Page 26 of Rainbow Rodeo

“Cooler weather. Coffee shops. Fishing.” A couple of beers and some long naps in the sun.

“That’s Glenwood for me. Well, and soaking in the hot springs. My leg loves that.”

“Yeah? Cool. You should have a ton of soaking time before Durango.”

“I should.” Tank glanced up, eyes shuttered by his lashes. “You meeting up with anyone?”

“Nah. I just made the decision half an hour ago. You know how that is.”

“I do. Look, I got a suite thing at the Hot Springs Lodge, you want to come with me.”

“Yeah? How long’s the drive?” A soak, a hotel bed… that might be cool.

“Couple three hours. There’s all sorts of mountains to see. Forty-five minutes to Aspen. Good fishing.” Tank took a break from the hard sell to munch a tomato.

“Huh.” He had a couple hours to Estes, really, and no campground booked. “You sure you don’t mind?”

“Not one bit. I like having you around.” That was a full-on look, not a stolen glance.

Okay. Okay, what was that?His cheeks heated and he bent to his salad. Lord, maybe this was a bad idea.

Then again, he would get to see Tank in swim trunks.

And what if he got to Estes and there was no room? He didn’t want to stay in Denver, and Steamboat was too far off the beaten path. Glenwood was just off I-70.

“Well then, if you’re sure, sounds good.” He could soak, maybe go up to see Doc Holliday’s grave.

“I think it sounds like a plan.” Tank just beamed at him.

“Cool. You want me to order an extra pie for the hotel or….”

“Shit yes. I was going to get some to take with.” There had been a Beau Jo’s in Glenwood, he’d heard, but those folks had packed up and moved to the Dakotas.

Of course, there was supposed to be a damn good steakhouse in town…. “Good deal. I do like this place.”

“Me too.” They headed to the buffet after a few minutes of grazing, both of them choosing the super thick braided crust Beau Jo’s was famous for. They would have dessert when they poured honey on that crust at the end.

They ate so much they looked like ticks, and he was three-quarters tempted to climb into his trailer and have a nap.

Tank ordered a mountain pie with pepperoni and olives, and one with sausage and green chile. Which was Dalton’s favorite.

That made him a little fluttery, deep in the pit of his belly. “You want me to chip in?”

“Nah. You can buy at Juicy Lucy’s. I like the artichokes.”

“I’m never going to eat again.” Well, at least not for a few.

“Uh-huh.” Tank snorted. “Oh man, we ought to hike Hanging Lake. You ever done that?”

“Not since I was a kid. We used to go up a lot when Pops was working the state finals.”

“Cool. I love it up there. The water is so clear it hurts.”

He’d probably never heard Tank use so many consecutive words.

“Well, I don’t have to be back at work ’til Friday. We can explore.” He hoped there would be two beds; otherwise he’d be in trouble.

“Yep.”

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