Ruth had excused herself, begging the need for a nap. Keri figured, more than fatigue, the woman just couldn’t stand Raven’s obvious disapproval and Keri’s sullen silence one more minute. Who could blame her? Pulling a freshly baked pumpkin pie from the oven, Keri could take no pleasure in the wonderful aroma steaming from the dessert. For the second time in one day, Josh had been about to tell her something important. At least Keri felt it was important and would be relevant to the case. Twice Justin had intervened. Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe a little too much to be coincidence. He’d made a point of staying with Josh after she’d caught him red-handed eavesdropping on her conversation with the boy. Now they were snuggled together on the couch, Josh wrapped up in a blanket and nestled on his father’s lap. A sight that might have melted every defense in Keri’s mind and heart if not for the niggling suspicion that Justin was purposely keeping her away from Josh. Suppressing a growl, she dropped the pie onto a cooling rack on the counter.
