THE NEXT MORNING, I sat on the patio with the sailing book Penny had loaned me, doing some last-minute studying. My first lesson began in a couple of hours, and I still didn’t know what a PFD was. Mrs. Moto helpfully jumped on the table and lay on the book. She stretched out on her back, obscuring the section on man-overboard drills.
While I scratched the calico’s belly, Ned came out of the office carrying a broom and dustpan. He started sweeping the patio, slowly making his way over to where I was sitting. He put the broom down and smiled at Mrs. Moto. “You better not let Nancy catch that cat out here.”
I returned Ned’s smile. “It’s so nice to see you back here!”
“It’s good to be back,” Ned said, sitting in one of the chairs and scratching behind Mrs. Moto’s ears.
“What exactly is it
