I don't own these characters...wish I did. No disrespect to Fran or Peter, just wanted to play with the characters earlier in their lives.

Special thanks to my friend and favorite pirate wench for all her help in editing and proofing!

This story starts six months after Sarah's death. Danny never had the bridal shop, instead, owned a diner, and Fran, Val and Heather were waitresses. Fran and Danny had dated off and on for 10 years, but she had never moved in with him. Fran is still living with her parents. Max is still mourning his wife's death, and has turned his children over to a string of nannies and Niles. One of the nannies takes the children to her favorite diner, where the children find love and comfort from their favorite waitress. By the time Max starts paying attention to his children, Fran has won their hearts and trust. Niles and the children now have to convince Max that Fran belongs with them. Max is way less repressed in this life. He misses his wife, but comes to see that maybe fate can hand you love a second time.

Before The Nanny

Chapter One

"Frannie, Danny's lookin' for ya!" Val warned her friend as she carried a pot of coffee through the diner.

Fran Fine looked up from her daydream. "Thanks, Val!" She looked toward the kitchen at her part time boyfriend, who was deep in conversation with Heather. Yeah, he LOOKS like he's lookin' for me, she thought. She'd been dating Danny off and on since she was fifteen years old, and for the last year, he'd been trying to talk Fran into moving in with him. He kept promising her that when the diner was making a good profit, they'd get married, but lately, he seemed more interested in the other waitresses and the good looking female customers than in her. She was 26, and she felt like life was passing her by. Even her mother was encouraging her to start looking around. "There's somebody special out there for you, Frannie," her mom would tell her. Somebody special. Right. And I bet they are gonna walk right into the diner and say HERE I AM!

She was pulled from this thought by the sound of a child crying at the next table. She looked over and saw three of the most beautiful children she'd ever seen. The woman with them was about her age, no way could she be their mother...and boy, did she seem to have her hands full. The little boy was calling his older sister names, and flicking peas at her with his fork. The sister just sat there with her hands in her lap telling him to shut up. The baby in the high chair was adorable, but just wouldn't stop crying. Fran decided the woman needed a hand.

"Boy, do you have your hands full, honey! Can I do something to help you?"

"Yeah, we need a doggie bag for Margaret's head!"

"Shut UP, Brighton!"

Fran looked at the boy. "Brighton? That's an interesting name! Brighton, if there's something wrong with your vegetables, I'd be happy to bring you some more before I bring out your dessert"

He flicked a forkful of peas at Fran. "I HATE peas!"

She decided to ignore the assault, since she was sure it was just to get her attention. "OK, Honey, I have carrots, potatoes, or would you like a salad instead?"

A quiet voice beneath the most beautiful blond hair she'd ever seen whispered, "I'd like a salad, please"

"Sure, Honey, what's your name?"

"Margaret"

"OK, Margaret, what kind of dressing on that salad?"

"Um, ranch, please."

She was so quiet. "And, you, Brighton, have you decided yet?"

"Can I have some carrots AND a salad…with ranch dressing?"

"You sure can, Sweetie!" She leaned down and spoke into his ear. "If there's something you want, and it's not on the menu, just ask me, and I'll see if I can fix it for you, OK?"

He looked up and smiled. "OK, thanks!" This kid wasn't as bad as he tried to be! Fran turned to the crying baby in the high chair. She really looked too big to be in the chair, she was old enough for a booster seat.

"And who is this little lady?" Fran smiled and took the baby's hands in hers.

"This is Grace", the woman explained. "I'm their nanny, Susan".

Fran laughed." I'm Fran. Fran Fine. I didn't think you looked old enough to be their mother!" She looked back at the baby, who had now quieted down and was reaching for her.

"Mommie!"

Fran reached down and picked the child up. "Oh, no, Honey! Frannie!" Grace laid her head on Fran's shoulder and held her tightly. "How old are you kids?"

Susan looked at her charges. "Grace is two, Brighton is six, and Margaret is ten"

"So, their parents are out to dinner, and you get to bring them here?"

Brighton stabbed his fork into the table. "Father is working!"

Margaret looked down at her hands. "Mommy died".

Fran felt terrible. She looked at these three angels, and the thought of them without a mother made her feel ill. "Oh, kids, I'm so sorry!" She looked at Susan. "When?"

"Six months ago. I'm the fourth nanny since then." She looked at Brighton. "These kids are pretty rough on the help!"

Fran laughed. "No, not these angels!" She tried to put Grace back in her chair, but the baby was not cooperating. "What, Honey, you wanna go with me?" Grace nodded. "OK, I'm gonna go into the kitchen to get your salads, I'll, WE'LL be right back." Fran shifted Grace onto her hip and hurried off into the kitchen.

Danny stood watching with his hands on his hips. "What in the HELL is that?"

"Shhh... it's a little girl! And don't talk like that in front of her!" "She wouldn't let me put her down, so she's gonna help me make a coupla salads for her brother and sister, aren't ya, Honey?" Grace nodded again, and hid her face from Danny. "Now get back to work, you're scaring her!"

"ME get back to work! If we wasn't together, I'd fire you! How long are you gonna sit and talk to ONE table?"

"Oh, we're together again? Did you tell HEATHER that? And we are NOT that busy, these kids were upset and I was tryin' to help. Now be nice, their mother just died!" Fran sat Grace on the counter next to her and handed her a bag of shredded carrots. "Here, sweetie, put some of this in the bowl." Grace tossed a handful of carrots into each bowl, and then tried to feed some to Fran.

"Just hurry up and get that kid outta the kitchen!" He walked behind Fran and swatted her butt. She winced. She hated that, it felt so...so degrading, like she was his property or something.

"I'm goin' I'm goin!" She put the bowls on a tray, then grabbed a bowl of steamed carrots and added it to the tray. She put Grace on her hip, lifted the tray with the other arm, and headed to the table. "OK, kids, here's your vegetables!" She put the tray on the table. "OK, Gracie, time to get into your chair so I can go make dessert!" She sat Grace in her chair and gave her a kiss.

"Laa you!"

"Ohh, I love you, too, Sweetie!" She looked over to Susan. "Are the kids allergic to anything?"

"What? How should I know that?" She looked confused.

"Aren't you their nanny? I'm making them a sundae bar, and didn't want to put in something they might be allergic to. Can you kids eat chocolate?"

"YEAH!" She hoped they weren't lying! She went back to kitchen to prepare their dessert. She could hear Grace start to cry as she left, calling for her mommie. She sighed. Why was this little girl calling her mommie? She grabbed some bowls, and toppings, taking out the ice cream last, to keep it frozen. She loaded up another tray and headed back to the table, where Brighton and Margaret were fighting again.

" B! Maggie! What are you two fighting about now? If you're gonna fight, I'm gonna give this tray to someone else!"

"Well, her salad was bigger than mine!" Fran put the tray down and rolled her eyes.

"You are kiddin' right? Next time YOU can have the bigger salad, I promise! Now be nice to your sister! You guys ready to make sundaes?"

The kids eyed the tray. They'd never seen anything like this before. "We get to make our own?"

"You rich kids, I tell ya! Yes, you put the ice cream in a bowl, and then add whatever kind of toppings you want!"

"Cool!" Brighton was first to start his sundae, followed closely by Maggie.

Susan just sat back and watched. She'd been their nanny for almost a month now, and she'd never been able to reach the kids like this woman. She'd have to remember to talk to Niles about her, see what he thinks. No way was she telling Mr. Sheffield, he'd be down here to hire Fran to replace her in a heartbeat! The kids and Fran sat playing with their sundaes, tasting each other's creations, like they'd been friends for years.

"Susan, can we come back here again when Niles is off?" Susan was surprised that the shy girl wanted to come back. She normally didn't like crowds.

"Of course we can, Margaret. Niles has two nights a week off, so we can come back then."

"Will you be here, Fran?"

Fran sighed. "Yes, Sweetie, I'm here every night. I have no life!" She laughed. "I'll look forward to seeing you kids again!"

Susan brought the kids into the diner twice a week for the next couple of weeks. Each time she was amazed to see the change in the children when they were around Fran. She'd mentioned the change to Niles, who really didn't believe her. Mr. Sheffield didn't seem to be happy with the kids' behavior, and she knew she was in danger of losing her job, so she convinced Niles to go to the diner with her and the kids. If she could get Niles on her side, maybe he could take her side with Mr. Sheffield.

Fran lit up as they walked in. The kids ran to hug her. "Hi, my angels!" She hugged the two older kids and swept Grace up into her arms.

"Mommie!"

"Yes, Honey, Mommie's watching you. I'm Frannie!" Grace put her arms around Fran's neck and held her tightly.

"No, Mommie!" Fran had talked to her mother about this. Grace was insistent on calling her "Mommie", and her mother said to just humor her and maybe it would stop, but the child seemed to know she was Fran. Each time she corrected her, she responded with 'NO'.

Fran led the kids over to their usual table where Susan was waiting, today with an attractive blonde man with the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. Susan had pulled up the high chair, but today, Fran pushed it aside, opting for a chair and booster seat. "Here, Sweetie, let's try this chair today, you're getting to be such a big girl!" Fran sat the child down under Susan's glaring stare, and then looked up at the man. "Hi, I'm Fran Fine!"

"Hello, Miss Fine, I'm Niles."

"Oh, Susan told me a little about you. It's nice to finally meet you!" She turned back to the kids. "OK, what are you drinking tonight?"

"Coke!" Brighton exclaimed. Fran saw the look on Niles' face out of the corner of her eye.

"Coke, B? Are ya sure?"

Brighton dropped his head. How did she always know? "I'll have milk, please, Fran".

Maggie looked at her brother and smiled. Fran got him again. "I'll have milk, too, please."

Fran looked at Grace. "And how about you, Missy? Milk or juice?"

"Oh, Miss Fine, she doesn't..." Niles started to explain.

"Juice!" Grace smiled at Fran and held out her arms for a hug.

Fran gave the child her hug. "Good girl, Gracie!" She looked at Niles. "We've been working on her vocabulary".

"Stop it Brighton!" Maggie was looking down at Brighton's feet.

Fran shot him a look. "Now, B, you aren't gonna start already, now are ya? We may sell outta ice cream if you don't behave!"

"Sorry, Fran." She looked at him, then at his sister. Brighton sighed loudly. "Sorry, Maggie."

Niles was amazed. Who WAS this woman? That boy had been out of control all day, and within 10 minutes, she had him acting like a complete gentleman. And Grace...she wasn't crying, she was TALKING and cuddling with this beautiful woman. He couldn't wait to tell Mr. Sheffield. Maybe he'd even get him to come down here to meet her. If not, he'd get HER to come to the house for dinner one night soon. Maybe she could work the same magic on his boss.

A couple of weeks went by, and Niles started coming to the diner with the kids with no nanny.

"Hi, Niles, where's Susan?"

Niles looked at Brighton. "Gone. One too many tricks from a young man who shall remain nameless."

"Uh, oh!"

"But the children insisted that I bring them to see you, Miss, Fine. Somehow, you seem to be immune to their powers."

Fran looked at the kids. "I don't see what the problem is. They're great kids!" The children smiled broadly, Niles just rolled his eyes. Boy, did they have her fooled!

"Mr. Sheffield is interviewing for a new nanny. You should apply, Miss Fine, you have a way with the children, and you genuinely seem to care about them".

"Me? A Nanny? Are you kiddin'? But you're right about one thing, I DO love these kids. I LIVE for my twice a week visits. Promise me you'll make sure the new nanny brings them in?"

"I've already spoken to Mr. Sheffield about you. I was hoping I could persuade you to come and work as the nanny, but I told him that you have a positive influence over the children, especially Brighton."

"Ah, that's sweet, Niles." She gave him a hug. She was starting to feel like she'd found a true friend in this man.

Niles brought the kids to see her twice a week, as promised. Brighton's behavior seemed to improve at home, Maggie started coming out of her shell, and Grace didn't cry all the time. After two weeks, Niles showed up with the new nanny. When they entered the diner, the kids ran to greet Fran as usual.

"Brighton, Margaret, Grace! Come here this instant!"

Fran looked up at the matronly woman yelling at "her" kids. She did not like this new nanny. Not one bit. Fran walked over to the door and greeted them.

"Hi, kids! Hi Niles!" She extended her hand to the nanny. "Hi, I'm Fran Fine". The nanny looked at her and then at Niles.

"We need a table for five, with a high chair".

Fran looked at Niles and dropped her hand. What a cold, rude woman. Surely Mr. Sheffield didn't want someone like THIS taking care of these little angels! "Of course, follow me, please." She grabbed a booster chair. "Grace doesn't use a high chair, she's a big girl, aren't ya Honey?" She reached down for Grace and was stopped.

"I said a high chair; do I need to get a manager?"

Niles stepped in. "With all due respect, Nanny Stevens, Grace has been out of the high chair for quite some time now, and prefers the booster chair." He reached down and lifted Grace into her seat. "Fran Fine, this is Joanne Stevens, the Sheffields new nanny".

Fran forced a smile. "Nice to meet ya". She turned her attention to the kids. "OK, angels, what to drink tonight?"

"They'll all have milk!"

"She wasn't talking to you! Why do you have to be so mean to her?" Brighton had his fork stabbing it into the table. He hadn't done that in a month!

"B! Honey, what're ya doin' to my table?"

"Dad'll buy you a new one!" He looked up and saw the shocked look on Fran's face. "I'm sorry, Fran!" He jumped up and threw himself into Fran's arms. She knelt down to hug him as he started to cry.

"It's OK, Sweetie...shh...it's nothing to cry over." She threw a dirty look at the nanny. What rock did they turn over to find her? "Come on, B, let's calm down and have a seat". Fran wiped his eyes and kissed his forehead.

"Margaret, sit up straight!"

Oy, this woman was a nightmare! She wanted to grab the kids and run out the back door.

"Mommie!" Gracie was reaching for her and starting to cry.

"Oh, no, Honey, Frannie!" Fran reached to pick the child up.

"Leave her be, she has to learn that her mother is gone and she can't get her way by crying!"

"WHA?" Fran was shocked. How could this woman be so cold? "What can I get the rest of you to drink?" Hemlock for the witch, she thought with a grin. Niles must have had the same thought, as he met her eyes and smiled wickedly.

"Iced tea"

"I'll have iced tea as well, Miss Fine, thank you". He made a point of looking right at Nanny Stevens when he said 'thank you'.

"I'll be right back with your drinks". She was crying by the time she got to the kitchen, where Val had been watching. "Oh, Val, those poor kids! That woman is a terror! She's rude, critical, controlling, and she won't let me hold my baaaaby!"

"Yeah, Frannie, but what're ya gonna do? She's their nanny. Why didn't you accept the job when Niles offered it to you?"

"What job?" Danny was standing outside the storeroom door with Heather. "Frannie ain't goin' nowhere!"

She wiped her eyes and checked her makeup. "I gotta get this order out." She grabbed the drinks for the Sheffield table and hurried back out. She could hear Grace screaming and Brighton was terrorizing his sister again. Nanny Stevens was buried in a magazine.

"Here you go!" She put the drinks in front of the kids and gave the adults their tea.

Grace screamed louder and reached for Fran, "Mommie!"

She saw Brighton's feet moving under the table, and heard Maggie scream, "Stop it, Brighton!" Still, the nanny didn't move from behind her magazine. Fran looked helplessly at Niles. The hell with that witch. "B, knock it off, or no dessert! Maggie, Honey, please don't yell at your brother, just let me know what he's doing and I'll handle it. And Gracie, sweetie, come here" She picked up the screaming child, who immediately clung to her and stopped crying. Nanny Stevens started to stand up, but Niles stopped her.

"Miss Fine has things under control, she understands the children, and they love her."

The nanny glared at Fran as she rocked Grace in her arms. Fran totally ignored her. "Brighton, what do you feel like eating tonight?"

"Chicken Nadine, Fran. Can I have carrots instead of peas?"

She grinned at him. "I dunno, CAN you?"

"May I have carrots?"

"Yes, Honey, you may. Mags what do you want to eat?"

"I'm not very hungry tonight". She looked up at her nanny, then at Fran. "May I just have a salad?"

"No, you may NOT have..."Nanny Stevens started in, but Fran cut her off.

"How about I throw some grilled chicken on that salad, sweetie, you need some protein, too."

"OK, Fran, that sounds good!"

"Gracie, Honey, what do you want to eat?"

"She doesn't talk"

Niles interrupted again. "Wait, give her a chance. Gracie, tell Fran what you want to eat" He smiled at the little girl.

"Burger" She smiled at Fran. "Please"

"Good girl, Gracie! How about a hamburger patty with carrots and mashed potatoes?"

"OK!" She was sure Gracie had no clue what she was talking about, but she would eat it if she brought it to her.

"Niles?"

"I'll have the Franburger and fries"

"Oh, somebody's gonna pay for that. You off your diet?" She laughed at him. How about you, Miss Stevens?"

"I'll have the grilled chicken with steamed vegetables with a house salad. Do you have a fat free dressing?"

"We have a fat free ranch and raspberry vinaigrette"

"I'll take the raspberry"

"OK, I'll be right back.

"Mommie!"

She leaned down and hugged Gracie. "I promise, Honey." She looked at Brighton. "And YOU Mista, you make me proud of you, or you're gonna make me proud doin' dishes!"

Brighton looked at her and smiled, then stuck out his tongue. "I promise, Fran!"

Oy, she hoped this nanny didn't last. Dinner was quiet and uneventful. The nanny wouldn't let them have their desserts, and the kids were really looking forward to them. That was their special time with Fran.

The next couple of weeks were a nightmare for everyone involved. Nanny Stevens continued to be highly critical of the children, and to try to keep Grace from Fran. Mercifully, the end came quickly. Nanny Stevens went to Mr. Sheffield to complain about "that waitress" and her unnatural influence on the children, and Grace's attachment to her. Mr. Sheffield called Niles into his office to confront him about this waitress.

"What do you know about her, Niles?

"Well, sir, I've known her for about a month now. Nanny Jenkins introduced us. The diner was her favorite place to take the children, and that's where they met Miss Fine. She and the children bonded immediately. Brighton bends over backwards to please her, Miss Margaret loves talking to her about everything in her life, and Miss Grace is happy just being held by her. She and I have gotten to be friendly, I think she can be trusted completely with the children. I even tried to get her to come see you about becoming the children's nanny, remember, I talked to you about her last month."

"Oh, yes, I seem to remember you mentioning something about her. You think she's a good influence on the children, then?"

"Yes, sir, I do. I wish you'd come to dinner with us one night, and see how the children respond to her. She's a very beautiful woman, sir. Inside and out."

"Ah, is someone smitten with their waitress?" Max smiled at his friend.

"Oh, no sir, she's much too young for me...in her mid twenties, I'd say. She's closer to your age." Niles grinned at his employer.

"Niles, it's too soon for me to even think about that." He sat quietly for a few minutes. "But maybe I'll go check her out...for the children's sake."

"Yes, sir, for the children." Niles smiled. It had been almost seven months since Sarah's death. Max had only left the house to go to the theater and had been neglecting his children terribly. Maybe this woman would be a good influence on his life as well.

"Niles, would you ask Nanny Stevens to come in here, please?" He walked over and sat behind his desk as the nanny walked in.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Sheffield?"

"Yes. I've spoken to Niles about your concerns regarding Miss Fine, and we've come to the conclusion that her attention to the children might be a good thing. Before you arrived, the children were making progress, and now they've taken several steps back."

"But, sir..."

"I've made up my mind. Continue taking them to see her twice a week, at least."

"You hired me as your nanny and told me I had complete control over your children. Now you tell me that I have to take them to this waitress and let HER tell them what to do and get that screaming baby to be quiet? Well, if you want them to see their beloved FRAN, you can take them yourself. I quit, you can send my last check to the agency. I'll be upstairs packing, and be out of the house in an hour." She turned and left the office before Max could respond.

Max clicked on the intercom. "Niles!"

Niles entered the room. "Yes, sir?"

Max rubbed his temple. "Could you get me some aspirin, please? And call the nanny agency. Nanny Stevens has quit"

"I can't say that I'm upset about that, sir. That woman was terrible. The children hated her, Fran, who loves everyone, hated her."

"Ask her again if she'd consider becoming the children's nanny; offer her double what she's making at the diner"

Niles looked surprised. Double? He must be getting desperate. "I'll call her, sir, she's probably still there." He left to go phone Fran, and returned several minutes later.

"She said she can't leave the diner, but has agreed to take a few days off to help you with the children. She said she hasn't had a day off in months, so Danny can just do without her for a while."

"Who's this Danny, her boss, boyfriend?"

"Yes, and, sometimes yes, sir. They have dated off and on for ten years, but from what I understand, it's been off for quite a while. Seems Danny is a bit of a philanderer, and likes to entertain the waitresses in the storeroom right under Fran's nose. Actually, I think there's more, but she hasn't talked about it."

"What a cad! Poor girl! So she offered to help care for the children? Did she say how much she expected to be paid?"

"Oh, she doesn't want pay. She said it would be a pleasure to spend time with them away from the diner. She just asked that I prepare an ice chest with food for their picnics. She said something about the beach and the zoo."

"You're sure she can be trusted, Niles?

"Completely, sir."

"Call her, ask her if she can start tomorrow. It will give me time to interview a proper nanny."

"Very good, sir." Niles left to call Fran. She was excited to be able to have time with the children alone.

Niles returned to the office with a brandy for his boss. "Drink, sir? Miss Fine will be here at 8:00 am tomorrow, sir; I took the liberty of inviting her for breakfast so you could meet her before she took the children."

"Thank you, Niles. C.C. should be here by 10:00, so hopefully she can get the children out of here by then. They seem to intimidate her. Well, I'm heading up to bed. Goodnight, Niles."

"Good night, sir. See you in the morning." This was perfect. He called Fran to make sure she wore something especially sexy, as Mr. Sheffield would be joining them for breakfast. He was sure once she saw the boss, she'd be able to convince him to join her and the children on their outings. Now, to call the agency and make sure they only sent over older, more mature nannies. This was going to take some work, but he was up to the task. He knew his boss was in mourning, but surely Sarah didn't want him to stay alone forever. Who knows, maybe Sarah had a hand in finding Fran! His work for tonight done, Niles headed up to bed. He had to get up early to make the preparations for breakfast. If Mr. Sheffield knew what he was up to, he'd be fired for sure! He grinned. He'd never caught him before! And it wasn't going to happen now.

Breakfast was a bit awkward. Fran showed up in blue shorts trimmed in red, that showed every inch of her long legs. Her halter top was modest, but still showed off all of her toned stomach. Her hair was pulled up out of her face, with ringlets draping around her eyes. She was bubbly and chatty with the children. When Niles brought Grace downstairs, she wiggled out of his arms to run to Fran.

"Mommie!" Max almost choked on his eggs.

Fran blushed. "No, Honey, Frannie, remember? Mommie's watching you, though!"

"No, Mommie!" Grace refused to say Fran. Max reached for his daughter, who hid her face and clung to Fran.

"Honey, don'tcha wanna go see Daddy?" Max reached for her again. Gracie screamed and held Fran so tightly she almost choked her.

Max frowned. "It seems my daughter prefers you over me, Miss Fine."

Uh, oh, this was not a good first meeting. "Fran, please. I'm sorry, I don't know why she's acting like this…maybe it's because she misses me.?"

Brighton rushed to Fran's defense. "Yeah, Dad, Nanny Stevens wouldn't let Fran pick Grace up when she cried, and Grace always stops crying when Fran holds her. Fran's cool!"

Max looked at his son. Was he actually thinking of someone besides himself? He's worried about his sister and his new friend. "You like your new friend, then, son?"

"Well, yeah! She listens to us, asks us what WE think and what WE want to eat. She even let us pick what to do today! Well, sort of. She said she'd like to take us someplace, and Maggie said the beach!"

"Maggie?"

"Yes, Father. OH, it's what Fran calls me, but, yes, I picked the beach. Remember when you and mom used to take us? We wanted you to take us, but you always had an excuse. Fran said it might make you sad, cuz you used to go there with mom...but she said if we want to go, she'd take us...so, we CAN, can't we?"

"Of course you can." Max smiled at Fran. "And Miss...Sorry, Fran is right. I'm just not quite ready to do some of the things we did with your mother."

"We miss her, too Dad...but Fran makes us feel happy. We can talk about mom with her, and she says mom is always watching us" Brighton shot a look at Fran. "So we're supposed to try to be on our best behavior to make her proud of us." "You should come with us sometime, Fran will make you laugh, too."

Fran and Max exchanged an uncomfortable look. Were these kids trying to play matchmaker? Fran made a mental note to confront Brighton about this later. She looked at her watch. "Hey, you guys, it's gettin' late! If you want to get a good spot at the beach, we need to get outta here! B, could you go check with Niles and make sure the ice chest is ready, and ask him to carry it out to the Jeep?"

"Sure, Fran!" He danced out of the room singing, "We're goin' to the bee-eech, we're goin' to the bee-eech!"

Fran laughed. "That boy is such a doll!"

Max stared at her. She had such a beautiful smile! "Yes, but what did you do with my son?" He smiled. "Niles was right. He's a different boy when he's around you. He's like he was when...when his mother was still alive."

Fran reached out for Max's hand. "She sounds like a wonderful person. The kids have told me a lot about her. They really miss her." She looked down and summoned up a bit of courage. "If you don't mind me saying, I think they miss you, too". Max pulled his hand away and started to say something. "I'm sorry, I can really be a yenta sometimes, it's none of my business, just forget I said anything, please?" She had tears in her eyes.

How could he get angry with her when she looked at him in a way that melted his heart? "It's OK, Fran. I know you meant well. And what is a yenta?"

She grinned. "It's Yiddish...means busybody...nosy, ya know...ME!" She laughed again. "Brighton...did ya get lost?"

"Coming, Fran! Niles was just finishing the ice chest. I made him put in some chocolate for you."

Max looked at his son. "For HER, son?"

Brighton looked innocently at his father." Yeah, dad...Fran loves chocolate! Geesh, don't you know anything?" He gave Fran a hug. "Let's GO! All the good spots will be gone if we don't hurry!"

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Fran gathered up the kids and headed for the door. "Hey, don't forget to kiss Daddy goodbye!" The kids ran and hugged and kissed their father. "What time do ya want them home?"

"Dinner's at six. Why don't you join us?" Max couldn't believe he'd just invited a woman to dinner.

"Sure! I'll stop at my place and change before I bring the kids home. Ma is dying to meet them!"

"You live with your mother?"

"Yeah, it saves money, since Danny doesn't pay me much. I can hide my tip money from him. Ugh, don't get me started on him!" We'll see ya at dinner!" They piled into the Jeep and headed for the beach.

Max worked in his office for several hours, but couldn't get Fran and the children off his mind. He finally called Niles into the office. "Do you know where Fran took the children?"

"Yes, sir, she told me the lifeguard station they'd be closest to."

"Bring the car around, would you? I think I'd like to drive by and take a look."

Niles smiled as he brought the town car into the front of the mansion. Maybe he could even talk his boss into joining the children on the beach. Max got into the back seat and Niles drove towards the beach. "Did you bring your swimsuit, sir?"

"No, I just want to sit in the car and observe. I want to see how she acts with the children when she doesn't know we're watching her."

The beach wasn't too crowded when they arrived, and they found a parking place with a view of Fran and the children. Max watched as they splashed in the waves, and he noticed that Fran made sure the older children didn't go out too far away from her. She kept Grace within arm's length of her at all times. Brighton followed Fran to the blanket with a bucket of water and covered her after she put Grace under the umbrella and put on her shirt. Seeing the shocked look on Fran's face, he was sure there'd be trouble, but Fran just laughed it off. The next time Brighton came up, Fran reached into the ice chest for a large piece of ice, and rubbed it all over his stomach, tickling him and kissing his forehead. They looked like a happy family. He watched as Fran lovingly rubbed Grace's back to get her to take her nap, and as she helped the kids make sandcastles, complete with little flags that she made herself. Where did they get all the beach toys? About that time, a woman showed up and greeted Fran with a hug. She had two small girls with her that looked to be twins. The girls both hugged Fran. They looked about Brighton's age. He was amazed at how attentive Fran was to the children, from spreading sunscreen, to getting juice and water for them to drink. No wonder the children loved her.

"Do you know who that other woman is, Niles?"

"It may be her sister, Nadine, sir. She does have twin daughters."

"Look at them, Niles. They're really having a good time. I haven't seen them laugh like this since Sarah was alive. It's like they've forgotten her."

"Oh, no, sir, they haven't. They talk to Miss Fine about their mother every day. She loves hearing about Sarah. She reminds the children that their mother is always watching them and lives on in their hearts".

"She does?" Max stared out at his family. "It should be me talking to them. It's just so hard, Niles".

"I understand, sir. Miss Fine seems to sense things like that. The children seem to enjoy talking to her, and she genuinely seems to enjoy listening to them."

Max sighed. "I've seen enough. Let's go home, Niles."

"You don't want to join them?"

"Not today, I don't want to intrude on them. They're having such a good time".

Niles started the car and headed back to the mansion.