Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

-A.A. Miln

"Your kids are going to hate me, " Dave maneuvered the car around the turn; they were two streets from her house. From the corner of his eye he watched her shoulders tense when they drove past the crash- site.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, thinking of how Aaron tried to force her out of the car before it caught fire. Just two nights after, there was no trace that it ever happened. It could have been a dream;if she didn't have the cast to prove it

"They will not,"she denied. "The city works fast," she said softly, "you can't even tell we were there."

He reached over and gave her thigh a gentle squeeze.

"I need you to lie to me and tell me I'm not about to be lynched by a bunch of teenagers."

"Paige is as prickly as a cactus,and she's crazy about you; but you already know that."

"She's crazy about the version of me that she's cooked up in her imagination. "

"Lucky for you, she isn't far off."

"If Paige is a cactus, prickly and strong; what about Paul and McKenzie? "

She closed her eyes briefly, her freshmen year of college botany drifted back to her. "In keeping with the plant analogy, Paul is my bonsai."

Dave nodded, "Delicate?"

"Temperamental," she said with a snort. "Fair warning, it takes him awhile to warm up to people."

"Great," Dave said with feigned confidence. He could profile criminals but normal teenagers were a whole new ballgame. The last thing he wanted was to lose any chance he had with Erin if her kids didn't like him. "What about McKenzie?"

Erin's eyes lit involuntary a ripple of happiness spread through her veins as her house came into view. The kids were outside, she could see Paul tossing a baseball in his glove and both her girls were knelt in the flower bed.

"She's my rose, beautiful and delicate but easy to please."

Dave pulled the car smoothly into Erin's driveway. An ambush of people circled the vehicle before he could park. Turning to the woman beside him he said, with a smile. "It looks like someone is happy to see you."

Erin smiled at the sight of her children through the window, Paul ventured nearer to the car and she sighed at the bags that marred the skin around his eyes.

" Move out of the way!" She said rolling down the window. The warm breeze filtered in against her face, the smell of sunshine and the sights and sound of her children, all three of them surrounding her. It was the perfect homecoming after two days away all she wanted was a shower and a decent meal.

The passenger door was pulled open and Erin was assaulted by arms around her neck. "Mom!" Paul buried his face in his mother's hair before she could unlatch her seatbelt.

"Easy, Baby I'm still sore-" Erin grimaced, hugging him tight with one arm.

"Sorry," he pulled away and moved so she could get out of the car.

"That's okay, Honey, Momma missed you too."

Paul grabbed the gift bag from the floorboard, "I'll get this."

He opened the door of the back seat and grabbed his mother's duffel bag. He snuck a peek inside the gift bag, the stuffed bear stared back at him. "Creepy," he mumbled and slammed the car door.

Dave stepped out of the car, the girls were already escorting Erin inside before he had the chance to introduce himself. Even his biggest fan forgot he was there where her mother was concerned.

"Tell me there's no more in the trunk," Paul said, with the duffel slung over his shoulder.

"Nope, you got it all," he reached for the bag, "want some help?"

"No thanks."

"I'm Dave, " he held out his hand.

"Funny," Paul gave a sardonic laugh, "Me too but most people call me Paul."

Dave pulled the front door open and held it.

"Paul," Erin cut in, "did you introduce yourself? "

Dave followed Erin's voice up the steps of the foyer and into the dining room.

"I have to take this upstairs, Mom," Paul protested, he brushed past Dave as if he was furniture.

"Leave it." Erin said, but Paul was halfway up the stairs.

"Ignore him," McKenzie said, perched on the wide arm of the sofa, with Erin between her and Paige; "he doesn't like anyone. "

"Nope," Paige agreed, turning towards her sister ,"David Rossi, meet my baby sister, McKenzie. That jerk upstairs is our brother, Paul and " she made a waving motion between Dave and Erin,"you're familiar with Mom."

"So," Paul stepped off the last step, "what are your intentions with my mother?"

"Paul!" Shocked and embarrassed, all three women spoke at once Dave caught the blush moving up Erin's neck.

"Calm down, Ladies, " Dave waved them off, "he's asked a good question."

"Did you send those chocolates?" McKenzie pipped in.

"Would flowers have been better?" He asked, looking directly at McKenzie.

She shook her head, with a grin. "Nope, four pounds of chocolate was just fine."

"Now," Dave took a seat in the lounge chair across from the sofa, "my intentions with your mother are simple. I love her very much and I want to be in her life as long as she'll let me."

"Mom," McKenzie squeaked she leaned over and said, "he does know we're a package deal, right?"

Erin nodded, "he knows."

"Do you drink? " Paul's gaze went hard, "because we don't need that."

"I have an occasional scotch after a bad case and I know your mom's in recovery; she's working really hard to stay sober and I won't jeopardize that."

"Do you smoke?"

"Cigars, sometimes, " he amended.

"Do you have kids?"

Sensing the next question Dave said, "I've been married and divorced three times with no living children, that I know of."

"That's enough, Paul. "Erin said sharply.

"Let him talk, Erin, how am I going to make the cut if he doesn't know anything about me?"

"One more and I'll stop."

"Lay it on me, Kid."

"Did you knock-up my mom?" Paul asked, his face cycling through various shades of red as he stared at the carpet.

"That's, " Dave blew out a breath, there was no way of putting it delicately. "That's a big question and, " he looked at Erin and Paige and McKenzie; whatever headway he'd made with them could be gone.

"A valid question, I'm not ashamed to admit that we didn't use protection."

"I knew it!" Paige said without heat. Erin chanced a glance at her eldest .

Paige smiled and said, "I knew it yesterday!" Her eyes flicked from her mother to Dave and back again, "you two suck at keeping secrets! "

Paul cleared his throat, "so...um..that clears that up."

"Any other questions? " Dave asked.

"I've got a question, " Erin said, turning to Paige, "who are you and what have you done with my bratty teenager?"

Paige shrugged, "same brat, different circumstances."

"No more teenage runaways?" Dave asked.

"I'll stick around awhile longer, " she joked.

"What about you, Paul?" Erin asked, "are you going to take off?"

Paul shook his head in the negative, "I'm staying." He looked at his younger sister, "you're not going to Dad's, are you Kenzie?"

"Nope," she made a show of stretching back on the sofa, "I kinda like where I am."

"I'm glad that's settled," Erin said, "I'm starving, who wants food?"

"I'll cook," Dave offered, "in fact I could use the practice,"

"We'll help, " McKenzie said sliding to her feet she headed to the kitchen.

"Good idea," Erin said, "show Dave where everything is and try not to burn anything. "

"We won't, " McKenzie called.

"You won't try or you won't burn anything?" Erin followed into the kitchen and pulled out a roll of beef from the refrigerator. "Ask Dave what he can do with this."

"We won't burn anything. " Paige took a seat at the counter, "promise."

"Good," a small yawn escaped her lips. "I'm going to take a nap." Mounting the stairs she glanced from her cast to the railing. Suddenly she realized that she couldn't grip the banister. "On the couch."

"I'll take care of dinner, " Dave said, he could feel three sets of eyes on him. "Do you have your phone?"

"It's upstairs, why?"

"Then that's where we're going. Take my arm."

"Dave-" she started to protest but the thought of her own bed overruled. She looped her arm through his and slowly, they started up the stairs.

McKenzie's chin rested on her hands, she was completely enamored by the sight of her mom with Dave.

"What's that look for? " Paul asked snidely; like a true older brother he didn't see what his sisters saw.

"Did you see how he looks at her?" McKenzie said, in awe. "It's like...something out of a romance movie.

"You mean a porno?" Paul snorted.

"Shut up, Paul! " Both his sisters swatted his shoulder. "Jeeze, I was just kidding, " he groaned, rubbing the offended spot.

"I wonder if Mom sees it."McKenzie said.

Paige shrugged, "probably not."