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“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.
“That would be good,” he finally agreed just as the timer on the oven dinged loudly, and Bliss, grabbing a pot holder lying on the counter, took over the duty of removing the steaming pan of savory chicken.
“Let me give you the address,” Katie offered, ready to rattle it off.
“No need. Got it this afternoon, from the sign on the front lawn.”
She hesitated. “But I thought you got the information from the paper.” Was it her always-overactive imagination or was something wrong here?
There was a beat of silence. “I did. Once I saw the sign, I checked out the ads in the Review to find out how much the rent was. Then I called you.”
“Oh.” Why the devil was she always so suspicious? “All right, Mr. Francis—”
“Ben.”
“Ben. I’ll see you there.”
She hung up slowly and read the questions in her half sister’s eyes. “Someone who wants to rent the old place,” she said thoughtfully.
“Someone you know?”
She shook her head.
“Ever heard of him before?”
“No, but before I hand over the keys, I’ll check his references.”
“Do that,” Bliss advised as she drew in a deep breath of fragrant steam escaping from the hot pan. “This—” she pointed at the pieces of chicken “—smells like heaven.”
“Does it?” Katie was pleased. “One of Mom’s old recipes. I’m really not much of a cook.” She winked at Dee Dee, who’d entered the kitchen, followed by Blue. “Don’t tell Josh. He hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Dee Dee giggled, and Blue, smelling the food, whined near the counter.
“Ever hopeful,” Katie observed.
Bliss drained her glass and scraped her chair back as a station wagon filled with rowdy boys pulled into the driveway. Blue barked excitedly, clamoring to be let outside as Josh climbed out of the fold-down third seat and waved to his teammates. His face was flushed, his hair matted with sweat, but he wasn’t limping.
“I think we’d better be taking off,” Bliss said. “Mason will be home soon, and, unlike you, Ms. Kinkaid, I don’t have dinner ready. I think it’ll be take-out Chinese.”
Dee Dee wrinkled her nose.
“Oh, come on,” Bliss said, giving the girl’s slim shoulders a hug as Josh shouldered open the door and dropped his soccer bag in the middle of the floor. “I bet you’ll like the fried shrimp.”
