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She ran down the stairs and grabbed a plastic grocery bag from one of the cabinets after asking Eli where to find it. She was back up in the bedroom in seconds and found Violet leaning over the computer on the side of the bed, only a towel wrapped around her middle and her wet hair plastered to her back.

Lando stopped short, her heart thumping unexpectedly hard. The room smelled sweetly of whatever shampoo Violet had used, and it took over every single one of Lando’s senses. She stood awkwardly in front of the bedroom door, closing it slowly. Violet glanced up at her, and Lando held up the plastic bag in silence.

“Come over here.” Violet sat on the edge of the bed, tucking the towel in between her breasts so it would stay put.

Lando could not seem to find her voice. Everything she’d said about Violet not being old was absolutely true. Her heart raced as she slowly slipped onto the bed next to Violet and held her arm out. Violet’s fingers were damp as she took the bag and wrapped it tightly around Lando’s forearm.

“Can’t wait until we don’t have to do this,” Violet murmured.

Lando wanted to say something witty back, but she once again found herself at a loss for words. Violet fumbled with the duct tape, but finally managed to get it pulled. She used her teeth to cut it and wrapped it first around Lando’s wrist to block water from entering there. Lando was completely entranced with the way her fingers moved, the delicate way she touched Lando’s arm.

By the time she was done with wrapping it, Lando still hadn’t found her voice. She took the tape and gripped onto it like it was a lifeline. Violet gave her a soft look. “I bet you’ll be happy when those stitches are out.”

“Yeah,” Lando finally managed. When she lifted her gaze, she couldn’t stop from staring at Violet’s breasts, then her lips, then her eyes. Violet didn’t even seem to notice. A deep breath was her enemy, the scent filling her head even more. She had to get out of there.

Standing sharply, Lando spun around as she searched for her suitcase. Which was stupid, she should know where that thing was. It wasn’t like it had moved since that morning. Finally finding it against the far wall, she rummaged around for new clothes and her bathroom supplies. She said nothing as she left the bedroom, embarrassment filling her chest and heating her cheeks so badly that she knew there was no way Violet would miss it that time around. She had to stop doing that.

* * *

After eating dinner with Eli and her two friends, Lando was pushing on exhausted. She hadn’t slept well since they’d gotten toIndigoand with the chase that day, it was certainly taking its toll. However, she also didn’t want to miss out on the after-party, on a rare chance to see Violet calm and gentle for once. Lando had never realized how uptight and stressed-out her former teacher was.

They all sat in the den, beer covering the coffee table, Lando the only one not partaking—but luckily no one had commented so far. Violet seemed to watch her carefully each time she took a small sip from the one beer she drank while everyone else was on their third or fourth. Jewel pressed into Azalea’s side as Azalea and Violet talked about teaching. Azalea had even suggested Violet come teach a day and talk about different careers in science her students could have, breaking down the barriers to women in STEM.

Lando glanced up, catching Eli’s gaze. There was something underneath that look that Lando couldn’t place, and it unsettled her. The heat from the fireplace was nearly too much, and Lando’s cheeks burned as she sat back. She should have felt completely connected to the group, and yet, she felt the odd woman out, as if she wasn’t allowed to be in the “in crowd” that day. Not that Diane ever seemed to let her in. There was always a barrier there Lando had to fight against.

Losing track of time, Lando tried to keep up with the conversation, but exhaustion pulled at every fiber of her being. She must have zoned out, because when she looked up, Diane and Violet were slinking away somewhere. She followed Violet’s back with her gaze as they walked toward the kitchen, and then heard the distinct sound of the back door shutting.

Left with Eli and her two friends, Lando felt pushed out of the group she was a part of. Eli made eye contact, and Lando shrugged, sipping her hot tea and staring at the beer bottles everyone had left on the coffee table. Not wanting to be the worst guest on the planet, she drew in a deep breath, talked herself up, told herself she could do it, and then stood.

Gathering the alcohol, Lando brought it into the kitchen, dumping out the beer that was left in the bottles, rinsing them, and tossing them in the recycling. Eli came in toward the end to help, but they worked largely in silence until the water was turned off.

“I miss having someone to be with all the time, you know,” Eli started.

Confused, Lando looked her over. “You seem like you always have people here.”

Eli shook her head. “I mean Sarah. I miss Sarah when she misses out on things like this. I’ve been trying to get her and Jewel to meet for a year now and they always seem to miss each other.”

“She’s on tour, right?”

“Yeah. I go out there when I can, but it’s not easy feeling like you’re the sole one left out.”

Lando knew then exactly where the conversation was going. While she appreciated Eli and her wisdom, she did not have a full picture of what the last two weeks had been like with Violet and Diane. Lando’s realization of Violet’s obsession and Diane’s secret affair—if it could even be called that or if it was just longing.

“Where did they go off to?”

“Not a clue,” Lando muttered. “But they’re not fighting, so that’s a step in the right direction if you ask me.”

“I’m not sure I could work with two people who constantly fought like that. I get enough of it from the cows when they give me attitude.”

Lando snorted. “I wish I had time to figure out your cows.”

Eli lifted one shoulder and dropped it, finishing her beer before cleaning and disposing of the bottle. “Cassie’s like five cows in one, I swear. I’d start you out easy, maybe with a baby.”

“A baby cow?” Lando wrinkled her nose. “I’ve been interested in a great many things in my short life, but I can’t say playing with a baby cow has ever been one of them.”

“You should figure out how to talk to them if you’re going to be running through random people’s fields.” The quiet disapproving tone in Eli’s voice told Lando exactly how she felt about that portion of their work.

In some ways, Lando didn’t disagree. They were blatantly trespassing. On the other hand, they usually only did it when they were trying to reach a tornado, which meant the damage to the field or cattle was already done and one or two people running through wasn’t going to make that much of a difference.