A hawk circled the sky above them, floating on the air current like a kite, dipping and soaring with outstretched wings. The preacher was talking again, but Hunt had tuned him out. He didn’t want to hear one more word about the glory of God. It wasn’t like he’d given up believing in Him, but he’d seen too much ugliness to believe God was ever going to interfere and fix it.

That which man has wrought, man will suffer, he thought. And today was not the day he wanted to be hammered with biblical promises, so he was grateful when the graveside service was over. All he knew was that three members of his family were now buried beneath the black dirt of Georgia, and it was a sobering sight.

They were driven back to the church for the meal. It was understood that family, friends, and anyone else who wanted to attend were welcome. It was the Blessings way, the southern way, to welcome a new life or to say goodbye to one ending with food and fellowship.

Birdie paused beside Hunt as they walked into the dining hall.

“Sit with me,” she said.

He smiled. “You don’t have to babysit me, kid. I’m not afraid of these people.”

Birdie frowned. “I’m not babysitting you. I’m being selfish. I want to sit by my big brother.”

“You’re something of a firecracker, aren’t you?” he said.

She shook her head. “Ava is the only firecracker I know.”

He thought of her whacking the hood of Vince Lewis’s car and wondered what else she’d done.

“Really? How so?” he asked.

“Well, for starters, there’s a reason she doesn’t have a significant other. She doesn’t suffer fools. When she first moved back to Blessings, she was inundated with wannabe boyfriends. She culled them out of her life so fast it made their heads spin, and word got around she couldn’t be played. I’m sure guys still ask her out now and then, but I don’t think she messes with them.”

Hunt already knew why she had trust issues, but was secretly pleased to hear Birdie confirm Ava wasn’t interested in anyone else.

Their conversation ended momentarily when the preacher called everyone to attention to say a blessing, and then the meal began.

The food was laid out buffet-style on long dining tables, leaving the guests to serve themselves, then choose their own seats at the tables scattered about the dining hall. The siblings sat at one table together, but Birdie waited for Hunt and then led him to a different one.

“This okay?” she asked.

“Any place is fine with me,” Hunt said, and seated her before taking the chair beside her. They hadn’t taken more than a couple of bites before a couple came up to their table.

“Hi, Hunt…Birdie. Mind if we sit here with you?”