8
The child’s voice was so soft, JJ had to squat to hear her.
“I don’t feel very good,” Rachel confided.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom?” JJ asked.
“I just want to go home,” she whispered. “Will you tell my mom?”
“Of course.” JJ smoothed the girl’s hair away from her forehead; she didn’t have a fever. She’d seemed anxious all evening, and she could simply be overwhelmed by the crowds. Rachel was a sensitive child, and JJ thought she’d been doing remarkably well since her ordeal.
Evie gave her mother a dirty look when JJ reached toward her next, as if JJ might remove her precious cowboy hat. She touched her daughter’s shoulder instead. “How about you, kid? Have you had enough excitement for one night?”
Evie nodded. She looked tired, doubtless because she’d been up late the night
