I let the window shut, and I walk through the house, going up to the front, facing the other way.
Junie flies through the front door. “Mom.Mom.Mr.Jackson’s chasing Earl away again.”
“I’m sure he’ll do a great job.” I’m flustered and cranky, andI don’t want to deal with this. “How many people are coming over? When did you decide to make astatue? How are you going to raise money for it? Is the town council okay with this? Where will you put it? Who’s in charge? Did you volunteer to be in charge? Because you know if you—”
“Mom.Maybe try to breathe a little here? It’s Friday. Time to let it all go and pretend we have no worries. I’ve got this, okay?”
“Junie—”
She tosses her bag on the couch I just picked up, then grabs me by the hand. “Come on. Let’s go see who wins.”
“Juniper Louise.”
She ignores the reprimand and pulls me back down the short hall to my bedroom.
Flint’s still on Parsnip.
Earl’s shaking his whole body as he climbs to his feet, shooting dirty looks at man and horse the whole time.
Junie pushes my window up, letting in a blast of cold air. “He’s being stubborn today, isn’t he?” she calls to Flint.
“Winter bones must’ve settled in,” Flint replies. He’s in a dark-yellow jacket that I know for a fact is super warm and super soft, and I want to reach out and touch him. Or have him pull me up on the horse in front of him and take me for a ride.
ButI can’t.
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” she tells him.
He cuts her a look that calls her out without saying a word.
“Third dumbest?” she says with a grin.
“Were we in the same classroom for an hour a day every day this week?”
Wait.
Waitwhat?
“What’s going on here?” I ask, looking between them.
Junie gives me the fakest innocent look I’ve ever seen in my life. “Mr.Jackson’s chasing the bear away. Again.”
“Juniper Louise Spencer,that is not what I meant.”
“Your daughter’s a good one, Maisey,” Flint says. “Even if she’s completely useless when it comes to chasing bears away.”
I look between them like they’re playing a silent tennis match, not sure who to ask what next.
“Would it help if I jumped on Mom’s back again?” Junie calls.
“You set this up?What? Why?Did you feed the bear under my window?”
“Nobody feeds bears,” Flint says.
Parsnip whinnies in agreement, then snorts.
Earl grumbles out a huff and takes two moseying steps away from my window.
“This is what we callnice timing,” Junie says, once more seemingly agreeing with Flint. “A fed bear is a dead bear.”
