“In the oven. Basket is on the table.”

Nate returned with the breadbasket as Rich set the platter with grilled zucchini, eggplant, red onion, and Portobello mushrooms on the table. He returned again with the steak platter, each person’s wearing a little flag, and sat down. “Shall we say grace?” He held out his hands. “Thank you, Lord God, for the food, the company, and the glorious day. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen. Now, help yourselves. The red bowl is potato salad, yellow is cucumber salad with the recipe from an old lady at our church, and green is for green salad.” While he spoke, he lifted the covers off the bowls.

“This is too pretty to eat.” Roxie motioned to the full table.

“Well, start with the steaks. Your initial is on the flag.” He passed the platter to Roxie. “If it is too rare, we can flip it back on for a minute or so.”

Roxie cut into her steak. She hardly needed the steak knife. “Ah, perfect, pink with a bit of red.” As she chewed, she closed her eyes, the better to savor the flavor. She opened her eyes above a face-stretching smile. “You really know how to do steaks.”

Along with everything else. Roxie looked at Loren and figured their faces must have about matched.

“I have it down to a science. The potato salad is from my German grandmother’s recipe file. I like to collect recipes but, surprisingly enough, very few from on the Internet. Food is more personal this way.”

“I think you outdid yourself this time, Dad.”

“Thank you, but I think it’s a combination of a lot of good things today. The weather, the company, the steaks are from that feedlot with the store and restaurant on the property south of here, so aged to perfection. That has a lot to do with it.” His smile included them all. “You ever shop at the meat market on Fillibuster?”

“I used to once in a while. They make really good sausage.”

“And they smoke their own hams. I think smoked pork chops are a special order.”

The conversations seemed easy, as if they had all known each other for years instead of days and hours. After they’d worked together on the cleanup, Roxie joined Rich on a walk around the property, starting with the boathouse on the lake. Like the dock, it could be rolled up farther on the shore during the winter.

“I think my son is besotted with your daughter—told me he had a major crush on her in high school, and seeing her again brought it all back, but not puppy love this time.”

“I had this feeling from him right away. When he sold us the perfect rug and when he delivered the rug, it was even more obvious. He is a fine young man; you must be very proud of him.”