‘‘Just can’t do like I used to, with my arthritis. And I do like my windows to shine.’’ She smiled, deepening the wrinkles on her weather-scored face. ‘‘And you do make them shine. My granddaughter, Layla, said how she’d wash them for me. But I tell you the truth and shame the devil, Grace, that girl’s a scatterbrain. She’d like as not start the job and end up sleeping in the vegetable patch. Don’t know what’s to become of that girl.’’

Grace laughed and scrubbed at the next window. ‘‘She’s only fifteen. Her mind’s on boys and clothes and music.’’

‘‘Tell me.’’ Mrs. West nodded so vigorously that her second chin wobbled with the movement. ‘‘Why, at her age I could pick a crab clean faster than you could blink. Earned my keep, and kept my mind on my work till the work was done.’’ She winked. ‘‘Then I thought about boys.’’

She let out a hearty laugh before smiling at Aubrey. ‘‘That’s one pretty little lamb you got yourself there, Gracie.’’

‘‘The light of my life.’’

‘‘Good as gold, too. Why, my Carly’s youngest boy, Luke? He’s not still for two minutes running and spends every waking hour looking for trouble. Just last week I caught him climbing up my parlor curtains like a house cat.’’ Still, the memory made her chuckle. ‘‘He’s a terror, that Luke is.’’

‘‘Aubrey has her moments, too.’’

‘‘Can’t believe it. Not with that angel face. You’re going to have to beat the boys off with a stick to keep them from sniffing around that sweetheart one of these days. Pretty as a picture. Already seen her holding hands with one.’’

Grace bobbled her spray bottle and looked around quickly to make certain her little girl hadn’t grown up while she wasn’t looking. ‘‘Aubrey?’’

Mrs. West laughed again. ‘‘Walking on the waterfront with that Quinn boy—the new one.’’

‘‘Oh, Seth.’’ The sense of relief was so ridiculous, Grace set the bottle down and picked up her glass to drink. ‘‘Aubrey’s got a crush on him.’’

‘‘Good-looking boy. My young Matt goes to school with him—told me how Seth came to sock that little bully Robert a few weeks back. Couldn’t help but feel it was about time somebody did. How they doing over at the Quinns?’’

The question was her main purpose for coming out, but Mrs. West believed in leading up to matters.

‘‘Just fine.’’

Mrs. West rolled her eyes. This pump needed more priming. ‘‘That girl Cam up and married sure is a beauty. She’ll have to have quick hands, too, to keep that one in line. Always was wild.’’

‘‘I think Anna can handle him.’’

‘‘Went off to some foreign place to honeymoon, didn’t they?’’

‘‘Rome. Seth showed me a postcard they sent. It’s beautiful.’’