"Nan! Frank!" Bess exclaimed as she opened her front door. She gave
Frank a hug hello and said, "It's so good to see you! Come on in," she
said, ushering the pair inside the house.
"It's good to see you too, Bess. I hear congratulations are in order," Frank stated.
Bess displayed her left hand that held a glittering diamond solitaire. She gave him a big smile, "Yep. Getting married in September."
"Like Nancy said earlier, will wonders never cease? First Joe, now you."
"Joe's getting married, too?" Bess questioned.
"Sure is. He and Vanessa are tying the knot in about three months."
"Someone got Joe to settle down? Wow," Bess said. "Look's like we've all done some growing up."
The trio headed into the living room to sit and Bess turned to Nancy, "How are you holding up?"
Nancy reached for Frank's hand and smiled at Bess. "I think things are going to be just fine," she smiled.
Bess looked at the pair of joined hands and then to Nancy's face, and finally Frank's face. "I just made some lemonade. Nan, why don't you come in the kitchen and help me bring it out?"
Nancy laughed. "Smooth, Bess. We both know you don't need help pouring lemonade."
Bess pouted and was about to defend herself when Frank interrupted. "Go on and have your little girl talk," he grinned at the girls.
"Thank you, Frank," Bess said, grabbing Nancy's arm. "Come on. You and I have some chatting to do, missy."
"Back in a minute," Nancy called over her shoulder to Frank, as Bess dragged her into the kitchen.
Bess looked at Nancy in disbelief. "Okay - last night when I dropped you off, you were practically still in tears. Obviously, you're fine now. Care to share the details?"
Nancy grinned sheepishly. "Well, you did have a hand in it, Bess," she pointed out.
"Me? I didn't do anything," Bess declared, feigning innocence.
Nancy fixed a mock glare at Bess, "You're the one that sent him over to my house last night when you answered my cell phone."
Bess chose to ignore that comment. "So, what happened?" She pulled the glasses down from the cabinet and sat them on the counter.
"Well, it was very ironic that he called last night, because I was thinking about him," Nancy began. "When I got home and was putting my jewelry away, I noticed the rings that we wore in Egypt and I told myself that I was going to call him the next day to catch up. Next thing I know, my bubble bath was interrupted by a phone call and he was downstairs in front of my building."
"Go on," Bess urged. "And hurry up and get to the good stuff."
Nancy laughed at her friend's impatience. "Well, when he came upstairs we sat on the couch and he asked me where Ned was. Over a bottle of wine I told him what happened and he told me a similar, but much worse story, as to what happened between him and Callie. Then we started reminiscing about the good old days of chasing criminals, and that led to us talking about how we felt about each other." Nancy paused to retrieve some ice for the glasses.
"And?" Bess prompted.
"Well, let's just say that he spent the night and leave it at that," Nancy said.
Bess's eyes were as big as saucers, "You and Frank...."
Nancy bit her lip and smiled. "Yep. Twice, actually," she admitted. "Once last night, and then again this morning."
Bess swatted Nancy with a dishtowel, "You devil, you," she exclaimed.
"Unfortunately," Nancy continued, her mood sobering instantly. "When I got up this morning to fix us breakfast, Ned came home."
"I thought you took his keys," Bess interrupted.
"I did," she answered. "But I guess in my anger, I forgot about his spare set. So, in walks Ned. I'm in my robe about to cook breakfast and Ned starts to offer another lame excuse about last night, when Frank walks into the living room looking for his shirt."
"Oh no!" Bess said. "What happened?" she asked sympathetically.
Nancy took a deep breath remembering the morning's events and then continued. "Well, Ned wasn't happy at what he saw, that's for sure. Frank escaped back into the bedroom and Ned kept trying to get me give me an explanation. I told him that I was done with it, Bess. I said everything I needed to say to him last night. I didn't want to fight, and I didn't want to hear any excuses."
Bess patted her friend's shoulder in comfort. She knew that this had to be hard for Nancy. After all, she and Ned had spent the better part of the last decade together. "Then what happened?" she asked gently.
"I told him he needed to be gone by the time Frank and I got back. That was it. End of story," Nancy sighed. She was trying to keep from getting emotional again, but relating the story to one of her best friend's was a little harder than she had imagined. Frank hadn't pushed for any details and she didn't offer them either.
Bess enveloped Nancy in a friendly hug. "It'll be okay, Nan. Things have a way of working out for the best," she reminded her friend.
"I know."
"And I think that guy in the living room is going to help you get over old Ned in no time," Bess grinned.
Nancy couldn't help but smile back. "I think you might be right."
"It's good to see you too, Bess. I hear congratulations are in order," Frank stated.
Bess displayed her left hand that held a glittering diamond solitaire. She gave him a big smile, "Yep. Getting married in September."
"Like Nancy said earlier, will wonders never cease? First Joe, now you."
"Joe's getting married, too?" Bess questioned.
"Sure is. He and Vanessa are tying the knot in about three months."
"Someone got Joe to settle down? Wow," Bess said. "Look's like we've all done some growing up."
The trio headed into the living room to sit and Bess turned to Nancy, "How are you holding up?"
Nancy reached for Frank's hand and smiled at Bess. "I think things are going to be just fine," she smiled.
Bess looked at the pair of joined hands and then to Nancy's face, and finally Frank's face. "I just made some lemonade. Nan, why don't you come in the kitchen and help me bring it out?"
Nancy laughed. "Smooth, Bess. We both know you don't need help pouring lemonade."
Bess pouted and was about to defend herself when Frank interrupted. "Go on and have your little girl talk," he grinned at the girls.
"Thank you, Frank," Bess said, grabbing Nancy's arm. "Come on. You and I have some chatting to do, missy."
"Back in a minute," Nancy called over her shoulder to Frank, as Bess dragged her into the kitchen.
Bess looked at Nancy in disbelief. "Okay - last night when I dropped you off, you were practically still in tears. Obviously, you're fine now. Care to share the details?"
Nancy grinned sheepishly. "Well, you did have a hand in it, Bess," she pointed out.
"Me? I didn't do anything," Bess declared, feigning innocence.
Nancy fixed a mock glare at Bess, "You're the one that sent him over to my house last night when you answered my cell phone."
Bess chose to ignore that comment. "So, what happened?" She pulled the glasses down from the cabinet and sat them on the counter.
"Well, it was very ironic that he called last night, because I was thinking about him," Nancy began. "When I got home and was putting my jewelry away, I noticed the rings that we wore in Egypt and I told myself that I was going to call him the next day to catch up. Next thing I know, my bubble bath was interrupted by a phone call and he was downstairs in front of my building."
"Go on," Bess urged. "And hurry up and get to the good stuff."
Nancy laughed at her friend's impatience. "Well, when he came upstairs we sat on the couch and he asked me where Ned was. Over a bottle of wine I told him what happened and he told me a similar, but much worse story, as to what happened between him and Callie. Then we started reminiscing about the good old days of chasing criminals, and that led to us talking about how we felt about each other." Nancy paused to retrieve some ice for the glasses.
"And?" Bess prompted.
"Well, let's just say that he spent the night and leave it at that," Nancy said.
Bess's eyes were as big as saucers, "You and Frank...."
Nancy bit her lip and smiled. "Yep. Twice, actually," she admitted. "Once last night, and then again this morning."
Bess swatted Nancy with a dishtowel, "You devil, you," she exclaimed.
"Unfortunately," Nancy continued, her mood sobering instantly. "When I got up this morning to fix us breakfast, Ned came home."
"I thought you took his keys," Bess interrupted.
"I did," she answered. "But I guess in my anger, I forgot about his spare set. So, in walks Ned. I'm in my robe about to cook breakfast and Ned starts to offer another lame excuse about last night, when Frank walks into the living room looking for his shirt."
"Oh no!" Bess said. "What happened?" she asked sympathetically.
Nancy took a deep breath remembering the morning's events and then continued. "Well, Ned wasn't happy at what he saw, that's for sure. Frank escaped back into the bedroom and Ned kept trying to get me give me an explanation. I told him that I was done with it, Bess. I said everything I needed to say to him last night. I didn't want to fight, and I didn't want to hear any excuses."
Bess patted her friend's shoulder in comfort. She knew that this had to be hard for Nancy. After all, she and Ned had spent the better part of the last decade together. "Then what happened?" she asked gently.
"I told him he needed to be gone by the time Frank and I got back. That was it. End of story," Nancy sighed. She was trying to keep from getting emotional again, but relating the story to one of her best friend's was a little harder than she had imagined. Frank hadn't pushed for any details and she didn't offer them either.
Bess enveloped Nancy in a friendly hug. "It'll be okay, Nan. Things have a way of working out for the best," she reminded her friend.
"I know."
"And I think that guy in the living room is going to help you get over old Ned in no time," Bess grinned.
Nancy couldn't help but smile back. "I think you might be right."