get to know.”
Isabella smiled. “He doesn’t let a lot of people in, but those he does he treats really well. Tell him we’re gone, will you?”
After Nick and Isabella left, Charlotte went into the kitchen.
Joe was drinking a glass of orange juice and kicking a ragged tennis ball to Rufus.
“You don’t have to hide out anymore,” Charlotte said. “Isabella and Nick left, and they took the DVDs with them.”
“Good. Do you want something to drink?”
“No, thanks.” She tilted her head, considering his restless mood. “I had no idea you were such a dare-devil. I suppose it makes sense, though. You can’t be a coward and be a cop.”
“I was stupid back then. I thought I was invincible.”
“Most kids do. You were pretty hot, though. I bet a lot of girls had crushes on you.” She gave him a teasing smile to coax him out of his bad mood.
“I did all right.” And I’m still hot,” he teased back.
She smiled. “And cocky, too.”
He grinned. “Part of my charm.”
He was right about that. “So you and your dad worked on cars together, huh?”
“Yeah, every weekend for years. It was our thing. The garage was where we got away from the women. Where we talked about engines and horsepower and speed.”
“Man stuff,” she said with a grin.
“Oh, yeah. I loved speed. Whether it was a skateboard or a bike or a car, I liked to modify things so they went faster. That Mustang was the first car I ever drove. At sixteen, I was very cool—the envy of all my friends.”
“What happened to it?”
A shadow crossed his eyes. “I had to sell it.”
“Why?”
“For cash, why else?”
She didn’t like the way he avoided her gaze. “I don’t think that’s the whole story.”
He hesitated, then said, “I sold the Mustang to buy Rachel a bigger wedding ring on our fifth anniversary. The diamond was so small on the first one I gave her, you could barely see it. She wanted something more impressive, and I wanted to give it to her. She didn’t force me to sell the car. It was my choice.”
“Why are you so defensive about it?”
His lips drew in a tight line. “My friends thought I was a fool to sell that car. And my father didn’t speak to me for weeks. He was hurt. The car was something we’d built together. But you have to make choices sometimes. It wasn’t that big a deal. And who knows, maybe someday I’ll buy another old wreck and try to restore it.” He drew in a breath.“But we’ve gotten way off the subject—why you came over here tonight.”
“Oh, right. Pamela. I’m dying to know what you talked about.”
“Not much. She was cagey, far more interested in flirting with me than providing information.”
She stiffened. “She was flirting with you?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “You just said I was hot. Now you’re surprised someone hit on me?”
“I’m surprised Pamela hit on you. You’re investigating an attempted murder on her sister. I’d think she’d be more interested in how that was going.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He paused, a speculative gleam in his eyes. “Why do you let her get under your skin? You’re a successful doctor, Charlotte—smart, beautiful, with a ton of friends. Why do you care at all about her?”
“She reminds me of a time in my life I’d rather forget.”
“I’m all for you forgetting Andrew, but it’s not just his cheating you’re talking about, is it?” His gaze softened. “It’s the baby you lost.”
His words sent the old pain through her heart. “I don’t want to talk about that. She had nothing to do with that.”
“Didn’t you tell me that you slept with someone else after Andrew cheated on you, because you wanted to prove it didn’t matter? And that it could have been his baby as much as it could have been Andrew’s? You never said who he was, by the way.”
“And I’m never going to. None of that mattersanymore, Joe. I don’t know why we’re even talking about it.” She ran a hand through her hair,
Isabella smiled. “He doesn’t let a lot of people in, but those he does he treats really well. Tell him we’re gone, will you?”
After Nick and Isabella left, Charlotte went into the kitchen.
Joe was drinking a glass of orange juice and kicking a ragged tennis ball to Rufus.
“You don’t have to hide out anymore,” Charlotte said. “Isabella and Nick left, and they took the DVDs with them.”
“Good. Do you want something to drink?”
“No, thanks.” She tilted her head, considering his restless mood. “I had no idea you were such a dare-devil. I suppose it makes sense, though. You can’t be a coward and be a cop.”
“I was stupid back then. I thought I was invincible.”
“Most kids do. You were pretty hot, though. I bet a lot of girls had crushes on you.” She gave him a teasing smile to coax him out of his bad mood.
“I did all right.” And I’m still hot,” he teased back.
She smiled. “And cocky, too.”
He grinned. “Part of my charm.”
He was right about that. “So you and your dad worked on cars together, huh?”
“Yeah, every weekend for years. It was our thing. The garage was where we got away from the women. Where we talked about engines and horsepower and speed.”
“Man stuff,” she said with a grin.
“Oh, yeah. I loved speed. Whether it was a skateboard or a bike or a car, I liked to modify things so they went faster. That Mustang was the first car I ever drove. At sixteen, I was very cool—the envy of all my friends.”
“What happened to it?”
A shadow crossed his eyes. “I had to sell it.”
“Why?”
“For cash, why else?”
She didn’t like the way he avoided her gaze. “I don’t think that’s the whole story.”
He hesitated, then said, “I sold the Mustang to buy Rachel a bigger wedding ring on our fifth anniversary. The diamond was so small on the first one I gave her, you could barely see it. She wanted something more impressive, and I wanted to give it to her. She didn’t force me to sell the car. It was my choice.”
“Why are you so defensive about it?”
His lips drew in a tight line. “My friends thought I was a fool to sell that car. And my father didn’t speak to me for weeks. He was hurt. The car was something we’d built together. But you have to make choices sometimes. It wasn’t that big a deal. And who knows, maybe someday I’ll buy another old wreck and try to restore it.” He drew in a breath.“But we’ve gotten way off the subject—why you came over here tonight.”
“Oh, right. Pamela. I’m dying to know what you talked about.”
“Not much. She was cagey, far more interested in flirting with me than providing information.”
She stiffened. “She was flirting with you?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “You just said I was hot. Now you’re surprised someone hit on me?”
“I’m surprised Pamela hit on you. You’re investigating an attempted murder on her sister. I’d think she’d be more interested in how that was going.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He paused, a speculative gleam in his eyes. “Why do you let her get under your skin? You’re a successful doctor, Charlotte—smart, beautiful, with a ton of friends. Why do you care at all about her?”
“She reminds me of a time in my life I’d rather forget.”
“I’m all for you forgetting Andrew, but it’s not just his cheating you’re talking about, is it?” His gaze softened. “It’s the baby you lost.”
His words sent the old pain through her heart. “I don’t want to talk about that. She had nothing to do with that.”
“Didn’t you tell me that you slept with someone else after Andrew cheated on you, because you wanted to prove it didn’t matter? And that it could have been his baby as much as it could have been Andrew’s? You never said who he was, by the way.”
“And I’m never going to. None of that mattersanymore, Joe. I don’t know why we’re even talking about it.” She ran a hand through her hair,
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