“Good,” Cait said. “I’m sure they’ll have a wonderful time.” She hung up.

Miguel was reading one of his newspapers. “Did any of you girls consider letting Dr. Jones make his own decision about who he wants to date?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cait said. Before he could say anything else, she said, “Have you been reading those newspapers all these years just to keep up with Vera Exton?”

Miguel put the paper in front of his face.

“People in glass houses...” She left the kitchen.

Caitlyn did her best to avoid Coop. It wasn’t easy since he lived so close, but she knew when he left for work and when he returned. She managed to be on another part of the property whenever he appeared. After a couple of near misses when she pretended not to see him, she spent the night in her old bedroom in her father’s house. The next morning, when Miguel saw her in his kitchen, he didn’t say anything. But his knowing look made her face turn red. However, her embarrassment didn’t make her go back to her own house. It was too close to Coop’s trailer!

She did talk to the uncles about the house deal she’d outlined to Coop and they liked it. “I have some ideas about restoring that old place,” Paul said. “It could be magnificent.”

But Coop never spoke of it to them. They said that twice they’d tried to bring it up, but he wouldn’t listen.

“Maybe he wanted you with the house,” Seth said.

“We spent just a few hours together.” Caitlyn was frowning.

“Sometimes it takes only minutes,” Paul said.

“This is not a romance,” she almost shouted. “It’s a business deal. A way for a man to buy a house. That’s all!”

When the uncles looked at her in silence, she made a sound of frustration. “How about if we go out for barbecue tonight?” Paul said. “That will make you feel better.” He was offering Kansas penicillin.

With a toss of her hands in surrender, Caitlyn walked away.

During the week with her father, Caitlyn only mentioned Vera once. It was at night, the TV was off and they were both reading. John Grisham for Miguel; Amy Tan for Cait. “Have you been to see her?” she asked.

Miguel didn’t look up. “I figure she came back here to stay at her sister’s empty house to give herself peace to write something. I won’t bother her.”

Cait nodded, but she didn’t believe that. Vera Exton traveled the world. Surely a cabin in a forest or a hut on a beach would give her more privacy than being in a big house in a small town that was full of people she’d grown up with, every one of whom was eaten with curiosity. Caitlyn had no doubt that the residents were ringing Vera’s doorbell constantly.