Susan enlisted Zoe to help bring the small kitchen table out to the porch while Katie hung a large banner Susan had printed in the copy center of her shop – Happy Birthday Penny! – from the eaves over the front steps. Penny sat on the steps, since Susan wouldn’t allow her to help with anything, and tried to fake enthusiasm for Susan’s sake.
At least the banner doesn’t say Happy Birthday Little Red, she thought.
The first guest arrived just as Susan brought the cake out. It was Trey Miller, dropped off by his father, a huge gray-haired man in a black Mercedes that looked far too rich for Penny and Susan’s gravel driveway.
The second was Michael.
Zoe blushed bright red as his old Jeep topped the driveway and parked at the far side. Zoe didn’t retreat to Penny’s room but did find an ou
