Free Sticks and Stones by Madeleine Urban ; Abigail Roux

bags and hung it on his right arm before picking up another. “It’s great that you still have him.”
    “He’s still here most of the time,” Ty responded with a sigh. “Sometimes I think he’s putting on just so he don’t have to deal with us,” he added with a smirk.
    “Like I haven’t seen that before,” Zane said, nudging Ty in the ribs with this elbow.
    “I don’t play at crazy,” Ty warned with a smirk he couldn’t quite hide. He reached into the Bronco and dragged out one last bag, throwing it over his shoulder. Zane fixed a look of disbelief on his partner. “What?” Ty asked angelically as he picked up the first bag and began heading for the house.
    “You don’t play at being an asshole either,” Zane informed him as he followed him.
    “No, I don’t,” Ty agreed happily as he tromped across the yard with the bags.
    “Oh, the things I could say,” Zane muttered, reminding himself Ty’s family was around.
    “What was that?” Ty asked with a look over his shoulder. He was grinning widely, his hazel eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
    “You heard me,” Zane drawled, his heart skipping a beat or two. Ty was rarely in this mood lately. Not since New York, in fact. Ty winked at him and thumped up the steps.
    “Hey, sonny,” Chester said to him as he rocked. “How far’s the trek this time?”
    “Too far for you, old man,” Ty grunted with a smirk.
    “Damn straight,” Chester said happily as he looked back out at the mountain and patted his shovel lovingly.
    “Maybe I’ll stay here and keep him company,” Zane suggested. “He can protect me from the snakes.”
    “Ain’t no snakes this time of year,” Chester scoffed. “Damn fool federal agents,” he muttered sorrowfully with a shake of his head.
    Zane chuckled. “Sorry. There’s snakes year-round in Texas.”
    “Garrett,” Ty warned under his breath, shaking his head.
    “Does this look like Texas to you, son?” Chester asked irritably. He easily picked up the weighty shovel with one gnarled hand and waved it in Zane’s direction.
    “No, sir,” Zane answered smartly, stepping a bit behind Ty. “I’ll be sure to pay better attention.”
    “Smartass,” Chester muttered as he returned his attention back to the view and began rocking again.
    Ty reached behind him and patted Zane’s hip, urging him to get inside as they sidestepped past. Zane cleared his throat as he allowed Ty to shuffle him inside. Ty just shook his head again and dropped the heavy bags inside the living room. “Don’t piss him off,” he warned in a low voice as he headed for the kitchen.
    “I think he puts on being pissed off to keep you in line.”
    “It works,” Ty returned immediately.
    Zane chuckled, trying to keep it quiet. “Wow,” he observed.
    “What?” Ty asked defensively.
    “It just explains so much about you.”
    Ty turned to look at him, circling the kitchen table warily. “How?” he asked in confusion.
    Zane braced both hands on the tabletop and leaned toward him. “It’s not just you. Your whole family’s cracked, but somehow, you all make it work. That’s so unfair.” A hand slapped him hard on the back of the head just as he finished speaking. “Ow!” His hand flew up to rub the sore spot.
    Mara whisked past with a bushel of apples on her hip. “Be nice,” she chastised distractedly.
    “It was a compliment!” Zane protested as Ty laughed.
    “I know bullshit when I hear it, kiddo. I raised that one,” Mara told him with a jerk of her thumb at Ty as she plunked the apples down on the table. “Get out of my kitchen or help me,” she ordered as she wiped her hands on her apron.
    Ty went to the nearest cabinet and opened it, extracted a white tub labeled “Flour” from the highest shelf, and set it on the nearest counter. He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek and then promptly headed for the door. That was apparently all the help she’d get.
    Zane trailed after Ty into the living room. Ty flopped onto the couch