The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

Author:Louise Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2016-07-21T14:50:07+00:00

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends

For everything Thy goodness sends.”

“Amen,” Henry said, his eyes warm.

“Amen.”

“The food is laid out in the kitchen.” Dotty announced. “Adults in the dining room, everyone under thirty in the living room.”

“Ha. You’re still stuck in the kids’ room,” Charlie said to his cousin, who rolled his eyes.

“It’s easier to wait,” Martin said into my ear, eyeing the crush of children trying to push their way into the kitchen. “Come with me.” I followed him through the room and out the front door onto the porch. Ethan was already out there on the swing with his arm around a tiny woman with a dark brown bob, a cooler at their feet. Martin grabbed two beers and handed one to me.

“Hi,” I said, giving a half wave to the woman on the swing. “I’m Livvy.”

“Jessie,” she said, placing her palm on Ethan’s thigh. “Ethan’s wife.”

“Good to meet you.” I sat down next to Martin on the steps. He reached over and popped the top off my beer bottle with an opener.

“Glad you could make it, Martin,” Jessie said. “Not spending the holiday with—what’s her name? Sylvie?”

Martin looked up at her. I looked from Martin to Jessie and back as the silence stretched.

Who was Sylvie? A girlfriend? A lot can change in a year, I reminded myself.

“He’s here now,” Ethan said. “That’s all that matters.”

I couldn’t imagine ever missing this cheerful gathering. This time last year, I had been in the kitchen at the Emerson while Jamie hosted his family five floors down. I leaned back on my elbows so I could see Jessie. “Is Dorothy your granddaughter?”

“It still gives me the chills to hear that word, but yes.”

“She’s adorable,” I said.

“Our grandson, Eli, is here too,” Ethan added. “I think he’s been down for a nap since you got here—I’m sure he’ll be up soon.”

“You’ll know it when he’s up,” Jessie reassured me. “He’s two. Do you have children, Livvy?”

“No, not yet.”

“What are you, in your late twenties?”

“Jessie!” Ethan said.

“I’m thirty-two.”

“Our oldest was fifteen when we were your age.” Jessie patted Ethan’s leg, as if to remind him he had something to do with it. “You should have them when you’re young enough to keep up with them.”

Martin tilted his beer back, drinking the last bit. “We should go down to the tree hut later,” he said to Ethan.

“Where you sell the trees?” I asked.

Martin nodded.

“That’s a good idea. We can get Luke and Mark’s boys to help clean it out. It shouldn’t take them more than an hour. I’ve got the baler all set up. We can start cutting in the morning.”

“What about Henry, and the lights?” I asked.

Ethan looked at Martin with his eyebrows raised. “We’ll get all the heavy lifting done, then take Henry down later in the day to torture us with the lights. He’ll be exhausted after this.”

“He looks good today,” Martin said.

“He does.” Ethan stood up. “Ready for supper, lady?”

Jessie stood up with a little groan and took his hand.

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