Husband Under Construction. Karen Templeton

on more responsibility as much as an acknowledgement that he, and his brothers, already had.

      Gene met his gaze dead on. “You telling me I’m no longer necessary?”

      “Didn’t say that. But it’s been a long time since you were the sole decision maker—”

      “Maybe so. But you all, you’re…” His father made a circle with one hand, like he was searching for the right word. “Spokes of the same wheel. And a wheel’s nothing without an axle.”

      Smiling slightly, Noah got to his feet, checking to be sure his phone was in his jeans pocket before grabbing his jacket off the seat beside him. “Axle’s kind of pointless without the wheel, too, you know. This family, it’s a team. We got the whole working-together-for-the-common-good thing down. Nobody’s trying to put you out to pasture, okay? But I think, between us, we can keep things going for a couple of weeks while you take Mom on a second honeymoon.”

      “The cabinetry, though—that’s still the core of the business. The biggest moneymaker. Who’s gonna oversee that?”