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sideways, and kissed her cheek. She turned to look into my eyes, her hands lifting to frame my face.
    I smiled at her. “You can cry whenever you like.” 
    She nodded, leaning in close to kiss my cheek before letting me go.
    “Mother, you’re not kissing my boyfriend, are you?” Joe grumbled. “You have no idea where he’s been.”
    “Quiet,” his father scolded him. “Your mother can kiss him if she wants.”
    The looks I got after that, from everyone except Kurt, let me know I was golden.
     
     
    E ATING when you’re tired is never a good idea. The last of your energy gets sucked away to help digest food, and then you’re really screwed. I fell asleep in the van.
    Joe’s parents’ house in Nicholasville was a beautiful two-story Georgian Colonial in red brick. During the holidays there was a wreath in every window with an electric candle in the center. As it was early December, Elliot had not gotten around to decorating yet, but I was sure it would be on the agenda soon.
    As I trudged up the stairs, everyone else assembled in the living room, I considered taking Deb up on her offer for me to take a nap. She and Barb were going back out to run what sounded like a million errands before the dancing at the country club later that evening. It sounded so good, the nap, but I just splashed water on my face instead. Then I felt better, more alive, less like a zombie. As I was getting ready to go back down and join the others, the door to the bedroom opened and Joe came in.
    “Hey you,” I sighed.
    “I know this is short notice,” he told me. “But my Dad is running over to his shop because he got a call to meet someone, so could we… go with him?”
    I saw the grimace, knew he would have much rather we climbed into bed together, but he was worried and I couldn’t have that.
    “Course. Let’s go.”
    The relief on his face was a joy to see.

III
    I HAD gotten myself pumped up for some kind of altercation during the half-hour ride from Nicholasville to downtown Lexington, but by the time we got there, whoever had been there was gone, leaving Joe’s dad looking at me as he had during the entire trip.
    “It was nothing, like I said. You guys didn’t need to come with me,” Elliot said.
    I studied his face.
    “I have no idea what Joey thought he heard the other day, but if there was cause for any concern, you know I would tell you.”
    “Why didn’t you want Joe to tell me what was going on? You told him you didn’t want me calling the police.”
    “I didn’t want him to give you the wrong idea, because I know you’re an officer of the court and so it’s your duty to inform the authorities if you think something is amiss. But they were just some punk kids, Marcus. If I couldn’t take care of it, I would have asked you.”
    I nodded, not believing a word of the rambling explanation.
    “You could be sleeping.” He smiled at me. “You guys really didn’t have to come with me.”
    “No, I know,” I covered, chuckling. “But I enjoy walking around down here, and this way you’ll take me for a beer before we head back, right?”
    “Absolutely.” His smile grew wider. “Why don’t you and Joe spend some time, just the two of you? I’ll answer some e-mail and check on the orders, and then I’ll meet you over at Dunbar’s in a couple of hours.”
    I agreed, and Joe and I headed out.
    “Shit,” he said, stopping suddenly on the sidewalk.
    “What?”
    “I forgot my scarf back there.” He made a noise of disgust. “Walk me back, ’kay?”
    “Course.” I smiled at how red the cold made his nose.
    “Stop it,” he grumbled. “I can hear you smiling, and I’m not cute.”
    “You can’t hear me smiling.” I sighed as my grin got bigger. “And you’re adorable.”
    “I am not.”
    But he so was. There were freckles across the bridge of the man’s small button nose; his lashes were so long and curly and thick that when his hair fell forward, it caught in them, and his smile was