Page 45 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
“Sure. I mean, that was why I did what I did. God knows I ain’t got no desire to live out of a suitcase anymore, but for a week or whatever? A trip to Disney? I could do it.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They stared at each other for long moments before he pulled out his phone. “Let me just text Benji so he knows what’s what.”
“Absolutely.” Brooks grinned. “He worries.”
“I swear, that kid has more anxiety than anyone I know.”
“Not me, but I know a couple of internet influencers back in Australia. Those folks worry a lot.”
“Yeah?” He put his phone back after Benji sent a flame emoji back, which, what the hell did that mean?
“Yep. They have to look just so, and talk just right, and what if they lose a follower or two? Then life is over.” Brooks’s eyes were twinkling.
“Oh no! Never that.” He walked Brooks out and, to his surprise, Brooks went to the passenger side of Coop’s truck. “Yours won’t haul?”
“Yeah, but I can’t back a trailer up for shit without a couple of weeks of practice, and I don’t want to wreckthings the first day.”
“Listen to you.” Coop chuckled, because really? He wasn’t the livestock guy, but he could drive a trailer like a son of a bitch. “We ought to pick up lunch while we’re out and about, sit down and have food at a restaurant where we’re just the two of us.”
Brooks’s eyebrow lifted. “Yeah?”
His cheeks threatened to heat, and he ducked his head. “Yeah, we got to discuss things like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I need to get lists from the kiddos. Especially Johnny. His stuff is picky.”
“Now, here I thought you just wanted to hang out with me.”
Coop rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure I’m ever going to get to just hang out ever again. There’s a lot to do with this whole raisin’ kids thing. And I was woefully unprepared.” He’d sort of stumbled onto it in like the most direct way. He hadn’t had nine months to prepare, and all of a sudden he had lots and lots of mouths to feed and dressings to change and hugs to give. Thank God they were all potty-trained, because otherwise he’d be teaching them to use the doggy door. Like the beagles.
But still. He’d sort of been doing his best.
“I don’t think you’re all that unprepared, man. You seem to kind of have your shit together.” Brooks’s glance held…what? Admiration? Warmth, for sure.
Maybe a little wanting, or was he making shit up?
He was probably just…what did they call it? Projecting?
He was too old for that nonsense.
“Oh, that’s just a lie. I’m just faking it. I sort of act like they’re my team from when I was working all the time. I make sure everybody’s got food and make sure everybody’s got their work done and make sure everybody gets to bed. And that everybody has fun, but not too much fun, because that’s dangerous.”
“Congratulations, you’re a parent.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” His cheekswerehot now, but he had to chuckle and get with the program. “Get in the damn truck.”
They got themselves settled and headed out in short order, bouncing along the road heading toward town, passing Tygh’s place on one side of the road, the ranch on the other.
Brooks watched out the window, and Coop knew it was damn impressive—from the solid fence delineating the land to the main house to the rodeo company wintering there to the smattering of top-of-the-line barns. The Chiara place was like its own living entity. His place was big, sure, but not fancy. Just big. Kase and Ryder were both a force of nature. “So I hear that everybody who lives on the Chiara ranch has to take some sort of foster kid training? Even the rodeo guys.”
Coop nodded. “Yep. I didn’t have to take it, because I don’t live there, and I’m not a full-time employee or nothing like that. But the guys all take it, and they’re all into it. I mean, the Chiaras pay their bills and they’re good people, good people to work for. But everybody’s gotta kind of know what to do with the foster kids.”
“Are they all fucked-up?”
“Some of them.” Coop shrugged, feeling weirdly like he was being unfair, but it was the truth. “Some of them are, yeah. Some of them are just fine. It can be anything from an emergency situation where there’s abuse, or some poor kid’s parents have gotten into a little bit of trouble and they need somewhere to go for a hot minute. Uh, they do a lot of care where other foster homes just need a break. Or the kids just need to get out. This is a good place to have a different viewpoint, right? I mean, they come in from Albuquerque. Downtown and all. They come out here and they get a week or two of country. Then they can breathe. Kase and Ryder host a whole bunchof queer kids too.”
“Why?”
Coop glanced over at Brooks. “What?”
