They stopped at a diner where Daniel knew the owner and ordered soup and grilled cheese. Noah left half his soup untouched but carefully wrapped the extra crackers in a napkin for the ride. Daniel watched him struggle with the little package and offered help only when asked. He had spent years learning the difference between assisting a child and doing so much for him that the child never discovered what he could manage alone.
When they returned to Catherine's house at 1:15, Lily appeared at the kitchen window before the truck engine had stopped. Noah waved at her, and she came out with her notebook under one arm and an expression of determination on her face. She had clearly been thinking about the argument all morning. The two of them launched straight into fractions before Daniel had unloaded his second toolbox.
Catherine stood behind Lily in the doorway. Her eyes met Daniel's for a moment, and he could tell that she had not resolved the problem Richard had brought to her. Still, she looked relieved to hear Lily laughing again. The children disappeared inside, leaving the adults in the strange, quiet companionship that had begun to form around the work.
"Lily told me what she knows," Catherine said. "About the company. She asked harder questions than some of my investors."
"She's had practice watching you."
"She also told me you spoke to her."
"She asked me some questions. I tried not to give answers that belonged to you."
Catherine folded her arms. "I wish I knew how to stop trying to control every conversation."
"Maybe start by letting one finish differently than you planned."
She looked at him with a mixture of irritation and reluctant amusement. Then she walked back inside, leaving the door partly open. Daniel returned to his tools, reminding himself that he was there to finish a fence, not to untangle a family's life. A fence, at least, came with measurements and a visible finish line.
The work progressed well until late afternoon, when Richard's Mercedes appeared for a second time. He did not turn into the driveway immediately. He slowed near the gate, watched Daniel stretching the mesh along the new posts, and then came in. Daniel felt the shift in the air before the man opened his door.
Richard walked across the gravel with a deliberate smile. "Still here?"
"Finishing the agreed work," Daniel answered.
"Catherine likes to get her money's worth."
"I like to finish what I start."
Richard looked toward the kitchen window, where Lily and Noah were bent over a notebook. His expression tightened. "I see you've brought company."
"That's my son. Catherine said it was all right for him to be inside."
"Catherine has been making a lot of interesting decisions lately."
Daniel did not respond. Richard moved closer, lowering his voice in the manner of men who wanted to make a threat sound like friendly advice. "I've known her a long time. She gets vulnerable when a project falls apart. Suddenly everybody who's kind to her becomes necessary. You understand me?"
"I understand that I'm working on a fence," Daniel said. "Anything else is a conversation for Catherine."
"You're very careful with your words."
"I try to be."