“You sound like your sister.”

“I’m not a reporter, but I’m interested. Besides, it looks like we both have a little time to kill before Katie gets back.” She offered him a brilliant smile. “I feel kind of strange about sitting in her house waiting for her, but knowing Katie, she wouldn’t want it any other way.”

She heated coffee on the stove as Luke explained his plans. He was hesitant at first, didn’t know if he wanted his entire life exposed to a woman he barely knew, but Tiffany, like her dynamo of a half-sister, was easy to talk to. The difference was that this woman was calm and chuckled softly as she cradled her cup in her hands. Katie, on the other hand, was a bundle of energy and would have dominated the conversation while doing a dozen other things.

Tiffany asked questions, made a few jokes, and generally kept the conversation rolling as the minutes ticked by. The boys returned, the wheels of their skateboards grinding on the concrete. Hastily they constructed a jump out of some two-by-fours and plywood, and immediately took to their boards to practice becoming airborne.

“I hope they don’t break their necks,” Tiffany said looking worried.

“They’ll be fine.”

“But Josh is still recovering from spraining his ankle.” She started to yell something out the window, thought better of it and held her tongue. “Once a mother, always a mother.”

“I hear it’s a hard habit to break.”

“The hardest.” They laughed and watched the boys through the window and Luke checked his watch for the dozenth time. He was starting to feel antsy, though he had no reason. His talk with Katie could wait.

“So, I wonder what’s keeping her?” Tiffany finally asked as Luke finished his second cup of coffee. He’d been in the house nearly an hour. “It’s odd that she’d leave Josh alone so long.” She sighed and lifted a shoulder. “Maybe she had to go to the store.” She scraped back her chair, walked to the sink and placed her cup under the faucet. “If Katie doesn’t show up soon, I’ll have to leave her a note.”

“I could take a message,” Luke said automatically, but he was starting to get that same damned feeling of anxiety he’d had before when she lived in the other place and she’d been receiving the crank phone calls. Don’t overreact, he told himself, but found it impossible whenever Katie was concerned. He couldn’t do anything but wait.

The phone jangled and they both jumped. “It could be Katie,” Tiffany said, glancing to the backyard. “She might be calling Josh to explain why she’s late.” For some reason he couldn’t explain, the muscles in Luke’s back tightened and he snagged the receiver before it had time to ring again. “Kinkaid residence.”