Free Sister's Choice by Emilie Richards

she’d nearly convinced herself she had.
    On the porch, Kendra took one of the bags and followed her inside.
    “This looks like you’re cooking a feast. I told you not to go to any trouble. We’d be happy to take the three of you out for dinner.”
    The sliver of annoyance widened. “I know you view cooking as a chore, but I’ve told you before, cooking is my joy. I do it because I love it. Always.”
    “Can I at least help?”
    “You can slice the strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar while I unpack. And you can monitor Hannah. She’s a strawberry sneak, and too many will make her sick.”
    “I will eat five,” Hannah said. “Six will be a problem.”
    Inside, Kendra admired the personal touches that Jamie had added to the cabin. “I love those place mats. Did you bring them with you, or did you find them here?”
    Jamie hoped the praise was real and not just her sister’s way of apologizing for her early arrival. “They’re great, aren’t they? I found them in a shop in Strasburg. They’re denim strips, hand woven on a loom. I wish I had time to work with my hands. I’ve always wanted to do something. Knit, crochet, paint.”
    “Be careful what you wish for, and keep your voice down.”
    Jamie turned. “What? Who’s listening?”
    Kendra lowered her voice. “They’re everywhere.”
    “Are you nuts? Who’s everywhere?”
    Kendra lowered her voice even more. “The quilters.”
    “Quilters?”
    “Now you’ve gone and done it. They’ll be here momentarily. Bolt the doors.”
    Jamie was relieved to see this more playful side of her sister. “Explain yourself.”
    “I’m afraid you’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just say that if you ever had a yen to learn how to quilt, you’re in the right place. Toms Brook is crawling with them.”
    “Does that have anything to do with the old quilts in your house?”
    “I collect, they quilt, although I’ll confess they’ve taught me a little. Call it survival.”
    “I’ll keep my eyes open.”
    “They’ll sniff you out.”
    In the kitchen, Jamie lifted a package from the bag. “Have you ever seen prettier salmon? If I marinate it and light the grill, do you think Isaac will do the honors? The grill’s great, by the way. State-of-the-art, like everything else here.”
    “I want you to be happy.”
    “Why wouldn’t I be?”
    “Because you’re in the middle of nowhere with two young children and a lot to think about.”
    Jamie wasn’t sure she liked hearing her days characterized that way, as if she was serving some sort of prison sentence—even if her sister’s words mirrored some of her own thoughts. But again, she managed to keep her voice light.
    “So far, those two young children have been completely enchanted with a certain playhouse. I don’t know if they can possibly like it as much once it’s built as they’ve liked helping build it, but I can’t thank you enough, Ken. That was absolutely brilliant.”
    “It sounds like that’s been the center of everybody’s days.”
    “That and the deer.” Jamie told her about the fawn.
    “So Cash and his grandmother took it home?” Kendra asked.
    “Grace is licensed and trained. It was the right thing to do.”
    “And how has it fared?”
    “Not well at first, apparently. She almost lost it. But the crisis seems to have passed. We’re invited to see her tomorrow. The girls are beside themselves. They spent the day making collars out of ribbon for Lucky.”
    “Lucky?”
    “Alison’s idea. And apparently the fawn was lucky. I get the feeling Grace lost a lot of sleep until she was able to get her stabilized.”
    The kitchen had room for both of them, but just barely. Jamie rummaged through a plastic bag and handed Kendra a carton of perfectly ripe berries, then another. “Aren’t these gorgeous? Roadside stand. I got enough for tomorrow’s cereal, too, though I’ll probably be down there every day to see what else they have.”
    “I’m glad the girls like the