Page 95 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
“Oh, thank God. We went from pizza to boxed mac and cheese to we’re eating cereal at every meal.” Mason rolled his eyes. “Granny’s pretty good at making chili and stuff, though.”
“I’m looking forward to trying her chili. It is cool with y’all to call them Granny and Grandpa?”
“Uh-huh. Benji said our Nana and Pop wouldn’t care. He said he’s real sorry that he couldn’t stay for Uncle Coop coming home, but he had to fly out.”
“He stopped by the hospital to hug Coop’s neck.” He leaned against the stall, and Max came up to nuzzle him.
“Uncle Coop’s going to be okay for real?”
“He will. He’s going to need help, a lot of naps. Rest.”
“He could use that.” Mason sighed. “I screwed up, Uncle Brooks. But he deserved it.”
“Did he?”
“Yeah. I mean, he was making Johnny eat dirt. He was choking. He could have died.”
“That’s fair.” He was going to kill someone, there was no question about that.
“And they wanted me to apologize, and I won’t.”
“You’re not sorry?” He couldn’t blame Mason for that.
“No. I’m sorry I caused Uncle Coop problems, especially when you weren’t here. I wish he wasn’t so disappointed about the school, but I’m not going to say I didn’t mean it.” Mason stared him down. “Johnny is different,but he’s my brother, and no one will hurt him without having to answer to me.”
“Okay. I can see that.” Brooks wasn’t sure what to make of all that, so he just nodded, giving Mason the respect he deserved. “I love you.”
“I love you too. I promise.” Mason scraped another shovel of manure into the wheelbarrow. “Okay. You feed. I’ll go check all the water.”
“Sure.”
Okay, so that left Ricky. He wondered where that kid was. But he did have a job now, so maybe he was off at work.
He would need to remember to save some casserole for him and Bella if they weren’t there in time for supper.
“Hey, Miss Pansy,” he greeted his mare. “How are you? You gonna be mad at me?”
She stuck her head over the stall door, blowing at him gently. Max came back to look at him too, dark eyes searching for the food he was sure to have. Such a guy.
“Come on, let’s get you fed.”
Forty-five minutes later the horses were fed, he was washed up, and the casserole was in the oven. Amanda was making a salad, Dallas was dozing in one of the recliners, and Lucy was at the kitchen table working on her 4-H project.
So it was time to go see to Coop.
“Coop?” He grabbed his empty suitcase and ducked into their suite, the gloom making it hard to see to begin with.
He found his lover there, with Mina on one side and Johnny on the other, both sound asleep, their little bodies relaxed.
“Hey, honey. Good to be home?”
He nodded. “It totally is. Lucy is hanging with your folks, and I assume Bella and Ricky are working. What do you need?”
“I took a pill. I’m hurting some, but it’s getting better. I bet you’re exhausted as all get-out.”
That was the understatement of the century, and he was ready to get in bed with Coop, but there was supper, and Johnny and Mina needed books read, and everyone needed to start to decompress.
“I’m pretty beat. But supper will be done soon, and all. I’ll save some for you for tomorrow. I bet tonight you’d rather just?—”
