Chapter Thirty-Seven
Nancy and Frank entered their bungalow. Frank had left a light on and it bathed the living room in a warm yellow glow. Nancy dropped her handbag on the kitchenette table and Frank hid the Wal-Mart bag behind the couch in the living room.
"So," Frank said turning to Nancy, "what's your theory on Molly?"
Nancy was tired. It had been a long day. First, tending to Bridget and then to Molly, and finally, a long interview at the Police station with Lana. Cramps had worked their way along Nancy's shoulders and neck. She rolled her head from side to side trying to work out some of those cramps. A shower would help relax her tight neck and shoulders, she thought.
Frank plopped on an arm of the couch and said, "Well?"
"Well," Nancy said meeting Frank's dark eyes, "I think she's pregnant."
"Pregnant?"
Nancy rolled her shoulders and swung her arms, still working on those cramps. "Yes, pregnancy would explain her extreme fatigue and her sometimes muddled thinking."
Frank whistled softly. "I hadn't noticed the muddled thoughts .. but the fatigue was kind of alarming."
Nancy smiled at him. "Pregnancy hits women in different ways. Besides, you didn't talk to Molly as much as I did. She wasn't that muddled, just enough to make me wonder, what if .."
"So, mystery solved."
"That one is." Nancy looked directly at Frank and then nodded at the back of the couch where the bag was hidden. "But there's another mystery I'm very anxious to solve."
An impish smile curled the corners of Frank's mouth and one eyebrow wiggled. "That mystery needs a little time to set up."
"Set up?" Whatever did he mean, Nancy wondered.
"Yeah, I kinda need you to .. um, not look for a while."
Nancy stared at Frank for a long second and then said, "I was thinking of taking a quick shower. Would that give you enough time to, ahem, 'set up?'"
"It would." He rose from the arm of the couch and kissed her on the cheek. "Take all the time you need."
She eyed him skeptically. "What are you up to, Frank Hardy?"
He smiled at her pleasantly and said, "That's for me to know and you to find out."
"I am trying to find out," she informed him.
Frank smiled at her, but said nothing. His silence caused a bit of irritation to creep into her voice, "Well, I guess I'd better take that shower."
He watched her walk to the bedroom. She cast suspicious glances over her shoulder as she went. She ducked into the bedroom and reappeared a moment later with one of the terrycloth bathrobes the resort supplied. She cast one last, lingering glance in the living room.
Frank sat on the couch patiently waiting. "Have a nice shower," he said.
"I will," she said with a huff. She disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door a little harder than necessary.
The old saying, curiosity killed the cat, was quite applicable to Nancy Drew. She was dying of curiosity.
She picked up the bobby pins on the bathroom counter and pinned up her hair. Curiosity was definitely one of her failings. She accepted that. Throughout her life many of her investigations had been driven by curiosity only. She had an insatiable desire to know the truth. In investigative work that was an asset.
However, back to tonight and to Frank and that bag. Frank was using her inane curiosity to his advantage. Nancy smiled at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. He knew how to get to her, but she really didn't mind. Actually, it was kind of fun. Sort of like a cat and mouse game. Frank's little ploy with the items in the bag had her quite intrigued and dare she say, aroused. Perhaps, that was Frank's plan all along.
# # # #
Once Frank heard the shower running he got to work. He had been planning and collecting the items while Nancy was at the Police Station. Now, he took his time and set up the items.
Frank's head jerked in the direction of the bathroom when he heard the shower water stop. He smiled. Everything was in place. Just one last thing to do. He hurried to the bedroom, doffed his clothes, and slipped on the other resort supplied, terrycloth robe.
By the time Nancy opened the bathroom door, wrapped in her robe and hair still pinned up, Frank was leaning against the hallway wall with his arms crossed. Oh, and a big smile on his face.
Nancy saw the mischievous gleam in Frank's eye and stepped, tentatively, into the hall. Something was up. Her gaze darted along the hall, into the living room and into the bedroom. She noted the lighting. It was very dim. Very soft. More a glow .. like the embers of a fire.
Her senses were definitely aroused. She detected a faint scent, an aromatic smell, like that of flowers. It was a scent she was quite familiar with. The scent of the flowers she loved, the ones growing here at the resort.
She locked eyes with Frank and saw one dark eyebrow raise. He looked down at the floor then back at her. She looked down and gasped. Flower petals made a trail into the bedroom. Petals of the flowers she so-dearly loved.
A hand went to her chest and she whispered, "Frank, they're lovely." She was touched beyond words. My, he had been busy collecting all those flowers.
He pushed away from the wall and took her by the arm. "There's more," he said quietly and led her into the bedroom.
She was taken aback by the scene that greeted her. On the floor, flower petals surrounded the bed. Candles glowed and flickered on every available surface .. bedside tables and dressers.
Candles .. that's what had been in the Wal-Mart bag.
Tears sprang to Nancy's eyes. It was so romantic. She was transported to another world, a world of beauty and relaxation.
She brought her hands together, as if in prayer, and placed her fingertips to her lips. "It's beautiful, Frank. Truly beautiful."
She felt loved beyond measure. Frank had taken her by complete surprise and had touched her heart in a most compelling way. He'd gone to a lot of time and effort and it showed. The flowers, the candles, and the turned down bed. He was seducing her and she liked it.
Frank pulled her to him, lowered his lips to hers, and kissed her deeply. She slipped an arm around his neck and arched into him. The kiss was long and passionate.
Later, much later, Nancy lay in bed snuggled next to Frank. She was tired – in a good way – and a little fuzzy headed. Glimpses of the night flashed through her mind as she gave into sleep.
Robes puddled on the floor ...
His hand softly moving up her arm, over her shoulder, and into her hair.
Frank removing the hairpins one by one …
Hot kisses and Frank sweeping her into his arms …
Being laid gently on the bed. Smiling at Frank as he lay down beside her …
His lips finding her lips again …
# # # #
She was asleep, nestled in his arms, and he was at peace. Her slow, steady breathing filled the silence.
There was so much he wanted to tell her .. how much he loved her and how she had made him whole again. In his mind, they were two halves that fit together perfectly. The way her body molded to his was pure heaven.
All he'd ever wanted in life was the right woman by his side. A confident woman who could see him through the rough times. Someone who could keep him sane when the dark times arose. Every man needed a stabilizing influence.
Nancy was that and more. She didn't know it because he'd never told her, but in his mind, she made him a better person. She'd broken down the walls he'd erected after his wife, Callie, had left him. He didn't blame Callie for the break-up. She'd given him and the military a fair chance. He couldn't fault her for that. But the reality of Army life, and his line of work, was not what she wanted out of life. She was looking for something more traditional. A house, kids, the picket fence. Unfortunately, those were things he could never give her, not if he was going to be true to himself.
He preferred to be on the move and exploring new places. Callie relished staying at home and being around relatives. Give her a backyard filled with kids, trees, and a grill and she was happy. Him? Not so much. Not that he didn't like those things. He liked grilling out and spending time with friends and family – on occasion. He didn't want it to be a full-time job.
No, he needed a little more adventure in his life.
And that's where Nancy came in. She had no idea how she'd changed him – in his head and in his heart. That vivacious personality of hers had reeled him in hook, line, and sinker. Like him, she liked to be on the go. Traveling, investigating, exploring. Her impetuous nature had broken him out of his shell and made him less reserve, at least around her.
He liked her brain almost as much as her body. Don't get him started on her body. That was a separate discussion, but for the record, he liked it just fine .. actually, a lot more than fine. But back to her brain, she was smart and intelligent and easily matched wits with him.
Another thing he liked was her resilience. Just like him, she never gave up, not even in the most dire of circumstances. He knew because they'd been there. She'd saved his life once and he would never forget it.
So yes, he knew without a doubt that he could count on Nancy to 'have his back.' Not many woman had emboldened him with a true sense of protection. Nancy did. If he was being honest with himself – and he was trying to be – he'd have to say he was a little in awe of her.
Yes, he thought as he fell asleep, he was in awe of her and deeply in love.
A/N: Okay, so this is NOT the end of the story. There's one more chapter, maybe two.
'Thank you' to those who have a left a review thus far. Reviews are always appreciated and nice to receive. As a side note, I've been busy helping relatives. A niece and nephew who live in Houston came to stay for a few days. Lucky for them their homes did not get flooded and they were able to return to Texas. Now, one of my daughters is helping out in the Carolinas. She's in the National Guard and they're busy preparing homes and businesses for floods and winds. We're all waiting on pins and needles to see what path Hurricane Irma will take. :/ Stay safe everyone!