He stopped scheduling unnecessary dinners with investors.

When a meeting threatened to overlap with a school event, he asked whether it could move.

Sometimes it could not.

On those occasions he told Naomi early, made alternate plans, and kept the promises he could make.

One evening he came to the bakery after closing to speak with Frank.

The older man was wiping flour from a counter.

“I owe you an apology,” Preston said.

“For what?”