Kate leaned back until her hair snagged on the brick behind her. “Shouldn’t we help your parents? I feel bad just sitting here.” Actually she felt bad about sitting up here period, and helping downstairs would get her off this bird perch. And put you in the ring with your new mother-in-law.

“Mom likes to wait on everyone,” Jamie said.

“If you go down, Dad’ll just shoo you away.” Brody shook his curls out of his eyes.

“How did school finish up this year?” Lucas asked.

“He’s thinking of switching majors again.” Jamie snickered.

“Shut up, squirt.” Brody elbowed her. “Mom and Dad don’t know yet,” he warned them.

The wind blew across the roof, ruffling the red plastic tablecloth, and Kate grasped the arms of the lawn chair. What kind of family ate on the roof?

“What do you want to switch to?” Lucas asked.

Brody planted his elbows on the table. “Architecture.”

The sound of approaching footsteps halted the conversation. Susan entered, balancing a tray that held a pitcher of iced tea and six glasses. Lucas took the tray and set it down for Susan to pour the drinks. The ice cubes crackled as the tea splashed over them.

Susan set Kate’s glass down. “Thanks.” Kate let go of the wooden arm long enough to take a sip.

When Roy brought up the food, they said grace, then everyone passed the dishes, helping themselves. Kate couldn’t believe the trouble they’d gone to. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, and coleslaw that looked homemade.

She picked up a drumstick and bit into the crispy breading. Heaven. “This is delicious.”

“Thanks,” Roy said.

“I wish you wouldn’t fry it.” Across from Kate, Susan picked the breading from a wing with a fork. “I keep telling him to bake it skinless. I swear when you get to be our age, the very smell of food causes weight gain.”

Kate didn’t see a spare ounce on Susan’s petite frame.

“You’ll walk it off this week.” Roy spooned a heap of mashed potatoes onto his plate and covered them with a ladling of gravy.

“Your arteries are clogging as we speak,” Susan said. She took a tiny portion of potatoes and set the bowl on the side table.

“I’ll die a happy man.” The look Roy sent Susan didn’t seem happy.

“Suit yourself,” Susan said. “But for heaven’s sake, could you at least wipe the grease off your chin so we don’t have to look at it?”

Lucas gave Kate a pointed look. Yes, there was tension between the Wrights.

“Would you like the pepper, Kate?” Roy asked.

Kate slid her fork into the slaw. “No, thank you. Everything is perfect. You’re a walker, Susan?” She hoped to ease the tension between them.

“I have to be if I want to stay slender. You should try it.”