“Sure, son. I can see that.” Coke patted his hand, starting to lead him down the slope he knew led to the pond. “If he don’t, though, and he finds out…”
Jason’s boots slipped a little and it was hard not to panic, not to toss and jerk like a balky mule. “Fuck. I can’t do this. I can’t even walk!”
“Stop.” Bax pulled him away from Coke, holding his arms, shaking him. “Did you ride the first calf you got on? No. You got to work at it a little at a time, Mini.”
“You try it. Shit, Bax. I gotta start all over at fucking everything!” Oh, it felt good to just holler.
“I know. I know, Jase. I’m fucking sorry for it, but I ain’t sorry you’re still here. ‘Sides, I ain’t walking no better. Could be it was me who made you slip.” One thumb rubbed against his cheek, Bax touching him, letting him know someone was there.
He nodded, took a deep fucking breath to calm himself down. He could smell the water.
Really.
Weird.
Coke cleared his throat. “So. We’ll have to go to AJ’s, start there. Get you on the barrel.”
“What are we going to tell Momma?” He could do a barrel blind. He could ride.
It was the rest that scared him.
“Well, I figure we’ll tell her AJ’s is more private. Or at least Coke will.” Bax’s chuckle had him smiling, too. Yeah, Momma was a lot more likely to believe Coke.
“AJ’s got that little mother-in-law house deal, too. You andBax can work on details without the whole world looking at you.”
Sometimes he thought Coke was a fucking genius.
“Come on, Jase. Walk with us.” Bax looped an arm through his, Coke holding the other side. They didn’t pull him, though. They let him pick his way. It got easier, once they hit level ground. He trusted them not to let him go flying and he finally relaxed, wandered a bit.
“There you go.” Coke sounded pleased as all get out.
It felt good, to stretch his legs, to be out in the sun again. Really good. Bax felt solid as a rock, even with the damned cast, which Bax was walking on more than he should. Coke was a little more gentle, but right there.
“We ought to swim,” Bax finally said, sounding relaxed and happy.
“Y’all go ahead. I bet the water’s great.” There was no way.
“Oh, no, son. Not without you.” God, Coke could convince a priest to take his collar off. “We’ll keep you afloat.”
“Coke. I don’t know.” Fuck, he couldn’t know where he was.
Bax squeezed his hand, fingers callused and firm. “The pond is just to our left. That big rock is almost right in front of you. We can put our clothes there.”
He was going to fucking freak out like a buckle bunny at a meet and greet.
“Mini.” Bax took his face between both hands, Coke fading away like a ghost off to his right. “Who do you trust? Who never lets you down?”
“That’s prob’ly cheating, man.” Still, he let Bax ease him down on the big rock, let Bax’s hands slide down his arms. “This is tough, Bax. I keep trying to cowboy up.”
“You’re doing great, Jase. I’d be freaking out.” His shirt got the same treatment, and if Coke wasn’t there it would be pretty hot.
“I kinda am. I mean, we were just swimming a few months ago…” He wrangled his belt undone, got his jeans open.
“Yeah. It’s?—”
A low noise cut the rest off, Bax moving, the sound of cloth rustling seeming loud. He heard a whoop and a splash, and he had to laugh. Looked like Coke liked to cannonball.
“That son of a bitch does know how to live.”
