She looked at him straight on, those intense gold eyes holding his for a second. He saw the beat of her pulse at the base of her throat and some of his suspicion melted. Maybe she was just an overworked single parent. “Thanks, but I can manage,” she said coolly as she carried Christina to the little bathroom tucked beneath the stairs. “I have the extra key, if you just give me a minute I’ll get it for you. It’s in my purse, in the kitchen. Why don’t you wait for me there—have some iced tea or . . . whatever is in the refrigerator.”

“Fair enough.” The scent of her perfume teased his nostrils as she closed the door behind her and his groin tightened at a sharp, poignant and oh-so-sensual memory. Don’t go there, Santini. Silently he called himself a blind fool, then strode to the kitchen. He nearly banged his head on one of the pots suspended over the cooking island and resisted temptation upon spying a plate of home-baked cookies that rested on the edge of the counter.

Christina let out a yelp. “Stop it, Mommy!” she cried, then he heard Tiffany’s voice, hushed and soothing, though he couldn’t make out the words.

Gritting his teeth, he opened the refrigerator, found a couple of bottles of beer tucked inside the door and pulled one of them out. What the hell was going on here? One kid was banged up and the other beaten to a pulp before being escorted home by the police. Despite all her intentions, good or not, Tiffany seemed to be sliding in the motherhood department.

He twisted off the cap and tossed it into the wastebasket under the sink.

“Owww, Mommy, that hurts!” Christina was admonishing, her voice trembling.

“Shh, honey, it’ll just sting for a minute.” Tiffany’s voice faded again. Disturbed, J.D. walked out the back door into the hot afternoon. The covered porch opened onto a wide backyard. A swing and two rocking chairs were pushed against the worn siding and planters filled with blossoming petunias, marigolds and some other flower he didn’t recognize, splashed color against the porch rail. A small foil pie plate had landed upside down on the top step and a spray of mud, flower petals and grass littered the walk.