He Thinks You Have a Steady Back Home

Hi everyone!

Since I`m making a lot of these lengthily-titled stories, I`ve decided to put them together in a series which I`ll call the Other Guy Series. LOL. Heh, I rather enjoy writing these. I`m kind of in a writer`s block right now for my other non-Nancy Drew stories, so yea h, this is great. I`m glad you guys enjoyed them too. Thank you, especially to AlmostAngel.333 and JasmineXiao for helping me out! :D

My sister just reinstalled the Secret of Shadow Ranch, and so I bring to you, He Thinks You Have a Steady Back Home, featuring Nancy and Dave Gregory. :D

I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. It`s significantly much shorter than the other two.

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Not all of us can afford to be romantic.

Terribly true, thought Nancy.

She could not help but be affected by how much Dirk Valentine had loved Frances Humber. Truth be told, almost all women loved romantics, Nancy included. She could not help but be fascinated at the tragic tale of the romance between an outlaw and the sheriff's daughter. She wondered what it was like, then. She wondered how Frances must've felt.

The letters she'd just read tugged at the heartstrings. No case so far had quite captivated Nancy as this one. There was something terribly enchanting about the intricacy of the puzzle Dirk had set up for Frances to find, and that Frances never even tried, because her heart had told her that enjoying the wealth without the one that mattered most to her was living a life unfulfilled. She saw that Frances would rather have lived a hard life with Dirk than an easier one without him.

She sighed. The things people did for love.

She thought back to when Dave had admitted that he was a relative of Frances Humber's. His great aunt had given him a letter which was written by her aunt, who was none other than Frances herself.

"My destiny is tied to yours, Dave." she said.

"Truly, Miss Drew." said a voice from behind. "I don't find myself to doubt that."

She didn't jump. She knew he was coming, though she hardly heard him entering. Her door creaked disturbingly whenever she pushed it open. She must have been too deep in thought to not have noticed. She'd invited him to come up and see the letters she'd discovered under the stairs to the cellar.

Dave sat down on the bed, across her. He had the same look in his eyes earlier today.

"I was wondering, and I hope you don't mind my asking, but, do you have a steady back home?" he asked, maintaining eye contact, but somehow seeming like he was fighting to keep it.

"Kind of. Why?" she asked, curious to know why he asked. Nancy found Dave likeable enough. She thought that maybe Bess could spend some time with him, perhaps. Or not.

"Nothing. Forget I asked." he said, and the discussion was over.

But honestly, how could Nancy forget that he would ask?

"What is it you wanted me to see, ma'am?" he asked.

"I think you deserve to see these." said Nancy, as she handed over the letters. "I found them under the stairs to the cellar. The rest were from somewhere else in the desert."

"Desert, huh. You must've really gone places. Were the rest from one from the picture I showed you earlier?" he asked, as he was reading the letters Frances wrote to Dirk, and letters Dirk wrote to Frances.

"Yeah. I need to tell you, I found the other half of that picture." said Nancy. "The Rawleys sold a box of stuff to Mary Yazzie, and I found a watch there. When I opened it, I found the half of the picture. It's quite fascinating to say the least."

"I'll say." said Dave. "I'll have to hand it to you, miss, you're one heckuva detective. I daresay you underestimate your abilities."

"Oh, Dave." she said, unable to help herself from smiling.

You wouldn't believe half the stuff I discovered. I found out Tex and Mary Yazzie are dating, and that Tex has been helping her with these pieces of petrified wood. Or that I climbed cliff dwellings to solve Dirk's puzzle. Or that I had to contact Charleena Purcell. Just... wow. she thought.

"Miss Drew, this is... incredible to say the least. You've done me such a big thing, and I feel kind of terrible that all I can do is thank you." he said, biting his lip. "Great Aunt Ellie would've wanted me to find it myself, but the only thing I can say is that I tried." He shrugged. "I can't thank you enough."

Dave, being shy and mysterious, did the most surprising thing.

He kissed her cheek.

"Good night, miss. I'll see you tomorrow morning." he said, a little too quickly, as he stood up and walked out of the door.

Nancy didn't quite know what to make out of that, except that she wanted something a little more.

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Heee. Nothing exactly happened, but if you want the "little more" Nancy wanted, review! XD