Danny Ray arrived in time to join us for breakfast, and that gave him and Parker a chance to break the ice and begin to know one another. Danny is painfully shy, and will either quickly warm to someone he meets or not at all. He makes his decision within minutes, and if he doesn’t warm, he’ll disappear. But after a bit, and by the time we were having a final cup of coffee, I began to see Danny cast a few glances in Parker’s direction, and at last saw a slight smile find the corner of Danny Ray’s mouth as he listened to Parker speak of what he intended for the day. It was going to be all right. Danny had come to the decision that he could trust Parker, and I was certain the two of them would become friends.

“Parker,” I announced. “Danny Ray knows Miss Rosalie probably as well as I do.”

I cast a quick glance at Danny and saw him duck his head and pull at the brim of his cap.

“So if you two will go back over the boat with your list, Parker, and afterward, if you both agree to the scope of work, take Danny’s truck and pick up the supplies you need to get started. While y’all are doing that, I’ll take Brother Tybee to the vet for a good going-over. Sound okay?” I concluded.

“Good idea,” Parker said. “It’s always best to take a second look before setting to work, and I’d like Danny Ray’s opinion on a couple of things.”

Danny looked from Parker to me and nodded his head. “Y-y-y-yep,” he said.

After finishing his breakfast Tybee had made his first short tour of the cabin of the boat and was now curled once again in the corner of the settee. I let him snooze there while I put a towel in the bottom of the cardboard box that had contained the jars of soup.

“Come on, buddy,” I said as I bent and picked up the little cat.

I held him in the crook of my arm as I stroked him gently and was rewarded by a soft purr. God, he’s skinny, I thought again as I carried him to the table and set him in the box. As I folded over and closed the top of the box, I thought he would try to fight me, but he merely curled up and closed his eyes again. He rode quietly in the box all the way to the vet’s office.

I told the girl at the desk that I wanted him to have a complete checkup—shots, parasite treatment, the works, and if he needed to stay overnight, that was okay.