After breakfast, they walked toward the only building in the area. It appeared to have a telephone and a medical office. There was a large information board out front, with a laminated map of Mexico on one side and dozens of handwritten notes on the other. Maria studied the notes with interest. Many were about missing family members. Thoughts of Hugo crowded her head, making her throat tight. Maybe he’d passed through this place and stood at this very same spot.
“We can write a note for Sarai,” she said.
“Saying what? A strange white man wants to talk to you?”
“It can be from Tía Mariposa.”
“Who’s that?”
“Me. I used that name at the school.”
“Why?”
“Armando called memariposasometimes.”
Ian’s jaw clenched with displeasure. It was a term of endearment, she supposed. Butterflies were delicate and pretty. She didn’t think Armando meant anything by it, and there was no reason for Ian to be jealous. She wasn’t interested in Armando. He was old enough to be her father. But he was a good man, no matter what Ian thought.
“You’re not sticking around to have a chat with anyone,mariposa. I’m putting you on the next bus out of here.”
She examined the local bus schedule, which was pinned next to the map.
Ian swore when he saw it. “The bus doesn’t come on Sundays.”
“Is today Sunday?” She made a sign of the cross.
He squinted at her in annoyance. He looked as exhausted as she felt, with dark smudges under his eyes. There was a fist-shaped bruise at the base of his throat, where he’d been struck last night. He’d been limping since they got off the train. Neither of them had slept in two days.
“You know what you need?”
“Yes,” he said flatly, “but I’m not going to get it.”
She smiled, pointing at a sign on the side of the building. Passengers were lined up there with towels and toiletries in hand. “They have showers.”
“Showering isn’t my top priority.”
“What about your wound? It must be kept clean, yes?”
After a moment’s deliberation, he approached the front door of the building and glanced inside. There were a couple of shelves of convenience-store items. He handed her a wad of cash from his pocket. “Buy some first aid stuff and whatever you need.”
“What are you going to do?”
“My job,” he said, and walked away.
She watched him stride toward a group of men in front of the pay phone. His injury didn’t slow him down much. He’d defeated two outlaws without falling off the train. He was as strong as he was stubborn, but she worried about his fierce independence. It was no way to live.
He needed to learn how to depend on other people.
She wanted him to let down his guard, and let her in. She wanted to strip down his defenses and kiss away his troubles. They couldn’t have a long-distance relationship.
That was okay; she’d settle for a short affair.
The idea startled her. But the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. Even if he broke her heart, sleeping with him would be worth it. She’d shied away from men for years. She’d never had consensual sex. That was a problem, and she knew how to solve it. Ian’s touch made her melt.
Her body was ready.
She stretched her arms over her head, excited by the prospect. Then she sniffed her armpit, nose wrinkled. Her body wasfuchi. This was no way to seduce a man.
She went inside the store to browse the shelves. She found a trial-size bottle of baby shampoo, a disposable razor, and a little tube of toothpaste. Then she rifled through a bin of secondhand clothes, selecting two cotton T-shirts and two pairs of socks. The items smelled like they’d been washed. After she paid at the front counter, she went to the medical office. She had to stand in line for a long time, but she got a couple of extra-large bandages for free. She was also given a small canvas tote bag with a towel and a “health kit” inside. The kit appeared to have alcohol wipes and antibiotic ointment. All in all, a pretty good score.
