I wasn’t sure who’d be paying any attention to their doorstep since the Berniers’ nearest neighbor was a quarter mile away. Then again, I’d been eyeing their front door for ten minutes, summoning my courage, and I couldn’t be the only one who did that.

Bob stepped back and opened the door wide, letting me into the entryway.

To the right was the living room, where a woman in her mid-sixties sat on a couch, pushing aside photo albums that had been on her lap. “Minnie, I’m so glad to meet you!” She jumped to her feet and hurried across the room, arms stretched wide.

“Oh, um—” That was all I got out before I was enveloped in the biggest hug I’ve ever received from an adult shorter than I was.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Lindy murmured over and over again. When she released me, she said it again. “Thank you so, so much.”

She turned to face the man who’d let me inside. “Bob, this is the woman who found Brown. She’s the one who tried to save him. She and that actor, Julia what’s her name, called nine-one-one and did CPR until they got there. She parked the bookmobile so no one would—” Her voice caught.

“You’re very welcome.” I gave her another hug. “I only wish I could have done more.”

“You did plenty.” Lindy patted my shoulder. “Now. Come sit with me a minute. The kids all went to town and won’t be back for hours, so we won’t be interrupted.”

I let myself be pulled to the couch and helped her move photo albums. Bob stood nearby, watching with an expression that hovered between fondness and exasperation. “Lindy,” he said, “are you sure you—”

“Bob,” she cut in, “why don’t you get us something to drink. Tea? Water? Coffee?”

I blinked. “Um, coffee would be okay.”

“Our guest wants coffee, Bob.” Lindy picked up a photo album and opened it. “I’d appreciate it if you brewed a pot. You know where everything is.”

Bob hesitated. I sent him what I hoped was a sympathetic smile. Lindy continued to ignore him, and eventually up the short flight of stairs he went.

“Now,” Lindy said comfortably. “Tell me about the bookmobile. I was a sales rep and was on the road a lot for a few years, and I don’t keep up with the newspapers, but I’ve seen it on the road a few times and think the whole thing is just marvelous!”