Brian rolled his eyes. “Jesus, kid. You can’t fix things like broke arms without a doctor. It needs casts, setting. Look at you. There’s nothing wrong with your arms.”
Landon frowned, forehead wrinkling up. “That’s what I just said, me.”
The more agitated Landon got, the harder the kid was to understand, his patois coming out. Landon got…louder, too.
Adam’s cheeks went hot, and he glanced around, the cowboy in him not liking all the attention from the other guys. Maybe he ought to just go get another beer. It wasn’t sneaking away if he just got up and did it, was it?
“Then don’t lie.” Brian’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “Shit, there’s no shame in needing a doctor. You’re saying no one at school noticed your arm was broke?”
Landon’s cheeks went dark red, lips tight. “We didn’t go.”
Callum stared at him. “What? Not at all? Can you read?”
Brian snorted. “Of course he went to school. Everyone goes to school, even in the bayou. You don’t have to get all weird, kid.”
“I ain’t no liar.” Landon stood, fists clenched tight. “C’est la franche vérité, every word I said. Cher, you tell ’em I ain’t no liar.”
Adam sat there like a deer caught in the headlights. He knew Landon wasn’t dishonest, but what did he say to that? I know you’re uneducated and into weird hoodoo, so no, you’re not lying? Christ.
“I don’t want to get into this,” was what he finally came up with.
Landon looked at him, dark eyes holding his for a long minute. What was he supposed to do? If Landon was fibbing some, then Bri was just calling him on it. If not, then shit, what? Adam was fucking some bayou baby and taking advantage of a kid who didn’t even have the schooling to make it in the world? He felt like the worst kind of dirty old man, thinking about it that way.
It was like time stopped for a second—damn near like he was working the arena, weirdly enough, then Landon deflated on him, just seemed to shrink, right there in front of him. “C’est bon. I reckon I’d best get on, me, with my lies and my façons vieilles. Y’all have a good one.”
Adam watched Landon turn on the wore-out heel of one boot, but he was rooted in place, simply unable to get up and follow the kid. It wasn’t his pride that kept him from going after Landon, not at all. It was his shame. Landon needed someone who understood him, not some lonely old asshole who would take advantage of him, which was exactly what Adam felt like.
Coke Pharris looked at him, at Landon, then put his cards down. “I ain’t playing no more, y’all.” With no more than that,the bullfighter walked away, heading right to his truck without even waiting for the clown.
Adam’s ears felt like they might go up in flames. Brian just shook his head. “What’s the big deal? All the new kids exaggerate. He’s just trying to make his story better, is all.”
Sammy Bell came out of his lawn chair so fast that it went flying and the man was in Brian’s face before he could blink. “Landon ain’t no lion. He been grow in nowhere and lonely with walking hard!”
“Jesus, Sammy.” Bri held up his hands. “Back off, huh? I just think Adam can do better, that’s all.”
Sam sneered at him, eyes dragging up and down, then spit on the ground near his feet. “Fucking idiot. Twice over.” The words were slow, deliberate, and there was no doubt Sam meant it.
Adam stared at the spot where Landon had disappeared and wondered if Sammy was right. He had a bad feeling that he’d lost something he’d never get back, just like he had with Beau Lafitte.
Oh, hell, who was he kidding? He wasn’t meant to be with one person. God knew he was the slut of the family. Always had been. Adam climbed to his feet, sick to death of the whole passel of them. Brothers included.
“Night, y’all.” He turned away just like Landon had, headed for his trailer.
It was time to switch to something harder than beer.
He made it there, not surprised to see Landon’s ancient truck gone already. He went inside, rolling his shoulders, which felt like frozen rope. There was a note on the table, along with a pile of rumpled cash.
All it said was,
Here’s my part for the food for the last while. Just so y’all know, I can read just fine. Take care of you.
Shit.
He crumpled the note, knowing he’d hurt Landon bad. His only consolation was that the damned kid was probably better off without him.
His phone rangbefore he’d been on the road even an hour, Sister’s voice right there. “Qu’est-ce qu’il y a? What is it? Maw-Maw’s hand mirror done broke in two.”
“I’m coming home.”
