Mrs. Fryt leaned toward Dolly. “How does the house look? Do you know their plans for it yet?”

“Fine! It’s fine. I don’t know.”

“Well, what kinds of things does he have you doing?”

Dolly took a step back, trying to get some space. “Oh, you know, just dusting. Cleaning the kitchen. Things like that.”

Mrs. Fryt shook her head. “I just wish I knew what their intentions were with that place. It’s like a thorn in my eye, looking at it every day.”

Dolly refrained from saying that Mrs. Fryt shouldn’t feel obligated to watch it so closely.

“How is JJ doing, Dolly?” Corinne asked.

Suddenly, Dolly was fed up with kowtowing to them. It was clear they would find out where she was going, anyway, no matter what she told them. And there was no way she was staying away from the house today. She had to find out from JJ what had happened. “You know, that reminds me, Corinne,” she said. “I told JJ I’d bring him something from the bakery this morning. I guess I’d better go, or he’ll know I almost forgot!”

Mrs. Fryt sniffed. “Well, I see he has you beholden to him already. Those Mickelsons. Who else would think to make a housekeeper do their personal shopping? For that matter, who else in this town would even hire a housekeeper?”

“Good-bye!” Dolly called, looking back over her shoulder to wave as she walked away. “See you at church Sunday!”

She proceeded directly to the bakery across the street and bought a half dozen doughnuts, three plain and three chocolate, the same as she’d brought him the other day. When she came out, Mrs. Fryt and Corinne were still standing on the corner. They saw her. She waved again, and set off boldly in the direction of the Mickelson house, wondering when her temper had become so short, when the ladies’ opinion of her had ceased to be her primary concern.

JJ was sitting on the top front porch step, right where Dolly had left him the previous evening; he waved when he saw her coming.

She just smiled and ducked her head, worrying for a moment whether she should ask him if they could go inside—when Mrs. Fryt walked home from the market she would surely spot them on the porch. But then again, as long as Mrs. Fryt knew Dolly was coming here with doughnuts anyway, what would be the harm in her knowing that JJ Mickelson was kind enough to invite his housekeeper to sit and have a doughnut with him?