“I’m glad to hear that. She’s a good girl. The smartest of my kids,” he said. “And I think I understand what you’re saying. I took over my pop’s construction business, and I work with my sons now. Our eldest became a priest, so I hope to pass the business to the other two. But it gets harder to see how they’ll manage with costs going up so much. And the pain of complying with so many regulations. Not to mention the government taxing us to death. And then after death, too.”
“Damn right. Death taxes—the worst idea. We may come from different worlds, but we speak the same language, Tony.” Joe gestured to Grace it was time to ring the bell. “Come on, let’s eat.”
“OH, COULD Iring the bell?” Harper asked Grace, having heard Joe from across the yard. “I’ve always wanted to. It’s like a scene fromLittle House on the Prairie.”
“Go for it, Harper,” Grace said. “Give it a good tug and we’ll get everyone fed before the 4-H kids arrive to practice for the fair.”
“What are 4-H kids?” Harper asked.
“You don’t know about 4-H? It’s been going for over a hundred years,” Tommy said.
“Think of it like the Scouts—you have the Scouts out your way, don’t you?” Joe asked.
“Yes. I don’t know a lot about it, but there’s this dating app that lets you filter for Eagle Scouts.”
Tommy laughed. “Well, I don’t know about Boy Scout Tinder, but I think it’s fair to say that 4-H is like Scouts in rural America.”
“But do you have Scouts, too?” she asked.
“We do. And all my sons are Eagle Scouts.” Joe leaned in closer to Harper’s ear. “In case that’s of interest.” Harper’s face reddened.
With everyone wanting to eat, Harper handed Tommy her phone and asked him to take a video for her Instagram. Then she went over and pulled down on the bell five times.
“Come and get it!” she yelled enthusiastically.
“Oh my gosh, does she think this is the Wild West?” Mary asked Dot as they sat and watched their friend pretend that she was out on the Plains. She yelled, “Harp, this is Wisconsin, not Dodge City!”
“Hey. Don’t look now, but your parents just sat with Jake and Tommy,” Dot said.
Mary whipped her head around.
“Do they know anything about you two?”
“What’s there to know?” Mary asked, feigning innocence. “Let me see if I can handle this... delicately.”
“Good luck with that!” Dot said, grabbing a plate to go through the line. Danny met up with her, brushing her hand with his, in a subtle way of reconfirming his interest. They’d been spending as much time together as possible given their busy schedules. Dot lit up whenever he was around, and even Grace had said she thought Danny was looking more like his old self.
“I love to see him happy,” Grace had told her in private that afternoon.
Dot kept stopping herself from letting her mind wander too far into the future—she wasn’t sure what would happen when she went back to New York in a few months. She decided to push those worries to the side and live in the moment (or so she told herself every five minutes).
“IT’S A PLEASUREto meet you, Mrs. Russo. But wow, you could be Mary’s sister,” Jake said to Mary’s mother, his dimple deepening and blue eyes twinkling. He could pour on the charm.
“Oh stop!” Christine blushed, cherishing the compliment.
“So, Jake, your dad says you’re a police officer?” Tony said. “And he told us about your military service, too. Thank you for that.” He stood and put out his hand and Jake shook it firmly.
“It was my honor. Learned a lot. Made good friends. Saw a bit of the world—parts I don’t ever need to see again,” he said.
“That’s right. One and done.” Tony was warm toward him.
“And I always wanted to be a policeman. Now I’m living the dream. I can be near to my mom and dad, help them when they need it, and serve the community. Plus, my mom insists we be here for Sunday supper.”
“I insist on Sunday supper, too!” Christine said. “So did my parents and their parents. I expect all my children and grandchildren to be there. Mary was given a one-year pass while she’s here, and then I need her back on gravy duty.”
Jake and Mary met eyes quickly. Her mom, who missed nothing, clocked the something that passed between her and Jake.
“Sunday is my favorite day of the week,” Tony said. “It can be a bit chaotic with all the grandkids now. Our family isn’t known for being quiet.”