“Bill and Bullet had an argument. Somehow, Bullet got it into his head that Bill was going to fire him. I can’t figure that out myself, but Bill told him he wouldn’t accept his resignation. Bullet said something about not resigning, that Bill was firing him. Anyway, the two of them are arguing on the same side, and neither one of them can set their stubbornness aside long enough to realize it.”
Tristan felt as though there was a rock in her stomach. If Bill fired Bullet, would she ever see him again? Would he go back to Oklahoma? “Why would Bill fire him?”
“He wouldn’t. That’s the point.” Dottie turned and looked at Tristan, smiling when she saw the worry on her face. “Uh oh. You’ve got it bad for the cowboy. My, oh my.”
“What? No. I don’t. That isn’t it. Bullet has a child to raise, that’s all. I’m just worried…”
Tristan stopped trying to explain when she realized Liv and Dottie were grinning at her.
“Stop it,” she barked at them. “It isn’t like that.”
Dottie patted Liv’s hand. “We’ve seen that look before, haven’t we, Livvie?”
“We sure have.”
“Stop it. I’m telling you it isn’t like that.”
“What isn’t like what?” Lyric shouted from the other room. Tristan hadn’t realized she was within earshot.
“Tristan and Bullet.”
“Oh, yeah, I know it. She’s in love with him.”
“Lyric!” gasped Tristan. “I am not. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“And what’s better, my brother is in love with her too.”
“That’s absurd—”
“Oh, stop it,” Lyric added, walking into the room. “Anyone with eyes can see it. Besides, twins know these things. Can’t argue with a twin.”
Tristan looked to Liv to defend her, but saw immediately that it was pointless. Liv, Dottie, and Lyric were grinning at her in a way that told her she shouldn’t bother protesting.
“I’m not firin’ you, Bullet. Although I should, considerin’ you can’t keep your damn mouth shut long enough to listen to me.”
Grey danced around Bill’s legs, singing at the top of his lungs, “Damn, damn, damn.”
Bullet saw an opportunity by the look on Bill’s face. “Now, see what you did. You’re teachin’ my kid to curse.”
“Well, shit. I’m sorry—”
Grey didn’t miss a beat, although it was harder for him to pronounce. “Sit, sit, sit,” he sang instead.
“For Christ’s sake,” Bill began again, quickly realizing his third error.
Bullet was laughing too hard to speak, but held up his hand.
“What’s so da—, I mean, funny?”
“Nothin’.” Bullet’s hand was still in the air, but he was bent over, holding his stomach, still laughing.
Bill folded his arms in front of him and waited for Bullet to stop while Grey continued to dance around him, “Sit, sit, damn. Sit, sit, damn,” he sang.
Bullet sat down on the porch, tears running down his cheeks from laughing so hard. “You shoulda seen the look on your face.” He pointed at Bill and started laughing again.
Bill sat down next to him and laughed too.
“Like he ain’t heard those words before.” Bullet wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Damn, it’s been a long, long time since I laughed that hard.”