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Winona waited forbesides that stare, that stance—and then started up the hill toward the old cabin “This way”

Up on the rise, she cut through the ankle-deep grass and went to the front door “The porch needs work, as you can see My sisters and I cleaned the inside, though” She flipped on the light and saw the old place, not as she usually saw it, through the sentimental prism of her family’s history, but rather, the way it would appear to him

Wide-plank cedar floors, scuffed and scarred by decades of use; a s room with neashed knotty pine walls andchairs, Grandathered around a river-rock fireplace, stained black from use; an alcove kitchen with 1940s appliances, wooden counters, and a blue-painted table with oak chairs Through the door in the living room, she could see the bedroom, with its white iron bed piled with quilts The only room she couldn’t see from here was the bathroo worked The astringent scent of recently applied bleach couldn’t quite ca wood

“Will this be okay?” she asked

“It’ll do”

She couldn’t help staring at his harsh profile His face was like broken glass, all sharp angles and hard planes

“Here’s our eet your lawyer to read it if you’d like”

“My lawyer, huh?” He glanced down at the paper, then at her “It says you proht?”

“Exactly The term of the contract is one year” She handed him the contract and a pen

He walked over to the table and bent down to write his name “What do you want me to do first?”

“Well, I don’t actually work here My sister and dad run the place and they’re both gone right now Just get settled in and show up at the far at six for breakfast They’ll tell you what to do”

He gave her the signed contract back

She waited for soood job, but when it was clear he had nothing more to say, she left the cabin As she went down the porch steps and walked through the tall grass toward the gravel road, she heard him come out onto the porch

She wouldn’t turn around to check, but she was sure just the sa her

The Grey sisters had spent Friday nights together forever, and tonight was no different As usual, they met at the Blue Plate Diner for a quick meal and then walked down Shore Drive to the Outlaw Tavern Men could coo in their lives—and meet them at the bar—but dinner with the three of them was set in stone