Lu had seen just as many falling hearts. She had an eye for it, truth be told. Could see when two people were hoping, wanting. Could sense loneliness like an old, dusty song scratching out into the empty and waiting for the echoed harmony.
And when Lu got her teeth into something she thought she could fix, she wasn’t an echo, she was a damned bullhorn.
“You live in Texas?” Lu dragged a fried pickle through the little paper cup of sauce: dip, drag, dip, drag.
Jo finished chewing a bite of burger. “Not really.”
Lu raised her eyebrows.
“I’m here now. I’m traveling. Looking for a place.” She very carefully didn’t look over at Sunshine, who was forking down a salad with lots of taco fixings and a river of hot sauce running through it.
“That smoking router mean you’re staying a night?” He was all casual and cool now, the diner a familiar enough place, lunch a neutral enough ground, he’d gotten his feet back under him.
Lorde was outside lounging in the shade of the tree. When Susan—owner and hostess of MaryJo’s—had seen the dog, she’d produced two bowls, one for water, one for “ends and bits” that turned out to be chicken meat, some fresh boiled eggs, and kibble with a nice, juicy beef bone sticking up out of it.
Lorde couldn’t be happier. Well, she’d probably prefer to be in the diner with us, but she was just a few steps away from the building. I could get to her in an instant if Lu needed her.
“Not sure,” Jo said. “By the time I drive down to Springfield to get whatever router we have in stock, it’s going to be late. You close at six, right?”
“I can stay if you want to come back tonight,” he offered.
“Do it,” I said to her. “Put in the new router and be on your way. This small town isn’t where your life is headed. You want bigger things, remember?”
I could tell my words had some influence on her. Enough she frowned and took a drink of her cola.
Lu must have felt my words too.
“You could drive down in the morning,” Lu said. “The place I’m renting has a spare room. Quiet. Good price.”
Sunshine leaned back and picked up the huge glass of lemonade, draining it by half in one go. “Since it’s on me that you’d have to make the drive and stay an extra night, you can put the hotel cost on my bill.”
“Don’t fall for those dimples,” I said. “Get outta Dodge and come back tomorrow.”
“I could just come back tomorrow,” she said.
“Great idea!” I clapped my hands. “Now that it’s settled…”
“Fisher, don’t you move!” A man pushed past Susan and stopped at our table. He was short and built like a steamroller. His wide chest and broad belly might have once been muscle but were now going to fat. His suit jacket, dark trousers, and dress shoes were a step above affordable.
Thinning yellow hair, combed and sprayed, didn’t do the job of covering up the bald spot on top.
Insurance? Cars? Time shares? He was some kind of salesman.
“You said you’d have that part in today.” His voice was louder than necessary, making sure everyone in the place noticed when he spoke.
Sunshine leaned back a bit more, his body language opening up. He was squaring for a fight and happy to go the extra round.
“Doug. I’m on my lunch break. How about you stop by the shop in a half hour or so?”
“I’m stopping by now. When can I pick up my car?”
“I’ll tell you that when I’m back at the shop. Which will be about a half hour or so.”
Doug narrowed his eyes, then seemed to notice the other people at the table, especially Jo.
“Well, you sure aren’t from around here, are you?” Doug gave Jo an insulting once over. “Do you speak English?”
“You’re a horse’s ass,” I said.
