Stranger in the House by Patricia MacDonald

then, when, you know, it happened.”
    “Yes,” said Edward. “Of course.”
    The man began to stare at him again, and Paul had the uneasy feeling that the man was sizing him up, as if he were an escaped criminal. Paul cast about desperately for something to say. His eyes fell on the boat in the pool. “Is that your boat?” he asked.
    “I have a workroom in that windmill over there,” Edward said, gesturing vaguely in the distance. “I’ve made models of some of the world’s greatest sailing vessels.”
    “Oh. Great,” said Paul, nodding miserably.
    The sound of a shrill, angry voice calling his name filled Paul with an unexpected relief. He and Edward both looked in the direction of the house and saw Tracy coming around the side toward the patio.
    Tracy glared at her brother. “Mom’s looking all over for you.”
    “I’m coming. I was just looking for my cat.”
    “I just passed him,” she said.
    “Hello, Tracy,” said Edward.
    “Hello, Mr. Stewart. You’d better get home.” Without another word, she turned and headed back around the house. Paul sighed and started to follow her.
    “I’ll see you later,” said Edward. Paul did not reply.
     
    Tracy stomped up the porch steps past her mother, who stood clutching the railing.
    “He was at the Stewarts’. He’s coming,” said Tracy as she slammed the screen door on her way into the house.
    Anna closed her eyes briefly, and her tense frame relaxed. “Thanks, Trace,” she said.
    Thomas came through the porch door, dragging his bag of golf clubs. He set them against the railing and began to examine them without looking at Anna.
    Anna watched him for a moment. “I replaced the iron,” she said.
    “So I see,” said Tom coolly. “Did you find Paul?”
    “He was next door. Tracy found him.”
    “Oh,” said Tom. He unzipped the pocket on his golf bag, fished around inside it, and pulled out a couple of loose golf balls. “What was he doing over there?”
    “I don’t know,” said Anna, leaning back against the railing and studying him. “When did Edward invite you to play golf?” she asked.
    “Yesterday. On the way home from the station. I forgot to mention it to you.”
    “I doubt Paul knows the first thing about golf,” she said.
    Thomas looked at her. “I’ll teach him,” he said.
    “I hope Edward doesn’t get exasperated with Paul slowing down the game.” Anna shrugged. “He’s not the most patient person…”
    Thomas smiled. “That’s for sure. But he seems very interested in Paul. He said he wanted us to be his guests at the club. Maybe Iris put him up to it.”
    “Probably,” Anna agreed, although she had trouble imagining Edward taking any of Iris’s suggestions. “We’re only going to play nine holes. I thought the boy might enjoy it.”
    Anna nodded. “I’m hoping we can all go to the beach later.”
    Thomas counted the tees in his hand and then put them back into the golf bag. “We can go this afternoon,” he said, “after we get back.”
    Anna smiled at him. “I think it’s great,” she said. “You and Paul doing something together.”
    Tom sighed. “I hope so,” he said.
    “Honey,” she said, “I’m sorry about last night. I meant to come up, but I guess I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the chair.”
    “It’s all right,” he said.
    “Today is a fresh start,” she said. She gave him a hug, and he returned it, holding on to her for a few moments after she had loosened her grip. She opened the door to the house and was about to go in when she saw Paul coming into the yard. She stopped and watched him as he walked slowly toward the house, murmuring to his pet.
    Suddenly, as he reached the grassy spot where the play yard used to be, he stopped. Anna saw the expression on his face change from one of confusion to a grimace. All at once he dropped the cat, and it landed in a crouch on the ground beside him. Paul clapped his hand to his forehead and kneaded his eyebrow with one hand as the frown on