Page 57 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
Grady scoffed. “How can she? I seen you sneakin’ her treats every day.”
“They ain’t treats, they’re good for her…”
Cole talked all about the importance of treating horses, handling them often, being consistent, and his breathing settled down the longer he talked. Grady listened until he felt himself drift off to the sound of Cole’s confident voice returning with the sound of horses, horses, horses.
30
I
t was a quietmonth after that. As the rain started in steady earnest with light drizzles before charging into proper rainfall worth checking the gauge over, Grady and Cole caught up on as many chores and repairs as they could before the winter storms kept them inside with their prayers for a good harvest. Grady reckoned even the land was breathing a sigh of relief on account of some real rains coming, the fears of another drought firmly put to rest for this year at least.
On one such day, Cole gave Grady a look like he wanted to say something.
Grady saw it over his shoulder as he changed the oil in the shearing clippers and then looked back to his task. Cole was working on the one beside him.
“You sure you still need me?” Cole eventually asked.
Grady finished what he was doing and turned to Cole, who was studying the oil change like it was quantum physics.
“Quit bein’ a dumbass,” Grady said, bumping Cole as he went on to the next one.
Cole laughed, a relieved burst of air he tried to conceal, finished what he was doing and moved down the line.
Cole came into the kitchen the next morning, fresh-faced and exhilarated from his morning ride. Grady tipped his mug at him and finished his coffee.
“She’s gettin’ cold,” Cole said as he came over for his mug.
“Gonna be a rough winter,” Grady replied. “I gotta head into town, you want anything?”
Cole shook his head and focused on pouring his coffee.
“All right.” Grady pushed off the counter.
“We can, if you want, when you get back,” Cole said quickly.
Grady stopped and looked at him. Cole’s focus was on making his coffee, his hair falling around his face so Grady couldn’t see his expression. He took Cole’s meaning. Since the night they’d gotten drunk, they’d been kissing and grinding and sleeping in the same bed, with Cole inching closer every night but not taking it further. Grady didn’t mind it, liked it even. Liked it probably too much. Now he knew what Cole was offering and he didn’t reckon he liked why.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said now and went out.
Joel was in the diner when Grady went in.
“As I live and breathe,” Joel said.
Grady acknowledged him and went up to the counter to order. Cheryl said it’d be right out, and he slid into the booth across from Joel.
“You ready for winter?” Joel asked.
“You know it.”
“See, I been tellin’ ya for years a hand would help.”
Grady grunted and sat back as Cheryl poured his coffee.
“And you got a Cole too. The youngest one, but still, better ’an nothin’.”
Before Grady could rebuke him, Cheryl was leaning back with the coffee pot and asking Grady, “You got Jesse Cole out there?”
“Yeah, what of it,” Grady replied and sipped his coffee. It was weak.
