Page 64 of Home Hearts Hooves

The boot catches on the gravel path, and I stumble, but he grabs my arm and helps to steady me.

“Fuck, was this a bad idea?” I ask.

“Don’t start thinking that now. I’ve got your spot all set up, romantic-like.”

“You haven’t?”

“Don’t worry, Connor helped, so you can be sure there’s nothing embarrassing there.”

“I was joking before, but now I’m worried about what Connor stopped you from doing?”

“You know that blanket I ordered online with my face all over it?”

“Please tell me that it isn’t what we’ll be sitting on?”

“Nope. Connor pulled it out and hid it from me. You’re welcome.”

I’ll have to remember to thank him later.

“What else do you need me to do?” I ask, pulling the cart up next to where the drink station is set up. We’ll give popcorn out for free, because there is nothing better than popcorn at the movies, but for the drinks and other snacks, we have a pay-what-you-can tin set beside it. When I first suggested it, the guys thought I was being too generous; the cinema night was supposed to help make the ranch money. And it does. Tickets are two bucks a person, so we’ll always make money. But I found that by telling people to pay what they can, they almost always covered the cost of what they were grabbing, and sometimes more, so we’ve never been out of pocket.

“Just for you to get back up to the house and shower and maybe consider a shave, too, while you’re at it, unless Preston is into the whole rugged cowboy four-day-old beard look?”

“I’m sure I wouldn’t know.”

“Best to shave it off then.”

It feels like all the blood has rushed from my face, and my head spins.

“You okay?” Nial asks, and I wobble a little.

“Maybe I’m getting sick?”

“You’re just nervous.”

“It could be swine flu,” I say, and he laughs.

“While you might be filthier than a pig in mud, Preston tested all the pigs a few weeks ago, and they’re all clear. Now fuck off up to the house and pull yourself together.”

“You’re supposed to be the nice brother.”

“I am the nice brother; I’m putting on a whole movie extravaganza in hopes that my big brother can hook up with his high school crush. I’d say that makes me the best brother in the whole fucking world, totally worthy of my new shirt,” he says, unzipping his jacket and revealing a black shirt and rainbow cursive writing that says, “Bestest brother of the gays.”

“I told you no shirts.”

“I got one for you, too.”

“I’m not wearing that.”

“No, your one says, My brother’s the bestest brother of the gays.”

I try not to laugh.

“That’s a lot of words. I hope you didn’t pay per letter?”

“I had a coupon.”

Unable to hold my smile back, I turn and shake my head as I continue toward the house. I don’t want Nial to see it. No good him knowing how amazing I think he really is for doing all this for me. Maybe I should tell him. I will. On his birthday. It can be my gift to him. He was right about one thing, though. I’m filthy. The way down to the mini barn and the cinema set-up slightly inclined, so it didn’t seem so far to be walking, but now coming back, I wish I’d brought the cane. It’s hard lifting the boot and dragging it will just scratch it up even more than it already is. At least with the base being a durable plastic, I can wipe over it when I finally get back up to the house.

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