Page 38 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
“Good. I fuckin’ hate that guy.”
Now, Grady was used to Cole swearing a bit, and he’d seen enough of his mood swings since he’d been under Grady’s roof to know he could be downright angry, but this was venomous. No doubt Cole had cause on account of what happened to his daddy’s farm, but Old Man Cole couldn’t be blameless in it. He never had to say yes.
“You reckon he’ll come back?”
“Probably.”
Grady turned, came to the door, and Cole backed up to let him in. Now that Grady could make out his face he could see that Cole was mad, sure, but he was wide-eyed and whiter than usual under that too. He looked like he might be sick and the only thing holding him together was his anger.
“Not for a while, though,” Grady said.
“Good.”
Grady was about to say he was going to get a beer and did Cole want one, but Cole said, “I’m gonna have a shower,” and he was turning and belting up the stairs so fast Grady wasn’t sure what was going on.
He went and got himself a beer anyway, settled on the porch with the dogs and figured Cole would come out later. Only Colenever reappeared. When Grady turned in for the night, after Cole never even came down for dinner, he paused at Cole’s door and thought he might knock and go in and ask if he was all right.
Grady shook his head and kept on going to his room. He’d never been through what Cole had, so what could he say, anyway?
23
C
ole was still squirrelyin the morning. He was keeping his head tucked down, his long hair falling around his face, and refusing to make eye contact. Grady left it alone.
They rode out before sunrise with their saddlebags full, the dogs keeping pace beside them. As the hooves ate up the miles, Cole came out of himself.
By the time they set down under the live oak in the far pasture for lunch, Cole was saying more than grunts and managing to hold Grady’s eyes for more than a second.
Grady wanted to tell Cole he had nothing to be ashamed of, but he didn’t want to bring it up, so he asked if Cole wanted a sandwich and he did, and they ate.
“We can move this lot a few pastures over and then camp here, I reckon,” Grady said.
Cole nodded. “Good.”
They dozed after eating and then headed out, the horses streaking down the hill, Lady ahead of them. Grady had tied Dog up back at camp. He explained to Cole that he wouldn’t normallydo it, but it was getting late and he didn’t want to be moving sheep until midnight, even if it was going to be a clear night.
The trio flanked the sheep and moved them like a well-oiled machine. They had them secure in a new pasture as the sun was setting.
Grady whistled Lady up and she charged back to the riders, soared over the fence and landed with a light foot and kept on running, which made Cole laugh.
Grady rode on back to camp and told Cole he’d get Dog and meet him at the dam. Dog’s tail was thumping on the ground when Grady rode up. Grady dismounted and untied him, and Dog tore off in the direction of Lady’s barking and the sound of splashing.
Cole was on Chloe’s back in the dam when Grady rode up, bare-ass naked and washing himself, laughing at Dog as he launched himself at Lady like an accusation. Grady chuckled and joined them.
By the time they were lying down on their bedrolls, Cole was looking like himself again. Grady was beginning to reckon riding restored him like nothing else. He was lying back, looking up at the stars with his head resting in the crook of his arm when he heard Cole roll over. Grady turned his head, expecting Cole to say something. But he just had his eyes on him, his elbow resting on the ground and head in his hand, the darkness of his eyes steady on Grady’s, catching the light of the fire.
“You wantin’ somethin’,” Grady said.
Cole smirked. “You know it.”
“Well come an’ get it then.” Grady smiled, full of promise, and Cole laughed but didn’t move.
“Or you could come over here.”
Grady’s smile widened. “You sassin’ me?”
Cole grinned and readjusted his head in his palm.
