Woohoo.
He stepped a little closer, wanting to see the half smile he knew was on Mini’s face. “I might be a little dirty myself.”
“Only a little?”
“Well, you know, how are you gonna see the dirt?” Bax looped an arm around that lean waist.
“I’m willing to scrub you down, check you out, up close.”
“Maybe make sure I smell good?” God, he loved this game.
“Make sure you taste right.”
Oh fuck. His body tightened, his cock giving a little jerk of happiness. They both moved faster, stumbling to the guest house, which was huge compared to their trailer or a hotel. “In, Mini. I want you.”