When she felt someone sit on the bed beside her, she climbed toward the round bright hole at the top of the well.

“Grandma, Miss Amalia said I should come wake you. She said you wouldn’t hit me.”

Ginny felt a snort coming on. “She did, did she?”

“I told her you wouldn’t hit anyone, but you did swat me once when I was being a brat.”

“That was a lot of years ago.” Ginny heaved a sigh and sniffed. “I smell ginger cookies.”

“Yup, we made a double batch of those too. You got out of making cookie dough walnuts.”

“What a pity.” She forced her eyes open and reached up to pat Addy’s cheek. “What a nice way to wake up.”

“Should I run up the stairs crying that you slapped me?”

“Oh, the things you think of. Such a creative mind. What time is it?”

“Three fifty. Miss Amalia said it’s too hot in the greenhouse so she’s sitting back on one of the loungers on the deck. She says to come join her, the iced tea is sweating.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” Ginny swung her legs over the edge of the bed to a chorus of creaks and groans and not from the bed springs. “Uff da.”

“You haven’t said that for a long time.”

“Really.” She slid her feet into her sandals. “Uff da is a useful expression, good for any occasion. I learned it from a Norwegian woman who used to live next door to us before we moved out here.” When she stood, she paused before moving, the way her doctor advised her. Less chance of getting dizzy that way.

“Where’s Spook?”

“Up in Grandpa’s leather recliner.”

“He knows better than that.”

“I think he wants to be closer to Grandpa. The chair smells like he did.”

“I’m surprised after they cleaned the smoke away from everything.”

“Dad said that could have burned the house down.”

“Don’t I know it?” Together they climbed the stairs. Spook leaped off the chair as soon as he saw her.

“Hey, Spook, that’s all right for now.” She ruffled his ears. “I know you miss him too. I think even the chickens miss him. They give me the stink eye.”

“Grandma, you’re making that up.” Addy headed for the kitchen. “I’ll bring cookies out.”

Ginny pushed the screen door open on the sliding glass doors. “Now if you don’t look comfortable.”

“I got several more rows done.” Amalia held up about eighteen inches of afghan all in varied colors. “Trying to use up all the leftovers and I have plenty.”

“If you need more, I can send some with you.”

“Sam called to make sure I wanted to stay longer. I assured him that was not a problem. I love being out here. And my grumpy, sociopathic house pet seems to be perfectly happy living alone.”