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He grinned wide and held his arms out. “Then we traipse in to town. A bunch of handsome bastards with our shiny new cocks. It's like when the carnival comes through town. They all want to take a ride.”
“And yet you went home all alone.” Jeremiah tapped his chin, pretending to be puzzled. “Shocking with such foolproof logic like that.”
Liam waved his hand dismissively. “I wasn’t putting any energy into it last night. I was just out to get ossified.”
“Ossi-what?” Reece asked.
Liam looked around the table, and seeing everyone’s bland expression, he clarified. “Ossified. Ya know—pissed. Smashed. Shit-faced. Twisted. Banjo’d.”
“Banjo’d?” Isobel laughed. “Oh my God, that’s my new favorite word for getting drunk.”
Liam just grinned. “See, the accent gets ‘em every time. If I’d wanted to get me hole last night, it wouldn’t a been a problem.”
“Get your hole?” Isobel choked, doubling over.
“Some of us are trying to eat a nice meal here,” Nicholas said, glaring over at Liam.
“Hey, I’m just giving my public what they demand,” Liam said.
Nicholas finished his toast and stood up. “Well what you ought to be doing is eating. The Dodgers Yankees game starts at 4:00.”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Whatever will I do if I miss the first quarter of a bunch of fat-arsed men standing around waiting for a ball to be thrown at them.”
Nicholas was not amused. “They’re innings. And I’d like to see you say that to Clayton Kershaw’s face while he pitches a ninety-five mile per hour fastball at you.”
“Why would I do that,” Liam pushed his chair back and stood, grinning a disingenuous smile, “when I could spend the day living the glamorous life style shoveling horse shit?”
“Oh right,” Reece said after he finished chugging the rest of his orange juice. “It’s compost day.”
“One thing I never thought about when I dreamed of working a horse ranch,” Liam shook his head, cringing, “was just how much actual shite was involved.”
Isobel’s nose scrunched too. She’d learned from the last ‘compost day’ that whoever was on compost duty ended smelling like, well, shit. How could they not, after hours spent in the compost shed raking the stuff that was in the early stages to aerate it? The second part was better—they got to use the four wheelers to take the finished compost and spread it over the fields as fertilizer.
“Just another reason I was so glad to get the manny job,” Reece grinned. “Ya’ll have fun with that today. I’m gonna have a quick drive down to Colorado to stock up on my… herbal remedies.”
Isobel shook her head at him. Xavier and Mel apparently didn’t mind him lighting up a blunt every now and then as long as he did it out of the house and after the kids were in bed.
“That’s not legal here yet, is it?” she asked.
“No. It’s not.” Jeremiah’s voice was flat as he stared at his brother. “You know if you get stopped with that shit on you, you could spend up to a year in jail.”
“Relax, man. You’re so freakin’ stressed out all the time. When I get back, I can bake you some cookies that will totally chill you the fuck out,” Reece’s voice got all soft. The little shop I go to that’s right over the border has the best hybrid called Blue Dream and it will change your life man, I’m telling you—”
“Yeah, it’ll change your life,” Jeremiah said, still glaring. “When you get picked up by a state trooper watching for dumbasses like you who are obviously crossing the border to stock up.” Jeremiah reached out and tugged on a couple of Reece’s bleach-blond dread locks. “Could you say I’m here to buy weed any louder? At least put a fucking cap on.”
Reece jerked back from his brother and Isobel could see him losing his usually calm demeanor fast—something only his brother seemed to be able to provoke in him. “Why don’t you butt out of what’s none of your damn business? I’m sick of you always trying to run my life. You’re only older than me by three minutes, jackass.”
“Hey there. Okay.” Isobel jumped in between them and turned to Reece. “Where are Dean and Brent anyway? Why don’t you have them today?”
Reece’s face immediately softened. “Mel and Mr. Kent took the kids to visit his folks back east. Another month and she won’t be able to fly anymore.”
“Oh, right,” Isobel said. “She told me about it. Everything’s just been so busy, I forgot it was this weekend.”
“Well have fun with the compost.” She raised her bagel like she was the other guys who were getting up from the table. “I’ll be out to the stables in a little bit.”
“I’d say see you out there,” Jeremiah said, “but I’m pretty sure you won’t want to come within ten feet of us without a hazmat suit.”
***
