Cowboy Logic - B.A. Tortuga Page 0,77
you want him—sounds terrible to me.”
“But the kids would have to start a new school, make new friends…” His reasons were crumbling fast.
“You mean your son who wants to go to Caltech and build robots or dinosaurs or something?” She rolled her eyes. “For chrissake, son. Ellie, would you move all the way to California?”
“Uh-huh. Uncle Logic loves me and he talks to me. There are sea lions at his house.” She chomped on a chip. “Let’s go.”
“You wouldn’t get to see the kids…”
Tammy waved her margarita glass, not losing a drop. “Shit, Jericho, I’m a retired widow living below my means, and despite what that rampaging idiot girl down to the UPS store says, California is not the farthest. I know how to get there on a plane, train, or automobile.”
“But…”
“Jericho, I love you. I respect the hell out of you, and if you don’t want to go, if you don’t want to take this chance, then I got your back. But if you’re not going because you’re scared to leave thirty acres and a pissant town? You’re a goddamn moron.” She looked at him, serious as a heart attack. “I know you. You’re no moron.”
He nodded slowly, hope starting to flutter in his chest. “What about the ranch?”
“Talk to Bailey.”
He would. Not least because he needed Logic’s address. “Would you watch the kids if I went to see him? Just to… you know. Find out if it could happen?”
“Oh, honey, I would buy your goddamn ticket.”
He looked at her, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. “I need to see him, Mom.”
“I know, son. I know.” She reached out and took his hand. “So you’ll go tomorrow.”
“Okay. I can do this.”
“Oh, Daddy.” Ellie swung her legs and bounced. “It’s just like a movie. Except Granny swears more than a fairy godmother.”
“Bibbidy bobbidy goddamn boo.”
Chapter 31
Christ he was tired.
Logic had become pretty damn good at typing one-handed. He’d tried the voice recognition thing, but no. No way. His brain wasn’t built that way.
The words didn’t come out of his mouth, they came from somewhere around his elbows.
Still, it didn’t mean he wasn’t about ready to tear off this whole contraption his arm was in. He couldn’t hardly get clean, he couldn’t wash his hair, and he—
He missed Jericho.
God, he missed Jericho and Ellie and Trav. He loved Bailey and the kids, he did, but when he dreamed at night, when he thought about his family, he thought about Jericho and his babies.
“You’ll get over it.” The sound of his voice surprised the hell out of him. “You’ll get over him.”
Logic didn’t have a choice. He had a book to write, a life to live, a show to promote. He couldn’t sit here and mourn something that was never going to be.
Even Mal was getting to the anger part on his behalf, rather than sympathy.
The knock on the door made him jump, making him think he’d conjured Mal up from thin air. Maybe he would get his buddy to help him bathe.
“Just a second!” He levered himself up off the sofa, every bone in his body having a scream. “I’m coming.”
He shuffled to the door and didn’t even bother to check the peephole before he opened it. “Mal, I really—” He stopped dead, staring at Jericho Yeager.
He blinked, sure he was dreaming. There was no way on earth Jericho was here. No. Way. So he blinked again.
“I brought Starbucks,” Jericho said, holding out a coffee.
“Oh. I—thank you. Are the kids okay?”
“They’re with Tammy. Can I, uh, come in?” Jericho shifted from boot to boot.
“Sure. Sorry. Come in.” He opened the door, wincing at the mess. “Excuse the house.”
“Hey, you’ve been laid up.” Jericho stepped inside, then closed the door behind them. “You’re hurting, I can tell. You need meds?”
“I—please, come sit down. Thank you for the coffee.” He wanted a hug. He wanted to touch. He needed to sit.
Jericho nodded, trailing him, then helping him ease down on the couch. Jericho sat on the couch too, turning to pull one knee up, his arm along the back. “What do the docs say? You healing?”
He took a deep drink of his coffee, which was hot and sweet and perfect. “Oh so good. I am. I’m tired, but healing.”
“Good. I’m glad. I was worried about you.”
He wanted to shrug, but his shrugger was busted. “I needed to come home, and I wasn’t strong enough to say goodbye. I have been sort of hermiting.”
That was fair, right?
“Yeah. I called…” Those gray eyes never