Public Displays Of Affection

Four Years Later

Charlotte stood up to her ankles in the chilly water, thinking that while her own life had been transformed, this little piece of the world hadn't changed a bit.

The same sycamores, maples, and oaks framed Pike Lake in a heavy green fringe. The familiar squish of the sandy bottom greeted her toes. The squeal of happy kids filled her ears.

They'd come home, and home had welcomed them back with open arms.

The mayor of Minton appeared at Charlotte's left side, Bonnie at her right.

"I have to stop sniveling," LoriSue said. "Mayors aren't supposed to cry."

Bonnie snorted. "Yeah, and until you, mayors weren't supposed to get bikini waxes, either."

LoriSue dug a polished toenail into the sand and slung an arm around Charlotte's waist. Bonnie added hers and the three women were linked.

"You look so beautiful, Charlotte," LoriSue said. "In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you look so beautiful. So happy."

Charlotte smiled at that assessment, pleased that what she felt inside showed on the outside, that the world could see she was comfortable in her own skin.

"I was thinking the same about you." Charlotte saw LoriSue blush, of all things.

"Thanks."

The women stood without speaking for a moment, observing what looked like half the town gathered for the picnic. Charlotte and Joe and the kids had been shocked when they arrived a half hour earlier, driving underneath a huge welcome home banner suspended between trees at the park entrance.

"Glad we're not trying to hide anymore," Joe had said dryly.

Charlotte looked at her friends. "It's really good to be back. I've missed all of you more than I can say."

Bonnie squeezed Charlotte and leaned in to whisper, "She looks just like Joe, you know."

The women smiled at two-year-old Tula Bellacera, propped on Matt's shoulders as he splashed his way along the lake edge. The little girl laughed and tugged on her brother's hair, her dark brown eyes sparkling with happiness.

Then Joe burst out of the water with a roar, and even the big kids screamed in surprise.

Charlotte could hardly believe her ears. "Good grief! It's bad enough that Justin is like seven feet tall now, but when did his voice change?"

LoriSue laughed. "A couple months ago-scared the bejesus out of me, let me tell you, because Rich was already at work and suddenly there was this man in my kitchen!" She shook her head. "And it was my little man."

Charlotte had missed so much, including LoriSue and Rich Baum's wedding, which occurred about a year after the kids were rescued and just a month after her divorce from Jimmy was finalized.

She'd also missed being there for Bonnie during Ned's triple bypass surgery, which happened right in the middle of the trial. Even if the DEA had let her return, she couldn't have. She'd had to stay in Maine with the kids while Joe was testifying in Dallas. Not to mention she was seven months pregnant with Tula at the time.

But she'd prayed for Ned every day. Looking at him now tossing a Frisbee with Hank in the sand, she was relieved to see that he was exactly the same man, just thirty pounds lighter on his feet.

"C'mon, Henrietta-can't you give it any more jazz than that?"

"Careful what you ask for, Ned." Hank put one hand on her hip and flicked her other wrist so that the disk bounced off the water and nearly scalped him.

"Still got it, I see," he said with a laugh.

They'd all stayed in contact through Rich, but the DEA had forbidden any direct communication between Charlotte and her family and friends until they determined it was safe. That had happened just six weeks ago, when Guzman died of cancer two years into his ninety-year federal prison sentence.

"Did you hear what Jimmy is up to these days?" LoriSue's blue eyes twinkled.

"Is he still doing missionary work in Guam?"

LoriSue laughed. "That lasted only a couple months after he let me buy him out of Sell-More. He's in cosmetology school now. He married Jolene down at the Hair You Are and they're opening a day spa in town."

Charlotte's mouth fell open.

"I hear he gives a killer pedicure," Bonnie said.

"I've got to hand it to him," LoriSue said. 'He's doing great with Justin, and that's all that matters to me."

"So when's the book coming out?" Bonnie asked. "Ned said something about Joe going on TV-is that true?"

Charlotte nodded, letting her gaze fall on her husband, the professional storyteller. While in Maine, Joe tried his hand at writing a suspense thriller based on his undercover years. He'd often told Charlotte it was his way of exorcising his demons, grieving for Steve and his family, and helping him get his head together about what he wanted to do next.

His therapy session ended up in the middle of a bidding war between New York publishers and was recently picked up for a movie option in Hollywood.

"It's being released in November, and yes, he's been asked to do a bunch of talk shows."

Charlotte felt it then, that familiar zing of appreciation she got every time she made eye contact with her husband, now striding out of the lake and moving toward the women, a wide grin on his face and a pair of soaking wet swim trunks clinging low on his hips.

"Good gracious, it suddenly got hot out here," LoriSue said.

"Somebody put some clothes on that man." Bonnie fanned herself.

"So was I right, or what?" LoriSue shot Charlotte a sideways glance. "Is Joe one of those men put on earth just to make women happy?"

Charlotte watched Joe move toward them, his cropped hair sticking up in wet spikes, his clean-shaven face brown with sun, his lean, hard body streaked with lake water.

The last four years had been a roller-coaster ride, but through it all Joe had amazed her with his love of life, his passion, and his steadfast devotion to her and the kids. He truly was her fantasy man.

"You were wrong, LoriSue." Charlotte held out her hand for Joe. She saw that familiar gleam in his eye and wondered if he'd dare kiss her in public-she sure hoped so.

"Wrong?" Bonnie and LoriSue said in unison, sounding so disappointed that Charlotte had to laugh.

"Joe's only here to make one woman happy-and that woman would be me."

Charlotte got the words out just before Joe flipped her up into his arms and carried her off into the lake, kissing the living hell out of her in front of God and everyone in Minton,Ohio.