“Sure. I’ll grab Nattie.”
“Good, good. Give us five.” Balta grabbed Joa’s arm and steered him back inside. “We’ll have to watch Eduardo. He’s feeling very upset since he lost out in Amarillo.”
“Okay. Sure. Yes. What happened to Coke’s hand?”
“Hmm? Oh, when he tied it up with the bull the other day,sim? Uh, when Coop got hurt.”
“Ah.” He didn’t remember. They got hurt. All of them.
They got back to the room, changing shirts, finding their good hats. “You know, when Dillon got his shoulder out.”
Oh,sim. Everyone rememberedthat. He nodded, then shook his head. “The clown is not a bull fighter. Not like some.”
Of course, those other clowns couldn’t bring the crowds Dillon could, and without the crowds, they got less money…
“He is no coward, though, huh?” Balta was fine in his clean, starched shirt. Yellow looked good on him.
“No. No, not a coward.” Perhaps a fool, but the man was a cowboy.
“You were very sexy,doce,” Balta said when they slipped out the door and headed to the front desk. “I like when you are forceful.”
“I won’t let them say those things about us.” He was an American, but he was Brazilian, too.
“No. You did well.” Nodding, Balta steered him to the vending machine, pulling out quarters and getting M&Ms.
“We’re about to eat, Balta.” The man was the worst snacker.
“So? I’ve been running around for weeks at thousands of feet above sea level.”
Wait. What did that have to do with it?
Coke was waiting, Nate standing there like a thundercloud was over his head.
Balta smiled, clapping Nate on the arm. “You not wanting us to go, Nate?”
“No. No, Balta. I’m worried about Hoss’ damn hand.”
“Oh, hush, Nattie.”
“Coke is a big, strong man.Forte. He will let you know when to worry.” Look at Balta grin. “You want me to drive, Coke?”
“Sure, son.” Coke tossed the keys over. “I want noodles.”
‘Son’. Joa didn’t bother to hide his smile. Fearless Pharris was the only man who could call Balta ‘son’.
“Oh, I like noodles. And meatballs, huh?”
“You’re awful quiet, Muscles,” Coke said. “You like Italian?”
“I do. I like lasagna and anything stuffed with cheese.” Joa climbed into the back with Nate, the red-headed bullfighter, the bullfighter finally relaxing.
“Hey.” Nate gave him a rueful kind of grin. “Looks like you had a good break.”
“We did. Went up to the mountains, missed the last event.”
“Well, it was a doozie.” Nate laughed, shook his head. “It’s good of y’all to keep Coke company. He’s hurtin’.”
Joa nodded, but really, it wasn’t good. Coke was…legendary.
