Page 116

“Anonymous?”

“Uh-huh. You killed him yet?”

“No. No, Dalton was really messed-up about him. He needed to deal with it.” Tank gave Buick a look. “He shows up again? I’m gonna kill him.”

“Works for me. That shit’s not cool.”

“No. No, it’s not.” Tank was furious. Not at Dalton. No, he admired his lover for taking that situation and putting it in the ground. Rocket, now, he’d best hope Tank never had to protect him from nothin’.

“I didn’t save the picture, and I don’t want you to let your guy know. I just needed you to know it was a thing.”

“Anyone else said anything?” He needed to know how widespread this was.

“Not a peep.”

Thank you, Lord.“Good deal. Thanks, Buick. Before you go back to the big show, you need to have supper with just me and Dalton. I think he’ll like you.”

“Sure. He’s a great guy. One hell of a safety man, rumor is.”

“He is. He was worried you were trying to get me back.” He winked to soften the underlying message there.

“Honey, you deserve someone that gets jealous of you.”

He clapped Buick on the back. “And you deserve someone who makes you crazy enough to go to war for.”

“There you go.” Buick winked at him. “So long as we keep on keeping on. We’re good friends.”

“We are. I appreciate you.” Today as much as he ever had.

“Let’s go watch the bareback riders. I got money on Chip.”

“Do you? Is that all you got on him?” He winked, and Buick just laughed.

“I got my eyes open, don’t you worry.”

“There you go.” Chip was a good ’un, but he was…. Well, he got around. All the time. Like whoa.

They wandered over to the chutes and climbed up, muscling up between a couple of the young local bucks.

“Mr. Tank! How are you?”

“Good. Good.” He wracked his brain, trying to find a name. “Colt.”

The kid just beamed at him, goofy as all hell.

Go him. Buick gave him a thumbs-up, which made him grunt. He searched the arena, looking for Dalton on his mare. He loved the way Dalton rode, the way he and Strawberry worked together. That ass sat the saddle like it wasn’t work. As if all those muscles were too well trained to do anything else.

He’d heard that the Jakoby kids were in the saddle before they walked. He could believe that.

Two riders went up and down fast, the crowd making thatawwwwnoise.

“How much money you got on Chip, Buick?”

“Two hundred. Why?” Buick had been munching popcorn his brother had brought him, lost in his own world, Tank thought.

“Broncs are winning, so far.”

“Well, don’t count Chip out yet.” Buick held out the popcorn bag.