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When my brain finally made sense of what I was looking at, I flinched. “Ewww!”
“Be careful, Mom.” Addy leaned over the bald, limp, baby bird. “It’s still squeaking.”
Layne moved in close to peek at it, too. “I found it over by the garage. What should we do with it?”
I carried the baby bird toward the garage. “Show me where you found it. The nest might be nearby.”
Layne zipped in front of me, leading the way. Addy crashed through the weeds behind me.
“Mom?” Her voice was hesitant.
So was mine. “Yeah?”
“Can I spend the night at Kelly’s tomorrow?”
I grimaced, keeping my back to her so I wouldn’t have to look her in the eyes. “You’ve only known her a couple of days, Addy. Isn’t it a little soon?”
She sighed with the drama of a nine-year-old going on fifteen. “I knew you’d never let me.”
Not if she kept up that tone. I took a deep breath before replying. “I’m not saying ‘never.’”
“When, then?”
“I don’t know.” Not until the police had whoever was snatching up little girls locked up tight behind bars. There was no way in hell my daughter’s face was going to be on a Missing Girl flyer.
“When will you know?” Addy pressed.
“I need to meet Kelly’s parents first.” I wanted to find out what kind of counseling she’s had. While I felt sorry for the girl, allowing Addy to spend more than an hour alone with the sad-eyed waif made the hair on the back of my neck prickle.
“This is where I found it, Mom.” Layne stood near the back corner of the square, brick garage.
We spread out and searched the overgrown lawn for a nest.
“Hey, Mom,” Layne called out. “Where does this door in the ground go to?”
“What door?” I glanced his way.
“Layne!” Addy yelled from behind the garage. “Come look at what I found.”
Layne tromped out of sight. I followed.
“It was sticking out of the dirt over there.” Addy was pointing toward the garage’s back wall as I rounded it.
“What is it?” I asked.
Addy held out a small, metal toy train engine. “I wonder how old it is.”
I leaned closer. “Is there anything on the bottom?”
Layne took it and flipped it over. The bottom was bare except for rust and patchy remnants of black paint.
“Hello, Violet,” a familiar male voice said from behind me.
My breath caught. I spun around, my face burning, very aware that I was sweaty, dusty, and trespassing with my two kids in tow. “Hi, Wolfgang.”
Sunshine spotlighted his wind-ruffled hair and emphasized the hard lines of his cheekbones. His white, button-up shirt allowed a peek of tanned chest, and his spicy cologne left me a little lightheaded, like I’d hung upside down on the monkey bars too long. Damn, the man knew how to crank up the sex appeal.
His gaze fell on Addy, then Layne, a smile forming on his cheeks. “One has your hair, the other your eyes.”
