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“Have fun at Ma’s. I’ll be back to do the milking, as usual.”
    “Zach still here?”
    “Nope. He just took off with Randy to go check on Randy’s calf. Zach’s supposed to be at Ma’s house for supper, too, so you’ll see him there.”
    “Randy can drive?”
    “Got his license two days ago.”
    I shivered at the thought of Zach in a car with a sixteen-year-old driver, even if that driver was Zach’s responsible and good-natured friend Randy. They attended 4-H meetings together and Randy had bought one of my calves that winter to be his project. He and Zach made a good team. But that didn’t mean I was comfortable with my “nephew” in the hands of a teen-age driver. And a boy driver at that.
    “What’s he driving? Don’t tell me some suped-up Trans Am or something.”
    Lucy smiled. “Nope. An old Caddy. One of those huge ones. If he gets in a wreck it’ll be the other car that suffers.”
    “Unless it’s an SUV.”
    She sobered. “We’ll just keep our thoughts positive, won’t we? And pray for safety on the roads.”
    “I’ll leave that up to you. You’re better at it.”
    “Praying or positive thinking?”
    “Both.”
    She sighed. “Oh, Stella. I wish you’d—”
    “What?”
    “Nothing. Never mind. Don’t know if I’ll see you tonight or not. Depends how late you’re out partying with the Grangers.”
    “I’m gonna eat and run.”
    “Really?”
    “That’s my plan.”
    “Yeah?” Lucy smiled. “Well, good luck with that.”
    ***
    I set my helmet on the ground by my bike because there was no point in taking it into Ma’s house. She knew I always wore it, and nobody else would dare say anything. Besides, no one would swipe it from under my bike in her neighborhood.
    The small front porch was crammed with people, and I took a deep breath before heading up the sidewalk. I responded to the greetings as nicely as I could, but was glad to escape the crush, especially since there were several faces I didn’t recognize. I let myself in the front door as quickly as I could, only to find more people in the living room. I waved at Jethro and Belle, Zach’s parents, but continued past them. Ma was in the kitchen, taking the Saran wrap off the top of some almond spinach salad, and I leaned against the counter as she crumpled up the plastic and threw it away.
    Mallory, Zach’s older sister, sat at the table with her boyfriend, Brady Willard, Detective Willard’s son, who had met the Grangers—and therefore Mallory—through trouble at my farm. Now they were scooping homemade strawberry jam into a couple of cut-glass bowls, trying to keep the sticky mess from getting on their fingers.
    Ma glanced up at me, then at her watch. “Glad you could make it.”
    “I’m not late.”
    “Didn’t say you were. But come on now, it’s time to eat.”
    Mallory and Brady led the way with the jam while I followed Ma into the dining room and listened as she called the rest of the folks to the table. Two couples I didn’t know—who’d been on the front porch—filed into the room, and Ma grabbed my arm and dragged me toward them.
    “Katherine and Alan Hershberger,” she said. “This is Stella Crown, my all-but-formally-adopted daughter.”
    “Pleased to meet you.” The man, Alan, held out a hand, and I shook it.
    “So you’re here to take over one of the churches, huh?” I said. “Kulpsville, is it?”
    He smiled crookedly and looked at his wife, dropping my hand.
    Katherine laughed. “Actually, I’m the one stepping into the pulpit. But don’t worry, you’re not the first to make that mistake.”
    Whoops. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed…”
    She glanced at Alan and slid a hand around his elbow. “Really, it’s all right. It’s perfectly natural for you to expect a male minister. My feelings don’t get hurt that easily. Oh.” She gestured to the couple beside her. “This is my sister, Tricia, and her husband, David Stoltzfus.”
    David grinned and nodded. Tricia gave me a