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“You can smell spring coming,” his mother said as his father set the big platter on the kitchen island.
“I smell ham.”
At home, his mother slid baking dishes into the ovens, set them on warm.
“It does smell good, but spring lasts longer.”
“Where’s that dog?” Rory held up a rawhide bone the size of a redwood.
“Outside, getting wet and dirty.”
“As a dog should.” Rory set down the bone before taking his wife’s coat. He hung his and hers in the mudroom. “Want coffee, babe?”
“No, thanks. Hi, stranger.” She gave Miles a hard hug. “I hardly saw you all week.”
“Busy days.”
“Don’t I know it.”
While Drea set up her laptop and files, Rory wandered to the door to look out. Tall, lean, he stood with his hands in his pockets. He wore a red corded shirt Miles assumed his mother had picked out,and jeans going white at the knees, his usual when lawyer garb wasn’t required.
His hair had gone gray at the temples, and a few stray strands wandered through his thick brown hair.
“How long’s that dog been out there?” he asked Miles.
“Oh, two or three days. I let him fend for himself.”
Rory sent a look over his shoulder.
“Maybe ten minutes, and he likes it out there. Obviously.”
“He likes it in here, too. I’m going to let him in. I’ll wipe him down, Mr. Fussy.”
“He misses Congo,” Drea murmured when Rory went into the mudroom to call the dog.
“I know.”
If he’d had the choice, Rory would’ve taken the old Boston terrier to court with him. As it was, he’d taken the beloved Congo into his office every day as his Silent Partner.
“I do, too. Seventeen years is a long time, and it’s hard to say goodbye. I know we did the right thing, poor little guy was suffering. But until your dad’s ready for another dog, he’s going to lavish that love on yours.”
He heard his father talking to the dog and the dog’s howls of delight.
“So I hear.” And since he also heard his grandparents come in and knew their habits, he went to pour more coffee.
At three, the family sat around the dining room table, his mother with spring water, Liam with a Coke, and the rest with coffee.
They ran through reports, projections, closed old business, outlined new. One of the new Liam presented was a ropes course.
“I did the cost analysis for the build, the insurance cost, and Dad’s looked into the legal. Should be on your screens now.”
“I know they’re popular,” Drea began, “but I honestly don’t see why people want to climb around on ropes and swinging platforms.”
“For the same reasons they want to go down hills on a pair of skis or snowboard. It’s fun. And it would add to our warm weather Adventure revenue.”
“Used to be hiking, canoeing, kayaking were enough for that.” Peering through her reading glasses, Lydia studied the projections.
“Times change, darling of mine.”
