[michime]

The men had no idea about Steve's internal monologue but they enjoyed the meal and thanked him for cooking. Will and John helped Steve clean up while Murrary went inside to set up for the card game. The old man had a proverbial skip in his step because finally the card game would be interesting.

Murray opened his door to Steve at 7 o'clock with a wide smile. "We don't play for money," he explained after they sat down at the table. John was already in his seat shuffling the cards and dividing the chips. "We decided a long time ago to play for meals. Whoever loses the most games makes dinner for the winner two nights a week. Sound like okay terms to you?"