Kaye lay perfectly still. She knew the rules of politeness said she ought to let them know she was there, but it was awkward because she was naked. Instead, she breathed as quietly as she could, hoping they would go back inside before her fingers and toes got too pruney.

“Who knew a ‘night or two’ would turn into ten days,” Ted said.

“They don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Did they really think the insurance company was going to pay to put them up?”

“It still might. Mold’s a health concern . . .”

“You can’t just destroy your house,” Ted said.

“Some people learn things the hard way,” Allison said.

“Mind if I bang my head against the siding?” Ted said.

“Watch out for splinters.”

Kaye laughed. She didn’t mean to, but it was funny. Her mind was all a twirl. They’d just given her another idea about how to smooth the feathers. Funny the way He worked. How He sometimes dropped ideas right into your naked lap.

SOMEONE WAS OUT THERE. IN THE DARK. WAS IT NICK COX, COME TO mow down the rest of the Millers’ trees?

“What?” Allison said.

Ted put his finger to his lips. He peered into Cox’s yard, through the latticework. Kaye was in the hot tub. He could see the outline of her face and hair and the rise of her breasts by the little runner lights that surrounded the tub. He turned away before he saw any more of her.

Had she heard them talking? He’d heard Kaye and Nick in there often enough. It was embarrassing, the things he’d heard. He shivered. “Colder than I thought out here.”

“I told you,” Allison said.

“Let’s go back inside.”

“I thought you needed to let off some steam.”

“I feel better now.” He held the back door for Allison, then locked it behind them. Better to be back inside stifling his anger than to expose their lives to Kaye Cox, direct conduit to Nick-the-Destroyer. The television was on, loud, down the hall. Ted felt his shoulders seize up.

“You’re a pretty good sport about all this, you know?” Allison whispered.

Ted nodded. He was. He might have pitched a big fit about hosting the Davenport-Gardners for so long, but what was the use? He’d known about Allison’s weakness for foundlings before he married her. He envisioned Adam growing from boy to man under their roof. A man with headaches. Did he still have headaches? He seemed active enough these days, jumping on Jillian’s bed, banging on the piano.

Ted got a glass of orange juice as Allison headed to bed. Jillian and Grant burst into laughter.

Jillian? Ted looked into the living room. When he and Allison went outside, Grant had been alone in front of the TV, but now Jillian was on the couch, too, eating sweet potato chips and watching a cartoon. Candy sat at Grant’s feet.