"Farms," I said, leaning back so they could both see the screen. "I figure five bedrooms, three hundred acres, a horse barn, cattle barn, chicken coop, pool, fenced yard, and gated drive? I mean, something kinda like this?" And I clicked on the place that had caught my eye a minute ago.
"Shit," Cody breathed as the pictures came up. "J.D., that's not a farm."
"It's a working cattle farm," I assured her. "And since you ain't gonna be growing beef, means we don't need to make it all functional, right?"
"How much?" Tanner asked.
I chuckled, scrolling so the price wasn't visible. "It's in my range. It's also a bit further out, which makes it cheaper."
"Twelve?" Cody guessed.
I shot her a warning look. "I'm not buying now! I was just curious about how expensive it'd be, and I'm not made for renovations, rookie."
"I am," she teased. "I know how to change a faucet, paint, and fix up what Dad breaks."
"She can handle the house," Tanner said. "I'll deal with the engines. And you, J.D.? What good are you going to be in this operation?"
"Well, I figure I'll be the mascot as I wheel around in my wheelchair." And I nudged his side. "Shit, I'll learn. I might be real pretty, but I'm not useless."
"He's buying it," Cody pointed out. "That means-"
The sound of Tanner's phone ringing cut her off. Rolling his eyes, he reached into his pocket to pull it out, then did a double take. I'd expected him to silence it, but he was swiping real fast, lifting it to his ear.
"Yeah, this is Tanner?" There was a pause. "Max?"
"It's Max?" I asked, leaning to see if I could catch a glimpse of the number on the screen by his cheek.
"Hang on," Tanner told him, then lowered the phone and put it on speaker. "It's all three of us now, Max."
"Hey, J.D.!" Max said. "Cody. Are all of you resting up for Nashville?"
"Yup," I said. "Why you calling Tanner, Max?"
"Because I needed to talk to him. Look, I'm going to be in Nashville Sunday night. I was wondering if we can get the rest of your team there this weekend? Jorge and Isaac, I mean. I wanted to sign contracts with them and go over a few options."
"This weekend?" Tanner asked. "That's a bit short notice to drive there, and kinda pricey to get a flight."
"I'm buying the tickets," Max assured him. "Normally, I'd go to them, but since the three of you are a group, it makes more sense to get everyone together so we can make sure we're on the same page."
"Uh, yeah," Tanner said. "Hey, call back on J.D.'s phone-"
"Cody's," I broke in. "Mine's in the other room. She's got hers."
"So I can text them," Tanner finished.
"Ok, I'll call right back," Max said - and hung up.
So Cody pulled her phone from her back pocket and waited. Tanner was already swiping at his and typing fast. He looked focused too. Thankfully, it didn't take long before Cody's phone buzzed.
"Hey, Max," she answered, putting him on speaker.
"Ok," Max said. "Tanner, I've got some options that will get your team a little money to hold them over. I'm pushing for some others that might work better. Either way, we all need to be in the same room so we can talk it out. If they can, I think I can get both of them to Nashville Sunday afternoon."
"Like, in a few days?" Cody asked. "Or next Sunday, at the end of the event?"
"No, this one," Max clarified. "I'm also pushing the PBR to get Tanner back. My hope is that when the other riders start showing up, having the main team of bullfighters around will get the PBR fired up even more."
"I like it," I said. "Besides, we miss those guys."
