"So, are the Drews still coming into town today?" Alicia teased Frank as they fixed up the hospital room. Alicia had been convinced to move back home and work at the agency with her father and brother. She had also started taking night classes with Frank and had petitioned Mr. Drew about the internship again.
Frank sighed. "For the last time, there is nothing between me and Nancy—"
"Except twelve tons of explosives and a lit match," she muttered, batting her eyelashes.
"—Besides, she's still dating Ned…"
Alicia put her hand on her hip, turning to face him. "Didn't you hear? They split up. They got into a huge fight over that mystery, and it made them realize they didn't really see eye to eye and appreciate the same things. I hear it was a very clean breakup, and they are friends, but nothing more."
Frank scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe. I'll think about it."
"So you do love her?"
"Shut up," he said playfully, finishing his cleaning. "Okay, we're done."
Alicia picked up a picture frame and put it up on the dresser. It was the picture of them up on Mount Mirage, and it made Alicia smile. "I should find Nancy's favorite picture to put in here. I wonder where Joe put it."
"Which photo is that?" Frank asked, curiously.
Alicia grinned and shook her head. "I bet it's your favorite too."
"What is it?" he persisted.
"A beautiful sunset in Egypt," she said cryptically, leaving the room with a shrug.
Frank rolled his eyes, following her and picking up the car keys. "All of the sunsets in Egypt were beautiful. You'll have to be more specific."
Alicia smiled, holding the door open for him. "The one where you were smooching a beautiful girl, of course. You mean there was more than one of those? I wish we had the camera for more of those," she grinned wickedly.
Frank blanched, then turned red, then paled again. "When did you… how did you…"
Alicia shrugged. "Joe snapped it after you and Nancy left for the balcony. I thought it was rather clever." As she climbed into the passenger seat, she clasped her hands over her heart and batted her eyes. "Now you and Nancy will remember your second first kiss forever, and you can tell your kids—"
"Kids?"
"—All six of them," she confirmed, "how fate just couldn't keep you two apart, no matter how hard she tried."
Frank shook his head and started the car. "Get in, and let's go." She closed the door, triumphantly. Then he realized. "Wait, second first kiss?" Alicia smiled to herself.
"My secret." She coyly looked over at her older brother. "So you admit you like her?"
"No."
Alicia sighed and looked out the window. "You two are hopeless."
"Two?" He asked, pulling down the street. "I'm assuming you mean Nancy."
"Yep. Oh! That's her." She pulled out her cell phone. "You are early. …We were just on our way to the airport. …Yes, Frank is driving… Yeah, and he can't wait to see you. He's dying with anticipation," Alicia's voice said with a smile, completely ignoring the last question, and she could hear Carson chuckling beyond the airport noise. Yes, I'm on speaker, she thought. "I happen to know for a fact that he's thinking about Egypt, and a certain sunset…"
"Am not!" Frank shouted. "Put it on speaker, Alicia."
"Frank! Do you want to give Nancy the wrong impression? That you're not —"
"Alicia! Stop! Please" Frank sighed in relief as the phone he grabbed from Alicia beeped. "Hey, Nancy. Sorry, Alicia still thinks she's sixteen and in high school."
Nancy smiled. "You're not what?"
Frank stammered for a reply as Alicia laughed. "Score! Oh goodness Nancy, you should see the colors of his face right now."
"How do you know about Egypt, anyways?" Nancy asked, as Carson chuckled again.
"I have my sources," she said with exaggerated mystery in her voice.
"What happened in Egypt?" Carson asked.
"Frank and Nancy took their undercover job seriously," Alicia grinned, ignoring the glare from Frank.
Frank's brother voice was obvious, as was the eye roll that accompanied the reply. "Apparently Joe took pictures after we left."
Nancy's blush turned redder, and her father gave her a curious look. "Oh. Um… Wow, okay. I can honestly say I did not see that coming."
"And she knows about the other one."
Nancy nodded, thinking back to the cabin and the avalanche. "Yeah, I think that was my fault. She had me cornered and interrogated me."
After a long moment of silence, Alicia asked with a smirk, "Need me to drive, Frank? You seem a little lost."
"Alicia, leave your brother alone," Nancy said with a sigh, though pleased with the confirmation that Frank's thoughts were similar to hers.
Alicia chuckled. "We're almost there. Give us five minutes, then we'll meet you at baggage claim."
Carson pondered for a moment. "I like Frank. I think I'd like to have him as a son-in-law."
"Dad! We're not even dating!"
Carson shrugged. "I can hope. I want grandbabies, and I'm sure Laura and Fenton do, too."
Alicia laughed. "Oh Frank! Please tell me, Mr. Drew, is Nancy's expression nearly as priceless as Frank's?"
"Yes, I do believe it is."
I decided I couldn't leave you guys hanging here with no Joe, so I'm posting the next chapter too.
