Page 126 of Rainbow Rodeo

A knock sounded at the door. “Hey, Mr. Jakoby. I brought you some water. They said you could have some broth. Did you want me to help order some?”

Broth. Goodie.“How about a pizza?”

“Sorry.” She gave him the same sympathetic look he’d been getting all day.

“He’ll live.” Tank winked at him, grinned at her. “Broth sounds great.”

“You got it.” She smiled and headed out, ponytail flipping.

Dalton watched her, feeling old for a second. Lord have mercy. He was getting maudlin. Stabbings must do that to him.

“Broth.” Tank rolled his eyes. “Let it go, and they’ll give you coffee in the morning.”

“You could get it for me now….”

“Nope. You need to sleep, baby. Right now that’s the most important part of healing.” Tank grinned over at him. “There’s a reason we told Ben to stay home.”

“Because he’d have sprung me already, and we’d be on a bass boat somewhere?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Dalton laughed, then winced. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t. Don’t you apologize for that sorry son of a bitch, not even a little.” Lord, Tank could growl. “It was your daddy’s will alone that kept us from hunting him.”

“Pops’s moral compass is wound tighter than most.” God knew Momma would just tear a man’s throat out with her teeth. Menopause wasn’t being kind.

“Yeah. He was right. The bastard would have tried to take us all with him.”

The bastard had done a damn good job on him already, Dalton guessed.

Tank took his hand. “We’re moving on, baby. He’s not gonna get out of jail.”

“I hope not. I’m ready for it, if it happens.”

“There? See? We got more important things to talk about.” Tank rubbed circles on his skin with one thumb.

“We do? What?” That was hypnotizing.

“Like how much I love you.”

Oh, now that was a decent thought. “You do, huh? It’s not just the amazing sex and the fact that I have a pool?”

“Nope. Not even the life-threatening stress situation.” Tank grinned. “Though those do tend to lend focus.”

“So, you think we might be a going thing?” He liked that idea. “I do like the way you work, and I got a thing for the way you make coffee in the morning.” Hell, he’d been in love with Tank Martin since the first time he’d seen the man, whether or not that was smart or reasonable or whatever.

He didn’t need anyone to tell him about his own heart.

Well, maybe Bubba, because they had the same heartbeat, but he didn’t doubt that.

“I think so. We got a lot of details to iron out, you and me, but I’m in it for the long haul.” That smile told him Tank meant every word.

“Details are easy, so long as we’re riding the same trail.” He twined their fingers together. “I have to warn you, being one of us is… intense.”

“I’ve had a taste.” Tank shrugged. “I’m tired of going it alone. Y’all are willing to take me, and I’m grateful.”

“Willing? Thomas Martin, I’m willing to fight the world for you.”

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