“No shit? Just like a ramp, and it’s sturdy and safe?”
Mark’s eyes lit up as he nodded. “Yeah, we tested it — not on your good horses, but we tested it with a cow — and it worked. I think that we could totally sell trailers and have them made, but more importantly, I think that we could start a business where we fit existing trailers either with this new kind of hitch which gives you a lot more control without requiring you have a gooseneck hitch in your truck and/or the accessory for the fold-down gate. Something that is affordable for just people, ranchers, not million-dollar cowboys who don’t have two hundred thousand dollars to spend on a trailer.”
He frowned at Mark. “But what could you possibly need me for? I’m no engineer or machinist, to be honest.”
“Dude, what I need from you is cred. You’ll be the dude who’d go with me to the shows and says, ‘I’m a cowboy, I do rodeo, I know horses.’ In the trailer, out of the trailer, in the trailer, out of the trailer.”
“So basically, you’re going to hire me to be a pretty face?” Cam didn’t know if he liked that.
“Oh no, no, we’re going to go into business together, and you’re going to be the frontman. I’m going to be the talented musician in the band. I need not your cowboy-tude, but your knowledge of the market and where to go to show it off.” Mark nodded, his smile growing bigger and bigger. “Because I’m staying. I put my house on the market in Denver. I had a bad time there, and it was time to come back here.”
He didn’t know the exact how-it-worked details, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to, but Cam got it. “Well, you’re welcome to stay here until you find a place. Everybody is going to be excited to have their Uncle Mark around.”
“Thanks, man. I need a shower. And a beer. Then I spell you and Mitch until the ball drop, if you want.”
“Ooh, adult time. That sounds amazing.”
He wouldn’t say they hadn’t had any alone time in the last week, because he’d had two hand jobs and a blowjob in the shower that had damn near killed him.
But one thing he would say is that being a stepdad-slash-father-figure-slash-Daddy Cam—whatever it was that he was—meant that unless they were in their bedroom and the door was closed, they were available for public consumption. And they did a lot of their happy adult stuff in the shower, because the door could be locked there, not shut…
“Daddy Cam.” Rachel came to climb in his lap, so careful. She leaned on the good side of his chest. “Would you be mad if I went to bed? Hannah is already asleep.”
“Why would I be mad at you, baby girl? If you want to go to bed, you can. Or if you want to lay on the couch with Hannah, and we’ll just cover you both up, and you can do that too. Or I can even…your Daddy can probably pick up Hannah and put you both in the bed.” There was no way he could risk picking her up. Not when everything was knitting back together.
She pursed her lips, her eyes damp. “I wanted to three-two-one Happy New Year, though.”
Oh, no tears. “Hey, you and me, we could just three-two-one Happy New Year right now.”
“Oh!” She lit up for him, and he felt about ten thousand feet tall. “Does that count?”
He nodded. “It absolutely counts.”
She grinned like he was something magical. “Okay.” She grabbed his hand in both of hers and looked deep into his eyes. “Are you ready? Do we start at five?”
“Let’s start at ten.” He knew she was trying desperately to learn her numbers.
“Okay. Ten, nine, eight.”
He counted with her, and so did Mark. “Seven, six.”
And then suddenly Mitch was there. “Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!”
All three of them cheered, and Rachel kissed him right on the cheek. “Daddy, did you see? Cam, and me did Happy New Year. I’m tired, Daddy, and I want to go night-night.”
“Cool, baby girl. You wanna go in your bed or you want to lay down here in your sleeping bag?”
She heaved a huge sigh. “I think I want to be in my own bed. Can you bring Hannah?”
“I can bring Hannah. Kiss Daddy Cam goodnight and Uncle Mark. I’m gonna grab her. I’ll be back in a minute. Cam, you want a beer?”
“Better not, but thanks.” He watched Mitch hurry off to fetch little Hannah, as Rachel waved and crawled down off his lap.
“Love you, Daddy Cam. Night!”
“Love you too, baby.”
With that, Mark stood. “Okay, I’m gonna get that shower. Be back in a sec. You got this if they need something?”
