Page 32 of Lawbreaker

Odalie glanced at him. “That’s what Mama used to say to all of us when we interrupted her piano lessons. She never knew how we used it on each other.”

“We were too soft. Heather isn’t somebody you mock, even in private,” Stasia agreed. “She’s all heart.”

“She really is,” Odalie agreed. “I hated disappointing Dad when I was small, but it was worse when I disappointed Mama. She cried. I couldn’t take it.”

“It was that way with me, with Mama,” Tony agreed. “I’d do anything to make the tears stop, and I mean anything.” He grimaced. “I even went to mass with her when I was home, to make up for one thing I did that shamed her.”

“That was nice of you,” Stasia said. “Especially considering that you avoid church like the plague usually.”

“I’m getting older,” he said. “I think about things more now than I used to.”

“Older. Pshaw!” Stasia chided. “You aren’t even in your prime.”

“I’m headed for an oil barrel. No joke,” he added with a grin at Stasia.

Odalie stared at him. “What’s an oil barrel?”

“Don’t tell her,” Stasia said abruptly. “Really.”

Tony’s eyebrows lifted but he didn’t add to his allusion. He glanced out the window. “Storm’s going the other way. Lucky for us. Nobody’s even got an umbrella.”

“We could get Big Ben to pull up a tree and use it as an umbrella,” Stasia said, loud enough for Ben to hear.

“For shame!” Big Ben called through the lowered glass partition. “I never hurt trees! They have a spirit!”

“His dad is Cheyenne,” Tony told them. “They’re the original earth stewards. They did a better job than we’re doing, for sure.”

“I love you, Big Ben,” Odalie called to him. “I love trees, too!”

“Fanatics,” Tony scoffed.

“Says the man who plants trees in the national forests for any of his people who die,” Stasia replied blandly.

“Look. We’re here,” Tony said to divert her.

“I’ll take Odalie’s suitcases in,” Ben said, and went to get them out of the trunk.

“It was a lovely break. Thanks, Tony,” Stasia said. “Odalie’s going to the ranch next week. Can you send somebody with her?” she added innocently, just in case.

“Sure. I’ll go myself. I’ve got to go over to San Antonio to talk to a guy and then down to Jacobsville to talk to a friend of a friend.”

“No, don’t go to so much trouble just for me,” Odalie protested, flushing. “I can get Dad to come up and take me back...”

“Tony has to go anyway—he just said so. Dad’s up to his ears in cattle woes right now.”

“If it wasn’t convenient, I’d say so,” he told Odalie with a bite in his tone.

Odalie sighed. She couldn’t fight them both. “Okay. Thanks,” she added, smiling without meeting Tony’s eyes.

“Oops,” Stasia said suddenly. “I have to get inside. Tell Tony about the fairy... Oh, gosh, I hope I make it!” she exclaimed, and moved quickly from the car across the sidewalk to the apartment’s front door. “And don’t leave without me!” she called back. “I have to be at the airport in an hour to meet the plane Dad’s sending for me! Leave my bag in the car. It’s all I need!” And she vanished into Odalie’s apartment.

“What about the fairy?” Tony asked while Stasia was inside.

She looked up at him, trying to fight the attraction she felt and failing hopelessly. “Stasia says that you’ll tuck the fairy Maddie’s making for you up on a shelf somewhere and you won’t sell it. So Stasia said to ask Maddie to do one that you can sell...”

He sighed. “Well, she’s right. The little things are precious.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s a good idea to get her to do another one.” He glanced down at her. “She could do another one of you.”

“She’s already done one. Maybe one of Stasia.”