Page 52 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
“The missus remembers the day you were actually born, son,” JP said, the usual infliction onsonlike it was a joke between them.
Cole shook his head, still trying to hide that pleased smile in his hair.
“She packed your lunch anyways, but she also sent this.” JP pulled a wrapped present from his bag, rifled through the cooler and pulled out a cupcake and a longneck of beer.
Cole was blushing something fierce, but he took the present like it was something precious.
“You never told me it was your birthday,” Grady said.
The tenth. That was before the shearing started. Just before. Why hadn’t Cole said anything?
Grady watched him now as he ran his hands over the wrapped present and sucked in a sharp breath.
“You better not fuckin’ cry,” Keith said and shoved him.
“Shut it.”
Cole wiped his eyes, though.
“Leave him be,” Milly said as JP said, “Might wanna open it first. Geez, could be shit.”
“Bonnie would never get me a shit present, c’mon.” Cole rallied and unwrapped the present with careful hands, really taking his time on the Scotch tape. He let the paper fall open and gasped.
“What is it?” Carson asked.
“It’s a book,” Cole said.
“We can all see it’s a book, son. What book?” Marcel asked.
Cole held it up. It looked like some fantasy book.
“That’s the third one, isn’t it?” Paulo asked.
“Yeah,” Cole said. “How’d she”—he looked at JP in disbelief—“how’d she remember?”
JP shrugged. “Said you’d be needin’ it after she saw you had to be leavin’ before you mighta got to that one.”
Now Cole really did look like he’d burst into tears.
“None of that,” JP said and cracked the beer and handed it to him. “Finally legal. Well, in Mexico.” He laughed and went on, “But that means no cryin’ over damn presents.”
Cole laughed wetly, took the beer and had a big swig.
As they were filing back to work, taking it nice and slow because it was clear they’d be done before mid-afternoon, Grady bumped Cole’s shoulder.
“You never said.”
Cole glanced up at him. He dropped his gaze quickly around a small roll of his shoulders like it didn’t matter.
“You should’ve said.”
“You were busy,” Cole replied into the curtain of his hair.
“Busy?”
“You girls gonna help me finish this, or you gonna have a fuckin’ tea party?” Milly asked, and Grady left Cole to it. He went to the outer pens with Lady to drive the last of them in.
JP gave Cole the biggest hug as he left, lifting him clear off his feet.
