Page 46 of Leading the Blind
“Tell me which way to go at the elevator. Hold my hand.” He flicked his fingers against Jason’s arm. He couldn’t just wink no more, but he liked being physical.
“Tell me which way to go? Drive me all around.”
Okay, this was getting less funny.
Bax hoisted up to lean over the table. “Kiss me some more, Mini. That’s my favorite.” He pressed his lips to Jason’s.
There was his smile again, just like the sun coming out.Good man.
“You just don’t let Gramps get to you.” Bax said. “You focus on riding.”
“You got it. I’m the cowboy with the plan…uh…boy.”
“Nice rhyme.” He laughed out loud, and they finished up breakfast just in time for the knock on the door. Bax checked them both to make sure they were presentable before going to let Coke in.
“Hey, y’all. How goes it?” Coke carried four coffees in a carrier. “Dillon’s on his way up.”
“Cool. Just finished up breakfast.”
Coke glanced at Bax, his eyebrows rising. Yeah, so he’d said they were getting dressed. Sue him. Gramps didn’t say a word though, which was good. It wasn’t none of anyone’s what they did.
The second knock came not much later, and Bax let Dillon in. The guy always had five times the energy of everyone else in the room.
“Hey, guys. We ready for a good show? This is the probably the last show Emmy’s going to have with us. That baby’s getting close.”
Jason chuckled softly. “At least Cotton’s here with her.”
“Yeah, knowing that kid’s luck, the pyrotechnics will startle the baby right out of her tonight,” Bax said.
“That would keep Ace off my ass, huh?” Jason sounded tickled to death.
“It would. How you gonna do that long term?” Gramps asked.
Jason shrugged. “Call him from Momma’s, like I told Bax. I cain’t stand there with him. He’ll know. He’s the smartest cowboy on earth, after Balta.”
Andy nodded. That was true, and Jase’s eyes moved like wild things, if he were honest. Ace thought it was damn rude to wear sunglasses when someone was talking to him too. “Smart or not, Ace’ll reckon Mini if he sees him.”
“Yeah.” Dillon sighed. “Okay, so you call him from home. We’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah. Bax figured out what all I need to do to win the championship. I can do it.”
Andy watched Coke blink. “You think so, son?”
“I got to, Gramps. I got to. I want to announce my retirement and go have my life.”
Coke’s face crumpled a little, but Bax knew he was proud. It showed in those gray eyes, shining bright. “Well, then, you got to share the math with me, Andy. So I can help.”
Dillon did a little dance step. “Ditto. I have an accountant brain. I can make a chart.”
Jason relaxed back against the headboard. “We’re gonna buy a house on the beach, and I want a dog.”
Dillon coughed, choking on his coffee until Coke slapped him on the back. “Sorry. Like a guide dog or a ranch dog?”
“A guide dog. I mean, ranch dogs too, but mainly a guide dog. I need to learn shit, and we’ll figure it, but we got us a plan, me and Bax.”
“Well, okay. That works for y’all.” Coke looked… Andy wasn’t sure. Was that bittersweet? It was less than tickled and more than sad. “Make sure you have a guest room. I like the beach.”
“Yeah. He likes to bake his bones. So are you gonna win, place or show today?” Dillon asked, changing the subject, which was probably fine.
