The thing was, they had Todd and Amber with them. Grant took them out for Todd’s birthday—an excuse to get them out of their house. Amber’s parents always did babysitting duty with the boys. Grant and Todd had liked this place for years because it had wood from the mill everywhere, including tables, booths and wall paneling. Some diners were out on the patio, but Grant liked it inside, with all the wood around. They’d started out sharing reminiscences of Paul and talking about the funeral plans. Grant and Todd—Brad, too—were going to be pallbearers. Losing Paul and the worry about where his Adena eagle pendant could be depressed Grant so deeply he was afraid he wouldn’t be a good host this evening. But despite Kate being a newcomer, she fit right in with the three of them. “Great food,” she said, tucking into her garlic mashed potatoes. When Grant had heard her order them, he’d asked for the same in self-defense, since he was planning on some kissing later.
