They ate and bickered over sleeping arrangements. He insisted on her taking the bed and he the couch, and she finally conceded just to shut him up. He was usually pretty easygoing, so on the rare occasions when he became argumentative, she just caved.

He rose and rinsed their bowls in the sink. "You have your choice of a movie or cards. There's nothing else to do."

"I can kick your butt at poker."

Grinning, he shook his head and went to a living room shelf. ...