"What were the city's fathers thinking?" Jake asked, confounded by the differences in the map he'd purchased and the new stretch of highway he'd encountered. "This street has changed names three times, and there's no sign of this highway on my map."

"Welcome to one of the great mysteries of the universe," Josephine informed him, grinning mischievously. "Want any hints?"

Jake shot her a considering look. "How much is it going to cost me?"

Jo gave him a look, then smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be something you can afford."

"But will I enjoy paying for it?" Jake asked her. Then, "On second thought. I'm sure I will. Clue me."

Josephine winked at him. "This way, slave." She pointed to the right, toward the onramp to the Interstate. "I'm sure I'll think of suitable punishment."

Jake laughed and steered the vehicle in that direction. "You seem to know this city pretty well. Have you lived here long? I keep hearing about how much the area has grown and is still growing."

Jo shrugged. "It has changed a lot. Can't say that I'm much for all of the changes, but I've learned to live with them."

"So you grew up here?"

"Mostly, yeah. Not too far from this very Interstate actually. My mom and I had a little house that was leveled not too long ago for airport expansion."

"So is your mom the one who taught you that men are just overgrown cavemen of the new millennium?"

Josephine laughed. "Not hardly. Well, maybe, but not the way you think. My mother and I are polar opposites. If you visited her, she'd have you lifting and moving stuff in no time."

"Sounds like caveman with a different spin," Jake teased, then feigning a Tarzan voice. "I Igor. I move stuff for you."

"Okay, Igor. How about moving into the left lane?" Jo dimpled at him.

"Anything." Jake grinned at her. "So, is that what happened? You're the un-your-mother?"

Josephine's expression became serious. Jake had hit the nail on the head, but she didn't necessarily want to admit it. Her relationship with her mother wasn't anyone else's business. Least of all Jake McGregor.

Jake raised a hand in surrender. "Sorry," he apologized with a smile. "Didn't mean to get too personal."

Jo found herself returning his smile. She didn't want a repeat of the tenseness that had occurred in her apartment. "I'm an independent woman," she said. "A terrifying concept to today's caveman."

"I'll admit that you are scary," Jake said. "But not because you're independent."

Jo looked at him curiously. That he was smiling, there was a seriousness in his expression. "How'm I scary?"

"Promise not to get mad?"

"You're kidding? I'm not taking any deal like that. I reserve the right to get thoroughly ticked off."

Jake laughed. "After that statement, I can't believe you have to ask."

"Tell me," Jo said determinedly. "Or I'll leave you to wander the city until the Awfully Darn Careful map people decide to come looking for you."

"Uncle!" Jake proclaimed. "Okay. I'll tell you." He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "You sure you don't want to give me a running start?"

"You're going to need one if you don't tell me now."

"All right. All right." He peered through the windshield at the shopping center that appeared on the right. "Is this the place?"

Josephine glanced up, surprised that they had arrived so quickly. She had been too absorbed in her companion. Just another situation effected by bio-chemistry. She enjoyed Jake's company, it was only natural that time would seem to pass more quickly. "Yeah, this is it."

Jake pulled the car into a parking space while remaining maddeningly silent. Shutting off the ignition, he turned to her and began to speak.

"You're scary because. . . because I want to get to know you, to come to understand you. I want to be your friend, but I've got a feeling that you're going to say no."

"It's so important to you that we be friends, that the possibility of my saying no is scary?" She looked back at him, wondering if he could possibly be serious.

"If I don't get to know you, then I'm going to miss out on something very special. I don't want that to happen."

Jo frowned, not sure how to answer that.

"Whether either of us wants to admit or not," Jake continued. "We could have something here. I can feel it in the air around us. If that can only lead to friendship, that's fine. I'll have to be happy with that. But I want you to know, here and now, that I want more. What do you want?"

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