“Mom bought them with cash at the shoe store on Main Street,” Ben said.

“With the sweet corn money we made on Tuesday.”

Mark looked at Ben’s shoes, then down at the gravel between his own leather loafers.

“You bought new shoes while refusing to settle an ordinary card balance,” Mark said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I bought my son shoes with cash I earned picking corn in the morning heat,” I said.

“While you were charging resort suites and steak dinners on my credit line.”