The next morning was bright and sunny with a hint of fall in the air. The carpet layers showed up on time, and Pattie arrived ten minutes later after he called to say they had arrived. When Neil had told her the previous day about his plans with Marshall, she had been somewhat dismayed that he was going to leave the men in the house unattended. So she’d volunteered to ‘babysit,’ as she put it. “I can bring my knitting,” she told Neil, winking.
After Pattie was settled in, not with knitting but with several books she’d brought with her, Neil headed over to Marshall’s on foot.
Marshall greeted him at the door with a hug, a kiss, and an “Are you sure you’re going to be warm enough?”
“It’s not cold,” Neil replied. He was wearing a flannel shirt, one of two he owned, and a light-weight jacke
