Nineteen
Aeli went out to her truck to fetch the pie plates and spotted Luke hiking up the hill from her grandparents’ cabin. She paused to wait for him and marked the changes in him. The wariness had been shed, replaced by a startling confidence that made him seem much closer to his twelve years. It was as if he finally felt safe and was now free to be himself, and she wondered who he was beneath the quietude.
“So, Luke Montana, how come you get out of baking pies?” Aelissm asked.
“Who says I do?” he asked in reply, grinning.
He’s gonna be a heart-breaker, she thought. It’s scary how much he looks like June when he does that. “Well, we’ve already started, and you’re just getting back from Grandma and Grandpa’s cabin.”
“Mom sent me down for some more cinnamon,” Luke said, holding up t
