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“Unbelievably handsome. Just like his daddy.” She winked at him and he winked back.
“Let’s go break your boots in, boy!” Bull grabbed Luke’s hand and they left the house together.
After a short walk through the woods, Bull carried Luke back into the house. The little boy was practically panting from all the excitement. Leaning over to Isabella as they strolled by her on their way in, Bull whispered, “I think he likes his presents.”
She answered him with a smile. “I think you’re right. Did you two work up an appetite for a snack?”
“We sure did.” Bull sat Luke down at the dining table and went to the fridge, pulling out one of his most prized possessions.
His bag of Oreos.
After grabbing a roll of paper towels, glasses, and some milk, Bull joined his son at the table. Isabella helped, taking the milk and filling two of the glasses. She was in awe. “Are you really going to share your Oreos with somebody else?”
“Well…” Bull said as he carefully removed the sticky note attached to the top of the bag that read, in big, bold letters, don’t touch my fucking cookies! “Yea, I guess, but only with someone who is worthy. Someone who rode a horse for the first time today.” He started to pull out some cookies, and then thought of something to add. “And only if they eat a number of Oreos that is divisible by three.”
“Of course, that makes total sense.” Isabella crept forward, and considered reaching for exactly three cookies, but decided against it. Better leave this sacred ritual to the men in the family.
“Do you know how to eat these, Luke?”
“Yeah!” Luke picked the cookie up and started bringing it recklessly to his mouth.
“Oh, no, Son!” Bull stopped him before he could bite it, and felt a tremulous little whisper come from his son’s mouth. “Oreos are special, Luke. They need to be eaten in a special way.”
He sat Luke’s cookie down, and picked up one of his own. “Watch this.” He exaggerated his movements and repeated them slowly, so Luke could absorb them. “We twist the cookie open, like this.” He opened the Oreo slowly, separating the two chocolate halves. One side was covered densely with cream, the other completely bare.
It never looks that pretty when I try, Isabella complained to herself.
“Then you dunk the side without cream into the milk.” He put the cookie down in the cold white glass. “Don’t pull it out quickly. You leave it for just a second. That way, the cookie soaks up the milk and…” Bull’s eyes got big, like he was imparting extremely secret and important information, “tiny little pieces of the cookie fall off in the milk, which will slowly turn it into chocolate milk.” The emphasis was heavy and deliberate, and Luke’s eyes grew wide at the news. This was truly magical wisdom. “Then you eat that part.” And Bull popped the milk-sopped cookie into his mouth. “Lahk dis.”
Luke giggled.
“You try,” Bull said through chews.
Luke twisted his cookie and off it popped. This talent must run in the family, Isabella thought, closely observing as they ate their bedtime snack. Who knew Oreos could be such a religious experience?
When they finished, and had drank all their newly chocli-fied milk, Bull stood up next to Isabella and they watched as his head bobbed up and down at the table. Sleep was only moments away.
“He had a big day, your boy,” Isabella told Bull.
“Yes, he did.” Bull picked the small child up to carry him to bed. “He’s my little cowboy.”
…The next day, their visit came to an end. “You are gonna be coming back more often to see me.” Bull squeezed his son tightly to him. “Understand?”
Luke hugged back as hard as he could. “Yes, Daddy.”
Carol didn’t come to the door, she’d called from her car in the driveway and Bull had taken the boy outside after he and Isabella said their goodbyes.
From inside the cabin, Isabella watched from the window. Carol would be a nightmare to deal with in the future, she was sure. If Isabella were fortunate enough to have a future with Benedict, she could be civil to his ex. Luke was worth the hassle. She was just grateful the man she loved was able to spend time with his son.
When Bull returned, he found her reclining on the couch, watching an old rerun of Bonanza. “You and those cowboy shows. How can I compete with Little Joe Cartwright?”
“You could try.” She gave him a challenging grin. “I think you’re much better looking.”
Placing the tip of his index finger to her chin, he lifted her face, then lowered his head to brush a soft kiss to her mouth. “Let’s go upstairs. This was a good day and I want to celebrate with you.” Isabella held up her arms in acceptance and Bull scooped her up, carrying her up the steps to his room.
Once they were behind closed doors, he let her slide slowly down his body. She shivered in his arms. “Are you cold?”
“No, I’m perfect.”
