Cowboy's Law

by B. A. Tortuga

  24

  “Uncle Seth? Uncle? Are you really home or just visiting?” The tiny voice was Keira’s, her hand slipping into his. He blinked awake, turning his head to smile at her.

  “Happy birthday.”

  She grinned at him. “You’re all skinny. So? Are you really home?”

  “Really home to stay. I missed y’all like breathing.” And breathing had been a challenge.

  “I missed you so much.” She kissed his cheek, so gentle.

  “I wouldn’t have missed y’all’s party for anything. You’re my girls.” He smiled at her, then at Jordan, who was coloring with all the attention she could muster. “Speaking of my girls, where are Bethany and Dawnie?”

  “Dawnie is out with her horses until you wake up. Bethany is right there.” Keira pointed across to where Bethany sat on the loveseat, reading.

  “Hey, you. What you reading?”

  “It’s a Percy Jackson thing. Amelia asked me to read them, so I said I would. Kinda young.”

  “Yeah? Is it fun anyway?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” She looked at him, straight-on. “Glad you’re home.”

  “God, me too.”

  She grinned. “We missed Uncle Law’s cooking.”

  Little shit. He adored her. He loved them all, so much. “Me too. I missed pancakes for supper and good coffee.”

  “Bonner says you’re cooking, Bethy,” Law said, voice rough with sleep.

  “Just some stuff you taught me.” Her shrug was elaborately casual.

  “I’m so proud, honey. You’ll have to show me your favorites.” Seth grinned at her, so glad to be home where he belonged.

  “I got a few things off the internet.”

  “Mmm. Oh damn. Bonner asked for chicken-and-broccoli casserole, but y’all asked for alfredo, and you’re the birthday girls.” Law looked utterly stricken. It was sort of cute.

  “I like that, and Bonner’s foot is hurt. We’re going to have pizzas tomorrow, right? For our party?”

  Law nodded, and Jordan looked up. “I like that. We can have noodles Sunday. Tomorrow is pizzas still?”

  Seth rubbed his belly. “I could murder a pizza, baby girls. Yes, we’ll have pizzas.”

  Law chuckled softly. “Thank God for anti-nausea pills.”

  “Shut up.”

  The girls kinda blinked at them, so Law snorted, then rose. “You need to hit the head, baby?”

  Oh fuck-a-doodle-doo. It was a long way, but now that Law mentioned it, he had to go so bad it hurt. He wasn’t aching too too bad right this very second, but if he tried to move? Damn. “I guess I’d better.”

  “I’ll help.” Law winked at Keira, who moved back enough to give them room. Law helped lift him like the therapy guy.

  He gritted his teeth against the hurts—from the grinding pain in his chest to the sore all-over ache from spending a couple weeks in bed. Damn.

  “I got you.” Law held him up for a minute, warm and easy. Those hands were a lifeline.

  “Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Just a little tender.” All over.

  “I hear you. It will get better.”

  The girls had disappeared like smoke, giving him his dignity, and Law muscled him to the bathroom.

  By the time he’d done his business, he was soaked with sweat and feeling about as loose-limbed as a rag doll.

  “Back to the couch with you. Can you cowboy up for Dawn and Wiley?” Law held him a moment, so he leaned.

  “You know it.” He might be able to let Law see him hurt, but those kids. No fucking way.

  “Okay. Here we go.” Law danced him back to the front room after dropping a kiss on his mouth.

  “Uncle! Man, you’re home.” Wiley had… grown up. How had he grown up in two weeks?

  “Hey.” He hugged Wiley when the kid bent down to him. “Good to see you, man. I’ve missed the hell out of you.”

  “Yeah, I was so ready.”

  “I bet. Bonner and Law says you’ve been great, kiddo. Thank you.”

  “It’s what family does, right? We take care of each other.”

  “You know it.” He was so proud of his grown-up boy. “I am so glad to be home. We’ve got the holidays to get through, huh?”

  “Yeah. You take it easy and heal. We got this.”

  “Thanks, man. How’s Mandy?”

  “Good.” Wiley’s cheeks heated. “She’s coming tomorrow for the twins’ party.”

  “Oh, that’s sweet. Seriously. She’s welcome here, you know that.” Lord, please let the kids be using protection.

  “Thanks, Uncle Seth.” Wiley beamed. “What’s for supper?”

  “Uncle Law is going to make chicken-broccoli casserole,” Bethany said.

  “Mmm…” He loved that. Loved that he was home to have it. “Yum.”

  “Yeah.” Wiley fist-pumped the air. “We all take our turn, but Uncle Law is legend.”

  “He so is.” He tried to find a comfortable spot, but his chest was burning like fire.

  “You need a pill or something?” Wiley stood up. “Let me get Law.”

  “Don’t bother him. I’m good.”

  “No, you’re all pale. I’ll be right back.” Traitor.

  Bethany put her book down. “He’s right. You’re all pale.”

  “Just hurtin’.” He couldn’t even lie about it.

  “Yeah. That sucks. Don’t be scared. You’re home now.”

  “I don’t want to bother—”

  “Shut up.” Law came in from the kitchen. “I need to set a timer, huh?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “He hurts, Law. Help.”

  “No, it’s totally time to take some meds, baby.” Law glanced at the kids, then gave him a hard look.

  Right. He would be good.

  Dawn burst in, distracting him, if not Law. “Uncle! You should see Chrissy. She flies around barrels.”

  “Does she? Maybe tomorrow I’ll come out to see, after the party.”

  He swore he heard Law growl. Neat.

  “Don’t get him all riled up, Dawn,” Law said. “He needs his meds. Sit, though, and tell all.”

  “She’s so fast. We’re at eighteen seconds. Eighteen, Uncle!”

  “Hell, that’s two and a half seconds off your time.” Lord, look at her, cheeks flushed with triumph. He felt as though he’d missed a year of their lives. “I can’t wait to come see y’all ride.”

  “Thank you so much for her. She’s amazing. Horse says he’ll help me work with her. She’s a little fat.”

  “Well, she was someone’s backup racer. You’ll get her up to speed in no time.”

  “I will. I’m going to smoke the other girls, Uncle. You’ll see.”

  He chuckled. Lord have mercy, he knew that look, the passion in that girl’s eyes. She was a rodeo cowboy, and there was no healing that.

  “I believe you.” He took the pills and water Law handed him, then sighed happily when Law put a soft pillow behind him. It was just enough to stop the fire in his ribs.

  “I’ve got to do my social studies homework. If I get straight As, I get better standing in the parade line.”

  “Gotcha. I’ll be right here.” Moving seemed too much effort.

  “That’s a plan…” She gave him a little bit of a side-eye. “You stoned, Uncle?”

  “Little bit.”

  She cackled. “Well, that’s good. You need it.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I—oh, man. I need some toast or something.” He started to slide down to get off the sofa, and both girls screamed.

  “Law!”

  Law came flying back in from the kitchen. “Seth!” Law had learned a lot from the PT folks at the hospital. He got Seth under one arm and then under the butt, pushing him back up. “You could ask the girls!”

  “I’m queasy, man. Help.” The world was spinning.

  “Dawnie, get me an ice pack, please.” They always had some made up, because everyone on a ranch got hurt at some point. “Bethany. Saltines. Sprite.”

  “On it!” />
  The book hit the floor, and Law stared into his eyes. “Watch me and breathe. In and out.”

  “Uh-huh.” He was gonna hurl. He really was.

  “Shh. You got this. Sprite. Drink.” Law pushed a glass into his hands.

  Oh. Right. Okay. He did love some Sprite. It settled things down and made it easier to breathe. Didn’t do shit for the cold sweats, though. Not one bit.

  “That’s it, baby. That’s it.”

  “Here’s the saltines.” Bethany handed over the box, face full of worry. “I put in some toast too.”

  Law smiled for her, so good with the kids. “Thanks, honey.”

  “He’s okay? He doesn’t have to go back?”

  “No. No, he only moved too fast.”

  The stern look he got made him chuckle, which hurt too. Damn it. “And the pain pills make my belly gross, honey. N-no big.”

  “Oh, ew. Like when I broke my thumb.”

  “Yep.” He took a couple of saltines, chewed each one slowly.

  “I’ve got this, Uncle Law.” After a bit, Bethany brought over some toast and another Sprite.

  “Thanks, kiddo. Holler if you need to get up, Seth.” Law left, but Seth could see how hard it was in the stiff set of those shoulders. Law was going to explode before all this was over.

  “I will. Thank you.” Please don’t be pissed. I’m too fucking tired and—

  “We’re here! We brought a bunch of shit. Y’all have a big freezer, right?” Win walked in like a storm, blowing the stress away.

  “Huge,” he agreed. “And as long as Bonner hasn’t packed it with weird roadkill, we’re good.”

  “I heard that.” Bonner came into sight, rumpled as hell. “Damn hard nap.”

  “What happened to you, buddy?”

  “Got stepped on. No big.”

  “Damn.” He hated to hear that, but what was he going to do?

  “Frank and Ollie have been grand, boss.”

  Wiley appeared again, then grinned at Win and Horse. “Need help?”

  “We have a whole truck full of groceries. We already stopped and dropped ours off at the house down the road.” Horse grinned at Wiley. “Come on, man. Haul food.”

  “I’ll come too,” Dawn said. “Bethy, keep an eye on Uncle.”

  “I’ll scream if he so much as lifts more than his Sprite.” She crossed her arms and stared at him.

  “Me too.” Keira and Jordan sat and stared, and Seth started chuckling, holding a pillow to his chest.

  “What’s the pillow for?”

  “To keep my ribs from breaking again when I cough and sneeze.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  Bethany arched one eyebrow. “What about when you fart?”

  “Well, then I just try not to squeeze anything and let it come natural,” he deadpanned.

  “Yeah, you don’t want to bear down to make it loud. That could be dangerous for a man in your condition.” Oh, she managed that with a straight face. Nice.

  “That’s it. Who’s been teaching you smart-assery, girl?”

  She snorted. “Ollie.”

  He wheezed, holding up his pillow. They were all lucky to get two words from Ollie.

  “Easy. Easy, Uncle.” She came right to him, holding his chest.

  “Thanks. No making me laugh so much.” He panted, trying to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth. “I love you, kiddo.”

  “Love you too. I’m glad you’re home. We need you.”

  “Oh, good. I was worried I could be replaced.”

  “Never.” Law came to sit next to him. “Casserole is in the oven, so I came to get out of Win and them’s way.”

  “Excellent.” He patted the couch next to him. “Where’s Jordan off to?”

  “She’s playing Lego.” Law nodded to the other side of the room, and Jordan had been so quiet, he hadn’t even known they were still in the same room.

  “She’s focused.” And doing a pretty decent job of building a spaceship.

  “Yep. She’s gonna be our engineer. Or a fashion designer.” Law grinned, which had him chuckling again.

  “Whatever she wants.” A fashion designer, huh? He didn’t have any idea how to do anything vaguely like that.

  “That’s what I figure.” Law shrugged. “They all have their thing, right?”

  “God yes.” Music. Rodeo. Guitar. Dance. Why wouldn’t little Jordan design?

  Law touched his hand. “Better, baby?”

  “Yes. Yeah. Thank you. Note to self, pain pills make me queasy.” He winked at Law.

  “Well, they sent anti-nausea meds.” Law shook his head. “I know they knock you in the dirt, but they do help.”

  “Tonight, maybe. I’m enjoying being here with y’all.” He wanted to be here with Law and his kids.

  “Okay. Just keep up with the Sprite, then.”

  “Uncle Seth, look what I made!” Jordan came running over with her Lego creation.

  “Wow. Wow, that’s cool.” He couldn’t quite focus, but it was neat, whatever it was.

  “Hey, honey, that rocks.” Law did something, maybe took it and held it up, which made Jordan squeal.

  “I’m getting better, huh, Uncle?”

  “You’re getting better every second, baby girl. I’m proud.”

  “Thanks!”

  “Man, that casserole is smelling fine!” Win came out from the kitchen, rubbing his belly. “What you make, cowgirl?”

  “A rocket!”

  “Wow. That’s pretty cool. I wanted to be an astronaut for a little bit when I was a kid.”

  “Did you, Uncle?”

  “I wanted to be an archaeologist, Jordan.” He just wasn’t smart enough.

  “What’s that?”

  Law chuckled. “Someone who digs up dinosaur bones like Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park.”

  “Oh. You did?” Jordan blinked at him. “Why?”

  “Indiana Jones movies that my momma loved, I think.”

  “Oh. Cool!”

  “Wanna help me get bread and stuff together for supper?” Law asked.

  “Uh-huh.” Jordan carefully stowed her Lego.

  He guessed Law thought he was safe with Win and Horse, who had just come in too.

  Horse sat next to him. “You okay?”

  “Better, yeah.” The couch dipped, and he leaned. “Pain pill.”

  “Ah. Here.” Horse let him prop up against that wide body, and that was warm and solid.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem, man. You can chill. I always love the sound of people doing normal stuff.”

  “Yeah.” That was it, wasn’t it? He loved the sounds of cooking and homework and critters.

  Win’s voice came, then the girls, but it was all just normal conversation. So Seth floated.

  It was enough. He was home.

  25

  Law gritted his teeth. Then he counted to ten. Then twenty.

  He was going to lose his shit.

  “Wiley. I really need you to feed the dogs. Now.”

  “Okay! Jeez, what crawled up your butt and died?”

  “Nothing!” Nothing but five kids who were sick of being good little soldiers, a Seth who wouldn’t rest like he was supposed to, and an extra pack of rowdy cowboys with muddy boots.

  At least Seth was with his nurse, and thus not making trouble.

  “I’m gonna step out and get some air,” he said. “Before I crawl up yours, buddy.” He grabbed his phone to head outside. He really needed to call Hunter, anyway.

  He plopped down onto a rocking chair, trying hard not to scowl, but it wasn’t working. So he dialed Hunter, looking for a boost.

  “Hey, man. How’s that guy of yours?”

  “Hey. Recovering, if I don’t kill him.”

  “Don’t kill him! We haven’t met him yet!”

  “When are you coming? Thanksgiving?” He could use some extra hands.

  “Uh… well, yeah. Or, like, tomorrow. I’m bringing the crew. We can stay at a hotel, don’t worry.”


  “We have room between the two houses. Frank will go stay with Bonner, Ollie is going to his folks’, so we have the casita and the guest room.”

  “Excellent. We’re bringing hams and a shit-ton of snacks.”

  “Cool. Uh… how many of you are coming?” That seemed important. And who. He wanted to see Hunter. There might be guys he needed to be careful about, though.

  “There’s four of us. Me, Trainor, Harries, and Nickel.”

  “Gotcha.” Harries was the only one he wasn’t a hundred percent on, but where Trainor went, Harries went. “Looking forward to it.”

  “To me and Nickel, at least.”

  He chuckled. “You know I like Trainor.”

  “Uh-huh. I know.” He could hear Hunter’s smile.

  “Anyway, holler and let me know when, huh? Man, the kids are nuts. It’s like they’ve been good so long they’re acting out.”

  “Sure. Sure. I’m thinking noonish, give or take.”

  “Cool. See you soon, huh?” Noon when? Tomorrow, right?

  “You know it. I can’t wait.” The phone went dead. Boom.

  Well, that had been less than helpful. Maybe he was just in a shit mood.

  A small hand slipped into his. “Hey, Law? Can I sit on your lap? Please?” Jordan was shivery, red-eyed.

  “Of course you can, kiddo.” He pulled Jordan up into his lap. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing. I just… I want to be with you. I’m lonesome.”

  “I’m sorry, kiddo.” He hugged Jordan to him, rocking slightly.

  “Everybody’s real mad, huh? Even Sister yelled at me.”

  “It’s been a crazy time, huh? No one is mad, really. We’re all tired. No one is mad at you at all, okay?” Jordan needed to know that.

  “No? I’m trying to be a good girl. I’ve been real quiet.”

  “You’ve been amazing. You want to play Lego? Or do something out here?”

  “Can I stay here with you, Uncle Law? Please?” Oh, his sweet, hurting baby.

  “Of course you can. I like having you with me.”

  “I like you too. You’re my best friend.” Jordan snuggled right in with him.

  “I am?” Wow. That was high praise coming from his youngest. “That’s awesome.”

  “Uh-huh. I like to be friends.” Jordan looked up at him. “Dawnie told Wiley loving us makes people die. Is that true?”