It Takes a Cowboy

He grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind in the future.”

They would talk later about whether this would happen again in the future, Blair decided. She had to deal with Jeffrey first.

She sent Jeffrey to put away his backpack and wash his hands while Scott carried in a box from which wafted tempting aromas. “What happened to our

Saturday-night date?” she asked as she helped him set out the food on the kitchen table.

“Still on. This is simply a predate dinner.”

“It might have been nice if you’d given me some warning.”

“Sorry. Want me to leave?”

She could tell from his expression that he expected her to do no such thing. “Just call first next time.”

“Sure thing,” he said a bit too easily. “So tell me about this fight Jeff got into. What started it?”

“I don’t know yet. I had planned to sit him down and get all the details as soon as we got home.”

“So what are you going to do to him?”

“I suppose that depends on the circumstances.”

Jeffrey entered the room carrying his cat in his arms, his expression still wary but not as sullen as it had been before Scott appeared. “This is Belle,” he announced.

Scott made a production of taking the cat and looking her over carefully. “She’s a fine specimen,” he pronounced, cradling the cat in his arm and rubbing her head. From her blissful expression and loud purring, it was evident that she enjoyed the attention.

Jeffrey seemed pleased by Scott?

?s approval. “She’s very smart.”

“Yes, I can tell. She obviously likes me.”

Jeffrey grinned, then remembered to look somber again.

Blair served the dinner of sliced barbecue meat with a spicy sauce, baked beans, coleslaw and potato salad. Scott had even provided soft, yeasty rolls to accompany the meal. He kept a running, humorous commentary going as they ate, maintaining a pleasant atmosphere so they could enjoy their food.

No one mentioned the fight.

“I brought peach cobbler for dessert,” Scott said when the plates had been emptied. “But maybe we should wait on dessert,” he added, patting his tummy to show that he was full.

“I think so,” Blair agreed, wondering if she would be able to eat another bite that evening.

Scott turned to Jeffrey then. “Ready to tell us how the fight got started?”

Jeffrey shot a quick glance at Blair, then looked at Scott. “Can’t I just tell you about it? You know, guy-to-guy?”

“No,” Blair said firmly. “I want to hear this, too. What happened, Jeffrey?”

He sighed heavily. “Jason made me mad.”

“So you hit him.”

He nodded.

“How many times have we discussed this? Violence is never the answer, no matter what the other boy said. Regardless of how angry you were, the correct response was to walk away. You could have discussed the incident with me this evening and we would have decided the best course of action. I can assure you it would not have been a fistfight.”

Jeffrey swallowed and nodded.