Chapter Text
1
Vin closed the passenger door of the truck and then reached in the open rear window to rest his hand lightly on the top of Peso's broad head, murmuring, "Stay, boy."
Peso was stretched out on the back seat of the dually, and his tail thumped quietly against the seat a few times as he watched Vin without otherwise moving. It had been very hot that day and Peso was perfectly happy to lie in the truck and wait for his master like he had good sense. He had been shadowing Vin most of the day when he wasn't sprawled in some out of the way spot to watch, and he was ready to relax.
The weekend there in Mesquite had seemed about a week long in the late summer Texas heat, but the event was finally done and Chris and Vin were both glad to be leaving in the morning. The event had gone well for them both, though Buck had done better than either of them. Vin ended up with top day money in the saddle bronc both days and overall, and fourth and third in the calf roping on a colt Tell Jansen asked him to try out, but Vin's first place Saturday in the bareback bronc riding was followed by a disappointing ninth the second day because his horse in the final go-round quit on him, ending him up out of the money in fifth overall.
Chris had taken third and ninth in saddle bronc, didn't make top ten either day in bareback, took a fifth and second in tie down, a second and third in the steer wrestling, and a fifth and second in the bull riding. Chris' individual scores averaged in with the third and first he got in the team roping with Buck were enough for fourth overall in the average and earned him a check, but Chris still wasn't too happy with how he'd done. Just ahead of Chris in the average had been Landy Torbell, who Chris had been competing with off and on since high school and loathed almost as much as Landy hated him. Second place had been a local boy fresh out of high school that had made a lot of cowboys feel old right up until his final event, when he got a foot over the bulls neck and ended up riding it sideways half the ride.
Buck was barely in the top ten for the bronc riding events but he rode all four of his horses and was high enough in the money in the calf events and bull riding to make up for it and take top spot in the average, winning a nice saddle, a buckle, and a hefty check. Buck had no real use for the saddle, he liked the one he was using too much to switch out, but he'd add the new one to his collection in a storage facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma next time they could swing by that way. Buck had a dozen saddles there already along with the buckles, trophies, bridles, and fancy saddle blankets he'd taken home from other events, and every time he added another he made noises about selling them all, but it was all talk. Anybody who had seen the way Buck looked at the collection when he thought nobody was watching could easily see Buck was just about as proud of it all as any man could be. Chris' own collection was in the storage room next to Buck's and he was pretty proud of it too, especially the fact he had five more saddles than Buck did and three NFR gold buckles to Buck's two, even though Vin teased them both about keeping it all.
Vin had won quite a few buckles and saddles himself since his first year-end high-point saddle when he was thirteen, but he had no use for a bunch of shiny buckles or fancy tooled saddles so he'd sold most of them soon after he won them. The few saddles he did keep were all in Jimmy's tack room and had seen frequent use, except for his two National High School Finals Rodeo champion saddles. Jimmy had the one Vin won for calf roping in his living room, but the custom saddle Vin won for saddle bronc riding his senior year was Vin's favorite. It had been made to order exactly like Vin wanted on a light flexible tree with a roping horn and almost no skirts, all in slick dark leather except for an oval low on each of the fenders where the saddle had been tooled with his name, the event he won it for, and the year. Vin hauled the saddle with him on the road even though he didn't often compete with it, using it whenever he had a reason to ride even though it drew comments sometimes because it looked more like a barrel racer's saddle than anything else.
The results for that weekend's rodeo had led to Buck picking up a buckle bunny before the prizes had even been presented, one of the can chasers who was all starry-eyed over bagging the weekend's top cowboy. She was a pretty young blond, which was just Buck's speed, and she had been in Buck's lap even before she told him her name. Chris and Vin had been amused by her fawning all over Buck, who had flirted with the girl for barely five minutes before he passed his winnings over to Chris and then disappeared with the girl to go 'help her find her hotel'. Vin and Chris had stayed at the arena most of an hour longer getting the horses settled for the night - Buck hadn't even stuck around long enough to unsaddle Jo - in rented stalls and making sure their tack was locked up, and then they headed out to enjoy a little celebrating of their own.
It had been a good weekend and they were both cheerful about their planned trip the next day to northern Oklahoma to meet Jimmy at a BLM facility in Paul's Valley to look over some mustangs. Vin was looking for a good roping horse prospect and Chris was thinking about adopting a mare or two to breed to Playboy in the spring, so they expected to adopt at least one or two while they were there. Jimmy wanted a few more broodmares to turn out with Victorio too, and one of Jimmy's friends had told him some horses from Vin's favorite herd management area had just been shipped to Paul's Valley so Jimmy had taken the eight horse trailer just in case. Vin had been counting the days until he could go take a look at them even before Jimmy had called him that afternoon raving about the recently-gelded stallion with the bunch, a tough blue dun he said was the spitting image of Vin's old roping horse.
The only horse Vin had ever liked enough to buy had come from the same HMA, a place in Colorado called the Little Book Cliffs. Vin was fifteen when he adopted the horse, a seven year old dark blue dun gelding who was never quite convinced he wasn't a stallion anymore. Vin named him Wildcat for his agility and speed, and he had spent an entire summer taming the horse before they began competing on the Texas high school rodeo circuit together. Wildcat had hated cattle and chased them with a single-minded intensity that had been well-matched by his rider's determination to be the best roper around, which led to them being nearly unbeatable. Vin and Wildcat still held arena records in a few places, and more than one announcer still mentioned Vin's world-record calf roping run on Wildcat his first year on the pro circuit even though the record had been broken since then.
Vin would likely still be riding Wildcat and competing with him if the horse hadn't been tripped by a falling steer during a calf roping run when Wildcat was twelve, breaking Wildcat's foreleg and leaving Vin pinned under the thrashing horse with a broken leg of his own for what seemed like ages before Wildcat managed to get to his feet. Putting Wildcat down behind the arena a few minutes later had been the hardest thing Vin ever had to do but he wouldn't let anyone do it for him, refusing to go to the hospital to treat his own injuries until he knew Wildcat was no longer in pain. A day didn't go by that Vin didn't miss the dun mustang, and sometimes he still had nightmares about being pinned under the thrashing horse and then seeing Wildcat finally manage to stand with his foreleg mangled and bloody, obviously broken far too badly to ever recover.
Chris had stopped by the front of the truck to wait for Vin to join him, and he was smiling as he pocketed the keys. "He'll be fine," he said after a few minutes, amused by the way Vin was just standing there petting Peso. They didn't leave Peso in a trailer to guard it anymore like Jimmy had always done. The dog was happier being allowed to stay with Vin, who liked having him around, and Chris felt better knowing that Peso was watching Vin's back. Chris had always chained his stock trailer to a convenient post when he parked it anyway, either at his motel or at the arena where he was competing, so it didn't really need guarded. "He just had that bowl of ice and it's not hot anymore now that the sun's down."
Vin stroked over Peso's forehead again, reminding the dog quietly, "Stay. Guard." Peso's tail thumped again and then Vin headed towards Chris, smiling wryly as he said, "Yeah, I know, but I'd still rather bring him in with us. Twenty degrees cooler than a hundred and nine is still pretty warm."
Chris chuckled softly, starting to walk towards the door of the nearby bar as soon as Vin reached him. "He'll be fine," he repeated more quietly, reaching out to rest one hand on the small of Vin's back for a moment before he let it fall again. "That dog's tougher than both of us put together. He proved it when he and Victorio tangled this spring."
Peso still had a few scars to show for attacking the stallion when Victorio had busted a gate latch going after Vin a few months earlier, but even hurt the dog had still managed to keep the stud off of Vin long enough for Chris to help Vin get through another gate to safety. Vin hadn't been hurt bad, just bruised and stunned by the gate hitting him, but Peso had ended up staying at the vet almost a week before they let him come home. The worst injury had been to one of Peso's back legs, where he had been pawed by the stallion and was bruised so badly that the vet ended up needing to do surgery to repair a ruptured vein deep in the muscle. It had healed up so well that there was hardly even a scar to show for it anymore, just a depression in the muscle most people wouldn't even notice, but at first the vet had worried Peso might lose the leg.
After Peso was finally home again, Chris had fed Peso a steak almost big enough to call a roast every night for a month and he still fed the dog steak at least once a week, along with anything else Chris had if he thought Peso wanted it. He figured Peso had earned that much and more, which was why Chris had taken Peso's side when the dog made it plain that he wanted to stick close to Vin after the incident. Some places they went didn't welcome the dog, which usually led to Peso spending time in the truck if it would be a short time or sprawled on Chris and Vin's bed snoozing if it would be an all-day thing, but they let him tag along whenever they could. Jimmy didn't mind, he was using Peso's sire to guard his trailer instead, a Blue Heeler named Cuervo who was very much a one-man dog and didn't really like anyone other than Jimmy, not even Vin.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Vin admitted as they got to the door of the bar, smiling as he glanced back towards the truck.
"'Course he will," Chris murmured as he opened the door, following Vin's gaze back to the truck and then chuckling softly.
Peso had sat up and was leaning sideways against the back of the seat watching them with a wide doggy smile, panting but obviously relaxed and comfortable. Chris was pretty sure the dog was likely wagging his tail, too. Peso looked tough and was very good at acting vicious when he felt the need to intimidate someone, but it was mostly just a very impressive bluff. The dog was really a big old baby as long as nobody tried to hurt Vin or anything Peso had been told to guard.
"Stay!" Vin called quietly to the dog.
Peso obediently laid back down in the seat, sinking out of sight.
Vin looked back at Chris then and laughed softly at the way Chris was watching him. "Can't hurt to remind him."
"I didn't say a word," Chris said quickly, grinning as he reached to give Vin a little push towards the doorway. "Get in there, I'm hungry."
Vin went inside without any more protest, letting Chris nudge him towards a small empty booth in the back as he murmured, "You ain't the only one."
They both saw people they knew as they walked through the crowded bar but they didn't stop to talk to anyone, nodding a hello to a few people but otherwise minding their own business. They had a lot of people they called friend, even quite a few they hadn't realized knew them both until long after they met each other, but they didn't spend a lot of time with any of them outside of a rodeo arena. Chris and Vin were both very private men who didn't feel a need to be surrounded by people, preferring to be alone much of the time until they met each other and discovered they could share the solitude they both craved. They made an exception for Buck, who was just the opposite and hated to be alone, but Jimmy understood a bit better and just let them have their space, long used to the fact Vin could spend days by himself and never feel lonely.
Chris and Vin had barely gotten seated when a tall blonde carrying a tray stopped by Chris next to the table, smiling as she said cheerfully, "Hello boys, I'm Lisa and I'll be your waitress tonight. What'll it be?"
"A menu," Vin replied instantly with a grin. "We haven't had a bite since sunup and we're starvin'."
"And a couple cold bottles of Lone Star," Chris added with a pleased smile. "Ridin' and ropin' is thirsty work."
Lisa pulled a laminated card off of her tray, handing it to Vin and then giving Chris a much more inviting look as she reached out to run her free hand over his back and said, "No bottles, honey, but there's ice cold Lone Star on draft."
"Two drafts, then," Chris said with a much less friendly smile for Lisa, then looked at Vin. "What looks good, babe?"
"Just a sec." Vin read over the menu as quickly as he could, hiding his surprise that Chris had called him babe. It wasn't exactly a secret they were partners after nearly a year together, most on the circuit knew about it, but Chris just wasn't the type to be demonstrative in public. Chris touching Vin's back or shoulder was about as obvious as Chris got most of the time unless Vin had been hurt or someone made the mistake of insulting him. "I think I'll go with the barbecue platter," Vin said after a few moments, glad it wasn't a very long menu. "Brisket, sausage, and ribs with potato salad sounds pretty good."
"It does, for sure," Chris agreed, pleased. He glanced over the menu anyway and then offered it to the waitress adding, "Make it two of the barbecue, and that bone-in ribeye with fries, extra rare."
Vin laughed, giving Chris an amused look as he teased, "You're gonna have him so fat he waddles."
"He earned his steak dinners when he nearly got himself killed protecting you," Chris said easily. "And he hasn't had anything since breakfast either so I'm sure he's just as hungry as I am."
Vin grinned. "Probably, but still. That dog eats better than a lot of people."
"Yep," Chris agreed and then he glanced up at the waitress, wondering why she was still there. "Did you need something else?"
Lisa looked bemused as she half-asked, "You want a twenty dollar ribeye steak for your dog?"
"His dog," Chris said, "but yes."
"Our dog," Vin corrected then, smiling. "Peso listens to you near as good as he does to me, and he's been stealin' your shirt to sleep on most nights."
"By the time my shirt hits the floor most nights, it likely smells as much like you as me," Chris pointed out, smirking.
Vin blushed, laughing but not denying it. After a long day of behaving himself he did kind of make a habit of tackling Chris as soon as they were alone, and Chris was usually more interested in getting Vin undressed than he was in taking off his own clothes. It wasn't unusual at all for the first round of the night to end with Vin sprawled on Chris' chest naked while Chris was still mostly dressed with his jeans pushed down to mid-thigh, if that far. They were lucky that lube and semen both washed out of clothes easily or Chris would have ended up with a lot of interesting stains.
"Oookay then. I'll be right back with your beer." Lisa turned to walk away towards the kitchen without another word.
Buck walked up to their table as the waitress was walking away, very rumpled with his shirt buttoned crookedly. "Move over with Vin, pard. I'm starving."
"Hello to you, too," Chris said dryly as he stood and moved to sit by Vin, who scooted over obligingly. The booth wasn't a large one and Buck was a big guy, so Chris didn't really mind moving. He'd much rather be sitting side by side with Vin than fighting Buck for elbow room, or anyone else for that matter.
"Didn't expect to see you again tonight," Vin said, grinning as he watched Buck flop down in the other side of the booth.
"Ah, she was sharin' that hotel room and didn't bother to tell me 'til it was too late," Buck said, making a face. "She went all blushin' schoolgirl when her friend walked in on us, and the other girl had a fit and had me hustled out in the hall before I was even dressed! I ended up puttin' my boots and shirt on in the elevator, and I still don't know what the hell happened to my socks or my shorts."
Vin snickered as Chris smirked at Buck and said, "Serves you right, that girl didn't even look like she's legal."
"She's nineteen, I heard the announcer say so before her ride," Buck said quickly.
"Still, you're on the back side of thirty-five now, Bucklin," Chris pointed out, still smirking at his best friend. "Don't you think it's about time to stop datin' kids?"
"At least I'm not old as you," Buck said quickly with a little laugh, ignoring as always the fact Chris would never stop being a year older than he was. "And I ain't the only one likes 'em young and pretty! You got a good ten years on Vin."
"Thirteen," Vin pointed out, amused at both of them. "But at least I can buy my own beer." Chris snickered at that and Buck gave him a dirty look as Vin grinned, adding, "How'd you find us anyway?"
"Hell, that was easy," Buck said with a vague wave of one hand. "Chris don't ever get far from the arena if he can keep from it. I just had the cabbie take me back there and then drive past the nearest bars to check for the dually. He didn't mind, I was payin' by the mile." He grinned. "Pulled up just in time to see Peso scare the shit out of a kid who leaned in the front window and reached down inside. Peso came up off the back seat snarling and the kid screamed like a little girl an' damn near flew backin' away from the truck, landed on his ass ten feet away." Vin and Chris both laughed at that as Buck added, "Peso barked at him then an' the kid jumped up and took off runnin' towards that apartment buildin' across the road like his baggy-assed britches was on fire."
"Stupid kid. Only his momma will know how scared he really was," Chris said, smirking. "When she washes his shorts."
"Prob'ly didn't see those stickers you put in the back window," Vin agreed, snickering slightly. The one on the driver's side was just text that said, "Caution: Guard Dog on Duty," but the other one Chris had spotted on a pickup at a Wal-Mart in Arkansas and spent an hour waiting for the guy who owned the truck so Chris could ask where he got it. The guy had turned out to have an extra he was willing to sell and Chris had put it on the back window on the passenger side right there on the spot. It was a simple white silhouette of a standing Pit Bull surrounded by the text, "You might get in, but you won't get out!"
The waitress, Lisa, returned to the table then, putting mugs of beer in front of Chris and Vin as she said, "It'll be a few more minutes for your food, Jose is pulling another load of meat out of the smoker right now."
"That's fine," Chris said easily, giving her a polite smile.
"Thanks," Vin added, reaching for his beer to take a drink.
"Anytime." Lisa turned her attention to Buck, smiling at him as she asked, "What'll it be?"
Buck turned on the charm, giving Lisa a wide welcoming grin. "How about a frosty mug of whatever that is they're drinking, little lady? And you might should bring a pitcher, too. I'm drier than a popcorn fart."
Lisa laughed. "I hear you, hon. You hungry too, or just here to wet your whistle?"
"Starvin'," Buck said quickly, still grinning. "You serve steaks?" She nodded and he said, "I'll take whatever the biggest one is with a baked potato."
"Whatcha want on the potato?" Lisa asked, quickly writing down the order.
"Butter, sour cream, and bacon, darlin'," Buck replied.
"Alright, I'll be right back with your beer," Lisa said cheerfully, looking at Chris and Vin as she added, "and likely your meals, too. Did you want that steak and fries for your dog in a to go box?"
"Yeah, please," Chris agreed, nodding.
"You got it," Lisa said, already heading towards the kitchen again.
"You ordered that dog a steak?" Buck asked with a bit of a laugh. "Again?"
"Peso's gotta eat too," Chris said quickly.
"He's a dog, Chris," Buck said. "They eat dog food. Why don't you just buy him a bag of Alpo?"
"Cause he won't want that shit, for starters," Chris pointed out dryly.
"Well, who would when he can con you into buyin' him steak ?" Buck half-asked, laughing.
"That bagged stuff is more corn than anything else," Chris said reasonably, ignoring the question. "Peso's grown up eatin' whatever Jimmy and Vin did. He'd feel mistreated if we made him switch to that dry crap now."
Vin snickered and added, "He really would. He won't touch dog food, that's why he eats table scraps even at home. He'd much rather have hamburgers and sausage biscuits."
"Well, of course he would, he's spoiled," Buck agreed, "but at least you didn't feed him steaks all the time."
"He earned it!" Chris said firmly, trying not to laugh. "I buy you steak dinners all the time even though I didn't see you charging in to get between Vin and Victorio when that crazy bronc went for him."
"I ain't that damn dumb!" Buck protested. "I was going for a rifle like I had good sense. I still say that stud needs put down before he manages to kill somebody, it's only a matter of time."
"Nah, he avoids most people if you let him," Vin said easily, amused. "It's just me he'll run down if he gets half a chance, and that ain't all bad. Sure makes it easier to catch him when we need to, all I gotta do is ride out in the pasture and let him see me an' then he'll follow me right back to the pens."
"You're lucky that dirt bike of yours can outrun him," Buck said pointedly. "If you tried that shit on horseback, you'd be dead."
"I ain't goin' anywhere near Victorio on horseback," Vin said, laughing. "I'm crazy, not stupid."
Chris snorted, amused. "That's debatable."
"Oh, shut up," Vin said with a grin. "You seem to like me just fine anyhow."
"Got past like the first night," Chris admitted with a little grin, reaching for his mug to take a drink of his beer.
Vin grinned wider and was about to tease Chris about it not taking the whole night when the waitress hurried up carrying a tray with two over-flowing platters of barbecue, a third plate in her other hand that held a steak and a loaded baked potato.
"Here you go, fellas," Lisa said cheerfully as she stopped by the table. She reached to put the plate of steak in front of Buck as she added, "Sorry it took a while, but I guarantee the food's good enough to make up for the wait."
"It looks perfect, darlin," Buck said quickly, grinning up at Lisa.
"Best in town," Lisa replied, giving Chris and then Vin their plates of barbecued ribs, brisket, sausage, and potato salad. Next she passed the three of them a bundle of silverware each that was rolled up in a napkin and then added, "I'll bring the steak for your dog in a few minutes, I didn't think you'd be in a hurry for it."
"That's fine," Chris said, not even looking up as he unrolled his napkin to get to his knife and fork.
Lisa headed off back towards the kitchen, and Buck waited for her to get out of earshot before he said, "You was damn near rude, Chris. What'd she do to piss you off?"
Vin snickered slightly, picking up a rib off his plate and watching them as he took a bite.
"She was practically all over me when we walked in here, touchin' me and shit," Chris muttered as he tried to cut his brisket, making a face at how dull the knife he'd been given was. He dropped it on the table and reached for the worn leather sheath on his belt to pull out his rope knife, flicking it open with his thumb. He started to neatly slice the brisket on his plate as he added, "You know how I hate it when women do that."
Buck just watched Chris cut up a few bites before he asked, "Didn't you use that knife to cut your neck rope off Playboy tonight?"
"Yeah," Chris replied, "so?" He ate a bite of brisket, slicing up some more while he waited for Buck to answer.
"That rope was so sweated up it was filthy," Buck pointed out, looking a little disgusted. "Now you're just gonna eat with it?"
"Looks that way, yeah," Chris agreed with a slight grin, starting to slice his sausage. "Knife she gave me's too dull to cut butter."
Vin stifled a grin as he finished off his first rib. Chris and Buck had the same discussion often, and it always turned out the same. Chris saw no reason to ever worry about what might be on his knife and was a firm believer that eating a little dirt once in a while never hurt anyone. He was a roper who regularly held a pigging string in his mouth that was used to tie a calf's legs together. Compared to that, he figured slicing up his food with a knife that at least looked clean and shiny was nothing to worry about. The funniest part though, at least to Vin, was that Buck wouldn't even consider eating with Chris' pocket knife but he didn't bat an eye at chomping down on a pigging string.
Chris laid aside his knife to eat then and Vin reached over to snag it and cut up his own brisket and sausage, earning a stifled noise from Buck that made him want to laugh. He looked up at Buck after a moment, catching his disgusted expression, and he did laugh then. "Buck, if it bothers you that much, just don't watch."
"Y'all are both heathens," Buck said firmly. "Shoulda been born a hundred years ago, I swear to God! You'd have fit right in!"
Chris laughed as Vin grinned at Buck and asked, "Why don't you tell us somethin' we don't know, Bucklin?"
"I bet y'all didn't even wash your hands when you was done puttin' away the horses for the night," Buck said, beginning to be a little amused despite himself.
"My hands ain't no dirtier than the rest of me," Vin said cheerfully.
"Likely a lot cleaner," Chris pointed out, giving Vin a little grin. "We did scrub out those nasty automatic waterers before we left."
"There y' go," Vin agreed, nodding to Chris and then grinning at Buck. "See? They're fine."
Buck stared at Vin a moment, then looked at Chris, then looked down to start in on his dinner as he muttered, "Two peas in a damn pod."
Vin glanced at Chris and they grinned at each other, then both dug in to their dinner too.
It wouldn't be long before Buck started in with something else, Vin knew. If it wasn't Chris' eating habits they were arguing over, it'd be Buck's girls, or Chris nearly missing a heel catch that day, or Buck having to practically pick up his steer to get it flipped in the steer wrestling, or Vin getting carted halfway down the arena by a bronc before it quit on him and not only stopped bucking but just plain stopped, or whatever else Buck could think of to start a conversation about. Chris and Buck both had a tendency to want to get laid when they were bored, but teasing each other was their favorite way to pass the time when they were bored in public.
~*~
Buck shifted in his side of the booth to get more comfortable, watching Vin with a little grin and wondering just how many mugs of beer he'd had. They held quite a bit more than a bottle to start with, and Buck suspected Vin had at least three of them over the course of the evening. Vin was a bit of a lightweight and usually drank no more than two bottles of beer before he had a good buzz going on, and he was obviously well past that point and heading fast for just plain drunk. Vin's blue eyes were bright and happy though, and he was grinning like everything Chris or Buck said was amusing to him, so Buck figured it wasn't all bad.
Buck let his gaze stray to Chris, hiding a smirk behind his own mug as he took a sip. Chris sure didn't seem to think so, anyway. He was watching Vin like he might have him for dessert, green eyes sparkling with more heat than Chris usually allowed to show in public, which made Buck realize Chris was very nearly drunk, too. Vin murmured something Buck didn't quite catch over the noise in the bar, and Chris smirked wickedly as he leaned closer, putting his lips near Vin's ear as he murmured something that made Vin's blue eyes go dark and intent. Vin was looking at Chris like he might make a meal out of him right there, and Buck decided it was time to go.
Buck was pretty sure they were about to scandalize some folks if he didn't get them out of there in a hurry, and he set his beer on the table as he said cheerfully, "Hey pard, what'd you do with the keys?" He was still fairly sober, sober enough to drive them safely to their hotel just down the road at least, but he wasn't sure he could say the same for either of the other two.
Chris blinked and looked at Buck, taking a moment longer than normal to get his mind on what Buck had said before he spoke slowly, acting as if Buck was the one who was drunk. "The keys are in my pocket, Bucklin, where they belong."
"Well, pass 'em on over here, pard," Buck said easily, grinning. "My turn to drive."
Chris frowned slightly, looking as if he might argue until Vin murmured, "You can ride in the back with me."
Chris looked at Vin, grinning suddenly as he teased, "Can't even wait until the hotel?"
"Can, sure," Vin said, smirking slightly. "Don't particularly want to, though."
Chris grinned wider and stood to dig the keys out of his pocket, passing them over to Buck as he said cheerfully, "You settle up and then come on, Buck. We'll be in the truck."
Buck snorted, amused as he took the keys. "Don't get arrested."
"Not plannin' on it," Chris agreed, stepping away from the booth to give Vin room to get out. As soon as Vin was on his feet, Chris settled one hand on the small of his back to give Vin a little push, starting him moving towards the door as he leaned in close and murmured something to Vin that made Vin smirk and start walking a little faster.
Buck snickered and shook his head as he reached for his beer, hoping they'd at least get out of sight in the pickup before Vin started losing his clothes. It would be up to Chris to remember to behave, he knew. Vin was shy most of the time, especially when someone was trying to praise him, but all bets were off when he'd been drinking and he would let Chris talk him into just about anything. There had even been once that Buck was woken up to go control them because they were caught in a hotel swimming pool, both naked as jaybirds while they tried to act sorry between Vin breaking out in giggles while Chris fought to hide a grin. Buck had tried teasing them about it later and been bemused to realize neither of them was even sorry.
Buck finished off his beer and then stood up and stretched, looking around for their waitress and then gesturing for her to come over. He took out his wallet while he was waiting, and when Lisa reached him he smiled warmly at her as he asked, "How much do we owe ya, darlin'?"
Lisa reached into her pocket, flipping through several tickets before she pulled out the right one, smiling at Buck as she said cheerfully, "Here you go, honey."
Buck accepted the receipt, checking the total quickly and then pulling a hundred and two twenties out of his wallet to offer them to the waitress as he said, "You keep the change."
Lisa beamed, accepting the money and tucking it into her pocket as she said, "You're such a sweetheart!" She stretched up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, then added with a little giggle, "Don't forget the dog's steak."
Buck laughed. "Yeah, can't forget Peso. Spoiled mutt." He leaned to grab the foam to go tray off the table and then nodded to her. "G'night."
"Night, honey," Lisa replied, then hurried off towards a nearby table where two men Buck recognized were standing up and obviously preparing to leave. The older of the two was the guy who had taken top spot in the bull riding that night, Josiah Sanchez, a man Buck had seen around the circuit for years. The other one was a tall black guy who was quickly becoming one of the top bull doggers in the country even though he was still in his first season on the pro circuit, though Buck couldn't remember the guy's name at the moment.
Buck made his way through the fairly crowded bar towards the front door, and he had just gotten outside when he heard the unmistakable sound of Peso barking. Peso was still in the back seat of the truck, but he was looking out the far side having a fit and it took Buck only an instant to realize why. Chris and Vin were in the middle of a group of six men, both of them fighting, but it was obvious to Buck after just a glance that they were losing badly. Vin's cheek was already cut and he was moving like he was a bit dazed, and Chris had two guys trading hits on him.
"Dammit!" Buck blurted angrily, hurrying towards the truck and the men who were gathered on the far side of it. He dropped the to go container on the hood of the truck on his way by it and then was taking a swing at one of the men who was going after Vin, knocking the guy on his ass. A big guy who had just been watching until then turned towards Buck and took a swing at him, tagging Buck hard right on his jaw, and then suddenly Buck had his hands full just holding his own.
Vin took a hard hit to the jaw from one of the others a moment later, going down on his hands and knees, and then another one kicked him in the right side hard enough to make Vin cry out, curling both arms around himself to protect his ribs. Vin rolled away towards the truck as the guy tried to kick him again, that time barely hitting his hip, but rolling over made Vin's ribs suddenly hurt much worse and the impact drew another pained noise from him anyway.
"Peso!" Chris exclaimed angrily, "guard Vin!" He punched one of the two guys who were still after him in the jaw, knocking him back, but the other one managed to get him right over the ear, dazing him a bit.
Peso had only stayed in the truck because Vin told him to just as the fight started, and he didn't hesitate when Chris gave him permission to join in. The big black dog sprang out of the side window of the truck to land on the nearest one of the men, biting his hat with an angry growl and knocking the guy who had kicked Vin sprawling. Peso shook the hat hard, still growling, and then tossed it aside as he put himself between Vin and everyone else, snarling but not trying to bite because the two men were hurriedly scrambling away from him. Peso had been taught never to hurt anyone who was leaving so he didn't even though he wanted to, just snarling angrily at the strangers who had hurt his owner.
The guys who had been after Vin turned on Chris and Buck then, making it three to one against them both, and Buck was sure they were about to get their asses kicked when Josiah came quickly around the front of the truck saying, "Now this just doesn't look fair, boys." He grabbed one of the men Chris was fighting with no further warning, turning the guy around and pulling him right into a hard punch that made the guy drop like his strings had been cut, out cold.
Josiah's tall black friend was right behind him, wading into the fight with a scowl as he added, "Two to one's bad enough, but three to one's just wrong!" He knocked sprawling one of the men that Buck had been fighting, and then Buck was too busy ducking a punch from another man to watch the others anymore.
Chris took another hit over the ear that dazed him enough to knock him to his knees, and then Josiah was between him and the two guys he had still been fighting. Josiah made short work of knocking one of them on his ass, and then the other tripped over his buddy and Josiah kicked out, clipping the guy on the side of the head and knocking him sprawling.
Buck finished off the guy he was fighting and then looked around, surprised to see it was over. All six of the men who had attacked Chris and Vin were down and only one of them was moving, but that didn't last long as Josiah moved over to punch the guy, knocking him out.
"Nighty-night," Josiah muttered, sounding amused, and his friend let out a snort of a laugh.
Chris gave his head a bit of shake, trying to clear it, and Buck moved towards him as he asked, "You okay there, pard?"
Chris waved Buck off even though he had blood steadily running down the right side of his head over his ear to drip onto his shoulder. "Don't worry about me, just got my bell rung. How's Vin?"
"I'd be glad to find out, if I could get near him," Josiah's friend said, frowning. "One of y'all call off that junkyard dog."
Buck and Chris both looked towards Vin then to see Peso was between Vin and the man, head down and teeth bared as he silently dared the guy to come closer. Vin was still holding his ribs and lying very still, and Buck realized Vin had passed out, which could make calming Peso down a lot harder. Peso usually listened to Chris and even Buck pretty well, but he was Vin's dog and could be very protective when Vin was hurt.
Chris reached for Buck's hand and Buck helped Chris drag himself to his feet, steadying him as Chris swayed for a moment and then Chris was moving over towards Peso as he said firmly, "Peso, it's okay. Nathan's a friend."
Peso glanced at Chris and then back at the tall black man, a low growl rumbling in his throat when Nathan stepped hesitantly towards him.
"Peso!" Chris said more sharply, "leave it!"
Peso took a step back, looking unhappy and a little confused, and Chris moved to reach for Peso's heavy hand-tooled leather collar, pulling him to one side.
"It's okay, fellah," Chris said more quietly, careful not to let go of Peso's collar. "Just settle down." Peso glanced up at Chris and then looked at Vin, whining as Chris looked at Nathan and added, "Be careful of his ribs. They've been busted up pretty bad before and I saw him get kicked just before I called Peso out of the truck."
"Wonderful," Nathan muttered, moving quickly to Vin now that Chris had a hold of the dog. He touched Vin's throat, checking his pulse, then carefully started to roll Vin to his back.
Vin groaned as the pain of being moved woke him and he took a swing at Nathan with his left hand, muttering, "Get offa me!"
Nathan lifted both hands away from Vin. "Easy! Just tryin' to help."
Peso pulled to try to get to Vin with a low grumbly noise that wasn't quite a growl, and Chris tightened his grip on Peso's collar as he said quickly, "He's a friend of Josiah's, Vin. Nathan did a couple years of med school. He's just trying to check your ribs, see if you got any busted."
Vin was frowning and looking confused as he shifted to try to sit up, then flinched at a stab of pain in his right side and settled back down on the parking lot as he wrapped his right arm around his ribs again. "Yeah, pretty sure." He took a careful breath, then added, "I don't need you pokin' at 'em to know they're not too bad, though. I ain't got a punctured lung this time."
"Scary you had busted ribs enough you can tell that," Nathan said as he stood and stepped back, frowning.
"Broken ribs means hospital," Chris said firmly, not at all surprised by the way Vin groaned. "Don't argue with me, babe. You're going even if I gotta tie you up an' carry you."
Vin made a face and then sighed and nodded. "Alright." He looked up at Chris and then blinked, frowning. "Chris, why is there blood all over you?"
Chris lifted his free hand to the wetness he could feel on his face and in the edge of his hair, feeling gingerly at the edge of the most painful spot above his ear. "That one guy managed to split my scalp when he punched me. Prob'ly looks a lot worse than it is. I ain't even dizzy."
"Speaking of those guys, why in hell did they go after you two?" Buck asked, frowning at Chris.
Chris let go of Peso finally, not looking at Buck. "I didn't pay much attention to 'em when we came out, they was over that way." He gestured off towards the far side of the lot. "We'd just barely got to the truck and--" He blushed a little bit. "Well, I kissed Vin 'cause he was bein' a tease and then Peso was snarlin' in my ear and by the time I turned around they were all around us."
Peso had moved to lie down by Vin as soon as Chris let go of him, and Vin laid his hand on the dog's shoulder as he murmured, "Speakin' of, I thought I told you to stay in the truck, mutt."
Peso just wagged his tail and licked at Vin's wrist.
"I told him to protect you when you went down," Chris said, moving to crouch by Vin.
Vin met Chris' gaze, frowning slightly with his left hand still on Peso's shoulder. "That's dangerous for him, you know how people are about Pits. If he bit someone --"
"He'd think it was worth it, as long as he kept you safe," Chris finished firmly for him. "That dog'd die for you, just like I would."
"Don't mean I want to let either one of you do it," Vin pointed out.
"Not my plan either," Chris agreed, "but I had my hands full an' I didn't want them hurtin' you any worse." He could tell Vin was about to argue, but he went on before Vin could get started. "Let's get you up and in the truck so we can get you to the ER. You need those ribs x-rayed." He looked at Nathan and Josiah then, adding, "I appreciate you two stepping in when you did. I owe you."
"Glad to lend a hand, Chris," Josiah said with an easy-going smile.
Nathan nodded but didn't say anything, watching Chris and Vin get unsteadily to their feet before he asked suddenly, "Just how much have y'all had to drink?"
"Enough we ain't driving," Chris replied, giving Nathan a wry look.
Nathan looked measuringly at Buck. "And you?"
"Three beers," Buck replied. "I'm still good to drive, I stopped when I noticed Chris'd had too much."
Nathan snorted. "You've had too much too, big as those mugs in there are." He looked at Josiah, adding, "I'll drive these three to the ER, it's just a couple miles."
"Up to them," Josiah said easily. "I can follow easy enough, I don't mind."
"I'm fine to drive, Nathan," Buck protested.
Nathan looked back at Buck, giving him that appraising look again as he asked, "Can you look me in the eye and say you're completely sober?"
Chris snorted. "Hell no he ain't sober." Buck looked at him, surprised and amused, and watched as Chris opened the rear passenger door of the pickup, adding, "Just give him the keys, Buck. Likely smart none of us drive right now. On top of that beer, I saw you take a couple hard shots to the head too."
"I didn't get shook up that bad," Buck protested, but he dug in his pocket to pass the keys over to Nathan anyway. "Not like you did. I'm better at takin' a hit."
"Load up," Vin murmured, watching Peso leap up into the truck before he moved to climb in himself.
"Got a jaw like a rock, too," Chris said a bit absently as he helped Vin into the seat, frowning at the way Vin gasped in pain as he moved. When Vin was settled, Chris lifted one hand to brush back Vin's hair back from his face and then cupped his cheek, making Vin look at him. Vin leaned into the touch slightly as Chris asked very softly, "Just how bad is it, baby? You've gone pale as a ghost."
Vin took a slow breath, wincing as he inhaled a little too deep and flexed his ribs, then admitted, "Hospital soon's a good idea. Gettin' up here shifted the damn things." He hesitated, breathing carefully, then added, "Startin' to feel like maybe I got a lung after all. Ain't bad, but it sure ain't good, either."
"We're going, right now," Chris said quietly, smoothing Vin's hair back from his face again. "Just sit back and be still, okay?"
Vin nodded and settled back obediently in the seat, wincing and then closing his eyes and just breathing slow and careful. Peso moved to lay his head on Vin's thigh, whining softly, and Vin carefully shifted to put his right hand on the dog's big head without opening his eyes, murmuring, "I'm okay, mutt."
Chris snorted but he didn't argue, stepping back and closing Vin's door as he looked at Buck and then Nathan. "Let's go," he said firmly, then turned away to head quickly around the back of the dually to get in on the other side.
"I'll be right behind you, brother," Josiah said quietly, bending to grab one of the guys closest to the truck and unceremoniously heaving him further away so Nathan could back out. He ignored he way the guy groaned when he landed, heading across the lot towards his battered old Chevy pickup. Another one of the men who had attacked Chris and Vin was starting to come around a bit, too, but the guy was obviously done, not even looking towards the truck or the men getting into it.
Nathan opened the driver's door of the dually to get in, and by the time he'd gotten the truck started Chris was already sitting in the back and Buck was climbing in the passenger side with the to go box off the hood. Nathan backed out as soon as they both had their doors shut, then headed towards the nearest hospital as quickly as was safe.
~*~
"So you're a vet, huh?" Buck asked Nathan curiously.
They were sitting in one of several small waiting rooms scattered around between the exam rooms in the ER, which was surprisingly quiet given the size of the city they were in. Evidently late on Sunday night wasn't a very popular time to get hurt in Mesquite, which suited Buck just fine since it had gotten Vin and Chris into exam rooms as soon as they arrived. Of course, it hadn't led to them being treated quickly so it was a give and take sort of thing. There was only one ER doctor on duty so Vin had been cared for first before anyone even looked at Chris, but that hadn't bothered Chris at all other than the fact that he wasn't in the room with Vin. Chris and Vin hadn't ever considered doing any paperwork to make their relationship official, but Buck was pretty sure they would be. Chris was beside himself about not being allowed into the exam room with Vin.
Chris had told Buck to check on Vin for him, but the nurses wouldn't let Buck in either so Chris sent Buck back out to the truck to give Peso his dinner and walk the dog. Chris was getting grouchy as a bear with a sore tooth by then so Buck was glad to go, though walking Peso wasn't as easy for him as it was for Chris or Vin. They only had a few lead ropes, all of which were in the stock trailer or with the horses at the arena, so Buck had to dig an old set of reins out of the big tool box in the bed of the truck to improvise a leash. Peso never needed a leash when he walked with Vin or Chris, sticking close and behaving perfectly, but Buck wasn't about to risk turning the dog loose without either of them in sight. With his luck, Peso would take off into the hospital and scare the nurses to death, trying to find Vin.
Buck had lingered over walking Peso because he hoped Chris would be done by the time he got back to the exam room, but that hadn't been the case. What Chris had tried to dismiss as just a split scalp turned out to be where one of the men he fought with had gouged away the skin above his ear right down to the bone, most likely with a ring, leaving Chris with a minor concussion and a nasty gash that wasn't going to close up without stitches. Chris was still waiting for the local to take effect so he could get stitched up, though he had told Buck that Vin had already been x-rayed and then hustled off down the hall.
One of the nurses had taken pity on Chris when she saw how worried he was, and she had gone to check on Vin for him. She came back only a few moments after Buck did and told Chris and Buck that Vin was in surgery to have the broken rib put back in place and secured so it couldn't move again. She assured them wouldn't take long and then Vin would be fine, though he couldn't ride for the next eight weeks, and then she got out a suture kit to start working on the gash in Chris' hair. Chris had told Buck to go away right after that because he was hovering and seemed more hurt by the stitches than Chris was, so Buck ended up in the waiting room with Josiah, who was reading a book, and Nathan, who seemed to think his phone was very funny.
Buck had checked his own phone for messages, texted Jimmy about what had happened even though he knew Jimmy would be asleep, and then had nothing to really do but hurry up and wait. Within a few minutes, he was bored stiff.
"Gonna be," Nathan replied, looking up from his phone to grin at Buck. "Started out in med school and was doin' good with the classes, but I barely made it through my first month of internship before I changed my mind."
Nathan and Josiah had decided to stick around with Buck at least until Chris was done, which was supposed to be soon. Nobody believed they could get Chris to leave then, of course - Chris would be staying there until Vin was released - but at least he'd be able to keep Buck company until Vin was out of surgery. Buck planned to head out to the hotel then and get some use out of that room Chris and Vin had paid for while Chris was busy hovering over Vin like a hen with one chick.
Buck chuckled. "No stomach for seein' folks hurt?"
"Nah, man, that don't bother me," Nathan said with an easy grin. "It's having to put up with 'em fussing. Give me a horse to work on any day, at least it won't argue with me about how it's special and can't be treated like I know it should be."
Buck snickered. "I hear ya." He tilted his head, curious as he asked, "How'd you get from med school to rodeo, though?"
"I was on the high school circuit and I always did pretty decent," Nathan replied. "Riding in high school got me the scholarship that paid my way up to med school before it ran out, and the grant I got after that was only for a year. I could take on some pretty hefty student loans and do vet school now but I'm gonna ride a couple years first, see if I can't save up enough to at least give me a good start on finishing out without so much debt hanging over my head. With all the classes I already had, I only need two more years of school to get my doctorate."
"You can do it," Josiah said, looking up from the book he was reading to smile at Nathan. "You've been making more than double what you spend all season and your first year in the pros you're on your way to the Finals in three events. You'll likely take home day money at least once or twice if you get decent runs, maybe even the average in steer wrestling or tie down." He grinned. "Team roping's not likely for either of us unless you get that heel shot a little more reliable, but there's always next year."
"I still say I oughta be the one heading," Nathan said, amused. "I was a header in high school and hardly ever missed shot."
"Maybe, but I've been roping longer than you and I miss the heels even more," Josiah admitted, still grinning as Nathan laughed. "At least you're still improving, brother."
"Never did like heelin' myself," Buck said, chuckling. "I can head a steer all day, but throw me at the other end and I'm gonna miss a lot more than I catch."
"Chris is a heeler though, isn't he?" Nathan asked, smiling at Buck.
"Yeah, one of the best," Buck agreed, nodding. "We'll make it to the Finals again this year, for sure. He misses once in a while, but he's quick to get that second throw in." He paused, then added, "Vin's as good though, maybe better. He just doesn't run much because Chris an' I been ropin' together since we were kids and Vin don't wanna mess with that unless one of us isn't feelin' up to it. It's a damn shame, too, he'd be one of the top guys out there. Headed on a run that was an arena record in Tulsa with Chris this spring while I was out with the flu, and he did some awesome runs heeling for me last month while Chris was getting over that dislocated shoulder."
Nathan looked at Josiah, eyebrows going up as he said, "Sounds like maybe you should talk to Vin about doing some roping after his ribs heal up, Josiah."
"Yeah, lessons for you," Josiah agreed, smirking slightly as Nathan laughed.
Buck grinned. "He'd do it. He spent two hours with a local kid we didn't even know today, teachin' him how to get his rope horse to set back for him and keep the rope tight. Poor kid had a calf that was flyin' all over the place last night and his sorrel was just following it along pretty as you please."
Josiah chuckled. "I remember seeing that run, I almost offered to work on his horse myself."
"Someone sure needed to," Nathan agreed, amused. "It was just sad."
Chris walked into the waiting room then, looking tired and worried as he went over to sit down next to Buck without a word. His hair had been shaved over his right ear around a bruised knot that had a neatly stitched gash across it, the top of his ear and part of his temple both bruised and swollen too. He also had a bruise on his jaw on the left side, split knuckles on his right hand, and was still wearing the pale blue denim shirt he'd worn that day even though half the snaps were open and it was streaked with dried blood.
"You okay, pard?" Buck asked quietly, his amusement forgotten.
Chris made a face, tipping his head back against the wall and looking up at the ceiling as he replied softly, "Vin's still in surgery." It wasn't exactly an answer to the question Buck asked, but he knew Buck would understand.
"It hasn't been long, Chris," Josiah said calmly. "Pinning broken ribs back together is delicate work, it might take a while."
"Especially if it's been broke before like Buck said," Nathan added, making Chris look at him. "They may end up stabilizing it another way if the bone's messed up from the old break. Josiah's got a chunk of metal plate where a bull hooked him and busted a couple ribs he'd broke before."
"Whatever they do, I hope they get it done soon," Chris said quietly. "The longer he's out, the more likely they're gonna want to make him stay."
"They're probably gonna keep him at least a few hours, Chris," Nathan pointed out. "Usually do if they have to do surgery, even something so minor."
"Maybe so, but he hates being in the hospital," Chris explained. "Stayin' long will do him more harm than good. I think he'd rather get up in front of an arena full of people an' have to listen to 'em tell him how special he is."
Buck chuckled, very aware that the quickest way to make Vin want to flee was to start in praising him. Chris could get away with it sometimes, but pretty much anyone else trying to tell Vin how talented he was would have Vin blushing and making excuses to make himself scarce. To hear Vin tell it, he was nothing special with no talent for anything except riding broncs, and given a chance he'd even talk that down as if he wasn't one of the top five riders in the country. Vin hated to go up in front of folks to accept his winnings right after an event and would disappear as soon as he possibly could, avoiding saying much even to anyone who tried to interview him.
Nathan smiled at Chris. "If he's lucky they'll let him go in the morning."
"Ain't like he'd be gettin' himself into trouble," Chris said, smiling slightly at Nathan and then looking over towards the door. He didn't want to see Buck's reaction. "When I get him outta here, we're goin' straight home and he's gonna stay put at least a couple weeks. We ain't had a break since July."
"Only way he'll stay at home is if you do," Buck pointed out, surprised. "We'd miss out on that big rodeo in Oklahoma City next week."
"Then I'll stay home too," Chris said, still not looking at Buck. "It ain't like missing one rodeo would make much difference in the standings for either of us."
"Some nice prizes available next week, though," Buck pointed out. "You two had your heart set on that big slant-load trailer they're givin' to whoever wins the average. Between us we got a good chance of takin' it home, and then we'd have room to haul a ropin' horse for Vin."
Vin could borrow Playboy or Jo when he wanted to compete in the roping events, of course, and he did sometimes, but he didn't like doing it often because he worried that he'd pull an early run and leave the horse tired when Chris or Buck needed it for their own run. The stock trailer Chris and Buck had used for years was big enough for four horses, but it only had one divider. Playboy was a stud so he couldn't be hauled in the front half with a mare, and he didn't like to be crowded by geldings. Jo was a bully who just wouldn't share the back half of the trailer at all, or any small area for that matter.
Chris looked at Buck again finally. "So I'll push hard for the Finals and I'll buy one instead." He hesitated slightly and then added, "You're welcome to use the truck an' trailer if you wanna go without us, Buck. You could win it without me if you make a few calls, get someone to heel for you. Hell, you can even take Playboy, he knows his job well enough to get anyone in position workin' with you and Jo."
Buck met Chris' gaze as he said, "That's not what I'm sayin' Chris, not at all. You know Vin ain't gonna want you dropping in the ranks on his account. He could sit in the stands an' watch you run. "
"Takin' care of him is more important," Chris said quietly. "If he's at that event, you know he's gonna want to be right there in the chute helpin' with our broncs and wrestling Jo back in the box for you to make it out clean an' all the rest. It's just how he is."
"So we'll get Jimmy to come along an' sit on him," Buck said. He knew Chris was right, Vin would want to be right there in the thick of it and an injury wasn't likely to stop him. Vin had dislocated his thumb arguing with Victorio on the second night of the Finals the year before and didn't even slow down, popping it back in place before the medics even saw it and going right back into the chute. He'd ended up riding the stallion for ninety-seven points despite the injury, winning not only the go around but eventually the average and taking home the buckle in the saddle bronc event. His hand had been purple for over a week but he had just ignored it, still riding, roping, and working with the horses. "That, or get Charlie to come out. She'd really sit on him, an' Vin'd be so busy blushin' he'd forget to fight her off."
Chris smiled, easily able to picture that. Charlie was one of Buck's old girlfriends that had traveled with Chris and Buck for most of a year when they first went pro, and the three of them were still close as family. Charlie was tough as any cowboy, more than a little wild with absolutely no shame, and she got a kick out of making Vin blush. Chris and Buck always made time to visit her when they were anywhere near Cheyenne, and she welcomed them with open arms every time. Chris had actually taken Vin to meet her for the first time just a few days after they met, and within an hour Charlie had claimed Vin as part of the family too. Even after most of a year Vin still wasn't quite sure how to take it sometimes, but he liked her anyway.
A tall blonde nurse in bright pink scrubs stepped into the doorway then, smiling at Chris as she said, "Your partner's just come out of surgery, Mr. Larabee, he's going to be fine. He's being moved to a room right now. He should wake up soon and then you can see him, but the doctor wants to keep him for observation until he does his morning rounds." She laughed softly, adding, "If you can get him to hold still that long. We hadn't even gotten his x-rays done yet when Mr. Tanner started telling me he was leaving as soon as the doctor was done with him."
"Not surprising," Chris replied. "I'll make sure he stays put until the doc clears him, though."
"As long as he doesn't do too much, there's no reason he can't leave in the morning," the nurse said, smiling warmly at Chris. "I'm sure he'll be fine, the doctor had no problem stabilizing the broken rib. Dr. Mitchell just wants to be certain he doesn't have a reaction to the anesthetic."
"As long as you made sure they didn't give him penicillin, he should be good," Chris said, smiling and looking relieved.
"It's on his chart, I added it myself," the nurse agreed, still smiling. She heard something out in the hall and leaned to look, then glanced back at Chris as she added, "I have to go, but someone will come get you as soon as you can see him. It shouldn't be too long."
"Thank you," Chris said, quiet and sincere.
"No problem, honey," the nurse said quickly, then turned away and left the waiting room.
"See? He's fine," Buck said, making Chris look at him. He grinned, adding, "And if it's gonna be after daylight before they let him go, I'm gonna go sack out in your room at the hotel." Chris and Vin still usually got a room with two beds, though they never used the second one. Buck habitually spent most nights with a girl after a competition, but on the nights when he came dragging in at 2 am it made no sense to any of them for Buck to waste the money to get another room just to sleep a few hours. Chris and Vin always behaved themselves pretty well while he was in the room, though he had learned fast to either make himself scarce or turn on the TV if they decided to shower together.
"Go on," Chris agreed. "Take Peso in with you, though. He don't need to sleep in the truck. Just toss our laundry bag on our bed, he'll stay out of your way."
"We should be going too, we've got horses to check on yet," Josiah said, standing up. Chris looked up at him and Josiah moved closer, offering Chris his hand as he added, "You got my number. Give me a call tomorrow, let me know how Vin is?"
"I will," Chris agreed, standing up and shaking Josiah's hand. "Are you and Nathan planning to ride at Oklahoma City?"
"Lord willin' and the creek don't rise," Josiah replied, grinning and he shook hands with Buck too. "Staying with a friend in Atoka for a few days between now and then, he needs a hand dehorning some calves."
"As long as Josiah's old rattletrap of a truck don't die on us," Nathan added, moving to offer Chris his hand.
Chris shook Nathan's hand with a soft chuckle. "Here's hoping we all make it there." He wasn't sure he would ride, but the more he considered it the more he thought he and Vin should go support Buck at least. He'd have to watch Vin like a hawk the whole time, but he was pretty sure Buck wouldn't go alone and Buck was right at the top of the standings. Maybe he could just ride for the team roping and sit out the rest. His entry fees were already paid, after all.
Nathan shook hands with Buck and then Josiah put his hand on Nathan's shoulder and said cheerfully, "Come on, brother. Redman and Dusty will be wondering where we've been."
"Eatin' a little late won't hurt 'em," Nathan said, smiling at Chris and Buck before he let Josiah usher him out of the waiting room.
Buck looked at Chris, waiting for Chris to meet his gaze before he asked quietly, "You gonna be okay alone, pard? I can stay if you want some company."
"No, go ahead," Chris replied, "the nurse said they'll let me see Vin soon."
"If you're sure," Buck said a bit doubtfully.
Chris rolled his eyes. "I'm sure, I'll be fine. You just take good care of his dog, okay? Don't forget to walk him."
Buck let out a soft huff of a laugh. "I already gave him that steak and walked him, but I'll walk him again before we go in. He's likely as ready for some shut-eye as I am."
"I'm sure he is," Chris said quietly, smiling. "You drive careful, you hear me? You had enough tonight, I want you goin' slow."
"I will, pard." Buck hesitated and then hugged Chris quickly before he pulled away and headed for the door. "Night."
"G'night," Chris replied with a smile, watching him go before he sat back down to wait. Once he was in the room with Vin and could touch him and hear him breathe, Chris was sure he would fall asleep without much trouble, but until then he would be wide awake.
Chris couldn't really sleep alone anymore, not even for a little while.
~*~
Vin frowned slightly as he started to wake up, confused. Someone was holding his hand, but it wasn't Chris. He tried to pull away as he opened his eyes, blinking a few times and trying to focus only to find a nurse standing next to him scanning the hospital bracelet he was wearing on his left hand. She was tall and blonde with brown eyes and vivid pink scrubs, and he vaguely remembered talking to her before they put him under to fix his busted ribs. She had promised him she'd check on Chris while he was out, make sure he didn't freak out too much.
The nurse noticed him watching her then and smiled, obviously pleased as she said cheerfully, "Well, hello there. It's about time. We expected you to wake up most of an hour ago." She released his arm and moved to a narrow cart she had parked by the bed, pulling out a probe and holding it out towards him as she added, "Open up, I need to take your temperature."
Vin obediently let her put the probe under his tongue, closing his mouth to wait through the five seconds until the machine beeped. He was still feeling kind of vague and confused, but he thought it was probably whatever they gave him to do surgery. His last time stuck in a hospital, he'd spent a lot of time completely out of it at first. What he did remember was mostly the pain every time he tried to move and utter mortification because the nurses wouldn't let him out of bed even to go use the restroom. That time he'd had broken ribs on both sides along with internal damage from being kicked in the stomach and it had taken a depressingly long time for the doctors to decide he could sit up, much less go home.
The machine finally beeped and the nurse took the probe away, and then Vin asked softly, "How's Chris?"
The nurse chuckled, disconnecting the machine on the cart she was using from the blood pressure cuff on his upper left arm. "He's fine, he's been asking about you." She smiled softly at him as she removed the cuff, adding, "He loves you very much."
Vin smiled at that, sure she was right. "Feelin's mutual." He hesitated, then asked, "Why isn't he here?"
"Hospital policy, sweetie," the nurse replied, wrapping the cuff around the bed rail and leaving it there. "He could have been here the whole time if you were a minor in his custody, married, or he had a power of attorney, but otherwise no visitors are allowed after surgery until you regain consciousness and give permission." She smiled warmly at him, moving to straighten his covers slightly as she added, "Which you just did. How are you feeling? Any nausea or pain?"
Vin thought about it a moment and then shook his head. "Not really. Just kinda... floaty?"
The nurse laughed. "That'll be the meds they gave you for surgery. They won't wear off completely for a few hours yet." She patted his hand gently, adding, "Why don't I go get Mr. Larabee? He was getting pretty anxious last I checked on him."
"Please," Vin agreed, relieved. "He won't really believe I'm okay 'till he sees it for himself."
"Of course," she said, smiling wider. "You just relax." She pushed the cart out of the room without another word.
Vin was soon rubbing the light blanket that was covering him between the fingertips of his left hand, wrinkling his nose a bit at the smell of the room. He hated the stomach-churning blend of disinfectants and bleach and something he'd never quite figured out that seemed to be unique to hospitals. It always made him just queasy enough to bother him without him actually getting sick, which set his nerves on edge. That and the unnerving silence of the room combined to make him feel like his own thoughts were too loud in his head. He was used to cheap motels near busy highways and the constant low drone of traffic nearby, or the quiet sounds of night at home on the ranch, not such absolute silence. It made him kind of wish the nurse had turned the television on, even though he hadn't watched anything on television in months.
He noticed how cold he was then and wished for his clothes. They had stripped him down in the ER as soon as the doc decided he needed surgery, and the hospital gown he was wearing was flimsy cotton he'd have bet cash wasn't even as thick as a bandanna. He'd always been one to get cold easy and hospitals seemed to all keep the thermostat low enough he figured you could likely keep meat right out in the halls and it not spoil. If he stayed for very long he'd be shivering, he knew. He was almost to that point already.
It seemed to Vin like it had been ages since the nurse left, but he didn't really have to wait very long before Chris hurried in. Vin smiled at Chris, relieved and unreasoningly glad to see him, sure that he wouldn't be left alone with the silence and cold anymore. "Hey."
Chris didn't say a word, walking straight to the bed to lean over Vin and kiss him first, lingering for a long moment before he pulled away to look into Vin's eyes. "Had me worried, babe," he admitted softly, giving Vin a wry little smile. "The nurses couldn't give me a decent reason why you weren't waking up."
Vin smiled, lifting his left hand to the back of Chris' neck as he said, "'Cause we were up and running at five this mornin' an' I was tired even before I got my ass kicked." Chris chuckled slightly at that and Vin added, "I'm fine. Get back down here."
Chris smiled wider and kissed Vin again, sure it'd do them both a lot more good than arguing about it. Vin finally loosened his grip after a few moments and let Chris pull away a few inches, and Chris was glad to see Vin smiling and looking so like his usual self.
Neither of them noticed the door open again in the shadowed corner of the room as Chris stroked Vin's hair back and asked softly, "Don't your ribs hurt?"
"Right now, nothin' hurts," Vin said with a little grin that made Chris snicker. "Likely won't last though, so I wanna enjoy it while I can." He let go of Chris, scooting to one side in the bed and then reaching for the controls to flatten it out as he added, "Come on, take a load off. There's room for two in this thing, close as we sleep."
Chris smirked and said firmly, "You're not gettin' laid, baby."
"An' neither are you," Vin agreed with that same little grin Chris knew so well. "I ain't ever gonna sleep unless you're next to me, though, and I know I ain't the only one."
Chris admitted, "Yeah, I can't sleep alone anymore either."
"So stop keepin' me awake, cowboy," Vin said easily, smug. "Kill the light an' get your ass over here."
Chris chuckled slightly and kicked off his boots, then reached for the light to turn it off before he sat on the bed next to Vin and swung up his legs, settling comfortably on his back. "Better?"
Vin shifted onto his left side to settle close against Chris' side, then nodded when he felt Chris' right hand settle against his bare back under the hospital gown. "Much better." He kissed Chris' jaw and then laid his head on Chris' shoulder, his right hand on Chris' stomach as he inhaled slowly. He could still smell the hospital but it was just a background note now, almost hidden by the familiar scents of Chris and good honest sweat, arena dust and horses. If he closed his eyes he could almost believe they were in some hotel somewhere, maybe one of the big ones in Vegas like they stayed in for the Finals the year before, buried deep enough in the hotel it had no windows. The eerie silence was gone, filled by the quiet sounds of Chris' heartbeat and the slow steady rise and fall of his breathing, and Vin was already relaxing within a few moments.
Chris could feel the tension melting away out of Vin's back under his hand and he smiled as he kissed Vin's forehead, covering Vin's right hand on his stomach with his left and then resting his cheek against the top of Vin's head and settling down to just enjoy holding him until he could sleep. It wouldn't be long, he knew. It had been a hell of long a day, Vin was right about that. They had started earlier than usual, wanting to get the horses warmed up and taken care of before it got hot out, then ended up staying busy right through the day despite their plan to try and avoid the worst of the heat.
The nurse watched them for a moment longer and then smiled and turned away, closing the door softly behind her. She had returned to ask if Mr. Tanner needed anything, but she saw no point now. He was obviously in good hands.