“That covers a lot of ground,” Charlotte said, unable to tell by her daughter’s tone how this call would go.
“I suppose it does,” Tilly said and cleared her throat. “The reward and getting ranchers to search for Holly Jo. Thank you for doing that.”
“I needed to do something. I only hope the girl is found safe and quickly.” Silence. Charlotte could feel her daughter wanting to hang up, maybe even regretting this call. She desperately wished she could take back the hateful things she’d said the last time she spoke to Tilly. “Your wedding was beautiful.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you were there.”
“You invited me.”
“But I wasn’t sure you would come.”
More silence.
“How are you?” Charlotte asked, not wanting the call to end.
“Good. Cooper and I are building our house. I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“You must be excited.” She hoped that if Tilly was pregnant, she might mention it.
“I should go. Cooper and I are helping with the search.”
“I’m glad you called.” She wasn’t sure Tilly was still there. “I...I love you.” Silence. Her daughter had hung up.
Charlotte disconnected, surprised at the emotion she felt. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed Tilly, how much she’d missed hearing her voice. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as her phone rang yet again. This time it was another rancher, calling to say they’d searched all their buildings. No Holly Jo.
Soon it would be too dark to search any longer. Charlotte still held out hope that the girl would be found before tonight. She couldn’t imagine who had her, and she worried the girl wasn’t safe. She hated to think that Holly Jo would have to spend a night away from her family with God only knew who.
“WE HAVE TO quit meeting like this,” Birdie said as she and Brand attracted attention the moment they walked into the café. “People are going to start talking.”
“Too late for that, no thanks to you.” Brand wasn’t sure if people were staring at them because they’d heard that he’d been arrested here earlier today, dragged out of the café in handcuffs, and that he’d been with Birdie Malone, the daughter of the deceased husband of Brand’s mother, who was also his suspected killer.
But everyone in the café could be staring at him because they now knew that he was the result of Holden McKenna and Charlotte Stafford’s affair over thirty years ago. Then again, there were those who had to be wondering if he’d kidnapped Holly Jo.
He tried not to groan. “I may have to leave the country.”
Birdie laughed. “Chin up. Let them speculate. Enjoy the attention.”
“I’ve never enjoyed attention. I like flying under the radar,” he said.
Why had he agreed to meet her here? Because he still wasn’t ready to see his mother. He wasn’t sure he ever would be. He’d heard what she’d done, offering a reward and getting area ranchers to search the buildings on their property for Holly Jo. Had she done that because of him? He had no idea what motivated his mother and didn’t even want to speculate.
His brothers had called, CJ collect from the jail, Ryder from the ranch. He hadn’t taken either of their calls, just as he hadn’t taken Tilly’s. Fortunately, Oakley was on an extended honeymoon with her husband and McKenna ranch hand, Pickett Hanson. The two had eloped—Oakley’s idea, he would bet—and taken a long honeymoon. He wondered if they would ever come back. He knew he wouldn’t if he was them.
Birdie picked up her menu. “It will blow over. Trust me, I’ve gone through worse than this with my mother.”
He looked at her in surprise. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Adversity only makes you stronger.” She disappeared behind her menu. “I’m thinking I’ll have the chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans special,” she said, attempting to change the subject as she put down her menu. It only made him wonder what her life had been like. “Don’t give me that poor-you look. You’ve been coddled your whole life. Obviously, you haven’t had enough adversity. But look at the bright side. Now you’re related to Holden McKenna. People actually like him.”
Brand shook his head, unable not to smile. The waitress came over, and as they ordered, he found himself studying Birdie Malone. “You do have an unusual take on most things,” he said after the waitress left. “I would think you’d be bitter.”
She laughed. “Who says I’m not? Don’t forget why I’m in town.”
“Right. To see my mother behind bars.”
“And to find the accomplice who helped her. So tell me about Holden McKenna,” Birdie said, leaping to the next subject.
Brand shook his head. He figured that along with her quest, she was trying to keep his mind off everything, especially Holly Jo’s disappearance. They’d brainstormed ideas on how to find the girl—none of them viable since neither of them knew Holly Jo or who had taken her, let alone where someone might hide her.
“How would I know anything about Holden McKenna?” he said, not unkindly. “Our families have been at war for years. I just found out that he’s my father.”
“I thought your sister Tilly married a McKenna.”
“Yeah, Cooper.” He was reminded of the DNA sample he’d borrowed from his now half brother’s comb. “But that’s a new occurrence, and we’re still feeling the repercussions of the marriage, even though our mother did show up at the wedding but quickly left once the official part was over.”
“Ah yes, your mother. This all started with her, right? Your father dumped her. Now she hates his guts and has sworn to make his life miserable until she dies. Or goes to prison for killing my father.”
“Seriously, the way you put things,” he said, eyeing her. “Are you always this blunt?”
“I try to be,” she admitted.
He studied her openly. Her dark hair was pulled up into a messy knot on the side of her head. Her gray eyes fascinated him the way they changed color with her moods. Right now they were a light, mischievous pale gray. Her face, all button nose and high cheekbones, was pretty, but he could see her growing into a real beauty with age. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Sounds like that’s a good thing.”
He chuckled. “You might be right.” Their meals came, and they dug in.
“There’s still no word on Holly Jo?” She switched topics so quickly it gave him whiplash.
