Eddie Miner, who’d been the Woodruff’s handyman forever, had told him that “Miss Thea” had snuck back for some holidays over the years, but she wanted to keep it quiet because of an ongoing feud between her father and the Woodsman, so no one ever saw her in town. She hadn’t been back since the funeral, not even for Grace’s wedding.
Being intimately familiar with family dysfunction, Jake hadn’t been too surprised when the Woodsman’s son, Marshall, failed to show up for his funeral. But Jake had been real glad to see Thea there. Real glad.
With all the people crowding up to extend their condolences, he had barely gotten close when he saw Thea head for her car, her high heels dangling from her hand as she ran through the grass. Grace and Daniel had stood apart from the crowd and watched her
