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I’d been living in Tennessee for two years now, so I was used to people speaking with Southern accents, but Joy’s accent was washing over me like warm honey.

Soon we were enjoying one of the best meals I’d ever had.

“I have to admit, Miss Laverne, this is better than Great Aunt Pattie’s, but I’d never tell her that.” Joy’s eyes sparkled like the summer sun off a lake. It lit up some of the dark places inside of me.

The older lady patted her hand. “I wouldn’t expect you to, honey. I think it’s time for us to clear the dishes and get dessert. I’ve been hankering for a piece of your cake since you took it out of the oven.” She turned to me. “What about you, Graham? Didn’t Joy’s cake smell sweet?”

“Definitely,” I drawled. “Joy and her cake are all kinds of sweet.”

Joy shot me a startled glance, then she stood up to clear the table.

“Uh-uh,” I said as I stood up. “You two cooked and set the table, it’s my job to clear and clean.” I soon had the table cleaned off, and the cake set on the table with small plates, forks, and a knife.

Joy stood up and cut three slices. She didn’t need to be told to cut only a small slice for Miss Laverne and a large slice for me.

“Are you sure I can eat all this?” I teased.

“If you’re anything like my brothers, you’ll probably be back for seconds. Not necessarily because it’s good, just because it’s food,” she laughed.

She had a warm laugh that washed over me like her accent, sparking an immediate smile out of me. Come to think of it, I’d been smiling all through the meal. Joy was just like her name, she spread it around, making me happier than I’d been in a long time.

I took a bite of her cake and let the warm goodness settle on my tongue before swallowing. “Damn, that’s great. Girl, you really can cook.”

“Bake,” Joy corrected. “I can bake. I’m only fair to middling when it comes to cooking.”

“You’re coming along, honey.” Miss Laverne smiled at her.

“So how long have you been in town, Joy?” I wanted to know, I would have noticed if she’d been here a while.

“I arrived a month ago. I’m working at Roxie Hart Veterinary Hospital,” she said proudly. “I really like it there.”

“Wait a minute, are you related to the Magills? Like Little Grandma and Miss Gladiola and all of their brood?”

Joy laughed. “Guilty as charged.”

Shit, I should have realized that when she first told me her name.

“Who are your brothers?”

“Seth and Randy.”

I knew them. Seth had a stick up his ass, and Randy liked to play pool. He wasn’t always a gracious loser. But he was young. There was still hope. Plus, there were her parents, Sarah and Cobb, salt of the Earth.

“I bet they have you baking for the diner all the time.”

Her smile turned down just a bit. “No. I’ve been living in Nashville for the last three years. I just came back a couple of weeks ago.”

I let that sink in for a minute. I didn’t want to ask how old she was, even though I desperately wanted to know how old she was. “Why Nashville?”

“After I got home from London, I didn’t want to just come home to Jasper Creek. I wanted a place away from family. Some place where people wouldn’t have a lot of expectations.” She tilted her head. “That probably sounds weird, right?”

“No, that makes all the sense in the world. So, what finally brought you back?”

“A force of nature called Little Grandma. She basically told me I was spinning my wheels, and I should come back here. She said I was basically just hiding instead of living. I don’t know if I agree with her on the hiding part, but she was right that I wasn’t moving forward, so I decided to come back.” She shook her head. “I’m not making sense at all, am I?”

“It makes perfect sense, child.” Miss Laverne patted her hand.

I couldn’t speak. So much of what she said resonated down to the soles of my feet. I’d been spinning my wheels, literally, until I landed here in Jasper Creek.