Page 43 of Leading the Blind
“You’re such a homebody these days,” Jason teased.
“I got you. I don’t have to distract myself no more.”
Oh, that deserved a kiss. Damn. He pointed himself in Bax’s direction and puckered up, and he got just what he wanted. It was a damn fine day.
Hope was a dangerous drug, but he was high on it.
Chapter Ten
Bax woke up stiff as a board, but in a damn good mood. The last few weeks had been like a dream, Jason riding like the champ he was, the events going smooth as silk. He even liked the hotel, even if they were in North Carolina, where touching and shit had to be cut right off in any public area.
Even careful touching.
Jason was starting to feel the rides, bruises popping up here and there, the sports tape on one knee, the other shoulder. He sure hadn’t missed that.
A few people were starting to push too. Ace kept trying to get Jason cornered. It was like watching a very frustrated border collie when they thwarted the damn man.
Which, okay, was possibly more fun than color TV, especially when Dillon and Emmy got in on it. There was this delicate dance with them, where Coke and Balta were more like a polka band with lots of accordion.
Jase had ridden one of two, and it was Sunday again. Time for the short go.
Bax took a deep breath, then reached for Jase, wanting to get a little kiss in before it was time to get up and hit the strategy meeting with the guys.
“Mmm…can’t we just skip today?”
“Nope. If you place today, we can take a few events off, huh?” Bax had already talked to Coke about it. He wanted to not go up north for the next two events, where more people had cameras and only a handful of riders really got attention. Those Yankees took Jason’s lack of autograph sessions personally.
They needed to go see Momma, they needed to rest—and they needed to plan for the next leg of their life.
“The numbers make it work still?”
“They do. You’re chugging along. You get top four and we’re golden.”
“That’s what I want. Ace is pushing. He called twice last night.”
“Yeah.” Bax shook his head, then laughed when he realized Jase couldn’t see. “What are we gonna do about him?”
“Call him from Momma’s?”
“Now, there you go. Just tell him you never got the chance to catch up with him.” Jason was so much smarter than him.
“That way you, Momma or Jack can holler if I get in trouble.”
“We can.” Bax rubbed his hands up and down Jason’s back. He loved how Jason was taking control, grabbing onto the bull rope and hanging on.
That needed to be a trend. Jason was gonna have a lot to learn after this season.
Still, Andy approved of this new, confident, re-energized Jason. He wanted the man bad, in fact, but if they got busy, they would lose track of time.
And Jason was always hotter after a ride.
He grinned, his body liking that idea a lot.
Jason stretched, sliding against him. “You’re happy.”
“Yeah. I can wait.” He could. They probably needed a shower.
“It can be my reward for riding…or not riding. Either or.”
