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They fell into for fast Richard and the kids tried to keep up with hi elbow to elbow, as they’d done for the whole of their lives

“I see Dad’s setting his usual Bataan Death March pace,” Winona said

“I will never understand why I have to drive to the farmhouse to walk to church,” Aurora said It was a variation of the complaint she made each month “Hoas the rodeo?”

“Great I won a saddle and fifteen hundred bucks”

“Good for you,” Winona said “God knows this place could use some cash”

Vivi Ann sain her triumph when she revealed her plan to make money For the first tiest sister really was “Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?”

There was an almost imperceptible pause Then Aurora said, “Luke Connelly came back to town”

“The kid frouys?” Vivi Ann tried to draw up ahere?”

“He’s a vet,” Aurora answered “Winona—”

“Is helping him out,” Winona cut in

Vivi Ann frowned; so she didn’t She glanced froed She had too h nuance for fact “I don’t really re?”

“You would ask that,” Winona said crisply

For the rest of the way, they kept up a steady stream of conversation More than once Vivi Ann wanted to just blurt out her idea, but in an unusual display of personal restraint, she waited

After the services, theyin the basement for coffee and muffins as usual Luke Connelly’s return was the topic of conversation His unexpected reappearance brought up stories about the old days, back when Vivi Ann’s irls in town Ordinarily, Vivi Ann would have listened to those stories greedily—any mention of her mother was special—but today she had too much on her mind to relax and enjoy the conversations, and since Luke wasn’t at church, she lost interest in him quickly

A little earlier than usual she herded her faed them to head hoh They’d walked hoh to knoasn’t fun