6
“Nuh-uh. I know that look.”
“What look?” Jasper couldn’t turn to face Curt. All he could see was the cloud of dust Maggie had left as she’d raced away toward the hospital.
“That I’m-going-to-leave-and-never-come-back look. I saw Palo try that on Maggie. I get it now.”
Palo spoke up from his other side, “Don’t do it, bro. The payoff ain’t there. I’m telling you.”
Jasper watched the dust that refused to settle in the baking twilit air. Everything was smudged and dirty. His hands from working over a fire all day. The sky. All of his dreams.
“I’m not gonna let you,” Curt was still on old news.
Jasper turned to Palo. “Where is the payoff then?”
“Hitting the homerun,” Curt could be a peacock strutting his s**t. Now he and Palo both ignored him.
Jasper waited while Palo chewed on his a
