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"You could with the right man," I pointed out. "Half these guys have a few kids at home."
"At someone's home," J.D. muttered.
"But Cody says she wants to buy a farm and raise cattle," I told him. "That was news to me."
"It's stupid," she insisted.
"Don't sound stupid," J.D. said. "What kinda cattle?"
"I dunno..." She shoved a bite of her meal into her mouth.
J.D. wasn't going to let her out of this so easily. "Like beef, dairy..."
"Bucking," Cody said softly.
I just laughed. "Yeah, I bet you could breed one hell of an impressive stock string. For some reason, that's perfect for you."
She looked over. "Yeah?" The expression on her face was almost timid, like she expected me to shoot her down.
"Well, you know what makes a good ride," I said. "You've got the experience to test them yourself if you want. So yeah. I think you'd be damned good at breeding bucking bulls. I also have a feeling you'll get a few connections to get your stock where you want 'em."
She was starting to smile. "I just figured cutting hay and riding bulls is all I know, so it makes sense to put it together like that."
"I'd be damned happy working cattle as an old man," J.D. said. "What about you, Tanner?"
"Not in Iowa," I decided. "Anywhere else, and yes. I just can't imagine it. I grew up in a pretty decently big city. Living in the country? That sounds like one of those dreams that's out of my price range."
"I think we should do it," J.D. decided. "The three of us, when we get sick of this shit. We should buy a farm together. Like, a fuckin' big one. Raise some weed behind the house, some cattle in the back forty, and have a pool."
"A pool?" I asked.
J.D. nodded. "So Cody will wear a bikini."
"Definitely a pool," I agreed, liking this daydream. "Hot tub, too."
"Oh, hell yeah," J.D. agreed.
"And a kitchen where Tanner will cook for our dumb asses," Cody said. "I mean, I might help too, but a big one."
"Porch swing," I added. "We'd have to have one of those."
J.D. leaned back in his chair. "Out in Tennessee, so I can see my momma."
"I'm good with Tennessee," Cody said. "Never been there, but Nashville sounds like fun with all the country music."
"Hell, Nashville's a piece of shit," J.D. said. "It's real nice where the tourists go, and real shit where the poor folks live. Like gangs and shit." He pushed his container away. "That's how I got into this, ya know. Was lookin' at gettin' in a gang and my momma said no. She lost her shit, made us move, and put me in some of those community classes. One was for rodeo stuff."
"How old were you?" I asked.
J.D. chuckled. "Fourteen. Went out to this camp and they had like real horses and shit. Dude, I knew how to hotwire a car. I was workin' on gettin' a gun. Then, there I was lookin' at a horse with a saddle I was supposed to put on it, and I realized that maybe this was harder than the shit I'd been dealing with. Also made me wanna get it right."
"And damn, did you," Cody said.
"Fuck..." J.D. drawled. "Naw, I didn't get it right. But the first time I fell off the horse, I figured falling off the cows couldn't be worse. Shorter, right?"
"So you tried bull riding?"
"Steers," J.D. said, "but yeah. Hung on with both hands, stayed on, and couldn't stop grinning. Decided I was gonna be a real bull rider." Then he spread his arms. "And here I am."
