“No, I think you look just fine,” Lily answered.

“When is Mack coming home? He’ll be here before the store closes, right?” Braden tossed his backpack on the chair and headed for the kitchen. “Do I have time for cookies and chocolate milk? I don’t even care if they’re bought cookies. I’m hungry. They had spaghetti at school today, and believe me, Mama, their spaghetti does not taste like yours.”

“I had the salad bar, and it was fine,” Holly said.

“I’m not a rabbit,” Braden said.

“Well, you look like one when you make that face,” Holly told him. “I hear a truck. You better scarf them cookies down if you want to go get boots and a coat.”

“I’ll eat later,” Braden said.

“Hey, everyone is home!” Mack said as he came through the kitchen door. “Y’all ready to go get some shopping done? I thought maybe we would have burgers for supper. We could all go in my truck. There’s plenty of room. Would that be okay, Lily?”

“Sounds fine to me.” She thought of what Ruth-Ann had said about her sleeping with Mack, and her cheeks burned. She’d blushed more since coming back to Comfort than she had in five years.

“Then let’s load up and get going,” Mack said.

“Shotgun!” Braden yelled.

“We don’t mind riding in the back seat, do we, Holly?” Lily asked.

“I’d rather ride in the back with you than up front with that spoiled brat.” Holly pointed at her brother.

“Hey, I’m not spoiled.” Braden grinned. “You can’t spoil the favorite child.”

“Dream on, little brother.” Holly did one of her famous head wiggles. “I’m the favorite since we moved to Comfort, and you don’t get to ever be favorite again.”

Lily immediately thought of Adam. How many times had he lorded it over Mack with similar words? “Hey, now,” she said, “you’re both my favorite. Braden is my favorite son, and Holly, you’re my favorite daughter.”

“But I’m your favorite favorite, right?” Holly pressed.

“Tell you what.” Lily pointed at her daughter. “You can each be the favorite three days a week, and Sunday is my day to not have a favorite kid.”

“Today is mine, right?” Holly kept it going.

“Nope,” Lily said. “It’s like this. You each get three days, but they can change according to your behavior. It’s up to me to decide which kid gets that day, and right now I haven’t decided who’s the favorite today.”

Braden answered by sticking his tongue out at his sister and running out the back door toward Mack’s truck. Holly ran after him, yelling that if she beat him, she was going to ride shotgun.