Page 8 of Tusks & Saddles
“I know,” Jacobus sighed heavily, nodding more to himself. “I know. And I’m gonna get better, Boone. I swear on Daddy’s grave, no more. I’m cold turkey…besides, you’ve given me enough chores to keep me busy. Won’t have time for nothing.”
Boone chuckled. “And…imagine Will’s face when she gets back and sees you running the ranch like a well-greased machine.”
“Ooooh,” Jacobus snickered evilly, grinning at his best friend from pointy ear to pointy ear. “She’s gonna be spitting nails mad.”
“All the more reason.” Boone shrugged before throwing an arm around Jacobus’ shoulder. He squeezed his friend tight to his chest, Jacobus leaning into the touch. “See you soon, kid.”
“Go on, get breakfast while you can. Trust me, gonna be hard enough without a full belly…and Boone, domea favor; don’t poke the bear. That’s my job,” Jacobus teased before slipping out of Boone’s side hug. He sank onto the bed, immediately rubbing his leg with an exhausted sigh. The Paladin bowed out of the room. As much as he wanted to swear he wouldn’t be the problem on this job…it was Will they were talking about. It was hard not to ‘poke the bear’.Especially after that morning.
Boone strode down the steps into the belly of the house, setting his duffle on top of the one packed for Will and the knapsack of food for the journey. While they would have small stops along the way, and they would need to hunt here or there, the great thing aboutmagic bags was the ability to tuck away a whole month’s worth of pantry into a lightweight picnic basket.
“Morning, Boone!” Roger looked up from his plate, offering the Paladin a sleepy smile. While the minotaur wasn’t much for talking, he was always pleasant. Boone and he got into a few conversations over the years he’d known him. Roger was raised on the ranch, much like Levi the little, teal goblin. While his mom was still alive, she worked on the train and would be gone for weeks or a month at a time. A place Levi couldn’t follow. So, she struck a deal with the Ranch. She’d send a few coins here and there and they took in the kiddo. Taught the kid good life lessons, kept them out of trouble, and she always knew where he was.
“Mornin’, Roger.” He nodded at the fluffy bull who sipped his coffee slowly.
“Morning, Boone, hope you slept well.” Mrs. Jones stepped away from the stove with a massive plate piled high with food. Boone followed her lead and took the seat across from Will’s usual spot. The harpy left a motherly pat against his shoulder. “Eat up, you got a big day ahead.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Jones.” He stopped complaining she was feeding him too much long ago. Especially after Mr. Jones laughed at him and told the Paladin to just accept the plate. When the head of their house passed, Mrs. Jones seemed just as lost as her children. While Will stepped up to the plate and Jacobus fell apart, Mrs. Jones was just trying to pretend like her heart wasn’t ripped out of her chest. “Slept just fine.”
“I don’t know how you do it. Jacobus sleeps like a trout out of water. Kicking and flopping all around.”
Boone twisted from his plate to find Will at the bottom of the steps, tying off her hair on top of her head. Warm flutters filled hischest. His fiery Enriyes stopped to press a kiss to her mother’s cheek before dropping into her seat. A plate was set in front of her.
“Hard to disturb a man who sleeps like a dead log, or that’s what Jacobus says,” Boone chuckled softly, taking up a bite of his sausage and egg casserole. Flakey, buttery crust, peppers and tomatoes, cheesy eggs and chunks of sausage all in a massive scramble, he couldn’t be happier. He liked eating over at the ranch anytime he could. Mrs. Jones knew how to cook and made enough to feed a small army.
“Couldn’t be me,” Will sighed, taking a sip of the coffee first before digging in. “His incessant donkey kicks were the whole reason I used to toss his ass out of bed when we were youngins.”
“Well, unlike his soft sister, it’s like smacking a brick wall.” Boone motioned at himself vaguely.
“I ain’t soft,” Will sneered at him shortly before stuffing her mouth with food. She let out a happy, hungry moan behind her lips as she chewed. Will twisted after swallowing. “Momma, please tell me you sent us with some of this?”
“You know I did, baby,” Mrs. Jones chuckled, floating up behind her daughter’s chair. She pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head before peeking up at Boone. “Was Jacobus up when you came down?”
“Yeah, he’s fucking up. Little shit burst in to ask if his leg was infected. He broke it but not a cut on him.” Will rolled her eyes. Mrs. Jones glared down at her daughter for the filthy words but said nothing. Instead, she floated toward the stairs. Boone caught the split second that Will’s gaze followed her mother. There was a sad expression on her face, but he wasn’t sure why. However, with a blink, the look was gone, and Will was back to eating with gusto.
We got a job to do, after all.
Chapter Five
Willamina
“Gods damnit!” Willamina roared as she pulled back on the reins. She clicked her tongue against her teeth, her horse rearing back for a moment. Will clenched her thighs to keep her spot as Betty twisted. Her hooves narrowly avoided the legs of the boar as it trampled through the herd in a panic. She undid her lasso and spun it overhead, Betty stomping about to scare the tusked beast out from under her. Roger bellowed something from the other side of the herd, but she couldn’t hear it. Not over her horse yelling and the boar squealing. Finally, Betty galloped around, hitting a turn hard, and barreled down on the pig. It shrieked in terror as Willa lashed out with the lasso and caught it by the neck. She yanked and tripped it. It thrashed, rolling itself up more in the rope.
“Boone!”
“On it!”
The Paladin was off his horse and cleaving the head off the boar in no time. As it rolled away, the body frozen in place, the world seemed to calm down.
“What the fuck happened?” Roger asked, trotting up on his mountain of a horseKiller.
“Herd spooked the boars, most of them scattered but this idiot decided to pick a fight.” Willamina threw herself off Betty, recalling her lasso from the dead hog. “Looks like it’s pig for dinner.”
“I like pig,” Roger snorted. “I’ll get us settled on the hillside.”
“I’ll be right there. Boone, you good to butcher it?”
“On it.”
