Fred found himself laughing. “Even in 1953, giving someone condoms wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“It wasn’t the what, it was the who. I told Luanna that I had something to give her in church the next day. I was trying to do it private. She was with her friends and said, real uppity-like, ‘Well, give it to me, Evanelle.’ Like it was her due. You know Clarks and Waverleys have never gotten along. Anyway, I gave them to her, right there in front of her friends. Oh, I’m leaving out the most important part. Luanna’s husband lost his private parts in the war. My name was Mud, but it got even worse when Luanna got pregnant a year later. She should have used those condoms. After that, everyone got this look when I was around them, like I was going to tell their secrets. Not the sort you invite to dinner. I didn’t really mind so much, until my husband died.”

This old woman was his hero, no doubt about it. You are who you are, whether you like it or not, so why not like it? Fred walked up to her and extended his elbow. “I would be honored, Evanelle, to make you dinner tonight. An invitation-only affair.”

With a laugh she put her arm in his. “Well, aren’t you the one.”

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER

11

If you need us, Bay and Henry and I are going to be at Lunsford’s Reservoir. His housekeeper stays with his grandfather until only five o’clock, so he’ll be dropping us off before then. No later than five o’clock,” Sydney said, as if trying to calm Claire down. “We’ll be back.”

Claire closed the lid to the picnic basket, raised the handles, and handed it to Sydney. She must have really scared Sydney that night a week ago. But as long as Claire pretended it was all okay, maybe it really was. Sydney and Henry had spent a lot of time together this past week, dinners with Bay, mostly. On Sunday they went to the movies. Claire tried to tell herself that it was a good thing. She used that time alone to can and weed the garden and catch up on paperwork, all secure and routine things. She needed that. Those were her constants.

“Will you be okay there?” Claire asked, following Sydney out of the kitchen.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“It’s pretty far out and you’ll be all alone.”

Sydney laughed and set the basket by the front door. “We’ll be lucky if we find a place to eat our lunch. The reservoir is always crowded in the summer.”

“Even on a Monday?”

“Even on a Monday.”

“Oh,” Claire said, embarrassed. “I didn’t know. I’ve never been there.”

“So come with us!” Sydney said, just as she’d said every time she went out this past week.

“What? No.”