“Spruce up, fella,” Shay said brightly. “We’re due at Ivy’s place for supper in an hour.”

Hank’s freckled face twisted into a grimace, then brightened. “Is Mitch going to be there?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you call Ivy and ask her?”

The babysitter picked up a blow dryer, switched it on and aimed it at her toes. The roar drove Hank to make his call from the kitchen.

By the time Sally had dried her toenails and gone home, Shay was through with her shower and wrapped in her bathrobe, carefully applying fresh mascara. Sensing Hank’s presence behind her, she asked, “Well? Is Mitch going to be there?”

Hank was silent for so long that Shay finally turned to look at him, mascara wand poised in midair. His lower lip was quivering and everything inside Shay leaped with alarm.

“He’s bringing a stupid girl!” Hank wailed.

Shay swallowed. “A girl?”

Hank nodded. “I called him up and told him off! I told him you were supposed to be his girl!”

“Oh, Lord,” Shay breathed, closing her eyes for a moment. “Hank, you shouldn’t have done that. You had no right.”

“I don’t care!” Hank shouted. “He’s just like my dad! He’s a creep!”

“Hank!”

Hank stormed into his bedroom and slammed the door and Shay knew it was useless to talk to him before he’d had a chance to calm down. She went into the living room and tried to make sense of what was happening.

Mitch and a girl? There had to be some misunderstanding. There had to be.

There was. Fifteen minutes after Hank’s outburst, there came a knock at the door. Shay opened it to find Mitch standing on the porch, a small, brown-eyed girl huddling shyly against his side. “This,” he said, “is the other woman.”

Shay smiled and stepped back. She hoped her relief didn’t show. “You must be Kelly,” she said to the child, helping her out of her coat.

Kelly nodded solemnly. “I’m seven,” she said.

“Where, may I ask,” Mitch drawled, “is the staunch defender of your honor as a woman?”

“In his room,” Shay answered, and as Mitch strode off to knock at Hank’s door, she offered Kelly her hand. “Would you like a cup of cocoa?”

“Yes, please.” Kelly’s dark eyes made a stunning contrast to her pale hair and they moved from side to side as Shay led her toward the kitchen. “Daddy said you had a real carousel horse,” she said. “I don’t see him around, though.”

Shay hid a smile. “I keep him at my office. We could stop there later, if you want.”

“I’d like that, thank you.” Kelly settled herself at the table and Shay felt a pang as she put milk on to heat for the cocoa. Her mother must be beautiful, she thought.

In a few minutes Mitch appeared in the doorway with a sheepish and somewhat sullen Hank at his side. “Another domestic crisis averted,” muttered the man.

“I don’t wanna go anywhere with any stupid girl,” added the boy.