"We're living in the countryside and doing okay. Mom, Dad, how have you been?"
Rosalind Green didn't want to talk about Ethan Hawthorne, so she quickly changed the subject. She hadn't seen her parents in ten years, and they had aged quite a bit. It made her heart ache.
Mrs. Green smiled. "We're doing fine. Your dad will be able to retire in a few years. Are you back in Tristone to stay? Or will you be returning to the countryside?"
"I have to go back. I made this trip especially to see you. Mom, have a pastry. I bought your favorite—peach shortbread."
Rosalind Green opened the pastry box. Beside her, Rhonda's eyes flickered. It was the first time she had met Rosalind Green; she had only heard of her before. Rumor had it her sister-in-law was a legendary beauty, a delicate creature who couldn't do a lick of work and had married a rich husband—though he'd supposedly fallen on hard times recently.
