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“Growth spurt, I expect,” Erin answered “I’d hoped to delay it, but I think I’ to have to start him on solids soon”

“You think putting hio to school” Sasha patted Erin’s hand, clearly understanding her reluctance to eive me the details What did the lawyer say?”

Erin skirted over the basics of the discussion she’d had “She’s going to do more research for me but feels it’s important to first establish that Ja with a trace of James’s DNA on it”

“It’s all very CSI, isn’t it?” Sasha said, her forehead wrinkling into a frown of concentration “You gave most of his stuff away, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, although I did keep the ih to understand There’s an old coat brush in aht hold a hair Aside fro”

Sasha reached across and gave Erin’s shoulder a squeeze “You’ll co Probably where you least expect it Have a little faith I’d better go Callfor, okay?”

Thinking she neededher for caring for Riley

“It’s no proble tiuy”

After Sasha had gone Erin put a quick lunch on a tray for Saently on the door to the roo intently at his laptop screen

“Lunch,” she said quietly “Where would you like me to put it?”

Sae of the desk, without so aze from the computer Erin did as he bade and turned to leave hi the door behind her when his voice stopped her in her tracks

“Erin, can you come back a moment?”

She turned and came back into the room “Is there a problem?”

“Yeah,” he said, his cool gray eyes lifting to meet hers “I’m sorry I was short with you It was rude of me”

“No problem,” she hastened to reassure him After all, he hadn’t coy soothed a bit of the sting of his earlier abruptness