“Just peanut butter,” Ellie said. “When this batch is done, we were planning to go out and get a hamburger, then go to the library for storytime, then stop at the park on the way home and play in the fountain.”

“And feed the ducks!” Christina said.

“And feed the ducks.” Ellie chuckled deep in her throat and winked at the little girl she’d affectionately dubbed, “the granddaughter I’ll never have.”

“Can you come, too?” Christina asked her mother.

“I hope so. I’ll try to meet you there,” Tiffany promised, and gave her daughter a hug.

“You bring Unca Jay.”

“Him, too?”

“Yep.” Christina nodded her head sharply as if she called all the shots. “I like him.”

Ellie lifted a knowing brow. “So do I,” she said.

Me, too, Tiffany thought, but kept her feelings to herself. J.D. Santini was a pain. A sexy, intelligent, stubborn, pain in the backside. And she was falling in love with him.

As Christina turned back to the ball of dough on a flour-dusted cutting board, Tiffany dragged her thoughts away from her brother-in-law. “You said that one of the Dean boys was here. I assume it was Miles.”

“Whichever one is the older.” Ellie wiped her hands on the oversize apron that covered her clothes. “I never could keep those two straight.”

“Miles is a few years older than Laddy.”

“Then he’s the one. He came around here right after Stephen got through with summer school, I think. You know, I usually get along with kids—all kids, no matter how old they are. But that one, he makes me uncomfortable, let me tell you. Shifty-eyed, like he couldn’t tell the truth if his life depended on it.” Ellie picked up a spatula and wagged it under Tiffany’s nose. “That father of his is a no-account, I’m afraid. He’s been in and out of prison for as long as I can remember.”

“I know,” Tiffany said, fighting a headache that was pounding behind her eyes. “It’s not Miles’s fault that he’s got Ray Dean for a dad.”

“No, but it’s not your fault, either, and now he seems to be your problem all of a sudden.”

Tiffany couldn’t argue that point.

“Anyway, the two of them, Stephen and Miles, left a little while ago, but they’re supposed to be back by six.”

“Good.” She told herself not to be nervous. So Stephen was hanging out with Miles again. It wasn’t the end of the world. Or was it? When Stephen and Miles were together there was always trouble brewing.

The timer dinged and Ellie put on an oven mitt before removing a batch of cookies. “Okay, pumpkin, you and I, we’ve got ourselves a date.” She untied her apron and helped Christina from her chair. Aside from the one cookie sheet and Christina’s messy cutting board, the kitchen was clean.