The first time Charlie Crews met Anna Morgan she cried. He was investigating the death of her fiancé Andrew Vasquez. Reese liked her for the killer, Charlie didn't.

Anna cried so hard that her whole body shook. She had been wearing her wedding dress.

She taught public school.

Charlie knew for certain Anna Morgan wasn't the killer. He called it his gut instinct.

Reese told him to stop thinking with his little head.

Three days later Charlie found out the killer was Anna's father. Mister Jacob Morgan, Anna's father, didn't like Anna's husband to be. Anna's father had been trying to break up the wedding for months.

Charlie had gone to Anna's house without Reese. Reese had said she'd take the paper work. Charlie had the feeling Reese didn't want to face Anna when the former bride started to cry.

Much to Charlie's surprise Anna hadn't cried. She had stood very, very still and asked him to repeat himself. When he did Anna had slapped Charlie. Then she slammed the door in his face.

She never came to the station to see her father.

The second time Charlie met Anna he had pulled her over for a DUI. At least he thought it was a DUI. Her hands had been covered in blood. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe. She was at least five months pregnant.

And she was having a miscarriage. Charlie called an ambulance for her. He'd gone to the hospital with her. He waited as long as he could before he had to go to the station.

He went back to the hospital that evening.

She had lost the baby.

It had been her fiancé's baby.

Anna was shaking and crying again. Charlie helped her into his car. The nurse had told him Anna couldn't drive home. She couldn't be alone. He did it to be nice. Because it was Zen to help someone he didn't have to help. He did it because he felt guilty for being there every time her life started to break apart.

Anna asked, in a shuddering breath, for him to stay away. She told him that every time he came near her something bad happened. She closed the front door on him.

He had no idea why it bothered him.

The third time Charlie Crews met Anna Morgan had been at her father's trial. Anna was alone every day of the trial. When the defense called her they tried to crucify her. They tried to make it look like Anna was a cold, selfish person. A bad daughter. The defense attorney had asked her why she hadn't gone to see her father in almost nine months.

Anna hadn't looked at her father's attorney. She had cast her dark eyes on her father who was looking pleadingly back at her. "Could you still love the monster that killed the only man you ever loved?"

Anna's father changed his plea after the recess. He pleaded guilty. He tried to tell Anna he was sorry. Anna walked out of the court room while her father begged her to understand.

He kept saying he had done it for her own good.

Charlie chased her down the steps to the court house. He didn't know why.

Anna had wiped at her tears and glared up at him.

"You have a really bad habit of seeing me at my worst."

Charlie had shrugged, "I don't think your worst is so bad."

Anna had only shaken her head at him. She walked away.

The fourth time Charlie met Anna he had the distinct feeling that it was not coincidence. The universe was sticking Anna Morgan right in his path.

And he didn't exactly know how to feel about that.

He had signed a release allowing children to come orange picking (what happened to the days of apple picking?) in his orange grove. Charlie hadn't even planned on being there. Ted said it would be fun for him. Charlie went because it was his day off. He went because he was bored.

He went because deep down, he loved kids.

When Charlie saw Anna conducting the group of children his mouth had gone dry. Ted had introduced them. Charlie informed his friend that they had already met. Anna had thanked him very politely for letting her students visit his grove.

She called him Mister Crews.

Charlie showed the fourth graders his big red tractor. He told them could keep the oranges they picked. He picked one and gave it to Anna.

Anna had smiled at him. A shy, soft smile that made her sad brown eyes warm.

One of the other teachers, a leggy brunette with bedroom eyes put her phone number in his hand. He'd dropped the little white slip with the phone number in the dirt sometime between the point that Anna kissed his cheek and Anna touched his hand.

She apologized for losing her temper with him. He had only helped her and she had never said thank you. Anna thanked Charlie for being there.

She smelled like apples and honey.

He asked her if he could see her again. He pointed out that nothing bad had happened to her in his orange grove. Anna had smiled at him sadly. She said maybe.

Maybe.

He could deal with maybe.

Charlie suggested to Ted that the kids from Anna's elementary school could use a trip to his solar farm too. Ted arranged for the children, and there by Anna, to visit Charlie's solar farm. Ted had to hire an expert to explain the farm to the kids. And to Charlie.

Charlie had trouble picking out a shirt to wear. Blue brought out his eyes. Purple and green reminded people his hair was red. White made him look like he was trying too hard. Black made him look like Dracula.

Ted picked out the brown button up. When Charlie asked him why brown Ted had answered, "Because her eyes are brown."

So Charlie wore his brown button up and blue jeans with a belt.

She wore a sun dress, a pale blue one with little white flowers on it.

Anna told him he looked nice.

Nice. Nice. Nice was good.

He stumbled over telling her she looked beautiful.

She called him Mr. Crews again. He asked her to call him Charlie.

He stood next to her while the Solar Farming professional talked.

Charlie asked Anna for her phone number.

Anna replied that he already had it from the investigation.

Charlie told her that he wanted her to give him her phone number. Because she wanted to.

Anna had blushed and that shy smile he was growing to like made him feel warm inside.

She gave him her phone number.

Their hands brushed when they walked behind the group of children that were following the professional Ted had hired. He grabbed her hand when their arms bumped again. Charlie tugged her behind one of the giant solar panels and kissed her hard. Anna kissed him back.