It pleased her as well that she’d cemented a basis of friendship with Grace. She wanted that benefit of small towns and country living—the neighbors. One of the reasons she’d been restless during her time in D.C. was the lack of connection with the people who lived and worked around her. When she’d moved to Princess Anne she’d found something of the old-neighborhood ease she’d grown up with in her grandparents’ well-established section of Pittsburgh.

And now, she thought, she had the opportunity to become good friends with a woman she admired and believed she would enjoy.

When Grace and Aubrey came back into the room, she smiled. ‘‘You hear stories about toilet training being a nightmare for everyone involved.’’

‘‘There are hits and misses.’’ Grace gave Aubrey a quick squeeze before setting her down. ‘‘Aubrey’s such a good girl, aren’t you, sweetie?’’

‘‘I didn’t wet my pants. I get a nickel for the piggy bank.’’

When Anna roared with laughter, Grace winced good-naturedly. ‘‘And bribery works.’’

‘‘I’m all for it.’’

‘‘I should finish up.’’

‘‘Are you in a hurry?’’

‘‘Not really.’’ Cautious, Grace glanced at the kitchen clock. By her judgment, Ethan shouldn’t be back for at least an hour.

‘‘Maybe you could keep me company while I put this sauce together.’’

‘‘I suppose I could.’’ It had been . . . she couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d just sat in the kitchen with another woman. The simplicity of it nearly made her sigh. ‘‘There’s a show that Aubrey likes to watch that’s just coming on. Is it all right if I settle her down with it? I can do the rest of the vacuuming when it’s over.’’

‘‘Great.’’ Anna slid her tomatoes into the pot to let them simmer and soften.

‘‘I’ve never made spaghetti sauce from scratch,’’ Grace said when she came back in. ‘‘I mean, all the way from fresh tomatoes.’’

‘‘Takes more time, but it’s worth it. Grace, I hope you don’t mind, but I heard what happened the other night at the bar where you work.’’

Surprise made Grace blink and forget to memorize the ingredients Anna had set out. ‘‘Ethan told you?’’

‘‘No. You have to pull on Ethan’s tongue to get him to tell anything.’’ Anna wiped her hands on the bib apron she’d put on. ‘‘I don’t want to pry, but I have some experience with sexual assault. I want you to know you can talk to me if you need to.’’

‘‘It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. If Ethan hadn’t been there . . .’’ She trailed off, discovered that thinking about it still made her cold inside. ‘‘Well, he was. I should have been more careful.’’