BOOK 5

If he was ‘smitten’, Cliff took great care not to let it show for the rest of the weekend. Though he agreed to stay in one of the spare rooms that had been finished and furnished since his first visit, Lynne knew without having to be told that he — and she — would both be sleeping alone Saturday and Sunday nights.

Taylor was delighted with both the gifts Cliff had brought, and equally pleased by the expert help he could provide. The fanlight, installed in the front door, sent great splashes of rainbow color across the deep shine of the hardwood floor in the foyer.

The two men spent the rest of the afternoon and even an hour after dinner hard at work, cutting, fitting, nailing, discussing, while Lynne and Ann did finishing work, sanding, painting, and even wallpapered one bathroom.

Despite the busy schedule, Lynne was not deprived of time with her niece who was now making her first, all-too-successful attempts at crawling, and was very proud of herself, not to mention very apt to ge