Page 67 of Cowboy's Last Stand
He shaved and changed into work clothes.He needed to do laundry again or break down and buy new things.Sighing, he returned to the front of the house.Marcus was practicing tai chi near the glider.Jason watched him for a moment, struck by the improvement he’d made.He’d picked up the form and fluidity, but he didn’t have the control.Instead of holding positions, he moved quickly from one to the next, improvising with pseudo-karate moves.
Jason was amused despite his melancholy mood.Marcus was a lot like Mike, talkative and energetic.The boy wasn’t just a ray of positivity and light.He was a rainbow of bright colors.
“You’re getting better,” Jason said.
“I practiced with my mom yesterday.”
“She did tai chi?”
“She did it like dancing.”
Jason could imagine her graceful figure bending and posing.“Is she still sleeping?”
“Yep.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Nope.”
“Do you want to get breakfast?”
“Sure,” Marcus said, dropping his arms.
They left a note on the kitchen table before setting off.Jason didn’t feel like going to the same fast-food place, so they continued to a diner he’d spotted on yesterday’s excursion.There was an Army-Navy store on the same block.
Jason ordered coffee and two breakfast plates.He let Marcus do the talking, and the boy didn’t disappoint.Marcus regaled him with stories about school and friends.Jason’s attention wandered as he perused the crowd.
“I’m going to marry her when I grow up,” Marcus said.
“Who?”
“London.”
Jason laughed, sipping his coffee.
“Either her or Samantha.She sits next to me.”
“I’d go for Samantha if I were you.”
“London likes my cousin Gabe.”
“How do you know?”
“She was looking at his Insta.”
“Hmm.”
“Your phone doesn’t have pictures.”
Jason had grabbed his phone before they left.Although he rarely used it, he wanted Natalie to be able to reach him.He’d bought the old-fashioned flip phone because it stayed charged longer on the trail and because he’d wanted to disconnect from the world.
“London has two little sisters,” Marcus said.
The breakfast plates arrived, loaded with pancakes, bacon and eggs.Jason fully intended to eat whatever Marcus didn’t finish.
“Do you have brothers or sisters?”Marcus asked, pouring syrup with abandon.
Jason took the syrup away gently.“No.”
