“I was told you’re leaving.”

“Oh. That. Vera will be here so you won’t be alone, and Adam said he’s staying until Robbie enters college. I’ll be back in the fall.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me about your plans?”

“I was going to talk to you about it first, but then Adam told me about Robbie and...” He shrugged. “It just came out. I didn’t think the gossip would spread this fast.”

Kelly sat down on the edge of one of the raised beds Pauly had paid someone to build. For all that he was great with a grafting blade, he knew nothing about carpentry. “Tell me everything.”

“Remember Brian Tayman?”

“The guy you met at...?” She couldn’t remember where.

“In San Francisco. Agriculture show.”

“Right.”

“You know we exchange letters. He and two of his friends are spending the summer in the British Isles—Scotland, Ireland, Wales, all of it. They’re collecting seeds and studying farming methods and I—”

“Let me guess. You’re going to cut branches off fruit trees.”

Pauly gave her a look that said he didn’t like her tone.

“What about your job?” He was manager of the Ottawa Safeway. Young for the position but he was good at it.

“Mr. Dunham. Remember him? Used to manage the store? His wife said that since he was retired, they could spend the summer in Mississippi with her relatives. Mr. Dunham offered to pay me to say he had to take over for the summer.”

Kelly knew she was supposed to laugh but she was deeply annoyed. Vera would be with Adam, so with Pauly away, Kelly would be left with her mother and an increasingly unhappy Dr. Carl. There were wonderful summer activities in Mason. Pond swimming. Picnics. Barbecues. Just plain laughter. For the first summer since she was eight years old, Kelly would be alone. Or worse, the object of pity.

She looked at Pauly in speculation. And after the summer, then what? When he returned, would they have an autumn wedding? “Your mother said something about a ring. I think it cost your dad a lot.”

Pauly turned away from her and she could see that he was frowning. “Mother can be extravagant. I returned the ring to the store.”

Kelly sat still, staring at him, knowing the reason he wasn’t meeting her eyes. No mention of an engagement.

“That’s good to hear.” She slapped her hands on her thighs. “I think all this sounds great. Really fabulous! I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself very much.” She stood up. “I need to take Xander back. I wonder if my sister and Adam have finished their afternoon of lust? Their sexual fulfillment will give the town something to talk about. How many hours can Adam Hatten last? We should make bets.”

Pauly had turned and was staring at her. Never, ever was Kelly crude. He was shocked.