Page 97 of Paper Horses

“Hudson! Liv!” Jessie bolted toward us with little Carl in her hands and big Carl trying to catch up to her. “Oh shoot, sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted your name like that,” she said when she reached us.

“It’s all right.” Olivia gave her a tight smile, and I nudged her shoulder.

“Carl,” I said, throwing my hand out to him. He was the closest I had to a best friend here, but his demeanor was the complete opposite of mine. Thus, the reason he’d been a better fit for Jessie. “This is Olivia.”

“Finally get to meet the new talk of the town,” he said, giving her a polite nod.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Formal and well-practiced.

“Place is packed,” I said, shooting a glance at her before turning back to them.

“Yeah. I think everyone was ready to get out of the house after the storm. Thank goodness the trucks got through now that the road has dried up.”

“The main road?” Olivia asked, her posture going stiff. Dread crept its way up my shoulders and sat perched to strike, its claws digging into my flesh.

“Yup.” Jessie adjusted the baby on her hip. “Still a little water, but nothing you can’t pass through.”

“Took a ride through it this morning,” Carl added, “and it was nothing more than a sheen of water. Should dry up before the freeze comes in next week. Guess we should be glad we had this freak warm spell. Otherwise, we’d be stranded here till the next thaw.”

“That’s an exaggeration, Carl,” I teased him.

“Block of ice over the roadway would not be pretty.”

“So the road is clear?” Olivia asked again. They both turned their attention to her, just as I did. Her stance was rigid, her fingers digging into my hand, her bottom lip sucked in as she gnawed on it.

“It is,” Jessie answered, her eyes going soft. She’d always been keen on emotions, sensitive to them.

“Yeah,” Olivia muttered. “Cleared.”

I squeezed her hand, and she looked at me.

“In the moment,” I said, and she gave me a nod.

Carl Junior used the quiet to throw up on Jessie, and Olivia’s face morphed to sheer horror. I almost wanted to laugh, and that urge only intensified when Jessie wiped his mouth up and handed him to Olivia.

“Shoot, do you mind holding him for a second while I clean up? Carl, grab me a wipe.”

Olivia stared at the baby like he was an invading alien species.

“He won’t do it again. I promise. I guess I didn’t burp him well enough.” She pushed little Carl closer, and Olivia continued to stare. I could have stepped in, but the interaction was too fascinating.

I bumped her shoulder, and she jumped, sputtering something about not being good with kids.

“Oh, that can’t be true,” Jessie said.

Hands rose like one of those robot toys, stiff and almost motorized.

“Thank you.” She shoved the baby into Olivia’s hands. Carl was staring at Olivia like I was.

“Carl. Wipe.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, sweetheart.” He shuffled in the diaper bag while I continued to watch Olivia, miffed by her behavior. The baby hung in the air at arm's length, kicking his legs and giggling while she gaped at him.

“You’re a natural,” I said, unable to stop my snicker.

She frowned at me, the annoyance in it palpable.

“I’m guessing you don’t have any experience with kids,” Carl said, his head tilted as he continued to study her reaction.