Moving Forward - 8. Chapter 8

Almost a week had passed since the trip to Partners. Business was steady, and Marshall was too busy with work to worry about what had gone down in Tucker Falls. The bruises on his face had faded to a sickly green that was almost yellow. At least they didn’t hurt any more. Marshall chose to stay in the house while he healed. He didn’t think any of the neighbors would pry into his business, but he’d rather not have to make any awkward explanations in case someone did ask what happened to him. That wasn’t anything he wished to discuss with anyone other than Lee, or maybe Roy.

“I just got an email from Denver,” Lee said. They’d been working in companionable silence since lunch, each one focused on what he was doing.

Marshall glanced up from his computer screen. “Oh yeah? What’s up?” Was something else wrong, he wondered, something stemming from that night?

“You remember his cousin Dustin? Denver says Dustin’s got some kind of problem with his computer, and Denver told him that’s what we do. He wants to know will we take a look at it.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I said sure, we’d take a look.”

Marshall leaned back in his chair, remembering the pushy blond. At least that had been his dominant impression of Denver’s cousin, even though he had been grateful for his assistance at Partners. “Is he going to ship it to us?”

“Well, since he’s so close, he wondered could he drop it off.”

A chill finger of unease pushed at Marshall’s spine, but he couldn’t have said why. Maybe because clients didn’t come to the house, no matter what. That’s why there was the post office—and UPS and Fed Ex—to protect their privacy. His common sense insisted they knew Denver, and they’d already met his cousin. Where was the harm? “You didn’t say yes, did you?”

Lee’s expression was inscrutable as he studied Marshall’s face. “I suggested we meet the two of them for dinner at Milly’s. I didn’t think that would be a problem. Or am I wrong?”

“No, I guess that would be okay.” Marshall broke their mutual gaze first, dropping his eyes back to his screen. “When’s that going to be?”

“I dunno, waiting to hear back from him. I’m much obliged to him for stepping in the way he did.” Marshall knew Lee was being delicate, considerate of his feelings. “He seems like a nice guy, don’t you think?”

Marshall shrugged. “I guess.”

“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”

Something in Lee’s voice produced an unaccustomed warmth in Marshall’s cheeks. It took him a second to realize it was guilt. He was being an ungrateful little bastard, but he didn’t know why.

“You’re right, we should do that. Take them both to dinner. It’s the least we can do. It’ll be fine.” He forced a smile he wasn’t sure he felt, and he wasn’t sure Lee was buying it either. Damn, Lee knew him too well, and sometimes that was a liability.

As he watched, Lee began to rise. Oh oh, he was in for it now. Lee wasn’t going to let the matter rest, was he?

“You know, I think—”

But before he could state just what he thought, the doorbell interrupted. “I’ll get that.” Lee shot Marshall a look which clearly told him the matter wasn’t done with yet. To be continued.

Marshall heard the murmur of voices, then Lee quickly returned with a good-sized package in his hand and a smile on his face. At least for now, the subject had been shelved. Marshall felt grateful to whoever had shipped them this distraction. “That something we were expecting?” He ran through some of the parts they were expecting in his mind, and couldn’t come up with anything. He didn’t remember any customers that were supposed to be sending anything either. Maybe it was someone new who’d seen their Internet ad?

“We weren’t, but I was.”

Well, wasn’t that just all mysterious? And didn’t Lee just look like he’d done something he was particularly pleased about? Marshall’s curiosity was definitely piqued.

“You were, were you? You gonna let me keep wondering what that is or you gonna tell me?” Marshall grinned.

“I’m gonna do better than that, I’m gonna show you. C’mon to the bedroom. Bring a box cutter with you, I got this.” He headed in the direction of their bedroom without a backward glance.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Marshall grabbed a cutter from his work table and hastened after Lee. The package sat on their bed. He tried to sneak a peek at the return address, but Lee laid his hand on it, reaching out with the other hand for the box cutter. No sense in arguing. Obviously Lee intended to show him whatever it was. Marshall handed him the blade, and stood beside him, patiently waiting.

Lee slit the box open carefully. Marshall caught a glimpse of packing material, little plastic sleeves of air. They used those themselves to ship delicate parts. “Want me to save those?” he suggested. They re-used as much as they could, both for economic and environmental reasons.

“Good idea.” Lee handed him the strips of plastic and Marshall took them to the workroom and stored them with the others. By the time he returned to the bedroom, he was amazed to find a colorful collection of clothing spread across the bed.

“What’s all that?”

“Well, since we’re going on a cruise, I thought we should get some new clothes. You know… shorts and shirts. Swim suits.”

Swim suits? Marshall had never owned one of those. Generally, when they swam down at the pond, they wore their birthday suits, and that was more than fine with him. Of course that wouldn’t do on the ship.

“Long and short.” Lee pointed to a pile of swimwear. “For whatever mood you’re in.”

“You get some for yourself?”

“Of course. Wanna try these on?”