Chapter 85

“Great. My butt’s a bit sore, but otherwise great.”

“The soreness will go away soon enough,” Mike said, “and eventually you won’t experience it anymore.”

“By the way, Carl,” I said. “What you saw and heard on our patio just now needs to stay on the patio.”

“Understood,” he said. “There are some things that are too personal to share or spread around.”

“You’ve got that right,” Mike said.

Carl thanked us about a thousand times, and I showed him to the door. Back in the kitchen, Mike and I looked at each other and grinned.

“Mission accomplished,” he said.

“I think you’re right.”

We returned to the patio for another hour of sun. Later, when we were lounging on the front porch, I said, “Mike, are we all set for next weekend?”

“You bet. We can have the plane as early Friday afternoon as we like, and we don’t have to return it until midmorning on Monday.”

“Great. If I dress for work at the cabin, I can go straight to the office from the airport and only be a little bit late.”