Page 44 of Leading the Blind
“It can.” Every bit of him was Jason’s. Period.
“Good deal. You want to go down for breakfast? Go out? Order up?”
“Let’s order up.” Just to hide a little while longer. They could do that, right? The breakfast places at the host hotel were always like bear traps.
“Excellent. I want pancakes then.” Yeah, Mini never ordered messy food in public.
Bax felt so damn honored that Jason would get all sticky with him.
“Two sets of pancakes, two sets of sausage and two coffees?”
“Perfect.”
“Cool.” Bax called it in, chatting with the lady taking his order, whose name was Lilah, and she was about to get off work after the night shift and go babysit her grandkids.
Jason padded off to the bathroom, and Bax got lost for a second, just trying to figure out when he and Jason had started figuring this shit out—hotels and weird bathrooms and how to deal.
He would probably just sit down and cry, but his Mini counted steps and felt things and had learned so much. Dillon was good for that, always doing research online, making calls. The guy had a damn organized brain for a clown.
And Jase was determined, dammit. He wanted this. Bax wasn’t sure whatthiswas exactly, but that was okay.
Grinning, he shook his head. He’d always been a bit of a follower. He’d let Jason pick the path, then, by damn, he would do all he could to help make that path clear, even if it took a machete and a flamethrower.
Maybe that was why things were working now. Jason had always been the one in front, and when the accident had happened, he’d been thrust into the position of making the decisions.
Bax listened to the water run, stretching hard. His knee popped when he got up to grab some clothes so he could be dressed when the food came, and he grimaced. Man, he was becoming one of them old has-beens.
“Looking forward to heading to Momma’s, Bax? I sure am. I want to start searching for properties online with you.”
“I am.” The way Jason said that made his heart thunder. Living together. Like permanently. Buying their own damn land. Hoo-yeah.
Jason walked out, naked as a jaybird, then headed toward the window where his jeans and tighty-whities were on the chair.
Bax stared, because well, why wouldn’t he? The bruises on Jason’s back made him frown, because they were awfully close to the kidneys, but the rest? That was all smiles for Bax. “You ready to ride today?”
“I am. I’m more ready for my time off. I’m tender in the back. Not terrible, just tender.” Jase’s eyes lit up with laughter. “You know me. I’ll leave it in sports medicine.”
“I know.” Jason would get a bunch of attention from Doc’s assistant, who he thought Dillon had let in on the game, and he’d be right as rain in time for the ride.
Jason got dressed and started packing. They’d get on the road tonight, stop a few hours out and get there in the morning.
The knock came at the door, so Bax got the tray and left the tip, then set up breakfast. “Come on. Eat your gooey stuff.”
“I’m so in. Tell me when I can deal with the butter. Is it on top?”
“It is. Like a ball. One of those they make with the scoop. Just on the one.”
Jason found it with his fingers and slipped it in between, chuckling with mischief. “Ta da!”
“There you go. Syrup is to the top right in a creamer thing. The little metal ones. I moved the actual cream so you won’t mix them up.” He wanted to lick Jason’s fingers.
“Thanks, Bax.” Jason dipped his fingers in the syrup, playing with Andy.
He cleared his throat. “You’re a mean man, Jason Scott.”
“Wanna taste, Andy Baxter?”
“I do. Give me some sweet stuff, Mini.” He leaned, knowing Jason knew right where he was.
