Highly Charged! by Joanne Rock Page A

an explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit. Some were on leave, while others had returned home after completing tours of duty. They insisted she join their game, their athletic builds promising certain humiliation for her limited skills. Was a sudden urge to read Wuthering Heights a plausible excuse?
    â€œCome on, Nikki, it’ll be fun,” grunted a six-feet-seven-inch behemoth with a pulsing forehead. How exactly was she getting out of dodging speeding missiles for the next hour or two?
    â€œNone of us are pros,” a majorly toned woman assured her as she spiked a perfect serve to the opposite corner. “We just play for fun.”
    The other players’ anxious glances at Nikki’s delicate frame belied this white lie. They were warriors who would fight like their lives depended on every point. Nikki would just get caught in the cross fire.
    Her rescue came from an unexpected source as the blond-haired child appeared at her leg, his sitter a few steps behind.
    â€œWanna build sand castles?”
    Nikki would have kissed Nate if she wasn’t sure she’dstick to him. Digging in wet, gritty sand never sounded so good. She assured his sitter she would take good care of him before she strolled down to the rolling surf. A few younger couples had laid out beach blankets here and one dad with a whistle around his neck and a lawn chair in the surf seemed to have appointed himself the unofficial lifeguard for the handful of kids in attendance. Rather than get her sundress dirty, she pulled it overhead, revealing a white bikini she should have replaced after inadvertently shrinking it. Under the bright, dipping sun and pink-veined sky, she felt far more exposed than when she’d tried it on in her shadowed bedroom. Fortunately, her companion was mostly interested in her ability to fashion model turrets.
    She knelt down and began scooping sand. The cool sea surged beneath her, complementing the balmy air. Nate’s chatter was as steady as the cawing seagulls.
    â€œLieutenant Brad and me go to the county fair every year. Do you like chickens? One time, we saw one with two heads, but Lieutenant Brad said it was made of rubber and not worth our nickel, even though it cost fifty cents to see it. I didn’t say nothing, seeing as he’s got medals and all, but he doesn’t know his numbers. I can count to a hundred, and backward, too. Want to hear? one hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight, ninetyseven…”
    The soft, salty air, the child’s babble and the mindless task of pushing sand lulled her into a relaxed state she hadn’t experienced in weeks. This was just what she’d needed after the vandalism at Chloe’s place. She smiled skyward with the sheer pleasure of being here, inthis peaceful moment. She glanced over at the maniacal battle raging on the court.
    Twenty yards away a shirtless Brad stretched up at the net, spiking the ball. Every glistening, sweat-coated muscle sparkled in sharp relief. His sculpted biceps, lats and pecs would have made Michelangelo weep. Nikki’s breath caught in her throat. So much for a peaceful moment. Brad turned to receive his teammates’ high fives for the game-winning point. But his hand froze in midair when he caught Nikki’s stare. She dropped her gaze and began plopping more sand on their blob of a castle. Could she have been any more obvious? Her mouth had probably watered like a damn spigot.
    â€œDon’t feel bad,” a soft voice beside her drawled. “All the ladies react that way to Brad.” Nikki looked up to see a lovely blonde wearing a blue Staples polo shirt and beige khaki pants.
    â€œMama!” screamed Nate, flinging himself heart, soul and sand-encrusted body into her arms. “You’re done work?”
    â€œFor today,” she said wearily. She began plucking Nate’s tentaclelike limbs from her. She gave up and smiled at Nikki, extending a hand.
    â€œAshley.”
    Nikki