"I could do that," Jackson said.
"Hey, great. Let me know what it costs . . . "
Jackson lifted a hand. "No problem. I've got a friend with a frame shop."
"That's quite a chess set," Joe said, pointing to a low table by a bookcase. The pieces were hand carved and had a warm waxed shine. They were slightly larger than usual and looked as though they were meant to be handled.
"Jackson made those last winter," Kate said. "He just makes this stuff—like knitting or something." Jackson looked embarrassed. "Dad, how long are you going to be in Seattle?"
The question had been floating in the back of Joe's mind. The answer crystallized, "Not long." They waited for him to continue. "I don't know what I'm going to do, really, but I'm feeling jumpy. I'll let you know. You've got my e-mail address; I'll check in every so often." He wanted to keep his uncertainty away from Kate. It wasn't so much that he wanted to shield her, but more that he needed to confront the future unhindered by old patterns of relating and response.
"Stick around," Kate said. "The longer the better."
Jackson smiled neutrally. A good time to leave, Joe thought.
"Very nice to meet you, Jackson," he said. He hugged Kate and left, feeling that they were a good match.
On the way off the hill, he noticed the Caffe Ladro and remembered the woman in the bookstore. The next morning, he thought about checking out of the Edgewater, but he had no plan. He registered for another night and drove back to the Queen Anne district. He had a latte and a bagel in the Caffe Ladro and bought a T-shirt. He was hoping the woman would come in. Her name would be Moira; they would have an animated discussion which would reveal his fate. She didn't show. Must have been busy, probably making a lemon meringue pie.