“You just want to go fishing. Still…I like the shrimp down there, and it’s not a bad drive.”
Oh Lord, please don’t let Jack and Momma buy the house next door.
“Just get something with a good guest suite,” Momma said primly.Oh, whew. Good deal.
“We’ll make sure,” Bax agreed.
“You’re good boys. I’m going to see if it’s supposed to rain today.” Getting rid of Jack was easy.
“Mmm.” Jason made that noncommittal noise all ranch people made about the weather and eased his fingers over the table to find his Coke.
“You want anything to eat, son?” Momma asked. “Andy?”
“Don’t get up,” Bax said. “We can nibble until it’s time to have… What time is it, for heaven’s sake?”
“Damn near three. Y’all made good time.”
“We left last night, spent the night in a motel.” And fucked like bunnies on the squeaky mattress. That had been fun.
“Lord. Did you check for bedbugs?”
“Yes, ma’am. Clean as a whistle.” Bax touched his shoulder. “Crackers and cheese, Mini.”
“Thank you.” Oh, there was something about the smell of cheese. Nothing else smelled like that, even though lots of things smelled like it. It was also easy to eat. Finger food. Even in front of his mom, who had seen him rolling in his own poop when he was a baby, Jason was self-conscious.
That was one of the first things—learning from folks as soon as he could. He didn’t want to have to hide no more.
There were even schools, and a cowboy had his pride, but Jason wouldn’t spit in nobody’s eye if they could teach him not to be worthless as tits on a boar hog.
He had to be Bax’s partner in all this, not a layabout.
They chatted with Momma and noshed, but soon enough he was nodding a little, all the travel and his broken wrist catching up with him.
“Hey. Momma slipped out with orders to go take a nap,” Bax said, hand back on his shoulder. “Wanna?”
“Uh-huh.” He headed back without thinking. Between Bax’s hand and the years he’d stumbled from the kitchen back to bed, he never even hesitated.
“Bed’s already turned down.” Bax sat him down and tugged off his boots a few moments later.
“I’m all babyheaded, man.” And that was no lie.
“Been a long couple of days.” Bax crawled into bed with him after a little shuffling. “You did it, though.”
“We did. Thank you. I can’t imagine doing it without you.”
Bax kissed his chin. “I wouldn’t do it for anyone but you, Mini. I love you fierce.”
“I know.” Jason never doubted it. Not for a second.
“Mmm.” Bax wrapped around him. “You think we’re selfish, wanting to go to the beach?”
“No. We want to do it, so we should.” Bull riding had asked a lot of him.
“Okay. I just wanted to make sure. Momma looked shocked.” Bax’s breath stirred the tiny hairs on his neck.
“She doesn’t think that I would ever leave, not now.”
“She don’t know you like I do…as an adult.” Bax had a point. He’d always be a kid to Momma. That was the way of it.
