Chirp(3)

The next morning, Rance opened his eyes but didn’t move. Either last night’s activities—or sleeping three in a bed—had made every bone in his body ache. He’d gotten a workout as strenuous as football two-a-days. Correction. Two-a-night. One player. Two cheerleaders. Harder. Faster. And damn if he hadn’t nearly thrown his back out trying to keep up.

As insatiable as Mia and Mya were, he half expected them to join him in the shower. But that didn’t happen. Shutting the water off, he wrapped himself in a towel. If the babes still slept, he wouldn’t wake them. They had until two o’clock to check out.

When he returned to the bedroom, though, the girls were gone. Humph. Thought they’d at least say goodbye. His eyes drifted to the dresser and his wallet. Picking it up, he laughed. Fifty-six bucks was all they got. No reason to get angry. The Dynamic Duo was worth a hell of a lot more.

He finished dressing, then ran his hand beneath the mattress and recovered his stash. Silly girls. Ex-cons trust no one.

He stepped outside and followed the aroma of bacon to Bubba’s Diner. Just what he needed after going heels to Jesus all night. He removed his last cigarette and tossed the package into the blue trash barrel at the corner of the building. Really should give up the bad habit, and he would. Later.

It occurred to him the tag-team event with the BFFs had fulfilled his goal. No more pressure. With an early start and few stops, he could make it to Bluebird in one day. Grab a quick breakfast. Crank up the Harley. Hit the road. Couldn’t wait to see the place again. Enjoy the seclusion and relax in his grandmother’s old claw-foot tub. That’s what he loved about the little country town.

Everything remained the same. Never any surprises.





2


Hanna


From her workshop window, Hanna saw dust billowing before the car came into view. Usually Blaze walked through the woods, but today she had to pick up groceries. As always, she tried to look the part of a rebel but couldn’t pull it off. More like a pubescent teenager playing dress-up. Even the stud in the cherub’s bow of her upper lip and the ring dangling from her small straight nose didn’t offset the big, innocent, green eyes that dominated her face.

Blaze had revealed nothing, but when she’d arrived three years ago with no prior connection to Bluebird or Dessie, Hanna had figured she was on the run from something or someone. She’d decided once their friendship grew, Blaze would be more forthcoming. But that didn’t happen.

Once Hanna had discovered the gifted girl’s artistic ability, she’d asked for help with packaging her soaps and lotions. All she needed was a break to get attention from a major chain, and the right presentation could be the key.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hanna caught sight of her son as he burst through the trees, stick sword in hand, towel cape pinned around his neck, fighting an imaginary foe. Noah was the center of her life and she was thankful he was happy playing with common things, but he wouldn’t always be six. As he got older, he’d want what other kids had, and no way could she afford them unless she got her business off the ground—or accepted the marriage proposal from a man she didn’t love.

There was nothing wrong with Dylan. He’d been interested in her since high school, but they’d never dated until six months ago, and he’d proposed on the first date. Wasn’t fair to keep putting him off, but she couldn’t bring herself to accept.

Blaze pushed open the door and strolled inside. Black was the only color she wore, a harsh contrast to her delicate features. Despite being puny, Blaze was pretty, but she didn’t seem to care about her appearance, which was an incongruity since she worked at making others look good.

“What’s up?” Hanna asked.

Head bowed, Blaze slid a folder forward. “Here are the drawings.”

Hanna thumbed through them and wanted to cry.

Blaze’s shoulders drooped. “If you don’t like them, I can do more.”

Hanna rushed from behind the table and gave the artist a quick hug. “You’re a genius. This is exactly what I had in mind.”

Blaze stiffened. “Oh. Okay.”

“I love the goat in the bubble bath—and how you’ve put the bluebird inside the outline of Texas is perfect.”

The door swung wide, and Hanna’s lifelong friend Tiffany flew in like she was on her way to a shoe sale at Dillard’s.

“I’m glad you’re both here. I have something to show y’all.” Tiffany stuck out her hand to display a bracelet. Hanna reached for it, but Tiffany launched into an animated conversation. “Your soap line got me to thinking I should get my creative juices flowing. I thought about a calendar. They never go out of style, and everybody needs one. You know, get hunks to pose in the buff, but that’s been done a hundred times ten. Besides, I made a list and only came up with two hot guys in all of Bluebird.”

Early evening light streaming through the window glinted off the fake gems in Tiffany’s creation. She shook her head. Butterscotch curls bounced around her face. “And Daddy would have a heart attack. Probably do a whole series of sermons about my sinful ways.”

Hanna opened her mouth to speak, but Tiffany waved her off. She was on a roll, and there was no stopping her. “I know what you’re going to say. There’s a calendar app.” She flapped the air as if swatting mosquitoes. “Sure there is, but I could get my own made and still make a ton of money. But I decided, heck, I should connect to my roots, Texas and Bluebird. So this is my original design.”