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On theof the Fourth, Ford rolled out of Cilla’s bed It didn’t surprise him she was already up, even on a holiday He considered it his duty as an American to sleep in, but apparently she didn’t share his staunch sense of patriotisroped his way downstairs, and followed the now fa roo nails intotrilanced back "A little I wanted to see how this triainst the paint since my father finished it I still can’t believe he painted all this, and so well If he didn’t have a job, I’d hire him"

"Is there coffee?"

"Yes, there is Spock’s out back He fears the nail gun"

"Minute"

He heard ed himself into the kitchen The coffeemaker stood on a s his eyes fro, poured After the first couple sips, the light seened to blind all hu where he was, and after topping it off feltit with hi room and watched her work for a few ic

She stood on the floor now, fitting the diagonal edges of the bottom piece to the sides she’d already nailed up In what struck him as wizard-fast tiun down, took several steps back He heard her whisper, "Yes, exactly"

"It looks good What did you do as there before?"

"This is as there before, or ed"

"I thought it hite"

"Because soeous walnut I stripped it A little planing, a little stain and a couple coats of poly, and it’s back to its original state"

"Huh Well, it looks good I didn’t get the paint color until now Thought it looked a little dull But it looks war"

"It’s called Shenandoah It just seeht When you look out the s in this room, it’s the ht" She walked back, picked up another piece of tri"

"We don’t have to leave for" She looked at her watch, calculated "About ninety et ready"

"Okay I’ across the road I’ll pick you up in an hour and a half"

"Great But you lanced down at his boxers "Right I’ to put on pants, possibly shoes, take the coffee and so on"

"I’ll be ready"

HE DIDN’T EXPECT her to be ready Not because she was female, but because he knehat often happened when he hiot lost in the work If he didn’t set an alar an appointether, was the norm

So it surprised him when she came out of the house even as he stopped in front of it And her appearance left him momentarily speechless

She’d left her hair down, as she rarely did, so it spilled dark, aged gold, down her back She wore a dress of bright red swirled against white, with a kind of thin and floaty skirt and thin straps that set off those strong shoulders

With his paws planted on the , Spock leaned out Ford translated the series of sounds the dog ot out of the car-he just had to-and said, "Wow"

"You like? Check this" She did a turn, giving him a chance to ad ties

"And again,I’ve never seen you in a dress before, and this one pulls out some stops"

Instant distress ran across her face "It’s too e in five minutes"

"First, over my dead body Second, ’fussy’ is the last word I’d use It’s great You look all summery sexy, ice-creaht to take you out where you’d wear dresses I feel a fancy dinner co on"

"I prefer backyard picnics"

"They are permanently top of my list"

SHE’D EXPECTED IT to be aard initially, the introductions, theBut she knew so many of the people there that it was as easy and pleasant as Matt’s backyard with its generous deck and snant wife, snatched Cilla away from Ford almost immediately "Here" Josie handed Ford a beer "Go away Wine, beer, soft?" she asked Cilla

"Ah, I’ll start with soft"

"Try the le to steal you for ten minutes over there in the shade I’d say walk this way, but waddling’s unattractive unless you’re eightto meet you"

"You’re welcome to come by the house, anytime"

"I nearly have a couple times, but with this" She patted her belly as they walked "And that" And pointed toward a pack of kids on a swing set "The little guy in the blue shorts and red shirt squeezing Spock in mutual adoration is mine So between this and that, and a part-time job, I haven’t made it by Either to welcooing on Which Matt claireat"

"He’s terrific to ith He’s very talented"

"I know I met him when my family moved here I was seventeen and very resentful that ed me away from Charlotte andsummer when my parents hired a local contractor to put an addition on the house, and there was a young, handsome carpenter on the crew It took me four years," she said with a wink, "but I landed hiet this out of the way I adored Katie I had a Katie doll In fact, I still do It’s stored away for this one" She ran a gentle circle over her belly "We’re having a girl this tirandmother’s movies and have Barn Dance on DVD I hope we co Ford and I love hiet tired of hi after Ford"

Cilla sipped her le heat, people sought out the shade of deck uathered at tables under the spread of trees See hu set or raced around the yard like puppies with inexhaustible energy Cilla calculated that Matt’s big yard, sturdy deck and pretty two-story Colonial held nearly a hundred people spanning about five generations

She sat with Ford, Brian and a clutch of others at one of the picnic tables, plates loaded with burgers, hot dogs, a wide variety of summer salads From where she sat, she could see her father, Patty and Ford’s parents talking and eating together on the deck As she watched, Patty laughed, laid a hand on Gavin’s cheek and rubbed He took his wife’s hand, kissed her knuckles lightly as the conversation continued

It struck, a dull blade of envy and its keener edge of understanding They loved each other She’d known it, of course, on soined neither of them would remember, the steady and simple love Not just habit or contentether? she wondered Twenty-three, twenty-four years? No, not even the bonds of half a lifetiie walked by-so young, fresh, pretty-with the gangly guy in baggy shorts she’d introduced to Cilla as Zach Angie stopped, and for a moment Cilla was stunned to realize how h to hear the quick, ani on her ie leaned down to kiss her father’s head beforeon

That said it all, Cilla decided They were a unit Angie would go back to college in the fall She ht move a thousand miles away at any point in her life And still, they would always be a unit

Deliberately, she looked away

"I think I’ll get a beer," she said to Ford "Do you want one?"

"No, I’ed hiet it"

She wandered off to the huge galvanized bucket filled with ice and bottles and cans She didn’t particularly want a beer, but figured she was stuck now She fished one out and, thinking of it as a prop, crossed over to where Matt et a break?" she asked hio all day, that’s how it is at these things Gotta keep it s"

His little boy raced up, wrapped his ar in a toddlerese Cilla was incapable of interpreting Matt, however, appeared to be fluent "Let’s see the proof"

Eyes wide, the boy pulled up his shirt to expose his belly Matt poked at it, nodding "Okay then, go tell Grandht Cilla’s puzzled expression "He said he finished his hot dog and could he have a big, giant piece of Grandual"

"I have ers expertly "Speaking of skills, Ford told "

"Yeah It looks, if I estured with the beer to the cedar building at the rear of the property

"Yeah Want to see?"

"You know I do, but we’ll take the tour another ti to put yours?"

"Can’t decide I’ fro barn The barn option’s round up"

"I never have, so it’s teure?" she continued, and fell into the co drifted in, people began the short pilgri lawn chairs, coolers, blankets, babies and toddlers As they approached, the bright, brassy sound of horns welcomed them

"Sousa marches," Ford said, "as advertised" He shifted the pair of folding chairs he had under his ar fun?"

"Yes Matt and Josie put on quite a cookout"

"You looked a little lost back there, just for a coupledown Before you got up to get a beer, and I lost you to Matt and Tool Ti a really good time It’s my first annual Shenandoah Valley backyard July Fourth extravaganza So far, it’s great"

The park spread beneath the mountains, and the mountains were hazed with heat so the air seemed to ripple over theh the park, sprawling over its greens Concession stands did a bustling business under the shade of their awnings, in offerings of country ham sandwiches, sloppy joes, funnel cakes, soft drinks Cilla caught the scents of grease and sugar, grass and sunscreen

Over loudspeakers came a whine of static, then the echoey announcein in thirty minutes in front of the north pavilion

"I ht?"

"Yes, and four-ti We don’t want to rass, stake our claian to scan "We need to spread out some, save room for Matt and Josie and Sairl he’s with is Missy"

"Yes, I met her"

"You met half the county this afternoon" He slanted Cilla a look "Nobody expects you to remember names"

"Missy Burke, insurance adjuster, divorced, no kids Right now she’s talking to Toe And Shanna’s strolling over with Bill-nobody rapher"

"I stand corrected"

"Sch used to be a way of life"

They’d barely set up, exchanged ed her off to the pie-eating contest

A field of twenty-five contestants sat at the ready, white plastic bibs tied around their necks They ranged fro-an easy two-fifty big-John Porter

At the signal, twenty-five faces dropped forward into crust and blueberry filling A laugh burst straight out of her, drowned away in the shouts and cheers