Page 50 of Cole's Joy
“Downplay the severity of my shoulder injury, and really, really, really hit home the opportunity to work with Cole. I really like the idea of working with the animals, but not trying to ride them. Between you and me, I did my rodeo thing, and I enjoyed it, but I don’t think that life is for me. If I can get in on the ground floor of something like what Cole wants to build, that would suit me just fine.”
“Yeah, after my last spill, I’m thinking the same thing.” He leaned back, lifted his shirt, and they both winced at the gigantic dark purple bruise on one side of his rib cage. “We also have to stress that we’re really needed. As much as I love our family, andmissed them like crazy, I can’t see myself spending the rest of my life milking fucking cows. Working with the horses and bulls is where it’s at for me.”
“Me too, and we can always give them one of Cole’s cards so Dad can call and talk with him.”
“There is that.” Lane nodded and looked at him with a smirk. “Need help getting out of the truck?”
“No, but I’ll have your back when the girls launch themselves at you, if you have my back.”
“Deal.” They did their special handshake and gingerly exited the truck. They made it all the way to the back door and into the wash room before anyone noticed they were there.
“Is someone there?” They heard their mother call out, and they exchanged grins as they stepped into the house and saw their father sitting down to lunch.
“Oh my!” Their mother screamed, causing their father to whip around, and at the last moment, he grabbed his wife around the waist to stop her. “Let me go, John. I want to hug my boys.”
“You can, but stop, look at them, they’re hurt.” From his height above his wife he saw relief in his son’s expressions, and nodded at them with a grin.
“Oh my,” Iris Montgomery put her fingers to her mouth. But she didn’t rush them again. “How bad?” Before they could answer, she stepped back and invited them further into the kitchen. “Lunch is on if you’re hungry.”
John Montgomery burst out laughing as he held his hands out to his sons. “Iris, they’re always hungry.” He looked at them sternly, then gave them a wink to soften the blow. “Answer your mother.”
Kade wrinkled his nose at his father and turned to his mother. “Messed up shoulder, and a fracture in the shin bone. It’s been a little over two weeks, so I have six left to go.”
“And you?” She had nodded and turned to her eldest child. She visibility winced and jerked back when Lane lifted his shirt and they saw the bruised ribs.
“Damn,” John said, and whistled. He bent down and inspected them, he started to reach out to touch, but dropped his hand when Lane jerked away. “How long ago?”
“Night before last.”
“Ouch, come in, take your seats, and dig in.” He went back to his own seat and watched as his grown boys shuffled to the table, but he smirked at his wife when they paused, turned and went back to the wash room to wash their hands before sitting at the table. They filled their plates with the sandwich fixings, and salads, and dug in. No one said a word until the boys had finished their first plate of food. When they took only half of what they had at first, John nodded in understanding. With them slowing in their eating, he asked quietly.
“Are you done?”
“No, at least not the way you mean.” Lane spoke after chewing the bite he had taken. “We’re here because we were over in Denver this past weekend, and wanted to come home and talk with you and Mom. Since neither of us can partake in any events for a few weeks, we thought we’d come home to heal.”
“Yeah,” Kade said. “We also have something to talk to you about.”
“Can it wait until after lunch? I’m not being a hard ass here, but I can spare a couple of hours before I have to get back out in the field.”
“I can drive a combine, if that will help.” Lane volunteered.
“No, I don’t need you twisting and turning and hurting yourself even more. Are they bruised or broken?”
“Doctor said cracked.”
“Got it, you’re going to be laid up for a couple of weeks at least. I can make do.” He chuckled. “Got a couple of townies working for me this summer.”
Lane and Kade quickly covered their mouths when they spat out their food, and laughed along with their parents.
“Where are the girls?” Kade asked as he finished his lunch.
“Running the combine, and trucks. We’re working in shifts.”
“Ah, got it, that’s why there’s so much food for just you and Mom.”
“Correct,” Iris said. “Now talk.”
Kade drew in a deep breath, looked at Lane, and at his nod, he started. “This past Friday, I was watching Lane in the arena, he drew Brutis. Two weeks prior, over in Nevada, Brutis made me see the rail up close and personal.”
