what was i made for, walker

006. dangerous run-in

Janie sits at the table and is scrolling through her phone. Stella is sitting across from her and is also on her phone while August cooks breakfast.

"Good morning, kiddos." Cordell greets, walking in. "Whoa. That-- that looks, uh... ambitious." He picks the blowtorch up. "Is this a... a blowtorch?"

"Relax, I'm supervising." Stella says, looking at her phone.

Cordell nods a little and puts the blowtorch down. He grabs the handle of the skillet, making noises of pain and reeling his hand back.

"Ah, that is a hot skillet." August states.

"Ah, hmm-hmm, ah, yeah, it is." Cordell says.

"And even hotter pancakes." August says. "I put some of Mawline's spicy jam in there." Cordell gets a canned drink out of the fridge and holds it to his hand.

"Are they still camping?" Stella asks.

"Uh, my best guess is they've probably checked into the Driskill Hotel by now." Cordell says. "Uh, Stella, by the way, they wanted me to tell you good luck. And, sweetie, your Laredo game, I'm..."

"I'm gonna try my best to make it to the game." Stella imitates him. 

"Yes." Cordell says.

"Clean your room. Hey, that skirt's too short." She continues.

"Ugh, dad!" Cordell imitates her.

"Hey, if you can't make it to the game, uh, I can just show it to you when we get back from Laredo." August says. "I'm filming it with Ruby."

"And I'm also going. Under lies of me being their assistant even though they don't need one and her assistant couch letting us get away with it." Janie says.

"Ruby?" Cordell asks and August nods. "This the same Ruby that told you to crash my undercover operation?"

"She didn't tell me to." August says.

"Yeah, she just merely suggested it." Janie says. "And it's not our fault we didn't know you were undercover cause we assumed you were becoming an absentee father." She smiles, earning mixed looks in return. "Am I not allowed to joke about my feelings?"

"So, anyways, we are supposed to be filming the dance next Friday." August says. "But I'm, uh, I'm thinking about asking her to go."

"Yeah?" Cordell asks and August nods before noticing the looks his dad and sisters give him. 

"You don't think she'll say yes?" August asks.

"I think that is a tricky question." Stella says. "Can we talk about something simpler? Like gun control?" Janie quietly laughs into her glass of orange juice. "Or dad's DPS hearing?"

"Wow. Very funny. You're out of luck on that one." Cordell tells her. "It was postponed. Uh, which I do have to check on. Uh, Augie... be careful."

"Says the one who just burned his hand on a skillet that was very obviously on the stove." Janie muses.

"Very funny." Cordell tells her, giving her an annoyed look, and she smiles.

"Stella, sweetie, you'll be great." Cordell kisses her on the head.

"Janie Bug, learn how to read a room." Cordell tells her.

"I know how to read it, I just don't care." Janie says.

"Well, care a little, all right?" Cordell says, kissing her on the head.

"Ew." She mumbles. Cordell frowns and ruffles her hair. "Dad." She whines.