“Mini!” That was Andy, sounding shocked.
Jason snorted. “I’m blind, Bax. I need someone to tell me.”
Sammy gasped, staring at Jase. “Fuck a dog backward, you don’t see?”
Adam hooted. “There you go. Sammy told you that you’re blind.”
“So, you fucking the Cajun? Y’all a thing?”
“Lord, Jase.” Of course, everyone there was batting for the queer team, so he supposed it was okay. “And then some.”
“Oh. Rock on. Andy says he can ride.”
“Ride what?” Adam couldn’t believe that came out of his mouth. “Yeah. He’s good with horses.”
Sammy snorted. “Boug, hot and all, yeah?”
“We’ll get inside in the air, huh? You take Dill and Gramps. I’ll help Adam get the livestock put away.” Beau got to work, too, and Adam had some time to think on Landon.
He was proud of the kid for standing up for himself. In fact, he was fucking tickled. It took a lot for Landon to lose his temper and the fact that he’d done it here, in front of God and everyone, well, it meant something.
Like maybe he really cared.
Adam flicked his rope and started moving cattle. He could use some of that air conditioning.
Chilled air, a beer, and a plan that included letting Landon know he was taken, balls to bones.
Landon tookhis time with Missy Jellybean, walking and brushing, thanking her for letting him run his snit out. “Lord, girl, I need a beer, me.”
A beer and a long nap. Thank the good Lord he could stay in his little room back here and never see no one. He loved the room in Beau and Sam’s barn almost as much as he loved his man cave back home.
He grinned, thinking how Laurel had got him a new TV there just last month.
The soft scrape of a boot on straw made him stiffen up, but when he glanced over, it was Mr. Sam, not Adam like he’d both hoped and feared.
“Mr. Sam. How it goes? I got her all cooled down and fed.”
“Good. Candy rides good for you.”
“She’s a great horse.” Horses was so much easier to understand than people. Trés much.
“You better? Your head?” Sam nodded to his hand, where the handkerchief was glued to his palm, the blood mostly dried. Sam mixed up head and hand.
He flexed his palm, frowning. “Could have Beau’s Grandmère see to it.”
“She go to bring the food. You come to eat and heal it up.”
“Sure. I’ll come to supper.” No way would he insult Beau’s Grandmère by not showing up for her feed. She made the best shrimp ever.
Sam nodded. “Good you, for telling Tag what for.”
Yeah, in front of the whole damn world. Well, at least in front of every one of his heroes but for Balta Silva. Lord. Landon still grinned. “Had to. He needed telling.”
“Damn honking. You went and burned his ham.”
Listening to Sammy was like hearing his Maw-Maw come back to life, weirdly enough. The rhythm and meaning of Sam’s words might be a mystery to most folks, but Landon got it.
“I did.” They headed into the big house, Landon doing his damnedest not to look for Adam with every step.
