"I'll bet. I like this, Max."
"It'll be cool to see him in winter and then in spring. Deer will come.
Chickadees . . . "
"I'd love to have one of these pictures."
"I have a bunch of them at home. I'll send you one when I get back."
"Been a long time since I've seen Kate's mom," Joe said. "She's married now. I've never met her husband."
"I got here yesterday," Max said. "Lot of people around, but I haven't seen Sally. Jackson's folks rented a house, too. Jackson's cool."
"I'm glad they're getting married," Joe said.
"Me, too. So, want to come out with me?"
Max drove out of town, through open country, and along a dirt road to a house at the top of a heathery field that sloped broadly down to the water. Hedges enclosed a back lawn where a long table was covered with a white cloth. Several chairs were positioned on the grass by an aluminum keg. Kate was in the kitchen preparing the buffet, directing a small army of friends.
"Dad! Oh, good!" She gave him a hug. "Nice shirt!" She introduced him to Audrey, Jonathan, Monica . . . Names blurred together.