I nodded.

“That’s my favorite movie of al time,” she told me.

This wasn’t a surprise.

She leaned into me, “You and me, Sugar, we’re Steel Magnolias.” Then she let go of my hand and without further ado, she launched into her story.

It was a whole hel of a lot more sad and scary than mine.

Halfway through her story I grabbed her hand and didn’t let go. When I did, tears fil ed the bottoms of her eyes but she didn’t let them fal .

This wasn’t a surprise either. If her story was anything to go by, Daisy hadn’t been touched by kindness a whole lot in her life, either physical y or emotional y. In fact, Marcus and Smithie were the only two men she’d known that treated her right.

When she was done, I squeezed her hand.

“Now I’m with Marcus and, don’t get me wrong, I’m mostly happy. But a girl has to have girlfriends, comprende?” Indy and I both nodded, we comprende’ed.

“And, I’m here to tel you, the snooty society bitches of Denver just do not get me. I don’t have a single friend in the whole world who isn’t laughing behind my back or scared to death of Marcus.”

I looked at Indy.

“I think it’s time for another martini,” Indy said and gestured to a waiter.

Daisy went on after we’d received our second round.

“I ain’t ashamed to say, I haven’t had as much fun as I had with you and your friends at Smithie’s in ages. That is, of course, before you got shot at,” she said to me.

“Of course,” I said.

We al let this sink in while we took a sip of the second round.

“Do you think I have to worry about Vince?” I asked.

She winced.

“Vince is a mean, dirty motherfucker, if you’l excuse my French. I wouldn’t have thought he’d go against Marcus but the jackass is entirely unable to take a blow to his manhood, in this case, literal y.”

Then she gave a little tinkly-bel giggle.

I wasn’t certain I thought it was funny.

She caught the look on my face and the laughter went out of hers, “I’l ask Marcus to keep an eye out for him.” Um, I didn’t think that was a good idea. I wasn’t sure Eddie wanted Marcus to be a member of my Protection Posse.

“Daisy…”

She shook her purple-tinged head, wagged a finger at me and I was quiet. I wasn’t quiet because I didn’t have an argument, I was mesmerized by her fingernail, which was super-long, filed in a lethal curve and had little fake diamonds imbedded into it in the shape a four-leaf clover.

She dropped her finger and we al took another sip of the second round.

Then Daisy said, “What’re you gonna do about your Daddy?”

I took a deep breath and shared, “I’ve been thinking, he’s playing poker, right?” Indy and Daisy nodded, “So, I’ve decided. I need to get into a game and ask some questions. Maybe someone knows where he is.” Daisy stared at me like I’d just announced my intention to invade Nicaragua.

“You play poker?” she asked.

“No.”

“Those games are serious, girl. First off, they don’t know you and probably won’t let you in. Second, they ain’t fond of women sittin’ a table. Third, you don’t sit a table unless you know what you’re doin’.”

I’d figured that.

“I have a plan,” I said and I did. It was kind of a stupid plan but it was al I had.

“We’re al ears,” Indy urged when I didn’t go on.

“Wel . I thought I’d wear a modified Smithie’s uniform; the uniform has a weird power over men so if I wore something like that and maybe they’d let me in. Then, before I did it, I’d read a book about poker and then…” I hesitated, “I guess then I’d just wing it.”

Daisy laughed her tinkly bel laugh again.

“Ain’t you sweet?” she said when she was done laughing.

Um, guess my plan wasn’t going to work.

Then her eyes got serious. “I play poker. I’l sit a game, no one’l say boo to me. You and Indy come with and I’l ask the questions. Those boys know me and they’l talk, thinkin’

I’m askin’ for Marcus. We’l find out where your Daddy is and we’l sort this al out.”

I wasn’t sure that was a good idea.

“Maybe I should try to do this myself, you and Indy…” Daisy shook her head and with what I was noticing was her customary brutal honesty, she said, “I can’t have babies, Sugar, Marcus and me been tryin’ for two years.

But I got a motherin’ instinct, believe you me, and this Mama Bear ain’t lettin’ her new cub get eaten by the big, bad lions, comprende?”

I wasn’t sure al that went together but I wasn’t going to say anything.

“It’l be fun,” she said in a swift change of mood, though being eaten by big, bad lions didn’t sound fun. “We’l get dressed up, make a night of it. You two got somethin’

spangly to wear?” Her purply blonde head swung from Indy to me.

I shook my head, thinking this may be our way out but Indy said, “You remember Tod?” Daisy nodded. “Wel , he’s a drag queen and generous with his wardrobe.” Wonderful.

These two had an answer for everything.

Daisy sucked back half of her martini. My throat burned in sympathy.

When she was done, she said, “Perfect. We’l do it tonight.”

I choked on my martini.

Tonight?

“I think I have a problem with that,” I said.

Indy and Daisy turned to me.

“Eddie isn’t thril ed about me going after Dad and I’m kind of living with him. We’re going shopping for coffee makers tonight and then I don’t know what we’re doing. I’m not sure I’l be able to get away.”

“Ooowee, coffee makers. Sounds like this Eddie is serious,” Daisy said.

I gave her a look and she giggled.

Indy sat back.

“This is where I come in. I used to get grounded al the time. I might be a little rusty, but I was the queen of the escape plan. Leave it to me.”

Daisy’s laugh tinkled again, “This is soundin’ better by the minute.”

Not to me.

To me it was sounding scarier by the minute, but I had no choice. If I didn’t want to get raped (eventual y), shot at anymore and owe a posse of new friends for saving my life and my somewhat-tainted virtue, I had to kick in.