“I’m assuming that the children I’ve sworn to protect and serve are safely supervised?” she asked by way of reply. “And Wheezy?”

Spencer jerked a thumb at the window. “They’re fine. My dad is showing them the puppies. They’ll be entertained for at least the next hour.” He hesitated. “I should have warned you, Ruby, but I didn’t know she was going to pounce like that. My mom, she’s… That is… She’s not—”

“Relax. I didn’t say anything incriminating.”

She drew closer so she could peer through the window to the attached room. Sure enough, all of the creatures under her charge were in there. Like her current surroundings, there was something comfortable and lived-in about the space, although with a lot less furniture and a lot more Astroturf. All three of the boys were lying on their stomachs with their heads propped on their hands, watching as a bundle of squirming puppies thronged around an exhausted-looking mother. Wheezy looked equally relaxed. Like the dog who’d recently given life to nine babies, he’d collapsed into an exhausted heap.

“I’ve never seen them so quiet,” she said with a nod toward the boys. “Your dad must be magic.”

“He is. Both my parents are.”

She could feel Spencer shift to face her and braced herself for more.

“I know I probably sound obsessed, but you don’t understand,” he said. “My parents worry about Caleb—more than anyone should about a thirty-year-old man, but it’s always been that way. He’s not good at keeping in touch, so it falls to me to keep them posted. I’m sure you had the best of intentions, but I need to know what you said to my mom so I can run interference—”

When she interrupted him this time, she was careful to put a hand on his forearm and squeeze first. “Spencer, I know. I’m not as stupid as I look. I could tell that she was worried about him and needed reassuring. So that’s what I did. I reassured her.”

“You did?”

She nodded. “If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s handling neurotic mothers. I told her about the barbecues with Eva’s family and how much fun he’s had training Wheezy and that I’m very sorry, but I won’t fall in love with him and whip him into shape as a personal favor to her.” She laughed. “Of everything, I think that one hurt her the most. She sounds as though she’d really like to be a grandmother.”

Spencer stared, first at her hand and then at her face, studying it as he would a map.

“You’re good at a lot of things,” he said. “And I never said you look stupid.”