Ranch Manny - B.A. Tortuga Page 0,81
come feed.”
“Wiley’s in Luckenbach at the goat auction.”
He heard Jakob. “Dad-O, can I have more juice?”
“Yeah, sure. Get your sisters some too.” Trace sighed sharply. “He left quite a while ago. Do you have a guess how long you’ll be? There’s a hell of a storm brewing out here.”
Jesus, he had enough shit to deal with. He needed Trace to handle everything for just a little while.
“I need to get Curly settled here. He’s loopy as hell, baby. I don’t know how long it will be.”
“But—Fuck!”
A barrage of screams set off.
“That’s enough! Y’all! Girls, sit. Jakob, shut the refrigerator door now. Sorry. The lights went off.”
“You remember how to start the generator?” He’d shown Trace a few times, but he wasn’t sure how his lover was going to do with the bad storm.
“Yeah. I’m going to see if they pop back on. I’m a little leery of that thing.”
“Well, don’t let it get so bad the kids get really hot.” Not if they were running fevers.
“No. No, of course I won’t. I dosed them all with Tylenol. They’re grumpy.”
Yeah, the kids weren’t the only ones.
“Okay. Look, hang in there, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He knew he was snapping, but another nurse was waving him down from way along the hall.
“I am. I know. I’m sorry, I wanted—”
“Sir, can you please come in. He’s a bit frightened.”
“Of course. Be right there.” Brent blew out a breath. “I need you to deal with shit for a few more hours, Trace.”
“I am!” He heard the back door slam. “I’m not being a dick, man. I’m worried about the weather.”
“Well, keep everyone inside. I’ll do the damn feeding when I get back.”
“Do you want me to do anything before it gets dark?”
The nurse was waving again.
“Just do your damn job, huh? That’s what I pay you for.” Brent regretted it as soon as he said it, but he was so fucking frustrated he could scream.
There was a second of silence, then he got “Yes, sir” before the line went dead.
“Shit.” He put his phone away, trotting back to sit with Curly. He hoped to hell Hal hurried up. He had a lot more to apologize for than he had five minutes ago.
Damn this day and his temper, both.
Chapter 25
“Motherfucker,” Trace muttered under his breath, determined not to let his hurt show.
Do his damn job.
God, he’d been a friggin’ idiot, sitting around acting like this was his home, like this was his family. That Brent thought of him like an equal, like a partner.
He was like one of the hands—not quite as useful or trustworthy with the livestock, of course, but at least he gave a decent blowjob.
“Dad-O, my tummy hurts.” Caro tugged his jeans pocket.
“Does it? I’m sorry, baby girl. Do you need to go potty again?” Maybe he ought to just put the kids all in the van and get them a hotel.
“Uh-huh. Are you mad?” Her lower lip quivered. “You look mad.”
“I am not mad. I’m—” Worried. Scared. Furious. Hurt. “—crazy hot. Let’s go to the bathroom, huh?”
He led her to the master bath with the windows so she wouldn’t need a candle. Damn it. He was fixin’ to have to figure out how to run that generator.
“Dad-O? Are you in here?” Susannah peeked around the door. “My throat hurts.”
“I am. I’ll get you—” A siren started going off on his phone, and he dropped it on the tile, the thing landing face up. Tornado. Not a watch or a warning. A sighting.
Fuck.
Fuck.
His breath caught in his chest, but he didn’t have time to think. “Susannah, grab y’all’s pillows and blankets and take them to Hal’s bathroom. Caro, hurry up. I need you to help your sister. Jakob! I need you!”
Jakob came pelting in, pale but full speed. “Yessir?”
“Get the puppies and take them to Hal’s bathroom. Round up Mama Cass and Ringo too.”
He ran to the bedroom and grabbed all the blankets and pillows from there, Daisy and her diaper bag and baby seat, and got them in the bathroom. “Suzy, stay here with the baby. Caro, grab all the baby’s bottles and some snacks and drinks. Bring them in here.”
As soon as he got a “yes, Dad-O,” he sprinted down the hall toward the back door. He had to let the horses and donkeys out of the barn and round up the twin baby goats.
The world was still as hell, and the sky was green and sickly, and a dull terror filled him, driving him