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.Tony ordered Porter’s phone records pulled.Then, he’d taken another shot at Leigh Porter’s neighbors.House after house, he heard the same story.What a good woman she was.Friendly, outgoing, helpful.Active in her church.Adored her kids.Managed to keep all four of them on the straight and narrow, which wasn’t an easy task considering her no-good husband.The man liked to frequent the local bars and came home staggering—when he did come home.He was a nasty drunk.Had a mean temper.Slammed her around a couple of times.She drew the line the day one of their teenage sons tried to protect her and ended up with a broken arm for his trouble.Porter filed for divorce the next day.Right after she had him arrested.Unfortunately, that gave his number one suspect an ironclad alibi.When Leigh Porter disappeared and was murdered, her husband was in jail.The closer Tony got to Erin’s front door, the more relaxed he felt, almost like he was coming home.The feeling surprised him and his guard went up.He refused to have any feelings about this woman.Period.He rang the bell, peered through the side glass panels and grinned when he saw Tess approach.She opened the door and gestured him inside.“Detective Marino, what brings you here?”Tony stepped into the foyer.The long forgotten scent of home cooking caused his stomach to rumble and reminded him that he hadn’t eaten.“I’m a detective, ma’am.I followed the world’s most delectable aroma all the way from the station and, lo and behold, it led me right here.”Tess chuckled and led him into the kitchen.“Sit.You look like you’ve had a long day, lad.” Once he did, she placed a cup of her Irish coffee in front of him.He made a show of inhaling deeply before he took a sip.“Perfection.”A satisfied smile danced across Tess’s lips.“Surely, you’ll be staying for some of my ham and cabbage.”“I appreciate the offer, but I just stopped by for a minute.”“Nonsense.Don’t go insultin’ me.There’s plenty of food.I’ll just be settin’ another plate at the table.”“Who was at the door?”Erin stood in the doorway and Tony couldn’t suppress his response.She was a beautiful woman.And Christian or not, he was still human—and male.Wisps of wet auburn hair curled in tiny circles, framing her face.An undulating river of dark red fell over her shoulders and covered her chest.Her skin glistened.She looked like she’d just stepped out of a steam bath.Her green eyes widened when she met his gaze but the look of surprise quickly faded when Jack plowed into the back of her heels with his walker.“Ouch, Jack, watch what you’re doing.” Erin steadied the walker, allowed the child to pass her and then followed him into the room.“Detective Marino,” Jack yelled.“When did you get here?”“Just a minute ago, champ.” He directed his words to Jack, but his eyes never left Erin.He came to see the boy.But he couldn’t deny a strong pull to Jack’s mother, a tension that pulsated through his veins every time she entered a room.One temptation he was determined to ignore.“Tony’s joining us for dinner,” Tess said.“Set him a place at the table while I tend to the food.”Erin glanced his way.He shrugged and nodded his head toward Tess, indicating he was innocent.Once seated, Erin bowed her head to say grace before the meal.Dinner conversation flowed easily.Jack chattered nonstop about the field trip.And everyone laughed when he stage-whispered in Tony’s ear, loud enough for everyone to hear, that he wouldn’t mind if Tony wanted to play his dad again sometime.Erin joined the conversation, but she also seemed to enjoy sitting back and observing the interaction between Tess, Jack and himself.For the second time in as many weeks, Tony realized how much he enjoyed the feeling of being a part of this family and warning signs flashed through his mind.He had to get out of here.He pushed back his plate, patted his stomach and said, “Ms.O’Malley that was delicious.”“Tess, remember? Thank you, lad.” Tess picked up his empty plate and carried it to the sink.Erin leaned over and whispered, “The way to her heart is through her cooking.You’ll be gaining twenty pounds before you know it if you’re not careful.”Tony chuckled.“Thanks for the warning.”“Are you taking us to Disney World again?” Jack asked.“Sorry, champ.Not this time.” He lifted a bag from the floor by his chair.“But I did stop by for a reason.Recognize this?”Jack excitedly snatched the bag and looked inside.“My Mickey Mouse coloring book and my Lego kit.I’ve been looking all over for them.”Tony answered Erin’s unspoken question.“He left them on the backseat of my car.I’ve been tied up on a case and haven’t had a chance to return them.”“You didn’t happen to see my green scarf did you?”“The one that matches your eyes?” He smiled at the instant blush of color that tinged her cheeks.“Don’t tell me you lost it.” He pretended to be horrified.Before she could reply, Jack interrupted.“Can I open my Legos, Mom? Please?”Erin laughed.“Don’t give me that sad-eyed puppy dog look of yours.You’re going to turn into a manipulating little scamp if I’m not careful.” Mussing his hair, she said, “Play in the living room and make sure you pick up every piece before you get ready for bed.”“I’ll supervise the lad.” Tess removed the apron from her ample girth.“You sit and visit with your company.”“Alone, at last [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]