"I'll think about that. I'm not sure when I'll be going or how long
I'll be. Depends on when I can get a cheap ticket and what happens."
"I would stay at least a week or two. You might as well make a trip of it while you're at it."
"I'll call one of those professional cat-sitter people—unless you know someone who might want to live here for a couple of weeks?"
Arlen rubbed one of his cowboy boots. "Porter might like that. His situation at the moment is—tenuous."
"Porter?"
"I'll ask him if you like," Arlen said. "He might be up for some peace and quiet. Porter is trustworthy."
"Any friend of yours . . ."
"I'll ask," Arlen said.
"O.K., thanks." Oliver sipped whiskey. "My stepfather was a good guy.
He drowned—nearly twenty years ago."
"I'm sorry. Fathers can be bad, too, you know."