Cowboy's Law

by B. A. Tortuga

  The plate with the cupcakes clattered to the floor, Fluffy pounced on it, and two seconds later, Seth heard a gasp. “Uncle Seth? What are you doing?”

  Bethany, Jordan, and Keira stood at the doorway to the hall, staring at them.

  “Uh. Watching a movie.” He reached down to rescue the plate. Oops.

  Law kinda pushed away, looking back and forth between him and the girls. Those blue eyes looked a little panicky.

  “Uh-huh. Y’all be nice. Young eyes are still awake.” Bethany could be an awful tease.

  “You take your young butt to bed, turkey.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Yessir. Don’t forget how sugar makes Fluffy fart.” They ran off, giggling.

  Law shifted back to the end of the couch. “Need me to take that to the kitchen?”

  “No. No, I got it. It’s all good.”

  Law seemed a little… wigged. Seth wasn’t sure why. They were both adults. Maybe it was the kids. Law wasn’t used to them knowing every damn thing he did.

  He took the plate to the kitchen, grabbed them both another drink, and headed out to the front room, finding Law—gone.

  Well, hell. He sat there and drank his beer, waiting all the way through the movie and the credits before he stood up and locked up the house, turned off the lights, and headed to his bed.

  He sighed and shut the door behind him, halfway through his shower when he realized he didn’t even know what movie he’d watched.

  10

  Law made breakfast burritos, getting extras rolled up and put into foil for the hands. Then he made lunches for the kids and labeled them all before he headed back to his room.

  He wasn’t sure he could face Seth. Not this morning.

  Seth was… amazing. Gorgeous. Everything Law could want.

  And he’d been Pistol’s lover.

  “Where’s Uncle?” He heard Jordan ask.

  “He’s going to help Bonner move cattle. He left early. I’m taking everybody to school.” Wiley sighed softly. “Get your shit together. We’re going to have to leave soon.”

  Jordan sniffed audibly. “Where’s Law?”

  “He made us breakfast. Maybe he doesn’t feel good.” That was Dawn, her voice gentle. “Let’s get your shoes.”

  “Okay, Dawnie. What’s breakfast?”

  “Breakfast tacos. You can eat them really quick.”

  Law thought they all sounded worried, subdued.

  He felt like a huge heel for making them get ready alone, for letting Wiley drive them all in, but truth was, Dawn was right. He’d taken a sleeping pill for the first time since he’s moved out of the casita, and he felt slow, stupid. Freaked out.

  He couldn’t believe he’d come on to his brother’s lover. That he’d let Seth kiss him, taste him in the living room like a giant asshole.

  Let Seth. Shit, he’d encouraged it.

  Law wanted to do it again so much it hurt. Too bad it was a monumentally stupid idea. Seth was probably just super lonely.

  Like him. God, he’d never tasted anything as good as that fucking hot cowboy mouth. Never.

  Once the door closed behind the kids, he headed out to clean up the kitchen. He needed to get his shit together and not punish his siblings for his wishful thinking. Really.

  Seth was Pistol’s man. Not available. Hell, Pistol had loved Seth enough to trust him with the kids.

  He took a deep breath, clearing up the foil on the counter and the egg pan. Right. Maybe he needed to get out of the house. Just go have… what? Man, his life had really narrowed down. He loved it, but now he had no idea what to do.

  The back door flew open, a muddy Bethany looking at him with panicked eyes. “The car. Uncle Law. Wiley broke the car!”

  “What?” He grabbed his keys, heading outside. “Get changed. I’ll call the schools and tell them you’ll be late.”

  “No! I’m coming with you. I need your help!”

  “Okay!” That was serious, so he scrambled.

  He shoved his phone at Bethany as soon as they got in his truck. “Get Seth. Tell him to meet us if he can.”

  “’Kay.” Her little hands were shaking as she tried to dial.

  “Just hit my favorites, honey. He’s at the top.” He burned out the ranch road, not knowing where he would find the car.

  “We’re in the ditch. We slid off. He pushed me out the window!”

  He heard Seth’s voice from his phone. “Bethy? Where the fuck are you, girl? Where’s Law?”

  “He’s right here. Wiley is turned over in the ditch.” She started to sob, and Law took the phone.

  “I’m heading to get them. How far are you?”

  “I’m coming with Bonner.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you there.” He just needed to focus. If Wiley had pushed Bethy out the window, that meant neither he nor Dawn could get out.

  “How bad is it, honey?”

  “Everybody’s alive. Nobody’s bleeding. Everybody’s scared.”

  “Okay. Okay, that’s good.” And hopefully true. This was his penance for not taking these kids to school. He pulled up at the ditch, which seemed to take forever to get to, but really was a matter of minutes.

  “Wiley? It’s Law. I’m here and Uncle Seth is on the way too.”

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry. There was a bee, and I slid! I didn’t mean to!”

  “Hey, it’s gonna be okay, huh? Does anything hurt?” He walked around the car, trying to see a way to get the kids out.

  “I don’t think so. Let’s get Keira and Jordan out first. Then me and Dawn.”

  “You got it.” He could do that. “Where did you get Bethany out?” He had a feeling he knew, but the window was only half or two-thirds open.

  “She wiggled out here. Dawn can’t fit over me, and I can’t open my seat beat.”

  “Gotcha.” So no breaking the window. He would see if he could force it down a little more. The car wasn’t new, so the windows might have some wiggle room. “Bethany, stay back at my truck, okay?”

  “Okay. I—I’ll wait for Uncle.”

  “Good girl. I don’t want you by the road up here is all.” She was smart, but she was also freaked out. She might not watch carefully.

  He slid down so he could reach the window, then tested how stable the car was in its position. Would rocking that window dislodge anything?

  “Should I lift them up to you? I just didn’t want them on the road alone, and I knew Bethany could get home.”

  “If you can, yeah. Let me see if I can get the window to budge.”

  They got it down a little bit, and Keira slipped right out. Jordan screamed when Wiley tried to grab her, the normal brave twin totally freaked out.

  “Stop it!” Dawn snapped. “You stop it right now, Jordan Alicia, or I will tell Uncle to blister your ass!”

  Everyone stopped, the shock making everything still and silent.

  “Come on, Jordan. I got you. I really do. Wiley won’t let you fall,” Law finally said, shaking off his stunned silence.

  He thought Jordan came to him just to get away from Dawn, but whatever worked.

  “Law! We braked the car!” Jordan sobbed, clinging to him.

  “Here comes Uncle!”

  Law turned to see something he’d never thought would steal his breath away. Seth and the black mare streaked across the pasture, moving together like they were a single creature. He’d never seen anything more beautiful.

  It was like something out of a movie. An avenging angel.

  He crawled up the bank with Jordan, wanting to get her in the truck. “Sit here with your sisters, kiddo. Okay?”

  Law met Seth next to the car again, Bonner taking the reins to both horses to tie them to the fence on the off-road side.

  “Wiley can’t get his seat belt open, and Dawn can’t get across him. I can break out the back glass now, but we might be able to get his window open a tiny bit more. I don’t have my belt knife.”

  “I do.” Seth nodded grimly. “I’ll cut his seat belt. Hell, I might
be able to get into the vehicle and get him loose and bring them both out. You know what happened?”

  “Wiley said there was a bee. Just an accident. He panicked.” Seth was definitely way smaller than him. He could probably get in there.

  “Ah.” Seth crawled down and grinned at Wiley. “Hey, son. I’m going to come in, shove your ass up, and get the belt off you. You ready?”

  “As long as there’s no whupping at the same time.” Wiley was trying to laugh, to sound like an adult. His shaking voice ruined the effect a little.

  “Shit. Let me tell you a little story.” Seth handed Law his hat and started wiggling in. “When I was sixteen, I was borrowing my daddy’s pickup and horse trailer to deliver a bunch of horses to the neighbors because that was faster than leading them over, one by one. I slipped backing into the pasture. Took out the fence. The horse walker. The goddamn hay barn…”

  Dawn began to giggle.

  Law snorted. “Lord. Mine was a Firebird. I tried to jump it off a little rise. Blew two tires, killed my shocks, tore up my undercarriage.”

  Wiley rolled his eyes, but the tension eased. “You think the car is okay, Uncle?”

  “I bet it is. Now listen to me, son. I’m going to push you, and it’s going to be uncomfortable. You don’t turn that steering wheel, okay?”

  “Should I pull at the door frame?”

  “That’s perfect. Dawn, honey, when I say three, you shove Wiley too so I can click the belt.”

  “You got it.”

  Law waited to see if he needed to pull, ready to help any way he could. Bonner was on the other side of the car, also prepared to stabilize.

  Wiley grabbed the car frame, and Seth and Dawn together shoved him up to release him from the belt.

  “Okay, Law! Haul him up and out!”

  Law grabbed Wiley to yank him out of the car. He was way heavier than Jordan, but he also helped a hell of a lot more. “He’s out!”

  “Dawn next!”

  She let him drag her out, leaving Seth the only one in the car.

  “Come on, Seth. Let’s get you out of there.” Law reached down his hand.

  “Let me grab the keys. I’ll call Doug and have him tow her up.” Seth grabbed his hand and let him lift. It felt so good, to have Seth pressed against his body, just for a second.

  Then he set Seth on the ground, his cheeks on fire. “Okay, everyone in the truck, huh?”

  “Dawn, can you ride Pepper home? I’ll ride back to the house with Law, get a cup of coffee, and call Doug.”

  “I can.”

  “Is it safe?”

  Seth nodded, not concerned at all. “She’s a rider. Bonner will be with her.”

  “Okay.” Law trusted Seth there one hundred percent. “Hey, Bethy. You did great, you know?” She was still standing by the open truck door, like she was guarding the twins.

  “I tried. I was scared.”

  She reached for him, and he pulled her close. “Easy, girl.”

  “Thanks for coming with me, Law.”

  “Shh.” He should have been the one driving them to school.

  “Come on. Everyone will get home. I’ll call the school. Then Wiley and I will come back out and meet Doug.” Seth hopped into the back of Law’s pickup. “Come on, Wiley. Hop up.”

  Wiley climbed up into the bed, and Law made sure Keira, Bethy, and Jordan were all buckled in before he turned them around and headed home.

  The kids were silent the entire ride home, all three of them pale and worried, shocky.

  He just kept the radio on, singing a little, going for normal. He would load everyone up with juice and maybe waffles, since they’d barely touched the burritos.

  Then they could have some Children’s Advil and rest. He needed to make sure no one was bruised up too.

  He was a way better field medic than Seth. That thought made him chuckle under his breath.

  Seth was sort of magical, but when it came to the kids getting hurt, the cowboy was happy to let him deal.

  By the time they got back to the house, the adrenaline was wearing off, and he was getting damn sore. Not that he was about to show it.

  Seth hopped down from the truck and came around to let the kids out. “Okay. Bethany, can you keep an eye on the twins until Dawn gets back in?”

  Bethany gave him a wide-eyed look.

  “They can come to the kitchen with me. I got it.” Law kept his tone even. He’d fucked-up, so he could understand if Seth wasn’t willing to trust him.

  “Okay. If you’re sure.” Seth shot him a confused look that was more than a little worried.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.” Law tried for a smile. “I wasn’t feeling great this morning, but I’m all wired for sound now.”

  “Nothing like a little adrenaline to wake you up, huh?”

  “You know it. Who wants some juice?” He gave Seth a look. “Did you get some breakfast? I made extra burritos.”

  “I didn’t. I’ll come grab some. Let me call Doug and the school.”

  “Good deal.” It wasn’t Seth’s fault Law couldn’t stop looking and wanting. He needed to eat. “Come on, guys. Juice for all.”

  “Are we going to school still?” Keira asked. “Will we get in trouble?”

  “No and no.” He ushered the kids to the kitchen. “Uncle Seth is calling you out. No one will get in trouble.”

  “That was scary.” She dropped her voice. “Dawnie screamed when it happened, and it was—I want Pistol to come home!”

  God. Of course Dawn screamed. She’d been, what, seven when her folks were killed? Bethany had only the vaguest memories of Mom and Dean, but Dawn and Wiley remembered them.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I know it had to be scary.” He didn’t know what to say about Pistol. He wished he could see his brother again too. He hugged her tight instead, just letting her absorb strength and care.

  “I’m tired of being the kid who has bad things happen to them.”

  “I hear you, baby girl. I really do. But your Uncle Seth loves you. So do I. We’re gonna help as much as we can.” He steered her to a chair, knowing she needed that juice. They all did.

  “Bad things happen to everybody, Keira,” Bethany said, and he noticed she already had bruises coming up. “There’s just a lot of us to have things happen to.”

  He chuckled. “Big families have more stuff, for sure.” He poured juice, then doled out the kids’ Advil.

  “That does seem to be true. Cowboy families for sure.” Seth walked in and sat, and Law had to admire the flat belly, the way he tucked a pair of leather gloves in the waistband of that tee-tiny waist. “School’s dealt with, Doug’s coming in about an hour, he said, so it’ll be at least two. You say there was more breakfast?”

  “I did.” He set up the waffle maker to warm, then unrolled two burritos from the foil, adding a bowl of salsa to the plate before handing it over to Seth, who had a lapful of Keira and Jordan.

  “Thank you, sir.” Seth sighed for a second, then kissed the top of Jordan’s head. “Y’all go put on your comfy clothes, huh? So you can make pallets in the front room and goof off.”

  “Where’s Sister?”

  “She’s grooming the horses.” Seth sounded like he approved of that, or at least understood it.

  “She always does that when she’s upset,” Bethany murmured. “Just like Wiley works on his…” She shot Wiley a guilty look.

  “I’ll have stuff to work on, I guess.” Wiley had a sheepish look on his face. “Man, the guys are going to rag me hard.”

  Seth snorted. “The best preventative against it happening again.”

  “I heard stories from Pistol, Uncle. I’m not sure you can stand on that quicksand.”

  Seth’s laughter boomed out, and Jesus, could this man be an asshole? Please? Just for a few hours?

  He really wanted to be able to not stare and drool and wish.

  Bethany’s eyes were on him, and damn, that girl saw everything. He winked at her, because what else could he do? And then h
e went to making waffles and getting out the butter and syrup.

  “Do you need help, Uncle Law?” Suddenly she was right there, handing him his cane.

  “Huh?” He realized he was listing pretty hard to one side, so he took it. “Thanks, honey. Yeah, if you want to spray the waffle maker?”

  “I can do that. I love waffles. Uncle Seth makes them on our birthdays with sparkles and sprinkles and whipped cream.” She stopped and grinned at him. “Even on a school day!”

  “Wow. That’s a really neat guy, huh?” Sprinkles. He grinned, thinking of what his Army buddies would say to that.

  “He is. He’s a good dad. Pistol left us alone a lot. Uncle Seth and you—y’all came to stay.”

  “Pistol was at a different place in his life, huh? He was trying to provide for you.”

  “And win buckles.” She grinned. “Dawnie’s like that.”

  “She is. She’s going to be our rodeo star.” And Wiley wanted his music. They were growing up so fast.

  “I’m going to write books where the good guys always win.”

  “I’m going to live with Uncle Seth forever and be a cowboy, but with more video games.” Jordan sounded so sure, and Seth laughed.

  “Y’all will always be welcome here. There will never be a time I turn you out.”

  He had a feeling Seth was talking to him too, and that was good to hear, even if he had no idea what to do right now.

  “What about you, Keira? What do you want to be when you grow up?”

  “A mommy. I want to have babies and teach them to read.”

  “That sounds cool.” He wanted them all to be whatever floated their boat.

  “You don’t want to have a real job?” Bethany asked.

  Keira scowled. “That is a real job. It’s important.”

  “But anyone can be a mom.” Bethany would learn to stop pushing one day. Today wasn’t that day.

  “But it takes someone special to be a momma, right Keira?” Seth’s soft voice brooked no argument.

  “Right.” Her chin firmed. “Like anyone can be a father, but like Uncle Seth wanted to be our dad and takes care of us.”

  “And Uncle Law too.” Bethany put her hand in his. “Right?”

  “You know it, kiddo. I had no idea what to do when I got hurt, but meeting you guys was the best thing that ever happened to me.” He twirled her gently, because she was about as stiff and sore as he was.