Cowboy's Law

by B. A. Tortuga

  Thank you, God. Thank you.

  Dawn reached over to hug her sister. “Thanks, Bethy. I love you guys.”

  “Love you too. Dork.”

  Law glanced at him, then whispered. “Whoa.”

  “Right?” He pulled into the high school and headed for the band hall. “Y’all sit tight. I’m going to deliver these real quick, and then we’ll go get Wiley’s uniform.”

  Law sat with the kids and was blinking at him when he came back, but again, the guy never said what was on his mind. Pistol had been tight-lipped like that.

  “Okay. Dry cleaners.” He picked up Wiley’s uniform and dropped it off after he fed the kids. The pizza place was on the other side of Margery’s, and it was only one stop.

  Law did pay for supper, which was cool, and the kids got to choose something they wouldn’t normally get.

  They sat and ate, and he answered a half-dozen emails and a couple of texts while he was sitting. He kept half an ear on the kids, who were just regaling Law with football stories, and Law’s low laughter sounded good, sliding up his spine.

  Jesus. He needed to get laid. Seriously. Maybe Mark and Tony could come by, give a man a hand…

  He shook his head, and Jordan touched his hand. “Was there a gnat?”

  “There was, and it stopped me from woolgathering.”

  “Oh. Why do they call it that?” Jordan wanted to know why everything.

  “I don’t know. Let’s look it up.” He put it in his phone, chuckling. “Apparently, once upon a time, folks walked around and pulled bits of wool off fences and they looked like they were wandering about like fools.” He grinned at Jordan. “Cool, huh?”

  The shit you could find on your phone.

  “Like cottonwood, huh?” Jordan was so smart sometimes.

  “Just like that, kiddo.”

  “Neat.” Then Jordan was back to Law, asking him something about olives.

  “You okay, Uncle?” Bethany nudged him. “Good day?”

  “Great day. I have a surprise for all y’all Monday.”

  “Yeah?” She stopped, a slice halfway to her mouth. “Like in a nice way?”

  “I try not to give you guys bad ones.”

  “Are you going to tell?”

  He pretended to think about it. Dawn would be the one who cared, so he might as well share. “We got the buffalo. They’re coming Monday.”

  “Woo!” Dawn fist-pumped. “That’s awesome, Uncle Seth. We get to be a bison farm.”

  “Ranch,” Seth corrected.

  “Totally. Can I have the first baby to show?”

  “Buffalo aren’t domesticable, baby. We’ll figure it out together, but I’ll need your help.”

  “Okay. Maybe I can at least get one to eat from my hand.” That Kevin guy? Gone from his oldest cowgirl’s mind.

  He didn’t roll his eyes, but he did see Law grin. Yeah. That could be bad.

  “You just have to promise to take me or Bonner with you until we all know what to do. Fair?”

  Dawn wrinkled her nose, but nodded. “You got it. Buffalo. So cool. I can’t wait to tell Mr. Duran!”

  “Mr. Duran?” Law asked.

  “4-H. Every one of them is in 4-H.” Last May with projects had damn near killed him.

  “Ah.” Law nodded. “I did ROTC.”

  Seth could see that. “Wiley’s not the type. He’s in band, Spanish club, debate club, and 4-H.”

  “Yeah. It takes a certain amount of stupid,” Law murmured. “I used to think it took bravery.”

  “Hey, I got nothing but respect. I ain’t good at rules. I like working for myself. That’s usually pretty stupid, but—”

  “It’s the cowboy way, right, Uncle?” Dawn said.

  “Yes. It is.” He chuckled at her. “We’re a stubborn bunch, huh?”

  “Yessir! And we take care of our own animals,” she added, scowling. She was working it out.

  He bit his lip, but his only answer was a nod. They did. That was important. Seth believed his job was to be a steward of the land and these babies. It was his God-given responsibility and honor.

  “Jerks who don’t, need a kick in the butt.” She sighed. “Who are we playing?”

  “Moriarity, I think.” He didn’t really pay attention, if he was honest.

  “Oh.” She munched her giant salad, which he usually didn’t want to pay for. “It’s just greens,” he would tell her.

  Still, he wouldn’t embarrass her or Law. He’d let Law know the kids were used to being frugal. Not that he was poor, but ranches could go south in a hurry. Better to conserve.

  He ate his meatball sub, sharing a meatball with Jordan, his crispy cheese with Keira.

  Dawn gave him cucumbers and Bethany gave him mushrooms. Jordan and Keira gave Law all sorts of things. A fork. A napkin. A couple of wrapped mints they’d sneaked from up by the cash register.

  Law looked confused, stunned, and then tickled.

  “Did you want my last piece of crust, Law?” Jordan asked finally finishing.

  “I’m stuffed, buddy, but thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

  “Okay, let’s get ready. I have to get your brother his uniform.”

  “Time to cheer on our band!” Keira bounced.

  “Yep. Anyone need to go to the bathroom here? It might be nasty out there.”

  Dawn stood. “Me and Bethy’ll take the hooligans.”

  Law stood up. “I’m going to go. I don’t do port-a-potties so well right now.”

  He bussed the tables, making sure he didn’t throw anything important away. Like his phone. Or one of the kids.

  That made him chuckle.

  He reckoned the babies would throw fits if he chunked them in the can.

  “Why are you laughing, Uncle Seth?” Keira asked, trotting back to him.

  “Because I’m happy, baby girl. I love Friday nights with all y’all.”

  “Me too! I love going to the games. Is that weird?”

  “Nope. Unless we’re weird together.”

  “I’m going to be a running back in high school.”

  “Oh?” Don’t ask if she doesn’t want to be a cheerleader. That isn’t cool. She deserves to be whatever she wants. “Cool. I will cheer you on.”

  She struck an Elvis pose. “Thank you very much.”

  He snorted and grabbed her up in a hug. He loved these kids, and he had to hope Law thought he was doing a good job.

  They headed out, Jordan clinging to Law, and that boded well for the game, because that way the older girls had some free time.

  Law helped Jordan into the van, and there was something unbearably dear about the sight, which was stupid. Law was a goddamn soldier. A Marine? Something.

  “So what branch were you in, Law?”

  “Army. I was a Ranger.” Law hunched up a little, like he didn’t want to talk about it.

  “Good deal.” He could not talk about it. He was exceptional at that. “Okay, y’all. Uniforms and then we head to the stadium to help. Are we ready?”

  “Ready!” The chorus made him laugh and rev the engine again.

  “Let’s do this!”

  4

  Law shook his head when a cowboy named Bonner offered him a beer. “I’m good, thanks.” He’d gotten some Dr Pepper at the store yesterday. He and Jordan were making enchiladas one day this week. That little girl was interested in cooking, in having him as a friend.

  Today, apparently, to celebrate the coming of the bison tomorrow, it was cookout day.

  Jesus, Seth was the busiest man he’d ever met, and he’d been in the Army.

  The man was up at five thirty, still in his office at midnight when Law crashed, and he never ever stopped moving.

  Law was convinced that was why Seth was so goddamn little. He just worked off all that energy, and it kept him tiny. Made Law feel like a lazy asshole in comparison, because some mornings he could barely face getting up.

  The damn football game had almost killed him. He’d had Jordan and Keira the who
le time, with Dawn going to her friends, and Bethany with Seth, who must have climbed those steps a million times, running his ass off for the band.

  Band dads apparently did that, handling everything from carrying paint to mark lines for the halftime performance to handing out juice and donuts after said performance.

  The more he watched Seth, the more respect he had for the man, and the more he suspected Seth was ten times the father figure Pistol could have been. Pistol had still been a baby, with a name to make for himself.

  “Watch me, Law!” Jordan came whizzing past his field of vision, Superman cape billowing.

  Bonner chuckled softly, shook his head. “Lord have mercy, if we all had her energy, huh?”

  Right, because Seth’s foreman was lazy. That cowboy was like an Old West drover—he lived for the lifestyle and the livestock. That seemed to be Seth’s money—breeding bucking bulls and then selling them off to stock contractors.

  “Yeah. I mean, we could sell it if we could bottle it.” He knew all the right things to say, even if he felt… disconnected. Out of place.

  “No shit on that.” Seth sat with a sigh. “Lord, I need a nap.”

  “You can put your feet up if you want,” Law offered. “I can watch the kids, and your cowboy looks ready to kill anyone coming near the smoker.” He nodded at, uh, Samuel, who was the chef today.

  “That’s dear. I’m going to sit right here with my beer and pretend that I’m in Cabo.”

  “Mmm. Cabo.” Bonner grinned. “Not until after we get the buffalo set up.”

  “Right? Maybe we should take the kids on a cruise.” Seth pulled the brim of his hat down.

  “I like that idea.”

  Law listened, not sure if he was supposed to have an opinion. Seth said he was family, but he was distant family, and he knew it. Jesus, what a shit mood he was in. He needed to get over it.

  “You okay, man? You look a little down in the mouth.”

  “Huh? Oh, just hurting some. Y’all are so busy. I feel like a schlub.”

  “Eh. You’re working hard healing, I reckon. That takes it out of a man.” Seth raised his beer in a little salute.

  “I guess, yeah. I’m used to being way more active.” There, that was less whiny, right?

  “I get it.”

  He glanced at Seth, curious.

  “Shit, man. I’ve broken my neck, my pelvis, my femur, my orbital bone, and I got one ankle that’s bionic.”

  “Ouch. I guess I’ll make it, then.” He winked, but damn. Damn.

  Bonner laughed. “Ooooh, are we comparing scars?”

  “Perv. You’ve seen most of mine.” Seth pulled on the bottle, drinking deep.

  “Yep.” Bonner snorted. “Pretty impressive.”

  So were Bonner and Seth lovers now? Was he obsessed with Seth’s love life? Jesus.

  “You’re just a baby, Bonner. You’re what? Six? Six and a half?”

  “I’ll beat you, Grampa.”

  Seth snorted. “You’ll sure as shit try.”

  Law started laughing at them, because that was so familiar, the banter, and it felt normal.

  “Now, now. No laughing at us cowboys. We could jump you.” Bonner looked at him with speculation, the way a hundred or more men had in his life before now, and Seth shook his head.

  “Laid up or not, Bon, he was an Army Ranger.”

  “Yeah. Damn. Tough sons of bitches.”

  Seth nodded, a wicked little smile curling the edges of his lips. “Almost like they were cowboys.”

  “Y’all have cooler hats. And less gunfire these days.” Law winked. This was easy. Familiar. Better.

  “And thank the good Lord for that. I don’t mind practicing, but thank God I ain’t ever had to shoot a person. Beat the fuck out of one, sure.”

  Bonner blinked at Seth. “One, boss?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Are you a scrapper, Seth?” He didn’t think the man was now.

  “I might could have a little bit of a temper.”

  “Did he ever tell you about when he got in a fistfight standing in line at the DMV with a man that stole one of his horses?” Bonner’s eyes were all lit up.

  “Nope. This is all new to me. Do tell.” Now that was funny.

  “The dude was talking trash, standing right behind us.” Bonner stretched out, settling into his story. “Big son of a bitch. Doughy. Like a bulldogger gone to pot. Boss is standing there with Wiley, and he’s getting redder and redder, ears fixin’ to light up, and I’m thinking, shit. The dude’s going down. Then the stupid shit calls Seth a pussy, and Seth whipped around and drove his ass into the ground. Bang.”

  “Never monologue,” Law said. “I approve.”

  “Thanks. He learned something about me.” Seth’s face was carefully neutral.

  “Yeah, he learned that he wasn’t dick, compared to a two-thousand-pound bull.”

  “Is anyone?” Law nodded easily. “Like I always said, a punch is nothing next to a bullet or an IED.”

  “Is that what happened to you, man?” Bonner asked. “A bomb?”

  “Yeah. I was in a transport on the way to compassionate leave for Pistol’s funeral. Roadside bomber got us a few klicks from the airfield.” Mainly what he remembered was the noise.

  “Jesus.” That was Seth, who stared at him. “That sucks, man. I mean, it sucked anyway, but that sucks hard.”

  “Yeah. I couldn’t call, man. I was drugged asleep for three weeks. Swelling.” He didn’t want Seth to think he was like his dad.

  “No one told us. I would have… sent a card or something.” Okay, that was awkward and weird and incredibly dear.

  He hooted. “I would have loved that. Yeah, I was in special operations. No one was telling me dick, either.” Law shook his head. “It’s enough that you finally know. If you decide to tell the kids, cool. I wanted you to know I tried to get here.”

  “If it comes up. I don’t want to start them off again, especially the babies. They didn’t notice that you weren’t here, the younger ones. They see you are here now.”

  “Yeah. That makes sense.” He sighed. “Wiley asked when I first came, before you came down. So he knows, but he’s heading toward grown.”

  “That is an epic cluster, man,” Bonner said. “You mean, you’ve been laid up all this time?”

  “Well, I was in rehab, and then for the last month before I came here, I was hanging out at Fort Hood, waiting for my discharge and disability and all.” That had made him crazy. He’d read. A lot.

  “And now you’re here with the hooligans.” Bonner rolled his eyes and grinned. “Better than rehab?”

  “Hell, yes. I mean, I have to find a VA and set up therapy at some point.” He didn’t know where he was going to go yet.

  “There’s some decent places around here. It’s a little bit of a drive, but there’s good places.”

  Seth sounded like he didn’t mind the idea of him hanging for a little while, which was handy, because he didn’t know where else to go.

  “Cool. I’ll get off my ass and look into it.” He could talk to Seth about rent later. Stuff like that.

  A sharp scream sounded, and Seth was running, not even hesitating a second, and then he heard Keira’s voice. “Uncle! Uncle, help me! The cactus bited me lots!”

  “Bonner!”

  “Fuck. The tape!”

  Bonner ran for the house, and Law was up and moving before he could think too hard, knowing those spines were a bitch and a half.

  Seth was holding Keira like he wasn’t scared of getting spines in his hands, pulling the bigger spines out, and Law checked Jordan and Bethany while Bonner grabbed the tape and pulled the stickers out.

  “Uncle! It hurts!”

  “I know, baby. I’ll get some calamine.” Seth looked flustered for the first time.

  “Hey, honey, come with me to the kitchen, huh? I can fix this.” Law led her into the house. Calamine would have to be reapplied a billion times. A paste of lemon juice and baking soda would sting a ti
ny bit at first, but then it would make a crust that would stave off the pain and burn.

  “It stings, Law. Please fix it!” Her tears broke his heart.

  “I got you.” He made a paste of a tiny bit of lemon juice, some water, and the soda. Almost as soon as he put it on her arm and leg, Keira started to breathe easier.

  “Oh.” She pushed into his arms. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Hey.” He grinned at Seth over her head. “Does she need a Zyrtec or something?”

  “Let’s give her some Benadryl drops. If she dozes off, it won’t hurt her. Also, she needs clothes. I think that shirt is a goner.”

  “Naps are good.” He would sit with her in the shade.

  “Can I go play after I take it?”

  “Sure, honey, but you ought to sit for a few minutes, just to let the meds work.” Seth winked at Law.

  “Oh, okay.” She sighed, wiggling her toes. “Mean cactuses.”

  “Are you okay with her, Law? I need to check on the others.”

  “We got this. Drops and sit while we see what the meds do.”

  “But outside?” she asked. “I don’t want to be stuck inside. I’ll sit next to you.”

  “We’ll sit in the shade and gossip,” Law agreed.

  “Okay. I can tell you all about Bethany.”

  “Oh ho. What do I need to know?” She let him put an arm around her and half carry her out.

  “That she is in TAG at school and she doesn’t want anyone to know.”

  “She doesn’t want to be smart?” That sounded ominous.

  “She says she doesn’t want anyone to think she’s uppity.” Keira rolled her eyes. “She’s so stupid.”

  “Oh, now. It’s hard at her age. People want to fit in, kiddo.”

  “Not Jordan.”

  “Well, maybe not Jordan.” That little girl was marching to her very own drummer.

  Keira shrugged, but he knew she didn’t get it. Dawn was dark-haired like Wiley. Keira and Jordan had blue eyes like Pistol. Dawn was a cowboy like Seth. Bethany was striking, and Law was willing to bet she’d been told she was too smart for her own good more than a few times.

  Poor baby. She would figure out that smart was just as important as pretty.