Sturdy plywood covered the gas station windows. The coffee shop and minuscule post office stood solitary and empty. There were houses, small buildings, a few farms on big, wild plots adjacent to the town, but no doubt the residents had all been convinced to go. Eerie.
“Not a soul here ’cept me,” Archie said, his voice hushed.
Cullen couldn’t resist a tease. “That should tell you something about your life choices.”
“Uh-huh. Says the guy racing around with a baby and a woman in a red zone.” He sniffed in disgust. “There wasn’t any place safer you could have taken them? One thing for a man to be stubborn, but when he has a family...”
In the rearview, he saw Kit start.
This was going to take some explaining. “Tell you later, sir.”
“This I gotta hear.” Archie’s tone held a trickle of glee. The old man had always loved being privy to the drama of others. This story should serve up a double helping.
Cullen pulled the ATV to the side door of a two-story stucco building crammed between a shuttered tire store and a bait and tackle shop. A dirty sign in the window read “Grandlake Library and History Museum.” It was a pretentious name for a dilapidated structure. Most residents knew that if you strolled into the room designated for the museum, volunteer librarian Archie wasn’t going to let you out until he was satisfied you’d seen every rusted tractor part, crinkled black-and-white photo, handmade fishing lure, and faded newspaper in the museum’s crowded glass cases. Cullen had only made that mistake once, though Archie tried to suck him in whenever he spotted him in town.
The skin on the back of Cullen’s neck prickled as they waited for Archie to unlock the door. The sense of urgency rose with every passing second. Cullen had to bend to avoid braining himself as they entered, and he threw the bolt once they were inside.
“No electricity, but we got the lanterns. There’s a small generator, which I haven’t fired up yet. Saving it.” Archie looked at Kit and the baby. “But now seems like the proper time.”
A generator was more than he could have hoped for. He couldn’t stifle his grin.
Archie handed Cullen a lantern, which he activated, then he bustled outside, and in few moments the generator purred to life. Cullen flicked on the heater and one small lamp and pulled down all the blinds. Kit did not need his urging to scoot close to the heat register with Tot.
Cullen moved a chair from behind the checkout desk and plopped it practically on top of the metal grate in the floor. “Here. You two warm up. I’ll get hot water soon as I can and fix Tot a bottle.”
She sank down with a sigh, flanked by floor-to-ceiling shelves of children’s books.
Archie returned with a cardboard box full of clothes and set it down next to Kit. “Library lost and found,” he crowed. “You wouldn’t believe what people leave behind. Once I found a set of dentures and a six-pack of raisins in the same day.”
“Oh, thank you,” Kit said with fervor as she handed Cullen the baby and took the box.
Cullen offloaded Tot in the arms of a startled Archie, but the old man pulled the tiny girl close and immediately started to talk to her.
“A seasoned grandpa,” Cullen said to Kit. “He’s got seven.”
“And number eight coming in the spring. We almost got ourselves a baseball team.” Archie smiled at Tot. “Thisone’s a pretty pumpkin. Not bad for your first effort.” He winked at Cullen.
Cullen’s cheeks burned. “Oh, she’s not mine.”
He raised a grizzled eyebrow. “Ah. Well then.” He turned to Kit. “You get the full credit in the looks department.”
“She’s not mine either.”
Cullen chuckled at Archie’s gaping astonishment.
“We’ll explain the whole thing, sir, but Tot needs a dry diaper something fierce.” He fished one from the duffel. “Would you care to do the honors while I fix her bottle? You said you’ve got a microwave in the break room, and Tot hasn’t had a warm bottle since I don’t know when.”
That seemed to snap the trance. Archie spread the towel Cullen handed him on a table and laid the baby gently on her back. “No proper bottles, you poor lamby pie? We’ll get you fixed up with that warm milk. Don’t you worry your angel head about it. Grandpa Archie’s got it handled.”
“Too bad people don’t lose their shoes and socks at the library, but I found a flannel shirt I can wear.” Kit tossed a man’s barn jacket to Cullen. “This one will almost fit you. Better than my raincoat anyway.”
He chuckled and stepped into a minuscule break room where Archie had told him about a microwave and sink. Perfect, since he could keep an eye on them all while he shook up the formula.
While Archie crooned to the baby and undid the snaps on her outfit, he jerked his chin at Kit. “There’s an employee bathroom right behind the checkout desk if you need it, miss.”
“Please, call me Kit.”
“Only if you’ll call me Archie.”
