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She heard the front door open Eric must have been concerned about her He was early When he walked into the kitchen Senior stood up "Who is this?" her father asked

"Dad, this is Eric Gentry"

Senior put out his hand "Dr Carrington," he said

"First naton," he corrected "How do you do?"

"Pleasure, sir," Eric said

"I brewed coffee, Eric" Cell phone in her hand, Laine said, "Would you like to visit with my father for a ave her a half sure this out--she had a death grip on her phone Then he moved toward the coffeepot "Take your time We’ll be fine"

Laine bolted for the stairs and closed herself into her bedroom She hit the speed dial for Pax and for once he actually answered "He’s here!" she blurted "What the hell is Senior doing here?"

Pax wasn’t just surprised He actually stuttered a little "Huh? What? What are you talking about?"

"Senior is here! My doorbell rang, I opened the door and there he stood, filling up the frame with his confidence and stubbornness! You couldn’t warn me?"

"Laine, you can’t think I knew and didn’t call you! I thought he was in town I talked to hio to San Francisco for a conference--he was a presenter He was a no-show and they were looking for hi, said he notified the about Oregon"

"He changed his mind and didn’t tell you? He planned a trip to Thunder Point without telling anyone? That isn’t like hiested?"

"She said she hadn’t noticed anything other than hi preoccupied sometimes If he’s home he stays in his office, but he’s not usually hos, mostly samples, in his office, but ot to leave her a check, but if she reminded him or left hi there?"

"He said he wants to put our proble! ‘You know some people are sensitive and so him "No wonder I want to s?" Pax asked

"He’s not staying here! No way! He wasn’t invited He h I didn’t look outside There’s a motel in town, far beneath his standards I’ to put this situation to rest!"

"Oh, lad I’m not there"

"What aht with hiht noant peace! I’ve earned it"

"Well, can you leave town?" Pax asked

"What?"

"I don’t know, Laine Tell hi was bad and you were just headed to Switzerland for a month at a spa and you’ll be in touch?"

"You’re funny What would Genevieve do?"

"Hive hi or find a benign topic, offer him food and nod politely Escape to her mother’s or sister’s whenever she could, vent to the baths until he left and then complain to me for weeks afterward about what an ie hi horns"

"I can do that," Laine said "Yeah, I can do that Maybe But he has to go to a hed at her "You can’t do that You’re too ht and you have to point it out to him when he insults you, which only causes hiht, but you like it too o when he offends you, you can’t go to a Zen place"

"All right, all rightbut I’et downstairs I left hiht be et your father!"

"Call ot to the botto and talking Eric was laughing with hi to talk about?" she ventured

"This fella here has worked on Packards We had a ’41 Packard station wagon You know the kind, with the wood paneling We had one when I was a kid--it was red My parents would load us into it and take us to the lake in New York in suot himself a Packard coupe convertible, a ’49--it was a slick shiny brown A little cold inside in Boston winters but he didn’t care He gave on for the kids and he owned that convertible What a car What a car I loved that convertible"

Eric gave her a reassuring smile Why can’t I do that? she asked herself Why can’t I just let his snide coo and talk about classic Packards? "How old were you?" she asked her dad Trying She was trying

"Oh, nine or ten or sohborhood, let me tell you All the kids wanted a ride in it My oldest brother borrowed it for a dance and dinged it up" He laughed, shaking his head "I never heard a bigger uproar inlike that"

"Noe can do it in an afternoon if we have the right parts Sometimes we need a second afternoon for paint unless it’s chrory, Paxton?" he asked