Bliss listened and chewed on her lip. “Unbelievable,” she said when Katie had finished. “What’re you going to do?”

“Talk to Josh and try to get him to accept Dave’s family. I was afraid that they might want custody or something, but I don’t think so. They just want to know their grandson.”

“Well, if there’s anything Mason or I can do, just call and let us know.”

“I will. But I think we’re okay, as long as Josh quits blaming me for not telling him the truth. This is my problem. I can handle it.” The words sounded much stronger than she felt, but she and Josh had weathered storms before; they’d get through this. “You know the old saying—something about that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

“Words to live by,” Bliss murmured and Katie changed the subject.

“Let’s get back to the baby,” she said, sliding into a chair at the table. “I think we should have the shower about a month before the blessed event. . . .” She threw herself into discussing the joyful topic at hand and turned her thoughts away from Ralph Sorenson and his interest in Josh right now. There was a chance that Josh knowing his paternal grandparents would be a blessing, but there was also the risk that it would turn into a disaster; that the Sorensons would become overbearing and insist upon being an integral part of his life. Katie told herself not to borrow trouble and was already mentally organizing the baby shower when the phone rang.

“I’d better get it,” she said to Bliss. “It could be Josh. This is his first day back at soccer practice.” She snagged the phone on the third ring and silently prayed that the caller wasn’t Ralph Sorenson again. “Hello?”

“I’m calling about the ad you ran in the paper.”

Her heart nearly leaped from her chest. For a second she’d wondered if the male voice on the other end of the line belonged to Isaac Wells.

“Yeah, I’m looking for a place to rent, so can you tell me more about the house?”

“Oh.” Her excitement dropped. But she couldn’t be disappointed, because she needed to rent her cottage. She gave the man a quick description of the house and grounds, quoted him the rent and terms, then asked his name.

“Ben Francis. I’m married, but me and the wife don’t have any kids yet. No pets, neither. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to see the place as soon as possible.”

“I could meet you there at—” She checked the clock over the stove, mentally calculated when Josh would be home, and said, “Around seven tonight if that works for you.”

There was a pause and for a reason she couldn’t name, Katie felt a moment of doubt, had the odd sensation that something wasn’t quite right.