"It's better if you don't know the details. That's where the trust comes in" Joe had moved close behind her and whispered this in her ear, his hands cupping her hips. "The less you know, the safer everyone will be."

His hands stayed put as she spun around to face him. "What do you mean, safer? Who do you mean by everyone! Are you in some kind of danger? Are my kids?"

Joe kissed her hairline, ran little smooches down her temples, and nibbled on her ears. "I pissed off a few bad guys, is all. And I have to testify against them in court."

"Stop right there." Charlotte pushed him back enough to look at his face. 'They're after you? You came to Minton to hide from criminals of some kind?"

"Yes." My God, Joe! How bad are these guys?'

"Real bad." Will they find you?'

"They won't find me."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"What do you mean, pretty sure?"

"Yo." A small voice caused them to jolt away from each other.

Matt stood in the kitchen doorway in his jammies, studying them from under raised eyebrows and an uneven thatch of bed hair. He yawned. "Who won't find you, Joe?" He frowned. "Were you just kissing my mom or something?" Then he glanced at the now smoking griddle. "Can I have cereal instead?"

Matt ate another spoonful of Mega-Wheats and banana, keeping a real close eye on Joe.

The guy had obviously been chewing face with his mother, and there was a tiny place inside his heart that felt sad about that but a bigger place that smiled. Joe was outrageously cool. He knew better than to expect that he'd suddenly jump in and be his new dad, and Matt didn't want that anyway, but if his mom had to kiss somebody, he was glad it was Joe.

"You sure I can't talk you into a pancake or two?"

Matt smiled, remembering that his dad used to make pancakes on Sunday mornings-sometimes even the awesome fluffy, white ones. Matt looked at the stack Joe offered and shook his head. "No offense, but those things taste like hockey pucks even when they're not burnt."

Joe smiled at him. "I hear you, kid." Then he sit down, doused them in maple syrup, and took a few huge bites. "Your mom says they'll Roto-Rooter your insides, though."

Matt laughed, nearly choking on a mouthful of cereal. Joe was fimny, too. He.was all right. "So you like my mom, or what?"

He watched Joe dab at his mouth with a napkin and take a sip of coffee, the way grown-ups do when they're fishing for the "appropriate" way to say something.

"I like her a lot," Joe said.

Matt nodded, a little embarrassed that his thoughts had suddenly turned to Lisa Bertucci, of all people! But he figured it was because lately he'd wondered what it would feel like to kiss her-her cheek, not her mouth the way Mom and Joe probably kissed. No way would he ever do something as disgusting as that.

"Is that okay with you, Matt?"

Matt looked up tit Joe and wondered if he could bounce a few ideas off him. He wondered if Joe would mind. "That's cool with me. You know, I was kind of wondering…"

Joe raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"How exactly did you let Mom know you liked her? I mean, did you blurt it right out like, you know, 'I like you, Charlotte,' or what?"

Joe thought for a moment. "Basically, yes."

"And girls like to hear that crap?"

Joe cleared his throat. "Absolutely."

"Huh." Matt held up the bowl and slurped down the leftover soy milk.

"Is there a particular girl you're thinking about?"

Matt felt his face get hot. "What? No way. I just… well…" Matt got up and put his bowl in the sink, thinking maybe he ought to let out the truth. Who else was he going to rely on for advice? His mom? Justin? Ned? Yikes! "Actually, there is… sort of… this girl."

Joe leaned an arm over the back of the kitchen chair and gave his head a quick nod. "That's cool."

"Her name is Lisa. And I feel like such a dweeb when I see her, like my brain's broken or something. Is that normal?"

"It is, Matt. Happens to the best of us."

That was surprising news, and a big relief. "Did it happen to you with Mom?"

Joe laughed a little and took another big bite of hockey puck pancake. "At first, yes. I said and did some real stupid things, because your mom is so special and so pretty that I couldn't think straight."

Matt watched Joe go to the sink and rinse his plate and cup and stick it in the dishwasher.

"I think I'm doing a little better with your mom lately."

"Cool."

"Is Lisa special like that?"

Matt felt his heart slam in his chest. He didn't want to get all gross about it, but maybe Joe would understand. "Sorta. It's the weirdest thing, but when she walks past me, her breeze smells so good I have to close my eyes."

Matt felt Joe's hand come down soft on his shoulder.

"I feel you, man," Joe said.

Matt couldn't help but smile. Joe was even cooler than he thought. Maybe he could help him out with something else, too.

Just then, he heard his mom and Hank upstairs and knew it was now or never. "Hey, Joe?" Matt looked up at him, hoping like heck he'd take pity on him. "Can I ask you a really huge favor?"

Joe leaned over the lengthy to-do list sitting on the kitchen counter and figured this must be the kind of strategic challenge Charlotte faced every day.

He should probably go to th§ jeweler first Since he'd never bought an engagement ring in his life, he had no idea what he was doing and would have to rely on a knowledgeable salesperson. A jeweler's wet dream, no doubt- some love-struck doofus with an open wallet

If the ring wasn't exactly what Charlotte wanted, they could always return it It was the thought that counted, right? His heart jumped and he drew in a hiss of breath- God help him if she said no. It was a distinct possibility and he knew it

After the jeweler, he'd hit the wine shop for champagne. At least he knew what he was doing in that department-maybe a good vintage demi-sec or a nice blanc de noirs?

Next would be Wal-Mart for decorations and then the florist. Then Kroger's. Hejelt himself grow hard just reviewing the grocery list he'd made: spray cheese, crackers, grapes, chocolate, and strawberries. Oh, the things he had planned…

For insurance, he'd enlisted Bonnie to conveniently stop by Charlotte's the moment she came home with the kick from baseball. That way, Charlotte would have no excuse not to accept his invitation for a few munchies and anight swim.

Joe grinned to himself in ajnazement. Yes, this was spontaneous. Yes, this was completely insane. Yes, it felt utterly right.

But for all his enthusiastic planning, there was something he'd forgotten, he just knew it, and he tapped the felt pen against the pad of paper until he'd created a big black blob that began to seep into the fiber, spread just the way Steve's blood had soaked the pavement of the Denny's parking lot…

He jumped when the phone rang.

"You need to get an answering machine or a cell phone, Bellacera."

"If I wanted to talk, I would have called you."

Roger laughed. "You can run, but you can't hide."

'Why didn't you tell me about Jay Mauk?"

"Shit, Joe." Roger's voice went low and soft. -T)id Rich Baum give you the news?"

"Yes. Last week."

"I should have been the one to tell you. I'm sorry. I just didn't have anything concrete to pass on."

Joe let loose with a bitter laugh. "Like Guzman's men aren't the only possibility?"

"The witness statements are a mess. It happened so fast, we've got nothing much to go on."

"He was just a kid."

"It's been hard on all of us."

Joe nodded in silence, knowing that the Albuquerque field office had been dealt more than its share of loss in the last few months. It made him sick. Guzman made him sick with fury.