He shifted from one boot to the other and wiped his nose with the back of his left sleeve.

“Can I come in for a few minutes?” he asked quietly.

I stepped back into the entry and opened the door wider.

“Come on in,” I said.

Brandon stepped inside and stopped on the mat to wipe the wet soles of his boots before stepping onto the wooden floor.

He unbuttoned his canvas jacket, hung it over the wooden chair in the hall and followed me into the main room.

He didn’t look around at the little kitchen nook or the framed ocean prints along the wall.