Was her mother-in-law demonstrating humility? Sadie was tempted to glance out the window and see if a flock of pigs were taking flight.

Annette cringed while attempting a smile. Impulsively, she pulled out a chair. “Hey, why don’t I go and grab us some lemonade and we can have a proper heart-to-heart? You know, sitting down rather than leaning against the rails of this rickety deck.” This time Annette’s smile reached her eyes as she gratefully sunk into the offered chair.

A few minutes later, the two women were sitting around the wrought-iron table. Sadie had brought out a pitcher of lemonade and a box of Cheez-Its to share.

“I know it sounds like a weird combination, but the salty, sharp cheddar and sweet lemonade is delicious. I’m pretty sure Tansy next door is the one who turned me on to it, when I was babysitting her one night.”

“Renee’s daughter, right?” Annette asked. “Small world.”

“That’s Cranberry Cove for you,” Sadie said. “But yeah, Tansy is Renee’s daughter. She’s home from USC for the summer, and Renee couldn’t be any happier. Plus, Renee’s dating the most amazing man. Her former boss. A doctor.”

“Well, well.” Annette cocked a well-plucked brow. “Lucky Renee.”

“So, tell me more about Richard. I always thought you had a great marriage.”

“I’ve certainly made it sound that way, haven’t I?” Annette took a tentative nibble of a Cheez-It, washing it down with a swig of lemonade. “Oh, that is good. Anyway, Richard and I were high school sweethearts. He was bound for an undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt and then set on law school.”

“Ambitious,” Sadie said with a nod, already knowing these bits of information from Ethan. He loved that his parents had met so young—he often said how he wished he’d known Sadie sooner—and he was proud of that fact that not only had his father attended Vanderbilt, but he had also managed to graduate in three years.

“We married young, right after he graduated college, just like a lot of people did at the time. We were only twenty-one, and we had our first child one year later. I spent a year at a junior college but ended up settling into that homemaker role.” She drummed her fingers against the tabletop, looking off wistfully. “Being a mom makes you grow up fast, doesn’t it? It changes you.”

“Um, understatement,” Sadie concurred.