Page 4 of Leading the Blind
Chapter Two
Bax loved the travel trailer. It took all the hotel pressure off them. No one would bother them at the campground, and the guys all hated the tiny space. Mini felt more comfortable too, and that relaxation suited Bax to the bone.
“You ready to stop for the night, Mini?” Bax glanced over at the passenger seat of the truck.
“I am, yeah. Where are we?”
“Uh. Somewhere outside of Tulsa.”
“Cool. Flat and green.” Mini’s eyes were open, following the shadows.
Bax turned back to the road. Trying to see if Jason actually noticed anything could make a man nuts. “Yeah. Weather’s pretty nice, too. We should grab a burger before we stop and have a little picnic.”
“Sounds good to me. I love springtime.”
Yeah. Bax smiled, happy he’d hit on the right thing. Mini could swing from one mood to another in seconds these days. It was a little like a video game.
Part of him—a real secret, damn near silent because Mini would kill him part—wondered if it wouldn’t have been good to get Jason some help, a head-shrinker, something. Wasn’t no wayJason Scott would see one of them doctors, but Bax could wish. And if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
“You’re awful quiet. You cool?” Oh, that one leg was starting to bounce. Someone was getting bored.
Good time to stop.
“I’m fine. Got to pee.” That was the truth.
“Me too.” Mini worked that little bent nail puzzle around and around, solving it, resetting it, solving it.Time to find another one. Anything Jason could do by touch worked, and those puzzles were a staple of Cracker Barrels all over. Bax liked to hold hands with Jason when they walked in the door. The looks were worth a fucking fortune.
He chuckled, which made Jason smile.
“So, we got Burger King, Jack in the Box and Popeyes.”
“Burger King… Oh, but Popeyes has the onion rings…”
“And the red beans and rice.” Mini would eat with a fork just fine when it was only them.
Jason nodded to him. “And the biscuits. We could get enough for breakfast.”
“We so could.” Some extra chicken fingers and packets of honey and they’d be better than Whataburger. “We’ll do that. Save our cereal for another day.”
“Cool.” Now Jason was simply beaming, his face turned up to the sun that was coming through the windows.
Score one for Bax. It made him stupidly happy, that grin. He reached over, put a hand on Mini’s leg, and Jason dropped one hand over his.
“Feels good.”
“Yeah?” They coasted to a stop at Popeyes. “You want to sit?”
“We’re going to take it for a picnic, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I better sit.”
Christ, Mini had to have a bladder that could hold a gallon. He’d go at the KOA, Bax reckoned.
“Okay. Back in a flash.” He squeezed Jason’s leg.
He hit the head then ordered a bunch—chicken fingers and onion rings and rice and beans and a dozen of those biscuits. Bax got two iced teas and a Dr Pepper, then stopped to get mustard and honey. They must think he was feeding an army, not the tiniest bull rider alive. Bax shook his head. Mini had lost weight since they’d started training again. Man never bulked up like he did. It wouldn’t matter, except the son of a bitch ate like a horse. Bax tried not to have a jealous bone, but God knew he was gonna end up one of them cowboys who had to buy new Wranglers once a year because he outgrew ‘em. Mini was gonna have to work on not fading away.
