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She didn’t look convinced, but ine bay “I’ll buy you a cup of coffee”

Five minutes later, they were seated at the kitchen table They each had a htful as she studied him

“You sure you want to do this?” she asked “It’s not going to be easy”

“Fool’s Gold is going to be s” While he found the Haycations interesting and looked forward to the challenge of starting a business, he was going to have too e and in a place where he wanted to put hi me seriously”

She nodded slowly “I would haveso special” She shrugged “I’oing to have to work harder than everyone else”

“I’ood with that”

“You’re really staying? You’re not going to complain it’s too difficult and head back to New York?”

He grinned “I already sold o back to”

“You have friends there”

“I have friends all over the world”

He sensed she was asking about soure out what If she was a different kind of wo on to hinored theently said no

He was thirty years old and he illing to ad with Diane There had been woht here, a weekend there But it wasn’t the saical He didn’t want any worked, but no one appealed

He leaned back in his chair and reminded himself that this was Charlie If she wanted him in her bed, she would ask Or at least offer to arames He respected that and her He also found the idea of Charlie in bed intriguing More so than any other offer had been in a while Not that she was offering But if she did

“I’ll do ive you a fair shot,” she said, rising to her feet

“Thank you”

He stood and took the hand she offered They shook

For a second he felt soht, shocked that after all this ti with a specific woman Before he could decide if he wanted to pursue said attraction, she was escorting hi him he would hear from the Battalion Chief within a couple of weeks Then he was standing on the sidewalk, staring at the fire station trying to figure out which was crazier Hiht to put his life on the line for free or being interested in a woht

“I’M SORRY, I’ and car keys “Don’t hate me”

Charlie laughed “I would never hate you and you’re not i”

“You sure?” Pia paused and sucked in a breath “I’m so late”

“Go”

“The twins are asleep and—”

Charlie physically pushed her toward the door “Peter will be home in the next few minutes I’ll explain what happened and stay here until you’re back He gets a snack There are freshly baked cookies on the cooling rack He can have two Get out before I’m forced to hurt you”

Pia soddess”

“If I had a nickel” Charlie pointed to the door “Out”

“Yes, ma’am”

Pia raced to the door Seconds later Charlie heard her car engine start

A little less than an hour ago, she’d received a call frootten about awith several vendors As the salespeople had all co had been i

Now she walked quietly into the twins’ rooirls

They were on their backs in cribs Wispy curls draped across foreheads Rosebudthe longing to wash over her

She’d always thought she was too grumpy a person to ever want children While she liked the idea of faht she would have one of her own But a few years ago, that had all started to change She’d found herself watching mothers with their children She’d volunteered to babysit a few tiram at the station

Earlier this year, she’d made the decision to have a child of her own A husband didn’t seem possible, but a child That was different

She knew that being in Fool’s Gold had changed her She’d been taken in and loved until she’d had no choice but to open her heart With that action had come the realization she had a child-size hole that needed filling

“I’ to have to fix the broken parts first,” she whispered to the sleeping girls A couple of o her friend Dakota had pointed out that until Charlie was healed, she shouldn’t take on a child Charlie had wanted to be pissed, yet she’d known her friend was right But after a decade of hiding, she wasn’t sure how to start healing Or she hadn’t been until a few days ago

Downstairs a door sla his backpack on a kitchen chair He saw her and grinned

“Hi, Charlie” He crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her

“Hey, kid Your ed him back, then ruffled his hair

“I guessed that when her car was gone”

“She had a ”

Peter was getting taller by the day Skinny, with bright red hair, he was so, he’d been a scared kid, abused by his foster father Raoul and Pia had adopted hinant with twins Now they were a loud, happy family

“She takes on toothe sa “Women do today”