Shit.
Coke Pharris had some fuckingballs.
Jason rolled his shoulders. “So, Bobo? Blowing sunshine?”
Beau snorted, the sound loud and happy. “Shit, Jay-Jay. You can do it. I have not one fucking doubt in my mind. Now, Andy…”
“Fuck you, Cajun.” Andy Baxter looked like he was fixin’ to bust a gut.
“What? You’re gonna have a nervous breakdown.” Beau shook his head. “We’ll just have to figure a better system than hollering gee and haw.”
“Dillweed suggested whistles. Gramps says he’s just gonna shove me, hard.”
Sam nodded. That could work. Coke shoved people a lot. Whistles might get lost. They’d have to come up with keywords.
They’d all sound like they had Tourette’s.
“Between Gramps and Nate, they’ll get me to the gate, right?” How could you argue with that hope?
“If they’re there, yeah.” Beau always thought hard, even if it didn’t show.
“You’re going to have to get some of the smaller bullfighters in on this, Jase.” Sammy eased Jason away from the edge of the chutes with one arm.
Jase frowned a little, those eyes moving wildly. “I don’t… Bax?”
Andy climbed up to sit on the rail. The bull was back in the pen. “Yeah. Sam has the connections, Mini.”
“I don’t want the whole world knowing…”
“I know, Jay-Jay. I know.” Sighing, Beau rolled his shoulders. “But we got people we trust.”
Sammy nodded. “And these guys are pros. I rope with them.”
“Okay. Okay, we can do that. Right, Mini?” Andy bit his lip, less than confident, which wasn’t a good look for him.
“Let me do some looking, some talking, huh?” Sam reached out, thunked Andy’s leg. “I need to make sure Coke hasn’t talked to someone already.”
“Sure. Sure, Sam.”
Beau met his eyes, lips pursing. “So, who wants second breakfast?”
“You want to come to our place? We got eggs.” Jason seemed almost normal. Almost.
“Sure. That way we don’t mess up Missy’s kitchen.” Poor Missy had her hands full. Him and Beau had promised to take the kids to the pond later.
He nodded to Beau. “I’ll move the cattle back out into the pasture. You know if Aje’s brothers are riding fence and feeding?”
“Yeah. His dad’s been by, too.” Andy grinned. “He’s got a lot of family.”
“No shit. They raise nice bulls, too. Beau, you oughta invest in some, brand ‘em with your pretty face.” Sammy kept out of the way, climbing over the metal chutes to move the bulls back out.
“Been thinking of getting in the game.” Beau was always a surprise.
He shook his head and grinned. Beau could use a couple of investment bulls. Him, though, he was going to do cutting horses, when he got done playing bullrider. Cutting horses and bloodhounds.
They got the bulls settled and gathered up ropes. Which was when Sammy noticed they had an audience. Benji.
“Hey, Benj.”
