Kate's timing couldn't have been worse. It was she who walked in and caught Sass and I with Jack. Obviously, we'd been so wrapped up in his story we'd failed to hear the family come home. And because of the muffling shields, I hadn't felt them, either.

Poor Kate looked very confused as her eyes traveled from me to Jack to Sassafras and back to me again.

"Whatever is going on?" Her voice trembled slightly, whole body shivering as she realized something was terribly ...