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you.”
    Silence ensued until Jac asked, “Are you keeping the band together?” She rubbed the backs of her fingers up and down Max’s side.
    “Good question.” Liz took a long sip of wine. “I haven’t even managed to get the live CD out.”
    “Jac can help you with it.” Peggy looked pointedly at Jac, whose jaw tightened.
    Liz wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want to be rude, but laypeople had no idea how hard it was to produce a CD. “Um, maybe you can give your opinion of which songs you like?” She did seem to have a sharp ear and a good grasp of jazz. If she didn’t like Jac’s opinion she’d just ignore it. What harm could it do?
    Jac said nothing as she tapped her fingers against the arm of her chair in time with the rhythm, a subtler version of what Teri had always done.
    “If you like live jazz you should come over to my dad’s club,” Liz said.
    “Jazz club?” Peggy asked. “Jac didn’t say anything about that either.” Her tone carried indulgent annoyance.
    “Jazz On The Side.”
    “Your father owns that? We’ve seen some shows there.”
    “You’re not burning the steaks, are you?” Jac asked.
    “No, your majesty.” Roger set a juicy looking steak on the plate in front of Jac. “Rare for you.” He returned with steaks for the rest of them and a platter of roasted vegetables and baked potatoes.
    Each time Roger topped off their glasses with the last of a bottle, he disappeared into the house and returned with another. He let Jac taste each one and she identified all of them. From the conversation, Liz gathered that they’d studied wine for years, taken tasting courses, and that Roger had an extensive wine collection Jac had helped him acquire. Yes, Jac was unlike anyone she’d ever met. Sophisticated was the right word for her, and definitely interesting, if reserved.
    “Are you sure I can’t help you with the dishes?” Liz asked when they’d finally run out of food and wine. She hadn’t eaten this much in months. Yes, Carmel was good for her.
    “Don’t be silly. Jac, why don’t you walk Liz home? I don’t think Roger or I should drive.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    “Nonsense,” Peggy said. “What if you trip and pass out, and a neighbor finds you asleep on their lawn in the morning?”
    “Wait here.” Jac strode off toward her cottage, Max at her side.
    Standing, Liz realized she was tipsy. She didn’t care. It was the best evening she’d had in a long time. She clutched the back of the chair as she pulled her sandals on, almost losing her balance. Okay, more than tipsy. She still didn’t care. “I’m going to move over here this summer,” she hollered toward the house. “Will you help me with Grandma’s garden?” Pretty flowers. Bird feeders. New patio furniture. Walks on the beach. It would be a glorious and relaxing summer.
    “I’d love to.” Peggy handed her a plate wrapped in foil. “Cake for breakfast.”
    “You’re a bad influence.” She hugged Peggy for longer than she should, but it felt good. When she let go, Jac was there with Max in harness.
    Liz stumbled as she stepped from the squishy gravel of the driveway to the street. Holding onto Jac’s shoulder, she took off each sandal and shook out offending pebbles, then tugged them back on. She hooked her arm through Jac’s as they walked the unlit street, another of Carmel’s quirks—no streetlights. “Why aren’t you drunk?”
    “Practice.”
    “I love all the connections between our families.” Liz hiccupped, then giggled, and hiccupped again. It was glorious to feel happy even if it was alcohol induced. “I wish we’d met as kids. I like talking to you. When you talk. Would you listen to the recordings?”
    “You don’t need my help.”
    “I love Carmel.” Liz looked for the moon, but all she saw were stars in the pitch-black sky. She could hear the faint sound of the ocean a few blocks away. She let go of Jac’s arm and spun around in a circle, bumping Jac’s