Page 16 of Leading the Blind
“Among other things.” She chuckled. “May I sit?”
“Absolutely.” Dillon was up to something. Jason could hear it.
“Thanks. Man, I could use a cup of coffee.” A chair scraped back. “Thanks, Dil.”
“You’re more than welcome, honey.” He could hear everyone pulling in tighter, drawing together.
That meant it was time to lower voices and have a come-to-Jesus moment. Bax was right there, right next to him, and he was fucking grateful for it. He needed to know that Bax was watching while he listened. Together they figured shit out but good. Separately, they were the kings of fucked-up-ness. That had always been the way, even before they were what they were now.
“Okay, so.” That was Emmy, and she sounded all business. “Dillon asked me to get a few things going.”
“Like what?” Bax asked.
“Earpieces. Dil’s going to be the dude who’s wired up, at least in the big show, but he’ll be able to give Jason here clear direction.”
“Why Dillon? Wouldn’t Bax be the smarter choice?” Jason asked.
“Bax is going to have to do his job up on the chutes. Dillon’s mic is off during the rides and he’s used to flipping back and forth. Andy will have to learn for the little shows, but you’re going to have to announce your intentions soon.” Gramps sounded worried, so he’d been hearing the same rumbles that Jason had.
Fuck a doodle do.
Jason swallowed hard. “I been winning too much to stay down. People are jawing.”
“You know it. We do this, we do it big and we take the whole purse.”
“You say ‘we’ like Jase has a mouse in his pocket, Gramps.” AJ sighed. “I mean, y’all know I got your back, but there’s gonna be hell to pay from the big guys. I got the ranch, but what about you, Dillweed? Emmy, you work for the lot of them. You talked to Cotton about this?”
“I have. He’s got a couple of good bloodlines going at the ranch. We’re good.” Emmy said it firmly. Solid.
Dillon snorted. “I have an ironclad contract, boys. If they break it, they owe me more than they pay me annually. I make a hell of a lot of money.”
“Gramps?”
“You couldn’t get rid of my happy ass, son. I’m in, all the way.”
Jason sat there, about as numb and honored as a blind man could be.
Bax laughed, the sound suspiciously watery. “Is this gonna distract Jase? I mean, what if Dillon shouts, and he jumps off or something?”
Dillon tsked. “Have some faith. I know when to shut up.”
“We’ll have to practice some. That’s this weekend, huh?” He swallowed hard, but he was willing and at least reasonably able.
“It is.” Someone touched his hand. He thought it was Emmy. “We’ll do a dry run here at the hotel. All clandestine and spy-like.” She giggled softly. “I rented us a conference room. Told them we were having a team-building exercise.”
“You’re evil, Em. I like it.” Dillon slapped the table. “When is Nattie in, Coke? We need him.”
“He’ll be here around noon. He’s picking up tacos.”
“Good man.” Tacos made every adventure easier.
“Mmm. Tacos.” Bax hummed.Always thinking with his stomach.
“So, we’ll meet in the conference room about noon, and we’ll work this out. The boss doesn’t show until tomorrow morning. It’s his lady’s birthday and they’re having a ‘spa day’.” Emmy couldn’t have sounded more wicked.
“Oh, man, someone needs to get pictures.” Dillon was positively gleeful.
Jason wasn’t a hundred percent sure he knew what a spa day was, but he knew that he didn’t want one, not with that tone of voice.
