What was to be done about it, though? Nearly nothing aside from hoping someone spotted that other truck . . . But there had to be dozens of dark, midsized, older pickups around town, to say nothing of the county at large. Not so much needle in a haystack as needle in a needle factory.
“You didn’t eat lunch,” Casey said, setting the mystery aside. She’d been too nervous, earlier.
“No, and I’m starving.”
“Feel like a trip into town? Grab something at the diner?”
She considered it. “I guess I could, now.”
“Course you can. Celebrate your freedom—no more reason for house arrest that I can see.” Her ex knew where to find her now, and it seemed perhaps he wasn’t, in fact, crazy enough to stalk her.
“Okay, then. Let me just get Mercy’s stuff together.”
“Great.” He accepted the baby so Abilene could head upstairs. She returned with a diaper bag, and they swung by the kitchen and chatted with Christine, filling her in about the meeting while Abilene fixed a bottle.
“It’ll feel nice to get yourself off the rez for an hour or two, I bet,” Christine said.
“Maybe a little. No offense.”
She smiled and waved the thought aside. “It’s no fun feeling trapped, especially with a new baby. When Miah was tiny, I used to look forward to my sister visiting, so I could get a little time to myself. I remember driving into town and just wandering the aisles of the drugstore, elated just to be someplace else. Anyplace else. I’d offer to take her now, in fact, except the vet’s coming in twenty minutes.”
“No, it’ll be good for her to get a change of scenery, too,” Abilene said, and kissed the baby’s head, with her palm on Casey’s shoulder. His face went warm and he was glad everyone was focused on Mercy.
“Dinner’s at eight,” Christine said, turning back to the laptop open on the table.
“Would you tell Miah where we got to?” Casey asked. “I owe him a beer and a talk.”
“No problem.”
Abilene took the baby and they headed out.
“I wonder when my car will be fixed,” she said as Casey was unlocking his Corolla.
“I’ll ask my brother. Hopefully this weekend.”
“And when do you think I could go back to work?” She got the baby strapped into her seat. Casey’s car would look weird without it, he realized, once Abilene was driving again.
“Let’s hold off until after a couple more meet-ups, okay? But if the next two or three go well, and we can get you some childcare sorted out, I’d say there’s no point in waiting. But . . .”
“Yeah?” She buckled her seat belt, eyeing him.
“Maybe stick with babysitters you know really well, okay? Just to start. Just to be safe. Me, or maybe Kim.” Raina had the time and was equally trustworthy, but he couldn’t picture her taking care of a baby. He tried imagining Duncan’s attempt as well, and nearly laughed aloud. Though perhaps the two of them together might be able to survive it, some night when Casey and Abilene were both closing. He’d be tempted to videotape it, just to see Duncan’s expression when faced with a filthy diaper.
“I miss work,” Abilene said, once they were moving.
“It misses you. Or Duncan and Raina miss the two of us, I’m sure. Though before you say it,” he added, noting her darkening expression, “don’t feel bad. It’s only a week, and I’m sure they’re more than happy to help while things settle down for you.”
“Everyone’s been so nice about it all.”
He shrugged. “It’s what friends do.” And he was proud to count himself a part of that group, he realized, after all those years of only looking out for number one.
“You’re a very generous motorcycle club.”