Coke’s eyes opened, the man looking around wildly for a second. “What time is it?”
“About nine a.m., babe.” Dillon parked and turned off the engine, his one hand kind of clenched on the wheel.
“Cowboy. Dillon.” Coke stared at him. “Oh, honey.”
Coke’s hard hand landed on the back of his neck, started rubbing.
“Hey, we’re good. You need to be awake, huh? AJ needs you.” Dillon smiled over. happy that Coke seemed rested.
“Still. It ain’t right. You come on and rest. I’ll finish up the drive, call around, see where we’re needed first.”
“I bet you need a toilet, and I need a drink.” Wiggling out of the driver’s seat, Dillon started the process of unclipping thebassets from their seatbelt harnesses and getting their leashes on.
Coke helped out, and soon there were two hounds, sniffing around, tails in the air.
They did love to play and track and hunt, those bassets. Even a bad day was good with them around.
Coke’s phone rang, then his went off, not ten seconds later. Tag.
“Hey, Tag. What’s up?”
“Just wanted to let y’all know we’re here, working the ranch. I got Missy’s best friend watching the kids until Nate and his woman show. Balta’s at the main house with Joa, cooking.”
Dillon cataloged it all, knowing Coke would want to know. “We’re about two hours away. I’ve been driving, but I had to take a break.”
“Yeah. I get you. Coke’ll need to go to the hospital first, huh? But there’s a room made up for y’all. We’re taking the little trailer.”
“Okay. I assume Coke knows where the hospital is, but we have GPS.”
“He knows.”
Adam chuckled. “I don’t know if there’s a hospital in Texas he hasn’t been in.”
Dillon grinned. “No kidding. Okay, Tag. Hey, do we need to stop and get anything for you?”
“Nope. Nate and Tracy are doing it. That’s why they’re not here.”
“Okay. Then we’ll be there as soon as we can.” Man, Jerome was peeing a gallon.
“See you soon, Dill.”
As soon as he hung up, his phone rang again. Nate.
Dillon blinked, glancing at Coke, who was still on the phone, watching Pansy chew a piece of dead weed. “Hello?”
“Dillon, honey? It’s Tracy. Do you and Gramps need anything from the store? I already picked up your coffee and some heating pads for Coke…”
“Oh, you rock.” Tracy was always thinking of other people. “Could you get me some fizzy water if you can find it? That’s the only thing I’ll need right off for the allergies.”
He was not a diva. Really. He just knew what worked.
“Absolutely. We’ll just get lots of meat for the grill. Have you heard from AJ yet?”
“I think Coke is on the phone with him now. He’s teetering on the edge.” Who wouldn’t be? Man.
“I bet. I’ll be there soon to help with the kids. Y’all be careful.”
“You, too.” Dillon hung up and pocketed his phone, marveling at how he was on the Coke Pharris phone tree now.
