“Sure he does. We should be so spry. Come on, Mini. Let’s live a little.” Strong fingers slid down his arm, palm pressed to his as Bax took his hand. “Slow and easy.”
It was fucking different—the mud felt slicker, the water colder. The sounds were different here, bouncing off the pond and caught by the wind. He held on to Bax’s hand, trusted that Bax wouldn’t let him fall.
“Look at you,” Coke said. “Way to go, boy.” One big hand clapped him on the back, then he could feel the water slap his side as Coke took off swimming.
“I don’t like this, Bax. Not one bit.”
“You love to swim.” Bax pulled him into the water, stopped them both out where it lapped at his chest. “I got you, Mini. I’m right here. Not gonna let go. Just float a minute, like you’re just closing your eyes on a normal day.”
Okay. Okay, he could do that. He’d done that. He closed his eyes, let himself relax. Float. Breathe.
“That’s it.” Moving right up to press against his ribs, Bax put one hand under his back, letting him rest there, keeping him steady. Hell, it wasn’t like Bax could float.
It took a bit to want to start moving, to actually do a little swimming. Sure enough, when he did, though, Bax was there. So was Coke. When he moved, they were like bats or something. Bouncing things back for him so he could tell where he was. They made it easier, made it feel like this was something he could handle. Something he could do.
“Looking good, Mini,” Bax whispered when Coke struckoff swimming again. That breath ghosted across his ear, making him shiver.
“Yeah? You like?” He couldn’t help his grin, not at all.
“I do. You’re glowing in the dark, though. Good to be out in the sun.” Bax was still brown as a nut. He’d seen that in his dreams. All that brown against that bright blue…cast?
Shit.
“Bax? What about your leg? I mean, the water. Cast.” That… Shit, he was addled.
“Well, I wrapped it up while you were staggering around with Coke.” Poking him, Bax laughed. Andy had given up the crutches two days before, grunting and tossing them out the window.
“I wasn’t staggering.” Asshole.
“Oh. That musta been me.” They floated around some more, and he’d bet Bax was feeling good being weightless for a while, too.
“This is good. Real good. Is it all nice and green still?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s getting a little brown around the edges, like it always does this time of year.” Moving close again, Bax whispered low. “Coke’s ass is blinding.”
He hooted, damn near taking in water with it as he laughed good and hard.
“What are y’all cackling about that you’re trying to drown Mini?” Coke floated over and Jason had this terrible image of his white butt shining like a beacon.
Man, he wondered if it drew the fish.
Him and Bax got to cackling, both of them just rolling with it, just like it used to be, easy and stupid and fine. The sound of water hitting Bax in the face made him laugh even harder. When Bax let him go to breathe, Coke was right there to hold on to him, making sure he didn’t sink. It made him start to believe. Just a little.
Maybe more than a little.
At least enough to try.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Bax? Bax, honey? Y’all need to wake up. AJ’s here to see you.”
Jason’s momma was knocking at the door, almost too lightly to hear, but it brought Bax up in bed like a shot. His rough movement almost shot Jason right out of bed. Damn.
“Coming, Momma,” he called, settling his hand over Jason’s mouth to keep the man quiet. “You just tell him I need to get dressed.”
“I have coffee on. I’ll tell him.”
Shit. He lifted his hand as soon as he heard her walk away. “You okay, Mini?”
