She was silent and unmoving. The darkness gathered around them, and Joe took a second to scan the street. No one was out Her dog was nowhere to be seen. It was just the two of them in her driveway, under the basketball hoop, in the faint light coming from her upstairs windows.

He felt her shiver in his arms.

"You're wet and cold and you need to go inside.''

She nodded, and the slight movement sent a burst of scent into his nostrils. She smelled exactly like she had thirteen years ago. She felt the same. He'd finally found her.

And he'd likely never speak to her again, because he was leaving. And the sooner the better-for everyone.

The nipple under his palm was hard as a.40 caliber bullet, and he couldn't resist finding out what the other one was up to, so he dragged his hand across her little sports bra to find out. He felt her heart pound and her breath catch. Damn-her other nipple was just as tight and hard.

Her hand suddenly covered his own. Jt was soft and warm and pressed his palm with urgency against her breast, and it was the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced, and the last thing in the world he wanted.

With that single touch she'd told him everything. Yes, she remembered him. Yes, she wanted him, too.

"Oh, damn, Charlotte."

She whimpered in agreement, as if she somehow understood everything she couldn't know, why this was such an impossibly bad idea. Then Joe felt a hot droplet fall onto his fingers. Tears. Then he felt the subtle pressure of her butt. She was pushing back against him, fitting her hips against the front of his body, where she still fit perfectly.

He let his hand fall from her mouth and he spun her around to face him.

Those eyes looked back at him full of shock, confusion, and need. And he decided he'd go ahead and do it- just once-the one thing he'd longed to do since 19-fricking-91.

He kissed her. And the instant their lips touched, the kiss rocketed out of control. Everything went fierce and hot and deep and Charlotte was all over him and every single detail Joe thought he'd imagined was right there under his mouth as real as real could be-this perfect mix of sweet and sexual, this wild little redhead, this woman of his dreams.

He had to end the kiss. It was a mistake. Too much, too fast, too intense. But as Joe pulled away, her lips sought his. Her nails dug into his forearms as he tried to separate.

"Charlotte. No. Wait."

She looked as dazed as he felt. But he had to tell her this one thing while he had the chance. He was leaving, maybe as soon as tomorrow, but she needed to know he'd never forgotten her.

He grabbed her by her slippery, shapely shoulders and watched her struggle to focus on his face.

"I've thought about you every day for thirteen years," he said.

Her eyes flashed. She took a deep breath. Then she smiled at him with that pretty mouth and his knees wobbled.

"Can I tell you what I've thought about for thirteen years, Joe?"

Oh, man… He nodded, because he couldn't speak.

"I've thought about this-"

Her hot little hand landed on the front of his boxers. She cupped him through the soaking wet cotton, then stroked, moving her palm up the underside of his now record-book bulge.

Joe froze. His head buzzed from the staggering amount of pleasure in that touch. A storm blew through his heart. Never in his life had he been this surprised, or this torn. This couldn't happen. This was sheer stupidity.

This felt so damn right.

He managed to grasp her wrist, pull her hand away, and smile politely.

"I can't," he said.

"Oh God," she said.

Then Charlotte let out a moan of anguish and twisted away, running toward her house, leaving him in the driveway in wet boxers, aroused, perplexed, and sorely tempted to chase after her.

Some things never changed.

"Have you talked to him yet? He's been next door for a whole week!"

Charlotte shuddered, taking a quick peek at Bonnie before she tried to answer LoriSue's question. Not even Bonnie knew what an idiot she'd made of herself with the man in question. No one knew but Joe himself.

"We haven't spoken. Not really," Charlotte managed.

LoriSue took a sip of her coffee and raised her eyes to the house beyond the pine trees. "My God. If he were my neighbor, I'd have already brought him a little welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift… if you get my drift,"

"We get your drift," Bonnie said.

"Well, I can tell the man just puts it down in bed."

Charlotte's heart skipped at least two full beats.

"I only meant-" LoriSue laughed and waved her hand in die air, as if to shoo away the bluntness of her words. "Look. I've always had this theory that some men are put on this earth simply to make women happy. I know one when I see one. Joe Mills is one of them."

Charlotte stared at her brown leather sandals, feeling sweat dribble down her spine. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have thrown herself at him like that? She groped the man! Just reached right out and assaulted his person! He could file charges against her for a stunt like that! Oh God, if she ever saw Joe Mills again in her life, she'd probably die of shame.

"And Big Jimmy isn't one of the anointed?"

LoriSue laughed at Bonnie's inquiry. "Oh, I used to think Jimmy was a real babe." She tapped her long red acrylic nails on the side of her coffee cup. "Unfortunately, he's always thought so, too, and didn't want to deprive any woman in the greater Minton area of his charms."

"So what's the status of the divorce?" Bonnie was apparently on a roll with the nosy questions today, and LoriSue launched into a twenty-minute update on the couple's dueling attorneys, postponed court dates, and the apartment Jimmy had set up for himself in the basement.

"He's got a little fridge and his remote and his recliner, and being the bottom-dweller that he is, I think he could live there for the rest of his life. Not that I'll let him."

"But what do you say to each other in passing?" Bonnie shook her head. "I mean, isn't it weird to see him standing there in the kitchen, pouring his morning coffee?"

"No weirder than the' past sixteen years of marriage "

Charlotte was startled by LoriSue's next comment.

"I just don't understand how you've done it, Bonnie."

Bonnie laughed. "Done what?"

"Stayed happily married." LoriSue sighed, letting her gaze travel across the yard to where the kids were playing. "I honestly don't know how anybody does it."

The women sat at the outdoor table without speaking for a moment, the cacophony of Matthew's, Hank's, and Justin's voices filling in the silence.

Bonnie leaned back in her chair and cleared her throat. Charlotte could see the gears turning in her friend's head.

"It's never been very complicated for us, LoriSue." Bonnie?s voice was soft. "We just made the decision to love each other, no matter what. Raising the boys. Moves. Hard times. We just kept loving each other."

Charlotte looked over to see LoriSue's chin quivering and reached out to touch her hand.

"Well, there you go," LoriSue said brightly, offering them a big smile. "That's the difference between the Bettmyers and the Prestons, right there!" LoriSue slid her hand out from under Charlotte's. "Jimmy and I decided to give up on each other a long, long time ago. It didn't seem worth the effort anymore."

"Any more bananas left, Mrs. Tasker?"

Justin appeared behind his mother, and Charlotte was struck by the similarities in their features-all except the eyes. Behind the eye shadow and mascara, LoriSue's were tired and wary. Justin's were wide and bright. Were LoriSue's ever like her son's?

"In the fruit bowl, sweetie. Help yourself."