He noticed the slight catch of her breath, the widening of her eyes, but the look of anticipation was quickly masked. “Why do I have a feeling this isn’t going to be something I want to hear?”

An older woman wearing oversize coveralls, a straw hat and gardening gloves appeared at the back door. Sunglasses covered her eyes and in one hand she held clippers and a bouquet of roses.

“I thought I heard voices,” she said as she shouldered open the screen door. She stopped short at the sight of J.D. “Oh, I didn’t know you had company.”

“Roberta Ellingsworth, this is my brother-in-law, "J.D. Santini.”

“Pleased to meet you.” J.D. offered his hand.

The woman chuckled as she, still holding the roses, extended her gloved fingers.

“You, too. Call me Ellie. Everyone does.”

“Ellie, then,” J.D. replied.

“I brought these in for you,” she said to Tiffany as she released J.D.’s hand.

Tiffany was already reaching for a vase. “Thanks. They’re lovely.”

“I helped pick them!” Christina announced.

“That you did, honey,” Ellie acknowledged, handing Tiffany the roses and winking at the little girl. “You were a big help.”

“So were you,” Tiffany said, sniffing the fragrant blooms. “Thanks for pinch-hitting with the kids.”

“Any time, honey, any time.”

“Would you like something to drink? I’ve got iced tea or coffee—”

“Oh, not right now, but I’ll take a rain check,” the older woman said, wiping her brow and lifting her sunglasses as if to peer at the strange man in Tiffany’s kitchen more closely. “It’s about time for my program.” Her eyebrows rose a fraction as she looked at J.D. “I try not to miss my soap.”

Tiffany grinned and her eyes sparkled with sudden merriment. “Don’t tell me—Derek’s evil twin has kidnapped him and is going to marry Samantha in his place.”

Ellie laughed. “Close enough, honey, close enough. On This Life Is Mine you never know what can happen. I’ll see you later.” She was peeling off her gardening gloves. “Nice meeting you,” she said to J.D. before leaving.

“My pleasure.” J.D. watched her slowly descend the steps, then round the corner to disappear from sight.

“Ellie watches the kids for me when I’m at work, and believe me, she’s an absolute godsend,” Tiffany said, her smile fading a bit, and then, as if she’d belatedly realized that she’d been a little blunt earlier, she added, “So how about you? I’ve got coffee or iced tea”

He shook his head.

“Something stronger?”

“Later, maybe.”

“Later?” she asked, her gaze moving to his duffel bag and her eyes narrowing enough that he noticed the curl of her eyelashes. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on staying?”

“For a while.”

She tensed. “How long a while?”

“Till I accomplish what I set out to do.”