Right on time, her brother burst into the kitchen. Bill liked to get his cookies before the guests appeared. “Are they ready?” He spotted Danny and slid to a stop.

“They are,” she answered.

Bill gave Danny a worried look and inched backward toward the door. Mandy poured them both glasses of lemonade. She smiled at her brother. “Want a cookie?”

Her brother’s gaze shifted from Mandy to Danny. Watching Bill struggle, Mandy’s heart ached.

“Oh, Bill. I almost forgot. I have a present for you.” Danny shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “If you don’t like presents, then don’t worry about it.”

Curiosity kept Bill rooted in place, his big body taut with indecision. “What is it?”

“I don’t know. It’s from Reed.” Danny set his glass down. “Let me run to my car and get it. Good thing I left it in the trunk. Don’t go anywhere, OK?”

Danny hurried out of the kitchen. Mandy put a few cookies on a plate and slid it in front of her brother, but Bill didn’t notice. He stared at the door. When Danny returned, he held a box in his hands, bright and shiny with bright-red wrapping paper. Curling silver ribbons cascaded over the sides.

Bill inched closer, eyes locked on the present. “It’s from Reed?”

“It is.” Danny set the box on the counter. “He’s going to marry my sister, so we’re almost related.”

“Reed sent me a present?” Bill’s eyes brightened with disbelief.

“Yes, he did.” Danny was biting back a grin.

Bill stared at the package. “Wonder what it is.”

Mandy’s heart pinged. Wood sculptor Reed Kimball used to live in Huntsville. Reed had been one of her brother’s only friends, a pseudo father figure, before Reed had fallen in love with Danny’s sister and moved to Philadelphia to live with her.

Danny nudged the gift toward Bill, who forgot his distrust of strangers and plucked it from Danny’s hand.

Danny grinned as Bill took his prize to the other side of the room. He bent over the package, ripped the wrapping paper off, and opened the box. Reverently, he lifted a wood carving of a Labrador retriever.

“It looks exactly like Jed’s dog, Honey. I always wanted a dog.” Cradling the small statue in both ham-sized hands, Bill looked up at Danny with the guileless eyes of a child. “Thanks for bringing me this.”

“You’re welcome.” Danny reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Do you want to call Reed and thank him?”

“I can call Reed?”

“Sure, why not?” Danny dialed and handed the phone to Bill.

“That was sweet of Reed.” Mandy wiped her moist eyes.

“Reed’s a good guy.” Danny leaned a shoulder on the wall. “If he had any idea how much Bill missed him, he would’ve called. Bill could’ve called him anytime.”