Page 22 of Brett and Rowdy (Gomillion High Reunion #5)

She offered him a nod and a grin. “Oh, totally. Totally get the shrimp. They’re so good, and that’s not something you’re going to be able to get in New Mexico.

I mean, obviously, you live where there are shrimps all over, but Gulf shrimp are special.

And New Mexico, no shrimp, zero shrimp. Don’t eat the shrimp. ”

“Good to know.” She was full of opinions, that girl. “Then that’s decided. I’m gonna have the shrimp.”

“Rock on. So what do you all wanna do tonight? I bet we could find a show or a concert. There’s gotta be something to do. It’s a big town. Oh, I know, we could all get tattoos!”

Rowdy arched one eyebrow at Madison. “Your mother would kill me.”

Madison snorted. “Daddy, Momma and I got matching tattoos on my eighteenth birthday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”

“I’m blind, you dork. I can’t see it. I suppose you have matching ones with that boy, too.”

Madison’s cheeks turned bright red, she gasped, and Rowdy’s mouth opened.

“You little shit, you got matching tattoos with two people and you left me out?”

“Well, three, yeah? My sorority. We all have a sorority tattoo.”

“I don’t think I like you anymore.” Rowdy actually pouted, and it was adorable.

Maddie fluttered her eyelashes, just as if he could see her. “Yeah, but you don’t like me any less. We could go get matching tattoos together.”

Rowdy put one hand up, stopping her. “Baby girl. I can’t see them. So basically you’re just asking me to hurt for you.”

She blinked, and then she grinned. “Yeah, that’s totally it. Isn’t that what kids are supposed to do?”

“Yeah, I’m not getting a tattoo with you in Fort Worth. I would hate to have to explain that to your grandfather, who would say that I was stupid for getting a tattoo when I couldn’t see it.”

“But you already have a tattoo.”

“Yes.” Rowdy rolled his eyes. “But I could see then.”

The waiter came up, their waters in hand, and blinked at Madison. “Good afternoon, ma’am, what can I get you to drink?”

“I’d like a glass of water and a Coors Light, please.”

“Can I see some ID?”

“You so can!” She was still young enough to think that was the most amusing thing in the world.

He watched her take out her little driver’s license and show it off.

“All right, one Coors Light and one water coming up. Would y’all like some appetizers?”

Madison piped right up with, “Onion rings. We want like two hugeungeous orders of onion rings to share, with ranch and the steak sauce.”

“Of course. Yes, ma’am.”

The waiter left and Rowdy shook his head. “Madison, you didn’t even ask Brett if he would like something besides onion rings. What if he doesn’t like onion rings?”

“Daddy, everybody likes onion rings. You like onion rings, right?”

He nodded. Even if he hated onion rings, he would have said yes because he was not starting any shit with these two.

“See, he said yes.”

Rowdy shook his head. “No, he didn’t. I didn’t hear a yes.”

She rolled her eyes and spoke slowly. “This is the danger of dealing with blind old dudes. You’re constantly having to say things out loud because they can’t see anything, and it’s so irritating.” Her smile as she looked at her father was beautiful, pure, unadulterated love.

“Well, yes, I love onion rings and yes, I love ranch.” And yeah, Brett really, really liked blind dudes and their sassy daughters.

“Do you hear how she abuses me?”

“I do. I think it must be love.” There was no doubt, actually.

“Of course it is. I’m her daddy. She is required by law to adore me in the same way that I adore her. We’re a set, my girl and me.” And wasn’t Rowdy sure of that?

“True. That drives Momma crazy, she says. It’s absolutely unfair?—”

“Hey, I gave her twenty-one years. I let her let you be in a sorority. You went to Clemson. I have seen you wear weird, weird pink things and get highlights in your hair and?—”

Madison whapped him gently. “Daddy, you haven’t seen a thing.”

“Well, I’ve heard about it.”

“Fair enough.”

Rowdy reached out one hand, and she took it, and he squeezed. “Your momma’s gonna be fine, I promise. Cross- country air trips are a thing, and your Daddy Dan wants to move to New Mexico as soon as he retires. You know that he wants to fish for the rest of his life.”

“I know. Momma will conquer New Mexico just like she has small-town South Carolina.”

Brett could see that. Ash was a wheeler-dealer.

“What about you, Brett?”

He was caught flat-footed by Madison’s question. “Huh?”

“Well, clearly you don’t have a lot of love for where you live. Seriously, you weren’t happy about the reunion, and you keep saying you don’t really know anybody, and you don’t really have any family there anymore. Are you gonna stay there?” Madison made it all so matter-of-fact.

His first instinct was to give her a flip response, but Brett really had to sit and think about that for a minute.

He traced the cattle brands on the placemat in front of him, marking out things like the Rocking W and the Lazy S while he pondered it.

“I’ve got my own land and a house. I’m not sure what I could get for what I could sell my place for, but I would consider leaving. ”

“Oh, Momma could get you a fortune for that place. She would just make it all sound really good. Vintage house, workshop, horse acreage. Somebody would snap it up. It’s on a nice quiet road, too.”

Madison made it all sound so simple, but Brett wasn’t sure about that. There was a lot of history wrapped up in that land, and he felt the weight of it all the time.

“Honey, don’t push him,” Rowdy said. “She has all these ideas, Brett, but this is just a vacation. You don’t have to think about that kind of stuff when you’re on vacation.”

Brett chuckled. “No, I just have to think about selling commissions to the guy at the gallery here.”

“Yep, that’s different. That’s totally work.

” Rowdy reached over to pat his hand with kind of distressing accuracy, actually.

“And right now is totally about onion rings and steak and that damn ranch dressing, so let’s enjoy ourselves.

Tell me what all you bought, girly girl,” Rowdy said to Madison. And she was off and running.

All Brett had to do was sit and marvel at the amazing food that they kept bringing them and wonder, if his chance came, would he be brave enough to just leave his whole life behind and start over?