Miss Parker watched from afar through her picture window. It's been several days since that night. She presses her temples as if trying to rid herself of her headache.

"Out of my mind, Jarod, get out of my mind!"

Jarod appeared on her doorstep a few days later.

"Hey neighbor. Where have you been keeping yourself?"

"Getting a little brave, aren't you?" Miss Parker stood in her doorway.

"You said you were on vacation. So, all assignments on me ceases. Right?"

"Don't press your luck."

"You going to let me in?" He stood shuffling his feet.

"Why? What do you want?"

"Just being neighborly, ma'am."

She couldn't resist those warm brown eyes of his.

"Don't make it a habit." She reluctantly motioned him to come in.

Jarod followed Parker out onto the deck. "Beautiful night." He looked out and gazed at the scenery as he spoke.

"Until the other night, I thought you hated me, especially when you're pointing a 9mm at me."

She didn't respond to him and looked out into the horizon.

The wind blew against her face. Jarod turned her around pushing her hair away and tucking it behind her ears. She rubbed her hands together to generate warmth.

Jarod held out his arms. "I can warm you up, if you like."

"I'd like that very much," she tells herself. "In the house, Jarod. And quit joking around. I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"I wasn't joking." His voice was barely audible, not sure if she had heard him.

"Okay, thank you for dropping by. You can leave now."

"I'm in no rush. I have nowhere to go. So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Excuse me? This is not a date or anything. You dropped by unexpectedly. You weren't invited."

"Unlike you, when you suddenly appeared at my doorstep unannounced the other day?"

"I was caught in a sudden downfall. I didn't know you lived there," she shot out.

Jarod flopped himself on her sofa as she sat on the floor.

"Hey, wonderboy, how was class today?"

"Fine, Ice Queen."

Miss Parker glared at him. "What?"

"Since you have all these "pet names" for me, Ice Queen would be my pet name for you," he says gleefully.

"Jaroddddddd, how was class today?"

"Fine, Miss Parker, thank you for asking."

"How the hell can you be such an annoying person one minute and compassionate the next? I mean..."

"You were thinking out loud, Parker? You're talking about the other night?"

"Could I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"When we were young, was I always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Cold, insensitive." She held back her tears.

"You're none of those, Parker. It's just that people are afraid to approach you. You never smile, you don't seem sincere and you're not a trusting person..."

"There better be a "but" coming out of your mouth soon," she hissed.

"It's just that you're a very private person. You're soft, sensitive and very emotional. You cry when you have bad dreams."

Miss Parker thought about that night and closed her eyes. "Sorry about the other night."

Their eyes locked, but she turned away as so not to have him see the tears that was building up in her.

Jarod was silent and it was Parker who spoke out first. "All those times, the times I pointed my gun at you, I wasn't really going to shoot. Besides, how could I, when most of the times the gun was not loaded."

"Not loaded? Not loaded?" He repeated.

Her "no" was in a whisper. She inched her way to him walking on her knees. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you."

It caught Jarod by surprise. She laid her head on his lap, like she was a little girl all over again. But she wasn't anymore, she was a grown woman. He stroked her hair gently.

"You can be soft, loving at times when you want to be. You need someone to take care of you, Parker, someone to love you."

Parker laid quietly as Jarod continued stroking her hair, running his fingers through it. He heard her coo and he slid his hands very slowly up and down her back.

"So, getting back to the other night, how about that hidden tattoo of yours?"

She raised her head to look at him. "No, Jarod!" Parker laughs.

"Whatever it takes to put a smile on your face, Miss Parker. Ah, you may say no, but your eyes says yes."

"I can't believe you, Jarod. You can be such a pig sometimes. Party's over, labrat."

Jarod stood up and stretched his hands above his head. How she would have given anything to wrap her arms around those shoulders of his at that very moment.

He closed in on her and she froze. "Do I make you nervous, Miss Parker?"

She shook her head. Cupping his hands on her face, she felt his lips on hers as he gently kissed her. As he pulled away, Miss Parker drew him into her.

"Touch me," she whispered.