Designs of the heart

by nourseholly

not mine rated m to be safe

Designs Of The Heart

by

~SMB~
(csbeyer )

Beginnings

Fran took a long drink of her coffee and watched the rain hit her kitchen windows in the dark hours of the early morning. She sighed. The weather was not boding a good omen for the day. And today was a day she could use some good old-fashioned luck. Tonight she was hosting one of the most important business events of her life. It was a celebration of her ten successful years in the interior design industry.

As she watched the rain, Fran thought back over the last ten years. She saw herself, fresh out of design school in her early twenties, knocking on the doors of design firm after design firm and having them turn her away. She saw her first big client, who she had run into (literally) at the corner coffee shop. She spilled her latte on his shoes and he helped her pick up her design portfolio, commenting on the originality of her designs and giving her his business card. She called on him the next day and within an hour convinced him to choose her for the redesign of his corporate boardroom. That led to the redesign of his condo. When he invited her to his first big party after his condo redesign, she picked up cards for four more people who had fallen in love with her work. Within six months, "Fine Designs" had been born. It had been non-stop ever since.

Fran left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to her bedroom, still thinking back over the journey, which had led her to this day. Within eight years of that fateful day in the coffee shop, she had earned enough money to buy this brownstone in the Upper West Side. It was the perfect location, just blocks from the theater and garment districts, whose patrons provided the majority of her business. It had taken her six months to convert it into a combined office and living space. The first floor held her design showroom, conference room and office. The second floor held her kitchen, living room, guest bedroom and guest bathroom. The third floor was her personal retreat, devoted entirely to her bedroom, spacious bath and a generous (to say the least) closet.

The last two years had flown by. Business grew exponentially as a result of her new prime location. She'd hired two assistants a year ago, one of which had been in their last year of design school. Fran had vowed, in those lonely days over ten years ago when she was praying for someone to give her a chance, if she ever "made it big" she would be a person who supported young people in the pursuit of their life's dream. She smiled as she thought of the internship program she was getting ready to start with the New York School of Interior Design, which would allow two of their top students to work part-time with her firm.

Fran's career journey had been a hell of a lot of work and she had sacrificed much over the years (not the least of which was her personal life), but it had definitely been worth it.

Humming to herself, she headed for the shower. As she looked out her bathroom skylight, she saw the rain had stopped and the first rays of morning sunlight were starting to chase the clouds away. Maybe the weather was a good omen after all.

Party Arrangements

By 1:00 pm that day, Fran was exhausted. She had spent the entire morning double-checking the arrangements for that night. The first two hours of the day had been spent on the phone with the florist, the caterer and the jazz trio she booked for the evening's entertainment. Everyone was ready to go.

Her two assistants had arrived at 10:00 am and helped her rearrange the design showroom to accommodate the evening's festivities. The food and drink would be displayed in the conference room. Fran opened the double pocket doors, which separated the conference room from the showroom to keep the space as open as possible and to allow for the best traffic flow.

They carefully arranged small seating areas throughout the showroom. The jazz trio would be placed right in front of the large windows that faced the street so they could tempt passersby to come in and see what all the fuss was about. Fran wanted as many people as possible to see her work. She carefully placed a variety of her designs on easels throughout the showroom to provide a pictorial history of her work over the past ten years.

"Fran, everything looks great! As usual, you've outdone yourself."

"Oh thanks Val. I swear, I couldn't have pulled this off without you and Sean though."

Sean laughed and said, "Yah, Val and I do move furniture well, don't we?"

Fran playfully slapped him in the arm and said, "Very funny, Sean. You two know how much I rely on you guys. This business wouldn't have grown nearly as much in the last two years if it hadn't been for you two." She pulled the two of them in for a big group hug.

Val, always the sentimental one of the group, started to get teary-eyed. "OY, enough already. I'm already an emotional basket case, any more of this mushy stuff and I'm going to have puffy eyes tonight!"

Fran smiled at her friend. She and Val had become friends in design school. Val had gone to work for a big design firm right after graduation, while Fran had started Fine Designs. They had stayed in contact over the years. Val would complain about the crap she had to put up with working for a big firm and Fran would complain about how she needed more help but couldn't afford to hire anyone. Val was the first person Fran called two years ago when she had finally grown her business enough to hire people.

"Okay you two, why don't you do me another big favor and zip over to the deli and grab us all some lunch. Here's some cash, get me my usual."

"Look Val, we get to go schlep to the deli and get our boss some dinner." Sean grabbed Val by the arm and gave her his cheesiest grin.

"I swear, Sean, you're horrible!" Val shot back at him, giving Fran an apologetic look.

Fran smiled and said, "Go on you two, get out and enjoy the sun for a bit. I have a couple of calls to make."

Fran headed back to her office and sat down in her chair, glad to have a moment of peace and quiet. She checked her email and found a couple of last minute RSVPs for the party. Quickly scanning her other emails to make sure there wasn't anything urgent, she left only when she heard Val and Sean get back from the deli.

"Come on Fran!" Sean shouted from out front. "Food wagon has arrived!"

She shut down her computer and headed out to join her friends. If she was lucky, she could inhale her lunch and even have time to get a quick nap in.

An Invitation

"Okay folks, that's it - let's take a break for a while, shall we?" Maxwell could tell from the looks of relief from his cast that his call for a break was a tad overdue. He had to admit he was ready for one too. If he didn't stop and eat something, he'd end up with a killer headache before the end of the day.

As the cast and crew headed offstage he called out, "Back in 30, alright?"

CC came over with a tray of food and sat it on the table, shoving scripts out of the way as she did so.

"Well, let's hope the delivery boy didn't screw up the order this time," she said grumpily.

"Oh I'm sure it will be fine, CC. Actually, I'm so hungry, I don't care what they sent, I'll eat it!"

CC looked over at Maxwell and frowned. He looked tired. No, he looked exhausted. He'd been working himself entirely too hard lately. He needed to get out and have some fun.

"So, Maxwell, what are you doing tonight after rehearsals?"

Maxwell tried to hide his look of frustration behind his sandwich. CC just didn't take a hint. He'd fought off her innocent (and some not so innocent) advances for years. He thought she'd gotten over her misguided infatuation with him, she hadn't made a pass at him in a month.

"Actually, CC, I thought I'd go home and get some rest."

"Oh come on, Maxwell, you can sleep in tomorrow. Why don't you come with me tonight?"

"Come with you where?"

"The woman that's doing the redesign on my loft is throwing a party."

"So?"

"She's having an open house tonight to celebrate being in business for 10 years."

"And why exactly would I be interested in going to something like that?"

Maxwell knew it was a snotty comment the minute it came out of his mouth, but dammit, he really wasn't feeling very social right at the moment.

CC ignored his tone and went on, "Because, there's going to be a lot of theater elite there and if nothing else, you'd get a chance to make some new contacts." There, she had him on that one. Maxwell Sheffield could never refuse a chance to make new business contacts. "Besides, the owner of the firm does incredible design work. She could probably do some amazing things with set design for us in the future."

"Oh I don't know, CC. Let's just see how the rest of today goes, shall we? Now let's get back to the business at hand here. Here's what I'd like to see happen with that problem scene in the second act."

CC shoved aside the rest of her arguments to persuade Maxwell to go out that night and turned her attention to the play.

The Chance Meeting

Fran checked her reflection in the mirror and smiled at what she saw. Not bad, she told herself. She'd kept it simple tonight. Nothing too over the top. She wanted to wow the crowd, but she also wanted to be taken seriously. This wasn't a social adventure tonight; it was business, all business. If she was lucky, she'd get quite a few new contacts out of tonight's little party and she wanted them to see her as a confident businesswoman, not some party tramp.

So, she was quite sure the black beaded cocktail dress was the perfect choice. It said, "notice me" but not in a vampy sort of way. Her last minute preparations were cut short when she heard Val and Sean arrive downstairs.

"Hey, Frannie, shake a leg lady, we got company coming!" shouted Sean.

"Alright already. Hold on to your shorts, I'm coming down!" she hollered back, smiling. Sean was such a ball of energy. He had really brought a lot of fun to their team. He was in his early twenties, and wickedly creative. He could look at a blank room and envision a whole living environment that went beyond paint and furniture. That kid showed promise, and Fran knew it would only be a matter of time before he was out on his own.

"Wow, Fran, you look awesome."

"Gee, Sean, don't sound so surprised."

Sean had the courtesy to look embarrassed and quickly recovered, "Oh, but Fran you always look great, it's just that tonight you look even more stunning than normal, if that's possible."

Fran glanced over at Val with a raised eyebrow as if to say, Get a load of this kid.

Val smiled back at her and winked. Fran could read her thoughts. Yah, but he's worth having around, ain't he?

The girls giggled and Sean jumped in, "Hey, quit having a conversation without me. Dammit, I wish I knew how you two did that!"

Fran reached over to pat him on the arm and said, "Oh Honey, sorry but that's a top-secret method of the Official Girlfriend's Code. We could tell ya, but then we'd have to kill ya!"

Sean put his hands up in mock defense. "No way man, I got a hot date after this shindig tonight."

They all laughed and started the last minute preparations for the party. Candles were lit, the caterers arrived and the jazz trio was right behind them. The last hour before the party flew by.

Guests started arriving promptly at 8:00. Fran greeted everyone personally at the door. Val and Sean were just inside to welcome everyone and show them around the design showroom.

"Fran, darling you look gorgeous! It's so good to see you!"

Fran pulled CC into a hug. "Thanks, CC, as usual you look wonderful!"

The tall blonde laughed and replied, "Yah right, I've been at the theater all day. I must look a mess!"

Fran smiled at her and said, "Sweetie, you could spend your entire day cleaning the house and look gorgeous."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you so much. Fran, I'd like you to meet my business partner, Maxwell Sheffield."

Fran directed her attention to the man standing just behind CC and literally felt herself go weak in the knees. Tall, dark and handsome just didn't do him justice.

Offering him her hand, she quickly came to her senses and said, "Good evening, Mr. Sheffield, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Up to this point, Maxwell had been kicking himself for agreeing to come with CC to this "blasted party" as he had so elegantly put it. But, from the moment he'd seen the dark haired, dark eyed beauty in front of him, he'd begun to rethink his position. It had been quite a while since he'd been captivated by a woman at first glance. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Almost.

Taking her small hand in his, he replied, "The pleasure's all mine, Miss Fine. It looks like you have quite a crowd gathering."

"Well that's a good thing considering all the food I have in there!" Her smile lit her entire face with a radiant glow and Maxwell found himself mesmerized by it.

Fran hesitated. Was he checking her out? Nah girl, snap out of it. Men like him don't fall for girls like you. Oh, but that voice. She thought his voice alone would be enough to make her melt.

Out loud, she said, "Tell you what, CC, why don't you and Mr. Sheffield come with me and I'll show you around." Fran motioned to Val and had her take over the door greeting duty. She then spent the next few minutes showing CC and Maxwell around the showroom.

"CC tells me you're going to do the redesign on her loft."

"That's right. CC's got an amazing space and some great furniture pieces already. I'm just helping her put a new 'spin' on the place."

"Fran's being modest, Maxwell. She's come up with some incredible ideas. I can hardly wait to see the finished product!"

"Well, I was hoping to bring by the final design boards to you tomorrow morning if you've got some time?"

"We'll have to do it early. Maxwell and I are going through script rewrites at the theater at 9:30."

"I could be to your place at 7:30 if that's not too early. We could go through the boards, and I could even get started with some of the prep work after you leave for the theater if you want."

"7:30! Good lord, you better be bringing coffee with you!"

"Honey, I'm Jewish, I'll bring coffee and bagels!"

"You're on."

Maxwell watched the girls' exchange with a raised eyebrow. He'd never seen CC this friendly with another female in his life. CC normally had a rather predatory air about her when a female got within 5 feet of Maxwell. The only one she hadn't done that with had been his late wife, Sarah.

Fran sighed. "Well, I hate to go, but I really think I better mingle. I wouldn't want any of my guests to feel neglected. Thanks so much for coming tonight. Please don't leave without saying goodbye." Fran directed her words to CC but gave a meaningful glance to Maxwell before she left.

Maxwell watched her leave with a mixture of curiosity and regret. He found himself sad that she was obligated to go mingle with the rest of her guests. He wanted to know more about her, for she intrigued him.

CC took a sip of her champagne and glanced over at Maxwell. She saw the look on his face and hid a small smile. It had been a long time since she'd seen that look. A month ago and that look would have bothered her. But, she'd done a lot of soul searching this past month. In large part due to the woman who was hosting the evening's festivities.

"So what do you think?" CC asked. Maxwell didn't respond. "Maxwell!"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, CC, I must not have heard you."

"Really? Hearing going in your old age?

"Excuse me?"

CC quickly recovered. "I said, so what are we going to do with that bad lighting spot on the stage?"

Just then, a server walked by and CC grabbed another two glasses off the tray, handing one to Maxwell. "So what do you think? Happy I made you come with me?"

Maxwell started to reply and then stopped as he heard his cell phone ring. "Hello? Hello? Grace, is that you? Honey, you're going to have to speak up, I can hardly hear you." CC watched as Maxwell struggled to hear what Grace was telling him. Fran came by, saw Maxwell's plight and gave CC an inquiring glance.

"Oh, it's no big deal. It's just one of his kids I think."

"No big deal? Family is ALWAYS a big deal in my house."

Fran grabbed Maxwell's arm and, ignoring his look of surprise, headed for her office. She opened the door and practically shoved him through it.

"Here, it'll be much quieter in here. Take as much time as you need."

Maxwell gave her a grateful smile and went back to talking to Grace.

As Fran left the room she heard Maxwell say, "Oh Grace, I'm sorry, you had another bad dream didn't you? Okay I'll get there as soon as I can. Well, I'll have to take CC home first and then I can head home. I know, but it won't take long. I'll be there soon, I promise. Do me a favor and put Niles on the phone, would you? I love you too..."

Fran felt tears come to her eyes. There was such concern and sadness in his voice. CC had told her all about Maxwell about a month ago when they'd first met to discuss the plans for CC's loft. What had started out as a business lunch had turned into a 3-hour chat session. Fran had mainly listened to CC pour her heart out, which seemed to get a lot easier after the third long island iced tea.

It had been obvious to Fran that CC was pursuing a lost cause with Max. From everything CC had shared with her, it was very apparent Max just wasn't interested.

Fran hadn't said much to that effect that day, but as she got to know CC over the past month, she'd begun to think of her as a friend and had gotten the courage to voice her opinion on the matter. CC hadn't wanted to hear it at first, but she was an intelligent woman. It hadn't taken much to convince her of the truth. Fran had just hated to see her down on herself all the time and pining for a man that obviously wasn't interested. CC was too smart and too beautiful to waste herself like that.

CC was waiting for Fran when she came back from her office. "Isn't he done yet? Good lord, those kids of his are needy!"

"CC, come on. They lost their mother. Their father works all the time. Can ya blame them?"

"Oh, I guess not, but damn they're inconvenient!"

Fran shook her head and smiled. "CC, ya don't have kids for the convenience!"

CC rolled her eyes and went back to drinking her champagne. Just then Maxwell returned.

"Thank you, Miss Fine. That was very generous of you to let me use your office."

"Hey no problem. Did you happen to take care of that mountain of filing while you were in there?" Seeing Maxwell looking confused, Fran elbowed him and said, "Just kidding! Everything okay at home?"

Maxwell sighed, "It will be. My youngest, Grace, has been having some bad dreams lately. She's 8, but sometimes it's still hard for her. CC, I'm sorry, but I need to leave. Do you mind?"

"Well Maxwell, I really was having a nice time. Can't Niles handle this?"

Fran stared at CC as if seeing her for the first time. "CC! This is his child we're talking about! There is no way anyone is going to do but Daddy!"

Maxwell stared at Fran, shocked by the conviction in her voice. He had met this woman less than an hour ago and here she was standing up for his kids! Oh, he most definitely had to learn more about her.

"Tell you what Maxwell, you go on ahead. I'm going to stay for a while. I'll catch a cab later."

Maxwell hesitated, frowning. Fran jumped in. "Oh don't worry Mr. Sheffield, I'll keep a close eye on her. She won't be out too late. Remember CC, I'm going to be knocking on your door at 7:30 tomorrow morning!"

CC grabbed another flute of champagne and replied, "Don't remind me! Goodnight Maxwell." With that parting comment, CC headed over to a rather boisterous crowd of young people gathered around one of the food tables.

Maxwell turned to Fran. "Congratulations on your business success, Miss Fine. You should be very proud of all you've accomplished."

She gave him a big smile. "Thank you, Mr. Sheffield. That means a lot coming from a fellow entrepreneur."

He chuckled. Beautiful, caring and funny, what an intriguing combination this woman was. She walked with him to the door.

As he headed down the front steps, she stopped him. "Oh Mr. Sheffield, I almost forgot, here's my business card. I wouldn't be much of a salesperson if I didn't give you this, eh?"

He took the slim card from her hand and glanced at it,

Fine Designs

Commercial & Residential Interior Designs

"Designs With You In Mind"

Turning the card over he found her name and phone number. "Thank you Miss Fine. Who knows, I may have need of your services someday."

As she headed back up the stairs she turned back to look at him and gave him a small, secretive, smile. "Oh I hope so, Mr. Sheffield. I certainly hope so."

The Morning After

CC was still trying to figure out why she had agreed to meet with Fran at 7:30 in the morning when her doorbell rang. Holding her head slightly, she opened the door and frowned at the woman on the other side.

"What the hell are you looking so happy and perky about? It's too damn early to look like that!"

Fran breezed through the door and headed for the kitchen. "Oh come on, CC, it's a glorious day outside. I figured you'd be in a great mood considering the fun you had last night."

"That's the problem. I think I had a little too much fun," CC grumbled.

Fran handed her a coffee. "Here, this might help."

"You better hope so. I've got a long day ahead of me." CC took a drink of coffee and sighed.

Fran busied herself with the bagels, fruit and cream cheese she'd brought. CC eyed the spread with a wary eye. "I don't usually eat breakfast, Fran."

"Well you should, CC. Didn't your mom tell you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day?"

"No. My mother wasn't exactly schooled in the domestics."

Fran shoved a plate in front of CC's face. "Well you better learn quick. Food doesn't last long around me, so dig in!"

They ate their breakfast and looked over Fran's design boards. CC had a couple of minor changes to a detail here and there, but nothing major.

"Fran, I know you were going to do some of the prep work today, but do you mind waiting until Monday? I need to pack up a few more things and my reservation at The Regency doesn't start until tomorrow night.

"No problem. It'll give me a chance to get the studio back in shape after last night's party."

Both of them looked at each other in surprise when the doorbell rang.

"You expecting more company at 8:30 in the morning?"

"No way. Everyone I know is probably still in bed with a hangover this early in the morning on a Saturday."

CC opened the door and exclaimed, "Maxwell! What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the theater at 9:30."

Fran's heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice. "We were CC, but I'm going to have to make a slight change in plans."

Maxwell walked in with a young girl in tow. She gave a nervous look to CC and then saw Fran. Fran gave her a warm smile, stood up and went over to greet her.

"Hi! You must be Gracie! I'm Fran. Gosh, your Daddy didn't tell me how pretty you were. I'm surprised he let you out of the house!"

The girl smiled shyly up at Fran and said, "Hi."

Maxwell's heart warmed at hearing Fran's words to his daughter. "Hello, Miss Fine. It's good to see you again."

"Morning Mr. Sheffield. Hey Gracie, why don't you come over here and take a look at these design boards for me. I could use someone else's opinion on them." She winked at Maxwell as she led Grace over to the table.

"What's she doing here?" CC demanded.

"She had such a rough night last night that she didn't want me to leave this morning. The only way I got out of the house was to let her come with me. I came by early in the hopes we could go ahead and get to the theater early, as I'm fairly certain I won't be able to stay all day today as I originally planned."

"You mean we have to take her with us?"

Maxwell quickly glanced over at his daughter, but she wasn't paying the least bit of attention to them. Grace and Fran had their heads together and were laughing at something Fran was pointing out. Grace was actually laughing! He looked at Fran who had her arm draped around Grace's shoulders and had her held to her side. He was suddenly very glad he'd decided to stop by CC's first.

"Yes, CC, that's what I mean. She's coming with us."

CC rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen. "Oh great, this ought to be a productive day."

"Mr. Sheffield, I have an idea."

"What's that Miss Fine?" Lord she looked cute this morning. That red and white jogging suit and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Maxwell thought Miss Fine probably looked good in anything she chose to wear.

"Why don't I take Gracie back with me to my studio? I could use some help cleaning up after last night's party and that would give you and CC a chance to get some work done."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that Miss Fine. That would be such an imposition."

"Hey, you didn't ask, I offered. And there's NO way Gracie would ever be an imposition. I'd love to spend the day with her."

"Please, Dad, may I go with Fran?"

Maxwell looked at his daughter in surprise. He hadn't heard her come up beside him. She was looking at him with such hope and excitement in her eyes that he didn't even give it another thought. "Sure honey, if that's what you want."

Grave gave him a big hug, "It is!"

Fran gave him a piece of paper. "Here. This is my personal cell number and of course you know where the shop is already. Now what's the number I can reach you at in case of emergency?"

He gave her his cell phone number, which she jotted down and dropped in her handbag. CC came back from the kitchen at that point with her bag, a resigned look on her face.

"See ya, CC! I'll be by early Monday morning to get started. Mr. Sheffield, just give me a call when you're ready to pick Gracie up and I'll have her ready to go by the time you get there!" She and Grace headed out the door, hand in hand. Grace turned and gave her Dad an enthusiastic wave as they went down the hall.

"I thought we were going to be stuck with Grace all day?"

Maxwell frowned at CC and said rather sharply, "No, CC, you're not going to be 'stuck' with Grace all day. She's spending the day with Miss Fine."

"Well lucky for Miss Fine then. Come on, Maxwell, let's go."

Maxwell shook his head and followed CC down the hall. He couldn't help thinking that Grace was the lucky one today.

Fran & Grace Get To Know Each Other

Fran and Grace had a great day. A little shy at first, once Grace saw Fran's studio, her eyes lit up and she eagerly followed Fran as they went on a tour of not only the studio, but also Fran's living quarters as well.

"Wow, you live here all by yourself?"

"Sure do, Sweetie."

"That must be great. Sometimes I wish I could live by myself."

"Oh, Gracie, it's nice, but I'd rather have company. Sometimes it gets so lonely and quiet here, that I get kinda sad."

"Gosh, Fran, I can't imagine you being sad."

"Why's that, honey? Don't you get sad sometimes?" Fran watched Grace's face closely. She had an idea why Grace had been having bad dreams lately. Fran thought maybe if she could get Grace to talk about what was bothering her, it would help.

Grace leaned over to grab one of the bags of trash they'd loaded up and headed for the back door. Over her shoulder she said quietly. "Sometimes."

When she came back, Fran said, "I get sad sometimes when it's late at night and it's just me here and I start thinking about how I wish I had someone here with me to share my life with. What makes you sad?"

Fran kept busy straightening things around the studio so Grace didn't think she was just focused on her. Grace followed suit and started stacking the folding chairs. "Lots of things actually. Sometimes I think about my mom and get sad. Sometimes I get sad because Daddy's not around very much. You know, stuff like that."

Fran's heart hurt to hear Grace's words. As she walked by Grace, she pulled her into a hug and said, "I'm so sorry to hear that honey. It must be rough not having your mom with you and your daddy working all the time."

Grace stiffened and pulled away. Fran knew this little girl must have pretty thick walls around her heart. Usually one of Fran's hugs was enough to bring even the bravest soul to tears. She decided to change tactics.

"Wow - we've certainly made quick work of this place! Thanks Gracie, it looks awesome. If I hadn't had you here to help me, I'd have been working on this all day! As it is, it's only 2:00. Wait, 2:00! Oy! You must be starving! Whaddya say we go upstairs and make some lunch?"

"Sounds good to me. But I'm not very good at cooking. At least that's what Niles says."

"Well, you haven't gone through the 'Fran Fine Cooking School' program yet, now have ya?"

Grace laughed and followed Fran upstairs.

Maxwell couldn't help but wonder how Grace and Fran were doing. Normally when he was at work, he was totally focused on the job at hand. Today something was different. He found his mind wandering and his thoughts drifting to anywhere but the play. He told himself it was because he was worried about Grace, but knew a large part of it was his growing fascination with Miss Fine. He'd only met her the night before but his thoughts had almost completely been dominated by her presence ever since.

"Maxwell? Maxwell? Really, Maxwell, we aren't going to get much work done if you don't start paying attention!" CC grumbled.

"What? Oh sorry, CC. I guess I'm just not into this today. You know, it's already 3:00. I think I'm going to call it quits today and head over to pick up Grace."

"But Maxwell, we still have to plan out the rehearsals for the next month and then..."

Maxwell interrupted her, "CC, you're an intelligent woman and I pay you good money. Take care of the details. I'm leaving early to spend some time with my family." He stood up quickly, patted her on the shoulder and headed toward the theater exit.

CC watched him go, fighting the feelings of frustration and amusement which were vying for attention. She was frustrated because he'd left her with a pile of work to do, but amused at the obvious reaction her boss was having to Fran. A small pang of regret hit her as she realized that Maxwell was attracted to Fran. Oh come on girl, snap out of it. You've known all along that Maxwell wasn't interested in you. You're just going to have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go search for someone else!

CC sighed and went back to work.

The front door to Fran's studio was locked when Maxwell got there. He pushed the intercom button and was answered with the sound of loud laughter. He heard Fran catch her breath and answer "Yes, who is it?"

"It's me, Maxwell, I mean Mr. Sheffield."

"Oh, sorry, here come on up." She buzzed him in.

Maxwell let himself in, found the stairs and went up to the second floor. He found Fran and Grace at the kitchen table surrounded by a rather large mess of ice cream sundae fixings. It looked like Baskin & Robbins had literally blown up in Miss Fine's kitchen. What caught his attention the most was Grace's face. There was only one word to describe how she looked and that was happy.

"Having fun you two?"

"Oh, Daddy, yes, I've had such a great day." Grace came running over to Maxwell and gave him a big hug. Maxwell couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten a hug like that from Grace. "Thank you for letting me spend the day with Fran."

Fran got up, grabbed some dishes and headed for the kitchen, letting Maxwell and Grace have this moment to themselves. When she got back, she heard Grace telling Maxwell all about their day. Her heart swelled as she heard the joy in Grace's voice.

"Miss Fine, I want to thank you for taking care of Grace today. It was very generous of you to offer." Maxwell hesitated, at a loss for words.

Fran patted him on the arm and said, "Honestly, Mr. Sheffield, I was thrilled to have Gracie with me for the day. She was a huge help in me getting the studio back in shape and it's been such a long time since I've been able to enjoy a 'Girlfriends Ice Cream Sundae Extravaganza'. We used to have them all the time in school. I miss them!"

He heard the loneliness in her voice and was surprised. He had assumed, given her energetic nature and vivacious personality, that her personal life was a full and rich one. Seeing the wistful look on her face made him rethink that assumption.

"Okay, Grace, it's time we should be getting home. Niles and the other children will be wondering about us. Go get your coat so we can get going."

"Oh, but Dad, can't we stay just a little bit longer?"

"No, Grace, I'm sorry, we need to be going."

Grace sighed and went to the guest bedroom to grab her coat. Maxwell waited until she'd left the room, and then said, "Miss Fine I want to thank you for spending the day with my daughter. It appears to have done her a world of good."

"Oh no problem Mr. Sheffield, we had a really fun time. She's an absolute angel, but I guess you already know that."

Grace came back in and walked over to Fran. Her face was a complete picture of misery. Fran saw the sad look and leaned down to give Grace a big hug. "Gracie, honey, I am so glad you spent the day with me. I had a super time and I can't wait until we can do it again!"

Grace looked up at Fran with a hopeful smile. "I can come back?" She looked at her father hopefully.

Before Maxwell could say a word, Fran said emphatically, "You better believe it, Angel. Anytime!"

Grace gave Fran a huge hug and walked over to her father. "Okay, Dad, let's go." She reached out to grab his hand. Maxwell's heart melted at the feel of his daughter's small hand encased in his. He walked downstairs with her and out to the car. Fran walked out behind them and stood on the front stoop waving until she couldn't see their car any longer.

Later that night, Fran was relaxing in her Jacuzzi tub with a glass of chardonnay and light jazz on the stereo. She thought back over her day and smiled. Grace was such a great kid. A bit on the shy and nervous side, but Fran knew, with a little time, she'd have Grace out of her shell.

Fran nearly dropped her wine glass in the tub when the phone rang. Looking over at the clock she saw it was already after 10:00. She sat her wine glass down and picked up the phone next to the tub and said, "Hello"?

"Miss Fine, please forgive me for calling so late."

Fran tried to hide the surprise in her voice and replied, "Mr. Sheffield? Hello."

"I'm really sorry to bother you. It's just that I...well I just wanted to say..."

He sounded really nervous. "Mr. Sheffield, it's no problem. I wasn't asleep or anything. What's wrong? Is everything okay? Gracie's alright, isn't she?" Now she was starting to get nervous.

"That's why I was calling. Grace is more than okay. She's wonderful actually. And it's thanks to you really."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Grace has been having a hard time of it lately. I think she's really going through a rough phase of missing her mother and I've been spending a lot of time at the theater. Anyway, she's been having bad dreams and a hard time at school."

He fell silent and Fran wasn't sure what to say. This probably wouldn't have been a difficult conversation if she hadn't been naked in a tub with wine and candles talking to quite possibly the sexiest man she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Miss Fine, are you still there?"

She jumped and knocked her wine glass into the tub. "Dammit!"

"Miss Fine are you okay?" He heard water splashing in the background. "Did I catch you doing the dishes or something? I can let you go if you're busy, I didn't mean to interrupt anything.."

"No, I'm actually in the tub." Her response was met with dead silence. After about 20 seconds of no response, she said, "Mr. Sheffield, are you still there?"

His voice sounded a bit strangled, but he managed to get out, "Um, well, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate, um, well, that..." Bloody hell, where had his brain gone? Because all you can think about is the fact she's naked at this very moment, you silly twit! Maxwell wanted to throttle the voice in his head, but snapped back to reality when he heard Fran's voice.

"I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know Gracie today. It was the perfect birthday present."

"Today's your birthday?"

"Sure is. And I couldn't think of a better way to spend it than with Gracie. She's such a wonderful little girl."

Okay Max, quit thinking of her naked in a tub that's probably big enough for two and focus on the reason why you called her in the first place! "That's why I had to call, even though it was so late. Grace talked about you the whole way home and then all night tonight. It's seems she's quite taken with you."

"Well I'm taken with her too."

"She's been so happy all night and very talkative. She actually went to bed tonight without dreading it. And, she hasn't woken up yet with a bad dream. Normally at this point in the evening Niles or I have had to go in to comfort her at least twice."

"I'm glad."

"I wanted to tell you, Miss Fine..." He was hesitating again. What was he struggling with? He took a deep breath and went on. "I wanted to tell you Miss Fine that I truly appreciate everything you did for my daughter today. I will not forget it and I hope I can repay you in some way for the effect you've had on her."

Fran smiled. Her heart swelled hearing his praise. This was a lost cause. He was gorgeous, rich and now she'd found out he had a sensitive side too. Oy.

"Tell you what, Mr. Sheffield, I've got two requests."

"Name it Miss Fine"

"Call me Fran and find a time soon when I can see Gracie again. Bring the other kids too."

Maxwell sat back in his chair, surprised. Call her "Fran"? And did she say she wanted to meet all of his kids? What the hell was he supposed to do with that? He had just called to say thanks and now she wanted to make a play date with his kids.

On instinct and for the first time in a very long time, Maxwell ignored the rational part of his brain and went with the emotional side.

"Alright, Fran. I'll review the children's schedule and call you soon."

"Great, Max! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight. Oh and Fran?"

"Yes, Max?"

"Happy Birthday and sweet dreams."

Had she just called him Max? Maxwell had a fleeting thought that perhaps this phone call wasn't such a good idea after all. It had seemed appropriate after all that Miss Fine had done for Grace's disposition today. But, he couldn't help thinking, as he went up to bed, that he had just made his life a bit more complicated than it had been this morning when he'd woken up.

Fran hummed to herself as she got into bed. I wonder if he knows how sexy his voice sounds, she wondered. As her head hit the pillow, she smiled. Something told her she was going to have sweet dreams indeed.

CC's Surprise Project For Fran

The next month flew by for both Fran and Maxwell. CC's loft remodel had Fran running and Maxwell was up to his neck with preparations for his new play. They barely had time to think at all, let alone think of each other. In fact, CC was their only common denominator. Every time one of them would ask CC about the other one, she'd hide a smile and fight the urge to tell them if they wanted to know so damn bad to call each other.

"Hey, CC! This is a surprise. You coming to check up on me?" Fran teased.

"Damn straight. Besides, I miss this place. As much as I love being waited on hand and foot at the Regency, I have to admit I miss my own personal wet bar!"

"Honey, wait until you see the wet bar I've got in store for you! Talk about a shrine!"

CC took a quick spin around the place, taking mental inventory of all the things Fran had accomplished so far. A month into the project and the deconstruction and construction had been finished. A wall removed one place and repositioned somewhere else. New windows installed. Lighting completely overhauled.

"Wow, Fran, things look good. It looks like you're right on schedule."

"Yep. We'll do paint and trim next week. Furniture arrives the week after. Then all we have to do is the window treatments, linens, accessories, etc."

"Perfect! Things will be finished just in time."

"Just in time for what?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm having a charity auction at the beginning of December. I figured it would be the perfect time to unveil the new place."

Fran rounded on CC with fire in her eyes. "Oh you did, did you? And just when were you planning on telling your designer all these fun plans? You do realize we could have had a problem if something had been back-ordered, don't you?"

"Oh settle down, Fran. You would have made it all work out. That's your job!"

Fran rubbed her temples and swore silently at CC. She really admired her, but lord that woman gave her a headache sometimes.

"Oh, and I can count on you to contribute to the cause, right, Fran?" The look on CC's face left no room for argument.

"Just what am I supposed to donate, CC?"

"A free consultation and design plan for the lucky winner. You know, something simple."

"Simple? CC, do you have any idea how much time and effort goes into one of my design boards? I don't just whip those out overnight ya know!"

"Yes, but it's for a very good cause -The Ronald McDonald House - You know the organization that provides housing to parents who have children going through cancer treatment and need a place to stay that's close to the hospital? "

"Yah, I know." Fran sighed. CC had pulled the underhanded trick of using guilt on a Jewish woman. To top it off, she'd thrown suffering children in the mix. Fund raising for causes surrounding the threat of cancer was something near and dear to Fran's heart. She'd seen too many friends and family members get sick and some even die from cancer.

"Alright CC, you've got a deal. Now, before I throttle you, would you please go through your 'vision' for this party with me so I can make sure we're ready to go for the big night?"

A Day With The Kids

Two weeks later, on a Saturday morning, Fran had decided to give herself a break from CC's remodeling project and spend some much-needed time cleaning her house. Life had been entirely too stressful and too hectic the past few weeks and Fran needed to get some things back under control. So, after a quick shower, she threw on an old pair of jeans, a comfy college sweatshirt and threw her hair into a ponytail. Then she put her favorite Streisand cd on the stereo and tore into it.

She was a good two hours into her day when the doorbell to the studio rang. She headed downstairs and was shocked to find Maxwell Sheffield on her doorstep. Make that Maxwell Sheffield and his three children.

"Hello, Miss Fine. I hope we're not intruding."

Fran opened the door wider to let them all in. "I thought I told you to call me "Fran" and you're not intruding at all. I must look an absolute mess though, just doing a little Saturday morning house cleaning." She self-consciously ran a hand through her hair, which had started to come down from its ponytail.

Maxwell gave her an appreciative look and replied, "Not at all, Miss Fine, I mean, Fran."

Grace had given up being patient at this point and flew around her father to run straight to Fran and give her a hug. Fran staggered a bit from the force of Grace's hug. "Hey, Gracie girl. Did ya miss me?"

Grace nodded and said, "Yes."

Fran hugged her firmly and looked over at the other two kids. "Hi there, I'm Fran."

Maxwell nudged Margaret, who was shyly looking at her feet. She jumped and said, "Hi, I'm Margaret."

"Hi Maggie, it's nice to meet you. Your father was right, you are beautiful."

Margaret smiled and stood a little straighter. Meanwhile, her brother was practically standing on his tiptoes to get noticed. Fran looked over at him and smiled at the ornery look on his face.

"And you must be Brighton. I've heard you're quite the, um, adventurous sort."

"Yah, that's me!" He grinned from ear to ear.

Maxwell smiled at Fran's interaction with his children. This woman really knew how to connect with them. "The children and I were on our way to the park and we thought we'd take a chance you might be home and stop by to say "hello."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Would you like to come upstairs for a little bit before you go?"

"Well, actually, we were hoping we could convince you to come with us."

Grace looked up at Fran. "Please?"

"Well, I suppose I could. Lemme think for a minute, clean house or go have fun in the park. Clean house or go to the park." Fran's hands mimicked a teeter-totter and the kids laughed. The only thing that stopped them was Maxwell's cell phone ringing.

Fran saw the frustrated look that ran across all three kids' faces. Oy, this betta not be work she thought. But, what else could it be?

"Hello? CC, I thought I told you I was spending the day with my children. What do you mean we've got an emergency at the theater? Handle it, that's what I pay you for." Maxwell gave Fran an exasperated look and she just shrugged her shoulders at him. Maxwell listened to CC for a few minutes more and then interrupted her, "OH, alright. I give up. I'll be there in a few minutes. BUT, I am NOT staying. I'll get this crisis solved and then I'm leaving, do you understand me?"

He had barely hung up the phone when the kids started to whine in unison.

Maggie was the first one. "Dad, you PROMISED. Today was supposed to be OUR day!"

Brighton was right on her heels with, "Yah Dad, why can't CC handle the stupid problem?"

Grace just sighed and leaned into Fran.

Fran saw the torn look on Maxwell's face and decided to jump in and help him out. "Hey kids, I've got a great idea!"

Everyone looked at her in anticipation. She took a deep breath and went on. "How about you three hang out here with me for a couple hours while your Dad goes to the theater and clears up the emergency."

"Fran, I can't impose on you like that. All three of them? You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"Excuse me, Maxwell, but I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't mean it. And, I'm entirely capable of handling these three for a coupla hours, trust me."

The kids started cheering. Fran held up her hands to quiet them down. "Now wait a minute you three. We aren't going to have a three-ring circus here. You get to stay and hang out with me, but make no mistake, I'm gonna put you to work!"

The cheering stopped abruptly. All except Grace, who still looked excited. Maggie and Brighton look confused.

"That's right my three amigos. We're going to have a lot of fun, but we're gonna get some work done too. Gracie, you show these two upstairs. You three can get yourselves something to drink outta the fridge. I'll be up in a couple minutes."

Maxwell waited until the children were out of earshot. "Fran, listen, it wasn't my intention to leave the children with you when I went off to work. I'm really sorry about this. I'll be back as fast as I can."

Fran stopped him by laying a hand on his shoulder. "Maxwell, give yourself a break. I don't mind at all. In fact, I'm looking forward to spending some time with them. Tell you what, you take care of things at the theater and then give me a call when you're done. We'll have supper waiting on you when you're done."

"Please let me take you out to dinner at least for the trouble I'm putting you through."

"Oy, you stubborn man! Those kids are no trouble at all. AND, I think they'd enjoy cooking for their Dad. Give them something to be proud about. So go already. Go fly in save the day and then come back. We'll be here waiting for you."

What happened next surprised both Maxwell and Fran. He leaned in, kissed her lightly on the lips and said softly, "Thank you. I'll be back soon." He left quickly before he could make the moment any more awkward than it already was. As he headed to his curb, Maxwell berated himself for the impulsive kiss. I kissed her. Where the hell did that come from? I don't even know her and I kissed her. I'm sure that made a wonderful impression. Shaking his head, he got into his car and drove off.

Fran stood in the doorway for several minutes, her lips still tingling from his brief kiss. She stayed lost in thought until she heard the kids yelling for her from upstairs.

The kids helped Fran with the last bit of cleaning and then she surprised them by saying, "Okay gang, grab your coats, let's go!"

"Where are we going?" they chimed in unison.

"To the corner deli to have lunch and then over a couple blocks to the store so we can pick up some stuff for supper. I figure you guys can help me make dinner for your Dad."

"Fran are you nuts? We don't know how to cook!" exclaimed Brighton.

"Well then, young man, it's about time you learned."

As they headed out the door, Fran grabbed her cell phone and called Maxwell quickly to let him know what they were doing. He sounded stressed on the phone and hinted that it would be closer to dinnertime before he was done. Fran kept her tone light, told him not to worry and that they would see him later. In a couple of hours, she and the kids were back home.

"Oy, I always think living in a brownstone is cool until I have to come home with groceries. At least this time I've got some help!"

They made quick work of unloading the groceries. Fran checked the clock. It was only 3:00. They had plenty of time before they had to start supper. "Okay guys, what would you like to do? I've had you cleaning house or running errands all day. That can't have been much fun, so what would you like to do? We have a couple of hours before we have to start making supper."

Brighton was the first with an idea. "Let's watch a movie."

Margaret followed up with, "I have a book I can read."

Grace just looked at Fran and said, "Is there something I can help you do? I don't want to watch TV and I didn't bring a book."

"Tell you what kids, let's play a game. That's something we can all do together. That's the whole point of a family day is to spend time together as a family." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Fran realized she had said the wrong thing.

"Oh yah, well then why isn't Dad here?" grumped Brighton.

"Shut up Brighton!"

"You shut up Maggie!"

"Fran, make them both shut up! I can't stand it when they fight!" wailed Grace.

Fran put her fingers to her mouth and whistled. Loudly. All three kids fell silent.

"Listen guys, I'm sorry your Dad had to work today. Trust me, he didn't want to go. I know that doesn't make it any better, but he won't be gone much longer. How about we all just kick back and relax for a while. Tell you what. Let's have family reading time."

"Family reading time? What's that?" Maggie asked.

"That's where we all pick out a book and bring it back to the group. We vote on which one we're gonna read, then we take turns reading to each other out of the book. You guys go over to that bookcase over there and pick a book. When you each have one, we'll take a vote."

The kids looked a little doubtful, but followed Fran's instructions. Soon, they each had a book in hand and came back over to the couch. Fran held out her hands, gathered up the books and looked to see what the kids picked out.

Maggie had come back with a Harlequin romance. Fran gave her a look and Maggie just smiled at her, trying to look innocent.

"Okay, Maggie has brought us 'Love On The High Seas'. This one's about a woman who's kidnapped by a pirate, but ends up falling in love with him, etc. etc."

Brighton was already shaking his head. "Ewww, yuck. No way!"

"Okay Mr. Picky, what do you suggest?"

Brighton handed his book over to Fran, a big grin on his face. "Football For Dummies? Oh, B!" Fran didn't even remember she'd had that book. It must have been one she'd bought so she could learn the game and impress one of her old boyfriends. Mental note, she thought. Donate that book to the library!

Brighton's two sisters vetoed his pick quite quickly. "Well Gracie dear, I guess it's up to you. What did you pick? 'A Wrinkle In Time' by Madeleine L'Engle. Oh Gracie, this is one of my absolute favorites! How did you know?"

Grace blushed and shrugged shyly. "I just thought it sounded neat."

"What's it about?" Brighton asked dubiously.

"Oh Brighton, it's really cool. You'll like it. It's got time travel, action, adventure."

When Brighton and Maggie still looked doubtful, Fran flipped the book over and read from the back:

"Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. She claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time.

Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?"

By the time Fran was done reading the summary on the back of the book, the children were convinced. They all settled in on the couch. Fran took the first turn reading. They each read a couple of pages until they were through with the first three chapters of the book. Amidst protests from the kids, Fran shut the book. "Okay guys, enough for right now. We need to get started on supper for your Dad. We can read some more after dinner if you want."

They headed out to the kitchen and Fran wasted no time getting the kids busy. "Okay, Maggie, you get that big pot hanging over the island, fill it with water and get it boiling. Brighton, I want you to slice this big loaf of garlic bread. Don't cut it all the way through, just enough that you can spread the pieces apart a little bit. We're going to get some garlic butter in there in just a minute."

"Hang on Fran, you're letting Brighton near a knife? That's not such a good idea," joked Maggie.

"Nonsense, Maggie. I trust Brighton. He'll do just fine."

Brighton stuck his tongue out at his big sister and went to grab the loaf of bread. Fran laughed and then turned her attention to Grace. "Okay Gracie girl, you're going to be in charge of the salad. Here's all the stuff you're gonna need. Just wash everything really well before you throw it in the bowl."

"I get to make it all by myself?"

"You bet, sweetie. I'll only jump in if ya ask for some help!"

"So, what are you gonna do, Fran? Just supervise?"

"OY, you're such a smarty-pants, B! No, I'm not just gonna supervise. I gotta make the spaghetti sauce and Maggie's gonna help me make the dessert! You, Mr. Intelligent, are going to set the table once you get the bread ready to go in the oven."

Fran's kitchen was a flurry of activity for the next hour. There wasn't a clean surface to be found anywhere. The kids were laughing and teasing each other and Fran. In the middle of all the frivolity, Fran's phone rang.

"So are you ready to kill me yet?"

Fran laughed and replied, "Are you kidding? We're having a blast here! The only thing that would make it better would be if you were here too."

"Well, actually I am. I just pulled up out front."

"Super. I'll send the kids down to get ya!" She hung up to tell the kids, but Maggie and Gracie had already dropped what they were working on and ran downstairs. Brighton stayed where he was, a look between frustration and eagerness on his face.

"What's up, B?"

"Nothing."

"Yah, right. Nothing's wrong and I'm a blonde! So give already, what's wrong?"

"I just don't know why he has to work so much. Today was supposed to be OUR day. But NO, he had to go work at the stupid theater. I hate that place!"

Fran walked over to Brighton and put her arm around his shoulder, leaned down to his level and whispered quietly, "Ya know, B, ya got a choice here. You could stay mad at your Dad and give him a hard time tonight. OR, you can cut him some slack, go give him a hug and ask him about his day. I guarantee you the second option will be a lot more fun."

Just then Maxwell entered the kitchen with a daughter on each arm. He stopped quickly as he saw what was obviously a "heart to heart" talk between Fran and his son. Whatever Fran had said, Brighton must have agreed with it, because he was nodding his head. They both looked up as they heard him and the girls enter the room.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yep, I was just checking out Brighton's work on setting the table. He did a wonderful job, don't you think?"

Maxwell glanced at the table, which was very neatly set. "Why yes he did." Maxwell worked very hard to not let his surprise show. Brighton had never volunteered any help around the house. One day with Fran and that had all changed.

"Gosh, supper smells great! What are we having?"

"Salad, spaghetti, garlic bread and some sort of fancy dessert," replied Grace.

"It's called tiramisu Gracie honey."

Maxwell looked at his kids in surprise. "You all did all of this for me?"

"Yes," they replied in unison.

"Well thank you very much. Somehow I don't think I deserve this since I had to leave you and go to the theater today."

Fran was going to jump in but Brighton beat her to it. "No Dad, you had to go. We know you would have rather been here with us. It's okay though, we had a great time with Fran!" Fran smiled at him, feeling proud that he'd decided to change his attitude. Maxwell looked at her as if to say "Who is that boy and what have you done with my son?"

"Okay, everyone go wash up while I finish putting the food on the table. Be back here in five minutes or else I'm gonna start eating without ya!"

The children raced out of the room, dragging their father behind them.

Supper was a joyous occasion that evening. Fran got a chance to see Maxwell interact with his children and was quite impressed with what she saw. It was obvious he loved his children dearly; the man just spent too much time at work.

After dinner, Maxwell literally forced Fran out of her own kitchen. "Out, I say. You deserve a break. Let the children and I clean up. It's the least we can do."

"You were the one at work all day, you should be the one putting your feet up." She made a move to shoo him away and started to pick up a plate.

He laid a hand on her arm. That got her attention. She sat the plate down and looked at him. "Fran, please. Let me do this."

She patted his hand on her arm and said quietly, "Okay."

30 minutes later they found her on the couch, fast asleep.

"Fran? Fran can you hear us? We're going to go now."

Fran sat up quickly, shaking her head. "No, don't go. I mean, you don't have to go yet if you don't want to. I don't know what got into me, I never fall asleep that fast."

Maxwell smiled down at her fondly. "You're tired. 8 hours alone with my kids will wear anyone out."

"We heard that," Brighton said.

Maxwell ruffled his hair and said, "I know."

Fran stood up to give each one of the kids a big hug before they left. "I had a great time today you guys. Come back and visit me again soon, okay?"

"You bet!" they said in unison.

As the kids headed toward the stairs, Maxwell stopped them. "Maggie, here's the keys. Go ahead and get the car started. I'll be there in just a minute." Maggie beamed at him and said, "Really?"

"Really. Just be careful, okay?"

"You bet."

Two seconds later the kids were gone.

"Boy, you know how to clear a room, don't ya?"

Maxwell laughed. "I guess I do. Fran listen, I know you don't want to hear this, but I really do appreciate you entertaining the children for me today. I'm so sorry we didn't get to take you to the park."

"Trust me Max, they entertained me. You've got three wonderful children, you're a very lucky man."

"I know."

An awkward silence fell. Fran was the first to break it. "So, everything okay at the theater now?"

Maxwell sighed, "Yes. Well it will be. We're just having a bit of trouble with our leading lady, that's all. She's quite particular about certain things and doesn't like taking no for an answer."

"Well I hope you can put it behind you now and enjoy the rest of the evening with your children. They're looking forward to spending some time with you."

"I'm looking forward to spending some time with them too."

They headed downstairs together. As they approached the front door, Maxwell hesitated and turned back to Fran.

"Fran?"

"Yes, Max?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner sometime?"

"That would be great! It would be nice to see you and the kids again!"

Maxwell hesitated, and then went on. "Well, actually, I was hoping it could be just the two of us."

"Oh. Well that would be wonderful too." Fran could have hit herself in the forehead. The man was asking her out on a date and she wanted to bring the kids along. OY, it had been a long time since someone had asked her out, obviously.

"Are you sure?"

"Are you kidding? Let me just think about this for a second. A classy guy who happens to be great looking and a great dad wants to take me to dinner. And I would hesitate for what reason?"

He laughed and on instinct took her hand in his. "I'll call you next week if that's okay?"

"You bet!"

Before he lost his nerve, Maxwell leaned in a quickly kissed her on the lips like he'd done earlier that day. "Thanks again Fran. You've had a wonderful effect on my children. And, if I might be so bold to add, a not so tiny effect on their father."

Before she could reply, he walked out the front door and headed to the car where his children were waiting.

Their First Date

True to his word, Maxwell called Fran the next week. He suggested a Thursday evening dinner at La Grenouille, a French restaurant not too far from his home. Fran offered to meet him at the restaurant to save time but he just laughed and said he'd be by to pick her up around 7:00 and that he'd made their reservations for 8:00.

After she hung up the phone, Fran spent a frantic 30 minutes in her generous closet, looking for something gorgeous to wear for her dinner with Max. She was sitting in the floor of her closet, clothes piled around her and a wave of panic ready to hit when Val called.

"Oh Val, you gotta help me!"

"What's up?"

"Max asked me out on a date and I don't have anything to wear!"

"Whoa, wait a minute. Max as in Maxwell Sheffield the yummy Broadway producer who showed up at your party a couple of months ago?"

"Yes. Now, get ready to go, I'm picking you up in 15 minutes, we're going shopping!"

Later that night, Fran stood in front of the three-way mirror in her closet. The red Valentino dress had cost a fortune and the Jimmy Choo shoes hadn't been cheap either. But hey, when you spend $3100 on a dress, spending another $600 on shoes doesn't seem that silly. A couple of jeweled hair combs and diamond earrings from her own collection finished out the ensemble.

Fran had felt a few moments of guilt after buying the dress, but then dismissed it quickly. She hadn't been on a date in months, if not years. Work had always come first. She was a successful business woman who, if not filthy rich, was very well off as a result of her hard work. It was about time she treated herself to something pretty.

Smiling at her reflection, she wondered what Max would think of the outfit. Giggling to herself, she was willing to bet he wouldn't know what hit him. Sighing, she reluctantly took the dress off and hung it carefully in her closet. Throwing on a silk robe and slippers, she headed downstairs to make herself some tea.

Two nights later and Fran was back in front of her closet mirror. This time it was for real. He was going to be there any minute. Fran gave herself one more glance for good measure before heading downstairs. She'd made it as far as the second floor when the doorbell rang. Putting a hand to her chest to try and calm her rapidly beating heart, she grabbed her purse and her leather coat. Slipping into her coat and belting it, she smiled at herself in the hallway mirror. The decision to disguise her outfit until arriving at the restaurant had been a last minute one. She wanted to make her entrance for him in front of a crowd, a large one preferably.

Maxwell waited on her front stoop, trying to fight the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. How long had it been since he'd been on a first date? Years old man. Years! He hoped he looked okay. He'd chosen a black Armani suit with a crisp white shirt and at the last moment, a red silk tie. Red wasn't a color he normally wore, but for some reason, that tie had seemed the best choice. He was brought out of his reverie when he heard her open the door.

"Good evening Fran."

"Hi Max!"

"Ready to go?"

"Yep. Oh is that your town car? Wow, I didn't know we were going to get chauffeured for the evening."

He took her hand and led her down the steps.

"Oh absolutely. That way we can both enjoy a drink or two at dinner and won't have to worry about driving afterwards. Besides, I'd rather have my full attention on you instead of having to worry about traffic."

Fran was on the verge of complimenting him on the nice "line" but stopped as they approached the car. A distinguished gentleman held the door open for her and nodded his head to her when she came near.

"Good evening, Miss Fine."

"Now that's not fair, you have me at a disadvantage, Mr.?"

He smiled and she was struck by how blue his eyes were and how his smile seemed to go right to them. "No Mr., just Niles."

"Well, 'just Niles', I'm very glad to meet you. The children speak very highly of you as does Max." She gave him a warm hug before getting into the car. Niles gave a raised eyebrow and an inquisitory look at Maxwell. Maxwell just shrugged his shoulders and smiled at him, then followed her into the car.

The drive to the restaurant took little time. Fran barely had time to ask about the children and hear their latest adventures before they arrived.

La Grenouille was a beautiful restaurant. Its interior was a vision of reds, creams, luxurious fabrics and flowers. And not just any flowers, roses of every exquisite kind imaginable.

Fran stood in the foyer of the restaurant for a few seconds, trying to imprint the moment in her mind. Maxwell saw her hesitate and asked, "Fran, is everything okay?"

"Perfect," she said with a smile. Then, seeing his confused look, she added, "Just admiring the place, that's all. Nice choice, Max."

He smiled and said, "I'm glad you approve. Now let's check your coat so they can escort us to our table."

Here we go, she thought. Grand entrance time! She smiled to herself, unbelted her coat and slowly let it slide off her shoulders. In one fluid movement, it was off and draped over her forearm.

At that very moment, Maxwell Sheffield's world stopped spinning. Had he not been in a public place and been raised with a very strict sense of British propriety, he was quite certain his jaw would have hit the floor.

She was a vision in red. A scarlet red vision to be exact. The dress molded to her body like a second skin with spaghetti straps and a knee-length hemline. It was the perfect combination with her milky white skin and ebony tresses, held back from her face with two jeweled combs. Before he could stop himself, he let his gaze run from head to toe like some unsophisticated lout. It wasn't base lust driving his gaze though. It was a frantic need to commit this moment to his memory. What word had she used? Perfect.

Not trusting himself to speak, he merely held his hand out for her coat and checked it for her. He used the brief diversion to gather his wits about him and by the time he returned, felt much more in control of his faculties. He held his arm out for her, gave his name to the hostess and they were soon seated in a very private, secluded booth. Before the hostess left them, Max had her place an order for a Kir Royale for each of them.

"I've never been to this restaurant Max and I just can't get over how beautiful it is!" Fran gushed.

Bestowing an admiring gaze upon her, he replied, "I hadn't noticed."

To his enjoyment, he saw the slight blush tinge her cheeks before she said, "Thank you."

"Fran, I would be an absolute fool if I didn't tell you how stunning you look."

"Stop already, I'm blushing over here!"

He knew she was just saying that. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips for a brief kiss. "I'm very glad you agreed to come to dinner with me."

Fran was surprised at the shock wave that tiny kiss had sent up her arm. It was as if the man across the table from her had a direct line to every nerve ending in her body. Trying to get them back on safer ground, she said "Speaking of dinner, let's see what this place has on the menu!"

Laughing, he let go of her hand, albeit reluctantly, and reached for the menu. They each browsed through the selections and Maxwell asked Fran what looked good to her. And, although she wanted to tell him what she really wanted wasn't on the menu, she behaved herself and suggested he choose for the both of them. Normally Fran didn't let a man pick anything out for her, least of all food, but for some reason, tonight, she wanted to feel taken care of and cared for and couldn't think of a better man to do that than Maxwell Sheffield.

When their waiter arrived with their Kir Royales, Maxwell placed their order.

"The lady will have the Grenouille salad, followed by the Roasted Chicken with Champagne Sauce and the Warm Bitter Chocolate Tort for dessert."

Fran was secretly amazed. He had pegged her perfectly.

"And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the Foie Gras Pate with Port Gelee, the Filet of Beef with Peppercorns and the Warm Apple Tart with Ice Cream for dessert."

"Excellent choices, sir. And to drink?"

"Champagne with dinner. With dessert, Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac and coffee."

After the waiter left, Max asked Fran, "How'd I do?"

She smiled at him, "Perfect!"

While they waited on their first course to arrive, they continued their conversation from the car about the children.

"So Maggie has a couple of boys calling her at the house, eh?" Fran saw the pained look on Maxwell's face at her question and smiled to herself. Fathers had such a hard time with their little girl's dating.

"Yes and I have no idea what I'm going to do about it!"

Fran touched his hand lightly and said calmly, "Max, I hate to break this to you, but Maggie is a beautiful and charming young lady. She's sixteen and it's about time boys started noticing her. The only thing you can do about it is to be a caring father and listen to her. She'll open up to you and keep you in the loop if you do that."

"I just can't believe she's already to this point in her life. She's grown up so fast. I feel like I've missed most of it."

Fran saw the regret in his eyes and sighed. The man across the table from her was finally realizing what his constant working had done to his relationship with his children. She just hoped this realization would lead to some real changes in his life, namely that he spent more time with his kids.

"Well Max, look at it this way. Now that you know what you're missing, you can do something about it. CC is an intelligent woman. Let her do the late hours and weekends for a while so you can get to know your children again. Now what was this you were telling me about Brighton and school?" She wanted to get Max back on to something positive. The last thing she needed was for her date to end up more depressed at the end of the evening than he was at the beginning. Some first date that would be!

"I got a call from Brighton's teacher the other day. She said she wanted to call and see what I'd done differently with him. I guess he's been a very different young man at school this week. Acting like a real gentleman, showing some interest in joining a couple of the clubs at school. Even has a regular group of boys he's been chumming with."

"So, what have you done differently with him lately that has brought about this wondrous turn around?"

Max looked at Fran and smiled. "Well the only thing I can think of is that day he spent with you last weekend. He came back from that visit a changed young man."

Fran blushed and waved him off. "Oh come on, that's not it."

"The hell it isn't, Fran." Fran was startled at the intensity of his voice. The man was serious. He hesitated and then went on, this time a little less intensely, "Fran it's true. That one day with you changed my children. They have started to open up to me. It's wonderful and I'm very grateful."

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of their first course. Fran was glad because it gave her a moment or two to think of a reply.

"So Max, tell me. What did you and the kids do the day after they were with me?"

"I almost went in to work. But after I remembered how much fun it looked like you and the kids had the day before, I decided to spend the day with them. We went to the park and out to lunch and even went to a movie."

"Good for you! I'll bet the four of you had a great time!"

"We really did. So much so that I haven't worked as late all this week. I've been going home before dinnertime and spending the evenings with the children. It's been nice getting to know them again."

Fran noticed the wistful look cross over Max's face. "What's wrong, Max? It sounds like you've had a wonderful week with your children. Why so sad?"

He couldn't meet her gaze. Instead, he simply stared at this plate and said, "I just realized how bad that sounded. Getting to know my own children again. As if I was some stranger who had never met them before. I've wasted so much of my life, of their lives, and for what? Work!"

Fran laid her fork down and slid around the semi-circular booth until she was right next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. He turned to look at her in surprise, caught off guard by her sudden movement.

"Max, I'm gonna say this to you because it's the truth and I think you need to hear it. Whatever happens between us after tonight is fine, but I'd like to think of you as a friend and when I see a friend in pain I have to do something about it. So here goes."

Fran took a deep breath; it was hard to concentrate when she was sitting this close to him.

"You've spent a large part of your children's lives working. And, you've probably had a terrible time trying to put your life back together after your wife died. Your family went through a horrible tragedy. BUT, now you're realizing what you've missed and you're trying to set it right. It isn't gonna happen overnight. The children love you and want to spend time with you. More than anything else in the whole world they just want your love and attention. Give that to them and you can't help but succeed."

Maxwell watched Fran as she spoke, amazed at the belief and conviction in her voice. She really believed he could make things right with his children. That it wasn't too late. A tiny seed of hope began to sprout in his heart. Maybe she was right. Maybe he could be a proper father to his children.

Suddenly, Fran put her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug. Maxwell went into sensory overload. Feeling her softness, inhaling her scent, he slipped his arms around her waist and hugged back. Lord she felt good.

She quietly whispered in his ear, "I think it's YOU that's having this wonderful effect on your children. Be proud of what you're doing."

He pulled back from her slightly, just far enough to look into her eyes and smile, feeling his heart swell. He hadn't felt this good about himself in a very long time. "Thank you Fran, I needed to hear that."

"Good! Feel better?"

"You have no idea."

A discreet cough interrupted them. Realizing they were still in each other's arms, they broke apart quickly, both blushing slightly. The waiter, who looked extremely chagrined at breaking up such an intimate moment, was almost apologetic about their food being ready so quickly. Maxwell waved his apologies away and smiled at Fran.

"Nonsense my good man, no apologies needed."

After admiring each other's plate, they tucked into their food.

"Did I tell you that Grace has now decided she wants to be an interior designer when she grows up?"

"Really, that's sweet."

"I think she's serious."

"Really? Wow. Well, she's only 8, she's got a lot of living to do before she has to decide what she wants to do with her life."

"Well right now, that life includes interior design school. She's been surfing the web checking out the New York School of Interior Design."

"It's a superb school. That's where I went."

"And why do you think Grace has picked it?" Maxwell smiled at her and Fran grinned back.

"Cause the girl's got good taste!"

"So tell me what led you to interior design. I know who Grace's inspiration is, who was yours?"

Fran thought about it for a minute before she replied. "I didn't really have a person that inspired me, more like a situation."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, I grew up in a house that was long on love, but short on money. Daddy worked hard and Ma did what she could to help, but it always seemed like there was more month than money, ya know?"

Realizing what she had said and who she had said it to, Fran saw the absurdity of her question and went on quickly.

"Anyway, all I ever heard from Ma was that I needed to find a rich, successful Jewish man to marry and have babies with."

"And you didn't want that?"

"I thought I did. I thought I did for a very long time. But, then I realized there was a lot more out there to life. I fell in love with design in my art classes in high school. I had a teacher who was very supportive and saw to it that I got an interview at the New York School of Interior Design. The rest is history."

"And what did your mother think of your decision to go on to school?"

"She was disappointed. I tried telling her that just because I was going to school first it didn't mean I wasn't ever going to get married, but she wasn't convinced."

"And how about your Father? What did he think?"

"Daddy? Oh, well Daddy doesn't say much about anything really. I mean he's always told me I could do anything I put my mind to, but he doesn't go out of his way to offer suggestions or advice like Ma does."

Maxwell saw the fleeting look of sadness flash across Fran's face and figured he better move the discussion on to something a bit more cheerful.

"Well it certainly looks like your decision to go to school has been the right one. You have a very successful and thriving business. You should be very proud of everything you've accomplished."

"I am. It's just sometimes I wish...oh well, it doesn't matter. Yes, I'm very happy with what I've achieved so far."

"What do you wish for?" Maxwell knew he shouldn't be prying like this, but something he couldn't identify was pushing him to get to know this woman better.

Fran hesitated. "No, it's silly really. Just feeling sorry for myself. Really it's nothing."

Maxwell leaned across the table and touched her hand. The warmth of his touch spread from her arm into her chest. "Please Fran, I'd like to know."

She looked into his eyes and couldn't help herself. Something about his gaze told her it was okay to be open and honest with him.

"Well, it's just sometimes I look around at all of the things I've accumulated and achieved and I wish," She took a deep breath and went on, "I wish I had someone to share it with."

Fran couldn't hold his gaze any longer and let hers drop to her hands. "See, I told you it was silly."

"Actually, I know exactly what you mean and I don't think it's silly at all."

The warm feeling flooded her chest again and she looked up at him, smiling, "Thanks. It's nice to know I'm not making a complete fool of myself on our first date."

Maxwell smiled back at her, encouraged by her use of the word 'first'. First meant there were more dates to come.

"Nah, you can save that for our second or third date."

They laughed together. The waiter came to clear their plates and soon returned with their dessert and coffee.

"So how about you? What led you to New York and theater? Seems a long way from life in the English countryside."

Maxwell thought for a few moments before he replied. "Well, let's just say the home fires weren't very warm and I was looking to do something on my own."

Realizing she might have hit on a touchy subject, Fran decided to brave it and went on. "Oh, family life with Ma and Pa not the best, eh?"

He chuckled at her reference to his parents as 'Ma' and 'Pa.' "Not much of a life really. My parents weren't around much when I was a child and when I realized it wasn't going to get any better after I became an adult, I decided to do something for myself."

"How old were you when you left?"

"Early twenties."

"Wow, that took a lot of guts. Moving to a new country where you didn't know anyone or have any friends."

"Well, I had Niles."

"Niles was your family's butler too?"

"He was my butler. He was as anxious as I was to leave Sheffield mansion and come to New York. Mother and Father ignored me, but they treated the help deplorably."

"That's awful."

"Yes, it is. Niles has been there for me through a lot of hard times. I don't know what I would have done without him after Sarah died. I wasn't much help for the children at that time and he took care of them. I owe him a lot."

"He sounds like a wonderful man. I hope I get to know him better."

"Don't worry, you will."

They spent the rest of their dinner talking about Maxwell's early forays into theater. Fran couldn't help but laugh at some of the disastrous first shows he had tried to produce. Maxwell took it in stride, laughing along with her. Their shared laughter helped him to let go of some of the frustrated feelings he still held about his less than perfect start in the theater business.

The evening was drawing to an end, but neither of them wanted to leave each other's company. Both had been craving this kind of adult interaction for so long, it was hard to let it go. As Niles pulled the car along side the curb in front of Fran's place, Maxwell and Fran both sighed.

"Tired?" he asked.

"No," she said shyly. "Just sad the evening has to end. I've had such a nice time."

"Me too."

Niles opened the door and helped Fran out. Maxwell followed and led the way to her front door. Fran started to follow him, but stopped quickly and turned back to Niles.

"Niles, thank you for driving us this evening. I'm sure it couldn't have been much fun waiting on us all night."

Niles tried hard to cover his look of surprise. Who was this woman to care so much about his wellbeing? Mr. Sheffield had certainly picked an interesting catch this time.

"Oh no problem at all Miss Fine. I actually had a lovely dinner at the restaurant too. Just without as much dinner conversation as I'm sure you and Mr. Sheffield had."

She smiled at him, leaned in to give him a big hug and said, "Well someday, I'll have all of you over for dinner and maybe I can wait on you for a change, okay?"

"That sounds lovely Miss Fine."

Maxwell watched the exchange between Fran and Niles. She was such a warm and loving woman. She didn't worry about showing too much emotion or what others would think. She just acted on impulse and dammit if her impulses didn't always seem right on target! She joined him at the door, apologizing. "Sorry, I just wanted to thank Niles for taking care of us tonight."

"Careful, you'll spoil him," Maxwell replied, laughing.

"Oh, you can never spoil the ones you care for too much, can you?"

"I'll bet you're a person who could give it a really good try! Why don't you give me your keys? I'll go in and check the place over, make sure everything is nice and secure and then go home."

Fran smiled and handed over her keys. What a knight in shining armor he was. Oh how she missed having a boyfriend! Come to think of it, none of her boyfriends had ever shown that kind of concern for her. Most of them, once they knew they weren't "getting any" that night had just dropped her off at the curb.

They went inside, grateful to be in where it was warm. Maxwell made a quick check of the first and second floors and called to Fran for her to come up.

"May I go upstairs to check the third floor before I leave?" He didn't know why, but he felt awkward about searching her bedroom without her permission.

"Sure, just don't mind the mess up there." She took off her coat and went to the hall closet to hang it up. Maxwell caught a glance of her from behind as he headed up the stairs. That dress looks as good going as it did coming, he thought.

He walked into her bedroom, trying not to look around too much but still check to make sure things looked secure. He felt like he was intruding in on her private sanctuary, but didn't feel right leaving her alone in this house until he was sure things were safe.

A large four-poster bed in dark wood and covered in large pillows dominated the room. It was positioned directly in front of floor to ceiling windows. Heavy, thick drapery covered much of the windows, held back by braided cords. A curved chaise lounge sat at the foot of the bed. A small sitting area was positioned directly in front of a simple fireplace. The only other furniture in the room was an impressive armoire and bookcase.

The furniture and bedding was a mixture of cranberry, plum and chocolate brown colors. Candles were everywhere. On the mantle, the nightstands, the tables by the sofa and chairs. The walls were decorated with simple, uncluttered art. The room made him feel calm and at peace, despite the fact that images of the woman in red who was downstairs waiting on him kept running through his mind. Shaking his head, he quickly checked the bedroom and bathroom to make sure the windows were secure and headed back downstairs to say goodnight to Fran.

She had taken her shoes off and was standing in front of the large windows in her living room, which faced the street, her back to him. Without her heels on, she looked so small in front of the large windows. He felt an overwhelming need to hold her close and protect her. The feeling took him by surprise. He hadn't felt that way in a long time. Taking a moment to consider the feeling, he decided it was one he liked rather well and didn't want to chase it off too soon.

He came up behind her saying, "Everything looks fine. Sorry, I hope that wasn't too presumptuous of me."

"Not at all. It's been a long time since I had someone who worried about me. It's kinda nice, I must admit."

He stared into her dark eyes and couldn't help himself. He didn't know whether it was the champagne, or the cognac, or just her, but he had to kiss her. There wasn't any way he could stop the feelings rushing through him at that moment. He raised a hand to cup her cheek gently and pulled her in close, leaning down as he did so. Very softly, he said, "I could get used to worrying about you. It feels nice to me too."

The kiss was gentle at first. Tentative, as if both were a little bit unsure of what they were doing. At some point, the mood of the kiss changed and became more intense. His arms slipped down to encircle her waist and she ran her hands up his strong arms and around his neck to bring him closer to her. Moments passed unnoticed as they held on tightly to each other, caught up in the excitement of their first real kiss. When they broke apart, both were out of breath and more than a little unsettled.

Maxwell was the first one to speak. "I think I better go Fran."

Fran heard the regret in his voice and knew he didn't want to leave. She didn't want him to go either, but knew it was for the best. She felt a real friendship had begun between them tonight and didn't want to ruin it by rushing things. Little did she know he was thinking the same thing.

They walked downstairs together, hand in hand. When they got to the front door, Maxwell stopped, turned to Fran and took both of her hands in his own.

"Thank you for an amazing evening Fran."

"I had a great time too Max."

He leaned down, kissed her quickly on the lips and said, "Sweet dreams Fran, I'll call you next week." He headed out the door quickly, turning to wave as he got into the car.

Fran watched out the door until the car left the curb and headed around the block. Then, making sure the door was locked, headed upstairs to bed.

Plans For The Party

The following week brought the Thanksgiving holiday. The night before Thanksgiving found Maxwell in his office, staring at the mess of paperwork on his desk. How long had he been sitting there? Had he gotten anything done in the last hour? He seriously doubted it.

He sat back in his chair, closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to the evening he'd spent with Fran the previous week. He couldn't get this amazing woman out of his head. After their date, he'd wanted to call her the very next day, but held off, figuring he would just look desperate if he did. The second day would have only been slightly less desperate than the first day and so on. Tomorrow would mark one week since he'd talked to her. The funny thing was, the longer he waited to call her so he didn't appear desperate, the more desperate he felt.

He snapped back to reality when he realized he'd picked up the phone and started to dial her number. When the hell had he memorized her phone number anyway? The phone was ringing when the lump of fear rose up in his throat and promptly cut off his air supply. By the time she answered the phone he was having serious doubts about his sanity.

"Hello?"

Miraculously, he found his voice in time. "Hello, Fran, this is Maxwell."

He heard her intake of breath and smiled. Maybe she had been waiting for his call.

"Oh hello, Max. How are you? I've missed you!"

Where the hell did that come from? Of course I've missed him, but geesh, did I have to tell him that? Wait he's saying something, I better pay attention.

"I've missed you too. This week has gone by so fast, I felt bad when I realized I hadn't called you." Oh no. That did not come out right. Now she's going to think I was too busy to think of her all week. "Um, what I meant was..."

"Oh I know what you mean. It's been busy here too. For some reason, everyone wants me to decorate their place for their holiday party. But, CC's got dibs on me first."

"She told me she'd asked you to help her with the charity auction."

"Asked? More like told me I was helping!" Fran laughed. "But that's okay, I like CC and since I just finished her remodel, I feel it's my duty to help her host her first big party in the new place."

"Well you've got just over a week to get it all done. How do you feel?"

"Pretty good actually. Val and Sean have been a huge help. I drew up the plans and they took care of ordering everything. It's all due to arrive the first part of next week. We'll spend a day inventorying and organizing everything. Then it's just a matter of doing the set-up on the night before and finishing up the morning of."

"Wow. Sounds like you run a tight ship over there."

"Well, we've done this a few times before and have a pretty good system worked out. I'm just glad I'm not in charge of the food. CC told me she had that part all taken care of."

"She wasn't too far off. She took care of it all right. She's roped Niles into doing it!"

"Oh that poor man! He's doing all of it? That's a lot of work. Does he need any help?"

Maxwell marveled at how Fran's first instinct was always to see if she could help someone who was obviously in need.

"That's okay, Fran. Sounds like you're going to be pretty busy with your part of the evening."

"Well, my sister has a catering business. And, I happen to know she doesn't have anything booked the night of CC's party because it's her anniversary."

"Your sister is certainly not going to want to help with CC's party on her anniversary."

"No, I didn't mean that. She has a couple of assistants who are culinary students. They're always looking for ways to get more hands-on experience. I'll see Nay tomorrow at Mom & Dad's and I'll ask her for ya."

"That's sweet of you, Fran. I'll let Niles know. He'll really appreciate this."

"Hey no problem. What are friends for?"

"So Fran, you were planning on going to CC's party right? I mean you'll need to be there to make sure everything looks perfect I assume?"

"Of course."

"Well, I was wondering. Would you like to go with me? I was thinking we might go out to dinner first. That is, of course, if you didn't already have a date for the evening?" Maxwell felt the lump hit his throat again and realized he was holding his breath, waiting for her answer.

On the other end of the line, Fran was contemplating how she could accomplish a cartwheel while holding the phone. "Max, I would love to go to CC's party with you and dinner sounds lovely."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 6:30 so we have enough time to eat before CC's party. How does that sound?"

"Sounds perfect Max. I can't wait!"

"Have a wonderful day with your family tomorrow Fran."

"You too, Max. Tell the kids I said hello and I miss them. Talk to you next week!"

Fran hung up the phone and hummed to herself all the way upstairs to her bedroom. He'd called! He'd finally called! She hated to admit it, but she had worried when she hadn't heard from him earlier in the week. How many times had she almost called him? Too many to count she thought.

As her head hit the pillow and she drifted off to sleep, she said a silent prayer for very sweet dreams. Dreams of a certain dark-haired Englishman.

The following week, Fran was inventorying decorations for CC's party when the phone rang.

"Hello, Fine Designs."

"Miss Fine? This is Niles."

"Hi, Niles, How are you?"

"Just wonderful, considering I'm catering a party in two days time and I'm still trying to plan the menu!"

Fran laughed. "Oh come on, Niles. Max and the kids tell me you're brilliant. You can do this, I'm positive!"

"Thank you, Miss Fine. And thank you for arranging to have your sister's assistants help me out. That was very thoughtful of you and her."

"No problem,Niles. And call me "Fran" would ya?"

"Fran it is. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow night at Miss Babcock's. We'll be working on food prep while you're working on the decorations. That is, I'll be there as long as I can find a sitter for the kids. Mr. Sheffield's going to be at the theater late and our normal sitter has another obligation."

"Bring the kids with you, Niles."

"You're joking, right?"

"Not at all. They can help us with the decorations. More hands mean the work gets done quicker. Bring 'em along. We'll have a blast!"

"Oh, I couldn't impose on you like that, Fran. You're going to have your hands full as it is, let alone adding three children to the mix."

"What is it with British men? Niles, you're just like your boss. You will NOT be an imposition. I insist! Bring the kids."

"Alright, Fran. I just hope you don't end up regretting this."

"See ya tomorrow night, Niles!"

By the time Fran, Val and Sean got to CC's the following night, Niles and his crew were already there. Fran didn't even get a chance to put her bags down and the kids were running over to hug her.

"Hi Fran!"

"Hey kids! Oof, let a girl put her stuff down, would ya?"

"We missed you!" Grace squealed.

"Oh honey, I missed you guys too! Now, are you three ready to get to work?"

"We have to work? Oh come on, that's no fun!"

"Sorry, B, but we've got a lot to do tonight and it's gonna take all of us to get it done."

"Okay," he grumbled.

Niles, who was watching the exchange, was dumbfounded. Had Brighton just given up a fight before it had barely gotten started? Who was this woman?

"Okay, Maggie, you're going to help Val get all the decorations out and placed around the room where we need them. Brighton, you're going to help Sean put the Christmas tree together and hang the garland. Gracie, you and I are going take this box of candles and get them ready to go."

Niles watched as the kids went into action. It was amazing. They cheerfully (even Brighton's attitude was improving) took their assignments and jumped right in. He would have liked to watch this scene unfold even further but had too much work to do. He headed back into the kitchen.

Three hours later and Niles wandered out of the kitchen to find CC's loft had been transformed into a winter wonderland. A huge Christmas tree stood before the two-story windows next to the grand piano, which had a stunning holiday arrangement placed upon it. Rich, green garland was draped strategically around the loft, intertwined with poinsettias and ornaments. Simple white Christmas lights adorned the potted palms and trees. Gorgeous cream-colored candles were placed on reflective trays with greenery, pinecones and winterberries. Their flames reflected off their trays, the windows, and the mirrors in the loft. With all the other lighting off, the whole place was bathed in a warm glow.

"Miss Fine, I mean Fran, this is amazing!"

"Hey, it wasn't me. The kids did all this work!"

"Oh and I suppose Val and I just stood around and twiddled our thumbs," Sean replied sarcastically.

"Well, I don't know what you and Brighton were doing messing around with that big tree, but Maggie was a pro at sorting all the decorations and helping me decide the best places to put things," Val shot back at him.

Sean and Brighton mirrored wounded looks and said in unison, "Messing around?"

Fran cut them off, "Oh relax, boys. You did a wonderful job with that tree. You must help out with that job at home Brighton, you're a pro!"

Brighton sighed and said, "No, normally Niles does it while we're at school. Dad's not around much to help decorate a tree."

"Well, we'll just have to see if we can change that this year. Niles, is the tree up at home yet?"

"Not yet, Fran. I've been so busy with Thanksgiving and now this party, that it's gotten placed on a back burner, I'm afraid."

"Tell you what kids. I'll talk to your Dad this weekend. Maybe I can come over to help you guys get it put together and decorated if he's really busy with his play, okay?"

"Great!" they cheered in unison.

"Meanwhile Gracie, I have to say you did a superb job with those candles. I never could have gotten all those arrangements made if you hadn't been here to help me!"

Maxwell and CC had come in right after Niles had come out of the kitchen. However, no one had noticed their arrival, too busy with their own conversation. CC had almost breezed in with her usual "Hello Hello", but Maxwell had stopped her, wanting to observe the scene before him. When the conversation had turned to decorating the Christmas tree, he winced inside, realizing yet again how much he was missing with his children. He made an early New Year's resolution to spend more time with his children doing the things that count the most.

His children's cries of welcome brought him out of his reverie.

"Hey Dad!"

"Daddy!"

"Hello children. It looks like you've been very busy tonight." His heart warmed as they all three came over to hug him. "Why don't you show me everything you've been doing?" With a wink and a smile to Fran, he let his children lead him around the loft, pointing to each of their accomplishments.

Fran, Val and Sean gathered up the remaining party supplies and took them downstairs to get them loaded into Fran's vehicle. Fran thanked them for their help and gave them each a hug before they took off for their respective homes. Then, shivering in the cold, she dashed back upstairs to CC's.

Meanwhile, CC had followed Niles back into the kitchen where Nadine's two assistants were busy finishing up the last of the prep work for the party. Niles checked their work quickly, and after making sure everything was perfect, thanked them for their help, told them to be back by 6:00 the next night and released them to go home. CC watched his businesslike precision with a shrewd eye. She was surprised at his decisive and efficient demeanor. Normally, all she saw was his sarcastic, snotty side. Tonight she was getting a tiny glimpse into another side of him that she wasn't too sure what to do with.

"What, Babcock, do I have flour on my face or something?"

"What in the hell are you talking about, Niles?"

"You're staring at me like a spider considering her prey. It's giving me the creeps already, so stop, okay?"

"Oh for pity's sake, doughboy, you're paranoid, you know that?"

"Just watching my back, Babcock. With you around, I never know when a dagger will come out of nowhere."

"Don't worry. I'm not about to go to prison for the likes of you. Now, enough chitchat. Do you have everything ready for tomorrow night? Walk me through the menu so I can make sure you haven't forgotten anything."

"Yes, sir. Right this way your evilness." He led her over to his clipboard and began walking her through the plans he'd made for the following evening. She might think I'm a complete loser he thought. But, after tomorrow night comes off without a hitch, I'll bet she looks at me in a whole new light! I'll show the queen of icy nastiness a thing or two!

Fran let herself back into CC's loft just in time to see the kids putting on their coats. "Oh, leaving already?"

"We don't want to, Fran, but Dad thinks we need to go home."

Fran looked at her watch and sighed. "He's right. By the time you get home it'll be 10:00. I know you don't have school tomorrow, but you had a long day today, so you need to go get some rest."

"Fran, the place looks great. You and the children did an amazing job. Especially with that tree."

"Thanks, Max, the kids were a big help."

"Seeing that tree tonight reminds me that we don't have ours up at home yet. And, since Christmas is less than a month away, we better get moving on that, don't you think children?"

"Really Dad? Are you going to help this year?"

"Absolutely, Brighton. How about Sunday afternoon?"

"Yay!"

"Dad, can Fran come over to help?"

"Well Grace, Fran's got a lot of work to do this weekend with CC's party. I wouldn't want to wear her out or anything."

"Fran, please?"

Fran looked into Grace's eyes and felt her heart melt. Oy. That girl had already carved out her own little spot in her heart. "Of course sweetie. As long as I'm not intruding."

"Then it's settled. Fran and I will work out the details tomorrow night when I pick her up for CC's party."

"You're taking Fran to the party Dad? Like a date?"

"Yes I am, Brighton, is that okay?"

"Sure. I didn't even know you knew how to date, Dad. That's cool."

Maxwell looked over at Fran as if to say, I have no idea where he gets this stuff, honestly.

Fran smiled back at him and directed her comment to Brighton, "It's very cool, Brighton. Very cool."

"Okay children, give Fran hugs and let's get going before one of you says something even more embarrassing about your father."

Fran hugged each child tightly, told them thanks for their help and how much she was looking forward to seeing them on Sunday. Maxwell shooed the children out into the hall and turned back to Fran quickly.

"Sorry I have to leave so quickly. I wish I could have gotten here earlier tonight. It sounds like you all had a wonderful time."

"We did. But don't worry; you'll get your chance with them on Sunday. Decorating a tree with kids is one of the best things on the planet, in my opinion."

"It's been a long time, but I still remember the fun we used to have during the holidays."

Fran's heart ached at the sad, wistful look in his eyes. "Maybe this year you can find that fun again."

He patted her hand gently. "I hope so, Fran. I sincerely hope so."

"Come on Dad, let's go!"

"The natives are getting restless, you better go."

"Wait for me, sir, I'm right behind you." Niles said. "The taskmaster has released me for the evening and I'd like to be well on my way home before she decides to change her mind."

"I heard that." CC was right on Niles' heels and frowning.

"Well since everyone else is leaving, I guess I will too." Fran grabbed her coat and said, "Night, CC. Val and Sean are coming over around 6:00 tomorrow night to do a final check. They'll be out of here by 7:00. Then, all you have to do is to dim the lights and light the candles right before show time and you should be good to go."

"See Miss Babcock, sounds like a piece of cake. Even you ought to be able to handle that."

"Niles!" Maxwell shook his head at his butler. Will those two ever be nice to each other?, he wondered.

"Okay people, out. I'm tired and I need to get some sleep. Fran, you did a wonderful job, the place looks great. Thanks for all your help. Maxwell, I'll see you tomorrow night. Niles, make sure you're on time, I may need you to clean the toilets before the guests arrive."

"CC!" Now it was Fran's turn to shake her head. Nice is just not natural for that girl is it. Someday Niles is gonna really let her have it and then what's she gonna do?

They all quickly exchanged good-byes and headed down to their cars. Maxwell gave Fran a quick kiss on the cheek and whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow night." Then, telling his children to quit laughing at him, he ushered them into the car and left.

Fran headed home, mentally checking things off her to do list for CC's party. By the time she got home, she had gone through the whole list and felt confident things were well in hand for tomorrow night. Now, if she could only tell those silly butterflies in her stomach to go away. They arrived as soon as Maxwell had kissed her goodnight and were still doing cartwheels in her stomach. Fran parked her car and headed upstairs. A mug of hot cocoa and a nice warm bath weren't on her to-do list, but they sounded like the perfect way to make those pesky little butterflies settle down and get some sleep.

CC's Party And A Past Revealed

By the time Fran and Max arrived at CC's the following night, the place was packed.

"Wow, CC, great turnout!"

"Promise people free food and booze and they'll go anywhere," CC said sarcastically.

"As long as they open their wallets come auction time, right?"

"Damn straight, Fran. So, Maxwell, are you going to be able to spare Fran for a while when she's up for bid?"

"Excuse me, CC, did I hear you right? You're auctioning off Fran?" Maxwell looked incredulously from CC to Fran, then back to CC.

"Don't worry, Max. That's just CC's sick, twisted, humor at work again. We're going to auction a free consultation and one-room design board from my firm."

"Trust me, Fran. The way you look in that dress, the men in the crowd won't care how much their wives bid on one of your designs. Hell, we might even have a few men bid!" CC glanced at the frown on Maxwell's face and chuckled. This was going to be one entertaining evening.

Maxwell, at that moment, wanted to tell CC to go check on Niles in the kitchen. He held his tongue though. He wasn't so sure he wanted Fran to know the thought of another man admiring her made his blood simmer. As Fran and CC walked over to the food tables, Maxwell took a moment to admire his date.

She was stunning. The slinky, silver, beaded dress clung to her curves. The halter-top plunged low in the front and even lower in the back. The candlelight of CC's loft combined with the incredible way Fran moved, caused the dress to sparkle at him enticingly. He grabbed a glass of Champagne from the nearest waiter's tray and took a long sip.

Before he could make it over to Fran at the food table, he saw a well-dressed man approach her. From the smile on her face and the enthusiastic way she hugged him, Maxwell deduced she obviously knew him. Pretty well considering the length of the hug. He strode over to them, trying to calm his blood pressure along the way.

"Max, there you are! I want you to meet a special friend of mine, Paul Steinberg."

Special friend? What the hell does that mean? "Hello, Paul, name's Maxwell Sheffield."

"Hello, Maxwell, nice to meet you. Fran tells me you're her lucky escort this evening."

Maxwell gave him a direct look. "That's right. Tell me, Paul, how do you know Fran?"

Paul smiled. "Oh, Fran and I go way back." He gave Fran a teasing look and pulled her in for a side hug, leaving his arm at her waist.

Seeing Max's brow furrow, Fran smiled to herself. Her woman's intuition told her that Max was not too pleased at how closely Paul was holding her. "Yah, I've known Paul for over 10 years. He was my first."

Maxwell could distinctly feel his blood vessels constricting. Heart failure was imminent. He looked at Fran and asked, "First what?"

Unfortunately for Maxwell, CC came over at that exact moment and interrupted. "Sorry boys, but I need Fran for a little while. We're going to start the auction." Seeing Maxwell's face, CC hurried on. "Oh relax, Maxwell. I'll have her back to you just as soon as she's done on the auction block!"

Fran tossed a quick look over her shoulder as CC led her away. Maxwell looked furious. This was not good. She had just meant to tease him a little when she had realized he was jealous of Paul. And, with CC's stupid timing, she hadn't been able to explain what she'd meant with that last comment. Oh well, it was going to have to wait.

CC stepped up to the microphone. Why was she nervous all of a sudden? Crowds didn't make her nervous, she loved the limelight. Scanning the crowd, her gaze stopped on the man standing just outside the kitchen door. Niles. What's he doing watching me? He's supposed to be serving the damn food.

CC didn't have time to figure out why Niles was staring at her. She had a room full of people staring at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Ladies and Gentleman, thank you for coming this evening. I'm so glad you could take time out of your busy schedules to be here. You're here to support a wonderful cause, The Ronald McDonald House here in New York!"

She paused to let the crowd applaud the cause and then went on. "We have lots of items on the auction block tonight, so let's get started. Each of you were handed a bid marker when you arrived, so get those hands ready to raise them up high."

CC checked her clipboard for the order of items being auctioned and went on. "Our first item this evening is a little unusual to say the least, but one I'm sure you'll be interested in. Fran would you please join me?"

Fran joined CC on the makeshift stage and looked out at the crowd. A little nervous, she looked for a familiar face. It took a few seconds, but she found it. Maxwell was standing near the back of the room. Their eyes met and he smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Many of you have commented to me tonight about how nice my apartment looks. It's all due to the woman next to me on the stage. Fran Fine runs Fine Designs, an upscale interior design firm in the Upper West Side. She's been in business for 10 years and has a wealth of experience. Tonight, we're auctioning off a free consultation and design concept for the room of your choice. I've been in some of your homes folks and I can honestly say some of you better get some bids in on this one." The crowd laughed. "Let's start the bid at $500, shall we?"

A woman down front jumped in with the first bid. With CC brokering the bids, the bid shot up quickly to $2000. It stalled there for a moment or two until Fran heard a man's voice call out, "$2500." She looked around to find the source of the bid and was surprised to see Paul Steinberg holding up his card. She smiled at him and he grinned back at her.

The bid held for "going once" and "going twice", but before CC could rap the gavel on the podium, another male voice, this time from the back of the room, called out a bid.

"$3500."

Fran knew who'd bid before she looked up. She could tell that voice from a mile away. What was Maxwell doing?

Paul looked toward Maxwell and got an ornery look on his face. Oh no, this is not going to be good. Fran knew Paul well enough to know what that look meant. He was a rich guy with a huge sense of humor. She knew he would get a big kick out of driving up the bid, just to see how far Fran's jealous date would go. She tried to give him a warning look, but it didn't work.

"$5000." Oy, here we go.

Maxwell didn't even let CC get a word out. "7500." That got the attention of everyone in the room. So, he wants to test me, does he? Maxwell pitied the young man who'd decided to play games with him. The poor chap had no idea who he was dealing with. Maxwell was not about to let him win this bid, no matter how high he wanted to go. He was a wealthy man, a few thousand dollars was pocket change to him.

"Well ladies and gentleman, it seems like we've got a bit of a competition going on. I hope the rest of this evening's items bring this much excitement. But hey, it's for a good cause, so let's see where it takes us, shall we? I believe the bid is back to you, Mr. Steinberg."

Paul looked thoughtful for a moment and then spoke, "I'm intimately familiar with Fran's work and I know how much its worth. So I'll go a bit higher, let's say, $9000."

Fran nearly fainted on the stage. She looked quickly at Maxwell and tried to tell him with her look to ignore Paul, but she could see it wasn't going to work. Maxwell was looking at Paul with a very dangerous glint in his eye. She could feel his anger from all the way across the room. Without looking at CC, but keeping his eyes directly on Paul, he said "$15,000."

The crowd gasped. CC decided to call the stupid testosterone game off before it got even more out of hand, and said, "$15,000 going once, going twice," she quickly looked at Paul, who shook his head slightly as if to signal he was out. "Sold!"

Fran exhaled, not even realizing she'd been holding her breath. She dimly heard CC declare the item closed and excuse her from the stage. In a fog, she left the stage, her mind reeling. Maxwell Sheffield had just bid $15,000 for one of her designs. What was he thinking? She gracefully declined the hands extended to her in congratulations and headed for the back of the room. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him when she got there, she just knew she had to get to him and quick.

She found him waiting for her at the back of the room near the buffet tables. "So, would you like to tell me what that was all about?"

Maxwell raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not so sure I'm the one who should be explaining something right now."

Okay, so he's angry with me. He's got a right to be, I suppose. It wasn't very nice for me to tease him like that.

"Listen Max, before you get the wrong idea about me and Paul..."

"Wrong idea? I don't know what you're talking about. Whatever you and Paul did or didn't do is none of my business, right?"

Okay, so he's really angry. Time to do some fast explaining.

"Would you just shut up for a second and let me explain?"

"Fran, really, you don't have to explain anything. You don't owe me anything. Well, except for a consultation and a design plan I guess. I mean, I did bid $15,000 for it."

That did it. Her desire to explain was very nearly overrun by her desire to smack him upside the head. Figuring she couldn't do either in a noisy, crowded room, she grabbed him by the arm and led him over to CC's den.

What the hell is she doing? She can't just drag me out of the room like she owns me! Maxwell fumed and tried to pull his arm back, but she had a surprisingly strong grip on it. Any further struggle on his part would just lead to a scene and he abhorred scenes in public places, so he gave up and went with her.

Fran shut the door firmly behind them and rounded on Maxwell, shoving a finger into his chest.

"Now, before you open your mouth up and say anything even more stupid, you just stand there and listen to what I have to say, Mister!"

Stupid? Just who the hell did she think she was dealing with, anyway? He started to object, but changed his mind when he saw the dangerous look in her eyes.

"Before CC drug me off to be the object of you and Paul's male ego fest out there, I was about to explain about his and my relationship."

"Fran, really, I don't want to hear about this..."

"Well tough, 'cause you're gonna. Paul was my first business customer. Did you hear me? My first business customer. He's the guy I ran into in the coffee shop over 10 years ago. He's the guy that gave me my first design job. My first two jobs, actually. We've been friends ever since."

Maxwell blinked at her. She saw the realization come across his face and almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He deserved to feel guilty, the lout.

"But, why was he bidding so high, then? Why did he keep looking over at me with that stupid, smug look on his face?"

"Because, you idiot, he knew you were my date this evening. Paul's a prankster through and through. He bet against you just to see how far you'd go. I tried to get you both to stop, but there wasn't a lot I could do up on stage."

"You mean I just got played?"

"Yup. Quite well, I might add."

Maxwell thought for a moment and then said, simply, "Well, at least it's for a good cause."

Fran looked at him in disbelief. "Aren't you the slightest bit freaked out that you just lost $15,000?"

"I didn't lose $15,000. I donated $15,000 to a worthy charity. And, I'm getting something in return for it. One of your premier designs."

Fran shook her head. "You're nuts, you know that?"

"Only when I'm around you, Fran. Only when I'm around you."

She looked at him with a small smile. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "So, you were pretty upset when you thought Paul and I had a 'history' together, weren't you?"

"Miss Fine, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"OH, we're back to Miss Fine, are we?"

Maxwell knew what she was doing. Part of him wanted to deny everything and part of him wanted to admit it, take her into his arms and kiss that stupid smile off her face. He settled for a compromise.

"Tell you what, let's rejoin the party. I'll get us a couple of plates of food, we can mingle for a while and then we can make a discreet exit."

"And after that? Then what?" She leaned into his chest and looked up at him innocently.

"Let's just see where the evening takes us, shall we?"

Fran flashed him an eager smile, turned him around and literally shoved him out the door. "Lead on Mr. Sheffield. I'd follow you anywhere."

Fran and Maxwell sampled some of Niles' wonderful food and made the rounds. At one point in the evening, when Maxwell was schmoozing a potential investor, Fran excused herself and headed into the kitchen to check on Niles.

"Hi Niles! How's it going in chef central?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "Just dandy, Miss Fine. So far the food appears to be holding out, but I think we might run a little low on liquor. Who knew Miss Babcock's friends could drink as much in one evening as she could?"

Fran chuckled. "Don't worry Niles, the party can't go on much longer. CC just finished up the auction. People will get bored soon and leave. Your night's almost over."

"Are you kidding? I'll have to stay to clean up this mess!"

"Would you like some help? I'm sure I could convince Mr. Sheffield to stick around for a little longer."

"Absolutely not, Miss Fine. I wouldn't hear of it. Miss Babcock is paying my salary this evening, so I guess I better earn it." Besides, if giving you and Mr. Sheffield some 'alone time' will get him to make a move, it'll be well worth it. Niles kept his thoughts to himself though. No sense in getting the girl's hopes up where his boss was concerned. Niles had lived with Maxwell long enough to know his reluctance to show his feelings.

"Trust me, Niles, I think you've earned your salary and then some." She patted his arm as she left the kitchen.

Fran's words gave Niles the boost he needed. He got back to work with a bit more spring in his step. It's nice to be appreciated.

Fran found Maxwell looking for her when she returned to the party. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"You bet!"

"Then let's find CC and say our goodbyes."

After a bit of searching, they found CC and told her they were leaving. She was less than thrilled.

"What do you mean you're leaving? I can't entertain these people all on my own you know!"

"Of course you can, CC. Besides, I left Margaret at home tonight to baby-sit. I know she's sixteen and can handle it, but it's almost midnight and I'd like to get home before it gets too much later."

So much for any post-party romance. Fran tried not to look too disappointed. "Well, CC, I think you should be proud of the evening. It looks like things went really well."

"All in all, not bad. By my rough count, we earned almost $75,000 for the charity. Of course Maxwell's $15,000 bid on our opening item helped set a tone for the evening, that's for sure."

They congratulated CC on the success of the party and said a few quick good-byes before they left. Fran kept her farewell to Paul very brief. Just a quick hug and peck on the cheek with a promise to "call him next week."

The ride back to Fran's was quiet but comfortable. It seemed like no time at all and Maxwell was pulling the car up alongside the curb just outside her front door.

"Fran, listen, I'd really like to come in for a while, but I feel like I should get back to the kids. It's just that this is the first time Margaret's been on her own with the other two."

"Max, it's okay. I understand completely."

"I mean, I told her to call me if anything came up and I know I checked on them in-between supper and the party, but still."

"Max, enough already. It's okay."

"Thanks for understanding Fran."

"You bet." She reached for the handle, but he stopped her.

"Hang on a second. I may not be coming in, but I can still escort you to your front door and make sure you get in okay." He got out, walked around the car, opened her door and extended a hand to help her up. Oh, how his hand felt perfect, encircling hers.

When they reached the door, he hesitated before taking her keys. "Will you come help us decorate the tree tomorrow?"

"I'd love to, Max, but are you sure? That's kinda a family thing, you know?"

"Well, I thought the kids and I could go out to breakfast early tomorrow morning and then go pick out a tree. We've always had artificial trees before, so they've never done that. Anyway, we could do that in the morning and I could send Niles over for you in the afternoon."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, but don't bother Niles to come get me. I can drive over."

"Well, he probably could use the day off tomorrow, with all the extra work he's had to do for CC this weekend."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate that. So tell me, how do you plan to get the tree home? I mean, that's not exactly something you can just tie to the top of the limo, you know."

Maxwell laughed at the thought. "I did some checking earlier today. Luckily, I was able to find a stand that does same-day delivery."

"Well, I think it sounds like the perfect day! How about I show up after lunch, say around 2:00?"

"Great!" Noticing Fran starting to shiver in the cold night air, Maxwell quickly took her keys and ushered them inside. Fran turned the alarm off and took her keys back.

"Here, you look cold." He pulled her into his arms. Fran leaned into his chest and sighed as she started to feel the warmth creep back into her body. She hadn't realized how cold she'd gotten standing outside for those few minutes.

"Mmmmm, thanks for warming me up."

"Oh, it's the least I could do since I kept you outside so long."

"I wish you could stay for a little while."

"So do I, Fran. So do I."

Wow, he actually sounds really sorry he can't stay. "Don't get me wrong, Max. I understand you need to get home to the kids. Heck, if it had been me, I would have been on that phone of yours 4 or 5 times already."

"Well, then I have a slight confession to make. I called once at the restaurant and twice at CC's."

"You did? I didn't know that! When did you do that?"

He smiled ruefully. "Your two bathroom breaks and your jaunt into CC's kitchen to check on Niles gave me the cover I needed."

She leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. "You sneaky devil."

He looked surprised. "I thought it made me seem slightly pathetic actually."

Fran looked thoughtful for a moment, as if considering her words carefully. "You know, for some women, a man who is a devoted and loving father is a major turn-on."

"Really? I hadn't heard that." His smile went all the way into the depths of his olive green eyes.

Oy, one look and my heart melts. "Um, Max, I think you better get going before I call Val and tell her to go baby-sit your kids so you can stay here."

Maxwell hadn't felt temptation like this for a long time. It took every ounce of his reserve to stop at giving her a light kiss on the cheek. Fran sensed his hesitation and smiled. At least it wasn't just her fighting a few primal urges tonight.

Shoving him out the door, she said "Sweet dreams, Max. I'll see you and the kids tomorrow afternoon."

Decorating The Tree

Sunday dawned crisp and cold. Max drug the kids up and out early to go tree shopping. Meanwhile, at Fran's place, things were much quieter. She had decided to sleep in for a change. In fact, it was well after 10:00 before she drug herself out of bed. Pulling on her fluffy robe and fuzzy slippers, she padded down the stairs to make herself a cup of hot tea.

She smiled as she thought of the day ahead of her. She hadn't looked forward to a Sunday afternoon this much in ages. For Fran, the weekends were usually long, lonely ends to the week. Half the time she ended up doing work only because it kept her mind off her loneliness. And Sundays? Sundays were the worst. She refused to work on her designs on Sundays. The weeks she went to temple were better, because at least then she got out of the house and saw other people. The weeks she didn't go to temple, she wandered around her house, trying to keep busy with housecleaning or reading or watching TV, but usually ended up slightly depressed by the end of the day, realizing she'd spent another one alone. But this Sunday would be different. Refilling her mug, she headed upstairs to get ready.

Meanwhile, Maxwell and the children had just piled back into the limo after finding the perfect tree. Their faces were red and they were all shivering. The weather hadn't warmed up too much, even though it was almost noon.

"Tell you what, children. Let's grab some lunch before we head home. I think Niles could use a break today." He had left a note for Niles earlier that morning, telling him to take the day off.

"Dad, can we have pizza?"

"Oh, I don't know Brighton. That seems a little casual for Sunday lunch, don't you think?"

"Please, we want pizza!" All three children chimed in on this one. Maxwell knew he was out voted. So, they headed to a small pizza place that wasn't too far from home. Maxwell and the children had so much fun; they almost didn't make it home in time to meet the tree deliveryman.

The delivery truck had barely left when Fran arrived. She parked along the curb and walked up to the Sheffield mansion. She found herself on the front stoop, facing a wide open door and a trail of pine needles. She smiled as she heard the laughter coming from inside the house. It sounded like the tree decorating adventure was off to a good start.

"So, were you all planning to heat the entire block or would you like me to shut the door?"

"Fran!" Margaret, Brighton and Grace all ran toward her and hit her head on with huge hugs. Fran nearly fell over with the enthusiasm of their welcome. Her energetic welcome was interrupted, however, when a plea for help came from the far side of the living room.

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but I'm about ready to fall over with the tree. Could I possibly get a hand?"

Fran looked over and laughed out loud. "I'm on my way, hang on. Keep talking though, so I can find you in all this greenery." She reached the tree, which was precariously close to toppling, and pushed her way through the branches until she found Maxwell. He looked a bit strained, but had a smile on his face. She smiled back at him and grabbed the tree, helping him to support the weight.

"Hello there. So, what do you think of the tree we picked out?"

"It's gorgeous. I'm just glad you have such high ceilings in here. We could have had to do some remodeling if you hadn't."

"Well, the tree looked a lot smaller outside."

"Granted. Now, unless you want to hang out in the flora and fauna all afternoon, what do we need to do to get this baby secured?"

"I bought a stand when we bought the tree. It should be under all this mess somewhere. If I can keep this thing upright, can you help me fit the trunk into the stand and get it secured?"

"Sure. Just let me get this bulky coat off so it doesn't slow me down." In a few minutes, she'd taken her coat off, hollered at one of the kids to catch it and gave it a toss out of the branches. "Okay, I'm going in. If you don't hear from me in the next 10 minutes, send in a rescue dog or something." She bent over and crawled under the tree, searching for the stand.

"Fran, good Lord, don't make me laugh, I'm having a hard enough time holding on to this thing as it is!"

Her reply was muffled, but he heard it all the same. "I tell you what, Mister, if you drop this thing on me, you are gonna be in BIG trouble. That is once I get the surgeon to pull all the pine needles outta my..."

"Fran!"

"Whoops, sorry. Even though I can't see 'em, I know the kids are still here. Forgot to keep it PG there for a second. Okay, I found the stand. Just move this thing over about six inches to your left and lift it up about a foot and we can get it in there."

"Lift it up about a foot? You have got to be joking."

"Uh, no, I'm not. Sorry!"

She heard him sigh and then say, "Okay, here we go."

10 minutes and several softly uttered curse words later, and the tree was securely in its stand. Maxwell helped Fran crawl out from under the tree and stand up, brushing off pine needles from her hair and back as he did so. They took a few steps back from the tree and gazed up at it. The children, who had been sitting on the sofa and enjoying the show, came to join them.

"It looks great Dad!"

"Brighton's right Dad, you and Fran did a great job!" Maggie exclaimed.

"I think it's perfect," said Grace.

"Well, children, you picked it out. We just got it upright for you to decorate."

"Speaking of decorations, where are they?" Fran looked around but didn't see any of the telltale signs of cardboard boxes anywhere.

"Here are some of them," came a muffled voice behind a stack of boxes descending the main stairs.

"Niles, is that you?" Maxwell strode over to the wobbling stack and took off the top two boxes.

Niles, with a sarcastic look on his face, said, "No, sir, it's the postman."

"I thought I gave you the day off, Niles."

"You did, sir. But, when I remembered you were putting up the tree today, I wanted to help. I knew you probably didn't know where I kept all the decorations, so I thought I could help get them arranged for you."

"Thank you, Niles. That's very thoughtful of you."

"No problem, sir. Happy to help. Now, who's going to come help me carry the rest of them?" He looked directly at the children who were trying to hide behind the tree. "Great! I see three very willing volunteers. Come on children, let's go!" He marched back up the stairs, the children in tow.

Fran, Niles and the Sheffield family had a wonderful afternoon decorating the tree. Maggie found some Christmas music to put on the stereo and Niles made hot apple cider and Christmas cookies. Maxwell spent most of the afternoon on the ladder, which was the only way they could reach the top of the tree to decorate it. Fran was in charge of sorting and organizing the ornaments and distributing them to the children, who either put them on the tree or handed them to their father. Outside, a light snow began to fall.

Just as the last ornament went on the tree, Niles brought out a tray of cider and cookies.

"Niles, you have impeccable timing!"

"Thank you, Fran. I try."

They all tucked in to the cider and cookies, each of them finding a place to sit that wasn't littered with boxes or tinsel or extra lights.

"Hey Dad, now that we're done, can we go outside and play in the snow for a while?"

"Gee, Brighton, seems like we're not done yet," Fran said with a smile.

"What do you mean? The tree's decorated already. We're done, right?"

"Um, do you see all these boxes lying around and the extra ornaments we didn't end up using? That all has to be picked up and put away and these boxes put back in the attic."

"Awww man. That's gonna take forever!"

"Well, it won't if we all pitch in and help. So, let's get to it!"

Maxwell watched the interaction and smiled. He loved the way Fran could have fun with the children and then the next minute adopt a no-nonsense attitude and get them to do the right thing. She reminded him of Sarah at that moment and he was caught between the happiness he'd felt decorating the tree with his children and regret over Sarah missing another holiday season. Shaking off the thought before it led to other depressing thoughts, he sat down his mug and went to help Fran and the children clean up the mess.

Within a half an hour, the children were bundled up and playing outside. Niles was in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess from baking cookies and making cider. Maxwell had built a fire and he and Fran were on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table and enjoying the warmth of the fire and the silence of having the room to themselves.

"So, have you given any thought to which room you'd like me to design for you?"

"What?"

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten. Remember last night? The $15,000 you shelled out for one of my designs?"

"Oh, that. No, I guess I haven't given it much thought. Are you sure you have time to do another design right now? Didn't you say at dinner last night that the next couple of months were going to be really busy for you?"

"Well they are going to be busy, but I'd like to give Val and Sean some more responsibility, so I think I can get it worked out. I was thinking about it earlier today and I've decided to let Val handle the Crawley condo remodel and give Sean that new restaurant account. That would free up some time for me to focus on a couple of minor projects I've got in addition to your design."

"That still sounds like an awful lot of work Fran, are you sure? I'm in no hurry, you know."

"Nonsense, you're paying good money. I owe you a spectacular design. So, whaddya want?"

"Well, Margaret's got a birthday coming up in March. How about you come up with a design for her room? If she likes the design and you have time, I'll hire you to do the rest of the work beyond the design plans. You know, supplies, labor, etc."

"That's a great idea! I'd love to do that! But, you paid so much for the design that if she likes it, a lot of the materials are gonna be covered already."

"We'll work out the bill later."

As late afternoon passed into early evening, they discussed ideas for Margaret's room. It didn't take long for the children to get cold and come back inside, searching out the warmth of the fire. As soon as Maxwell told Margaret about his birthday idea for her, she squealed and hugged him and then hugged Fran and then hugged him again. Brighton and Grace were soon pestering their father about having Fran redo their rooms too and before Fran knew what was happening, she heard Maxwell say, "We'll see, children. If Fran has time in her work schedule to do your rooms too, then maybe we can work something out. It would mean early birthday presents for you two though, since your birthdays aren't until later in the year."

"Maggie, since we're almost into the Christmas and New Year's holiday, I was thinking maybe we could go to lunch right after New Years and I could get your ideas on your room and then work up a design for you. How's that sound?"

"Oh Fran, that sounds great. I really get to tell you what I want and you'll draw it up?"

Fran hugged Margaret and said, "You bet, honey. I'll do my best!"

Soon, Niles was interrupting them to ask about supper.

"Niles, tell you what, let's just order in food tonight. You've already helped out more today than I had intended. No need for you to cook tonight too. So, what does everyone want?"

"Mexican!"

"Italian!"

"Chinese!"

All three children yelled out their choice at the same time. And, as usual, they each had a different idea of what sounded great. Maxwell looked at Fran and said, "Okay, Fran, you've heard the choices, you get to be the deciding vote."

"No way! I'm not gonna end up the bad guy!"

"Okay children, Fran seems a bit hesitant. SO, will you three agree that she can make the final choice?" Three heads nodded eagerly. "And will you promise no whining if she doesn't pick your choice?" Three heads nodded eagerly again. Maxwell turned back to Fran and said, "There, feel better?"

She laughed. "Oy, I'm gonna regret this, I know it. What are my choices again? Mexican, Italian, or Chinese, right? Hmmmmm..." She drew it out, watching the children giving her encouragement and trying to lobby for their particular choice. "I vote for Chinese."

Grace jumped up and said, "YES!" Margaret and Brighton made really good fainting impressions and landed on the couch, crushed by their loss. Seeing Fran's worried look that she had made a mistake, they quickly jumped up, laughing and said "We got you!"

Soon the entire family was gathered around the dining room table, fighting over several containers of food. The children had both Fran and Maxwell laughing throughout the meal by telling stories of silly things they'd done when they were younger and their school adventures. It was a trip down memory lane for Maxwell and a wonderful opportunity for Fran to gain some insight on the Sheffield family. When the meal was finished, Maxwell sent the children up to their rooms to finish their homework since they had school the next day.

"Awww, Dad, we want to stay and hang out with you and Fran."

"No, Brighton. If I remember correctly, you have a report to finish for Science tomorrow. And Margaret has a book report due and Grace has a Math test. So, it's study time for all of you!"

The kids headed for the stairs, muttering about how things "weren't fair."

"Hey, don't I get a hug before I leave?" Fran stood at the bottom of the stairs, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You're leaving?" The children and Maxwell both asked this question.

Fran didn't know whether to laugh at the look on the children's faces or the look on Maxwell's. Their looks were almost identical. "Yah, I need to get going. I've got a busy week ahead of me and you all wore me out today!"

The children ran back down the stairs and gave Fran huge hugs. They trudged back up the stairs, even more despondent looking than they were a few minutes earlier. Maxwell's heart went out to them. He didn't want Fran to leave either. "Tell you what kids, it's only 6:30, why don't you spend a couple of hours on your homework and then we'll make popcorn and watch television for an hour or so before you go to bed. Would that make things better?"

"Only if Fran could stay and watch TV with us too."

Fran's heart melted at Grace's plea. "Sweetie, I'd love to, but I really need to get going. Maybe we can get together later this week sometime, okay?"

"Okay." The kids brightened up at her suggestion and headed up to their rooms.

"Well, I hope the children will be okay with just me here to watch television with."

Fran saw the hurt look on Maxwell's face that he was trying to keep hidden. She walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Max, they want to spend time with you. They were just putting on a show for my benefit. You guys are going to have a great time tonight, don't worry!"

He smiled at her. How did she know I needed that reassurance? Hugging her back, he said, "I'm with them, though. I'd rather you would stay for a while. I don't feel like I got to spend any time with you today."

"Whaddya mean? I've been here for almost 5 hours!"

"I meant, I don't feel like I got to spend any time with you alone today."

"Oh." She smiled into his chest, loving the fact he wanted to be alone with her.

"It's just that the weeks leading up to Christmas are going to be so busy for me. I'm going to be putting in a few extra hours at the theater so we can leave early for our holiday trip. I'm not going to have much free time in the next month."

Fran tried to hide her disappointment. "So, where are you going for the Christmas holiday?"

"The children haven't seen my parents for a long time. We're going to London. We leave the 23rd and don't come back until after New Year's."

"Oh." This time she couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

Maxwell tipped her chin up so he could see her face. "I'm sorry, Fran. I planned this trip in September. I didn't meet you until the end of that month. I had no idea when I planned this trip that it would mean I wouldn't be able to spend the holidays with the most fabulous person I've met in a long time."

She smiled faintly at his words. "I'm sorry Maxwell, it's pretty selfish of me to be upset that you won't be here at Christmas time. The holidays are a definitely a time to spend with family. What a minute, you think I'm fabulous?"

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. The instant their lips met, desire flared inside both of them. The kiss quickly deepened and they clung to each other, enjoying the give and take between them. She slid her arms up the length of his and let her hands rest at the nape of his neck, toying with his hair. He responded by encircling her waist with his arms and pulling her fully into him.

Exercising incredible restraint, Maxwell ended the kiss and let his forehead rest upon hers. "Yes, Fran, I think you're fabulous. These past two and a half months have been incredible. In one instant, it feels like I've just met you and then, the next moment, I feel like I've known you for years. I haven't felt like this in a very long time."

"I know what you mean. It's a little scary, don't you think?"

"Very scary. I've spent the majority of the last six years shutting others out. Not letting people get too close and certainly not caring about them. I mean, I've always loved the children, but I've distanced myself from them. And people outside my immediate family? They had no chance to get to know me, I didn't let them. I hated myself for doing it, but I just didn't know how to handle things after Sarah died."

"I can't imagine the pain you all went through. It must have been overwhelming." She let her hand trace the lines of sadness from his brow to his jaw.

Her touch comforted him and he went on. "It was very overwhelming. I did a great job convincing myself I was meant to be alone. I had to provide for my children and take care of them, but I didn't need to worry about taking care of myself. My children and my work would be enough to fulfill me."

"And now you're thinking they aren't?"

"Now, I'm thinking I've been given a wonderful opportunity. I've met a beautiful, caring, and intelligent woman who adores my children and for some reason, finds me attractive. It's made me start to question my decision not to get involved with anyone again."

Fran knew Maxwell sharing his thoughts and feelings was a big deal. She hadn't known him that long, but had already figured out he didn't open up too often. She decided to share a few of her own secrets to let him know she trusted him, just like he trusted her.

"You know, I had almost given up entirely on men when I met you. I've had some real losers in my past. Luckily, I wised up before things got too serious with any of them. But, still, I had decided maybe I was meant to be alone. There just wasn't anyone out there who would be my knight in shining armor. I suppose it's a little silly to hold on to a young girl's dream about what love is supposed to be, but I've always been a dreamer. I've always thought I'd meet someone tall, dark and handsome who would sweep me off my feet and take me off to 'they lived happily ever after' land."

Maxwell was surprised the vivacious, young woman before him had already given up on her dream of love. Without knowing why, he had a sudden urge to give her back her dream. But, are you ready for a serious relationship? Can you really let go of Sarah and move on with your life? He tried to ignore the voice in his head, pushing the nagging questions aside. He didn't have to decide everything tonight. Couldn't he just enjoy things the way they were right now and not push anything?

"You said you had 'almost given up'. Does this mean you haven't?" He tried not to sound too hopeful.

"Events in the recent past have convinced me it's not quite time to let that young girl's dream go. I think I can hold out a little while longer for my knight to show up on his horse."

"I'm glad to hear that."

The Holidays

The weeks before Christmas flew by. The children were busy trying to get all their semester projects and assignments finished up before break. Maxwell was working long days at the theater, trying to get things in shape for him to be gone for two weeks over the holidays. Fran was busy training Val and Sean to take over new accounts and doing her own work on some shorter-term projects. She and Maxwell talked almost every night by phone. He would call her on his way home from the theater to see how her day went and to wish her sweet dreams. She would ask him about his day and how the children were doing. They both secretly lived for Sunday afternoons when they got together as a family to spend time together. They would either go out to lunch or go see a movie or stay in and watch movies at home.

Soon, it was the 22nd of December. Maxwell and the children were leaving the next day for London for two weeks. Fran had invited them all over to her home for supper that night. It would be her only chance to see all of them until after the New Year. She kept the menu fun and casual so they could spend more time opening gifts. There were homemade pizzas and fruit and veggie trays and chips and dip. And, of course, the ever popular ice cream sundae bar at the end. By the time they got to the gift giving part of the night, everyone was very full and a little sleepy.

After the presents were passed out, they each went around the room, opening their presents from Fran.

Fran had given Grace a leather-bound journal to encourage her recent interest in creative writing as well as a new book bag for school and an enormous, stuffed, white Christmas bear. "That way, when I'm not there to give you a hug in person, you can hug the bear and think of me." To which Grace replied, "Oh thank you, Fran. I love him. I love all my presents!"

And in return, Grace had given Fran a bottle of her favorite perfume. "Oh, Gracie angel, how did you know? This is my all-time favorite and I was almost out!" Grace beamed at Fran, happy that her gift had been so well received.

Next, it was Brighton's turn. Fran had given him a new game for his computer and, because he was so interested in his astronomy class, a large book on the solar system. "Cool, Fran. These are awesome!" Fran's gift from Brighton was a new pair of fluffy slippers and box of Godiva chocolates. "Oh, B, you know me too well! My feet are always cold and I absolutely adore Godiva chocolate. Thank you honey!" Maxwell saw his son's chest swell with pride at the good job he'd done and smiled to himself. He was proud of him. Brighton had come up with the ideas for his presents to Fran all on his own and had done a wonderful job.

Margaret was nearly beside herself with excitement, anxiously waiting her turn to go. She squealed with delight at the new shoes with matching purse and nearly jumped out of her chair when she saw the full make-up bag that went with the purse. "Fran, these are wonderful. I can't wait to wear all of them!"

Fran opened her gift from Margaret. It had been the most neatly wrapped with the most ribbon and bows, so she knew Margaret had taken a lot of time with her gift. Maggie had given her a jewelry box. It was about the size of a cigar box and made out of rich cherry wood. "Oh, Maggie, this is gorgeous. I'll save this for my most special jewelry, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Fran. I'm glad you like it."

"Now it's Fran and Daddy's turn!"

Fran opened her gifts from Maxwell first. He had given her a new leather portfolio for work and a gift certificate for a day of luxury at a well-known spa. "Maxwell, these are wonderful. The spa sounds heavenly." She leaned over to give him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. Maxwell was equally appreciative of the box of his favorite cigars and the expensive bottle of brandy Fran had given him. When he made comments like "You really shouldn't have" and "You spent too much", she simply shushed him and said, "Nonsense!"

When all the paper had been cleared away, Maxwell and the children brought out a final present they had been hiding behind the couch. Grace handed the gift to Fran.

"What's this? I thought we were done?"

"Well, this one is from all of us. We wanted to save it for last."

Fran carefully slid the paper off the gift. What she found inside made tears come to her eyes. Her fingers shook slightly as she gently traced the frame that lay on her lap. Maxwell and the children had given her a collage of pictures. There were pictures from the day they decorated the Christmas tree and pictures each of the Sunday afternoons they'd spent together since then. When she didn't immediately say anything, Maxwell asked, "Fran are you okay?"

"Yah, Fran. Do you like it?" Brighton asked impatiently.

She looked up at all of them, the tears shining brightly in her eyes. "I'm okay and I most definitely like it."

"Then why are you crying?" Brighton had a worried, confused look on his face.

"Son, some day you'll understand that sometimes, a woman's tears are a happy thing, not a sad thing," Maxwell replied, a knowing look on his face.

"Huh? I don't get it."

"I said some day, son. Not necessarily today." He ruffled Brighton's hair with his hand. "Trust me, she likes the present."

They spent the rest of their evening together talking and laughing, admiring each other's gifts. Too soon, Maxwell and the children had to leave. Fran gave each of the children hugs before they headed out to the car. Maxwell hesitated before following them.

"Merry Christmas, Fran. I wish we were going to be in town for the holidays."

"Me too. But, I'll be at Ma and Daddy's on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I won't be alone. And, it will be good for you and the children to see your parents. I'm sure your parents have missed seeing them."

"That might be a bit of a stretch, Fran. But, you're right, it will be good for them to see their grandparents again."

Fran watched from her front doorway as the children got themselves settled into the car. They turned around to wave to her and she waved back, a grin on her face.

"You better get going. It's getting late and you have an early flight tomorrow."

Maxwell brushed a stray strand of hair off her cheek. Fran leaned into his touch. He sighed and pulled her into a hug, his strong arms encircling her in warmth. He whispered into her ear, "I'll miss you."

She replied, "I'll miss you more."

"When I get back, we need to go to dinner, just the two of us."

"Sounds good to me."

He pulled back from her slightly and leaned in to kiss her. The familiar jolt of electricity hit them both. They kept the kiss brief, as they knew the children were watching. Fran stood and watched them leave, waving to them until the car turned the corner out of sight.

As soon as Maxwell and the children got home, he sent them straight to bed. It was late and they had to be up early to leave for the airport. He made a quick check on the luggage piled in the foyer and once he was satisfied everything was in order, he headed up to bed. He wasted no time shedding his clothes and donning his pajamas. As he leaned over to pull the covers back, he found a small, neatly wrapped box on his pillow. There was a card attached.

Max,

I enlisted Niles' help with this little gift. I wanted you to have this before you left on your trip, but wanted you to open it in private. Niles was kind enough to leave it here for you.

I just wanted to thank you for helping me to believe in white knights again. I had thought there were no more left in this world. I was wrong.

Missing you already,

Fran

He opened the small box. Nestled inside was a figurine of a knight on a horse. He held the tiny object in his hand for a long time, feeling the weight of it rest in his palm. The weight he felt was more symbolic than literal. It was a touching gift. He was torn between feeling happy that he'd had such an effect on Fran and guilty due to his conflicted feelings of where to take their relationship.

He had done so much thinking this past month about his feelings for Fran. He loved spending time with her and there was no doubt she had an effect on him physically, but was he really ready to commit to a serious relationship with her? I've only known her for three months, for God's sake! However, if he stopped to think about it, he had spent more time with Fran than any other woman in a 'non-business' relationship since his wife had died.

Maybe his two-week trip to London would be a good thing. It would give both of them a bit of a break from each other. Give them time to evaluate things and figure out what to do next. You mean you want to give yourself time to 'evaluate' things. Maxwell wanted to tell his conscience to be quiet, but he had to admit it had a point. He did want to think things through. He cared for Fran too much to string her along in a relationship if he wasn't ready to commit. The problem was, he was beginning to think he cared for Fran too much to not be around her, either.

He reached for the phone next to his bed and dialed her number.

"Hello?"

"Hello Fran, It's Maxwell. Thank you."

"For what?" She tried to sound innocent, but it wasn't working. He smiled.

"For my gift."

"You're welcome. I meant what I said in the card, you know."

"I know you did. It means a lot to me that you think of me that way."

"I'm glad."

"I'll call you when we get to London, alright?"

"Okay. Have a good trip and travel safe."

"I'll talk to you soon. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Max."

After he hung up, he sat in bed holding the tiny figurine, desire for sleep gone. It was quite a while before he sat it on his nightstand and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Fran was having her own problems sleeping at her place. She tossed and turned, thoughts of Maxwell running through her mind. He was so quiet on the phone tonight. Was the gift too much? Did I scare him by telling him how I felt? What if he flips out and wants to cool things off because I'm moving too fast?

Frustrated, she fluffed her pillow, trying to find a comfortable spot. She'd thought a lot about giving him the figurine, but it just seemed so right that she couldn't resist. She wanted him to know how important he'd become to her. But, now that she'd done it, she couldn't help worrying that she'd gone too far. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him off.

Sighing and sitting up in bed, she turned on her nightstand lamp and reached for a book. It was going to be a long night.

Missing Each Other & Drinks With CC

True to his word, Maxwell called Fran when they arrived in London. He kept the call brief but told her they'd had a good flight and that everyone was looking forward to getting a quick nap in before they went to his mother's. When Fran had asked why he wasn't staying at his mother's home, he laughed and told her something about not wanting that much 'family togetherness.' Fran was a little disappointed he didn't stay on the phone too long, but figured he was just tired.

The holidays passed quickly for both Fran and the Sheffields. The children called her two more times before the end of their trip. Maxwell got on the phone briefly both times, told her he missed her and that he'd call her as soon as they got home. She tried not to think he was deliberately avoiding talking to her, but couldn't help letting doubt creep into her mind.

Soon it was the night before Maxwell and the children were due to leave London and head back to New York. Maxwell checked on the children, who were all asleep in their beds, ran a quick inventory on the luggage and tickets and then headed to his room in their suite, anxious to get some sleep. He hadn't slept well during the entire trip. All he seemed to do was think about Fran. He missed her and when he wasn't missing her he was worrying about their relationship. Should he just do what he'd told himself to do right after he'd met her and just forget her? She had mesmerized him that first night and ever since, he had not been able to get her out of his head. That scared him. It scared him a lot. He and Sarah had been so in love when she died. The accident had ripped her from him. He'd had no chance to even say goodbye. He had planned on spending the rest of his life with her and when that plan had been harshly taken from him, he couldn't quite seem to figure out what to do with his life. In the early months/years after Sarah's death, he couldn't even look at another woman in a romantic way, convinced he would be betraying her memory if he did so. He'd shoved his own needs aside and held on to his lingering love for his late wife. Soon, it had gotten to the point that he didn't even think about entering into another serious relationship with a woman. It wasn't that he didn't have physical or emotional needs, it was just that he buried himself in his work so much that on most days, he was simply too exhausted to act on them.

But then, he met Fran. A chance meeting that so easily could have never happened. She'd hit him like a ton of bricks. The guards and walls he'd put up around himself seemed to be transparent mist to her. With one wave of her hand she could push them away and curl herself around his heart.

Being away from her for two weeks was supposed to make things clearer, but now, the night before his return trip, he thought things were muddier than ever. He had fully expected to come back from London and tell Fran he thought they needed to take things a little slower and then slowly work his way out of the relationship. He cared for her; there was no denying that. He cared for her so much it scared him. He had told himself, many years previously that he would never again care for a woman like he had cared for Sarah. There was just too much pain and suffering at stake if something bad happened. Not only for him, but also for his children.

But, when he'd spent almost his entire holiday thinking about Fran and realizing how much he missed her, he knew there was no way he could go back and tell her, "thanks, it's been great knowing you, but I have to move on now." The problem was, he didn't know what the next step was. Sighing and yawning at the same time, he gave up the tennis match going on in his head, turned out the light and laid down, praying things would seem clearer in the morning.

Fran tried hard to keep her mind on her work the day of Maxwell and the children's return. She made phone calls, scheduled appointments, finished up some design plans and even caught up her mountain of filing. Every time her cell phone rang, her heart leaped until she realized it wasn't time for their flight to have arrived and disappointed, she would return to work.

Shortly before 5:00 that afternoon, her cell phone rang. She could tell by the ring it was CC calling.

"Hey, CC."

"Hello, hello! So, what are you doing for dinner?"

"Nothing, why what's up?"

"Absolutely nothing. And, two gorgeous woman like us with nothing to do on a Friday night is just plain scandalous, don't you think?"

Fran laughed. She hadn't seen CC for over two weeks. It was good to hear her voice. "You know CC, I think you're right. So, what are we going to do about it?"

"Well, I'm going to pick you up in about 45 minutes and we are going out for drinks."

"Sounds fabulous!"

Fran ended the call and turned back to her computer. "Well, my friend, as exciting as responding to emails is, I think I need a break." She turned it off and headed out to the showroom, where Sean and Val were working.

"Okay, folks, that's it. We're done for the week. Head 'em up and move 'em out!"

"Yippee!" Sean yelled.

"Are you sure, Fran?" Val asked.

Sean elbowed Val hard in the ribs. "Shut up, Val. When the boss says go, you go!"

"Sean's right, Val. We've put in a long week. There's nothing that's an emergency that has to get done before Monday. Enjoy your weekend!"

Fran headed upstairs to get ready to go out. 45 minutes later and she was meeting CC at her car along the curb.

"Okay, so where do you want to go?" CC quickly checked over her shoulder and zipped back onto the street, narrowly missing a car already in the line of traffic. When the other driver honked furiously at her, CC didn't miss a beat and flipped a graceful finger out her window at him.

"CC! Be careful! You never know what someone is gonna do these days. Some people are crazy and wouldn't hesitate to come after you for flipping them off!"

"Nonsense. And, even if they did, they wouldn't know what hit them!"

Fran thought CC had a good point.

"So, have you figured out where we're going yet?"

"Hey lady, this was your idea! You pick. I'm along for the ride."

CC noticed a sharper edge to Fran's voice than was normal and glanced over at her friend. "Okay, so what's eating your shorts?"

Fran sighed. "I'm sorry, CC. I guess I'm just in a gritchy mood because it's been so long since I've seen Max and the kids. I haven't talked to them much since they left for London."

"Don't they get back today?"

"Yes."

"Well, then don't worry. You'll have a call before bedtime tonight and I'll bet good money you'll end up seeing all of them tomorrow."

"You're probably right." Fran's tone wasn't too convincing.

CC noticed Fran's less than convinced attitude and wondered if something had happened between her and Max before he left for London. CC knew her boss well; the damn fool was probably getting cold feet and trying to find a way out. Normally, CC would have been pleased if this were the case. But, since she'd become friends with Fran and had her revelation about Maxwell, she had determined an unhappy ending for these two would not be a good thing. If he starts acting like an idiot, I swear I'll give him hell like he's never seen before.

"Okay, so we need somewhere with good drinks and yummy bar food. I know just the place!"

The girls spent a laughter-filled evening over drinks and appetizers. The night flew by. Fran occasionally checked her cell phone for messages, but found none waiting for her. She tried not to be worried about Max not calling her and just focus on the fun she was having with CC.

"So, CC, you never told me. How did the rest of your charity auction go?"

"Oh, it went well. Most of the crowd left within an hour or so of you and Maxwell. Then it was just clean up time. Nothing too exciting."

"I thought Niles did an incredible job with the catering, don't you?"

"Hey, that's what I hired him to do. He better have done a good job, or else I wouldn't have paid him!"

"Oh CC, come on. Get off your high horse for a second and admit the man did a fabulous job. It wouldn't kill you, you know!"

"Oh, alright. Yes, he did a good job. There, are you happy?"

Fran smiled at her friend. For an intelligent woman, CC could be so dense sometimes. "Yes!"

Before they knew it, it was last call.

"CC, I can't believe it's 2:00. We've been out since 6:00. Where the hell did the time go?"

"Hey, time flies when you're having fun. But, I suppose I should get you home. Hey, you never got a call from Maxwell, did you?"

Fran sighed, looking sad. "No, not yet."

CC mentally slapped herself in the head. Sometimes I need to learn to keep my damn mouth shut. "Well, hey, they probably all passed out after they got home. You know, trying to catch up with the time change crap. I'm sure you'll get a call tomorrow morning."

Fran tried to put a convincing look on her face. "I'm sure you're right."

After Fran got home, she quickly checked her answering machine, which had a big zero on the display. Fighting back tears, she headed for the shower. She was tired, achy and smelled horribly of smoke. There was no way she was going to bed smelling like a bar.

By the time Fran got out of the shower, she was so tired she simply towel dried her hair and collapsed on the bed.

Welcome Back & By The Way, Can We Talk?

Fran's phone rang early the next morning. Very early. Feeling a little fuzzyheaded, she answered the phone blearily. "Mmmm, hello?"

"Fran? Hi, it's Maxwell. I'm sorry to call so early. It sounds like I've woken you up."

Fran's sleep weary eyes snapped open. "That's okay. Normally I'm up by this time. I was just up really late last night."

"Oh, did you have to work late?"

"No. CC and I went out for drinks."

"Really?" Maxwell wasn't sure why Fran's activities of the previous night unsettled him, but they did.

"Yah. I haven't done something like that for months. I had a good time with CC, but I'm in no hurry to hang out in a smoky bar anytime again soon."

"Sounds like a rough night," Maxwell said dryly.

Fran noticed the sarcasm in his voice, but ignored it. "Welcome back by the way. How was your trip home?"

"Long and tiring. Listen, I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday. We were all so exhausted after the long flight and the time change, that we just went to bed as soon as we got home."

"Well, I was worried when I didn't hear from you. But, now that I know everything's okay, I'm just glad you got home safely. Did you have a good time with the kids on your trip?"

"Yes. It was stressful visiting with my parents, but that's par for the course with them. At least I got the chance to show the children some sights in London. Grace has never been to London and Margaret and Brighton were too young to remember our last trip."

"I missed all of you." She held her breath and waited for his reply.

"We missed you too. I thought I was going to have a mass revolt on my hands at the airport yesterday when I told the children we were going home to sleep instead of heading straight to your place to see you."

She laughed. "I'll bet you weren't real popular on the car ride home."

"Actually, they fell asleep halfway home, so it wasn't too bad. So, what are you doing today?"

"I really didn't have much planned. Probably just some housecleaning."

"Well, if you can find some time in your schedule, I know of three adorable children and their lonely father who could really use a 'Fran Fix'."

"Hmmm, I think we could work something out. What time do you want to come over?"

"Let's say around 1:00. We'll bring some sandwiches from that corner deli of yours. That way you can get a few more hours sleep and not worry about having to feed us or yourself."

"Sounds good to me."

"See you in a few hours, Fran."

Fran was at the door to greet them when they arrived. After much squealing and hugging from the children, Maxwell finally pulled them off Fran and sent them upstairs. As soon as they were out of earshot, Maxwell pulled Fran into his arms, kissing her soundly.

When he finally let her come up for air, she asked, "Gee, did you miss me?"

"What do you think?"

Their reunion was interrupted by shouts from the children drifting downstairs. "That reminds me, when do we get to have that alone time you were talking about before Christmas?"

"Soon, Fran, very soon."

Soon turned out to be two weeks later. Maxwell took Fran back to La Grenouille. In a nice twist of fate, they found themselves sitting in the same private booth they'd had before. After enjoying a delicious meal, they ordered a rich pairing of coffee and dessert.

"Maxwell, this has been a wonderful evening. I love spending time with the children, but spending time alone with you is very special to me."

"Me too, Fran. Me too."

They were sitting right next to each other in the semicircular booth; Fran snuggled close to Maxwell's side, his arm draped around her waist.

"Fran, we need to talk." Maxwell had done a lot of thinking about their relationship since coming back from London. And while what he was about to say scared him, deep down he knew it was the right thing to do. He just hoped she felt the same way.

"Sure, Max. What's up?" Fran's heart had nearly stopped beating at his words. He sounded so quiet and so serious. This couldn't be good. She tried to stop worrying and focus on what he was saying to her.

"These last four months of getting to know you have been wonderful."

"Yes, they have." Why did Fran feel like there was a large "but" coming on?

"If someone had asked me four months ago if I was ready to date again, I would have told them they were crazy."

Fran didn't say anything.

"I just feel like I need to explain some things to you before things get too serious."

Too serious? Here we go, she thought. He's gonna give the 'I think we need to spend some time apart' speech.

"What do you need to explain?" How did her voice sound so calm when she was shaking so hard on the inside?

Maxwell sighed. How did he put what he was feeling into words? Usually a very literate man, he was feeling rather tongue-tied at the moment. Fran sensed his hesitation and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Max, whatever it is, just say it. I'll understand." He saw the sadness in her eyes and realized she had gotten the wrong idea about what he was going to say. In an instant, he knew he had to fix things, and fast.

Maxwell took her hand in-between his and marveled at how well they fit together. "Fran, I care for you, very much. I feel things when I'm with you that I haven't felt in a very long time. I never planned to have these kind of feelings again, so I'm not sure what to do with them. I'm scared to move forward with you, but I'm even more scared with the prospect of not being with you."

"Oh." Fran didn't know what to say. This wasn't what she had expected. She'd been so sure he was going to tell her things weren't working out that she hadn't planned on this.

"I just don't think it's fair to string you along. I truly don't know whether or not I'm capable of a long-term commitment again. And, you're a woman who deserves that. You deserve that and so much more. I want to be with you, but I don't really know what I can offer you emotionally. Is any of this making sense?"

"Yes." Fran was still so relieved he wasn't dumping her she had a hard time finding the right words. And she was a girl who wasn't normally at a loss for words.

Why is she taking this so quietly? I expected more of a reaction than this. Have I made a mistake? Maybe she wasn't thinking things were getting that serious yet?

Seeing the confusion on his face, Fran hurried to explain. "Max, right now I don't want anything more from you than what you're able to give. I know what a big step these past four months have been for you. Let's not rush things, shall we? How about we just take our time and see where life leads us, okay?" Fran almost cringed. She could hear her mother's scream all the way from Flushing.

They rode back to her place in a companionable silence, hand in hand. Fran still couldn't believe her reaction to Maxwell's words. She couldn't believe she hadn't been disappointed that he wasn't ready to declare a lifelong commitment to her. Maybe it was because she had been so worried he was going to end their relationship. But, deep down, she'd meant what she'd said. Right now she was enjoying their relationship and preferred to let nature take its course instead of pushing too hard. She'd pushed too hard in all her other relationships and they hadn't worked out. She stole a quick glance at the man sitting next to her. Oy, Frannie. This is one you don't want to lose!

Maxwell didn't know what to think or feel at this moment. He had never expected his conversation with Fran to go this well. He thought she would be upset with him, upset with his inability to commit. Instead, she had understood and told him it was okay. She had reassured him all she needed from him was whatever he felt like giving. His feelings of worry and tension had suddenly turned to feelings of relief and uncertainty. He felt better about being honest with her, but still didn't know where things were going.

This time, instead of leaving Fran at her front door, he went upstairs with her. He didn't want the even to end quite yet. His admission of his fears had freed him somehow and he wanted to enjoy that feeling for a while. They settled themselves on the sofa in front of the fireplace, watching the glow of the flames grow as the fire he'd built took hold.

Fran, with her head resting on his shoulder, said, "So, do you feel better?"

"Better? I didn't know I was feeling bad."

She laughed gently at him. "Oh come on. You were so tense at the beginning of our evening. Now you seem so relaxed."

"Well, I guess I was a little worried about how you would react to what I had to say."

She raised her head and lightly kissed him on the neck, just below his ear. Her warm breath against his skin made every nerve ending in his body come alive. "Well, I hope you're not worried anymore."

He turned his head to hers, his lips finding her ear lobe. "Worried is definitely NOT how I'm feeling right now."

Her tongue darted out to taste his skin. She heard his sharp intake of breath and smiled. "So, Max, how DO you feel right now?"

He left a trail of warm, soft kisses down her neck before responding. She tilted her head a little to allow him better access. He stopped just as he reached her collarbone. "How do I feel? Alive, excited, and unsure of what I should do next."

She took his hand from her waist and placed it under her ribcage, just below her breast. She tilted her face up to his and saw the desire flare in his eyes. Bringing her mouth to his and right before she kissed him, she said against his lips, "Oh, I've got an idea or two of what you could do."

All reason and sanity flew out of his head. Her kiss was warm and demanding. Her tongue darted into his mouth, teasing his. She shifted slightly on the couch causing his hand to cup her breast. He'd dreamed of doing that for months. He groaned and thrust his tongue back against hers and into her mouth. His thumb gently traced lazy circles where it rested against her. As beautiful as he thought she'd looked in her dress tonight, right now he hated the silky material that was a barrier between his hand and her warmth.

Fran was losing herself in the desire building deep within her. She clung to Maxwell and let him take over the lead in the kiss. She knew she'd been playing with fire when she'd kissed his neck, but she couldn't help it. He was just too incredible to resist. What was he doing to her? And why hadn't he done this before now? Fran mentally kicked herself for all the time they'd wasted. Sure they had kissed and hugged before, but they'd never allowed it to go further than a few heated moments. This was different.

Maxwell broke the kiss off only so he could divert his attention back to her neck. He could feel her arms around him, holding on tightly. His left arm was around her waist, supporting her, while his right hand was continuing its leisurely exploration of her figure. It moved from her breast, to her waist and down her hip. He was rapidly losing control. His hands, his lips, everything about him seemed to be on autopilot. Cupping her hip, he pulled her on to his lap, so that she was practically straddling him. This put her slightly higher than him, which made it that much easier to continue his exploration of her neck with his mouth. His left hand buried into her hair, cradling her neck as she tilted her head back again. His right hand came back to her breast and began stroking lazy circles again. Before he could stop himself, he ran his thumb along the most sensitive part of her breast and smiled at her gasp of excitement.

"Oh, Maxwell."

"Yes, Fran? Did you need something?"

"Um, yes. I did."

He continued to kiss her neck, this time making his way back up to her mouth. "What was it you needed?"

"I need you to do that again."

"What?"

He chuckled when she literally growled at him, "You know damn well what."

Covering her mouth with his, he let his thumb rub against her again. She cried out into his mouth, driving him even more over the edge. He shifted on the couch, trying to sit her more firmly into his lap. Unfortunately, her dress was proving to be a source of frustration again. It was rather form fitting and didn't lend itself to stretching too well.

"Um, Max?" Fran was out of breath.

"Yes, Fran." He was out of breath too.

"If we're going to go much further, I think I need to make a clothing adjustment."

There was nothing at that moment that Maxwell would rather do than to take things a hell of a lot farther. But, her innocent question had given him the moment of clarity he needed to stop things before they went too far. Oh, there was no doubt, he wanted to make love to her. He wanted to rip that beautiful dress from her body, carry her up to her bedroom and spend the rest of the night discovering her body. But he didn't think either one of them was ready to deal with waking up the next day and trying to figure out what that meant for their relationship. For God's sake, they had just discussed at dinner taking things easy and seeing where life took them!

"Max? Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm just trying to convince myself I don't want to sleep with you."

"You don't want to sleep with me? Good Lord, what would you do to me if you did want to sleep with me?" He knew she was teasing him, but he also heard the uncertainty in her voice.

"Trust me, Fran. I would like nothing better than to help you make that clothing adjustment and take things well beyond 'further.' But, I think we need to stop right where we are for tonight. I don't think either one of us is really ready for that next step, do you?"

The hell I'm not, she thought. But, Frannie, maybe he's not? Fran thought the voice in her head was probably right. Resignedly, she slid off his lap. "Maybe you're right, Max."

He heard the disappointment in her voice. Taking her face into his hands, he looked deep into her eyes, those dark, beautiful, brown eyes. He was a fool for not giving in to his physical desire and he knew he would regret his decision in the morning. "Fran, please understand, I want to be with you. How could I not? You're beautiful, caring, intelligent, and so incredibly sexy. I'd have to be dead not to want you!"

She smiled at his words, feeling somewhat better about his decision to stop things so quickly this evening. He wanted her; he was just scared to go any further right now. "Nice save, Max."

"Fran, I'm not trying to save anything. I'm just trying to make you understand." He seemed to be fumbling for words. Why did he always end up sounding like an idiot around her?

She put a finger to his lips, which he kissed gently, willing himself not to react to her touch. "Max, shut up already. It's okay. I understand and you're right. We're not ready for this yet. I might think we are, but I know you're not ready to take things that far yet. And if one of us isn't ready, then we aren't ready, okay?"

"Thank you for understanding, Fran."

She stood up and offered him a hand to help him off the couch. "I'm understanding, Max, but I'm not made of stone. You keep looking at me like that and I'll ignore who's ready and who's not and give in to what my body is telling me to do right now."

He gave her a look of surprise, taken aback by her boldness. She laughed throatily, turned him around and pushed him downstairs. He barely had time to grab his suit coat and overcoat before she had him on the front steps. "Fran, give me a minute to put my coat on, it's cold out here!"

"Trust me, Mister. I think we could both use with some cooling off right now."

He had to admit she was right.

"Fran, you're not mad, are you?"

She toyed with the idea of making him suffer for a second, but gave it up. She kissed him gently, gave him a warm smile and as she hugged him goodnight, said, "No, Max, I'm not mad. Just a little hot and bothered and not looking forward to sleeping in that big bed all alone." With that tempting vision planted firmly in his mind, she said "Goodnight" and headed inside, closing the door firmly behind her.

Maxwell got into his car and threw his suit coat and overcoat in the back. He reached up to unloosen his tie and found it gone. She must have taken it off him when they were on the couch. He hadn't even realized it was missing. Her parting words to him had left a tantalizing vision in his head. Her, lying in bed, her dark hair fanned out on the pillows, looking up at him with that pleading look, saying his name over and over again. Sighing, he started his car and headed home. He was wrong. It hadn't taken him until morning to regret his decision to stop things this evening. He was regretting it now.

Lunch With Maggie

It was the end of January before Fran and Maggie had their lunch to discuss design ideas for her room.Fran took her to Cafe Fiorello. Located on Broadway and known for its Italian fare, it was practically a New York institution, having been in business for over 20 years. After filling themselves up on incredible food, they dug right into the plans for Maggie's room.

"So, Maggie, have you thought about what you'd like for your new room? Any themes, colors, furniture ideas?"

"I don't know. I'm not very familiar with design styles and things."

"Oh, Maggie honey, you leave that part to me. I mean, what kinds of things are you interested in? Besides teenage boys that is!"

"Well, I like movies and rock music and clothes and dancing...you mean stuff like that?"

"That's a start. A good start. What kind of movies do you like?"

"All kinds. But, love stories are the best!"

"A girl after my own heart. SO, we have love stories, rock music and..."

"Actually, what I really like is traveling."

"You may be on to something there, Mags. Tell me more."

"Well, I had a really good time when we went to London for Christmas. And, I've been to Paris before, but that's been a really long time ago. I don't remember much about it."

"What about places you've never been, but always wanted to go?"

"Oh, gosh, there are TONS of places I'd like to visit."

"Like where?"

"I'd like to go back to Paris. Then there's Rome, Madrid, Sydney. Gosh, Fran, you name it, I'd probably like to go."

"Maggie, I think we've hit on the perfect idea for your room! We could do an entire travel theme. I want you to go home this afternoon and think about all the places you'd like to visit and then call me with your top three or four choices. I'll work on a design that incorporates ideas from each of those places. What do you think?"

"It sounds wonderful! Thanks, Fran, for doing this. I'm really excited about it."

"And I'm excited to do it. It's been a long time since I designed a room for a beautiful young woman."

Maggie blushed and replied, "So, Fran, it seems like you and Dad are getting pretty close."

Fran hesitated. She wasn't sure what to say. She quickly decided that honesty was the best policy. "Well, Maggie, I care for your father very much and really enjoy spending time with him. I really enjoy spending time with ALL of you."

"I think he cares for you a lot, too."

"And, are you okay with that?"

"Yes. It's really cool to see him happy again. It's been such a long time since I've seen him act that way."

"You probably remember things a lot better than the other children since you were older when your mom died, huh?"

"Yah. It was a pretty rough time. Brighton and I were really sad and poor Grace didn't know what was going on. Luckily Niles was there to help us through it, 'cause Dad wasn't much help back then."

Fran laid a hand gently on Maggie's hand. "He was just so lost after your Mom died that he didn't know what to do honey. I know he feels really badly about not being there as much for you kids."

"Oh, I don't blame him. I mean, back then I was mad. But now that I'm older, I realize he did the best he could."

"Maggie, I'm impressed. Smart and beautiful, a lethal combination for the male species, my dear."

They both laughed.

"Okay, Maggie, we've got to get going. I told your father we'd meet him and the other kids at the movie theater at 3:00. Let's go!"

Fran quickly paid the check and they headed off to meet the rest of the family.

Snowed In

The first two weeks of February flew by. Fran finished the design of Maggie's room. Then she met with both Maxwell and Maggie to review the design and get final approval. After that, Fran got to work ordering supplies, and she and Maggie picked out colors and fabrics. Maxwell was busy at the theater. His current play was in its third month and doing fairly well. Scheduled to end in May, there were still things to be done and new projects to review before selecting his next project.

Valentine's Day dawned cold, grey and cloudy. Drinking her hot tea and looking out the window, Fran sighed. It looked like the weatherman's prediction of heavy snow for the day might actually turn out to be correct. She shivered and headed upstairs to shower and dress. She was spending the day at the spa, using the gift certificate Maxwell had given her for Christmas. Her first appointment was at 9:00, so she needed to hurry or she'd be late. She quickly scanned her reservation letter from the spa. Hot stone massage, aromatherapy bath, pedicure, manicure, facial and haircut/style. Now if this doesn't perk up my mood, nothing will!

Later that day, Fran returned home to find Sean and Val busy in the studio, arguing about designs.

"Welcome home, pampered boss lady."

"Thanks, Sean. Hi, Val."

"Hi, Fran. Gosh, you look great. Was the spa as incredible as it sounded?"

"It was heavenly." She quickly checked her watch. "I've got about an hour before I need to start getting ready for my dinner with Max. Why don't we go into the conference room and you two can update me on your projects?"

"That would be great, Fran. If we could SEE the conference room right now."

"What do you mean, Sean? I cleaned it up yesterday." He just smiled at her and motioned for her to go ahead of him and Val.

Fran walked into a room full of flowers. Roses to be exact. Sitting on the conference table were five-dozen roses, all laid out in gorgeous one-dozen arrangements.

"Oh my," she exclaimed.

They were beautiful. Each arrangement was a different color. White, yellow, purple, pink and red - it looked like a rainbow had been laid out on her conference room table.

"The card's on the red one," Val offered.

Fran picked up the tiny white envelope and opened it.

Fran,

One arrangement for every month I've known you. Thank you for bringing the color back into my life.

Until tonight,

Maxwell

As if on cue, her cell phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh, Max, they're gorgeous. Thank you."

"I take it the flowers arrived?"

"They did. I just got back from the spa and they were here to greet me when I got home."

"So how was your day? Are you relaxed and rejuvenated?"

"I feel wonderful. How was your day?"

"A bit busy. I'm just now leaving the theater and heading home. I want to spend some time with the children before our dinner this evening."

"I just hope we don't get the snow the weatherman's been predicting. I heard on the way home that we could get as much as eight to ten inches!"

"Oh, Fran, those weathermen are never right. We'll be fine! I'll be by at 6:30 to pick you up."

"See you then." She hung up with Max and turned to Sean and Val. "Okay, you two, let's go through a quick project update and then you can head out early for the day. If the snow they're predicting does hit, I want you all safely at home before it starts."

Three hours later, Fran stood in front of her mirror, anxiously finishing her final touches before Maxwell arrived. For their romantic evening, she'd chosen a dark plum, satin dress. Strapless and floor length, it fit her body snugly. Her skin glowed from all the extra pampering she'd received at the spa that day and she'd even brushed on a light shimmering powder to her shoulders and neck for just a hint of sparkle. She had debated at great length about how to wear her hair, but had finally chosen to leave it down. She felt sexier this way. Hearing the doorbell, she grabbed her purse and her coat and headed downstairs to meet Maxwell.

"Fran, you look stunning, as usual." You are one lucky man, Maxwell Sheffield, one lucky man.

"Thanks, Max. You look very handsome." How about drop dead gorgeous, the sexiest man I've ever seen, wow?

On the way over to the restaurant, a light snow began to fall. By the time they got to the restaurant, it had picked up considerably. They hurried inside, grateful to be in where it was warm.

They had a wonderful dinner and spent the evening enjoying each other's company. When the band took the stage, they were among the first couples out on the dance floor.

Maxwell marveled at how incredible Fran felt in his arms. It was as if their bodies were made to fit together. Holding her close to him, he realized how strong she made him feel. He felt like he could take on the entire world knowing she was there to support him. It was an amazing feeling.

Fran rested her head on Maxwell's chest. She felt so safe and protected in his arms. It never ceased to amaze her how comfortable she felt with him. It was like they were soul mates that had spent a long time searching for each other. Now that they'd found each other, nothing could separate them.

They spent the first few songs in each other's arms, simply enjoying holding each other.

On the way back to the table, Maxwell said, "Having a good time?"

"The best! But, you know, I think I'd rather go home and spend the rest of the evening with you, alone, in front of a fireplace. How does that sound?"

"Dangerous and irresistible. I'll get the check."

They paid for their meal and had the valet pull the car around. This was no small feat considering in the short two or three hours they'd spent in the restaurant, nearly four inches of snow had fallen.

"Maxwell, look at it! And, it's showing no signs of stopping, either. Are we going to be able to make it home?"

"Well, it's going to be an interesting ride, that's for sure. I'm just glad I've got front wheel drive."

The drive back to Fran's took twice as long as normal. Both of them were white-knuckled and tense by the time they got there. Instead of pulling up to the curb gently like he normally did, Maxwell ended up sliding into a parking spot directly in front of Fran's place, bouncing off the curb as he did so.

"Oh, thank God we made it."

"Amen to that. We barely made it here. I'm going to have one hell of a time getting home later tonight."

Fran looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you nuts, Maxwell Sheffield? There's NO way you're driving any more in this stuff. Niles is home with the kids, they're safe. You're just going to have to stay at my place tonight."

He looked at her, eyebrows raised, and said, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'll behave myself if you will." Seeing that he still looked concerned, she went on. "Listen, Max, I don't want you trying to drive home in this stuff. I'm not trying to get you into my bed; I'm worried about your safety. What? What's so funny?"

He had started laughing during the middle of her sentence. "I'm sorry. I just found it funny that you had to assure me you didn't want to take advantage of me."

"Oh, you did, did you? Well fine. Here I am, concerned about your well being and you're laughing at me. Rest assured, Max, you'll be very safe sleeping at my house tonight."

"Come on, Fran, let's worry about how we're going to get inside your house first before we deal with what we're going to do once we're in there."

Maxwell had a point. By now there was five plus inches of snow on the ground. It was now or never. Maxwell pushed himself out of his car, forced his way over to Fran's side and heaved her door open. Reaching down, he lifted her into his arms and stood up, sliding in the snow as he did so. Fran squealed and held on tightly to his neck.

"Fran, honey, loosen your grip a bit, I still have to breathe you know."

"Whoops, sorry."

He kicked the door shut with his foot and slowly made the trek to her front door. Both of them were exhausted by the time they reached the inside foyer.

Fran breathed a sigh of relief when Maxwell sat her back on her feet.

"Well, that's one way for a girl to get carried over the threshold. I gotta admit, I think the traditional way sounds a lot better."

Maxwell was watching the snow fall outside the window. "You know, I think it might be slowing down some."

Fran peered over his shoulder and snorted. "Yah, sure it is. Give it up, Maxwell. You're stuck with me tonight."

He frowned and nodded slightly.

"Well, you don't have to look that unhappy about it." She headed upstairs, not giving him a second look. Oy, it's like he's just been sentenced to hard labor or something. Does he really not want to stay with me?

Maxwell followed Fran upstairs. He knew his less than thrilled reaction to her invitation of a sleepover had hurt her feelings. How do I tell her that what's got me worried is that I'm not sure I can stay in the same house with her overnight and expect to just sleep?

They hung their coats up in silence.

"Shall I make a fire?" There, that's a safe topic of conversation.

"Sure, but why don't you make one upstairs in my room?"

"Your room?"

"Listen, Max, you can either sleep on the full-length sofa in my room next to the fire, or you can sleep in the guest room down here. Either place is fine with me. I'd just prefer to have the fire in the room where I'm sleeping, okay?"

Her tone of voice and the look on her face left no room for argument. "Okay. Let me call Niles first and tell him what's going on. I don't want him or the children to worry."

He took out his phone and called the house. "Niles? Hello... Yes, I'm at Miss Fine's... Yes, I'm stuck here. Are you and the kids okay?...Okay, well I'm sure the road crews will be out as soon as it slows down and stops. I'll call in the morning before I leave...What?...You did?...What, are you psychic?...Just well prepared is right, I suppose. Okay, let me say goodnight to the children."

A few minutes later, he hung up. Turning around, he found he was alone in the room. She must have headed upstairs to change.

He hollered up to her, "Fran, I need to get something out of the car. I'll be right back."

"Okay, but if you're not back in ten minutes, I'm sending a St. Bernard after you."

Maxwell headed downstairs. Niles told him on the phone that he had thrown an overnight bag in the trunk of the car, just in case the snow hit as hard as the weatherman had predicted. Maxwell wasn't sure if Niles was just well prepared or, what was the word Fran used, oh yes, a Yenta.

By the time Maxwell was back upstairs, Fran was in the kitchen. "Well, don't you look cute?"

"I tried to find the least sexy set of pajamas I own. I wouldn't want to be accused of trying to seduce you." She had chosen to wear a pair of black yoga pants and a large white sweatshirt. She'd tied her hair back in a loose ponytail with a white ribbon and had even washed her make-up off.

Maxwell sat his bag down, strode over to her, put an arm around her waist and kissed the tip of her nose. Resting his forehead against hers, he said, "Your clothes and your make-up aren't what make you desirable."

"Oh really? Then what does?"

He thought for a moment or two and responded, "Your heart, your head and your spirit. That's what turns me on."

She laughed. "Oh come on, do you mean to tell me that when I wear a short skirt instead of a long skirt that you don't notice? Or that I don't see the way you look me up and down when I wear a dress like I had on tonight?"

"I didn't say that. Of course I notice. I'm only human and you're an incredibly beautiful woman. But you have to have more than just a physical reaction for a relationship to mean anything."

Eyeing him hungrily, she said, "If you keep saying things like that, I'm going to forget my promise to keep my hands off you this evening."

"And, if you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to let you break your promise." His look was no less intense than hers.

"Enough already! Go upstairs and change. While you're up there, do something useful and light a fire, will you? In a fireplace this time instead of in me." Laughing, she shoved him out of the kitchen.

Oh Frannie girl, you have got to get a grip on yourself. The poor man is scared to death to be alone with you and you're flirting with him. She couldn't help it. All he had to do was be in the room and her nerve endings went into overdrive. It wasn't just his looks, it was his mannerisms, his voice, everything about him. And now they were stuck in the same house for the entire night. How in the hell were they going to handle this one? She was more than ready to take things further with their relationship, but she knew he wasn't ready. Well, she thought she knew he wasn't ready. In reality, he was sending her such mixed signals, she wasn't sure what she really knew anymore.

Fran soon joined Maxwell upstairs in her room. A picture of relaxation, he was stretched out on the couch, his gaze lost in the dancing flames of the fire. He wore a black pair of jogging pants and a charcoal grey t-shirt. She'd never seen him in clothes this casual before. It was a good look. A very good look.

"Hot cider, anyone?"

"Sounds delicious."

"Well, budge up and make a space and I'll join ya." He sat up and patted the cushion next to him. She handed him a steaming mug of cider and sat next to him, drawing her feet underneath her for warmth.

"Isn't it wonderful to have a fireplace in your bedroom? I've got one in mine and I love it."

"I'd be lost without mine. I'm the kind of person who's always cold, so it was a requirement for me when I was looking for a place."

Maxwell took a long, slow drink of his cider and said, "Fran, this isn't just cider, is it?"

"Well, it does have a special, secret ingredient."

"And what would that be?"

"Schnapps."

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

She laughed. "Actually, no, I'm not. I just figured we could use a little help in the relaxation department since we're both a little nervous right now."

"Nervous? Who's nervous?"

"Come on, Max. We're snuggled together on this couch in our pajamas wondering how we're gonna keep our hands off each other."

"Good lord, are we that pathetic?"

"Honey, we're not pathetic. We're two human beings who've got the hots for each other!"

He took her free hand in his, stroking her palm with his thumb. "So, what do we do about it?"

"Tonight? Not a damn thing."

He tried not to sound disappointed. "Not a thing, eh?"

She tried to keep her resolve intact. He sounds disappointed. Does he want to? 'Cause I know I want to. Maybe he wants to and is waiting for me to give him the signal? Oy, what's a girl to do?

"Nope, we better be good. As much as we both would love to act on all these yummy feelings we've got going on inside right now, we'd probably both regret it tomorrow."

"Yummy, Fran?"

"You got a better word, Max?"

He thought for a moment before responding. "Actually, no. "Yummy" sums it up. So tell me, Fran, how did you get to be so wise?"

"Wise? This girl from Flushing? Nah. Must be the company I've been keeping lately."

"Don't sell yourself short, Fran."

They sat in silence as they sipped their cider, lost in their thoughts and mesmerized by the flickering light of the fire. Soon, they both began to yawn.

"Fran, I think your cider is catching up with me. How much Schnapps did you put in here?"

"Well, they are really big mugs and we were both really tense. So add it up and you get A LOT! But, it's also past midnight. I don't know about you, but it's past my bedtime."

They sat their empty mugs on the table and Fran stood up. "So, you sleeping up here or in the cold guest room downstairs?"

"Up here, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. You want a blanket and pillow for the couch, or are you going to brave the bed?"

"The bed? You mean your bed? With you in it?"

She pulled him up so he was standing up with her. "Yes, Max. That's what I mean. We're two grown adults who are tired and sleepy. Don't you think we can behave for just one night?"

He looked into her eyes and in an instant knew there was no way he was going to sleep on the damn couch. For God's sake man, get a grip. It's just a bed and you're just going to sleep. Get over it already! "I'll behave if you will."

"Deal."

Fran took their mugs down to the kitchen while Max checked the fire to make sure it was well contained within the fireplace. They turned down the covers and climbed into bed, sighing as they did so.

"Thank you, Fran. Your couch is comfortable, but this is a lot better."

"No problem, Max. Got enough pillows and blankets?"

"Yes, thank you."

She reached up to turn off the bedside lamp. "Need anything else?"

"Just one thing."

"What's that?"

He reached over in the dark and pulled her into him so they were spooned together. "It's a cold night. We should conserve our energy and share body warmth."

"Max, you're not behaving!"

His breath was warm on her neck as he nuzzled her ear. "Fran, I promise I'll be good. I just want to hold you while we sleep, okay?"

"Fine by me, Max."

A few minutes later and they'd fallen asleep, comfortably nestled in each other's arms.

Dating & Decorating

February blended into March. Fran and Max survived their night together. Actually, both of them remarked how they hadn't slept that well in years. Both were still busy with work, but saved Sunday afternoons for each other and the children. They even worked out one night a week as "date night." Dinners, movies, theater events, spending the evening at Fran's home; whatever they ended up doing, they were at least spending time together. It became harder and harder to say goodbye at the end of the evening.

Maxwell, what are you going to do? He was headed home, late one night, after another wonderful evening with Fran. It had taken everything he had to leave her this time. They'd spent almost an hour just saying goodbye. Of course there hadn't been a lot of talking, but that was beside the point. What are you so worried about? Why don't you just stay? Why do you have to leave? You know you want her. You know she wants you. What's the big deal? Maxwell thought the voice in his head needed to take a vacation. The big deal is that I can't commit to her. What if we gave in to our urges and it didn't work out? Then where would we be? It just makes things so complicated. He almost thought he heard the voice laugh at him. Complicated? Chap, things are already complicated. You think it's going to be easy to just walk away from her now, even though you haven't slept with her yet?

With a shock, Maxwell realized the voice was right. He was already in too deep. There would be no way he could end things with Fran and walk away easily. Even just thinking about it caused his heart to ache.

He was still trying to come to terms with this sobering realization when he arrived home. He walked into the kitchen and was surprised to find Niles awake.

"Oh, good evening, sir."

"Good evening, Niles. You're up late."

"Well, I was asleep, but had an odd dream. It woke me up. Then, I realized I was hungry. So, I headed downstairs for, oh what would Miss Fine call it... a nosh."

Maxwell sat down next to Niles and grabbed a plate. "Well, it looks good. Pass me the fried chicken."

Niles raised his eyebrows. "Hungry, sir? I thought you and Miss Fine went to dinner tonight?"

"We did. But that was hours ago. Pass me the rolls."

Niles smiled to himself. He had a feeling his boss wasn't hungry. At least not for food, that was. It amazed him that Mr. Sheffield and Miss Fine hadn't acted on their feelings for each other. He had assumed the night of the snowstorm had simply been divine intervention to give these two a little shove in the right direction. He was surprised to find out that mother nature's little shove wasn't hard enough. Oh, Mr. Sheffield had never discussed the details of that night. He was too much of a gentleman to do that. Still, Niles was certain things with their relationship hadn't progressed to that level yet. They were comfortable with each other and affectionate with each other around others, but their actions still didn't have that intimacy to it that was so characteristic of people who are sleeping together. He decided to do a little shoving of his own. Hey, if Mother Nature can do it, so can I!

"So, did you and Miss Fine have a nice evening?"

"Yes."

Okay, so he's not feeling chatty. Let's press a little harder. "I must admit, she's been a breath of fresh air around this place, don't you think?"

"Are you implying I'm stale?"

"Oh, not at all, sir. It's just that she's so lively and energetic. The children adore her."

"Sounds like you do too." Maxwell moved on to the fruit and cheese tray.

"Well, she's been very kind to me. Treats me as an equal, almost as if I was one of her close friends. It's a nice feeling." Get the hint boss man. I've got feelings too, you know.

"I think she does consider you a close friend, Niles. I'm sure there's no acting involved on her part."

"I hope so, sir. So what do you think?"

"About what, Niles?"

He's not going to give an inch on this, is he? "About Miss Fine?"

"She's fine."

"Fine, sir? Just fine?"

Maxwell finally looked Niles directly in the eye. "All right, Niles. What's this all about? Why all the questions?"

Time to backpedal a little bit. Don't reel him in quite that hard yet. "Oh, nothing, sir. It just seems like the two of you are spending a lot of time together. You seem to care for her as she does you. I'm glad to see you happy again, sir. You deserve a little happiness."

"Well, Niles, I am happy. Thank you."

"Sir, if I may be so bold...If you're so happy, why do you look so depressed?"

"What? Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking too much as usual."

"Are you worried about your relationship with Miss Fine?"

How is it he can always know what I'm thinking and get me to talk about it? "Worried? No, not really. I mean, maybe. Oh hell, I don't know what I mean."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"I'm sure you will, whether or not I give you permission."

"Oh, that hurts, sir."

Maxwell sighed, "Just go ahead, Niles."

"Well, sir, if you were a little worried, I could certainly understand it. Miss Fine is the first person, the first woman you've allowed yourself to get close to since Mrs. Sheffield died."

"Niles..."

"Please, sir, let me finish." Niles took a deep breath and went on. "That's a big step. Not something you would want to rush into or anything. And, heaven forbid, if something didn't work out, I'm sure you'd worry about how it would affect the children."

Maxwell looked at Niles in shock. How in the hell does he DO that?

"But, looking at this from an outsider's perspective..."

"Niles, you are certainly no outsider."

"I appreciate that, sir. I meant from someone else's perspective besides you or Miss Fine's. You've known her for over five months now. The two of you have spent a lot of time together during those five months. I would guess you've shared a lot with each other and gotten to know each other pretty well. She's formed an amazing bond with your children."

"What's your point, Niles?"

For an intelligent man, I still have to spell things out for him. "My point is, maybe you don't have anything to worry about. Maybe fate has brought you two together for a reason. She's a smart, beautiful, independent and loving woman who obviously cares a great deal about you and your children. Maybe it's time to quit questioning it and just accept it for the wonderful gift it really is."

Maxwell stared at Niles for several long minutes. Thinking he'd probably gone too far, Niles stood up, patted Mr. Sheffield on the shoulder and said, as he headed up the stairs, "Or, you could forgive a friend's late night rambling and chalk it up to lack of sleep and hunger."

Maxwell didn't answer him. It was a long time before he headed up to bed.

The next day, Fran called Maxwell to let him know the furniture, paint and supplies for Maggie's room had come in. They made plans for Fran to start work on the room the following week.

"It's probably going to take me a few days to get things arranged. Can she sleep in Gracie's room until I'm done?"

"Either that, or we have a guest room she can use until things are finished."

"Is there a way we can lock the room until it's done? I don't want her to see it until it's all finished."

"I'm sure we can arrange that. This is perfect timing, you know. Her birthday is at the end of next week."

"I know. Maybe we can do the unveiling on her birthday if that's okay?"

"Sounds great!"

"Okay, well let's plan on me getting started next Monday. That will give me plenty of time to get things finished by her birthday."

"Why don't you come by at 9:00. The children will have left for school by that time and you can get everything up to her room without them seeing it."

"Can you have her room cleared out by then?"

"No problem. We'll do that Sunday night. She can sleep in the guest room that night too."

"Perfect. Would you still like to get together Sunday afternoon? Sounds like you and Niles are going to have a busy evening Sunday night."

"Nonsense. We'll be fine. If it's still okay with you, we'll be at your place by 1:00 on Sunday."

"Looking forward to it, Max."

"Me too, Fran. Me too."

Fran arrived at the Sheffield home on Monday morning with a loaded car and a small delivery van, driven by Sean. They made quick business of unloading the furniture and supplies and getting them up to Maggie's room. Maxwell had jumped in to help carry the furniture. Fran had tried waving him off, insisting she did this kind of thing all the time, but he wouldn't hear of it. Once everything was unloaded, Sean left, needing to get back to the Fine Designs studio to help Val with a project.

Fran spent that first day thoroughly cleaning and prepping the room and taping it off so she could paint. Maxwell was busy all morning with paperwork in his office. Niles brought a tray of sandwiches and drinks in at 12:30 and suggested he take them up to Miss Fine to see if she was ready for lunch.

Balancing the lunch tray carefully on one hand, Maxwell knocked on Maggie's door lightly.

"Who is it?"

"It's me. I've got food. Can I come in?"

"Are you kidding? That would be a big YES!"

Maxwell walked into the room and nearly dropped the tray of food. "Wow, this room looks a lot different without anything in it!"

Large sheets covered the carpet. The walls were bare and there were no drapes on the windows. The new furniture was stacked directly in front of the closet doors, so it would be out of the way when it was time to paint.

"So, I take it, we'll be having an indoors picnic today?"

Fran looked around at the lack of seating and laughed. "Yep, unless you want to carry this stuff all the way back downstairs."

He knelt down and sat the tray in the middle of the room, then settled himself beside it. "No, this will be perfect. You can tell me again what everything is going to look like when you're done."

They tucked into their food and Fran began to lay out her vision for Maggie's room. Maxwell was impressed by her creativeness and eagerness for the project.

"You really care a lot about this project, don't you?"

"Of course I do! I love Maggie to pieces. I want her to be thrilled with her room when it's done."

Maxwell saw the radiant look on Fran's face and literally felt his heart melt. He leaned in to kiss her gently. "Fran, your plans are incredible. Margaret will love it."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You know, I can't believe you're doing this whole project by yourself. Moving the furniture, cleaning the room, taping the walls, painting. Why not have Sean or Val do some of the work?

"Are you kidding? No way! This is my gift to Maggie. Well, actually it's your gift, you're paying for it. But, I wanted to do all the work myself. I owe Maggie that and I really wanted to do that for her. It's so much more personal if I do the work, don't you think?"

"If I haven't told you lately, you're amazing, Fran."

She stood up, brushing the crumbs off and said, "Well, you haven't told me today, so I'd say you're due."

He stood up as well and hugged her. "Fran, it means a lot to me that you're putting in such a personal effort for Margaret's gift. YOU mean a lot to me."

She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "You're welcome, Max. You mean a lot to me too."

They held each other for a few moments and then both reluctantly ended the embrace. There was a lot of work to get done before the weekend.

Fran spent the next three days locked in Maggie's room working hard to get everything done. Maxwell arranged his work schedule so he could be home at lunchtime every day just so he could spend time with her. They ate in the kitchen the rest of the week as Fran had decided the finalized room should be a surprise for everyone.

Soon it was Maggie's birthday and time for the grand unveiling. Maggie's reaction to the room was enthusiastic to say the least. After the squealing and jumping up and down had subsided, Maggie turned to Fran and hugged her.

"Fran, it's awesome! It's the most perfect, wonderful, amazing room I could have ever imagined!"

"Gee, Maggie, tell us how you really feel."

"Oh, shut up, Brighton! You're just jealous!"

Fran put an intervening hand between the two of them before things got ugly. "Seriously, Maggie, you really like it?"

"I love it! It's the coolest thing ever. Just wait until all my friends see it!"

Fran gave her a hug and stepped back, allowing Maggie to wander around her room, discovering all the special touches she'd included. There were the framed prints of the New York, London and Paris skylines. There was the large steamer trunk at the foot of the bed, covered in postcards from famous sites around the world. One of Fran's favorite things was the alarm clock. It had three faces, all in a row. One showed New York time, one showed London time and one showed Paris time.

Then, of course, there was the elaborate painting technique on the walls, the draperies Fran had sewn and the pillows she'd handmade for Maggie's new chaise lounge. Fran had poured her heart and soul into this room and it showed. The fact that Maggie loved it so much was such a joyous relief to Fran, she felt a tear run down her cheek. A strong arm slid around her waist and she looked up.

"Are you okay?" Maxwell raised a hand to her cheek, brushing away the tear gently.

"I'm just so glad she likes it." Another tear slid down her cheek. This one, he leaned down and kissed away quickly. "It's wonderful and she loves it. Now, will you quit crying? I can't stand it when you cry."

She smiled and nodded at him. "I'll try."

When everyone was done making a fuss over Maggie's new room, they all headed downstairs for cake and ice cream.

The Offer

April brought sunny days and warmer winds. As Fran sat hunched over her drawing board, she was jarred from her concentration by the phone ringing.

"Fine Designs, Fran Fine speaking."

"Hey, Fran, it's Paul."

"Paul! Oh, it's so good to hear your voice! It's been a while."

"Well, since CC's auction, at least. Say, has your boyfriend forgiven me yet?"

"Probably not, Paul. That was an expensive little trick you played on him."

"Oh, he's got money and it was for a good cause."

"Wow, that's exactly what he said."

"So, I take it he's still hanging around?"

"Yah, I haven't chased him off yet."

"Good girl! Listen, Fran, the reason I called is that I've got a proposition for you."

"Well, that sounds interesting."

"A business proposition, Fran."

"Now you've really peaked my interest. What do you have?"

"How about I take you to lunch sometime this week and I'll tell you all about it?"

"Sure! Let me check my calendar real quick. How does Thursday sound?"

"That will be perfect. I'll pick you up at 1:00."

"Great! See you then."

On Thursday, Paul took Fran to the Sea Grill, overlooking Rockefeller Center.

"So, Paul, tell me about this proposition."

He laughed. "Fran, we just sat down, let's order before we get down to business, okay?"

Fran ordered the sea scallops with truffled mashed potatoes. Paul ordered the North Atlantic cod with couscous. "There, we've ordered. Now, will you tell me?"

"Okay, okay. Anyone ever tell you you're pushy?"

"All the time. Quit stalling."

"I've decided to expand my investment business."

"That's great, Paul! Business must be good!"

"Oh, it's very good. So good, that I'm expanding overseas."

"Wow! Where?"

"London."

"How exciting! So, when does all this take place?"

"Well, I purchased the property in December. I have all the permits worked out. Structurally, it's in great shape, it's a fairly new building. It just needs some design help. That's where you come in."

"Me? What exactly do you mean by design help?"

"I want you to handle the redesign of my new office building in London."

"What? You've got to be kidding, right?"

Paul fixed her with a direct stare, leaned in and took her by the hand. "No, Fran, I'm not kidding. I'm serious. I want you for the job."

Across the crowded restaurant, Maxwell and CC were having lunch. Maxwell had seen Fran and Paul arrive, but had been on his cell phone with an investor when they came in. He had been seconds away from excusing himself from CC to go over to their table, when he saw Paul lean towards Fran and take her hand. Whatever they were discussing, it looked serious.

He tried to push aside the quick flare of jealousy that flamed suddenly in his chest. HE had called Fran this morning to ask her to go to lunch. She had declined, saying she had a business lunch meeting. She conveniently forgot to tell me with who, though.

"Maxwell...Maxwell, are you listening to me at all?"

"What? Oh, sorry, CC. I got distracted for a moment. What were you saying?"

CC followed Maxwell's gaze and saw what held his attention. "Say, isn't that Fran and the guy from the auction?"

"Yes, it is. Paul Steinberg's his name, I think."

"Well, aren't you going to go over and say hello?"

"No. They appear to be having a rather heart-to-heart chat. Let's just get back to business, shall we?"

CC heard the barely disguised sarcasm in his voice and knew now was not the time to argue. She chanced a quick look at Fran's table. Paul was leaning in close to Fran, and appeared to be trying to convince her of something. Fran was shaking her head at him. Oh, Fran, please look over and notice we're here.

"CC, are we going to discuss business or not?"

She jumped, startled, and then recovered quickly. "Of course, Maxwell. Here's what I was thinking for that investor's party."

"Paul, there's no way. My business is based in New York. What you're talking about is a job that will take at least three months."

"Probably closer to four."

She looked at him incredulously. "And you expect me to leave my business, pack up and move to London for four months?"

"I do. Trust me, you'll be well compensated for your efforts."

"Paul, I have no doubt your offer will be very generous and I'm extremely flattered you thought of me for a job of this scale, but..."

"But nothing, Fran. You're the best in the business. I wouldn't trust anyone else for this job."

'Paul, what am I supposed to do with the projects I have going right now?"

"You've got competent assistants. Let them run the show for a couple of months. And, I'll pay for your flights back to New York once a month. I'll also get things set up where you can do video conferencing as often as you need to."

"You're really serious, aren't you?" Fran sat back in her chair, in shock.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you for the last thirty minutes! Think of it, Fran, an entire office building, like a blank canvas, just waiting for your artistic fingers to touch it."

"Paul, you're not playing fair." She couldn't help but feel a tiny thrill of excitement run through her body at the thought of the creative challenge he was offering her. A few months ago and she wouldn't have hesitated for one second. Now? Well, things had changed in the last few months. An image of Maxwell flew through her mind, his olive green eyes searching her soul as they so often did.

"Fran? Fran? You okay?"

"What? Oh, I'm fine. You've just given me a lot to think about, that's all."

"So, does this mean you're at least considering my offer?"

Trying to ignore the guilt already taking up residence in her gut, she said, "Yes, I'm considering it."

Maxwell had prolonged his lunch with CC as long as he could. If they didn't leave soon, they were going to be late getting back to the theater. The problem was, they were going to have to walk right by Fran and Paul's table to get out of the restaurant.

He stole a glance over to their table. Their conversation seemed much less intense now. Paul seemed to be telling Fran a rather amusing story, as she was laughing quite enthusiastically.

He stood up, abruptly. "Come on, CC, we need to get back to the theater." He dropped several bills on the table, more than enough for the bill and the tip and strode purposefully over to Fran and Paul's table.

Paul saw him before Fran did. "Well look who's here."

"Hello, Paul. Nice to see you again."

"Same here, Maxwell. So do you have really good radar, or is this just a coincidence?"

Maxwell smiled at him, coldly. "Strictly coincidence, my good man."

Meanwhile, Fran had stood up, giving Maxwell a hug. He turned slightly as she did so and it ended up being a casual hug from the side instead of the more intimate one she had planned. "Max, I didn't know you were coming here for lunch!" She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Looking down at her and smiling, his arm hugging her in to his body a little closer, replied, "Great minds think alike, I guess." Why does she have to be the most intoxicating woman I've ever met? Why do I want to be mad, but can't because she just looked at me and smiled? I wonder if she really knows how much of an affect she has on me.

Fran was glad he'd warmed up a bit since first arriving at their table. She knew he wasn't too thrilled to find her having lunch with Paul. I don't get it. He's not ready to commit to me fully, but he sure as hell doesn't like it when I'm with another guy, now does he?

"Fran, I'm sorry we can't stay, but CC and I really need to get back to the theater. I just wanted to stop and say hello before we left."

"Oh, okay. Hi, CC, hope you guys had a good lunch."

CC tried to break the awkward tension. "Hey, anytime the boss buys, it's a good lunch."

Maxwell gave Fran a quick hug, saying, "I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye Max, bye CC."

She watched them leave, a feeling of regret mixed with guilt pooling in the pit of her stomach. Why do I just want to go after him, take him forcibly back to my place and convince him that he's being silly? I'll bet within 10 minutes I could have him convinced that he's the only one for me.

"I don't think your boyfriend was too happy to see us having lunch together."

"Nonsense. He's probably just worried about something with his play."

"Well, Fran, I'm sure you need to get back to the office. I'll just pay the check and we can leave."

"I need to know, Paul, how long do I have to make a decision on your offer?"

"Soon, Fran. I'd like to have you in London by no later than mid-May."

"Wow, you don't mess around, now do you?" She looked at him intently, "Paul, I consider you a close friend. You gave me my first chance and I'll never be able to repay you for that. Now you've given me another incredible chance. I hope you're not disappointed that I'm not jumping at it right away. It's just a big commitment and I want to make sure I give it the thought it deserves before I decide."

"Fran, listen. I know I'm asking a lot. Trust me, whatever you decide, it's not going to affect our friendship at all. And, I didn't offer this to you because we're friends. I offered it to you because you're the best, pure and simple."

They walked out of the restaurant together and headed to Paul's car.

"Tell you what, I'll drop you off at the office. Then, this afternoon I'll send a courier over with the plans and pictures of the space. Maybe that will help with your decision."

Thanks, Paul. I'm sure it will."

Later that evening, Fran was hunched over her desk, pouring over the plans Paul had sent. Instead of making her decision easier, they were making it worse. Fran had come back from lunch fully planning on calling Paul the next day to decline his offer. But then the courier had arrived and she dug into the material, searching for anything that would make it impossible for her to take on. There wasn't anything. Not a single, solitary thing to make her refuse the job. At least nothing work related that was. Val had finished the Crawley remodel and was helping Sean in the final stages of the restaurant remodel. Their calendars freed up starting May 1st. The pending new projects they had could easily be shifted to their workload. The interns from the NYC School of Interior Design were due to start in late April.

Fran rubbed her temples, trying to massage away the headache that had taken up residence. Looking over at the clock, she gasped. It was 7:00. She had been staring at this stuff for four solid hours. Shoving the paperwork away from her, she stood up. This is ridiculous. I can't even think straight with this stupid headache. What I need is a good, hot bath.

Walking out into the showroom, she was surprised to find Sean and Val still there. "Good Lord, guys. I thought you left hours ago. What are you still doing here?"

"Nice to see you too boss lady. We're taking inventory on the supplies that came in for the restaurant remodel. We start installation next week and I wanted to make sure everything was ready to go. Val volunteered to help me out."

"Fran, are you okay? Forgive me for saying this, but you look terrible!"

"Thanks Val. I look exactly how I feel. I'd offer to help you guys, but this headache is killing me. I'm going upstairs to take a hot bath. Just make sure and lock up when you leave, okay?"

"You bet, Fran."

Fran headed upstairs and didn't stop until she reached her bathroom on the top floor. She started the tap, waited for the water to warm up and then plugged the tub, watching the water swirl in the bottom. Then she lit the variety of candles she kept in the bathroom and turned off the overhead light. When there was a fair amount of water in the tub, she added her bath salts and sighed as the comforting aroma of lavender and vanilla flooded the bathroom. Making sure her bathrobe was nearby, she stripped off her clothes and threw them into the hamper in her closet. She pinned up her hair. Throwing her robe on, she went into her bedroom, turned on the stereo and found a light jazz station she was fond of. By the time she got back to the bathroom, the tub was full. She closed the bathroom door behind her and turned off the tap. Tossing her bathrobe onto a hook, she stepped into the tub and slid herself into the hot, steamy water. She leaned back, resting her head against the tub, sighing as she did so. She turned the jets on and prayed the water massage would get rid of her headache.

Fran wasn't sure how long she'd been in the tub when she woke up. In fact, she hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep. But, judging from the cool water and the levels of the candles, she guessed she'd been in the tub for a good thirty to forty-five minutes. She pulled herself out of the tub, grabbed a fluffy towel and began to dry off. Gratefully, her headache had reduced to a dull throb instead of the sharp, stabbing pain it had been earlier. She grabbed her robe and belted it, blowing out the candles as she did so. Opening the bathroom door, she headed into her bedroom and screamed.

"Well hello to you too."

"Max, God, you scared me. How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to start a fire, light a few candles and open a bottle of wine."

Fran glanced around her room. A fire was burning in the fireplace. The only light in the room was from the fire and the candles Maxwell had lit. He was sitting on her couch, his jacket, tie and shoes off, holding a glass of wine out to her.

"Wow, how did you know I needed this?"

"Well, when I got here, Sean and Val were just leaving. They let me in and told me about your headache. It sounded like you had a day about as good as I did, so I figured I'd go ahead and get a fire going and pour you a glass of wine."

She took the glass of wine and sat down next to him on the couch. "Well, thank you. I'm sorry you had to wait on me though. You should have said something when you got here. I would have gotten out of the tub sooner."

"I have a confession to make."

"Really? What?"

"I did peek into the bathroom when I got here. I announced myself first, but you didn't hear me. I think you were asleep, so I just let you rest."

"You peeked? And just what did you peek at, Mister?" She playfully poked him in his arm.

"Trust me, I couldn't see into the tub from the doorway. I thought about waking you up, but figured you could use your rest. If you hadn't woken up in the next ten minutes, I was going to come in and fetch you, don't worry."

"Wow, what a gentleman you are." She took a drink from her glass and sighed, leaning against him as she did so.

Trust me, the thoughts that have been going through my mind since I got here and found you naked in your tub are not at all gentlemanly. "That's me, a true gentleman through and through."

"So, was your day at the theater pretty rough?"

"Just the usual. Demanding stars, nosy investors, an unhappy CC yelling at everyone. I left with a major headache myself."

"Well then, let me see what I can do about that." She took their wine glasses and sat them on the end table. She pushed the coffee table out of the way and made Maxwell sit on the floor in front of her. Gently, she began to massage his neck and shoulders.

"Oh, Lord, that feels wonderful."

"I've been told I have incredible hands."

"Well, they were right, whoever they were." His head dropped forward, allowing her better access to his neck.

She marveled at how tight his muscles were. The man was tense all right. She had no doubt the headache he had was as bad as the one she had fought earlier. She focused all her energy and attention on the massage. Within twenty minutes, she felt the muscles start to release. She slid her fingers into his hair and began to lightly massage his head and temples.

"Fran, you're amazing. My headache is gone and I haven't felt this relaxed all week. Where did you learn to do that?"

"I dated a massage therapist once. He turned out to be a complete jerk, but he did give good neck massages." She leaned down and hugged him from behind, letting her fingers slide into his open shirt and trail across his chest. "All better?"

He leaned back into her, turning his head to brush her earlobe with a kiss. "Definitely all better. Now it's your turn."

"My turn?"

"Yep. Your turn." They traded places. Within seconds, she was moaning her approval at the magic his fingers were working on her sore neck.

"Mmmm, Max, that feels heavenly."

He tried to keep his mind on her neck. The problem was, it kept drifting to other parts of her body. Every time she leaned forward to give him better access, her robe slipped off her shoulder. Her skin was warm and soft from the bath and smelled of lavender and vanilla. The sounds she was making did nothing to help his focus. God, she feels incredible. I wonder what would happen if I just... He couldn't resist. Hypnotized by the sounds she was making, he leaned down and kissed her neck. Her sharp intake of breath drove him further along her shoulder, leaving a trail of kisses behind him.

What is he doing? Oh, who the hell cares, what he's doing. I can't think when he does that. I don't WANT to think when he does that. All I want to do is FEEL.

His hands slid from her shoulders and wrapped around her waist, pulling her up toward him until she was sitting sideways on his lap. He trailed a hand along her exposed leg from her ankle all the way up to her thigh, stopping just above her knee. Fran buried her face into his neck, kissing the warm saltiness she found there.

"Headache gone?" His voice was soft and low and the sexiest Fran had ever heard it.

"Definitely. How about yours?" Her tongue darted out to taste his earlobe.

"Long gone, thank you." His hand left her leg and returned to her neck, stroking the soft skin he found there.

Their lips found each other and locked into a sensual kiss. His hands were buried in her luxurious hair and she clung to his chest, their tongues waging a heated battle. Supporting her weight, he leaned her backwards until she was lying on the couch and he was above her. He slipped a leg between hers and nearly passed out when she wrapped her legs around his, clamping on tightly. Groaning into her mouth, he kissed her even more deeply, letting his full weight down upon her. This time, it was her turn to groan in pleasure.

Reluctantly, his mouth left hers. Drawing a shuddering breath, he said, "Fran, I want to, no I need to, please?"

She smiled at his politeness. "Max, don't take this wrong, but sometimes you are too damn polite." She brought his head down to hers for another searing kiss. This time, she took his hand and slid it into her robe. Acting upon instinct, he found the gentle swell of her breast and let its warm weight fill his hand. Pulling back from her, he said weakly, "Oh my God, Fran you have no idea what you're doing to me."

"Trust me, Max, if it's HALF of what you're doing to me, it's amazing."

He stared into her eyes, almost black in their deep desire for him. It was too much, the emotions running through his body were too much. He felt himself losing control and for once didn't want to fight it.

Then Fran did something that drove what little reserve he had right out the window. She slid her leg to one side so that both of his legs were pinned in-between hers. She ran her hands slowly down his back until they came to rest on his hips. Looking him directly in the eye, she purposefully pulled his hips into hers. He thrust against her instinctively and when she closed her eyes and arched against him felt like he would explode right then and there.

"Fran, honey, we've got to slow down."

"Why is that, Max?"

"Because if we don't, I'm going to take you right here on this couch."

"And the problem with that would be what, exactly?"

He didn't' get a chance to answer. What he was going to say was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Whoever that is, remind me to kill them the next time I see them."

The answer machine picked up. "Miss Fine, it's Niles. I 'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for Mr. Sheffield. He didn't answer his cell phone and I was taking a chance he might be there with you."

Fran looked at Maxwell and sighed, "You better get it. He sounds worried."

Reluctantly, Maxwell lifted himself off the couch and grabbed the phone. "Niles, what is it? And whatever it is, it better damn well be bloody important! What? What do you mean Maggie's not home yet? Wait, what day is it? It's Thursday, right? She's spending the night at her friend Marsha's. Didn't I tell you that when I left this morning? Anyway, there's a piece of paper on my desk that has Marsha's mother's name and phone number on it. Go get it and give me the number and I'll check to make sure she's there."

Fran struggled to sit upright on the couch, drawing her robe closed and tying it. When she heard Maxwell ask Niles to go get the number, she walked over to her nightstand and grabbed some paper and a pen and handed it to Maxwell. Seeing the frustrated look on his face and knowing exactly how he felt, she kissed the top of his head and patted his shoulder as she walked by.

"Yes, Niles, I'm still here. Yes, that's the name and number. I've got it now. I'll call you back in 10 minutes."

Realizing their romantic interlude was probably off for the evening, Fran headed to her closet for a pair of pajamas. By the time she came back, Maxwell was hanging up from talking to Maggie and was calling Niles back. He looked at her, saw she'd changed into her pajamas and frowned, but didn't say anything. His phone call with Niles was brief.

"So, is everything okay?"

"Well, everything with the children is okay. Me, I'm not so sure about."

She laughed. "Want a cold shower?"

He came to sit next to her on the couch. "Only if you come in there with me."

"Well that wouldn't solve your problem very well, now would it?"

"Actually, I think it would."

She saw the desire, still evident in his green eyes and felt her body respond. This man has such an effect on me. One look and I'm ready to pounce on him. How in the world could I leave him for four months? The reminder of what had given her a headache earlier came flooding into her brain and she frowned.

"Fran, what's wrong?"

"Max, I need to talk to you about something, but only if you promise to give me your honest opinion."

This sounded serious. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. Putting his arms around her and drawing her close to him, he said, "I promise. Now what's wrong?"

"Well, you know I went to lunch with Paul today."

"Yes." He did NOT like how this conversation was starting out.

"Well, he had a business offer for me and I'm not sure whether or not to take it."

Business offer? He breathed a silent sigh of relief. This wasn't going to be as bad as he thought. "What was the offer?"

"He's bought a new office building and wants me to do all the interior design work."

"Wow, that's a pretty big offer. Is that something you can handle with your other projects?"

"Actually, yes. Paul's project wouldn't start until mid-May. Sean and Val will be done with their projects in early May, so they can pick up the smaller jobs while I tackled Paul's project."

"Is his offer competitive?"

"Very."

"Is it a project that offers you a creative challenge?"

"Very much so, yes."

"So, what's the problem?"

Here we go. Oh, I don't want to tell him. I want to just tell Paul to find someone else. But, it would be such an incredible opportunity. "The problem is, the project is in London."

"London? That's one hell of a commute." The sinking feeling in his gut was back.

"That's just it, there wouldn't be any commute. If I take the job, I have to move to London for four months."

He didn't say anything. He just sat there, a flood of different emotions hitting him all at once. Surprise, fear, loneliness, jealousy, and the oddball in the group, pride. He was proud of her for being the best at what she did, but it was being overshadowed by his fear he would lose her if she took the project. Not to mention the jealousy he felt at the thought of Fran and Paul being alone together for four months. He knew she'd said there had been nothing between them, but working together closely for four months could change a lot of things.

"Max? Max, are you okay?" He's scaring me. He's so quiet. What's he thinking?

"I'm sorry, Fran. I'm just trying to absorb all this."

"I know. Now you know why I had a huge headache earlier. I think it's coming back, actually."

"So, do you know what you're going to do yet?"

"No."

"When do you have to tell him?"

"He wants me in London by mid-May. That's less than a month away."

"Well, that certainly doesn't leave you much time to get your affairs in order before you go."

"No, it doesn't. So, what do you think?"

"Fran, it doesn't really matter what I think. You're the one who would have to move to London for four months."

"Max, how can you say that? Of course it matters what you think. I'm not just leaving my business in New York for four months, I'd be leaving you and the kids too."

"Fran, listen, this is a good business opportunity. So far, you haven't told me one business reason that would make this a bad move. You can't let the kids and I influence your decision. That wouldn't be right." Wow, Max that was good, you might have actually convinced her with that line of crap.

"Wouldn't be right? Max, I don't understand. My moving to London, even if it's just for four months, is going to be an incredible strain on our relationship. I don't want to jeopardize what we have, just for some business deal."

I don't want that either. But I can't let her know that. If I tell her that, she won't go for sure and then she'll end up regretting it. "Fran, this isn't just some business deal. This is the biggest business deal of your career to date. It's an incredible opportunity, you have to consider that when you make your decision."

I can't believe he's encouraging me to go. It's like he doesn't care that I'm going to be gone for four months. "Are you telling me you want me to say yes to Paul's offer? That you aren't going to mind if I'm gone for four months?"

He sighed. "Fran, all I'm saying is that I think you need to weigh the pros and cons very carefully before you make your decision. You have to decide what's best for you and your business and then not feel guilty about your decision, no matter which way you decide to go."

Fran sat there, not knowing what to say. As afraid as she'd been to tell him about Paul's offer, she'd secretly hoped he would make a big scene about it. Beg her not to go, profess his undying love for her and plead with her to stay. She knew it was crazy, but deep down, in her heart of hearts, she'd prayed for that reaction. Well that's certainly not how it happened, now is it? He's practically pushing me out the door.

"Listen, Fran, it's getting late. You're exhausted and not feeling well and I've got a big day at the theater tomorrow. Why don't we call it a night?"

"If that's what you want."

She sounds disappointed. Well, what does she expect from me? She's just told me she may be leaving for four months. Am I supposed to be excited about this? "It's not necessarily what I want, Fran, but I think we both need to get some sleep and think some things through, don't you?"

The cold realization the events of the day may have very well been the beginning of their end hit Fran in the gut. Fighting back tears, she replied, "Yes, I guess we do."

She walked him downstairs and to the front door. He pulled her into a hug before he left. Fran said quietly into his chest, "For such a nice start to an evening, things have certainly seemed to go downhill, huh?"

He tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. He saw the unshed tears in her eyes and she saw the sadness and regret in his. It was as if they both knew that in one day, their relationship had changed forever.

He kissed her gently, not wanting to let her go. Pulling back from her, he said, "Fran, try to get some sleep tonight. I'll come by after work tomorrow and we'll discuss this then. Maybe after a night's sleep we'll see things a little more clearly, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed, but she wasn't convinced.

She stood in the doorway, long after his car had pulled away from the curb, the tears blurring her vision.

The Decision

The following day dawned grey and rainy. It matched Fran's mood perfectly. She didn't think she'd spent a longer night in her life. She'd finally given up on getting any sleep around 2am. The only thing she had done was cry. Cry, pace the floor and think. About Maxwell, the children, London, Maxwell, the children, London. It was like some stupid merry go round in her head.

She lost count of the times she had reached for the phone, determined to call Maxwell. But, what was she supposed to say to him? I love you. Ask me not to go and I won't go.

She did love him. She wasn't sure of the exact moment when it had happened, but the truth was, she was in love with Maxwell Sheffield.

The other truth was, she wanted to take the job. It would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Had Maxwell told her last night he loved her and that he and the children would be lost without her for four months, she wouldn't have hesitated to call Paul and tell him to find someone else.

But, that hadn't happened. Maxwell had not declared his love for her. In fact, he'd almost seemed to suggest she should take the job.

By 3 am, she'd cried all the tears she had in her body. Achy and weary, she had taken a long, hot shower and gotten dressed. Even then she knew sleep would elude her if she lay down. So, she had spent the early morning hours puttering around her house. Cleaning, straightening, drinking hot tea. Finally, by 7am, she headed downstairs to her office. Sean and Val would be arriving soon. Maybe she could get a call in to Paul before they arrived.

Maxwell stood in his shower and let the hot water pound against his back. He had a splitting headache and felt like his eyes were full of sand. If he was a betting man, he was willing to bet a sizable sum of money that he hadn't gotten any sleep last night. After aimlessly shuffling through the stack of paperwork on his desk for three hours, he had finally headed up to bed around midnight. Unfortunately, as tired as he was, he couldn't relax enough to sleep.

Between his heated session with Fran on the couch and their emotional conversation afterwards, he was so tightly wound up, he felt like if he let go he would spin out of control. Taunting images kept floating through his mind. Fran in her robe. Fran half out of her robe. Fran's tear-filled eyes when he had left.

He'd lost count of the times he'd reached for the phone in the night, determined to call her and tell her...tell her...

What? What would you have told her? Not to go? Give up the greatest business opportunity of her career just so she could stay here and keep you and the kids company?

He couldn't do it. As much as he would miss her, as much as he cared for her, as much as he didn't want her to go, he knew he couldn't be the one to deny her this opportunity. As much as it would hurt to do, he had to call her this morning and talk to her before she made her final decision. What about the children? What's this going to do to them? He shoved the voice aside. They would just have to help the children through it, that's all. It wasn't like Fran was going to be gone forever. Yes, but four months is a long time.

Maxwell sighed and turned the shower off. It was going to be a long day.

He called her on his way to work.

"Fran, hello, it's Maxwell."

"Hi, Max." He sounds really tired. I wonder if he had a rough night too.

She sounds really tired. "Did you get any sleep last night? Is your headache better?"

"No and no. But, it's a new day, let's hope this one goes better. How about you?"

"I'm doing okay. Listen, Fran, about last night..."

"Max, it's okay. I wasn't too smart, just springing the news on you like that. I should have given it some more thought first."

"No, I'm glad you told me right away." I don't want to ask her. Things seemed so clear in the shower this morning. Now, hearing her voice, they got fuzzy again. "So, are you still considering your options or have you made your decision?"

"I've made my decision. I called Paul this morning and told him I'd take the job." She held her breath and waited. What she was waiting for, she wasn't really sure.

Her words hit his stomach like a ton of bricks. His brain scrambled furiously, trying to think of what to say. He had prepared himself all night for this, why couldn't he find the words now, when he really needed them? "I'm sure he was pleased to hear your decision."

"He was. How about you? Are you okay with this?"

No, I'm not bloody okay with this. I'm don't want you to go! Trying to find his best diplomatic voice, he said, "I told you last night this was your decision."

Fran's temper flared. She was tired and emotionally drained. "Thanks for the news flash on that one. I know it's my decision. I guess I was just curious to know whether or not you gave a damn!" She slammed the phone down, furious at his lack of emotion. I know he has trouble expressing himself emotionally, but this is ridiculous.

Maxwell stared at the phone in his hand. Luckily, for traffic around him, they were stopped at a stoplight. She had hung up on him. Correction, she'd yelled at him and then hung up on him. Well, you probably deserved it, you know. Maxwell threw the phone on the passenger seat and fumed, wondering when the voice in his head was ever going to be on his side. He was at the theater before he was calm enough to call her back.

Her hello was cool and reserved.

"Fran, I'm sorry. In my desire to not make you feel biased or pressured in your decision, I think I've given you the signal that I don't care if you're gone for four months."

"Gee, ya think?"

"Fran, I'm trying to apologize here. Could you cut me some slack?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Max. I guess I'm just tired. Please, go on."

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm caught between being excited for you and sad for me and the children."

"I know. I'm caught smack dab in the middle of that too."

"Well, at least we're in the same place, huh?" His laugh was forced.

She laughed weakly in return. "Good point."

"Listen, I've got an investor's meeting tonight after the show. CC and I have to discuss our upcoming summer series with the regular moneylenders, to make sure they're all on board. I'm probably not going to get done until 10:00. Will that be too late to come by? I know neither one of us didn't get much sleep last night."

"As much as I want to see you tonight, I don't think I'm going to make it that long. I'm already dreaming about my bed and it's only 9:00 in the morning. Are we still planning on taking the kids to the new science exhibit at the museum tomorrow?"

"I was hoping we could."

"Then, let's just hook up tomorrow. Maybe, if we can both get some sleep tonight, we'll have more fun tomorrow."

"The kids and I will be by tomorrow morning to pick you up. Is 9:00 okay?"

"Yes. Max, can we tell the kids about London together? I'll understand if you want to tell them yourself, but I would really like to be part of the conversation."

"Of course, Fran. I wouldn't have it any other way. We can tell them tomorrow after our trip to the museum if you want to. It's your call as to when we tell them."

"The sooner the better, I guess. It'll give them time to adjust."

"You're probably right. Are you going to be okay today, Fran?"

"Yes. How about you?"

"I'll be fine. We'll see you in the morning."

The rest of their day passed in a weary blur.

Telling The Kids

After spending the morning at the museum and eating lunch out, Maxwell, Fran and the children headed back to Fran's to spend the afternoon.

The children were full of energy and excitement after their day together. It took Maxwell and Fran several minutes to get them all settled so they could break the news to them.

"So, what's up Dad? Why do you and Fran look so gloomy?"

Fran caught Maxwell's look and answered for him. "Well, Maggie, I've got something to tell you guys that I'm not looking forward to telling."

Before Fran could continue, Brighton butted in. "You two aren't doing something stupid like breaking up, are you? Cause that would really suck, so that better not be it!"

"Brighton, just relax and let Fran say what she needs to say."

Grace, sitting in-between Fran and Maxwell on the couch, took Fran's hand and gave her a worried look. Fran patted her hand comfortingly and went on. "Okay guys, here's the deal. I have the chance to go to London for a design job. It's a big design job. I'm going to have to be gone for a little while." She paused to let the news sink in.

"How long do you have to be gone?"

"Well, Maggie, right now it looks like four months."

"Four months? That's like forever! How come you have to go there? Can't you do the job from here?" Brighton was staring at Fran directly, an angry look on his face.

"Son, there's no need to act like that toward Fran."

"Max, it's okay. Brighton, I agree, it is going to seem like forever. For me too, trust me. I have to go to London because the building I'll be doing the work in is in London. I have to be on site to handle the day to day work, troubleshoot problems, that kind of stuff."

"When do you have to leave?" Grace's voice was quivering, but she hadn't started to cry yet, something for which Fran was incredibly thankful.

"Well, sweetie, mid-May, which is around three weeks away. But, the good news is, I'll be home by your birthday in late September."

"Yah, that's great news." Brighton had slumped in his chair, a sullen look on his face.

"Children, listen. I know this is a big surprise for all of you and you don't want Fran to be gone for that long. I'm asking you, we're asking you, to consider what this opportunity means for her. This will be a big job for her firm. It's a wonderful, creative challenge for her. She isn't leaving forever, only for a few months."

"So, what will this mean for you and Fran?" Maggie cast a shrewd glance at her father.

Maxwell hesitated. Fran waited a moment, and then answered. "Well, Maggie, that's a good question. Your father and I haven't discussed all of the details yet. But, we care for each other very much. Four months apart isn't going to change that." Lord, please let me be telling the truth.

Fran looked around at all the sad faces. She quickly left the couch and knelt on the floor, motioning them to join her. When they were gathered around her, she took Grace and Brighton's hands. They, in turn, took each other's hands until they were all joined together in a circle. In turn, she looked them each in the eye and very purposefully said, "I'm only going to be gone four months. At the end of those four months, I'm coming back. I'm going to call you as much as I can and we'll email back and forth as much as possible. Do you believe me when I say I'm coming back?"

They all nodded, even Brighton, though he wouldn't quite meet her gaze.

"I'm going to miss you a lot. You guys mean the world to me." Fran was fighting back tears at this point. Brighton looked at her, his angry look melting away. "Fran, please don't cry. I don't like it when you cry. We know you're coming back. It's okay, really." He patted her hand comfortingly.

Maxwell watched the scene from the couch, feeling like an outsider. He was actually amazed at how well he was holding it together, given the emotional scene he was witnessing between Fran and his children. He had mentally been giving himself a pat on the back when Brighton had reached out to comfort Fran. Maxwell wasn't sure why, but this thoughtful gesture on his son's part did more to threaten his composure than anything else had that evening. I guess he's just like his Father. He doesn't like to see her cry either. For once, Maxwell thought the voice in his head might just have a point.

Not wanting to feel left out any longer, he joined Fran and the children on the floor. "Got room for one more in this group hug?"

Fran gave him a warm smile through her tears. "You bet, Mister. You bet!"

The next two weeks flew by. Fran spent as much time with the children as she could. Two or three days a week, they came straight to her home after school and spent time with her until after supper when they went home to do homework and go to sleep. Fran only got to see Maxwell a few times during that time. His show closed in less than a month and he was still trying to work out a structured plan for his summer theater series. His mind wasn't in his work much, though.

The weekend before Fran left for London, she had the children over to spend the entire weekend with her. From Friday night after school to Sunday afternoon, Fran's house was one giant slumber party. They stayed up late, ate junk food, slept in late and wore their pajamas. They played games, watched movies, talked and laughed. Luckily, the children only had two weeks left of school, so they didn't have to worry about too much homework.

"Man, Fran, this weekend was COOL!"

"It was, wasn't it, B?" They gave each other a high five and she ruffled his hair playfully.

"So, Brighton, you gonna go back to school and tell your buddies you spent all weekend partying with your sisters and your dad's girlfriend?"

Brighton shoved Maggie and said, "No way, dude! You think I'm nuts? A guy could get beat up for saying something like that!"

"Gracie, you're awfully quiet this afternoon. You okay?"

"Yah, I'm okay."

Fran looked into Grace's face and knew the young girl was lying. "Sweetie, you're getting sad because this is the week I leave, aren't you?"

"I had a really good time this weekend, Fran. I'm just sad because it's going to be the last weekend we have together."

"Correction, Angel. This is the last weekend we're going to have together until I come back from London. Nice try, but you can't get rid of me that quick!"

They all laughed together and headed downstairs to Fran's car. Soon they were pulling up in front of the Sheffield mansion. The children grabbed their overnight bags and they all headed indoors. Niles met them in the foyer.

"Hello children, hello Fran. How was the big weekend?"

The kids dropped their bags in the foyer and ran upstairs, eager to get back to their own toys. Their replies to Niles were lost in the thundering of their footsteps on the stairs.

"I'm not sure, Fran, but I think I heard them say they had a good time." Niles smiled at her and started to pick up the mess of luggage on the foyer floor.

"We had a super time. Niles, you do entirely too much for those children. They could at least take their bags up to their room."

"Oh, no, Fran, it's actually easier this way. The laundry is on the main level and since I'm head launderer, it's best if I do the unloading and sorting, you know."

"I suppose, but I still think they could be a bit more helpful." Fran glanced around the living room.

"He should be home at any moment, Fran. Why don't you have a seat on the couch and I'll bring you something to drink. What would you like?"

"Oh anything would be fine, Niles." Fran headed for the couch and sat down, sighing as her tired body sank into the cushions. Niles dropped the kids' luggage off in the laundry room and headed for the kitchen. By the time he returned with a glass of iced tea for Fran, she was stretched out on the couch and almost asleep. She stirred when he sat the tray of iced tea and cookies on the coffee table.

"Pardon me for saying so, Fran, but you seem awfully tired, is everything okay?"

Fran sat up and took a sip of her tea. "No, Niles, actually things' aren't okay. I leave for London in four days."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes and no. It's a good thing for Fine Designs, but a not so good thing for Fran Fine."

Niles saw the pain in her eyes. He wished very much he could say something to ease the pain he saw reflected there, but knew only one person could do that. And that one person wasn't home yet.

"He's going to miss you a great deal, Fran. Trust me."

Fran tried to smile but Niles noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thanks, Niles. I'm sure he will. God knows, I'm going to miss him. It's almost like I've already left though. We haven't spent any time together these last two weeks. Well, not any time alone at least. It's like he's trying to prove he's going to be fine without me here or something. Or, that he's trying to keep his distance so it's less of an adjustment when I actually do leave."

Niles thought Fran had his boss pegged pretty well. On the verge of responding, he stopped as he heard the front door open. Standing up, he said, "Welcome home, sir. I'll bring you something to drink so you can relax with Miss Fine."

Maxwell set his briefcase down on the entryway table with a sigh. Lord, he was tired. It had been a long two weeks full of work and sleepless nights. Each day he had worked himself into exhaustion, yet sleep seemed to elude him. The reason was sitting on the couch in front of him.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"How are things at the theater?"

"Winding down, finally. The show closes next week, thank God."

"Do you have things wrapped up for the summer series yet?"

Fran could tell from the look of frustration on his face that he didn't.

"No and at the rate things are going, it'll wind up being a fall series!" He leaned his head back against the cushions of the couch and let his eyes close, feeling the telltale signs of a tension headache taking hold.

Niles reappeared and sat another glass of tea on the tray and quietly excused himself, not wanting to intrude anymore than he already had.

Fran didn't say anything, simply watching Maxwell rest, frowning at the worry lines creased into his forehead. She put her glass down and put her hands to his temple, gently trying to rub away the lines.

He nearly leapt out of his skin at her touch. He willed himself to keep his eyes shut, afraid if he opened them she would stop. It felt heavenly. Her fingers were strong, yet gentle, rubbing tiny circles along his forehead and temples. She let her fingers trail along his jaw line and find their way to the back of his neck, continuing to massage away the tension.

"Mmmmmm." He couldn't help the sigh of relief from escaping his lips. He could feel the muscles in his neck letting go of the tension that had been building all day. His shoulders were her next target, and she had soon worked the tension out of those as well.

Fran watched the relief wash over his face as she helped to ease the stiffness in his tight muscles. Her heart hurt for the man before her. He worked such long hours, didn't get enough sleep and still it wasn't enough, there was always more to do. What could drive a man to live like that? What was he running from? Me. The voice in her head was so quiet, she almost hadn't heard it, but she knew it spoke the truth.

When she had first met Maxwell, he was a workaholic who was running from the memories of his dead wife. Their attraction for each other had been instantaneous, despite the fact they had not yet allowed things to approach full intimacy. He had stopped running so hard then, rediscovering a relationship with his children and beginning to open up to her. But, suddenly, things had changed. They'd changed the night she had told him about the London job. He was back to running again. No matter how hard she had tried to convince him she was coming back to him, it was almost as if he was trying to brace himself to lose her forever.

She let her hands fall from his shoulders, suddenly overcome by the feelings inside. She turned away quickly, before he opened his eyes and found her staring at him, the tears threatening to fall. She focused her attention on her tea and the cookies Niles had brought out.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Feel better?"

"Yes." She won't look at me. Is she as scared of being alone with me as I am with her? "So, did you and the children have a good weekend?"

She turned to face him at last, a genuine smile on her face. "The best. Thank you for allowing them to come stay with me for the whole weekend." She put her hand on his and squeezed it. "I really appreciate it."

"Not at all. It's not often they get invited to slumber parties. I'm surprised they aren't down here telling me all about the fun they had."

"Well, I think they might be a little tired. They're probably upstairs napping. We stayed up kinda late."

"Isn't that the whole point behind a sleepover? Staying up late?"

She smiled. "Yah, that and watching movies and eating a bunch of junk food."

"I knew I was missing out on something great when I was growing up."

"Whaddya mean? You've never been to a sleepover?" He saw her eyes widen with surprise.

"No. I didn't have too many friends growing up. I think I intimidated people. Either that or my parents did. When they were around, that is."

"Well, we'll just have to take care of that."

"What are you talking about? Take care of what?"

"A sleepover. You need a sleepover."

"Um, excuse me? Just where am I supposed to have a sleepover? I'm a little too old for that, don't you think?"

She smiled at him and stood up. He tried not to notice how incredible she looked in her jeans and followed her. She closed the small gap between them and put her arms around his waist. He couldn't help but return the gesture. He had almost forgotten how good she felt in his arms. Almost, but not quite.

She laid her head upon his chest and sighed. "I've missed this."

He laid his cheek upon the top of her head and replied, "What?"

"Being in your arms. We haven't done much of this lately."

Her voice held no accusatory tone, only regret. "I'm sorry. Things have been a bit hectic."

Fran leaned back, her eyes searching his. She'd thought a lot about what she was about to ask him. She'd almost talked herself out of it, but her heart was talking too loud for her to hear what her head was saying.

"I have a favor to ask."

He saw the hesitant look in her eye. Something told him this wasn't going to be an ordinary favor. But, what, if anything, was ever ordinary with Fran?

"What?"

He looked worried. Oy, buddy, you think you're worried now, just wait. "I want to have you all to myself for one night before I leave for London."

He let his breath out, not even aware he'd been holding it. One evening out with her wasn't anything to worry about. "I'm sure we can arrange that. How about we go to dinner Wednesday after work? Niles can keep an eye on the children for one evening, I'm sure."

"That's great. But, Max, I don't think you understand what I really want."

"I don't? I thought you wanted to spend..." His words were cut off when Fran leaned up to kiss him quickly on the lips. Whatever he had been about to say flew out of his head. Her kiss was gentle, however he could feel the passion burning beneath it. His grip on her tightened and he kissed back, forgetting about his resolve to cool things off with her.

She ended the kiss abruptly and said quickly, "Sorry, but I wanted to shut you up and that seemed the best way to do it."

"You have my permission to shut me up at any time, as long as that's the method you choose to use." Chuckling, he kissed her forehead gently and went on, "Now what has you so nervous that you can hardly stand still? What favor do you need that's got you this wound up?"

"You."

"Me? Me, what?"

"You're the favor."

"Fran, I'm not following. I'm sorry, I haven't gotten much sleep lately. Could you just tell me what you want and save me the pain of trying to figure it out all on my own?"

"I want to spend the night with you. The WHOLE night with you. Just once. Before I have to leave."

He stared at her, his eyes widening as comprehension of her words hit his brain. "Oh."

"Sorry for being so blunt, but you told me to just tell you."

He sat down on the couch weakly, suddenly realizing his legs wouldn't support his weight. Fran followed suit.

"Listen, Max. Let me explain." She took his hand in hers and waited until he looked at her before she went on. "I know my taking this job in London has totally thrown our relationship a curve ball. Trust me, I've spent many sleepless nights since accepting Paul's offer, worrying about what my decision may cost me." Maxwell made a sound as if to interrupt her, but she went on. "No, let me finish. I think what I've finally come to realize is...is that I truly feel our relationship is meant to be. I think fate brought us together. I don't think my trip to London will be the end for us. But, it's going to take both of us thinking and feeling that way for this to work."

"Fran, I'm sorry, but just when I think I've got you figured out, you, you..."

"I what?"

"Well, it's like you said, you toss me one of those curve balls and I never could catch very well."

She smiled. "Honey, I know. Max, you mean the world to me. I care for you a great deal. These last seven and a half months have been incredible. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to find someone as amazing as you and I'm scared you're going to let your fear of me not coming back cause you to push me away."

He stiffened and said coolly, "My fear of what?"

"You're afraid I'm not going to come back. You're afraid I'm going to go to London and not come back. Or that I'll come back, but for some stupid reason, won't want to be with you anymore."

"And just what gives you that idea?"

"Max, I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I can tell you care about me. I can tell you care about me a great deal. The feeling's very mutual, trust me. And, I'm certain those caring feelings go a lot further than either one of us are probably ready to admit right now. And, there's the very obvious fact that we're so turned on by each other that we can't even be alone together for fear of something happening."

Maxwell didn't say anything. There wasn't anything he could say.

"So, for once in my life, I'm going to ask for what I want. I want you. All to myself. For one entire night. There, I've done it. Put myself out on a limb. Are you going to leave me out here all by myself or jump on the branch with me?"

"Fran, what you're asking for, is...well, this isn't a decision to be made lightly."

"Do you want me?" When he didn't answer her right away, she went on. "Come on, Max. I'm not asking for a long explanation. This is a yes or no question."

He looked her directly in the eyes and was surprised to find how openly her desire for him shone in them. "Alright, yes I want you. Is that what you want to hear?" He hated to admit how weak his resistance was with her.

"Actually, yes it was. Maybe without so much anger and a little more enthusiasm behind it, though." He started to say something and she stopped him, putting her hand up to his lips, her fingers resting lightly there. "No, it's okay. You're just tired and frustrated. So am I. It's no wonder we're snapping at each other. We both need a really good nap and a really good...well, you know."

"Fran, please!"

She laughed. "Max, lighten up a little bit. Every once and a while, you need to laugh, okay?"

She leaned in close to him. He tried not to notice how her chest brushed ever so slightly against his arms as she did so. When she was mere millimeters from his lips, she said, "Aren't you just the least bit curious?"

"Curious?"

"Oy, men. Always having to spell everything out. Aren't you the least bit curious about how it would be between us?"

His eyes darkened. "Actually, no."

"No?" Why that egotistical lout, I oughta...

"I'm not curious, because I know how it would be."

That stopped her anger in its tracks. "So how would it be?"

He brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, sending shivers of excitement down her spine. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her neck, directly behind her ear and said, his breath caressing her skin warmly, "Exquisite. Just like you."

She sighed and held his head to her neck, letting him trail kisses there. "You know, Max, I changed my mind. I don't want one night with you. I want every night between now and when I leave."

Their romantic interlude was rudely interrupted by the sound of children running down the stairs, arguing at the top of their voices.

"Brighton, you're such a jerk! Why do I put up with you?"

"Because, sister dear, you HAVE to. You live with me!"

"Would you two stop already? You're giving me a headache!"

"Enough!"

The children stopped in their tracks, surprised by the tone of their father's voice and surprised he was actually home already.

"Daddy!" Grace ran into her father's arms, eager for a hug. Margaret and Brighton weren't too far behind.

"Well, children, I certainly hope you didn't behave this way at Fran's all weekend."

"Actually, Max, they were really great. They probably just had too much sugar and not enough sleep and it's catching up with them. Although, they're big enough to control themselves, or at least I thought they were!"

"Sorry, Fran. Sorry, Dad. Brighton just stole my diary and was teasing me about it."

"Hey, is it my fault if you leave it out in plain sight for anyone to read?"

"You call buried under my pillow, plain sight, you moronic little twit?

This time it was Fran's voice that stopped the argument. "ENOUGH! Your Dad has had a very long week at work. He's tired and probably hungry. Not to mention the fact he hasn't seen you all weekend and this is how you behave the moment you see him? I don't think so. Maggie and Brighton, you apologize to your Dad this instant!"

"Sorry, Dad," they mumbled in unison.

"That's betta. Now, why don't you four snuggle up together on the couch and you children can tell your Dad how much fun you had this weekend. I'm going to go have a word with Niles real quick and I'll be right back."

Fran found Niles in the kitchen.

"Hi, Fran, did you need something?"

"Only to bend your ear for a minute."

"Bend away."

"I leave on Thursday for London. Here's my cell phone number and the hotel number where I'll be staying. The MINUTE anything goes wrong with either the kids or Maxwell, I want you to call me, no matter what time it is."

Niles smiled at her. "Of course, Fran."

"Don't get me wrong, Niles. You've taken care of those four forever and they'd be lost without you. I'm asking this favor of you to keep ME sane. I really think I'm gonna lose it when that plane takes off, but it might be a little better if I know you're watching out for them and that you'll let me know if something happens."

"I promise, Fran. But don't you think Mr. Sheffield will keep in touch with you about the children?"

"Oh Niles, he'll just tell me what he thinks I want to hear. YOU, I trust to tell me the truth."

He chuckled. She had a point. He gave her a quick hug. "Fran, this may be a bit forward, considering I'm the butler and all..."

"Nonsense, Niles. You're not my butler. You're my friend."

His heart warmed at her words. It is so nice to be appreciated as a person instead of as an employee. Wish a few other people could figure that out. "Anyway, you've done some wonderful things for this family. Things I had almost convinced myself weren't ever going to happen. You've brought the family back together again and for that I'll be eternally grateful. You have been so nice to me. I just wanted you to know that I'm there for you 100%."

Fran's eyes shone with tears for the second time that afternoon. "Niles, in case no one has told you this lately, you're one amazing guy."

"Well, not in the last few hours, at least." He took the slip of paper from Fran that had her phone numbers on it and put it in his wallet. "You can count on me, Fran. Now, if you excuse me, I better go find out what the little hellions will want for supper."

Fran put off going back to her place as long as she could. Finally realizing she couldn't avoid saying goodbye any longer, she went upstairs to tuck them in for bed. By the time she had shut the last door behind her, she couldn't hold the tears back.

Maxwell watched her come downstairs, trying to wipe the tears away as they fell. He thought she was probably fighting a losing battle.

"Here," he said, handing her a handkerchief.

"Thanks." She wiped the last of the tears away, drew a shaky breath and said, "Well, that sucked."

Maxwell smiled gently. "Understatement of the year, right?"

"Yep!" She grabbed her purse from the entryway table, fished something out and pressed it into his hand.

He looked down to see she'd given him a key. "What's this?"

"Well, gee, most people call that a key."

"Okay, I'll try again. What does it open?"

"The door to my place. You already know the alarm code, so this is all you need to be able to get in."

"Fran are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely. I'd like for you to keep an eye on the place while I'm gone, if you don't mind. Sean and Val will be there during business hours, but that's it."

"I'd be happy to help."

"Well, in that case, have you given anymore thought to my request for your undivided attention one night this week?"

"Listen, Fran, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that, well, it's just that..."

She placed a delicate, slender, finger on his lips to quiet him. When he met her gaze, he was surprised to see her calmly looking at him. He had thought his hesitation would make her angry, or even worse, hurt her.

"Max, don't say anything else. You don't have to explain. It's simple, really. You're not ready to take the next step, and I am."

He tried to say something, but she shushed him again and pulled him in to a tight hug. "Really, it's okay. Just promise me we'll spend one evening alone together before I leave. No ulterior motives. Just dinner at my place, okay?"

He heard the slight tremble in her voice and knew she was trying to put on a brave front for him. "I promise, Fran. Would Wednesday be okay?"

"Wednesday would be perfect. Now, I gotta go while I still have the strength to leave." She left without so much as a backwards glance. Maxwell stood by the door, lost in thought for a long time after her car had pulled away.

Will He Or Won't He?

By 8:00 on Wednesday night, Fran was convinced Maxwell wasn't going to show up. She'd tried calling his cell phone, but only got his voice mail. Twice, she'd thought she'd seen his car pull alongside the curb in front of her house, but when the car had pulled away without stopping, she was convinced she'd imagined it.

Well girl, I guess you did it. You've scared off another one - nice job!

Fran tried to ignore the voice in her head and went upstairs. Her bedroom, normally a restful sanctuary, now seemed like a lonely, depressing place. She gently ran her fingers over the lace and silk negligee and robe draped across her bed. She'd fallen in love with it as soon as she'd seen it. It was classy and elegant and sexy all at the same time. All week she'd imagined the look on Maxwell's face when he saw her in it.

That's one dream I can put to rest, now isn't it?

She checked her luggage for the third time in an hour. She had shipped the majority of her things the week before so that all she had to take on the plane was her purse and a carryon bag. Her flight left early tomorrow morning and she wanted everything ready to go tonight.

Mainly because I thought I'd have my arms wrapped around a tall, dark and handsome British man and wouldn't have time to pack in the morning.

Sighing, she headed back downstairs. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Reviewing her small wine cabinet quickly, she selected one of her favorite vintages, poured herself a glass and headed back upstairs to take a hot bath.

Maxwell pulled up to the curb in front of Fran's house for the third time.

So, big boy, are you going to put it in park and actually get out this time?

Maxwell swore under his breath, put the car in park and turned the engine off. It was now or never. Before his nerve failed him again, he headed for her front door and rang the buzzer. When he didn't get a response, he took out the key Fran had given him and let himself in. Now that he had come this far, he wasn't going to let a little thing like a locked door stand in his way. He quickly checked the first and second floors, and when he didn't find her, realized she must be in her bedroom. His pulse quickened and a warmth spread through his chest. It had been a long time since he had felt this kind of anticipation. Too long.

He knocked quietly on her bedroom door before entering.

"Fran?"

Letting the warm water jets of her tub massage away some of the tension in her aching body, Fran thought she heard someone say her name.

"Great, Fran. Not only are you pathetic and alone, now you're hearing voices."

"Wrong on two counts."

Fran nearly jumped out of her skin. He stood in her bathroom doorway, casually leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed loosely over his chest and a secretive grin on his face.

"OY, Max. You scared me! Why do you look like the cat who just caught the mouse?"

"Maybe because I'm thinking how incredible my timing is. This is the second time I've caught you in the tub, isn't it?"

Fran grinned. Her surprise at seeing Maxwell was quickly being replaced by a growing excitement. He showed up! I didn't scare him off after all...

"Actually it's the third time. The first time was when you called me the night of my birthday, remember?"

His smile grew broader. "I stand corrected."

Care to join me?"

Maxwell suddenly lost the ability to speak. Now that he was mere feet away from her and given her current state of undress, he was losing focus.

"Yoo-hoo, earth to Max. You still with me?"

He drug his gaze from her and saw her empty wine glass on the tub's edge. Being careful not to look directly at her, he walked over, picked up her glass and said, "How about I refresh your glass, pour myself one and see if I can find us a little snack. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." He chanced making eye contact with her, gave her a smile and walked out of the bathroom.

You have no idea how hungry I am, she thought to herself.

Fran took her time finishing up her bath. She wanted to give Maxwell plenty of time to get comfortable and relaxed. If she was nervous right now, he was probably wound up so tight she could bounce a quarter off of him.

Fran came out of the bathroom to find her bedroom had been transformed. The couch and coffee table in front of the fireplace had been pushed out of the way. Candles were gathered around the fireplace, on the mantle and hearth, their flames casting a warm, soft glow into the room. The space normally occupied by the coffee table was now piled with pillows. Maxwell was stretched out on the floor in the middle of them, taking a sip from his wine glass.

Maxwell nearly choked on his wine. He blinked at the vision before him and then blinked again. Fran had flipped off the bathroom light when she opened the door, so the only light illuminating her was that given off by the flickering candles. He wanted to say something to her, had to say something to her. But what? Mere words could not describe what he was feeling and thinking at that moment. She mesmerized him, drawing him in to her with an indescribable force. Her hair was full and thick, framing her face with its ebony softness. Her porcelain skin held a light glow from the bath and was calling to his fingers. How he longed to stroke her shoulders, her arms, her everything. The shimmering silver of her negligee gently reflected the candlelight. Normally gifted with words, all he could manage was to pat the pillows next to him.

She smiled and sank onto a pillow. He immediately was inundated with the delicate smell of lavender and vanilla. A fresh wave of emotion poured over him. How could he have thought twice about coming here tonight?

"Well, you certainly know how to set the mood, now don't you?"

"It's been quite a while. I was hoping I hadn't forgotten how."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek gently. "Trust me, you haven't forgotten."

"Care for a bite?"

He saw her eyes widen and realized she had mistook his words. He quickly held up the plate of fruit and cheese he had found in her refrigerator.

She smiled mischievously. "Is that all you have?"

He decided to play along. "Don't you see anything you like?"

She carefully took a peach slice from the tray and took a bite, feeling the juice start to run down her chin. Before she could wipe it away, Maxwell had leaned in to delicately kissed it away. As he drew back, his eyes gazing into hers, she heard herself reply, as if from a distance, "Oh, I definitely see something I like."

They spent the next few minutes feeding each other from the tray and drinking their wine. Few words were spoken, they simply enjoyed each other's company. Both of them unconsciously began to let go of the tension and stress that had been building up for the last few weeks.

When they were done eating and had finished the bottle of wine, Maxwell placed the tray and glasses on the coffee table and then returned to the pillows and Fran. As he leaned back against the pillows, he pulled her into his arms so that her head rested upon his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest. She quickly snuggled in close and he was again amazed at how well their bodies fit together.

They sat in silence, his fingers lightly tracing patterns on her arm.

Finally, Maxwell broke the silence and spoke, "Fran, about tonight. I'm sorry I got here late. It's just that..."

She finished his sentence for him. "You were working late?"

He smiled a small, guilty smile. "Actually, no. It wasn't work that kept me away."

She leaned up and looked at him, confusion on her face. "So, what was it?"

"Me."

"You? I don't understand."

"The reason I was so late is that I was arguing with myself over whether or not to come."

"Oh."

When she didn't say anything else, he went on. "It's just been so long for me Fran. And, I never was one of those men who took this kind of thing lightly. It's a big step for a relationship and it had been so long since I had even been in a relationship, that I...well, that I wasn't sure..."

She put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Max, listen. You don't have to explain. I pushed you into this and I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to stay. It's just that I wanted so badly to be with you before I was gone for four months. For some reason, I thought it would help me get through it all. Silly isn't it?"

He pulled her down to him, until their lips were mere millimeters from each other. "I don't think it's silly at all and I don't want to leave. May I stay, please?"

She heard the longing in his voice and her heart sang in her chest. He really did want to be here with her. "Mister, with the way you're looking at me right now, I wouldn't let you leave if you begged me to."

"Trust me, Fran. If I do any begging tonight, it won't be to leave."

Their lips met, his firm desire met by her soft eagerness. He held her to him tightly. A brief image flashed through his mind of her walking away from him and toward a plane bound for London. He shoved the image aside and put all his energy and attention into the kiss.

He might be losing her tomorrow, but for tonight, she was his and his alone.

Fran was awoken from her blissful slumber by the jarring sound of her alarm clock. Fighting back the fog of sleep, she hit the snooze button, stretched, and rolled over. Instead of finding a warm, gorgeous, man next to her, she found a cold pillow and a folded note. Hands shaking, she picked up the note and slowly unfolded it.

Fran,

Forgive me for not telling you this in person. I've never been very good at goodbyes. I wanted nothing more than for us to wake up together in each other's arms. But, I was afraid if I stayed and looked into your eyes this morning, I wouldn't be able to let you go.

Last night went beyond all my dreams. You are a beautiful, amazing woman, and I will cherish the memory of last night in the months to come.

Please travel safely and come home to us soon,

Maxwell

Fran could barely see the alarm the second time it went off. Futilely, she wiped the tears away as she headed for the shower.

If anyone had asked him the route he'd taken to get home, Maxwell wouldn't have been able to answer them. He was on autopilot, his vision clouded with exquisite and tortuous memories of his lovemaking with Fran. The guilt over leaving her without saying goodbye had nearly immobilized him.

Arriving home in the wee hours of the morning, he let himself in quietly, reset the house alarm and headed straight for bed. He didn't even bother to shower or change his clothes. Doing so would mean he wouldn't have her tantalizing scent to comfort him as he slept. He fell asleep almost as fast as his head hit the pillow, but it would by no means be a restful sleep.

Fran's trip to the airport was blurry at best. She was convinced the ticket agent and stewardess must think her crazy, but she found she really didn't care that much. She slept on the plan, a restless sleep haunted by dreams of Maxwell and the children.

An Unholy Alliance

-One-Month Later-

CC barged into the Sheffield kitchen, nearly knocking Niles down as she did so.

"Lord, that man is in a foul temper today!"

"Can you blame him? He's been shut up with you in that office for four hours straight. That would be enough to make anyone grumpy!"

"Oh ha, ha, Mr. Maid. Very funny. I'm not the one causing his wretched mood, and you know it."

Niles fought the urge to zing CC again, but gave up and agreed with her. "You're right. How many days is it now?"

"What, since she left or when she'll come back?"

"Since she left."

"31 and counting. Good Lord, it's pathetic the way he's acting!" CC slammed her coffee cup on the counter, sloshing its contents onto the surface Niles had just meticulously cleaned. He grimaced.

"What do you expect? He misses her!"

"Yes and he's too damn proud to admit it. It would be one thing if he missed her and owned up to it. But, no, he has to act like he doesn't care, which makes his temper even worse!"

"If it makes you feel any better, we're all being blessed with his mood swings. He doesn't make any kind of miraculous recovery after you leave."

CC noticed the grim look on Niles' face. Surprisingly, she felt a wave of pity wash over her. She may have to put up with Maxwell's moods for 10 hours out of the day, but poor Niles had to deal with it 24/7. And, he had been friends with Fran too. He probably missed her as much as she did.

"I miss her too, Niles" she said softly.

He gave her a small, sad smile. "Things are much quieter without her around, aren't they?"

"You got that right, Mister!"

All of a sudden, the intercom erupted..."CC, where the hell are you? We've got work to do!"

Maxwell's harsh tone made them both jump. Niles pressed the intercom button to reply, "She's on her way, sir. Sorry for the delay, I didn't have anymore coffee made, so I'm brewing some tea."

"Well, tell her to get back in here!"

"Yes, sir." He lifted his finger off the button, shaking his head as he did so.

"Thanks, Niles. I guess I owe you one. I'll tell you one thing, I am not going to make it much longer. How long before she comes back?"

"85 days and counting."

CC's shoulders slumped. "There's no way. We're all doomed."

"Well, Ms. Babcock, maybe it's time you and I did something to change the atmosphere around here."

Raising an eyebrow at him, she said, "Excuse me?"

"Well, I know under normal circumstances my proposal would seem a bit odd..."

"You got that right."

"But, desperate times call for desperate measures." He held his hand out to her.

CC considered his outstretched hand. He had a point. She grasped his hand in a firm handshake. "What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing definite yet. Give me a little while to come up with something and I'll let you know."

CC headed toward the kitchen door as Maxwell started to yell for her again. He hadn't bothered with the intercom this time. Pushing her way through the kitchen door, she said, over her shoulder, "Well you better damn well hurry!"

Later that afternoon, CC found Niles in the kitchen, humming to himself as he loaded the dishwasher. He had a rather satisfied look on his face.

"What's got you so chipper, Hazel?"

He ignored her sarcastic tone and continued humming.

Raising her eyebrows at his indifference to her jab, she looked closer and then exclaimed, "You've figured out a way, haven't you?"

He feigned innocence and replied, "A way for what?"

She put a hand on his arm, her grip tight. Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows at her. "You wanted something, Miss Babcock?"

"You're damn right I do. Tell me you've figured out how to reunite that beast with his beauty!"

Chuckling at her insistent tone, he calmly removed her hand and gestured for her to sit down at the table. Looking around, he said quietly, "Are we alone?"

"Yes, he went to the theater to yell there. I guess he got bored with yelling here since he's been doing it all day!"

Niles sat down quickly, his tone becoming extremely businesslike. "Okay, here's the plan. Mr. Sheffield is going to have to go to London as soon as possible to soothe a cranky backer. Once he checks into his hotel, he'll get word that he's to meet the cranky backer in the hotel bar for a drink. In the meantime, we'll figure out a way to get Miss Fine to the same hotel at the same bar so they just happen to run into each other." He finished in a rush, looking extremely pleased with himself.

CC stared at him incredulously. "Are you nuts? Just how in the hell do you propose we pull this off? Maxwell will see right through this in a heartbeat!"

"No, he won't. Not if we play our parts right."

"And just what parts are we supposed to be playing?"

"You have to get Mr. Sheffield to London. I have to get Miss Fine to him once he gets to London."

CC felt the dull throb of a headache she'd been battling all day erupt into full-blown agony. How in the world was she supposed to convince Mr. Sheffield to drop everything, get on a plane and fly to London? All without him suspecting it was a ruse to get him and Fran together?

Niles, lost in thought, seemed not to notice CC's frustration. Just as she was about to launch in to him again about his far-fetched plan, he startled out of his reverie and yelled, "That's it!"

"What?"

"I'll let it slip that Miss Fine called earlier today to check on the children. Then, I'll casually mention that she said something about having to go to Paris for the weekend to examine fabric for draperies or couches or something. I'll make it sound good, throwing in her apparent excitement for the shopping she will get to do for herself while she's there. Then I'll let it drop that Mr. Steinberg is going with her to show her the sights. That ought to drive Mr. Sheffield right over the edge!"

"That doesn't tell me how in the hell I'm supposed to get the man on a plane!"

"All you have to do is to have someone call Mr. Sheffield pretending to be the assistant of one of your London-based backers. Pick someone who can act well. They need to be able to play the part of a completely stressed-out assistant who's at her wits end because her boss is on a complete tirade and demanding a face to face meeting with Mr. Sheffield in London."

"Hmmm, a completely stressed-out assistant whose boss is on a complete tirade? I'll change my voice and make the damn call myself!"

He laughed. "No, we can't take the chance. He could recognize you."

"I was joking. So, Sherlock, what's this cranky backer supposed to be so peeved about?"

"Hey, I'm not the one with all the theater experience. You deal with cranky backers 24/7, you figure that part out."

CC felt a little glimmer of hope. Niles' plan was starting to make sense. Either that, or she was getting desperate. "Okay, so how do we time this thing?"

"I'll let slip my conversation with Miss Fine to Mr. Sheffield this evening after dinner. You have your harassed assistant call him tomorrow morning. That should give him plenty of time to 'stew' overnight."

"And how do we get Miss Fine to the hotel?"

Niles paused. It was a good question. Seeing he didn't have a good answer, CC volunteered, "Tell you what. I'll call Miss Fine and tell her that I'm the one that has to come to London to soothe the cranky backer. I'll ask her to come have dinner with me at my hotel. She'll be devastated that Maxwell's not the one coming. By the time the two of them get to that bar, they'll both be so depressed, they won't be able to see straight!"

Niles had his first moment of hesitation since dreaming up their big plan. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"Whoa, wait a minute, you're not getting cold feet are you? You can't give me a ray of hope and then take it away because you're feeling timid!"

"No, it's not that. I just realized our little story is going to cause some hurt feelings. Does the end justify our means?"

CC sighed. This was precisely why she didn't allow herself to get close to people. All this worrying about "feelings" was where things got muddy and confusing. It was just simpler to not delve too deep into other people's feelings, in her book. But, as she thought back over the past year and how her friendship with Fran had developed, she had to admit the walls around her, built up carefully over the years, had started to erode a bit. Suddenly, it wasn't so hard to see why Niles was concerned.

"Do you honestly think he's going to go to her on his own?"

"Unfortunately, no. Mr. Sheffield is not one to put himself out on a limb, so to speak."

"Okay. And, do you think Fran is going to give up on this job and come home early?"

"No."

"Do you think either of them is happy right now?"

"No."

"Then we have to do something. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Holding out her hand, CC smiled when Niles reached his out to shake hers. "Okay, butler-boy, let's get to work!"

An Ending & A Beginning

By the time Maxwell got to the Connaught Hotel in London that weekend, he was rattled. The plane ride had been turbulent and the cab ride from the airport to the hotel had been frantic to say the least.

He waited for the butler to unpack his luggage and place his things in the appropriate places, pouring himself a stiff drink as he did so. If he was lucky, he'd have just enough time to take a hot shower before he had to meet Philip Jameson in the bar.

Maxwell rubbed his temples, trying in vain to make the throbbing headache go away. His lack of sleep added to the long flight and his worry over what had Jameson so hot under the collar made his chances of the pain subsiding a long shot.

Jameson was one of his biggest investors for his fall series. When CC had handed the phone over to him two mornings ago, he had found Jameson's assistant on the other end having kittens over her boss's latest meltdown. Maxwell wasn't even sure he'd gotten the message right, she'd been babbling so badly, but he did get the part about Jameson wanting to meet him, tonight, in London to discuss some reservations he was having on investing so much for this new series.

To make matters worse, he was in London and Fran wasn't. It was ironic to say the least and rotten timing. Niles had let it slip that Fran was off to Paris this weekend with that Paul character. Oh, it was all under the guise of picking out fabrics for the office chairs in Paul's office, but Maxwell couldn't help but wonder if Paul was using it as a cover to get Fran in a romantic location. Fran had been insistent that she and Paul were just friends, but really, how often could a man and woman have a close friendly relationship without it turning romantic?

Jealous? Maxwell ground his teeth and shoved his inner voice aside, pouring himself another drink as he did so. He'd spent all night listening to that damn voice, that's why he was going on about three hours sleep.

The truth of the matter was, he was jealous. Being apart from Fran was taking a toll on him. He missed her. A lot. And, that bothered him. A lot. He thought about her day and night. She had called every other day for the first two weeks, talking mainly to the children as he had been at the theater almost every time she'd called. The rare times he was there when she called, he hadn't stayed on the phone very long, using his old fallback position of work to get him off the phone quickly. He hated himself for it, but hearing her voice and knowing he couldn't be with her was too much for him to bear. He heard the hurt and disappointment in her voice every time when he rushed off the phone, but couldn't help it. He felt weak as hell, but there was no way around it.

He startled out of his musings when the butler discreetly excused himself, making sure Maxwell knew his extension so he could be reached at any time if he needed anything. He thanked the man and headed for the suite's luxurious bathroom. He had a little less than one hour before he had to meet Jameson. He prayed the shower would help his mood.

Fran poured over the sketches and plans strewn across her table. The images blurred before her and she rubbed her eyes, knowing she was starting to give in to the exhaustion that had been plaguing her all week. Sighing, she glanced down at her watch and saw that she only had a little over an hour before she was to meet CC at the hotel. She pushed herself back from the table and headed to the small bedroom of her flat. She had just enough time to take a hot shower and get ready before she had to grab a cab. Fran hoped the shower would improve her mood.

Forty-five minutes later Fran checked her reflection in the entryway mirror. Her black dress pants were slimming to her already slender frame. Her vibrant blue silk top was the perfect compliment to her alabaster skin. Her hair was pulled back into a casual ponytail, secured with a jeweled clip the kids had given her before she left for London. Fran practiced smiling in the mirror. Maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could actually convince CC she was doing fine, that she was happy. Looking at her pained reflection in the mirror, Fran realized her smile was going to require more practice.

She hailed a cab quickly, told the driver the destination and settled back into the seat for the short ride to the Connaught. The scenery outside the cab window held no interest for her. Her vision was clouded with other pictures. The first time she'd met Max. Their first date and the look on his face when he'd seen her in that red dress. Helping him and kids decorate the Christmas tree. The night they'd finally made love. She closed her eyes and willed her mind to think of other things. It did no good. Just like it had done no good the other million times she'd tried it since leaving New York. Shaking her head, as if to physically remove the pictures, she tried to concentrate on the scenes of life happening outside her window.

Fran couldn't believe she was going to meet CC at the Connaught instead of Max. She just couldn't believe he hadn't found a way to clear his schedule to be the one to come to London to take care of business. The emotional roller coaster she'd been on since leaving New York was taking its toll. She'd been exhilarated when he had shown up at her home the night before she was due to depart. Spending the night with him had gone beyond all her expectations. She'd already known she loved Maxwell Sheffield before that night, but after their intense intimate encounter, she had honestly thought he felt the same way. How could he though, with the way he'd treated her since then?

Every time she'd called, he was either not there or spent so little time on the phone with her that she felt like she'd barely had a chance to say "hi" and "bye." The kids and Niles all said that Max missed her terribly and that he'd been miserable since she'd left, but he certainly hadn't gone out of his way to communicate that to her. He'd done a better job sending strong signals that he was trying to distance himself from her as much as possible.

The cab slowed and then came to a stop alongside the curb outside the Connaught. She paid the driver, exited the cab and walked into the hotel, squaring her shoulders as she did so. Fran Fine might be miserable on the inside, but by God, she didn't have to show it to the whole word!

At that exact moment, Maxwell Sheffield was standing in front of the mirror in his suite. He had on one of his dark black suits and a crisp white shirt. His tie was a bright blue. Not his usual color, but it made him think of Fran, so he decided to go out of his, what would she call it, comfort zone and wear it. It looked like a color she would have picked out for him. In fact, it probably was one she'd chosen for him and given to Niles to sneak into his closet without his knowing. He chuckled to himself at the thought. He straightened his tie and smoothed his hair, making sure everything looked proper. Jameson was a picky man who noticed the tiniest flaw. If he was in a snit over the show, Maxwell didn't need him focused on anything but what a wise investment Sheffield Productions was.

The simple act of straightening his tie, brought an unbidden memory to mind. Fran. She always checked his tie before they left for an outing. Invariably, she would determine it needed tweaking and straighten it, following it with a gentle smoothing of his suit lapels. He didn't know why, but he loved it when she did that. It made him feel cared for, like she was watching out for him. She knew how nervous he would get if he was going out for business purposes and her little ritual had a calming effect on him somehow.

It was the perfect example of the how Fran had affected him in so many different ways. She was exciting and alluring, invigorating and infuriating and yet, at the same time, brought peace and calm order to his world. He could depend on her. Depend on her to both fire up his emotions when he needed a good swift kick in the ass and then to bring him back to earth when he was taking trivial things entirely too seriously. The children adored her and she cherished them.

A warm feeling filled his chest and his heart swelled. He loved her. It was a realization that hit him so suddenly he almost staggered with the impact of it. He was in love with Fran Fine. In less than a year, he had met, befriended and fallen in love with this incredible woman. It was impossible! He had to be crazy. There was no way he could be in love. He'd vowed never again to fall in love after Sarah had died. The pain of losing her had almost killed him, he had never wanted to go through that again.

It was as if he stood at a crossroads. Turn left and he could stay in his comfortable life where things were predictable and comfortable. Turn right and life became a crazy whirlwind. He looked down on the dresser and saw a family picture staring back at him. Where had that come from? Niles must have snuck it into his suitcase. It was a picture of Max, Fran and the children in the park at a picnic. Niles had accompanied them to help keep an eye on the children and serve their lunch. He had taken the picture for them. Max looked at all the smiling faces in the picture and realized his path was already chosen.

"Right it is then," he said aloud.

The clock in his suite chimed eight times, reminding him he was late for his meeting with Jameson. All he wanted to do was to march down to that bar, tell Jameson to sod off and head for the airport. He had to get to Paris, to get to Fran. He left his room quickly and purposefully strode to the elevator. He would just have to make his meeting with Jameson quick. He didn't have time for work right now, he had to find Fran.

By the time he got to the bar, he was almost running. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he pushed open the door and walked in.

He saw her almost before his eyes had gotten used to the dimmed lighting of the bar. She sat at a table alone, stirring her drink and staring out the window at the traffic outside. His heart leapt into his throat and then plummeted into his stomach. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be in Paris! Where was Jameson?

At that moment, Maxwell had his second startling revelation for the day. He'd been set up. Niles and CC had set him up. Deciding the pair both would end up with a huge telling off followed by a huge raise, he mustered up his courage and headed over to her, fighting the urge to run.

"Pardon me, but is this seat taken?"

Fran's head swung up at the sound of his voice. What was he doing here? Where was CC?

By the shocked and confused look on Fran's face, Maxwell knew Fran hadn't known any more than he had about Niles and CC's plan.

"It's just this table has a really nice view and you looked like you might like some company."

Fran found her voice and her sense of humor at the same time. "Well, I was waiting on a blonde, but now that you mention it, I prefer brunettes - have a seat." The smile she gave him was genuine, but tentative.

He returned her smile and sat down. "So, how'd they get you here?"

They spent the next few minutes telling each other how Niles and CC had worked their magic.

"I never would have imagined those two teaming up for anything," Fran mused.

"I think they were desperate."

"How so?"

"Well let's just say I probably haven't been the easiest person to get along with lately."

"The summer series going rough?"

Maxwell hesitated before he answered. Fran noticed the hesitation and searched his face, trying to read the emotions reflected there.

"Actually, my foul mood of late has had nothing to do with work."

Fran wanted to ask what had caused his mood, but was interrupted by the waitress coming over to take their drink orders. When she walked away, Fran asked, "So, what's wrong? Why have you been so hard to live with?"

Maxwell reached over and took her hand gently in his. "Because, I've missed you terribly."

His words should have comforted her and made her feel better. Instead, for some reason Fran couldn't explain, they made her angry.

"You've missed me? Well, you've sure got a funny way of showing it!" Her eyes flashed and she tried to pull her hand away, but Maxwell held onto it tightly.

"Please, Fran, let me explain."

Their waitress returning with their drinks interrupted them again. Maxwell practically tossed the money to the girl and shooed her away. When he turned back to Fran, he found her staring out the window in stony silence. This wasn't going well. Not well at all. Well, what did you expect? You barely talk to her for a month and now you expect her to be warm and receptive?

Maxwell silenced his inner voice by downing his scotch and soda in one gulp. The liquid fire strengthened his courage.

"Fran, please look at me. I want to explain."

Fran cut him off before he could go any further. "Really, Max, it's okay. We're just two very different people. It's no wonder we can't communicate with each other."

Her voice had such a resigned tone to it that Maxwell felt his stomach clench in fear. "What do you mean?"

"Max, you're a reserved introvert and I'm an overly emotional extrovert. We don't exactly operate the same way, do we?"

Maxwell saw the waitress headed in their direction again and gave her a look that clearly said, "stay away." This was pointless. He had to get Fran somewhere more private. He had to tell her how he felt, he had to make her understand.

Still holding her hand, his thumb gently caressed her smooth skin. She looked at him and Maxwell could see her large dark eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Fran, I know I've been a complete lout. I've been more worried about protecting myself and my stupid fears that I have been about your feelings. Please give me a chance to prove to you how sorry I am and how things will be different."

The sincerity in his voice melted away some of her anger and frustration. She sighed, suddenly tired again, and said, "Okay."

Maxwell breathed a sigh of relief, unaware he'd been holding his breath. "Thank you." He glanced around the bar. Every passing moment, the bar was getting more crowded and lively.

"Would you mind if we went somewhere a little more private?"

"What, all this mindless chatter, noise and alcohol doesn't work for you?"

He returned her sardonic grin and replied, "No, not quite. I would rather have this conversation in private, if you don't mind." They stood up from the table at the same time and headed out to the lobby.

"So, where did you have in mind?"

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but how about my room?"

Her only reply was a raised eyebrow and a direct stare.

"Before you get the wrong idea, I do happen to have a full suite. We can have our discussion in the living room portion. Perfectly safe, I promise."

"Oy, Max, I haven't seen you for over a month. The last time I saw you, I saw ALL of you. And you're worried about getting me in your hotel room?"

He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, giving her a tender kiss. "Before we give into any urges, milady, we are going to have this conversation. Now, come on." He led her to the elevators and they spent the short ride to his floor making small talk, trying to ease the awkward tension between them. It gave Maxwell a chance to bring Fran up-to-date on the children. In a few minutes, they were in his suite.

"Nice digs, Max. Definitely has my flat beat, that's for sure."

"Is your flat far from here?"

"Not really. Only about 15 minutes."

"Have you eaten supper yet?"

Fran's stomach rumbled its reply. Maxwell chuckled. "Me either. How about I order room service?"

While Maxwell went to make the call, Fran examined the suite in more detail. Locating the balcony, she drew the draperies back so they could look out over the London skyline. She found the stereo next and located a light jazz station she had grown fond of since coming to London.

By the time Maxwell returned, Fran was stretched out on the couch, her feet propped up on the ottoman. Her eyes were closed and Maxwell took advantage of the opportunity to study her beauty. He lowered himself down next to her. She raised her head enough so that he could slide his arm around her shoulders. She snuggled in close and they both sighed in unison.

"I've missed you," she said in a small voice.

"And I, you," he replied, kissing her forehead gently. Maxwell took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Do you remember the night we met?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Did you know that I hadn't wanted to go with CC that night? The only reason I ended up going was that I couldn't think of a good enough excuse to get out of it."

"Is this supposed to be making me feel better?" she asked wryly.

"I'm getting there, I promise. Anyway, I had it all figured out. I had gotten myself roped into going to some silly party where I wouldn't know anyone. It promised to be a grand waste of an evening."

"Oh, that's much better. You really know how to cheer a gal up."

He ignored her sarcasm and went on. "At the time, I didn't realize how wrong I would be. I didn't realize I would end up meeting you that night. That night proved to be the first of many times you would challenge my preconceived ideas."

Fran started to say something, but he cut her off, eager to keep going now that he had finally started.

"You were a challenge from the very beginning. From the moment I met you, I was attracted to you. At first, I thought it was merely a physical reaction. I quickly realized, though, that you were affecting me on all levels, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I tried so hard to rationalize it away. I'd spent years perfecting my defense mechanisms and here you were, methodically breaking through every one of them."

"Oy, you make me sound as if I were some invading army."

He laughed. "Some days, it felt like that." When she gave him a withering look, he hurried to explain. "Fran, please try to understand. Before I met you, I had convinced myself I was destined to lead a solitary life. And, I was quite comfortable with that conclusion. After Sarah died, I didn't want to find someone again, even desperately hoped that I wouldn't."

"And then I came along and ruined everything, huh?" Fran smiled, but Maxwell knew by the look in her eyes that she wasn't teasing him. She was worried. He gently tilted her head up to look her in the eye.

"Yes, you did. Thank God." He kissed her gently, unable to hold back any longer. Their kiss was tender and loving. It had been so long since they had been close with each other, both of them were hesitant. When they pulled apart, Maxwell noticed a tear had escaped Fran's eyes and slid down her cheek. With his thumb, he wiped it away.

"Fran, I am so grateful to CC for making me go with her to that party all those months ago. If she hadn't forced me into it, I never would have met you." He saw the spark of hope glimmer in Fran's eyes, took a deep breath and dived off the cliff..."And, more importantly, I never would have discovered the incredible joy of falling in love again."

Fran nearly slid off the couch. What had he just said? Had he really hinted that he was in love with her? Her brain was going all fuzzy and she was finding it difficult to make the words form in her throat. "What did you say?" she finally managed, albeit a bit breathlessly.

"I love you, Fran. I'm hopelessly, completely, out of my mind in love with you." There. He'd done it. He held his breath, waiting for her reaction.

Fran jumped into his lap, raining kisses upon his face, giggling and crying at the same time. In-between her tender assault, he managed to ask, "Can I assume, by your reaction, that you might feel the same way?"

"You bet, Mister!"

He caught her face in his hands. "May I please hear you say it?" Fran's eyes widened as she realized the strong, independent man in front of her needed the same reassurance that she had. She took one of his hands, kissed the palm and looked him straight in the eye.

"Maxwell Sheffield, I love you with everything I am and hope to be. You are everything I've ever dreamed, hoped, or wished for." She kissed him soundly to prove her point. When she finally let him up for air, she teased, "There, is that better?"

"Much." He leaned up to begin nuzzling her neck, which had been beckoning to him ever since she had leapt onto his lap. Before he could get too far, though, they were interrupted by the arrival of room service.

"If I didn't know how hungry we both were, I'd tell them to sod off. But, if we're to have any energy at all later, we'd better eat now."

"Why Maxwell Sheffield, what in the world are we going to need energy for later?" The look she gave him was wide-eyed and innocent, but he could see the laughter behind the smile she gave him.

"That, Miss Fine, is something you're just going to have to wait and see."

They didn't linger over their meal. When they finished eating, Maxwell refilled their wine glasses and led them out to the balcony where they could enjoy the warm summer evening and scenic London skyline.

Maxwell sighed. "It's good to be home."

"You still consider London home, after living in New York for so long?"

"Part of me does. Funny, isn't it? I've lived in New York for more years than I lived in London, but London still feels like home."

"Actually, it makes sense. You're childhood home is here and your family is here. It should feel like home."

"That's what is so odd. I don't consider my family as being here. My family is back in New York." He paused and smiled. "Well, almost all of my family is there. There's one recent addition who's a bit on the wild side and decided to take off for a few months."

Fran's pleasure at being included as part of his family was overshadowed by a sudden rush of guilt. "Max, when I took this job, it was the hardest decision of my life. I didn't want to..."

He stopped her in mid-sentence, gently laying a finger on her lips. "Have I told you how proud I am of you?"

"Proud of me? For what?"

"For being such an incredible businesswoman that you were offered this job. And for having the courage to take it."

She blushed slightly and said, "Gee, Max, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to sweet talk me."

He pulled her into his arms, stroking lazy circles on her back. "Now, why would I do that?"

"Hey, I'm just a simple girl from Flushing. How am I supposed to know what a classy foreign guy is thinking?"

"Francine Joy Fine, don't ever say that again! You're one of the most intelligent, insightful people I know. You've taught me more about life in the short time I've known you than anyone else in my whole life."

"Keep this up, Max, and I won't be held responsible for my actions."

Maxwell saw her eyes clouded with desire and felt his body instantly respond. He claimed her lips hungrily, feeling her soft eagerness beneath him. He wanted to lose himself in her, to get swept away and not resurface for days.

Fran clung to him, afraid her rapidly weakening legs would no longer support her. Her mind was reeling. He was here, in London, with her! He loved her! And, judging by the things he was doing, he wanted her as desperately as she wanted him.

Maxwell reluctantly left Fran's lips and began trailing kisses down her neck. Her skin was so smooth, so warm, so inviting. He could feel her pulse racing beneath his lips and heard the low moan building in her throat. The sound was driving him wild.

"Fran, I think I lied to you."

Her voice drifted down to him, as if coming from far away. "About what?"

"I told you it would be safe for us to have this discussion in my hotel suite."

"I feel safe, don't you?"

He continued kissing her collarbone, interjecting his words in-between kisses. "Um, no, I don't think that would be the word I would pick. Maybe I should get you to your flat before things get out of hand."

Fran pulled back from him, an incredulous look on her face. "Maxwell Sheffield, if you think you can tell me you love me and then expect me to go home to sleep alone, you're crazy!" She stood in front of him, hands on her hips, eyes flashing. He stood across from her, his arms folded, trying not to laugh.

She slugged him in the arm. "Okay, Mister, just what is so damn funny?"

He held up his hands in mock defense. "I was teasing you, Fran. If you think I'd let you leave tonight, you're the one who's crazy."

"Oh, Max, don't you know it's not nice to tease?" She grabbed his hand and walked backwards into the suite.

He let her lead him along. "Really? I didn't know that."

She smiled mischievously at him. "I guess I'll have to teach you some manners, now won't I?"

As they fell onto the bed together, he pinned her beneath him and leaned up to look into her eyes. "Tell you what, Fran, let me prove myself to you tonight and then you can decide tomorrow morning what kind of remedial tutoring I need, okay?"

Fran's laughter was soon silenced with another hungry kiss. Their need for conversation was quickly replaced with much more primal, urgent needs.

Fran awoke the next morning to the sound of voices. Well, one voice at least. One incredibly sexy, British voice. Maxwell was in the other room on the phone. Fran lazily stretched and rolled over, trying to see what time it was. She was surprised to find it was 10 o'clock already. She hadn't slept in this much since before coming to London. She felt content, at peace and what was the word? Ah yes, satisfied. Her thoughts drifted from delicious memories of the night before to the conversation occurring in the next room.

"Yes, Niles, I know what time it is there... No, I really don't care that you were in the middle of a really good dream. Consider it payback for yours and CC's meddling in other people's lives... Don't act innocent with me, it doesn't suit you... Yes, Miss Fine's here... What do you mean, did I fix things? I don't really think that's any of your business. Listen carefully, you have a lot to do in the next two days. I've already spoken with CC. She's taking over the remainder of the summer series coordination. You are going to get yourself and the children packed and you're going to head to London on Monday. I want the children packed with things for at least a month's stay. Yours will be a shorter visit as I'll need you to go back to New York within a week to help CC with the remainder of the summer schedule...Yes, that's right. The children and I will be staying with Miss Fine in London for the next month...Yes, you're going to be CC's assistant for the rest of the summer...I don't care. I pay your salary, so that's what you're going to do. Besides, you two seem to work so well together coming up with creative plans that I figured you would jump at the chance to work together again. Call me later today with the flight details for you and the children...Good-bye, Niles."

Maxwell turned around to find Fran standing in the doorway, a sheet from the bed wrapped around her, tears streaming down her smiling face. He strode over to her and put his arms around her. "Darling, what's wrong?"

She buried her face into his chest. "You're staying in London?"

He smiled into her hair and replied, "Yes, is that okay?"

"The kids too?"

"Yes. Is that okay?"

She looked up, threw her arms around his neck and began kissing him all over his face. "Okay? It's WONDERFUL! "

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. She was so beautiful first thing in the morning. He took her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her when the buzzer to the suite rang. He smiled at Fran's look of frustration, knowing she had wanted the kiss as much as he had.

"Who's that?"

"Probably Sommers, the butler. I asked him to do some shopping for me this morning and I'll bet he's here to deliver the items I asked for." He left her standing in the doorway and strode out to the suite's entryway. When he came back, his arms were laden with packages, which he laid on the bed.

"What's all this?"

"Just a few things I thought you'd need. I wanted to spend the day with you in London today, but didn't want you to have to wear your clothes from yesterday just to go back to your flat to get a change of clothes. So, I sent Sommers out this morning to pick up a few things."

Fran eyed the large pile on the bed. "A few things?"

He grinned sheepishly. "All right, so my list was a little larger than just the necessities."

As Fran unpacked the bags and boxes, she found several complete casual outfits and a full range of toiletries. She had everything she needed to last throughout the rest of the weekend.

"Do you have everything you need?"

She stood up and gave him a hug. "Yes, and then some."

He pushed her out of his arms, turned her around, patted her on the bottom and said, "Then get going, Missy, we have things to do!"

Laughing, she ran to the bathroom, letting the sheet fall to the floor right before she shut the door behind her. Maxwell tried to ignore the rush of excitement his body felt at the flash of skin she'd exposed. They'd never get out of this room if he gave in to the urges he was feeling. He'd lost count of the times they'd made love in the night and already he was ready to ravish her again. The effect this woman had on him was instantaneous and constant.

An hour later, Fran found Max on the balcony, drinking coffee and reading the paper. He looked up and smiled. "You look cute." She was wearing a white sundress dotted with tiny navy blue flowers. Her hair was pulled back in a loose barrette, a few tendrils framing her face.

He stood up and pulled her into his arms. Even with her heeled sandals, she was shorter than him. He loved holding her. It made him feel taller and stronger than he'd ever felt in his whole life. He kissed the tip of her nose and then gave her a quick, gentle kiss on the lips.

"Ready to go?"

"Sure. Where are we going?" They headed back through the suite, Fran pausing to grab her handbag before they left.

"I think a little shopping is in order."

"Don't you think you've bought enough for one day already?" She punched him playfully in the arm as they left the suite and headed for the elevator.

"Well, as I'm reasonably sure we're not all going to fit in your flat, we have to find a bigger place for us all to stay for the next month or two."

"Oh, I hope we can find something close to my place. That way I can come over after work to be with you and the kids and then not have so far to go at the end of the evening."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Maxwell was grateful they were the only ones on it. As the doors shut he pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her hungrily. He whispered against her lips, "Fran, if you think that I'm going to spend one more night away from you than I have to, you're crazy."

"Max, I want to be with you too, but what would the kids think? I don't want them to get the wrong idea..."

As he trailed kisses across her cheek and down her neck, he smiled to himself. He would make her understand. By the end of the day, she would know just how serious about her he was.

"Don't worry, Fran. We'll make sure there's room for all of us in the new place." He pulled back from her slightly as he knew they had almost arrived at the lobby. Smiling mischievously at her, he said, "Everyone will have their own room."

She blushed and smiled back. "Just make sure mine's next to yours, okay?"

He chuckled. And, at the same time, they both said, "With a connecting door."

Laughing, they exited the elevator and strolled across the lobby, hand in hand. As they left the hotel and stepped out into the warm sunshine, they both were filled with a happiness they hadn't felt for a long time.

Fran looked over to the man standing next to her and smiled. She still couldn't believe everything that had happened since last night. He loved her! Better than that, he'd finally admitted it to himself and let her in on the secret too. Fran felt like she could take on the world. She felt more complete than she had ever felt before. She had no idea where things were heading, but for the first time in her life, not knowing what was coming next didn't scare her. It excited her.

Maxwell looked down at Fran. She was staring up at him and smiling, her eyes bright and full of happiness. He knew how she felt. He was happier than he had been in a very long time. He couldn't believe how long it had taken him to let himself realize he was in love with her. But in the early hours of the morning, as he had watched her sleeping in his arms, a beautiful angel within his reach, he had made a decision. He wasn't going to hold back any longer. Life was too short. He loved her and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and his children.

"I love you, Fran."

"I love you too, Max."

"Let's go shopping!"

"Max, do you know how exciting it is to hear, 'I love you' and 'Let's go shopping' in the span of two minutes?"

Laughing, he hailed a cab. They had a lot to do today.

They didn't return to the hotel until late that night. Too exhausted to eat in the restaurant, they ordered room service and then both took long, hot showers, trying to let the water wash away the soreness from their tired muscles.

After Fran donned her nightgown, she wandered through the suite, searching for Max. Now that he was here in London with her, she didn't want to be apart from him for even a minute. They'd spent the whole day together and a 20-minute shower alone was enough to make her start missing him. Well, they'd almost spent the whole day together. After they'd spent the better part of four hours trying to find a rental property that would fit all of them, Max had dropped her off at a posh London spa for two hours of pure heaven. When she'd asked him where he was going, he'd just given her a secretive smile and mumbled something about having one more thing to look for before the kids arrived the day after tomorrow.

She found him on the balcony, staring out at the London skyline. She stood in the doorway for a moment, studying him from behind. How had she gotten so lucky? An intelligent, caring, gorgeous and wealthy man with three incredible children stood before her. He was in love with her. She smiled to herself and though, We didn't get lucky. We deserve this. We were meant to be together.

Maxwell studied the London skyline, trying to settle his excited nerves. His hands in the pockets of his pajama bottoms, he rocked back and forth on his feet, his fingers rolling the small jeweler's box over and over in his hand. When Fran came up behind him to hug him from behind, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Sorry, honey, did I startle you?"

He turned around in her embrace, his arms finding their way around her tiny waist. For about the millionth time in the last 24 hours, he marveled at how well their bodies fit together. He rested his forehead against hers and said, "Only a little."

"You sure looked deep in thought. I almost hated to disturb you. Everything okay?"

He raised back and looked at her, smiling. "Better than okay. Things are the best they've ever been."

She laughed. "Remind me to take you shopping more often. It has a good effect on you."

"That reminds me. I have one more thing for you."

"Maxwell Sheffield! You have to stop all this - you're spoiling me!"

As he reached into his pocket and drew out the box, laying it into her palm, he said, "Well, I could always take it back if you think it's too much."

Fran stared down at her palm, the jeweler's box sitting there peacefully, as if to say...Hi. Pleased to meet you. Her heart flew to her throat and she held her breath, scared that if she spoke, she'd wake up from this incredible dream.

Maxwell nudged her arm gently. "Aren't you going to open it?" When she stood there silent, he took the box from her and opened it, turning it around so she could see the contents properly.

Shining up at her was the most gorgeous diamond solitaire she had ever seen. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked up at him, unable to speak.

"Well now, here's a first. Fran Fine at a loss for words. I'll have to remember that jewelry has that effect on you."

She laughed weakly and shoved him, trying not to let the tears fall.

"Fran, I love you. You are the most incredible woman I've ever met. This past month has proven to me that my stupid, stubborn fears are a miserable substitute for the miracles your presence brings to my life. I've been a fool to keep you at arm's length and I'm vowing right here and now to never do that again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be the mother of our children. Will you marry me?"

Maxwell held his breath, praying that Fran would look past all the pain he'd caused her and see the love in his heart.

Her delicate hands wrapped around his and she looked up to him, the tears flowing freely over her porcelain cheeks. "What do you think?"

"Fran!"

She threw her arms around his neck and said, "Yes!"

His hands shaking, he took her left hand in his, noticing that she was shaking as badly as he was and placed the ring on her finger. Throwing the empty box into a nearby chair, he swept her into his arms for a lengthy kiss.

When they broke apart, he said, "Should we call the children now, or wait and surprise them when they arrive the day after tomorrow?"

"Let's wait. I'd like this to be our little secret for just a little while longer."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I don't want to share you or our news with anyone just yet. Call me selfish, but I kinda like having you all to myself." She drew a well-manicured nail down his chest to his waistband, tugging gently. She heard his sharp intake of breath and smiled to herself.

Maxwell caught her hand. "Well, then. Since we only have just over 36 hours until Niles and the children arrive, I suppose we better make the most of that time, don't you?"

She smiled at the mischievous glint in his eye. He could melt her with just a look and he knew it. "Absolutely."

They walked back into the suite, arm in arm, lost in their love and dreaming of their future together.

The End