Ranch Manny - B.A. Tortuga Page 0,14

where shit goes.”

“Thank you. This is…wow. Do I need to do anything with the brisket? Is there a dry rub or anything?”

“There is. There’s Ziploc baggies in the pantry, you want to get it set up. Labeled Bald H. rub.”

Well, that was handy. “Rock on, rock lobster. Kiddos, y’all want your snack?”

Suddenly three little faces appeared like magic.

“I’m itchy…uh…man.” Caro looked miserable, and he winced.

“Calamine time. And my name is Mr. Trace.”

“Nuh-uh. Your name is Dad-O.” Susannah was going to kill him when she came into her teenaged levels of sarcasm.

He slathered the pink stuff on Caro, got her and Susannah settled, doctored Jakob, and went to change the baby’s diaper.

Then he set all three older kids to coloring while he made cornbread and coleslaw and got the cobbler going.

Jesus, he was tired.

“Hey! It smells amazing in here.” Brent ducked back into the kitchen from the back door, doffing his hat. “Man, I am filthy.”

Trace jumped a little at the sound of Brent’s voice, which was far less grumpy but still deep and rough and somehow hot as hell, which seemed…well, it mostly seemed like he was desperate, surrounded by macho men, and in need of a one-night stand in Austin.

“Daddy Brent! We made pictures and ate apples and watched rocks!” Caro’s eyes lit up like the man had hung the moon or held the ladder for the man that did.

“Did you? What did the rocks do, sweet pea?” Brent stripped out of his sweaty and muddy outer shirt.

Don’t look. No looking. No losing this job over a perfect set of abs. Great pecs. Strong arms. Yeah, he needed to find a bar with a willing guy for a quickie.

“They singed! This is my best friend. Susannah is her name. Her momma died too! She told me about Mokey and Red and a pile of trash!”

“Well, I sure am sorry about that, Miss Susannah, but I’m glad you and Caro are friends now.” Brent took off his undershirt, which made Trace stare a little before he remembered his resolve not to. Then Brent tugged a clean shirt off a hanger in the laundry area. “That was foul, man. There was a goat, a llama, and a watering trough that was full of, uh, crud.”

That made him stifle a laugh.

“So, Fraggle Rock, then?” Brent grabbed a Coke out of the fridge.

“Indeed. Everything old is new again.” Okay, that was fascinating. Apparently, cowboys also knew about Fraggles. Next he was going to have to discover Brent’s experience with Sonic the Hedgehog. Unless it was just another Muppet fetish… Brent was good, getting the right show from that short explanation. “A llama and a watering trough, huh? That sounds…wet.”

“It was more muddy and damn cold. They were very curious about the new horse. It was chaos.” Brent was all smiles, though, so it couldn’t have been too awful.

“Everything here went fine. We’ve napped and had a snack, cooked. The brisket is ready for…whatever.” Okay, happy was a great look on that cowboy’s face.

“I’ll tell Hal. He’ll smoke it some and then grill the heck out of it, since he’s starting late.” Brent came by, pressing a hand to Trace’s shoulder, which made a tingle run down his arm that he couldn’t explain away as anything but pleasure. “Thanks, man. You’re a wonder.”

“He made us apples and peanut butter!” Jakob said, waving a crayon.

“Yum. I think Mr. Trace is a good guy, huh?”

“Uh-huh. He helped with the itches again too. He’s cool.” Caro was bouncing.

Oh, high praise, he thought. He hadn’t been cool in a couple of years.

Brent bit his lip, but the smile escaped. “Excellent. Okay, I’m gonna go help out in the barn. I have to doctor Lazybutt’s foot.”

“Can I come?” Jakob asked. “I want to watch.”

“Sure, kiddo. Just remember…”

“Stay away from the back end. Got it.”

Brent held out a hand, so Jakob tucked his crayons neatly away. “Thank you for the snack, Mr. Trace.”

“You’re welcome. Have fun.” He smiled down at the girls, who still seemed happy to color together. Soon he’d have to get them up and moving and get this baby on the floor for some crawling time. But right now?

Things were on point.

Chapter 4

“That was some kind of wonderful, Hal. You do have a fine hand with the brisket.” They were gonna have to clean the grill before they turned in, but Brent was full as a tick and happy to sit on the deck around the fire pit a minute. Just breathe.

“Yeah, and the sides didn’t suck