Page 29 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
Brooks turned, spatula in hand. “Benji and I can handle this if you need Coop.”
“Thanks for that, but really, getting Nell and Dani out of the house is a huge help. They get so upset when something happens with the other foster kids because they don’t know how to make it better yet.”
That sounded like a shit situation, but he wasn’t one to judge anyone’s life choices. Help yes. Judge no. He’d made that mistake with his brother once, and it had cost him too much. Brooks had learned his lesson.
“They’re just little,” he agreed, not knowing what else to say.
“Hey, if Elijah wants to come over, Ricky has a date tonight, but he can play video games with me.”
Kase snorted. “Elijah is double-dating with Ricky and his girl.”
“Oh.” Benji hooted. “Figures.”
Brooks laughed. “They’ve been here what? Six months? How is Ricky dating a girl long enough to double-date?”
“They go faster than we used to even,” Kase said. “But then their teenage love is way shallower, right, Benj?”
“God, yes. It’s all like a TikTok video.” Benji snorted. “Thank God I’m a cowboy.”
That had them all hooting, because if anyone got that, it was this group of men. “Do you want some fairy bread for the road?” Brooks asked.
“What?” Kase asked.
Coop gagged again. “Don’t ask.”
“Oh, you know those girls will want it when they go home,” Brooks teased.
“And that will be soon enough, Kase, trust me.”
“Hey, you’re the cowboy protection. I believe you. I got to get back.”
“Go on.” Coop waved him off. “We’ll take care of the wee ones.”
“If anything happens, Wat and Tygh are on duty.”
“Got it.”
“Come kiss me, girls!” Kase bellowed, making Benji jump since he’d dozed off again.
“Son, will you go back to bed?” Coop rolled his eyes. “Seriously, just go to sleep, and I’ll wake you up this afternoon. You can help when I’m tired.”
“I just need a quick nap, Coop. That’s all.”
“Go nap.”
Mina came stomping down with the girls about the time Benji leveraged himself up. “Everybody came early, Benji!”
“I see! Uncle Coop’s going to watch y’all. I gotta sleep.”
“Love you, Uncle Kase!”
“Love you, daddy!”
“Don’t forget to feed Mookie!”
“Can we watch TV?”
“I’m cold!”
