He smiled wryly. “At least that’s what it’s meant to be. Not one of my subtler creations, but at least it showcases technique. I’m working on my portfolio for college.” At Maggie’s interested glance, he continued, “My top choice is south of here—Alfred University. It has one of the best ceramic-art departments in the country. Your aunt went there. I’d like to go at least part-time, if I can figure out how to manage the commute and the financial aid and my work schedule. And Kate.”

“That’s a lot to figure out.” Crazy to think he’d been juggling Kate and work and everything else since he was seventeen. Talk about pressure. Maggie frowned at the rough clay. Was that why Linnie had left? Did everything just get too … hard?

He sighed. “Yeah.”

They turned right onto Wayside Lane, a dead end that ran parallel to the aunt’s drive. It was so thick with foliage that Maggie couldn’t make out the lake through the flickering orange. Along the short passage, the mesh of branches and leaves formed a shadowy tunnel, but it ended brilliantly, opening to a sun-filled property and a jewel of a house, a good-sized place, not a rickety cabin like Wren’s, and modern. Its many windows gave the impression that it was comprised entirely of glass. It reflected the molten glow of the evening sun and the light-shattered gold of the maples and the sky and the lake—blue on fire to the west and rumpled water twinkling along the north. The lake wore a gently curving sheen until it met the base of Devil’s Tongue, where it broke apart in shimmering explosions.

The beauty was arresting. For the first time in days, Maggie’s spirits lifted. “Wow … how beautiful.”

“Thanks.” He opened his door. “Don’t move. I’ll come around.”

Taking her directions from Sam, who trudged behind her lugging his sculpture, Maggie hurried ahead to open a side door that led into a dim garage, shut the door after him, and trotted up three steps to do the same with another door. She followed him into a mudroom, lined with shoe cubbies, coat hooks, and two more doors.

The mudroom opened to a tall-ceilinged great room. The sweeping area encompassed the living and dining spaces, as well as the kitchen. Maggie hardly spared it a glance. The world through the windows demanded her attention. Sun, sky, lake, and trees—the landscape made the inside, however awesome, undeniably inferior.

Maggie whistled softly. “This place is all about out there, isn’t it?”