“I’m glad you guys could come.” He meant it, too. He liked Tracy, and Nate and him had figured it.
“Okay, there’s a Walmart closer. That’ll work.”
“Cool.” He stopped at the end of the lane and peered at the screen when she showed him. “Got it.”
“Good deal. I need to get some stuff to keep the kids occupied anyway.”
“Cool. You guys have a good trip up?”
“We did. I mean, it’s been a hard season this year somehow, and it’s nice to be able to relax.”
“Yeah.” Yeah, there had been some suckage. “Did I even know we had a Walmart?”
“Well, Clown-Boy, how’m I supposed to know that?”
“You’re not. Rhetorical. You know. Not needing an answer.” He loved trading barbs with Tracy. She was good at it.
“Oh, right. Like that question about who’s hotter, Joa or Balta, right?”
“Right. Because Balta has the ass and Joa has the belly.” Dillon would never admit to another soul that he found the Brazilians hot as hell.
She nodded, chuckling softly. “And Joa is sweet and dear, but Balta… Uhn.”
“He’s a force of nature.” They shared a glance of absolute agreement. “Ah. Wally World. Let’s do this thing. Snacks and guitars ahoy.”
Tracy chuckled, winked. “And a Coke for the pregnant lady.”
Dillon laughed out loud, reaching over to pat her leg. “No, honey. Coke is mine.”
They madebacon sandwiches for the kids and put some dog deal on for them to watch, then Coke and Nate went to sit at the kitchen table, eat their own lunches. “I tell you what, Nattie, those babies are something else.”
Damn, he loved ’em. He was glad that he didn’t have to have them full-time, though. They wore an old man out.
“Yeah.” Nate gave him a bright grin. “Exhausting, aren’t they?”
“Yep. You cleared out some time to work down to AJ’s after Christmas?” They needed to work some shit out, with his neck not turning so good, and also Jason was going to start hitting the little rodeos, and they had to get that happening.
“Yeah. I got some time on the schedule. Long as Tracy stays healthy.” Nate knocked on the table. He knocked, too. January would be early enough along, though. From what he’d seen, girls went weird and sick toward the end, if they were gonna do it.
“So. How’s it going, Hoss?”
“I’m okay. Sore still, huh? That thing with Sammy at the Finals fucked my shit up. I been praying on it.”
“I know.” Nate’s expression turned grim. “I thought on it a lot. Can’t figure what we could’ve done.”
“Me either, but we try. It’s good to be here, though. Somewhere new.” Somewhere with his Dillon.
“Shit, Hoss. It’s freezing here.” Winking, Nate sat back and sipped his milk. “Still, the kids will love it.”
“Yep. I’m gonna make that little area outside nice and cozy, too. Heaters. Hot boxes. Good stuff.” He had been working on a plan.
“Cool. You need any help this summer, you let me know.”
He nodded, knowing full well that every free day this summer his best bud would be at home, loving on a new baby. “Y’all still heading to the beach for Christmas?”
“Yeah. Want to do it now. Keep me from getting calls, too.” Nate hated to be interrupted at the holidays.
“I hear you. Sammy’s going to be headed home by Christmas, Beau says. We’re going to do Christmas here, go see them, then head to the Gardners’ after the New Year.”
