“Sure. He wants you up there too, you know.”
Yep, he sure did know. Jason was in his fucking corner, balls to bones. “I know. Love you, Momma. You want to talk to Mini again?” He sure wasn’t in the mood to discuss why he wasn’t riding so well.
“Nah, he already told me y’all were going to that Invitational up north. I’ll see you after, during the break.”
“Okay. Well, you keep rooting for us. We’ll see you then.”
They hung up, Bax tossing the little phone back to Jason. Man, it got quiet, but for the TV.
“I got us dessert—banana splits.” Well, now. There was an olive branch.
“Oh, you know I like those. They come with the strawberry stuff and the pineapple?” See him. See him stop snarling.
“Yep. Cherries and nuts, too.” They shared a grin, both of them twelve again, chuckling at the hovering bad joke.
“Well, there you go. What’s on CMT?” There didn’t look to be any good westerns or blow ‘em up movies on, and he didn’t want to set it up to watch momma’s.
“Dukes of Hazzard. Again.” Jason just rolled his eyes.
“Any bass fishing on?” He’d take that over some sissy reality show.
“I… Oh, dude. College rodeo.” The man was obsessed. Really. Unnatura?—
Shit, look at that roper go.
“We need to go to the roping pen during the break.” His roping hand was terrible, but he sure did love it.
“You know it. Those cutting horses need some work, too,if we’re going to round up the remuda and take ‘em to Fort Worth. I think them yellow ones will throw good foals.” Jason was always fucking looking for an angle.
“Sure. We can do that.” Hell, he was happy enough to hitch his wagon to Jason. Mini was way smarter than him. At least that was what Jason told him every day.
That had him grinning, the last of his mean bone dying down.
The food came then, and they got themselves well and truly settled—burgers and fries and salad and ice cream and beer. Oh. Better.
Bax kicked back, patting his belly. “I tell you what, it’s amazing what a little food will do.”
“You know it.” Jason leaned against the pillows, rolling his feet in circles.
“You stiff?” Okay, that sounded nasty, but he wouldn’t say no if Mini needed a massage.
“Just a little.” Jason grabbed one ankle, pulling and stretching.
Bax watched every move, his hands clenching and unclenching. “Want some help?”
“Sure.”
Now that was a special type of torture. The whole wanting to touch, getting to touch, but not in the way he wanted… Well. Yeah. He moved on over to Jason’s bed, letting his hands land on that one ankle, just resting there a moment to warm it up before he started work.
Man, that left ankle was tense, just a little swollen. Jason was going to have to watch that. “You need to wrap, Mini, ‘fore you tear something.”
“You think so? I hate the way that feels in the boot.”
“I know that.” He surely did get tired of hearing the bitching. But that was better than snapping something and missing thefinals.
Jason rumbled a little, sat up. “Did I piss in your Wheaties somehow, man? You’ve been hunting my ass since we left the arena.”
“Huh?” His head snapped up, his eyes meeting Jason’s. “No. I mean… I’m just punchy, okay? And you’re in range.”
