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things. On Wednesday I caught him nibbling a white chocolate chip cookie that was left on a plate outdoors.”
    “He was up on a table.”
    “Yep, and unrepentant. He wasn’t happy when I took the cookie away.”
    He laughed. “Did he bother any of your customers?”
    “Not to my knowledge.” She dug into her shorts pocket and retrieved a small ziplock plastic bag containing sunflower seeds. She tipped a few into the palm of her hand. “Here Finn, I have something healthy for you.”
    Harry stood to the side, eyebrows raised. “He’ll eat out of your hand?”
    “Watch.”
    Finn danced over to her, his black and white feathers shimmering in the sunlight. He stopped less than a foot away, his amber eyes softening. He bounced forward and plucked a black sunflower seed out of her hand, the gray tip of his beak skimming her palm.
    She smiled. “You’re a good boy, and I don’t want to hear any more stories about you sneaking cookies or cake. Human food is bad for you.”
    Finn stayed close and polished off the remaining seeds in her hand, one by one.
    Harry sipped his latte. “He’s very tame.”
    “And intelligent. I first met him a few years ago when he was a juvenile. They never forget a face, and he follows me around the farm when I go riding.”
    “Really?”
    “When Dad’s in the orchards, he knows where I’m riding by watching Finn fly from tree to tree.”
    “Isn’t it swooping season?”
    “Yeah, and on Tuesday I received warning dives from a magpie nesting in a gum tree on the neighbor’s property. I’ve changed my route to avoid the nest.”
    “A smart plan.”
    Finn hopped away. He stood on one foot and started singing. His beautiful carol, pitch-perfect, echoed in the garden for almost a minute.
    “Wow, Serena. Finn likes you a lot.”
    “He’s a sweet bird, and I’ll be sad if he leaves the farm.” She stood and collected her tea from Harry. “I’ve gotten to know a few of the magpies that visit my garden at home.”
    Finn flew off, disappearing into the orchard trees.
    “I thought you lived in an apartment.”
    “A ground-floor three-bedroom garden apartment. I love the location, and it’s not far from the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffin.”
    He fell into step beside her, walking around the displays of colorful tulips. “If you’ve inherited your mom’s talent for gardening, I’m sure your garden looks great.”
    “I do okay, and I have a vegetable garden.” She drained her cup, passing it back to Harry. “I love these vibrant purple tulips with the frilly edges.”
    “They look good with the white ones.”
    “A lovely bridal bouquet combination, with a few roses added in.” She snapped away on her phone, endeavoring to select the right camera angle.
    “Have you been to the Snowy Mountains lately?” he asked.
    “I did a mid-week ski trip with friends to Perisher in June. Why?”
    “I have a job coming up soon. Two elderly sisters are booked into your B&B, and they want to go over the mountains to Jindabyne. I thought you might like to come along for the drive.”
    A day trip with Harry sounded like a fun adventure. “Okay. I’ve heard the Snowy Mountains Highway is a pretty drive.”
    “You haven’t driven across to Cooma from Snowgum Creek?”
    “Nope.” She flicked through the images on her phone, happy with her amateur photography effort. “I drive here on the Hume Highway via Yass and Gundagai. It’s a faster and more direct route.”
    He nodded. “I’ll let you know the date soon. It will be mid-week, probably a Thursday.”
    “That works for me, and I’ll look forward to it.” Even if they were chaperoning elderly ladies in the mountains for the duration of the journey.
     
    ***
     
    Two weeks later, Harry walked up the path to Snowgum Creek Community Church with Serena by his side. He’d called into the B&B to collect her, and it was the first time he’d attended an evening service since Serena had arrived in Snowgum Creek. Serena was now a