From the sharp edge creeping into her tone, only a fool would dare open his mouth.
“ButMom...” A whining note creeps into his voice.
“Yep, a fool,” I mutter.
Vonn nudges me hard enough to nearly send me flying. I shoot him a scowl and refocus on pissed-off Granny.
“IthinkI can handle a conversation without crumbling into dust.” She turns back to where Nash, Vonn, and I are filling her doorway. Nance is back at the house. “You had a question for me.”
Vonn steps forward. “We’re looking for a girl. She…”
The man mutters something, and his mom glares him into silent submission, then she turns back to Vonn. “He thinks that since he’s a father of three, he knows the way of the world. Wait until his little boy is a teenager and all those lovely hormones hit. He’ll learn something new.”
I grin at her, liking her more each second.
As if recognizing that this isn’t a fight he can win, he turns around, grumbling as he stalks away after failing to save his mom from us.
“There was a girl, a young woman really. She came into town a few weeks back on a bus from New Mexico. She had shoulder-length dark hair and dark blue eyes,” Vonn says.
The woman stares at him.
“We think she was dyeing her hair,” I say, remembering her blonde roots growing out. “She might have been a blonde when you saw her on the bus.”
Vonn continues. “She was wearing?—”
The woman gestures for him to be quiet. His eyebrow shoots up, and I guess army vets aren’t used to being told to shut it by grannies half their size. He shuts it though. Smart after the tongue-lashing she just gave her son.
Her forehead furrows, adding a few more wrinkles to the rest. Her expression is thoughtful, and her eyes narrow with concentration. “Can’t remember her name, but a sweet girl. Blonde. Blue eyes. A little skittish. I gave her a sandwich and a bottle of water. She didn’t have anyone meeting her at the bus station, and I thought about maybe inviting her for a cup of tea. Then my family swarmed me, and I lost sight of her.”
I share an excited glance with Nash.
That sounds like Byrdie.
“Did you meet her on the bus?” I ask, holding my breath.
“Deming, New Mexico. That’s where I got on. She was already on the bus, and that’s where the journey started.”
Suddenly, I can breathe. “You’re sure?”
She gives me a long look, the equivalent of a head slap. “You think I can’t remember where I live and the place I got on a bus to come visit my newest grandchild?”
“When you put it like that, feel free to call me an idiot. I deserve it,” I say with a grin.
One corner of her mouth lifts in a slight smile. “She seemed nice enough. Hope you find her.”
I take her hand and kiss the back of it, not only because she just saved my bacon, but to piss off her looming son, who’s back and glaring daggers at me.
She closes the door, and we head back to Vonn’s truck parked on the driveway.
“Looks like we’re going to Deming, wherever the hell that is,” Vonn says.
“Looks like we are.” I snap on my seatbelt and glance at Nash. “And your uncle…”
“He’ll have to wonder where we are,” Nash says. “I’m not sitting this one out. I’m coming.”
Vonn raises his eyebrow and starts up the truck.
Nash makes a face. “He won’t do anything while we’re gone.”
