He nodded. “Give me a sec. I’ll go get it for you.”

She leaned against the counter, listening to the murmur of voices and the undertones of laughter with them. Her stomach growled, a hunger complaint she had yet to address, but that would come later. She had a yen for a chili dog and fries from Broyles Dairy Freeze, and as soon as she delivered the food to Emma, she was heading that way.

Then Sully reappeared carrying a large sack. “A rack of ribs, baked beans, and coleslaw…is that right?”

“That’s it,” Ava said, then paid and left without lingering.

She drove across town to where Emma and Gordon lived, and pulled up in the drive. Gordon’s car was gone, which she expected because he worked in Savannah, but Emma’s car was there. Ava grabbed the sack and hurried to the house, then knocked.

When Emma opened the door, she stepped aside to let Ava in.

“Come in, honey! It’s so good of you to do this,” Emma said.

“Good doesn’t have anything to do with it,” Ava said as she gave Emma a quick hug. “You’re all like family to me.” Then she handed over the sack. “It’s ribs, baked beans, and coleslaw from Granny’s. It will taste way better than if I’d made it myself.”

Emma chuckled. “You’re a good cook, but thank you so much. The brothers and Birdie are coming over to eat supper with me tonight. They’ll enjoy all this, and so will I.”

“Is Hunt coming, too?” she asked.

“No,” Emma said, and made no further explanation.

Ava frowned. “I’m sorry for whatever happened. You all used to be so close. I was so jealous of you. I wanted to have brothers and sisters, too, but Mom and Dad quit with me.”

Emma’s eyes welled, but she didn’t comment. “Thank you again,” she mumbled.

Ava nodded. “You’re welcome. If you need anything, I’m off today and tomorrow. After that, I’ll be back on days at the hospital.”

“Okay,” Emma said, and then stood in the door as Ava hurried back to her car.

She drove away, still thinking about the divide between Hunt and his siblings. It just made no sense to her, and she felt sad for him—for all of them.

She passed the Knox house again on her way to the Dairy Freeze. Impulsively, she turned up the driveway and parked, then ran up the steps and knocked.

When she heard footsteps inside, her heart skipped a beat. Then Hunt opened the door.

“Hey! I’m on my way to Broyles Dairy Freeze to get a chili dog and fries. I knew you were here working. Thought you might be hungry. Want me to pick up a couple for you?”

Hunt was speechless. “Uh…yeah, that sounds great. Hang on and I’ll get my wallet.”