Free Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren

too,” Hedy said, fingering the collar of his father’s wool coat. “This is so…old.”
    He caught her soft hand. “No thanks.” But he did allow her to choose a white silk scarf and drape it over his neck.
    Winter cast a dismal pallor over the city as he hiked out to the car then collected Hedy from under the awning, where the footman held her bags and his coat box.
    She climbed in. “I’m serious—bring Sofia to Tony’s tonight. I’d love to hear her sing.”
    Markos pulled away from the curb, the car splashing through blackened pools of icy water. Yes, he’d love to hear her sing too. But not at Tony’s.
    No, Sofia wasn’t a canary. Never would be.
    Sofia wasn’t in her room when he returned to the restaurant. She’d shown up for her regular hostess duties during the restaurant’s dinner hour, but vanished by the time he finished taking out the trash. Markos paused outside her room, his hand formed to knock, when he heard laughter inside. Then, Dino’s voice, teasing, something in English. Markos couldn’t make it out. He palmed his hand on the door a moment before hustling to the bathroom to clean up for Hedy.
    Just wait until Sofia saw the coat. Then she’d see that, while Dino was still a child…Markos had become a man.
    The night had turned crisp as he walked home late under the lamp-lights. He’d retired the coupe in Uncle Jimmy’s garage two blocks away and carried the coat box under his arm, his collar turned up. Snow, soft, almost ethereal, drifted from the sky, turning to diamonds under the streetlights. He hummed one of Hedy’s tunes, tried out a step he’d seen from the hoofers tonight. Someday he’d ask Hedy to dance—she always tried to hide the longing in her eyes, but he sensed it as she watched the fellas sway with their ladies.
    Probably Uncle Jimmy wouldn’t mind if he took her for a twirl around the floor.
    The restaurant’s fluorescent sign had flickered out; Zante’s finally silent after the day’s chaos. He used his key to open the front door then slipped inside.
    Streetlight glimmered on the slick wood floor, across the glass countertop. The smell of lamb and onions embedded the walls. He ran his hand along the smooth counter as he moved toward the back.
    A captured breath from one of the wooden booths stopped him.
    He turned, froze.
    Sofia sat in the shadows, her hair down long, her blue eyes watching him.
    “Sof—what are you doing here?”
    She looked at her hands palming the table. “Just sitting. Waiting.”
    “Waiting?”
    She lifted a shoulder. “For you. I do, sometimes. You always walk right by, without seeing me.”
    He did? He stepped to the booth, set the box on the table. “I didn’t know that.”
    “Now that you’re home, I’m going to bed.” She moved to rise.
    He put a hand on her shoulder. She recoiled as if he’d burned her.
    Oh. He pulled his hand away. “Listen—I was going to wait until Christmas, but…” He found a smile and pushed the box toward her.
    She looked up at him. “What’s this?”
    “Your Christmas gift.”
    “But—I don’t have anything for…” She shook her head. “It’s not Christmas yet, Markos. Let’s wait.”
    He sat down opposite her. “Please, open it.” How he longed to see her face, but the shadows hid her expression from him.
    Finally, “Okay.” She lifted the lid. He turned on the lamp in time to see her mouth open.
    “Oh.” She ran her hand over the coat, held it up. “Oh.” But her tone sounded more pain than joy.
    She let the coat drop and covered her mouth with both hands. Shook her head. The bubble of happiness turned to bile inside him. “What’s the matter?”
    “It’s not—I can’t accept this. It’s too expensive.”
    “No it’s not. Hedy is getting me—Aw, never mind. It’s perfect. C’mon, try it on.”
    She didn’t move. “No.”
    “What are you talking about?” The anger in his voice surprisedhim. “But—but—You need a coat. You’re practically freezing to