“That’s horrible. Why haven’t you left?” Teresa’s voice went all high and squeaky, but by golly, not a single I told you so came out of her mouth.

“Conrad brought all three of us here for our honeymoons, and we’re trying to find some closure,” Kate answered.

“That pregnant redheaded one is liable to kill you in your sleep. You can see it in her eyes. Even after all the theatrics, my money would be on her as a suspect in the murder. She might not have done it and she might be sorry about it, but I bet she knows something. Now I’ll worry about you,” Teresa said.

Kate held the phone out from her cheek and stared at it. Where was her mother and who had taken over her body? Kate’s father had worried about her, but Teresa? Never. She barely had time to acknowledge that she even had a daughter. A savvy business partner, yes, for sure. But a daughter that she worried about?

“Are you there? Did we lose the connection?” Teresa yelled.

Kate put the phone back to her ear. “I’m fine,” Kate said. “And I would love to work from home on whatever you need done. Just send it to me and I’ll get right on it.”

Teresa chuckled. “We’re workaholics. I’ll tell Joyce to send it over to you, and maybe it will keep you from killing off the other wives for one day. But if you get really bored, I could send work every day.”

“It might keep them from killing me if I get bitchy from boredom. I’m not sure I want a daily regimen, but if I change my mind, I will let you know.” Kate laughed.

“I haven’t heard your voice that cheerful in years,” Teresa said.

“Crazy, isn’t it?” Kate said. “I’m in a situation that borders on bizarre and I’m actually kind of content. Tell Joyce hello for me, and I’ll have the work done by quittin’ time today.”

“It’s on the way. Keep me up-to-date on this soap opera. I never had time to watch those things, but then my daughter wasn’t starring in one.”

“Will do, and thanks,” Kate said.

Kate picked up her laptop and carried it to the front porch, propped her feet up on the railing, and settled down to work. It wouldn’t be difficult to work from home in conditions like this. Plenty of sunshine, sweet tea beside her, barefoot, no constricting clothing, and her blonde hair in a ponytail—a really nice change from her usual office attire and four walls.

A gentle south breeze brought Gracie’s squeals from the dock to the porch, and Kate heard the occasional splash and remembered enjoying the pool in their backyard when she was Gracie’s age. Her father would sit in a chair grading papers, and she’d squeal and splash all she wanted. Sometimes her mother would join her in the pool, but when she did, it was all business and exercise. Teresa would swim to one end, kick off, and repeat the process until she got her desired number of laps for the day. Then she would get out, wrap up in a white terry robe, and kiss Kate’s dad on the top of the head on her way inside to get dressed for dinner.

“I hadn’t thought of that in years,” Kate said as she opened the folder Joyce had sent, and in seconds she was engrossed in finishing a project she’d started a month before.

Amanda sat on the deck all afternoon with a romance book in her hands. Her back hurt from two nights on the sofa. Aunt Ellie had found mice had eaten into the one in the garage, so she’d had to go out and buy a new full-size bed for Amanda. Tonight her aunt and her new bed would be there.

More than reading, she’d spent time watching Gracie and Jamie down on the dock. Oh, how she wished that there was no such thing as ultrasound equipment that could tell parents the sex of their child. She would have loved to at least hope for a little girl like Gracie. The little girl was such a bundle of joy and happiness all rolled into one that just watching her run up and down the shoreline was delightful.

She expected any moment to wake up and find that this whole past week had been nothing but a horrible nightmare. Everything was so overwhelming that she wanted to crawl into a closet and not come out for at least a year. By then maybe she could digest all that information Kate had told them while they’d made lunch together.

After finishing off a bottle of water, she eased up off the chaise lounge and went inside to the bathroom. On the way back outside, she picked up two more bottles. How twenty ounces of nothing but water could make her have to go to the bathroom at least three times was a mystery.

She stretched back out on the lounge, pulled a big floppy straw hat down over her eyes, and wished that all love stories could have a happy-ever-after like she read in romances. In a few seconds, she was sound asleep, and she didn’t wake until she heard her aunt’s voice right beside her.

“Hey, girl, are you going to sleep all day and night, too? Or are you going to come on inside and have that sub sandwich you ordered?” Aunt Ellie asked.

“No and yes.” Amanda stretched. Then reality reminded her that her life was nothing like the romance novels, and she sighed. Life would never be the same.

Aunt Ellie, God love her heart and soul, had been Amanda’s savior most of her life, and though she was past fifty, her aunt was still taking care of her. She looked plumb worn out that evening, but then she’d worked all day and then driven an hour to bring the bed to Bootleg.

“You look tired. Sit a spell and let’s visit,” Amanda said.

Ellie shook her head. “I want to get home before dark. I’ll stay while you eat, but then I’m leaving.” Ellie extended a hand. “I stopped by that barbecue joint that you like and brought ribs. You can save those for later.”

Amanda put her hand in Ellie’s. “Thanks for everything. I’ve missed you.” She slung an arm around Ellie’s shoulders, and they went inside together. “Let’s eat and then we’ll move the old bed out and the new one in. We do share food around here, so we’ll put the ribs on the stove and if the others want some, then fine. If not, I’ll have the leftovers for breakfast.”

“Barbecued ribs for breakfast?” Ellie frowned.

“I’m pregnant.” Amanda patted her shoulder.

Jamie yelled up from the bottom of the stairs, “Is that ribs I smell? You didn’t tell me you were cooking supper, Amanda.”

She and Gracie appeared. Jamie picked up a T-shirt from the back of a kitchen chair and jerked it on over her bright-orange two-piece suit. Gracie wore a cute little bathing suit with Cinderella on the front, and she kept right on going down the hall.

“She’s going to change into something dry.” Jamie held out her hand to Ellie. “I’m Jamie, and you must be Amanda’s aunt Ellie.”

Ellie shook hands with her and nodded toward the table. “Amanda has no idea how to make barbecue, but I know where to buy it.”

“Thank you. I was going to make us a sandwich, but that smells so good. Nothing like a whole afternoon in the water to build an appetite,” Jamie said.

“Hey, Jamie,” Hattie yelled from the front door. “Are you here?”

Jamie quickly crossed the deck and went inside. “Right here. We were just coming in from an afternoon swim.”

“I wondered if I could steal Gracie to help me at the church. I’ve got to get things set up for tomorrow’s Bible school. Lisa is going to help me, so I thought maybe Gracie might like to go along,” Hattie said. “I could have called, but I was driving right past anyway.”

Gracie shot out of the bedroom wearing nothing but panties and a T-shirt. “Please, Mama. I want to go see my new friend.”

“How soon?” Jamie asked.

“About twenty minutes. I’ve already got Lisa out in the car, but I need to pick up treats for tomorrow at my house, so I’ll get Gracie on the way back through. Just grab her booster for me.” Hattie nodded toward Ellie. “Hello. I’m Hattie Bell from next door.”

“I’m Ellie Hilton, Amanda’s aunt. Pleased to meet you,” Ellie said.

“Hey, Hattie.” Amanda waved. “Where’s the nearest dump ground?”

“What are you throwing out?”

“The king-size bed in the master bedroom,” Amanda answered.

“Would you mind donating it rather than tossing it? You remember Gracie’s friend Lisa whose house burned down? Her dad could probably use it,” Hattie said. “They live in the second house down from the bank. It’s yellow with white trim. Belonged to his grandma, and she let him use it until he can settle up with the insurance company.”