after Theresa was attacked speaks for itself. I hope you won’t let your friendship get in the way of your job, Chief. Or is there more between you and Charlotte than friendship?”
“I don’t let anything get in the way of my job. Where do you live now?”
She stiffened. “I have a place in Los Angeles.”
“How long are you planning to stay in Angel’s Bay?”
“As long as my sister needs me.”
“Were you invited to the New Year’s Eve party?”
Her gaze turned cool. “No, I wasn’t. But that’s not surprising; I don’t live here.”
“So geography was the only reason you didn’t get an invitation?” he queried.
“You’ll have to ask Theresa or Robert.”
“I will.”
“Fine. Now let’s talk about you,” she said with an interested smile. “When did you leave your wife?”
“Do you flirt with every man you meet?”
“Only the ones I might want.”
“You should stick with Andrew.”
“Well, I’ve never done it with a minister. Notthat it’s easy to think of Andrew in those terms. When I knew him, he was about as far from a saint as you could get.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“I could be persuaded. How badly do you want the information?”
Not badly enough to take her up on the invitation in her eyes. He got to his feet. “Thanks for the chat.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing, Chief.”
“I have a pretty good idea,” he said dryly.
Pamela might have played the boys in high school, but he wasn’t seventeen, and more important, he wasn’t a fool.
After leaving Kara’s, Charlotte drove past Joe’s house, debating whether she should stop. It was past seven, so it would be smarter to go home, touch base with her mother and Annie, and get ready for work tomorrow, but she was dying to know how Joe’s conversation with Pamela had gone. She didn’t want him to think she was stalking him, but in the end, her curiosity won out. She parked in front of his house and hurried up to the front door.
Rufus started barking, and she could hear voices inside. Was Pamela there? Her stomach turned over at that thought. She was just about to bail when the door opened. As Isabella and a barking Rufus greeted her, she smiled with relief.
“Charlotte. You’re just in time.”
“For what?” she asked as Rufus jumped up to smother her in wet kisses.
“Rufus, down,” Joe said firmly, grabbing hold of the dog’s collar and pulling him away from her. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.”
Joe had changed into worn jeans, his green T-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was damp as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.
“Come on in,” Isabella said. “We’re just about to start the movies.”
Charlotte stepped inside and nodded to Nick Hartley, who was walking down the hallway with a bowl of popcorn. “I don’t want to interrupt,” she said.
“You’re not interrupting at all. Is she, Joe?” Isabella gave her brother a pointed look.
Joe didn’t look quite as excited about her staying as his sister did. “Did you need to talk to me?”
“I did,” she began, but Isabella cut her off.
“You two can talk later. Nick and I only have a short time before we have to pick up Megan.” She grabbed Charlotte’s hand and pulled her into the living room. “You’re going to love this. I brought back home movies from L.A. to show Nick.”
No wonder Joe looked so uncomfortable. “Really?” she said, shooting him an amused look. “Any naked baby pictures of you in the mix?”
“God, I hope not,” he muttered.
They settled in the living room. Nick sat in the big armchair, Charlotte took a seat on the couch,and Joe sat next to her, Rufus at his feet. Isabella perched on the chair nearest the television, a box of DVDs on the table next to her.
“My sister Valerie had our old movies transferred to DVD, and she made copies for all of us,” she explained.
“That’s great,” Charlotte said. “I need to do that with my mom’s old
“I don’t let anything get in the way of my job. Where do you live now?”
She stiffened. “I have a place in Los Angeles.”
“How long are you planning to stay in Angel’s Bay?”
“As long as my sister needs me.”
“Were you invited to the New Year’s Eve party?”
Her gaze turned cool. “No, I wasn’t. But that’s not surprising; I don’t live here.”
“So geography was the only reason you didn’t get an invitation?” he queried.
“You’ll have to ask Theresa or Robert.”
“I will.”
“Fine. Now let’s talk about you,” she said with an interested smile. “When did you leave your wife?”
“Do you flirt with every man you meet?”
“Only the ones I might want.”
“You should stick with Andrew.”
“Well, I’ve never done it with a minister. Notthat it’s easy to think of Andrew in those terms. When I knew him, he was about as far from a saint as you could get.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“I could be persuaded. How badly do you want the information?”
Not badly enough to take her up on the invitation in her eyes. He got to his feet. “Thanks for the chat.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing, Chief.”
“I have a pretty good idea,” he said dryly.
Pamela might have played the boys in high school, but he wasn’t seventeen, and more important, he wasn’t a fool.
After leaving Kara’s, Charlotte drove past Joe’s house, debating whether she should stop. It was past seven, so it would be smarter to go home, touch base with her mother and Annie, and get ready for work tomorrow, but she was dying to know how Joe’s conversation with Pamela had gone. She didn’t want him to think she was stalking him, but in the end, her curiosity won out. She parked in front of his house and hurried up to the front door.
Rufus started barking, and she could hear voices inside. Was Pamela there? Her stomach turned over at that thought. She was just about to bail when the door opened. As Isabella and a barking Rufus greeted her, she smiled with relief.
“Charlotte. You’re just in time.”
“For what?” she asked as Rufus jumped up to smother her in wet kisses.
“Rufus, down,” Joe said firmly, grabbing hold of the dog’s collar and pulling him away from her. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.”
Joe had changed into worn jeans, his green T-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was damp as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.
“Come on in,” Isabella said. “We’re just about to start the movies.”
Charlotte stepped inside and nodded to Nick Hartley, who was walking down the hallway with a bowl of popcorn. “I don’t want to interrupt,” she said.
“You’re not interrupting at all. Is she, Joe?” Isabella gave her brother a pointed look.
Joe didn’t look quite as excited about her staying as his sister did. “Did you need to talk to me?”
“I did,” she began, but Isabella cut her off.
“You two can talk later. Nick and I only have a short time before we have to pick up Megan.” She grabbed Charlotte’s hand and pulled her into the living room. “You’re going to love this. I brought back home movies from L.A. to show Nick.”
No wonder Joe looked so uncomfortable. “Really?” she said, shooting him an amused look. “Any naked baby pictures of you in the mix?”
“God, I hope not,” he muttered.
They settled in the living room. Nick sat in the big armchair, Charlotte took a seat on the couch,and Joe sat next to her, Rufus at his feet. Isabella perched on the chair nearest the television, a box of DVDs on the table next to her.
“My sister Valerie had our old movies transferred to DVD, and she made copies for all of us,” she explained.
“That’s great,” Charlotte said. “I need to do that with my mom’s old
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