“There you are. I brought some muscle relaxants for you. Take ’em ere you try and move. Mason Gaudry told them arougaroudone took up residence. I know Deputy LeCoeur, though. He sent me your picture. I told him to leave you be. Reckoned if you was dead, you’d wait for friends to find you.”
Lord, Beau’d gone all chatty.
Coke held up a hand, croaking, “Get me up.”
“Take these pills and I will.”
He took the pills and swallowed them dry, trying not to choke.
Sammy handed him a bottle of water, then Beau helped him up, every inch of him hurting.
“What y’all doing here?”
“We came to see you. Police called Tag and me. I was closer.”
“Police? What for?” Coke couldn’t make things make sense.
“Shh. Worry don’t. Rest. We brought Boudreaux.” Sammy sat down next to him, took his hand.
“Hey, Bell.” He didn’t know what to say.
Apparently Sammy didn’t need him to say a damn thing, the man just reached over and held his hand and leaned their shoulders together.
Beau bustled around and Boudreaux the bloodhound bounded up to lick his face. He held on to the big drooly beast. He missed his family—Dillon and Pansy and Jerome.
What was he doing here?
“Sammy, let’s get some food in him,bien?
“Coffee, too. Beau, I would walk to have a bite,” Sammy said. He wasn’t making a whole lot of sense.
“You got it. Coke? Cher, you want a peanut butter sandwich or a beignet?”
Sammy hooted, the helmet thing weird as fuck on his poor banged-up head. “Bring thekolaches. We can make the bread after.”
“You got it.” Beau didn’t seem to have no trouble understanding Sammy, not one bit. Made him feel pretty good about things, too, that the Cajun was on it.
Beau brought a Thermos of coffee and a bag of pastries, settling on the other side of Sam. “We need to send someone out here once in a while to clean, y’all.”
“I worked on it a little.”
“We’ll get it straightened out today.”
“Y’all don’t have to stay,” Coke said, not sure if he was hoping they would take him at his word or not.
“We’re staying. Sammy needs some time on the bayou.”
“Fish need food,” Sammy said, nodding slightly.
“I can’t promise I’ll be good company.” He’d take it, though. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be alone with himself.
“We don’t need good company. We need a couple days at camp.”
“Then give me a donut, Cajun.” Sugar might help.
“You got it.” Beau winked at him and smiled, but didn’t ask a single question.
That was the best thing about old friends. They knew when to just not ask.
