Page 37 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
Brooks gave him a searching kind of look. “Well, you work for Kase and Ryder, so I guess I’m safe? I was in the closet.”
He felt like someone had punched him in the chest. Brooks was gay? He would never have thought it, and that was with him being wired the same damn way. His freaking gaydar was broken. “No shit?”
“Not even a little shit.”
“Well then—” He snorted and held out one hand to shake. “Welcome to the family, man. Ricky is the straightest young buck in history. Benji is… I don’t know that there’s a label for where he is. He’s sort of…well…he likes them a little on the trashy side, as the song goes.”
“But not of one particular gender?” Brooks asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Nope.”
“Uncle Coop! Uncle Brooks. Look at meeeeee!” Mina twirled when they got to the front room. “I’m Bluey!”
“Wow, Miss Thing,” Coop told her. “Look at you.” He mouthed a thank you at Lucy, who had gotten her all dressed. “Checklist time. Jackets.”
“Check!” Mason said.
“Bag packed with clothes in case someone needs to change.”
“Check!” That was Lucy.
“Water bottles.”
“Check!”
“Candy bags.”
“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaas,” Mina shouted.
Brooks snorted out a laugh. Then he glanced at Benji. “Up and at ’em, kid. We need your help tonight.”
Oh, good man.
“The cold hurts my pelvis,” Benji griped.
“If Coop can do it, you can,” Brooks said, deadpan. “Now up you get.”
Benji rolled his eyes, but sure enough, he rose, going to get his jacket and his heavy down vest. “I don’t have to hike the trunk or treat, right?”
“No, but you need to keep an eye on Ricky.”
“Oh, man!” Benji grinned then, though. “He’ll hate that.”
“Don’t we all?” Coop winked at him. “It’s time to show your Uncle Brooks how we do Halloween around here.”
“Yes, sir.” Benji gave him a mock salute.
“Benji, you ain’t got no costume!” Mina stared at her oldest brother. “That ain’t nice!”
“Isn’t nice,” Coop corrected gently.
“Isn’t nice.”
“Sure I do, Mina. I’m dressed up as a cowboy.”
Mina rolled her eyes. “Youarea cowboy. Silly brother.”
“Yeah, you know it.” Benji stood a little taller and grabbed his hat. “I’m a bullfighter. Now let’s go.”
