A/N: GhostWhispererFangirl here! Meowser Hotchner and I have decided to make this a collaboration. I hope you all enjoy this update :)

Katie stood there long after Ned hurried out of there.

He couldn't have hurried out of there faster, she thought. But he looked at her. He really looked at her for the first time.

Maybe there is something there. Something they could build off of.

Her hair fell from the pin that was previously held it in place, her curls rushing down over her shoulder.

It was easily the hottest day of the summer so far.

And it was barely one in the afternoon and the thermostat now reads ninety-five degrees. Drops of condensation clung to the window panes, the humidity outside clashing with the comfortable cool of the air-conditioned store where Katie is holed up until her shift ended at seven.

Unless, she can convince her mother to let her close early. Who shops in ninety-five degree weather, anyway?

There were rumors of a thunderstorm because of all this humidity… she could say she needs to get out of here before she dies of heat.

She picked up her phone again, and sat down on the stool behind the counter and pulled up her messages with her mother.

Do you think I could close the store?

Are you still dying of heat? It's only five, Katie.

Kind of…

You can close up. I don't think anyone is shopping anyway. Did Ned come by and mess around with that darn AC at least?

Yeah. You're not gonna believe what happened.

Spill!

I changed into that dress you had under the counter and Ned saw me half naked. And I felt his eyes on me, you know.

Well Katie, you are my daughter. You're hot.

I know, but Ned… Ned was watching me. Me, mom! He was watching me.

Dinner is almost ready. See you soon.

I love you too. See you at dinner.

Mama to the rescue!

She closed up the shop in a matter of minutes before walking out, locking the front doors behind her. Her phone jumped in her pocket as she ran to her car.

Hannah.

You still working?

Leaving now. Why?

Come to my house.

Be right there.

She quickly jumped into her car and drove off, music filling her ears. She quickly got to her house and parked in the driveway before crossing the street to Hannah's house.

"There better be a reason for why I am staying out in this heat." She said and saw her in the backyard.

"What about Ned shirtless?" Hannah said sipping her lemonade.

"Where?" She pushed through her gate and sat down next to her.

"Straight ahead and looking hotter than ever," Hannah said and handed her a glass of lemonade. "I didn't know he did yard work?"

"He does just about anything for cash these days." She explained. "He's just waiting on a job opening near here for police work."

Ned had gotten the deck's frame and railings up, and he was now in the middle of cutting the boards and nailing them in place. Now he is using the hand saw to cut through some smaller planks.

Her tongue jutted out to moisten her lips as she followed the rhythmic motion of his right arm, the swell of his bicep expanding and contracting alternately as he sawed.

His chest glistened in the hazy sunlight, perspiration stippling his tanned skin. Her eyes were drawn to one stray bead of sweat that ran along his chiseled jaw and slid down his neck, hugging the lines of his collarbone before meandering down the defined muscles of his pectorals and rolling into his navel.

She let her vision continue to stray past his belly button to the fine trail of hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans. He finished sawing the plank of wood and added it to a pile, and as he bent over, Katie actually heard a tiny moan escaped her lips as the cords in his back rippled below his shoulders and she allowed her gaze to linger on his ass, the denim stretching just so across the perfect curves.

"Thank you so much. I needed this," she said and clinked her glass against Hannah's.

"Your mom told me what happened. Nice one," Hannah laughed and took a drink.

"Of course she did," she shook her head and looked over at him.

He looked up and he caught her gaze momentarily before going back to work.

"You thirsty?" A blonde walked out from the neighbor's house holding a beer in hand.

"In this heat? Of course," Ned chuckled and took the beer. "Thank you."

He sat down on the deck frame with a smile.

"Anything for my boyfriend," the blonde replied and sat on his lap.

Boyfriend?

Her heart dropped and she looked to Hannah.

"I should go. I promised my mom I'd go home and wash the dishes." She stood up from the lawn chair and smoothed out the dress. "Thanks for the lemonade."

"Oh come on… don't go." Hannah whined. "Since when have you wanted to go home and do the dishes?"

"I really don't need to be on the bad side of my mom," she laughed.

"Your mom is still at her appointment, so please… stay just a little bit longer." Hannah begged. "It's so boring with my rents out of town."

She looked over her shoulder and saw Ned shoot the girl a wolfish grin.

"I could definitely use something sweet," he chuckled.

He pulled her mouth to hers and she turned back around.

"Nah. I gotta go," she muttered and grabbed her things. "I'll stop back over later." She hesitated and smiled. "I promise."

"You better," Hannah sighed.

"I will," she sniffled.

She took off running and crossed the street and ran into her house. She bolted up the stairs, tears stung her eyes.

Why? Why does she always open her heart to the wrong person?

"Katie?" Melinda called after her.

"I'll go," Jim said and kissed her cheek.

She flew into her room and slammed the door behind her, lying on the bed in a fit of tears.

"What's wrong with Katie bug?" He asked knocking on the door.

"Go away…" She sobbed.

"It's not because of those letters you got in the mail, is it?" He said leaning against the door.

"No," she sighed. "It's open."

He turned the knob and stepped inside.

"Then what's wrong?" He asked, the door clicked behind him.

"Ned," she flung herself under the pillow

"Maybe you shouldn't be talking to me about this..." He replied.

"Dad, I think you can handle some boy drama." She laughed, and then poked her head out.

"Well I am all ears, but no promises on good advice." He said and smiled at her softly.

"When he came over today something happened, and basically I opened my heart to the possibility and then I saw him kissing a girl in the Hannah's neighbor's yard." She muttered and then placed the pillow over her head.

"Good for him!" He said, perfectly clueless to the implication of the news from his daughter.

"Dad!" She sighed and gave him a meaningful look.

He sat down on her bed and thought about her dejection, the news of Ned's newest fling, and the realization hits him that his little girl was still in love and he hadn't noticed.

Hadn't wanted to notice.

She'd gone and grown up right under his nose and, without any input from him, had fallen in love and gotten her heart broken by two boys in under four years.

He knows a little something about the heartbreak of first love.

But he was luckier than most. He got to marry and have children with his one and only true love. They have went through every shade of hell to get to their Happily Ever After, but he got to marry the girl he's loved since the moment he laid eyes on her.

He felt the fist of anxiety close over his chest at the realization that his little girl was probably feeling that at that very moment.

The most powerful lesson anyone can learn as a parent is that you can't live your life for your children. That's their job. You can only give them the tools to do the best they can and get out of their way, ready at every moment to help them pick up the pieces when they're done.

"Got anything for me to read?" He asked softly.

"No," she replied. "There's nothing to really write about... yet."

So, he waited for her to need him. It didn't take very long.

She came and sat by his side and wordlessly cried her heartbreak into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He whispered those soothing nothings that he has said to her mother when she was in the grip of her nightmares and grief.

"Want me to break his face?" He asked.

"No," she laughed.

That's just what he needed to hear. Her laugh signaled she'd be okay.

He heard her run off.

Dumb move, Ned.

He doesn't even like the girl on his lap, the one he loves, or at least thinks he loves, is the beautiful girl who just ran out.

The girl, who happens to be a childhood friend. The girl, who he learned to change a diaper on.

"I should probably get going. I'll finish this tomorrow." He said gathering up his tools and pulling on his shirt.

"You sure you don't want to stay?" She asked, leaning up against him.

"I'm sure. I've got somewhere I need to be," he said and placed the tarp over the deck layout. "Just in case the storm actually happens."

He crossed through Hannah's lawn and caught her icy glare.

"What?" He asked.

"Get your shit together," Hannah muttered. "Stop hurting her. Make up your mind."

"I'm trying!" He replied and closed the gate behind him before he crossed the street and set his tools on Melinda and Jim's porch.

He knocked on the door, and waited.

What is he going to say to her?