The heat of early afternoon felt more like midsummer than the middle of May. I raised my shoulders, one at a time, and wiped away the dampness on the short sleeves of my shirt. Just a little more weeding, I thought, and I would take a short break. A tall glass of iced tea in the shade of the covered patio sounded ideal right about then. A car pulled into the driveway, and I turned to see who it was—friend or foe. Annabeth Sorenson. Friend. She waved as she got out of her car. “Hi, Katherine.” “Hi, Annabeth.” I rose to my feet. “I hope you don’t mind my dropping by like this.” “Of course not.” “I saw you at church yesterday, but you left before I got a chance to talk to you.” I offered a brief smile as she walked toward me but gave no explanation for our quick departure. Her eyes studied me. “How are you doing?” “Okay.” “Really?” I wasn’t a very good liar. “Well enough.” “Can I intrude upon your gardening?” She motioned toward the rose bushes.
