Page 10 of Her Defiant Warrior

“No, Mom,” he answered reluctantly.

Of course, he was reluctant to agree with her. Amber always came up with the best stories to get the two of them out of trouble. Lachlan was the weak link.

“So, Lachlan. Please explain how Maryanne’s dog Punk got out of the garage and was in her room, along with your shoes and the remains of Mrs. Drakos’ cherry pie.”

“Mom, if you would just listen to me, I can explain,” Amber broke in again.

“Amber, if you try to talk one more time, I am taking away your tablet time for a month. Got it?”

“Yes, Mom.” Losing tablet privileges was huge. That would definitely stop her daughter from chiming in.

Bonnie heard one man cough. She knew what that meant; they were trying to cover up a laugh. They better not laugh. If they started, she just knew she’d join in. She needed to concentrate on something else. She looked down at Lachlan’s feet and wondered how his cherry-stained socks could possibly have a hole in them. She’d just bought him new socks a month ago.

She looked into blue eyes that were a mirror of her own. “Explain, mister.”

“I heard Punk whining in the garage, and you could tell he wasn’t happy. We wanted to play with him, but we knew Mr. Drakos didn’t want him at the party.”

“Not we,” Amber whispered.

“I mean I. I wanted to play with him,” Lachlan corrected. “Anyways, I knew he was Maryanne’s dog, so I thought he would be happier in her room.”

“How’d you know which room belonged to Maryanne?” Bonnie asked.

Lachlan’s gaze shifted over to his sister, then looked back down at his feet. “I guessed.”

“Okay, you guessed. What made you guess that room, instead of one of her sister’s?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because.” He tugged down the front of his Iron Man shirt with his cherry-stained hands. “Because.”

“Because why?” Bonnie asked softly.

“Green,” Amber whispered out of the side of her mouth.

“Oh,” he brightened. “Because it had a green pillow on her bed like her dress?” His eyes were hopeful as he looked over at Amber.

“I need you to look at me when you’re talking to me,” Bonnie admonished.

Her boy looked up at her reluctantly.

“And the pie? How’d the pie get up there?”

“Cherry pie is my favorite. I thought he’d like it, and he did. So, I was right, right?” He hit her with that charming smile, the one with the dimple.

The little thug.

Bonnie did her best to look cross, but she could tell it wasn’t working, because he grinned bigger. “Cherry pie is your favorite too, right, Mom?”

This time, there wasn’t even a cough behind her. She heard a definite choking sound.

Jackasses.

“And your shoes?”

“I shouldn’t have put the pie on her bed, ’cause Punk made a mess. The pie got all over the covers, and then it fell on me and onto the carpet. I didn’t want to leave footprints, so I took off my shoes. Pretty good, huh?”

“Shouldn’t have left evidence behind,” her daughter muttered.

“Huh?” Lachlan looked over at his sister.