Landon didn’t say, but he knew. He’d fed Adam cake and hard candies, whipped cream from a can and a hundred doughnuts. The treats never seemed to have any effect on Adam’s waistline—the man worked hard enough to absorb it all, but that sweet tooth always came out.
He glanced up at Adam, who stared back. Someone knew what he was thinking on. Adam grinned, winking, and Landon’s cheeks heated right up. Gracious, now was no time for all that. Not in front of Granny.
He dug into his dessert, his ears burning.
Granny Taggart just grinned at him like a fool, nodding like she approved. Adam’s family defied all logic.
Of course, he could cope with that. He came from the land of rougaroos and feufollet. If there were werewolves and fairy lights, then there had to be Ozzie and Harriet families. Right?
Right.
Maybe in Baton Rouge.
Adam stood at the fence,leaning on it, watching Landon put Jilly through her paces. He’d had to fight to get Landon to use a saddle, but the mare needed to get back into the habit.
It was maddening, how the horses treated Landon like he was one of the herd. Adam bet that the mares would give the little fuck milk if he asked. The image made him snort. Lord. Still, Jilly was behaving, barely side-prancing, and when Chris rode her, she rolled her eyes and bucked, trying to get him off.
“It’s unnatural, bro.” Brian appeared beside him, like smoke.
Adam jumped. “Damn, I didn’t hear you at all. I know, right? He’s got it going on.”
“Yep. He’s something else, sorta like someone raised by wolves, but with horses. All nature boy.”
Adam snorted. “He does speak, you know.”
“Uh-huh, but is it English?” Bri winked at him.
Yeah. Landon wasn’t the most…educated kid ever. Still, he knew shit, and Adam liked having him around. “Nah. It’s pidgin. But I get it.”
“Rock on. Is he fixin’ to stand on the saddle?”
Adam jerked his gaze back to Landon, his mouth dropping open.
Sure enough, his Cajun was climbing up, balancing on Jilly, testing her gait in an extreme way. Crazy motherfucker.
She didn’t buck none, though. She settled into a sweet canter, just like a circus horse.
“Are you seeing this shit, Adam?”
He nodded. “He’s got magic in him, Bri. What can I say?”
“He’s going to get himself killed.” Still, that was pure admiration in Bri’s voice. Horse work was the one thing Bri could really relate to, admire.
“I sure hope not.” Adam glanced at Brian sideways. “You think this is a bad idea, don’t you? Me and him?”
“I think he’s young and hot and worth a fling, but there’s no future in him. He’s a little boy with a fifth grade education. Eventually you’ll get bored.” Brian shrugged. “There’s no harm in that, you having a bit of fun with him, showing him a better world.”
“Right.” Adam’s shoulders hunched up around his ears. That was how he’d thought of Landon to begin with, but now he knew different. It just took getting to know the man to see how good he was.
“Hey, no offense. He’s a good kid.”
Landon eased back into the saddle, leaning forward to murmur at Jilly, stretched out along her neck.
“I know.” He watched Landon, wondering where this was going. Where could it go? Adam fucking ruined every relationship he ever had. He wasn’t worried about Landon. He was worried about him.
“Don’t stress it, huh?” Bri bumped his shoulder. “Let it ride.”
That was the motto of their lives. He grinned some. “You know it.” He let himself relax, let himself watch Landon whoop and wave his hat.
