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Although Edith still used the walker, she was getting more active with each passing day. A friend stopped by that afternoon to help her make the lasagna, taking on the tasks Edith still couldn't manage on her own. Amanda was encouraged to see her aunt getting back to the activities she loved.

Amanda cut into her lasagna and took a bite, the flavors bursting in her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had homemade lasagna, and her aunt's beat any restaurant version Amanda had ever tried.

Before long, everyone was eating and talking as if they’d planned the impromptu dinner, not put it together less than an hour ago.

“This is so good, Ms. Sparks,” Rissa said, reaching for a piece of garlic bread. “My mom used to make my grandma’s lasagna recipe. She always put a ton of cheese on top, which was my favorite part.”

Edith grinned. “There’s no such thing as too much cheese.”

“Exactly! Mom always said Grandma felt the same way.” Rissa took a bite of garlic bread, then continued. “I never got to meet my mom's parents. They both died before my parents got married, but I have this old box filled with family recipes. Some of the cards are in Grandma’s handwriting, and others are Mom’s. Dad and I sometimes make them." She tilted her head toward Grady. "Mom taught him how to cook, and what I didn't learn from her, I learned from him.”

Intrigued by this new bit of information, Amanda asked, “So, the sheriff cooks?”

“Don't sound so surprised.” He gave her a subtle wink. “I have many talents.”

A blush crept into her cheeks as her mind immediately wandered to what other talents she hadn’t uncovered yet.

Oh, boy. That was probably a line of thought she shouldn't pursue with his daughter and her aunt sitting at the same table.

Hearing Rissa talk about her mother and grandmother made Amanda curious about the rest of Grady's family. “What about your parents? Do they live around here?”

An awkward silence fell over the table.

Grady and Rissa glanced at each other, and Amanda immediately realized she’d stumbled onto a subject neither of them wanted to discuss.

“My parents are still alive,” he finally said. “But we’re estranged from them. So are my brother and sister. Long story.”

“Oh.” Amanda grimaced, wishing she hadn’t asked. “I’m sorry.”

He gave a slight shrug. “It is what it is.”

There was obviously more to the story, but the tension in both his and Rissa’s expressions told her not to ask. Searching for a safer subject, she turned back to the teenager. “So, what do you want to go to college for?”

Rissa perked up. “Actually, I’m thinking about taking a gap year.”

Across the table, Grady groaned.

“And I take it your dad isn’t thrilled with that plan,” Amanda said.

“That would be an understatement.” Rissa stabbed a tomato with her fork. “He thinks if I don’t go straight to college, I’ll never go.”

He shook his head. “I never said you’d never go.”

“You implied it.”

“I said it’s a lot easier to keep going when you’re already in the habit of school.”

The teen rolled her eyes. “Same thing.”

Amanda bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling as Edith calmly buttered a piece of garlic bread, apparently content to let father and daughter have an argument they’d clearly had before. “What would you do during the gap year?” Amanda asked.

“Travel, hopefully.” Rissa picked up her garlic bread and tore off a piece. “I’d work and save some money first, then go places I’ve never been.”

“And apparently, she plans to do all that traveling by herself.” Grady’s disapproval was clear.

Rissa’s shoulders slumped as she sighed. “Here we go.”

“I’m just pointing out that traveling alone at your age isn’t the smartest idea.”