Page 53 of Leading the Blind
“Smart man.” Bax sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes as he tugged his hat back.
This he could get used to.
Chapter Thirteen
The plan was to get in the truck, run down to Corpus, look at the place—so to speak—spend the night in a hotel, and run back to Momma’s.
Bax was in a great mood, and so, by extension, was Jason, both of them excited to maybe do this.
The radio was on, they had the windows down and Bax was singing, which was pretty nice, actually. Jason felt freer than he had in ages.
Bax was excited. Jason could hear it in his voice, in the songs and the random chatter and the frequent laughter. He knew Bax had put down some money to keep them in the race for this place, but he hoped there wouldn’t be any long, drawn-out bidding war.
If they liked it, they’d just buy it.
Cash tended to speak.
“You said this place had stairs?”
“Yeah, it’s on stilts for hurricanes and all. That worry you?”
“Nah, we’ll figure it.” Hurricanes and storms were part of living near the coast, just like tornadoes came with East Texas and sandstorms and floods came with West and Central Texas. “This whole state will try to kill you somehow, huh?”
Bax hooted. “True enough. Just trading one thing for another.”
He just wanted to be able to hear the water when he was sleeping. The waves would soothe his soul, he knew it, and he wasn’t that much of a philosophical man.
“Maybe we ought to get a little place in the mountains, too,” Bax mused, sounding almost drunk with the possibilities.
“Yeah? We could do that, something little to enjoy in the summertime.” They might have to save for that, given that he wasn’t sure what all he was going to do for money once the riding was done…
“Yeah. I mean, we’d need to do improvements on the main house and all first, but I still got those sponsorships, and that home improvement place wants me to do some commercials.” Bax took a deep breath. “They’re offering five hundred thousand for three, Mini. They say I got credibility.”
“Go for it, man. Dillon says there’ll be a book deal, a movie deal, lots of interviews and all, once the shit hits the fan—and that will bring money too.”
“Cool. I just need to make sure they can schedule it when you’re not at the show.” Bax touched his leg, which was bouncing and he hadn’t even known it until then. “You nervous or excited?”
“Excited, more than anything.” He felt a little like he was at a precipice, standing there at the edge of a whole new thing, and he intended to jump, dammit.
“Me too. Hopefully it doesn’t smell like beans or old farts.”
Jason hooted, Bax’s words making his chest tightness ease.
“We’ll just spray Febreze.” God knew they carried it everywhere, just in case. “So it’s two stories, on stilts, balconies all facing the water.”
“Yeah. Mother-in-law’s suite, master up with the bathrooms. Downstairs there’s two little bedrooms and a kitchen-front room deal. A big one.”
“That’ll be great when everyone comes. We’ll need us one of them outdoor kitchens like Coke put in. Everyone from Gramps to Balta and Beau and Sam will want to cook for us.” Jason knew they needed that and a hot tub. They could do some bubbling, him and Bax.
Poor Bax had that damn arthritis in his knees, and God knew what all else Jason was gonna break before this was all over. Like they all said… It wasn’tifyou got hurt. It waswhen.
“We’re heading in. I can see the ocean. Can you smell it?”
Jason rolled down the window, inhaling deep. He could.Goddamn.“Yeah. Yeah, Bax. I so can.”
“That’s pretty cool. It’s a pretty day.” Bax was gearing right up. That voice all but vibrated.
“I can tell. The wind’s blowing, the sun’s out—and we’re here.” Together.
