“Heaven help us.” AJ leaned close. “Man, is it time to get on the road yet? I mean, damn.”
“Coke says Saturday.” Jesus. He didn’t want to think of Coke and AJ leaving, didn’t want to do all this with just him and Mini.
“You wanna come? You could room with me. Hell, they’d love to have you at the meet and greet.”
“No. No, Aje, I have to stay here.” He thought he did good with that, biting back his instinctive rage at how AJ just didn’t think.
“Yeah. Missy said you’d say that.” AJ clapped his shoulder, grinned. “Y’all oughta take the horses out while we’re gone, exercise them.”
“I will.” That he could do. Riding horses would be good for his leg, and good for Jason’s sense of balance. “Come on, let’s get some food.”
“Yep. If you’re lucky, Coke made you a pancake shaped like AWOL or Berry Pickin’. I hear he does a mad Brahma.”
“You’re a sick man, buddy.”
They got to the kitchen just in time to see Coke turn out pancake that looked like a rooster with a giant hard-on.
Good Lord.
Ben and Dalton were flanking Jason, who was sitting at the breakfast table almost asleep, nodding between them.
“What the he-heck is that supposed to be, Coke?” Bax pulled out a chair and grabbed the orange juice, staring at the weird blob of dough.
“Scooby Doo. Cain’t you tell?”
“Maybe Jason could.”
AJ whapped his head hard, but Missy just cracked up, turning to bury her head in the fridge. Then they all started laughing, even the little ones who couldn’t know what the fuck was funny.
Jason perked up a little, eyes moving a little wild, and Bax poured himself some juice. “You get fed yet, Mini?”
“Nah. The kids were first, you know?” Jason grinned at him. “Man, I might need a nap this afternoon.”
“You think?” He could so do that. Wake up the right way this time. Of course, he hadn’t been invited yet.
“I do.”
He got a grin, slow and wicked and just… Damn. Man, that was one hell of an invitation.
“Oh.” If he wasn’t careful, he’d choke to death. “Cool. Uh. Orange juice?”
“Sure. You want some, Ben? Dalton? Jimmie? Janie?”
Missy looked over. “Jimmie gets the sippy cup, Andy. Half full.”
“Nope. We got milk. It makes you strong so you can ride bulls.” Dalton was his daddy’s son, through and through.
“You just don’t want it because it makes your throat hurt, weenie.” Janie stuck her tongue out at Dalton before her momma’s growl stopped it all.
“I want some.” Ben smiled and held out his cup. Lord, that boy had himself a bad case of hero worship. It was something to behold.
He poured half a glass for Ben, half a glass for Jase, both blond heads bobbing in thanks. Then he got the sippy cup filled.
Lord, how all these gals did this all day, every day, with them all out working, he didn’t know.
Bax bit back his smile, but he couldn’t hold his chuckle when Coke winked at him and slapped a bull shaped pancake down in front of Jason.
“What are they laughing at, Ben? What did Coke make for me?”
