“I’m here to stay. My grandmother is in frail health. I’m working on my dissertation and helping Lola with her memoirs. The town has certainly grown and changed. Nothing looks the same anymore. I’m sure people aren’t the same either. You’re a lawyer, Boomer Ward is the police chief. I find it amazing. What is it Andy and Amy do?” she asked guilelessly.

“Andy is in insurance. Amy doesn’t work. She could teach if she wanted to. You know Amy, she’s lazy.”

“Are you all still friends?”

“No. No, we aren’t. After the accident we drifted apart. Maybe that was our parents’ fault, maybe it was our own. We went our separate ways. Oh, we still speak when we run into each other, but we don’t socialize together. I saw Boomer over the weekend at the gym. In a lot of ways, he’s the same old Boomer. Andy just separated from his wife. I ran into him at the Rotary Club last week. Amy is Amy. She has two little girls, so she’s involved in stuff that concerns them. She married Arnie Chambers.”

“I always thought you and Amy would get together since she had such a crush on you back then.”

Pete stared at her, his jaw dropping. “Me and Amy?” His voice was so incredulous, Cady laughed.

“I had a crush on you. I was heartbroken when you left here. I always wondered what happened to you. The papers said you were partially paralyzed and that you lost your memory. Every year on the anniversary, the papers rehash the story. I’m sure the Kings have something to do with it.” He looked at her expectantly, his eyes full of questions.

“It was a miserable, long, agonizing three years. They thought I would never walk again, but my grandmother kept after them with new doctors, new methods. She wouldn’t give up. I have a bit of a limp that’s pretty noticeable when I get tired, but other than that, I’m doing okay. My memory is starting to come back.”

“Really. That’s…that’s wonderful.”

“I think so. Look, I don’t want to hold you up. I just stopped in to say hello.”

“I’m glad you did. Are you busy this evening? I have an early day. How does dinner sound?”

Cady grimaced. “You’re too late, Pete. Boomer asked me to dinner a half hour ago. I’m free tomorrow, though.”

“Good. Let’s do it then. How does seven sound?”

“It sounds fine. I’ll be ready. It was real nice seeing you again, Pete.” She offered up her hand again. This time he took it.

She knew he was watching her from the window. What was he thinking?

Next stop, Amy Hollister Chambers’s house.

Cady drove around the development, marveling at the high-end houses and the manicured lawns. There must be a lot of well-to-do people in Indigo Valley these days. Ribbonmaker Lane was just one street over from Pete’s place. She turned on her blinker and drove slowly down the street looking for number 119. She pulled to the curb and cut off the engine.