Page 67 of Leading the Blind
“What’s funny?” he asked.
“We were talking about inviting Beau and Sam out after the season’s over, going deep-sea fishing and the six of us goofing off for a couple weeks.” Jason grinned at him, and he found himself responding to that smile, all the way.
Bax moved to Jason’s side like they were attached by one of their ropes and Jason was pulling. “I’d like that. I bet they would too.”
“You look as happy as a dog with two tails, Andy Baxter.” Coke plopped down in a rocker with a grin. “Damn, y’all. This is a good place.”
“It is, huh? You need a pillow, Gramps?” He knew Coke liked one for his neck.
“I got it.” Dillon handed Coke one of them travel pillows, and he popped it around behind his head. Now that was a fine thing. He wondered if they made ones like that to go around a bum knee.
He bet they did. Folks made all sorts of shit nowadays.
“So are you going to run cattle on the land?” Coke asked. “Is it real marshy?”
“It needs some clean fill dirt for horses, so I bet we might run a few head for the taxes, but that’s it. We talked some about goats.”
Dillon clapped his hands. “I love goats.”
“Of course you do,” Jason said, laughing. “You’re a clown.”
Dillon drummed on the arm of his rocker. “Bingo.”
“I’m going to get dogs.” Jason had that determined face that Bax was seeing, more and more often. “And I’m going to figure all this out.”
“Sure you are, son.” Gramps nodded like Jase could see him. “I have no doubts.”
“Thanks.” Jason relaxed a little. “I keep thinking that I ain’t gonna be worthless as a bag of wet mice. I’m gonna earn my keep somehow.”
“Well, we’re going to get you a movie deal, man, and a book deal.” Dillon always sounded so sure. “Once this is done, you watch and see.”
“Yeah. Well, that will be all fine and shit, but I have to be good to help around here. And maybe do signings at rodeos and stuff. Ace might never let me come back to the show to do them, but the smaller venues will.”
Bax was so damn proud of Jason for not giving up.
“The sponsors dictate who comes, Jase, just remember that.” Dillon chuckled, and the clown’s expression was pure evil. “You don’t stress that. Once the finals are over, you’ll have this in the bag. I’ll help.”
“So will I,” Coke said. “You know that.”
“I do. Y’all are good friends—y’all, Beau and Sam, AJ and Missy. Even Emmy and Cotton. That girl have the baby yet?”
“No!” Dillon’s eyes went wide. “She’s the size of a tank.”
Coke snorted. “And you know, Cotton is tiny. My bet is she’s having twins.”
“I can’t imagine.” Bax wasn’t the baby type. Jason was great with kids, and he loved Aje’s brood, but…
“Not looking to adopt a posse, Andy?” Dillon teased, and he flipped the bastard off.
Jason, though, he snorted. “No. If we want to visit kids, we have AJ’s place. He’s always looking for help, and we can get our fill.”
“And Emmy and Cotton will have more,” Bax said, relieved. “Among others. They’ll all start to settle down sooner or later.” Just like him and Jase, he reckoned. Sam and Beau. Even Balta was spending more time at home.
“That’s how it works.” Jason surprised him with the words. “It ain’t like we got these huge, long careers. I mean, the bullfighters do better than the riders, and the clown? Well, I guess you can work forever, but this is a kids’ game. I had another three years in me? Maybe? And that was if I didn’t get all hurt in some other way. Let the young guys do it. I want to be someone else now.”
Bax found himself nodding, and Coke actually kinda looked…maybe relieved. “Yessir. It’s not if you get hurt.”
“It’s when,” they all finished.
