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many damn eyelets? Before kicking them off, I looked up at Nancy. It struck me how much she had aged in the year since we’d met.
    “How have things been here?”
    “Same as usual. Now come on,” Nancy said, swatting my elbow.
    I followed her through the house, working on unbuttoning the flannel shirt I was wearing. It was stifling hot inside; beads of sweat were already popping out on my forehead.
    “Where is everyone?” The house seemed quieter than usual. “Nancy, what did you do?” I had made it through to the sweat-soaked t-shirt underneath, and was wondering if Nancy had finally snapped and murdered the entire household.
    She bumped the swinging kitchen door open with her hip. “Believe me, honey, the thought’s crossed my mind a time or two. Sit down, I’ll make your plate.”
    She motioned toward the kitchen table and walked straight to the stove, never looking back and acting very casual. Too casual. I stopped dead in my tracks, the flannel already pulled down to my elbows, when I noticed we weren’t alone.
    Mia was sitting at the table, gnawing on a piece of deer steak.
    Sneaky, Nancy. Very sneaky .
    I shrugged off the shirt and hung it on the back of the chair next to Mia. The wooden legs screeched when I pulled it out. Mia simply glanced in my direction for a moment before returning to her steak. I frowned and leaned back as Nancy brought my plate over. She took the seat across from us and leaned forward on her elbows, her hands clasped tightly together. I picked at my supper: fried venison, green beans, and potatoes. It smelled great. For some reason I wasn’t very hungry. It had been a long day.
    “Alright, girls. We’ve got a problem here, and I want it fixed. Jake already told me what went on out there, and it’s just us women now, so spill it.”
    She stared back and forth between us. I was watching Mia out of the corner of my eye, wondering what she would say, and wondering if I should light a fire under her ass. I heard her growl before she pushed back her plate and returned Nancy’s stare.
    “What’s going on is someone here is trying to fool herself into thinking everything is okay. That she’s okay, life is okay, I’m okay, you’re okay, every fucking thing is okay. That’s what is going on, Nancy.”
    Mia’s voice rose gradually until she finally slapped her palms onto the tabletop, stood up, and stomped out of the kitchen. Nancy’s wide eyes stayed glued to that swinging kitchen door until it eventually ceased its back and forth dance. She turned her shocked expression on me. I have to admit, I was a little surprised as well. Apparently my angry friend hadn’t cooled off yet.
    “Damn.” I shot Nancy an eyebrow. “Guess she told you.”
    Then I promptly dug into my supper. Once Nancy realized I had closed the topic, she got up from the table and went to the sink. I kept my eyes on my plate and waited until I heard the clanking of dishes before breaking the tension.
    “So, where did you say everyone was?”
    “I didn’t.”
    Her feelings were hurt. I didn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that out, judging by the way she was manhandling the dining ware. I finished off the green beans quickly, wiped my mouth with the napkin, and scooted back from the table.
    “Listen, Nance,” I said, dropping the cloth over my plate and walking up behind her. “She’s just worried. And when she gets worried, she gets mad. It’s her thing. She’ll be okay.”
    I rubbed her upper back and squeezed her shoulder. It still pulled on me to see the old girl hurting. She finally stopped banging the dishes and stood there quietly, her hands soaking in the soapy water. After a moment her shoulders rose with a sigh, then slumped with sadness.
    “ Why is she worried, Kasey? I’ve never seen the two of you argue or fight, not until recently. She had a burr in her ass before the three of you left. Maybe it’s none of my business...” Her voice trailed off.
    “No, no. It is your