Mind Games

“I missed you. It’s so good to be home.”

“Let me get a look at you.” Lucy drew her back. “You just get prettier every day.”

“Because I look like you.”

“Well, I can’t deny it.” Laughing, Lucy hugged her again. “You’ve had a long drive. Let’s get you inside and settled.”

“You’ve got two puppies.”

“They came as a set, brother and sister.” As the puppies scrabbled at her legs, Lucy shook her head. “I had a weak moment, but the fact is since we lost Duck last winter, and Goose and Cocoa are getting on, we needed a little lively. I’ve got a soft spot for coonhounds.”

“They’re adorable.”

“That’s Tweedle, and his sister Dee, though I wonder if I should’ve gone with Dum instead. But I’m hoping she finds her good sense before long. Now, let’s get your bags inside. I know how you run. You’ll want to unpack.”

“I’m not all the way home till I do. And I want to be all the way home.”

“We’ll get that done, then sit ourselves down with a glass of wine—even though you’re not quite legal—and you can tell me everything about everything. You can finish up the telling over chicken and slicks.”

“That sounds so good. I’ve missed your cooking, too.”

“Rem’ll be here before supper tomorrow, so there’ll be more cooking. He favors my pork chops.”

“Who wouldn’t?”

The house smelled of the slowly simmering chicken and aromatics, of the orange oil on freshly polished wood.

And her room carried the scent of lilacs from the flowers in the blue mason jar on the dresser.

Even the breeze through the window whispered welcome.

“Maddy should be back the day after tomorrow,” Thea said as she hung up and tucked away clothes.

“Her family’s about bursting with pride. Top five percent of her class, and getting it done in three years. It’ll be nice for her and Rem to be close by each other next year. And, hell, I’m about bursting, so I’m going to tell you before we sit down. Caleb and Selma are finally getting married.”

“That’s big news! When?”

“They’re going to do it quick and quiet in New York in a week or so, then take themselves off for a honeymoon. Then they’re coming here so we can have a party. A double party. I’m getting another grandbaby before Christmas.”

“Oh! Not big news. Huge! I’ve only met her a couple times, but I record their show every week. They look so good together. I know Rem likes her a lot.”

“Caleb loves her, and she loves him back. I could tell it the first time I saw them together. They’ve taken their sweet time about it, but they’re on their time, not mine.”

“The charming police detective and the no-nonsense prosecutor. Their fans will go wild.”

“Which is why they’re doing it quick and quiet.”

Hands on hips, Lucy looked around. “Seems you’re all the way home. Let’s go down and you can start on the everything.”

“Not a lot of everything before today. Etta broke up with Adam again, Lily got her internship, Chelsea’s going to Italy with her family.”

“I want to hear about your friends, too, but start with you. I’ve got store-bought as well as my apple wine.”

“I’ll go with Grammie’s. That chicken already smells good.”

“I’d just pulled the breasts out so they wouldn’t toughen when you drove up. We’ve got another forty minutes or so for the rest to simmer.”

Lucy poured the wine, gave the pot a stir. Cookies came out of the jar and onto a plate.