Page 12 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
He heard her squeal. “With Mina?”
“With Mina. Get your vest on. I see his truck. I’ll grab your car seat.”
God, there were so many moving parts to this whole…parent thing. Coop had hit the ground running, and thank God Ryder and Kase had been there to help or he’d have drowned under the sheer weight of paperwork.
He pulled in front of the main house, put the truck in park.
“Am I going to be on time, Uncle?” Mason asked, and he nodded.
“I got this. I’ll drop you off first.”
He hopped out to help get Nell’s car seat in. “Thanks for this, Kase.”
“No problem, no problem. Just remember, you’re good. You got this. Benji managed just fine for damn near a year.”
“Uh-huh.” That kid had figured out how not to manage for another for six months now, and he was itching to get back to being a normal nineteen-year-old guy out on the road. Itwas burning his butt that he had to wait until the spring. “Come on, Miss Nell.” He found a smile for Kase. “I got to drop everybody off, and then I have an hour before I start the picking-up process, then I’ll bring her home.”
Kase clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, why don’t you spend that hour getting a cup of coffee. Just think, you could be by yourself, all alone. It’ll do you some good. You went from zero to ten thousand in about one night, so why don’t you go get yourself a cup of coffee and breathe? I’ll go take a pie and a salad over to the house and check on your oldest.”
“I’d appreciate the heck out of that, sir. Honest to God. I’ll get her to Girl Scouts and get her home.”
“Thanks. Tell Miss Carrie that she can use our building for the Halloween party, if she wants.”
“Will do. Does Dani need a ride to 4-H?”
“She went with Naomi, but thanks.”
“Good deal.” He hopped back in the truck. “Football practice, ho!”
“Hooray!” the little girls cheered, and he shook his head.
Maybe he ought to stop and get him that coffee.
Chapter Four
Brooks walked into a front room full of chaos.
There were art supplies and stacks of folded clothes. Dogs who were howling and barking at him. A big screen TV playing loud YouTube videos.
And a very grown-up looking Benji standing there, crutches under his arms, mouth wide open. Staring at him.
“Hey, Benji. You remember me? I’m your Uncle Brooks.”
“Brooks?” Benji’s eyes widened, so like his own. “Wow. I—Wow.”
“You want to sit down?” Benji looked like he might fall.
“Thanks.” Benji clumped to the recliner, which he would bet was Coop’s.
“Yeah.” He studied his nephew, who he remembered being a…tween, maybe? “So I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. I was in Australia, and I guess no one had my forwarding address.”
“Yeah.” Benji stared at the floor, ears red.
“I heard about your folks from—” He had to stop and swallow, because Andy was gone. Just gone. “A rodeo buddy.”
“Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me. I had no idea you kids were on your own or I would have been here right away. And now you’re hurt.”
