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Angus nodded in recognition. “Yer auntie be a fine woman.”
Mia sat up in her seat. “Maybe you know my mom? Her name is Birdie. You’d know her as Birdie Wellborn.”
The woman’s face went from smiling to frowning in an instant, to the point where Mia wished she had kept her mouth shut.
“Oh yes, I know your mother.”
The ever-insightful Angus added, rather sternly, “Then you ken Mia’s Da, Lucas Santos. The mayor of this fine town. Mia be the mayor’s bairn.”
The waitress’s countenance changed back to smiling in an instant. “Known him for years.” Her attention turned back to Mia. “It’s nice to meet you, Mia. Welcome to Wayward.”
Mia didn’t respond. Not sure how to navigate the conversation, given the woman’s blatant hostility when mentioning her mom, so Angus did it for her, by scowling.
They took turns giving the woman their orders, whereby the woman, with Sarah-Lynn handwritten in Sharpie on her nametag, replied with a more upbeat tone, “Let me get that order in for y’all. Shouldn’t take very long. Ya’ll came at a good time.”
“Thank you,” Mia responded, rubbing her hands down her thighs and squeezing her knees with nervous energy.
Mia wasn’t sure if the woman’s renewed enthusiasm was sincere or inspired by Angus’s craggy frown.
The waitress made her way behind the counter, placing the order on the ticket holder and turning it toward the man behind the opening with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Mia whispered, “I don’t think she likes my mom.”
“Yae no ken that.”
“You saw how she looked at me when I said mom’s name.”
“Aye, maybe so.”
Mia wasn’t surprised when Angus agreed with her. He was protective of her mom, but also honest to a fault. He might not have a lot to say, but when he did you paid attention, and she was on to something.
Angus pulled at the sides of his beard. “Wee towns have long memories,” he said cryptically.
Mia glanced behind the counter where the waitress was saying something to the cook, who was craning his neck to get a good look at them.
She leaned toward Angus with her own scowl. “Okay, you know something I don’t. Why are they looking at me like I’m the spawn of the devil?”
Angus stuck his head behind the menu. “Dinna trouble trouble till trouble troubles yae.”
Mia yanked at the menu and set it aside in a huff. “You can stop with the Scottish colloquial crap. I deserve to know what’s going on. Tell. Me.”
Angus sighed, staring out the window. “I no ken everthin’. And it’s no my story to tell. But… yer ma left town in a way that made the townsfolk fair scunnered.”
“Why would they be mad at Mom for leaving town when her parents were obviously not right?” She sat back in her seat. “You saw that house. It was more of a scary carnival sideshow than a place to raise children.”
“Truth be told, I’ve told you moost of what I ken.”
“Most? Well then, tell me the rest, Angus.”
He shook his head. “Speak to yer ma.”
She picked at the polish on her fingernails. Her mom was obviously preoccupied and stressed, acting upbeat and positive whenever Mia was around. But she knew better. Knew it was all a ruse.
They were broke. Mia knew that much. She had eavesdropped on enough conversations between her mom and Angus to know that her uncles and their mother had double-crossed her and took all her money after Dad died.
The last thing she wanted to do was to cause her mom anymore stress. She was living in an abandoned gas station, for crying out loud, pretending like it was some grand adventure.
She’d have to find another way to gather intel.
