"You don't have to become a different man in one holiday," she said.
"I wasn't planning to give you the satisfaction," he said, and then, quieter, "She was right about the polo shirt. Don't quote me. I'm tired."
"I won't quote you."
He looked at the porch, at the light Ruth had turned on for their leaving. "If the boiler goes, tell me before you tell a company. I might still be useless. I might not. I'd rather be asked than be the last to know."