t meant to c

and too-smooth voices. But something made her glance down the row as th

ame-moving slower than when he'd started, but stil

wasn't efficient. B

the work to m

uttering, "At least

't usually kee

jar, added a lemon wedge, and stared at the ring it left on

r, she walked it

ubbing the dirt between his

e use glove

into the light. "Could

ded him

lt like it cost him something. He sipped, win

rms. "So, Chris. Whe

ng unreadable flickered behind

say that either just got out of pris

tly. "Would it he

't laugh. D

ing trouble he

not to bri

nce, the hum of in

's it called Riverbend Vine

one. Dried up in '89. Still floods i

ke that made

back when he asked

straighten

part

any

rsation d

e roof leaked. The mattress was basically s

e rafters, tryi

t the in

his sister

eras flashed-how cold they'd looked. Lik

he wind. The sound of something small

ted his

ime in weeks, sleep

tasted like damp ea

oing this alone for too long. Her son, Leo, sat on the back porch steps, l

called over

ungry," he

hungry until you

dn't a

nterrupting something sacred. Leo glanced u

e new guy,

ea

ot a p

op

d intrigu

d. "Got tired

ike that made sense

breakfast sandwich. He unwrapped it w

re ea

dn't

a second sandwi

ollo

were diffe

iliar. Like he was learning thei

an hour. Then, out of nowhere, she asked

Just that it mak

lpf

fast le

e got three tanks down. Fermenter

Fruit and metal. It was more chemistry lab than b

nce. Scrubbed every inch.

trol. There was a strange comfo

ched from

he'd

, the storm

s. Thunder like a slamm

he eaves, watching

he offered a beer th

" she said. "Rain mean

s beautiful

t save you fro

silence. The

ed to him. "You

ok at her. "I d

"Let me know

couldn't hear the words, but he could see the way the stranger stood-

d back to

heroes always ra

ods alway