"Get me the hell out of here," Joe said as soon as his boss answered. "I don't care if it's North-fiickin'-Dakota. You gotta get me out of here."

Charlotte could not recall the last time LoriSue Bettmyer had been in her house. Probably the day of the funeral, but she couldn't be sure. The whole town had invaded her home that day, yet she'd been so numb she didn't recall a minute of it.

But here was LoriSue now, leaning up against Charlotte's kitchen counter in her tight little blue businesswoman suit, chatting with her and Bonnie like this was an everyday thing, munching on a carrot stick as friendly as could be. Charlotte had to concentrate doubly hard in order not to lop off a finger while she chopped zucchini, her eyes occasionally moving to Bonnie's face for confirmation of this strange occurrence.

"So we'd love to have you and the kids over for dinner one night, Charlotte. You know, to repay you for having Justin over here every once in a while."

Bonnie's eyes darted to Charlotte's, and she knew immediately what her friend longed to say: "Every week-night is more than once in a while."

Charlotte smiled to herself, knowing that the kid hadn't earned the nickname Justin-Time-for-Dinner for nothing.

"He's always welcome," Charlotte said. And she meant it. There was no point in being cruel to a little boy just because his parents were jerks. "You know, LoriSue, he really misses you and Jimmy. He says you've been working alot."

"Oh! It's been crazed, let me tell you! The market is megahot right now with the rock-bottom interest rates, and we're getting new listings left and right. The office is swamped."

Charlotte grabbed another zucchini and hacked off the end, wondering why some people even bothered to have children if they didn't spend time with them.