"I knew it! I SO knew you were into each other!"
"Jesus Christ, Nikki," Francie's hand flew to her heart. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"…out of US!" Relieved, James dropped his lips to Francie's partially exposed collarbone causing her to squeal and shove him away playfully.
"Sorry, but I KNEW IT!" A mischievous grin shone on her face.
James raised himself up off of Francie and offered her his hand to help her sit up. He smoothed his hair and straightened his clothes needing to give the appearance of normalcy when he gets to the waiting car in Francie's driveway.
"Keep it down, huh?" Francie asked her sister.
James handed his phone to Francie. "Where's your phone?" James asked.
"In my purse, why?" Francie looked between the iPhone in her hand and James' face.
"I'm going to put my number in it, if that's okay with you." James cocked an eyebrow with a smirk on his face.
James, James, James. There should be a law against looking that sexy!
"You need to know it's me calling, so you'll answer it."
"Nikki, grab my phone, please. It's in my purse on the counter. Hurry." Francie began entering her contact info into James' phone as Nikki ran to retrieve Francie's.
"I'll give you call as soon as I can." James sat next to Francie and placed his hand on her knee. "We've got a lot to talk about." Francie looked up at him with a bashful smile.
"Yes we do," she replied. Oh boy, we sure do.
"Here ya go, James," Nikki handed him the phone. "Type fast, they're waiting on you. Y'all are damn lucky it was me who came in to check on you two. You almost had Kendall witnessing that, semi-public, display of affection."
"Nikki, really? Jeez." Francie finished putting her number in James' phone and scowled at her sister.
"Here, now you'll know it's me." James handed Francie her phone back and picked his up from Francie's thigh where she had laid it down. "I've got to go." James raised two fingers, placed them under Francie's chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. "I wish I didn't have to leave." James placed a chaste kiss on Francie's lips.
Francie spoke, her lips never leaving his. "I know, me neither…" -another kiss- "…but you need to…" -and another- "…go on, get outta here." One last kiss and Francie pulled away. James' thick lashes parted slowly. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as butterflies went crazy in her stomach. I hope you know what you're doing, Franny!
James gazed into her eyes and took a hold of her hand, "I'll be back for you."
"I know you will." Francie responded, dreamily, and she knew James meant it.
James stood, with Francie's hands still in his and helped her off the couch. He wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her on the head. Francie's head rested over his rapidly beating heart. She smiled a small smile knowing she was the reason for the quickened pace.
Being in James's arms feels so right, so comfortable.
James released his hold on Francie then turned to a grinning Nikki. "What?" Smiling, he asked the older Mancini sister.
"You're almost as cute as Logan," Nikki's Cheshire cat grin widened. "Almost." She wrapped her arms around James' neck. "Thank you for saving my sister."
James glanced to Francie, "Nikki, it's your sister that's saving me." Francie's heart melted into a puddle of romantic, fairytale-like notions.
James walked to the door, turned around, flashed his million dollar smile and winked at Francie. "See ya soon, Sweetness."
"Yes you will. Bye, James." Francie blew him a kiss then James turned and walked out the door.
Nikki giggled at the wistful, longing look on Francie's face. Francie turned to her sister, pouting, and said, "Shut up."
James walked out to the car and his waiting friends. "Ready? Let's do this."
Kendall and Logan had the little girls on their backs giving piggy back rides. Kendall turned his back to James and said, "James, can you get her? I don't want her to slide down. She might fall."
Kendall's 'daddy mode' is in full swing.
James laughed, "Sure thing. Come here, Blondie." He grabbed Marley off of Kendall's back and spun her around, eliciting a melody of giggles from the little girl. James put her down much to Marley's displeasure.
Carlos helped remove Piper from Logan's back, as well. Carlos whispered, "Hey Logan, you look like you may be daddy material, too." Carlos winked at his dimpled friend and pat him on his back.
"She's a great kid…with a beautiful mom." Logan looked at his feet, embarrassed that he vocalized his feeling so freely.
Carlos just stared with his jaw hanging. He quickly recovered and pouted saying, "Kansas girls…I want a Kansas girl, too!" Logan laughed and punched Carlos in the arm.
The girls said their goodbyes – again – and ran back up to the house to their mothers waiting on the front porch. The four friends waved goodbye, as the sisters waved back.
"Dibs on shotgun," Kendall yelled.
"Damn," James mumbled. If he wasn't distracted by the sight of Francie on her porch and the memory of that kiss, he would totally have had shotgun.
Kendall hopped in the front seat, waving one last time at his former girlfriend. Hmmm…I wonder if Francie would be interested in dropping that former part? Oh, this tour is going to last forever. I've got to get back here every chance I get. Kendall's heart expanded in his chest as he saw Marley grip her mother's hand and turned to enthusiastically wave goodbye to her favorite band.
Carlos got in the backseat of the SUV first, followed by Logan, and then James. Before James got in, he turned for one last glance at the fantasy girl who, through Kendall's memories, stole his heart years ago. That girl has turned into a tangible woman who owned his heart still.
Francie and I can overcome the obstacles we're facing, I KNOW we can. Being away from her while touring is going to be hell. I've got to get back here every chance I get.
James got in the SUV, closed the door, and off they went.
Francie and Nikki stood on the porch and watched in silence as their hearts drove away in a black SUV. The girls ran to the edge of the yard waving goodbye to their new buddies.
"Come on in girls, it's dark out," Francie called after them. "Let's go in." She turned to her sister and held her arms open. Nikki and Francie, hugging in the warm June night, comforted each other.
"Let's put the girls to bed with a movie, pop open a bottle of wine and you tell me about that kiss. What do you say?" Nikki smiled at her little sister waiting for an answer.
Francie beamed ear to ear, "Let's do it!" The all four Mancini girls went inside to start their own slumber parties.
"So, Logan, what's up with you and Nikki?" Kendall asked from the front seat.
In the dark, James could see his friend blush. "Ah-ha! Logan likes Nikki!" James elbowed Logan repeatedly. "Logan and Nikki sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." James teased.
"First comes love," Carlos joined James. "Then comes marriage," Kendall chimed in.
"Then comes baby in a baby carriage." The four buddies broke into laughter, they even had the driver chuckling.
"Okay, okay, ha-ha-ha. Leave me be." Logan responded to the good-natured ribbing his friends bestowed upon him. "Y'all should be singing that to Kendall, not me." Logan tried to push the attention from him. Then he remembered that James has feelings for Francie, too. Logan looked awkwardly at James who immediately felt uneasy.
"Oooh-ho, no you don't, Logie. It's all about you, man." Kendall laughed, dimples on display.
"Seriously, Ken, what's going on with you and Francie?" James had to start somewhere. He has to know what Kendall's intentions are, what his feelings are…what James is up against. "Do you, uh, do you love her?" Say no, say no, say no.
Logan and Carlos both turned questioning stares toward James. Carlos wondered what in the hell James was doing? Why open yourself up to the hurt, man? What good is this going to do?
Logan had a better grasp on what James was doing. Trying to get a feel for what sort of relationship Kendall is wanting with Francie, huh? Well played, James, well played.
"I don't know what's up."
"You don't know? How can you not know?" James started to get agitated.
"What do you want, James?"
"I want to know how you feel about her…" Oh boy, "Uh, about her and Marley? Do you want to get back together with her?" James' voice was quiet.
"I still love her. I'm hoping that she still loves me." James felt nauseous. Kendall looked out the window and went on, "She's a bundle of raw emotion right now. I'd imagine she's confused. I meant what I said to Marley on the couch – I wish, I pray, I'm her father."
James found his voice, "What if Marley's not you daughter? Then what happens with you two?"
"I'd still like to have her back in my life."
James hung his head. Aw, dammit!
Carlos knew his friend was suffering, struggling with what he's hearing. Maybe it's for the better, if James hears that Kendall wants Francie back, maybe James will be able to move past it. "So, daughter or no daughter, you'd go back to her…" Carlos said, "...if she'll have you?" Carlos locked eyes with James. James read the sympathy in Carlos's dark brown eyes.
Kendall smiled, "Yeah, if she'll have me." Kendall leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, his mind snapping instantly to Francie…and Marley.
Carlos mouthed "I'm sorry" to his friend. James turned his eyes away from Carlos and out the window. She doesn't want you Kendall – she wants me. And I want her. They went the rest of the way to the hotel in silence.
"Wow, I guess I missed the show on the couch, huh?" Nikki giggled. The sisters were sitting on Francie's deck sharing a bottle of wine from Ryan's private stock. To hell with him, he damaged Francie, she'll do some damage to his precious cellar stash.
"Yeah, you did," Francie drained her glass. "Oh Nik, I thought I was going to – to explode! Honestly. It was exhilarating!" Francie let out a heavy sigh.
"Well, since you haven't brought it up, I will. What about Kendall?"
Francie poured herself another glass of red liquid. "I feel awful about Kendall. I never wanted anything from him when we went to the meet and greet. Our relationship was over, I had accepted that. When he kissed me in his suite, after I spilled my guts about Marley, I figured he was caught up in the emotions of finding out he may be a father. I was crying, he just tried to comfort us both."
"Well, that kiss in the hospital was something." Nikki shook her head and reached for the bottle.
"Don't I know it…I was on the other end of that kiss." Francie sipped her wine.
A melody filled the air, Francie's phone was going off alerting her that she had received a text.
On the bus with 'Los. Wish I was w/U on that couch still. ;-) Miss U already. I'll call soon, Sweetness.
"James?" Nikki asked with a smug grin.
"How did you know?" Francie asked in the middle of returning the text.
"You've got a goofy grin plastered all across you face." Francie stuck her tongue out at her sister and finished her text.
On the patio w/Nik and some wine. Wish we were back on the couch 2. Waiting for UR call. Miss U 2.
Francie placed her phone on the table and picked up her wine glass.
"Did you text an X-rated response?" Nikki laughed a little too loud. The wine was loosening her up.
"Stop it! NO!" Francie tossed her head back and laughed. "I wouldn't tell you if I did!"
"So, where were we? Oh, so do you think Kendall may be in love with the whole family idea? Maybe that's messing with his feelings, or what he thinks are his feelings."
"Wait, you're getting ahead of yourself, Nikki." Francie threw her hands in the air. "We don't know what his feelings are."
Francie's phone went off again. Another text!
Francie read the screen, expecting the message to be from James, but it was from Kendall.
Can't get U outta my head. Wish I got a g-bye kiss. Oh well, we have the rest of our lives for kisses, right? ;-) Call U soon.
Francie looked up from her screen to her sister's expectant face. She grabbed her glass and drank it down. "Nikki, I'm gonna need another bottle."
With no questions asked, Nikki rose from her seat, and went down to the wine cellar to pick out another one of Ryan's expensive bottles of wine.
