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“The Blondie act,” she murmured.
“Yeah, that.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug, then let out a sigh. “Do you ever feel trapped, Granger? Like you, with your whole “don’t mess with me” face.” She circled a finger at his features.
“My face is my face. Is what it is.”
“But there’s more under there, isn’t there? You just don’t want to show it.”
He flipped it right back at her. “So you don’t want to show your family that you aren’t a ditzy party girl?”
“Idowant to. I do. I just…especially now that I’m going to be an aunt! I’m going to be the best aunt that ever existed. I won’t just send a card now and then, or miss half their birthdays.”
Whoa, between her wine buzz and the steady purr of the car engine, her mind and tongue had abandoned their usual caution.
Unblock your throat chakra, her mother used to tell her.Your heart chakra needs some attention too, and as for your root chakra, my God, it’s like you’re not even my daughter.
I don’t speak chakra, she’d reply, which was guaranteed to set off a rant from Serenity Om.
“I’ll never forget a holiday, I’ll even send something for President’s Day, I bet most aunts don’t do that. Or uncles.”
“You’re right about that.” Granger sounded amused.
“Maybe I won’t even wait for a holiday. I’ll send something every month, just in case.”
“Just in case what?”
“Just in case they need a reminder that they’re not alone.”
“Kids don’t need presents all the time. You’re going to spoil them.”
“I didn’t say presents! Maybe just a card. It’ll say, ‘I see you. I know you exist.’ Or something like that.”
“I don’t know about the best, but you might be the weirdest aunt,” Granger murmured.
“I don’t mind weird. I’m already weird. People don’t know that about me but it’s true.”
The car rounded a wide bend in the road. She watched the beam of the headlights sweep across the forest. Something moved under the trees. Something small and helpless.
“What was that?” She craned her neck to peer more closely at the mystery blob.
“Huh?’
“I saw something on the side of the road. Slow down.”
“Why? It’s none of our business.”
“Then whose is it?”
“The forest’s.”
That did make sense in this empty stretch of road, where it was just them and the moonlit trees. But making sense wasn’t always the most important thing.
She clutched at his iron forearm. “As a law enforcement officer, don’t you want to make sure it isn’t something criminal? You always go toward trouble. You said it’s part of your job.”
He gave a heavy sigh and muttered, ”Apparently your job is driving me nuts.”
“Pull over. I want to check it out.”
