“Oh, no, Dad!” Brianna cried. “You can’t sell the Lady Brianna! Mom loved that boat. I love it, too. And I’d love to go out on the water again! We could take Allison. We could even take Liam if he’ll come. You could teach him to fish.”

Burke shook his head. “Why do I have the feeling I’m being railroaded here?” he muttered. “All right, I’ll think about it. But not until my back’s stronger. I can’t go climbing around in a boat and risk another injury.”

“Thank you, Dad!” Brianna jumped up and ran around the table to give her father a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t thank me too soon,” Burke said. “By the time I’m fit enough to take the boat out, it’ll be winter. That means nothing’s going to happen until next spring.”

“But you won’t sell her. Surely you won’t!” Brianna’s expression could have melted a heart of granite.

“Honey, with all that’s going on in the next few months, I can’t promise anything,” Burke said. “But with winter coming, it’s not likely I’ll get an offer anytime soon. That’s the best I can do for now.”

Brianna looked downcast, then brightened. “But we can still invite Liam to come this fall, can’t we? We’ll want to do it soon, before it gets too cold, in case he wants to ride his motorcycle.”

“That strikes me as a very long motorcycle ride,” Burke said.

“Not for Liam. A few years ago, he and some friends biked all the way to California and back. He has a book by Jack Kerouac, who used to be his hero. But Liam says he’s got more sense than to take off on that kind of road trip now.”

Burke scowled. “If I’m supposed to be impressed . . .”

“You’ll like him, Dad. I know you will,” Brianna said.

“A long-haired king of the road.” Burke shook his head. “I’ll reserve judgment on that. But all right, go ahead and invite him. Let’s see how he behaves around civilized people.”

“That’s not fair, Dad!” Brianna said. “If you’re expecting Liam to act like he’s not housebroken, you’re going to be pleasantly disappointed!”

They finished the meal under a truce. Brianna offered to clean up the kitchen. Burke mumbled something about paperwork and disappeared into his study. Allison went upstairs to change out of her work clothes. She hung up her jacket and wool slacks, and tossed her blouse and bra in the laundry basket. Finding a stretchy sports bra in the drawer, she pulled it over her head, then put on her warm sweats and slippers. She still needed to tell Burke about her day. After butting heads with his strong-willed daughter, he might be in a sour mood. But Allison couldn’t allow that to matter.