He reached for his wine and drained it with one gulp. “Sure. Jo Dunaway. Pudgy blonde. Nosy reporter type. Ive had to work with her a couple of times. Definitely not a fun date. He put his arms around Bridget and said brightly, “Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?

Wy hid a grin and went back to the sauce. It would be nice for Jim to have another moving target at which to aim over the weekend.

It would be nice for her not to be the only target he was aiming at.

At eight-thirty the roast was ready to come out of the oven, the potatoes were done, the salad was dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Bridget and Jim set the table while Wy stepped the sauce.“ Beurre à montre la sauce, she said. In answer to Bridgets quizzical look, she added, “My friend Jo and I backpacked across Europe the year we graduated from college. In Paris we took a cooking class. Madame Claudine was delighted when she heard where we were from, and she made up this sauce for us to use on game. Its dead easy, it just takes forever. You reduce the initial ingredients to a couple of tablespoons, and then use butter to step the sauce. Beurre à montre la sauce. She held out the spoon to Bridget first.

“That is simply heavenly, Bridget said.

“Okay, you get to eat, Wy said, and everyone laughed again.

The door opened as they were sitting down and Liam walked in. “Sit, sit, he said. “Jim, what the hell are you doing here?

“Come to make your life a living hell, Jim retorted. “Youve had it too easy way too long. This is Bridget, a friend who is visiting from Ireland.

“Bridget. Liam shook hands with Bridget, and put a hand on Wys shoulder. When she looked up he leaned down to kiss her. It flustered her, this casual demonstration of their relationship, and he knew it and grinned. “Yum, moose roast. No, keep eating, Ill wash up and be with you in five.

When he reappeared, attired in jeans and a T-shirt, he took the seat across from Wy and filled a plate, ladling on the sauce with a lavish hand. “My favorite. My girl, I think Ill keep her.

It was all so domestic that Wy expected the theme for The Waltons to begin playing at any moment. She sniffed around the edges of the feeling, decided she could live with it, and joined in the general conversation. Jim was explaining how Bridget and he were both ham radio operators and how theyd met on the air a few months before.

A few months? Wy thought. Youre a fast worker, Jim Wiley. As if he could read her mind, Liam winked at her.