Cindy smiled. “He certainly is.” She carried the pan over to the counter and placed it there, removing the covering. “But in Wayne’s defense, it was his idea for me to make these bars.” She glanced at her husband.

“I take all responsibility for the satisfaction of your taste buds, Anna.” Wayne chuckled and smacked his lips.

Anna went over to squeeze little Gracie, who whispered that she was starting school next month. “First grade,” she said with a grin, one of her upper front teeth missing.

“Already?” Anna acted surprised.

Gracie nodded her head and glanced at her parents with big eyes.

“She can hardly wait,” Cindy said as Anna’s mother removed a stack of dessert plates from the cupboard over the sink.

“I’d rather play for longer,” Henry said, going over to plop down at the table. “Summer’s too short.” He leaned his elbows on the tabletop and dramatically rested his blond head in his hands.

“Now, son,” Wayne said, “there’s plenty of summer left.”

Henry turned to look out the window. “Can us kids sit outside to eat Mamma’s dessert?”

Wayne gave him a look. “Be polite.”

Anna wondered how long before Henry, who was known to push the limits, would ask this again, even though the children were expected to stick around to visit with family.

“It is awful hot in here,” Dat said. “Why don’t we all just go outside and eat?”

Henry hopped up from the bench and began to hurry over to the counter to get his dessert, but Wayne whispered something in his ear. With a sheepish expression, Henry stepped back to let Anna’s father and Wayne be first instead.

When they were all outside on the big porch, Anna was reminded of all the many family gatherings here and under the towering backyard trees. She slowly ate Cindy’s scrumptious dessert, savoring every bite. Once the boys had devoured their own desserts, she watched Henry and Alan take turns on the rope swing. Little Gracie, meanwhile, was sitting on the porch steps, playing with a doll she’d brought from home, talking to it quietly but glancing up every now and then toward the boys like she hoped to have a turn on the swing, too, eventually.

In time, Henry and Alan headed out to the stable with Wayne and Dat, and Gracie quickly claimed the swing, now sitting with her dolly on her lap as she swayed back and forth.

Anna listened as Cindy talked about their four older children—two close-in-age sons who were in Big Valley for the summer working on Wayne’s uncle’s farm, and their two older daughters, both of whom were skilled seamstresses.

Soon, the conversation turned to Mammi Eliza, and Cindy mentioned she’d talked with Wanita just this morning. “Evidently something strange happened last night.”

Mamm frowned. “Everything all right?”