Luke's Ride. Helen DePrima

teens—they would need it.

      He kept mostly silent during dinner, speaking only enough not to seem surly, listening to Katie’s account of her solo trip across country. He liked the way she laughed at herself for mistaking a state road number for an interstate in Missouri, driving ten miles behind a manure spreader, and silently applauded her quick thinking in following the snowplow over Wolf Creek Pass. Pretty dang good for a green Eastern driver.

      “So where do you go from here?” Jake asked Katie while Shelby served the peach pie à la mode, with chocolate cake for Missy and JJ. “Once we let you go, that is.”

      “I really hadn’t thought beyond bringing you the letters,” she said. “I’m kind of at loose ends right now.”

      “Back to Connecticut?” Lucy asked.

      “No, not there. I’ll have to return eventually to take care of some business, but not soon.” She massaged the faint ridges on her ring finger. “Right now I’m looking for a job.”

      “What kind of job?” Shelby asked, cutting a second sliver of cake for JJ.

      “I know a little about bookkeeping—I worked for a construction firm for a while.” She flushed. “And I love to cook. I don’t have any formal training, but I did some catering while I was in college.”

      Lucy sat straighter. “Did you really?”

      Luke could read his sister’s mind.

      “Hold on, Luce,” Jake said. “The poor girl just landed—don’t try to draft her before she has time to take a deep breath.”

      Lucy closed her mouth, but Luke knew she wouldn’t be able to hold her tongue for long.

      Jake looked at his watch. “You’d better head to town if you’re going to open the Queen for the breakfast crowd.” He stood. “I’ll bring Katie’s bag in.”