Jonesy checked his eyes, grunting in that ah-hah way. “Better. Much better. Okay. No alcohol, no dancing around the honky-tonk. I want to see you before you hit the road again. In the morning, before you check out.”
“Does beer count as alcohol?”
“Yes. No beer. No nothing. Got it?” Jonesy gave him a hard stare.
Beau cackled. “We’ll get him one of them wine spritzers.”
“Fuck you, Boug.” Wine spritzer. He’d have tequila shots with Balta, just to be a bitch.
Those stubby blond eyelashes batted for him, Beau making the most extraordinary face. Asshole.
“Don’t make me kill you, Champ. Ace’d bitch.”
“He would. So would Troy. Hell, so’d Coke.” Secure in his place in the world—that was Beau.
Balta laughed. “Dillon would bitch if you passed, Sam. I am more afraid of him.”
“Uh-huh. He’ll be back next week.”
“Yeah? Good on him.”
Jonesy gave the okay, and the other med tech, Shaun, finished wrapping up Balta’s thumb, which Sam hadn’t even noticed was all swole. They were ready to get the hell out of Dodge a few minutes later.
Beau put him in the truck, took the keys.
“You’re gonna puke, do it before we get on the road.” Beau knew him well, knew how he reacted to his brain slamming against his skull.
“Fuck off. I got the shot. There’s nothing in there, anyway.”
“Don’t get pissy, Poot. You made a damned fine ride.” Beau slid in behind the wheel and reached over to touch his thigh.
“I sure stuck, huh? It was the get-off that did me.”
“Yep. Didn’t want to let go of such a good ‘un.” Beau got them going good, glancing at him every so often. “You need a Sprite?”
“When we get to the hotel, yeah. That and a beer.” He winked over, grinned.
“No beer.” The set of Beau’s jaw told him they was gonna be fighting about this.
“You know they got an unnatural issue about the beer thing in sports medicine.”
“They do. It’s crazy.” He got that crookedy grin he usually loved, but right now it made him want to whack the man with a shovel.
He closed his eyes, at least for about fifteen seconds before he got a little queasy.
“Don’t do that, Poot.” Beau tapped his leg again. “You got to keep your eyes open. Like Jase.”
“Shit, you think it’s like that for him?” He was blinking hard, swaying some. That shit in the shot made him a little goofy.
“That’s what he says.” Beau shrugged, eyes carefully on the road. That whole thing had freaked Beau out a little.
“My head’s fine.” He thought he needed to point that out.
“I know, Poot. I just want to be careful with you, is all. I need you around.” Beau’s eyes cut to his, like little slices of a cloudy sky.
“I’m yours.” It was just how it was.
“I know. I want to keep it that way.” It didn’t take long to get to the hotel. It never did.
