Then he remembered he should check that he had a decent pair of loungewear. Normally when he puttered around the house, he wore sweatpants and a T-shirt, or a U.S. Marshal sweatshirt. Did he have something he could put together so he didn’t look like a gym rat or a slob? He sprinted into his bedroom and rifled through his drawers. He dug out a pair of gray flannel pants, sniffed them to see how fresh they were. Not enticing. They must have been sitting at the bottom of the drawer since he moved in. They would need to go into the wash. He looked at the digital clock on the footstool that served as a nightstand. He had at least four hours before Luna arrived. He dug through another drawer and found a new U.S. Marshal warm-up jacket he had been saving. For what? He couldn’t remember. Some special activity? Luna coming for the weekend fit the bill. The warm-up jacket was gray and navy. It would look good with the pants, casual but put-together. Thankfully, his moccasins were in good shape. He scanned the room to see if there was anything else he or the cleaning people might have left behind. Nope. Just the two items he had in his hand. He bolted down the stairs to the basement and tossed the clothes in the washer. He spotted a few old trophies from when he played baseball. Should he put them on display? He quickly thought, Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t need any “Glory Days” reminders. Such a guy thing. He climbed back up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Then he thought about candles. Did he have any? Would that be over the top? Maybe a quick trip to the drugstore and get one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. That wasn’t too fussy. Or weird. Or was it? Who could he ask? Minnie. He pulled out his cell and punched speed dial.

“Hello, mate! To what do I owe this pleasure?” Minnie’s Yorkshire accent always made Gaines smile.

“Hello, Minnie. How are you today?”

“I’m ducky, love. And you?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“What are you doing on such a lovely morning?”

“Luna is coming this afternoon to help me decide what to do with my house.”

“Brilliant! How is she doing now that she is working with her brother? Does she miss child services?”

“The art center is doing well. It’s become a destination spot. Her brother has been quite busy with restoration projects. She’s been consulting for him and running the adjacent café.”

“She’s a love. So, what can I do for you?”

“I want the place to be comfortable in spite of the condition it’s in.” Gaines wasn’t sure how to broach what seemed like a ridiculous question. He looked around the room and frowned. “Candles. Yes or no?”