Page 62 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
“Yeah, but it’s just the truth. If you let yourself get scared, it’s over. You got to have respect.” He looked at Brooks, kind of warming to his subject. “You totally have to do that. You respect the bulls, but you can’t do this if you’re scared. You can’t work.”
“I can get that. It’s like horses. You can’t let them intimidate you. Or they will.” Brooks went back to screwing together some kind of car. Something pink for Mina, he thought.
“I was going to ask. I mean, you have to worry sometimes too.” He wanted to know all about what Brooks did.
“Yeah, but I’m not tossing myself in front of them. A horse will sometimes get fractious or scared in a stall, and that’s the scariest part. If they trap you and you go down…” Brooks shrugged. “And once in a while in the show ring, you’ll go sailing off over their head. Getting stepped on or kicked is the worst part of that.”
“Yeah. They’re all strong, heavy-duty animals.” He grinned. “I reckon I’m glad you work with rodeo-type animals too. That way you know the life.”
“We’ve both got it in our blood, huh?” Brooks put on the last wheel, then set the toy aside. “Now, can I kiss you again, finally? Because I damn well want to.”
“Won’t hear me arguing.” He wanted it too, and he hadn’t managed to tell himself it was a bad idea in the week he’d been trying.
He still wanted Brooks, and he was glad to hear Brooks still wanted him. And he was going to choose to believe it.
He leaned forward, and Brooks slid a hand behind his head, holding him in place for a kiss that curled his toes in his thick socks. Damn. Oh, damn that was fine. Coopmoaned, and he knew they probably shouldn’t do this with the door unlocked, even if they were in his room.
The kids had a tendency not to knock, especially if bad dreams were involved.
“Mmm. We should lock the door,” Brooks told him, mirroring his thoughts.
“We should. You get that, and I’ll get these put in the closet. Just in case.” Coop knew they could finish this up tomorrow night. The kids would go to bed early so they could pop up like poinsettias and open presents on Christmas morning.
“Sounds perfect.” Brooks rose, then gave him a hand up, and he gathered up tools and toys as Brooks moved to lock up.
The dogs had already been out and were snoozing all over the house. They would show up wanting in at some point, but by that time, Brooks would sneak out and the door would be unlocked.
He knew that would happen as that was what had happened before. And Coop would try to be okay with it.
Because at least he felt like they were on the right track again. And that last kiss?
Had almost blown his damn socksoff. Only that toe curl had kept them on…
Chapter Seventeen
Brooks woke up in Coop’s bed and stretched, yawning. Oh, man, it was warm. Good. Coop’s comforter was so much nicer than his. And the three dog night effect was kind of stunning.
He was okay with that. And with Coop still naked next to him.
Of course, when he opened his eyes, Mina and Johnny stood at the foot of the bed, staring at them, unblinking.
“Is it time to open presents?” Brooks croaked, his voice still rusty from the night.
“It’s only Christmas Eve,” Johnny said.
“Oh.” Hmm. Well, the dogs were in with them, so he must have let them out and in and come back to bed with Coop and not locked the door…
Which, the only unusual thing there was that he’d come back to Coop’s bed, not his own.
“Is it time for breakfast?” Brooks asked, trying the next thing to get them to maybe say something or smile or…move.
“Benji made us cereal.”
“Oh.” Brooks felt like he was saying that a lot, but if Benji was up… “Coop? I think we overslept.” He nudged Coop.
“Huh?” Coop snorted and flailed and Suki jumped off the bed, padding off into the hall.
“I think Mina and Johnny would like to talk to you.”
