"It's yours if you want it."

"You're not writing today?"

Joe shrugged. "Not particularly inspired. At least not to write."

There was no mistaking the intensity of what was happening here. There would be no more fooling herself that she could devour just one heavenly piece of juicy Joe Mills and be satisfied. They were looking at all or nothing now, and she knew it.

Charlotte's gaze wandered out the window to her kids, slowly making their way up to the house. She did what any prudent mother would do.

"I won't have any time to spend with you today. I'm going to be busy." She hoped her voice sounded calm and assertive. She hoped her knees were not visibly shaking.

Joe nodded. "You certainly are a busy little beaver."

Charlotte didn't appreciate the double entendre… At least she didn't think she did. But if she didn't, why was she tingling between her legs? Why did she start to laugh?

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means-" Joe reached for her hand and brushed his thumb across her lifeline. "You're an extremely busy lady. You do everything in the world for your kids. You run around like a headless chicken every day."

Charlotte felt her spine stiffen and her jaw tighten. Was he criticizing her? "My children are the most important thing in my life."

Joe widened the sweep of his thumb to include the delicate inside of her wrist. Her whole body tingled from the contact "I really admire that about you."

"You do?"

"I do."

"You really want to help out today?"

"I really do" Joe's smile and expression mellowed. "Please let me, Charlotte."

That's when the kids and Hoover burst through the door and Joe dropped her hand and said, "Looks like it's showtime."

LoriSue charged in the front door of her house, knowing exactly where she'd find her husband. And sure enough, there he was, hoisting himself off the family room sofa, a chip bag falling to the carpet.

"Basement time again," he mumbled. "Have a nice day, LoriSue."

'Wait just a second, Jimmy. We need to talk."

On the thirty-second drive from Charlotte?s house, she'd made some decisions. Things were going to change for LoriSue Bettmyer, and they were going to change now.

"What is it, O eventually-to-be-ex-wife?" Jimmy shuffled past her to the basement door off the kitchen, clutching his chip bag.

"Would you please tell me what is so damn appealing about Charlotte Tasker?"

Jimmy guffawed. "For God's sake, LoriSue! Not this again!"

"I'm totally serious, Jimmy. Tell me "

He turned toward her and got a panicked look on his face. "I've never been with Charlotte Tasker."

It was LoriSue's turn to laugh. "Only because she won't have you. But that's not what I asked. I asked you what's so attractive about her."

Jimmy crossed his aims over his chest and leaned back against the basement doorjamb, frowning. "You want to know if I find her attractive?"

She nearly howled this time. "God, Jimmy! I've watched you drool over that woman for over a decade! What I want to know is why? What is it about her that draws men like flies to shit?"

"Ah," Jimmy said with a smirk. "This is about Joe Mills, isn't it?"

She stiffened. "What?"

"Come on, LoriSue. I saw the way your eyes lit up when that Rambo wannabe showed up at the snack bar. The way you poured on the charm."

"Stop it, Jimmy."

"I saw the way you reacted when he put the moves on Charlotte and went to sit with her in the stands."

"Oh? And I saw the way you reacted, too, Jimmy." She took a step closer to him. "It must really suck to see Joe just waltz right into town and take what you've wanted nearly a third of your life,"

A nasty smile creept across Jimmy's face. "Okay, LoriSue. You wanna know what's so hot about Charlotte Tasker?"

"Yes, I do,"

"She's every man's fantasy, that's all." The quiet reverence in her husband's voice didn't escape her. "She looks totally wholesome on the outside, but I can smell it. I can tell that deep down, with the right man, she'd be insatiable. And that's what is so hot about Charlotte Tasker. Any man would tell you the same thing."

LoriSue felt her mouth fall open. "That little mouse?"

"See, there you go, LoriSue. You see a mouse. I see an untapped nympho."

Her head spun. Maybe she'd gone about this backward. Maybe subtlety was the key. She hated to have to ask Jimmy this, but he did know her better than anyone. Sixteen years of marriage will do that to two people, for better or worse. "So I come on too strong? Is that what you're saying?"

Jimmy rose from the doorjamb and his eyes got big. "You're asking for my opinion about your sense of style?"

"Yes, I am."

"And you want the truth?"

She scowled at him. "Yes, I do."

"Well, yeah. Maybe you do come on too strong."

She tossed her head and jutted out her chin. "I thought you liked my look."

"I uh."

LoriSue let out a big sigh. of impatience. "Jesus, Jimmy. We're getting a divorce-and I've decided to let you have this house, by the way, so I can get on with my life-so just answer my question."

"I get the house?"

"I made an offer on that end-unit condo just listed over at The Lakes. I think they're going to take it and we'll be moving as soon as possible. Now, just dome do me a huge freakin' favor and tell me what you think of my look. I won't get mad."

Jimmy's face burned with suppressed glee. "I really get the house?"

"This place only reminds me of what a disaster our marriage has been. I want a fresh start for myself and for Justin."

"We haven't resolved the custody issue."

"I realize that."

"I want joint custody."

"We'll reach a mutually agreeable arrangement."

"And we haven't figured out how to divide ownership of the agency."

"We will. Just answer my question. Do you, or do you not, like my look?"

"I've never liked your dye job."

"What?" The exclamation came out so forcefully that LoriSue hurt her own ears. "You always told me you liked me as a blonde, you son of a bitch."

Jimmy shrugged. "I told you that because you seemed to like yourself as a blonde. I never really did."

"Well, I'll be damned."

"And your suits are about a size too small. It makes you look cheap."

LoriSue widened her stance. Put her hands on her hips. If she'd been wearing a gun holster, this was where she'd pull out her six-shooters.

She gave him a nasty little smile of her own. "You've let yourself go to pot, Jimmy. I fell in love with a fit and athletic man. Now you just sit in your recliner in the basement and eat chips and salsa and watch other men be fit and athletic on TV."

"I don't like your fake fingernails."

"I don't like the way you've tried to make it your personal vision quest to screw every woman in Minton."

"I wouldn't have been looking elsewhere if I'd gotten what I needed at home."

"Ha!" LoriSue leaned in and went nose-to-nose with him. She felt invigorated by this exchange. They were breaking new ground today, getting right to the point, and it felt wonderful. Hell. It felt empowering.

"You didn't even know what you had at home, you fool. You didn't deserve me."

Jimmy's eyes narrowed to slits. "You're exactly the opposite of Charlotte." He backed into the doorway to put some room between them and shook his head. "See, your outside says 'hot,' but I know better, LoriSue. You're an ice-cold bitch inside, and you always have been."

She didn't want to cry. She never cried. But that hurt. It was so unfair, and so inaccurate. And she felt so sad that her husband of so long knew so little about her.

"Look, LoriSue. We really need to get this divorce over with. I need to live aboveground again. I think I'm getting rickets from lack of sunlight"