Page 33 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
Cole lifted his arm and looked down at him. His eyes were steady and serious like always. He nodded after a minute.
Grady hit him again anyway and then rolled to sit.
“What was that for?”
“Sulking.”
Grady got up.
Cole was muttering something about going into town, but Grady didn’t ask.
“You made breakfast yet?”
Cole got up and said he was about to do it.
“I’ll do it. Sit.”
Cole took his coffee and sat. Grady got out the eggs and bacon and set about making a real good spread. He saw Cole’s dinner in the fridge from last night.
“You never ate.”
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“Bet you hungry now.”
“I could eat.”
“You could eat.”
Grady turned to him and gave him a look like he was stupid. Riding half a day, then cleaning the tack and doing God knows what else out there all night, and he never ate?
“I can go a long time without food, you know.”
“I’m sure you can, but ain’t no need for it.”
“You don’t know what I got a need for,” Cole mumbled and sipped his coffee.
Grady smiled at him and went back to making the breakfast.
“What’re you smilin’ about?”
“Nothin’.”
“You’re smilin’ about somethin’.”
Grady shrugged and cracked the eggs into the sizzling pan next to the bacon.
“Ain’t nothin’ for you to worry about.”
Cole was muttering something else. Grady ignored him. He fixed the breakfast, slid one plate in front of Cole and the other at his place and sat, and they ate.
“What’re we doin’ today?” Cole asked once they finished.
Grady sat back and pulled a cigarette out of the packet on the kitchen table, lit it, blew out the smoke and regarded Cole watching him do it.
“Reckon we could take a ride and check some of the dams.”
“Nice.”
