counter under the long pull-string on the ceiling fan.
The dimension of the girl’s eyes rounded up to the next size. “Wow.”
“Are you here visiting, or just passing through?”
“We came on the bus. We’re staying at the Mountain Mama Motel. My mom likes the name, but I don’t like the way that arrow blinks on and off at night. It keeps us awake.” She stared at the plate Hilda had pushed under her nose, and then glanced up. Hilda nodded, but the girl needed more than a nod, more than a cookie. “My…my mom’s really sick.”
“Is it just the two of you?” The girl nodded. “How long has she been sick?”
“A little bit for a long time, but she’s getting worse.”
“Would you like me to go see her? I have a good friend who’s a nurse. We can—”
“My name’s Star Brown.” She took the top cookie, tasted it and daintily brushed a gathering of crumbs from her bottom lip. “My grandmother owns this store.”
“I own this store, honey, and I really wish I had a granddaughter. But I’m afraid—”
“Is your name Hilda Beaudry?”
“It is.” Her name was painted on the sign above the overhang out front. Small letters, but she’d matched them to her father’s and grandfather’s names, which were still there with their dates as proprietors.
“We came here to find you. My mom says grand-mothers are mothers, too. But just older because their sons and daughters are fathers and mothers now.”
“I always wanted a daughter, but I only have sons, and they have no…” The child looked confused, disappointed, as though she was expecting someone who didn’t show up or her goldfish had stopped moving. Hilda didn’t like being the bearer of bad news. “Why don’t we go check on your mother? We’ll put up the BS sign. Back Soon.”
“You’re the only grand—” Star went still at the sound of a siren.
“That sound says ‘Make way for the Bear Root Rescue Squad.’”
“What’s that?”
“It’s our ambulance.” Hilda moved toward the door as another warning siren rose like a mating call to the first one. They screamed in tandem, coming on hard until they blew past the store—yeeee-ooooow whoop-whaaa—drawing down on the end of Main. Not much left on that end besides…“Headed for the motel.”
Star barreled through the screen door like a ball aimed at the last pin standing.
Hilda started after her but reversed course at the sound of scrabbling claws. “Leave it! Come.” The dog did his three-paw jig across the threshold and passed his mistress. “Can’t trust you for a minute with the smell of chocolate in your nose.”
Hilda glimpsed the dropped piece of cookie on the floor as the door swung shut. She had that part of the job mastered. She could make a damn fine cookie. At the edge of the yard the girl’s hair was swinging like a metronome as she sprinted into the street after the sheriff’s car.
Sam?
She couldn’t be Sam’s. Zach’s, maybe, but not…
Hilda’s boot heels rattled down the wooden steps.
“Come on, Lucky. Follow that ponytail.”
Chapter Two
Maggie shooed Jimmy through the heavy glass door ahead of her. Stern-faced principal Dave Cochran greeted her with a nod, the better part of his attention fixed on the approaching ambulance. The siren crashed through Maggie’s head, in the left ear, out the right, tugging on her like a knotted thread.
“Looks like they’re headed for the motel,” the principal said, eyes glued to the action. “Dr. Dietel is looking for you, Jimmy. Tell her you already saw me.”
“I’m sorry, Mr.—”
“Be in my office at three-thirty. Get to class now.” He craned his neck toward the glass, the very image of a long-legged blue heron getting ready to take off. “Don’t think anyone’s staying there. Didn’t see any cars this morning. Hope it’s not Mama Crass.”
“Or Teddy. I’m going to run on down there and see if they need help.” She hadn’t gone for her daily jog yet. Halfway out the door, she hesitated, caught between duties, leaning toward escape. “Unless you want to talk to me. Jimmy was hanging around Sam’s office again.”
“Sam shouldn’t encourage—”
“I’ll stop back.” She backpedaled until the door left her fingertips and slowly swung shut. “Or call, depending. Consequences at school, consequences at home. Team effort.” She gave him a thumbs-up through the glass.
The principal cracked a smile. A good sign for Jimmy. Maggie knew at least two things about this man—he was attracted to her, and he liked being quoted. The first was unsettling. Dave was two things that didn’t interest her: old and married. The second was useful. Since she probably wouldn’t be able to “stop back,” the homage to the last discipline lecture he’d given her was a sacrifice in behalf of her son’s defense. She didn’t condone Jimmy’s actions, but it wasn’t like he was leaving school grounds to go on a crime spree. He wanted to be Sam Beaudry.
Maggie jogged across the graveled parking area toward the flashing lights of the now silent ambulance. Driver Dick Litelle was opening the back doors while motel owners Cassie and Ted Gosset took turns jumping in and out of the emergency team’s way as they directed Dick’s partner, Jay, toward the cause for concern.
“She called the desk, but I couldn’t tell—”
“She said she couldn’t get up, didn’t she?” Teddy put in, shifting his negligible weight anxiously as though he worried about getting blamed for something. “I told Mama to check on her, but she had to go…You had to go fix your hair first! Just the woman and her little girl checked in, so I didn’t wanna—”
“Need any help?”
“Yeah, hey, Maggie.” Dick made a be-my-guest gesture in the direction of door number three. “I’ll bring the gurney. Ted, Cassie, let Maggie through.”
“She’s the skinniest woman I ever saw,” claimed Cassie, who had applied considerable effort to keeping her own weight up. “Not you, Maggie,” Mama Crass hastened to explain as she nodded toward number three. “The one in there.”
“What’s her name?” Maggie called out over her shoulder.
“Is the little girl in there?” Cassie called toward the open door. “You should send her out.”
“The woman’s name,” Maggie insisted.
“Merilee Brown,” said Teddy.
“The little one shouldn’t be in there watching,” Cassie said, lifting her voice to whomever would listen.
The
