"All right."

"I'm doing fine on my own."

"If you say so."

As she watched Bonnie's eyes scan her face, full of affection and challenge, Charlotte felt the knot loosen in her chest. Bonnie Preston had lived a lot longer than she had. She'd stayed married to the same man for thirty-five years, raised two boys to adulthood, and was now a grandmother. She was a hard woman to fool.

"Okay, Bon. I do fine most of the time. But it's been kind of rough lately. There. I said it"

Bonnie's hand patted her knee. "Are you ever going to say anything to him?"

"Him who?"

Bonnie tilted back her head and laughed. "I'm referring to Mr. Male Stripper, honey. Juicy Joe Mills. The man you've not been able to stop thinking about for thirteen years." She grinned. "You know. Your new neighbor."

Charlotte blew out a breath and pulled her fleece jacket close to her chest. Springtime in southern Ohio could be as unpredictable as life itself-bright and balmy one day, biting and gray the next.

"Crazy weather," Charlotte said, attempting to change the subject.

Bonnie shook her head, smiling. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Now that made Charlotte laugh. There were just so many bad outcomes from which to choose, and she'd already imagined them all in detail.

"Well, let's see…" She put down her coffee mug and began counting on the fingers of her left hand. "One, he doesn't remember me and I'm completely humiliated, standing there saying things like, "Oh, come on now! Me? Naked? In the weeds? June 1991?'"

"I see what you mean."

"Or two, he does remember me and then tries to avoid me the whole time he lives here because he's always considered what happened between us a huge mistake."

Bonnie frowned. "Honey, I'm not sure any man on the planet would consider what happened between you two a mistake. I think hours of hot, anonymous sex is something men generally approve of."