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well.
    ***
    Already late, Gray sipped his hot coffee as he hurried to the door. Who could be ringing the bell at this hour of the morning?
    He flipped the deadbolt and pulled the door open, then stifled a groan. He should have guessed. Andie Bowen.
    Would she ever leave him alone? At the rate she was messing up his schedule, he’d never get to work on time. Never mind how she was messing up his schedule to finish the house.
    “Good morning, Mr. Mills. I wondered if I could speak with you for a moment.”
    “It’s a little early for a social call, wouldn’t you say, Mrs. Bowen?” He purposely hung on to the door and stood in the opening. “But since we’re chatting, why don’t you call me Gray?”
    “It’s Ms. Bowen, or Andie and I know it’s early...”
    She ran a hand through her long hair and pushed it off her face. For the first time he noticed the dark smudges under her eyes. She looked as if she’d slept as little as he had.
    “...but I had to catch you before you left for work.” She looked around him. “Can I come in for a minute?” She was glowing with intensity.
    “Sure, why not?” He pulled open the door and stepped out of the way. She probably wouldn’t leave until she got what she wanted. If she started to harass him about that incident yesterday he was going to raise a ruckus of his own. If she couldn’t keep a better eye on her kids, she didn’t deserve to have them. And he was more than willing to start squawking if she didn’t shape up.
    She hurried past him and almost ran into the living room, stopping at the coffee table. She picked up his cherry red model and turned to him. “Was this here yesterday?”
    “Careful with that, it’s old.” He took it from her and turned it over in his hands. “It’s always on the table. I don’t keep many of them here - most of them are put away.” When he found a place to stay – if such a place existed – he’d bring them from storage.
    “You’re sure?”
    Didn’t she think he knew what was in his house? “I’m sure.”
    A smile relaxed her face and pushed the exhaustion from her eyes as her shoulders settled. “That’s great. Thanks.”
    She turned to step around him on her way back to the door.
    “Wait a minute. Why did you want to know about the model?” he asked, his body again blocking her way.
    “I missed it yesterday, but when we were discussing Chloe, Jamie actually came in here to look at it.”
    “So?” He shrugged. “Most boys are interested in models – especially ones of race cars.”
    She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Jamie’s only been with me a month and he’s barely left my side in all that time. And never on his own to check out something in a new place.”
    When he didn’t respond, the look on her face stated categorically she thought he was an idiot. She spoke slowly. “The model was interesting enough to him that he checked it out. Even though he was in a strange house.”
    “Nothing strange about a little boy liking models.” He looked down at the first one he’d completed. “I think all boys love them.” He ran his hand over the fifty-six Chevy, feeling the gobs of excess glue and poorly shaved pieces while remembering how Pops had praised his efforts. It had been the start of something special between them.
    “This little boy hasn’t had much of anything to like, Gray. Since he was abandoned by his mother and his grandmother died, he’s been alone in the world. I’m his third home in three months, although I’m determined to be his last. In all this time, he hasn’t shown a spark of interest in anything. Until yesterday.”
    The intensity and passion in her voice were unmistakable. And arousing. He wondered what else his neighbor was passionate about. What would she be like in bed?
    Whoa. We aren’t going there. Not at all, he reminded himself. Then he realized what she’d said.
    “Nothing? Abandoned? Grandmother died? What are you talking about?” He felt as if he’d