Which he was currently frowning at, a deep groove etched in the center of his forehead. She clutched a dish towel, fighting the urge to press her lips to that groove, to see it smooth. To watch his shoulders relax.

And then to kiss him again.

Abruptly his gaze flicked right, to where Michael sat, the boy’s lips moving soundlessly as he read. Diesel opened his mouth as if to ask Michael a question, then snapped it shut, shaking his head before looking up to meet Dani’s eyes.

His were worried, and she wondered what he’d seen on his screen. It involved Michael, she was certain.

She clucked her tongue for Hawkeye, who sat next to Michael, leaning on the boy’s leg. Michael was absently stroking his head and Hawkeye was in heaven. The dog always seemed to know when the kids needed him. Michael wasn’t the first foster kid Hawkeye had glommed on to.

The dog immediately began to trot over, but Dani stopped him with a hand signal. “Bring your brush,” she told the dog, pleased when he ran from the room.

Michael’s eyes widened when Hawkeye reappeared with the brush carefully held between his teeth.

“Nice trick,” Diesel murmured, then added the signs for Michael.

“No bite marks in the wood, either,” Dani signed. “Good dog,” she praised, scratching Hawkeye’s back in the place that made his eyes close and his leg kick.

“Did you teach him?” Michael asked her, a grin lighting up his face.

“Yes,” she said, “but not by myself. One of our friends has a shelter. I got Hawkeye there when he was just a puppy. My friend helped train him. Delores is amazing. Maybe you can meet her.”

“I love dogs,” Michael said wistfully.

“Then you should definitely meet Delores.” Dani held out the brush. “Can you brush him? He loves it. But in the basement, if you don’t mind. If you do it up here, his hair goes everywhere, and I hate pulling it out of my dinner. There’s a TV down there. And an Xbox,” she added.

Again, his eyes widened. “I can play it?”

“Of course! Have fun.”

Michael took the brush and gestured for Hawkeye to follow him. When his footsteps quieted, Dani shut the door to the basement. “I don’t want him to see what we’re saying if he comes up more quietly than he went down.” She took the seat next to Diesel. “What have you found?”

“Stuff that doesn’t make any sense.” He pointed to his screen. “I started checking Michael’s stepfather’s finances when I was at the Ledger this afternoon.”

“I figured you had. Are you the private investigator that Rex Clausing mentioned? The one working for his law firm?”

“One of them.” Diesel hesitated. “I hacked into Brewer’s home network.”