Neil helped the caterer pack up the glasses, the crystal, the dishes. He carried, he lifted, he organized, and he moved stuff. He took down the decorations, set them in boxes, and put them out on the front deck faster than everything could be loaded into the vehicles. The food, mountains of it, had been moved into the kitchen, and someone else was putting it away. It could have been Laura, Diana, even Emily. Brad and Jed had offered to help, wanting him to talk, asking if he was okay until he finally barked, “Leave me alone!” Both had gestured in surrender and walked away.
Andy had watched him with that shrewd gaze from across the room, saying nothing. He’d stepped in when Neil was trying to take down one of the folding tables in the dining room and was having trouble finding the latch. H
