She turned around and then looked over her shoulder. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Tonight I’m having a party to cook all the food from the jubilee. I’ve invited almost everyone I know.”

“I’ll be there,” I said, and kissed her on the cheek on the way out.

I buckled the seat belt in Hutch’s Saab convertible, a car that had definitely seen shinier days. The once dark brown leather was faded like an ancient saddle seat. The dark blue color on the outside was now a weakened sky.

Hutch looked over to me. “I know it’s not the fanciest chariot in the world, but don’t worry, old Bette has done just fine for me. She’ll get us where we need to go.”

“I never said I was worried.” I slipped my sunglasses over my eyes and wrapped my hair in a rubber band.

“Ah, but I saw you give her the good once-over.”

“Why Bette?” I asked.

“No real reason other than I like the name. Sounded … trusty.”

I laughed. “Let’s go, you.”

He revved the engine and laughed. “Look at that, she’s showing off for you.”

“Go,” I said, shaking my head.

The music, whatever we could find on his crackling stereo system, blared and blended with the outside noises: cars, horns, squawking birds, wind.

“No XM for you, huh?”

“What?” He leaned closer to hear me over the wind and music.

“Nothing,” I said, and patted the top of his hand resting on the gearshift. He lifted one finger and wound it around my pinky. With Rosanne Cash singing the old “If You Change Your Mind,” we held fingers. As we crossed the Bayside bridge into Mobile, heading toward Montgomery, a flock of egrets startled and flew over the car, a mass of wings and feathers. I sighed in contentment.

“You okay?” he mouthed.

I nodded and slipped my hand under his, releasing his single finger and taking the whole of his hand into mine as if it were the exact right and not exact wrong thing to do. He squeezed and then let go. I folded my hands into my lap, and for the two-and-a-half-hour drive we talked very little. The sun settled into the car, slipping into the cracks and empty spaces like syrup.

“Ellie …” Hutch’s voice sifted into my consciousness, and I startled, opened my eyes.

“Did I fall asleep?” I straightened my sunglasses and stretched. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“It’s just been such a long, long time since I’ve been that relaxed. I wasn’t very good company, was I?”

“You’re always good company.”

We climbed out of the car, then Hutch put up the top and locked it while I tried to make some semblance of order out of my windwhipped hair. “What first?” I asked as he walked toward me.