Pearl laid a hand on her shoulder. “Honey, you don’t worry with that. We’ll just throw them in with our stuff tomorrow morning after Cody gives you a ride home.”

“Thank you,” Stevie said with a smile, “y’all have been so good to me. I’ve enjoyed getting to spend time with you.”

A couple of huge icicles fell from the edge of the barn at the same time and broke into millions of pieces when they hit the barn floor right in front of the chairs, the noise sounding like someone throwing a brick through a glass window. Mia squealed and threw her hands over her head. Pearl jumped up and shielded Sonny’s body with hers. Stevie dropped to her knees behind the lawn chair.

“What was that?” Sonny asked.

“Just icicles,” Mia gasped. “Good thing you weren’t sitting outside, Poppa. If one of those things hit you, Uncle Cody would be sewing you up.”

The expression on Mia’s face went from happy to scared to sad all in a split second, and then she said, “I’m going to the house now. Poppa and Nana, scoot your chair back a little way. There’s lots more of those icicles just waiting to fall off the barn roof. I’ll see y’all at supper.”

Stevie straightened up. “That was a close call. It sounded like someone throwing bottles at us. Might be a good idea to do what Mia suggested and move both of your chairs back a couple of feet. You could still see the babies out there romping around.” She looked up at several more icicles dripping water and threatening to let go of the edge of the roof.

Sonny got to his feet and moved his chair back a little way. “Wouldn’t it be something if the Dixie Chicks and Reba ever got together on a tour?”

“If that happens, we’ll buy the tickets, and all of us will go see them,” Pearl told her, and whispered under her breath for Stevie’s ears only as she moved her chair, “Mia is upset about something. Can you check on her?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Stevie said with a slight nod. “See you later, Sonny.”

He waved over his shoulder.

Stevie found Mia outside the barn, bent over at the waist and sobbing so hard that she could hardly catch her breath. Stevie put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and said, “Want to talk about it?”

Mia rose and wiped her tears on the sleeve of her mustard yellow work coat. “Yes, please, but in the bunkhouse, not at home.”

“Are you having second thoughts about inviting Beau to dinner?” Stevie asked as they made their way down the pathway, which was fast becoming a sloshy mess instead of being slick with ice.

“No, I really like him and want to see what the family thinks about him,” Mia answered.