That third time, it had been like he'd reached out through the universe and touched joy. That third time, Joe had made love to the woman and she'd made love to him.

Now, with the wind in his face and her at his side, he marveled at how young and stupid he'd been that day. He'd just stood there in the parking lot, so concerned about not showing his real feelings that he'd frozen. The big badass right out of Special Forces couldn't bring himself to ask the woman for her name again-let alone her number, her address, her date of birth, and whether she believed in love at first sight.

Instead, he'd grunted something unintelligible and was wondering how he was going to get out of there with his pride intact when she'd thrown herself at him, kissed him, and broken his tooth.

She'd raced out of that parking lot so damn fast that there'd been no time for an awkward good-bye. No time for any good-bye at all. Joe had just spit out his tooth chip into the loose gravel and forced himself not to look up at the license plate.

As he pulled into the Minton Little League parking lot and cut the engine, Joe ran his tongue over the chip in his tooth. He turned to see that she was watching him, smiling, her face radiant from the wind and sun, her hair a bit disheveled. He couldn't remember ever seeing anything as lovely in his whole life. Something about Charlotte made him believe in happiness. In miracles.

"You sure you're ready for this?"

Joe didn't know whether she was referring to snack bar duty or love, but one answer would work for both.

"I'm sure."

He held her hand as they walked toward the obnoxiously bright blue concession stand, its white aluminum shutters raised for business. Bonnie and Ned waved at them from inside as a faint aroma of hot grease wafted through the air.

Joe leaned down and whispered in Charlotte's ear, "I won't be able to keep my hands off you in there."

She looked at him sideways. "I was about to say the same thing."

"Gonna be a long night," he said with a sigh.

Charlotte laughed. "You have no idea."

"Four more number fours and two number fives!"

At that instant, Joe realized it was a good thing he'd gone into law enforcement and not fast-food management. His head was spinning.

"You hanging in there, Joe?" Ned looked over at him with an impish grin. "Only got two hours to go."

"Smooth and in the groove, Ned." He slapped four more burgers onto the open buns lined up on the wooden countertop.

Ned laughed. "And it pays just about as well as police work, doesn't it?"

Joe's brain buzzed in alarm, but he kept his eyes on the grill and his breath steady. So Ned knew, or at least suspected. Part of him wanted to believe that Ned was an ally. Part of him remembered Roger's warning not to lose his edge. There wasn't room for a single mistake now, not since he'd made up his mind to bring Charlotte and her kids into his life.

No mistakes. Ever.

"I suppose you'd know, Ned."

"Yeah, well, I hear the pay scale is a little better at the federal level."

Joe said nothing, thankful for the string of orders now being recited in Charlotte's melodious voice.

"I need a number one, three number fours, and a number two without the chili!"

"A number two without the chili is a number three, Charlotte," Ned mumbled.

"One three then," she said impatiently.

How did Ned know? What had Joe said or done to tip him off? Did it mean he had to leave Minton? Would Charlotte ever consent to go with him?

"Your secret is safe with me," Ned whispered over the hiss of the grill.

"And what secret is that?"

"Why don't we go for a beer sometime and talk about it? Is Friday good? Nine o'clock at the Creekside-you know where that is?"

"I've seen it."

"Good, then." Ned slapped his shoulder. "By the way, you're a natural at this. I'm impressed."

Joe took his time flipping the burgers, then turned slowly toward Ned, shooting him a look he'd perfected long ago. Ned's eyes widened and the older man tugged at the collar of his golf shirt.

"Now it's your turn to impress me, Chief Preston."

Ned swallowed and gave him a nod. "Duly noted."

The next two hours passed in a blur of burgers and buns and frozen bags of French fries and it had just occurred to Joe that he was dying of thirst when there was a little tap on his shoulder. Charlotte stood behind him, holding out a bottle of water.

It was the only touch he'd had from her since they walked in the place. So much for not being able to keep his hands off her-the only thing he'd had in his hands was frozen beef.

"Thank you for working so hard, Joe," she said, opening the bottle and handing it to him. "We get ninety percent of all our operating revenue from this concession stand. Did I tell you that?"

God, she was sweet And watching those pretty pink lips recite Little League fund-raising facts was making him hard. "You don't say?".

"Yes. So you are now officially a Minton Little League volunteer. Wanna serve on the board?"

"No." He couldn't take his eyes off her lips.

"You got a couple burgers about to combust back here, Joe." Ned didn't even try to hide the laugh in his voice.

"Right."

Joe rescued the orders and Charlotte went back to her post Moments later, he heard LoriSue's voice at the snack bar window, chatting with the women about the Little League's Web site or something.

"LoriSue is lookin' real good lately," Ned whispered. "I always suspected that woman could suck a golf ball through thirty feet of garden hose."

Joe roared-laughed so loud that everyone turned to look at him. And honest to God, he couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed like that.

Charlotte suddenly raced behind him, on her way to the back room for freezer pops, he overheard. Joe was feeling frisky. He was feeling happy. He handed Ned the spatula and ripped off his apron. "Take over for me for a minute, would you?" He didn't give him time to say no.

When Joe reached the back room, Charlotte was on tiptoe, leaning down into the chest freezer. Her little heart-shaped ass was displayed like a Valentine with his name on it. Joe shut the door softly and took a few silent steps toward her.

"Hey, dumplin'."

She gasped and tried to straighten up, but Joe flattened a hand on her spine. "Stay right there. I like you like this."

He felt Charlotte shiver under his palm. He felt the cold air rush from the well of the freezer around her body. He pressed into her behind and brought both hands to cup her breasts. Her nipples were little rocks in the cold.

"Joe…" The word was part plea and part moan.

"I know. I'm not usually one for public displays, either, but you make me crazy."

She looked back over her shoulder and smiled. "I feel how hard you are," she whispered.

He pinched her stiff little nipples, then relaxed his hands to cradle the weight of her breasts in his palms. He pushed her up against the freezer and moved his hips into her. "I want to take you like this. I haven't taken you like this-yet."

Charlotte's smile disappeared. Her expression grew serious and hot, and her lips trembled. "Oh God." She closed her eyes. "I want… I want…"

"I want it, too."

She shook her head. "I'm not sure you understand, Joe. I'm so… well… deprived that I'm afraid once I start I won't ever get enough."

"The potato chip scenario again."

"I'm afraid so."

"We're going to get along just fine."

"Joe? Do you take a multivitamin with iron every day?"

"I do."

"You're going to need it."

"Are you on the Pill?"

"No"

"Good. I want to have babies with you."

"Oh my God."

Joe immediately closed his eyes in horror-his DNA was speaking without his permission. The idea of bringing any more children into this situation should make him sick with fear-it's just that Charlotte made him want so much. She made it seem possible.