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His dark hair wasn’t overly long Or short, either He reminded her of a citified cowboy, one ork boots instead of cowboy ones He was a contractor, she knew, and owned his own business, which had rave reviews online: a Better Business Bureau endorseistrar of Contractors

She’d had a busy afternoon

“Are you with ht to the opposite, drawing her eyes to the jeans that fit those legs well enough to star in a co manly

“I a, but for what you aren’t It’sto stop there, but for soh time that I don’t jump to conclusions” The last was true On every job Just not soation

“Do you fear you’re doing that here?” he asked, his glance changing fro “Because I can save you soe to lash out at my son Not in any way that could be considered abusive I’ve gotten impatient Spoken more sharply than I’d have liked I’ve raised my voice to him But I have never, ever lifted a hand to him or in any way trampled his spirit”

It was one of the better “I’d never do that” speeches she’d heard Maybe that hy she so badly wanted to believe him But s

he had to have more than a statement of innocence A four-year-old child’s life could be at stake

“How’d you break your arm?”

He blinked, stood up straight and uncrossed his arant expression of nonchalance

She didn’t blame him his defensiveness Nor could she let it keep her fro out what she had to know

“I fell off my bike,” he said

“See, now, that’s a lie” She probably shouldn’t have said the words aloud But she’d known instantly that he was lying For the first tilance

Or he was awith her

“No, I did,” he said,my older sister Went up a curb and flew over the handlebars I landed on my arm”

She believed him And where did that leave her? She’d been so certain a second ago that he was lying