Not that her mother would exercise any in this ca Caitlin added silently. But if necessary, she knew she could prevail on her lawyer to pull some strings.

Graham might not like it, but by marrying her, he had made this her fight as well as his.

And she didn't like to lose.

That much she ha gotten from her mother.

Jake's face was a mirror of confusion.

He looked from h father to the woman beside him.

She had a nice smile and liked her eyes.

But his mother had a nice smile, too, and s had left.

"Does that make you my mom?"

She tried to read in his eyes whether or not the id pleased him.

She had no more success than she had with h father.

"If you'd like me to be. I know that I'd like that v much."

He pressed his lips together, undecided.

"I'll think about it- Yes, she thought, he was Graham's son.

"Ben called," Lily said abruptly.

"He said you were to g down to the station as soon as you arrived.

Something about an arraignment."

He'd completely forgotten.

He was due in court at three.

Damn.

Graham placed Jake on the floor.

"Thanks."

He nodded at his mother.

He was leaving, she thought, a surge of panic washing over her before

she could stop it.

"I thought you called in for a personal day."

He hated to leave her like this, but maybe it was for the best.

Maybe she could settle in better without him.

"I did, but I forgot that Ben and I have to testify at an arraignment

this afternoon."

And he was going to be late if he didn't hurry.

"I'll see you all later tonight."

He paused at the door, looking at Caitlin.

She'd sounded almost eager when she had referred to this as a temporary arrangement just now.

He was right.

She really didn't want to be tied to this any more than he wanted to tie her to it.

It was a favor, nothing more.

He had to keep reminding himself of that.

"Good luck," he mouthed.

She nodded.

Big help he was.

The door closed and Caitlin stood, feeling nervous and deserted.

You askedfor this, she told herself.

She turned toward the others.

Jake was looking up at her.

But when she reached out to him, he suddenly.

ran off to his I room without a word and closed the door.

'the slam echoed through the house.

That left her and Graham's mother.

She looked toward the woman, hoping some sort of a bridge could be formed or at least begun.

Instead, the woman silently turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

"And then there was one," Caitlin murmured to herself.

Well, this was going great so far.

She felt as welcome as Custer riding into Little Big Horn.

Or as welcome as Graham had been on his first day at school, she

recalled.

With his dark good looks and his noble, defensive carriage, he had stood out in the crowd.

And stood apart.

If he could survive that, she could put up with this.

She looked around the living room.

Traces of his heritage, of his roots, were everywhere.

She found it someho touching that a handwoven blanket hung on the wall

with Colorado Rockies pennant beside it.

Time, that's all.

She was just going to need time to win them all over.

That, she mused, was giving herself a hell of a lot o credit.

She needed a friendly voice to talk to.

She thought o Kerry and went off in search of a telephone.

Wandering through the house, Caitlin found a wall phone in the kitchen.

She tapped out the number of the shop, glancin around.

There was a room off to the side.

Another bedroom, she guessed as the telephone on the other end rang.

Probably h mother's.

"Naughty But Nice, how may I help you?"

"Kerry?"

God, but it felt good to hear her friend's voice Caitlin wound the cord

around her fingers.