Vanessa leapt to her feet and was at Joe's side in a flash. "Are you hurt?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"Just my pride," Joe grimaced and looked up into the face of the man whose foot he had tripped over. "Sorry," Joe apologized with a lopsided grin.
"My fault, entirely," replied the red-cheeked man with curly black hair and green eyes. He held out a hand and helped Joe to his feet. "I should keep my feet under the table and not in the aisle," he added with a friendly wink.
Joe laughed and apologized again before taking Vanessa's elbow and steering her back to the booth. "I guess I really made an entrance this time," Joe said a bit derisively as he sat down in the booth across from Vanessa.
"You always make an entrance," she corrected him, laughing and capturing one of his hands in hers. "I don't know why you wanted to meet here," she said, her voice going soft as she looked into his eyes.
"So we could eat," Joe said, a bit uncomfortable with the look in her eyes. He felt decidedly like prey.
"We could have had dinner at my place," she reminded him.
"That's, uh...not such a good idea," Joe said.
"Why not?" Vanessa demanded, her eyes narrowing. "My mom's not there."
"That's why," Joe replied. "People might think we were doing something."
"We could," she said, beginning to rub his fingers. "Give then something to talk about."
Joe pulled his hand away, his heart wrenching at the hurt look in her eyes. "I see," she said, looking down.
"No, you don't," Joe said, taking her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes. "I love you. More than I ever thought I could love anyone ever again."
"Then why?" Vanessa demanded, the wounded look still present.
"I've always viewed sex as a holy union between a man and a woman who love each other deeply," Joe tried to explain.
"But you just said you loved me and I do love you," she pointed out.
"I know, I know," he said, releasing her chin and taking her hand in his. "But I don't want to have to hide anything about our relationship. And if we made love before we were married, we couldn't let our parents know."
"So, you're saying if we didn't love each other, it would be okay to have sex and not let everyone know?" she asked incredulously.
"No," Joe denied, shaking his head. "That's not it at all."
"Then what?" Vanessa demanded a simple answer. "Why won't you make love to me?" she asked, her voice rising unconsciously.
"Because I will not have sex unless I'm married," Joe answered.
"You mean, you're a...a..." she said, her eyes wide in shocked disbelief.
"A virgin," Joe finished for her. "Yeah, I am," he admitted.
"Not even with Iola?" she asked, her voice dropping.
"Not with anyone," Joe answered firmly. "Making love should be special," he insisted. "Not something you do to pass the time."
"I didn't..." Vanessa began hotly.
"That's not what I mean," Joe quickly corrected himself. "I mean, it should be an expression of love between a man and his wife."
Vanessa's eyes softened and she smiled at him. "You are such an old-fashioned romantic," she said, leaning across the table to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"You're not mad at me?" he asked a bit hesitantly.
"Of course not," she denied. "This is just one more example of how special you are."
Joe blushed at the compliment and she squeezed his hand. "Now," she said, sitting back against the booth's cushioned chair. "Let's eat. I'm starved."
Joe went to order and soon returned with burgers, fries and shakes. They sat, ate their dinner, and talked. It was a considerable amount of time later when Joe happened to glance at his watch. "Wow! It's almost eleven."
"Really?" Vanessa demanded, her eyebrows shooting up. "It doesn't seem possible," she added.
"It is," said the employee who was wiping down another booth. "You and the party behind you have been here for over four hours."
"Oh, no!" Vanessa exclaimed in embarrassment. "We're sorry."
"Don't sweat it," replied the young man, tossing the cloth he had been using from one hand to the other. "It's been a slow night," he added, walking away.
"Let's go," Vanessa said. "I'll drop you off at home."
Joe stood up and picked up their tray. He emptied its contents in the trash by the door and left it sitting on top with a few other trays. He returned to the table and held out a hand to Vanessa. When she put her hand in his, he pulled her to her feet and together they exited Barney's Burger Barn into the cool night air.
They got into Vanessa's Ford Explorer and pulled out of the parking space. They were almost to the Hardy home when Joe realized they were being followed. "Make a left," Joe ordered, his eyes on the side mirror.
"Why?" she asked, making the requested turn without giving a signal.
"We're being followed," Joe informed her. "I noticed them at Harcourt Street and they've kept the same distance making every turn since."
"I didn't know you and Frank were working on a case now," she said, glancing over at him briefly.
"We aren't," Joe replied. "Make a left on Laison and a right on Tyler," he ordered. "Go slow until you reach Liason then step on it."
Vanessa did as instructed then took four more cuts in rapid succession, finally ending up on the highway leading to her home. "Did we lose them?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Joe answered, keeping a lookout. "What say we head on out to your place and I borrow your car? I'll bring it back in the morning," he promised.
"Worry-wart," she said, smiling affectionately at him. She loved it when Joe got all protective. Vanessa drove to her house and unlocked the door. Joe went in first and made sure no one was lurking about or had been in the place.
"You could come and stay in our guest room," Joe offered, his eyes full of concern as he looked into hers.
"Don't worry," Vanessa told him, holding up her hand to his face. "We lost them. Besides, you were being followed. It just happened to be in my car."
Joe wanted to argue, but he knew she was probably right. "Lock the door and turn on the alarm as soon as I leave," he ordered her sternly.
"If you'll call me when you get home," she bargained.
"Deal," Joe agreed, smiling as he leaned in close and covered her mouth with his.
A couple of minutes later they pulled apart and Vanessa walked Joe to the door, locking it after him and turning on the alarm as she had promised.
"How was your evening?" petite Laura Hardy asked her son as he entered the living room.
"Very nice," Joe told her, smiling fondly at the memory of Vanessa laughing earlier at him.
"What did you two do all night?" Mr. Hardy asked, smiling at Joe although his eyes were laced with concern. He knew Andrea Bender was out of town.
"Would you believe we talked?" Joe asked, laughing. "We started eating and the next thing we knew, one of the guys was busing the tables and getting ready to close-up." His eyes clouded over and he looked at his dad. "Are you working on anything?" he asked.
"No," Mr. Hardy replied. "I wrapped the case for Albany Air yesterday. Why?"
"Someone was following us as we left Barney's Burgers," Joe said, frowning.
"What kind of car?" Mr. Hardy asked.
"A Toyota, I think," Joe responded with a shake of his head. "It kept far enough back so I couldn't get a good look at it."
"Are you and your brother working on anything now?" Mr. Hardy inquired, quirking an eyebrow for accent.
"Nope," Joe answered. "It's been quiet all week."
"Hmm, well, until we find out what's going on, I think you should stick close to the house or your brother," Mr. Hardy ordered him. "I'll go make a few phone calls and see if anyone has been released or escaped from prison recently."
"And I'll call the Shaws and see if Frank is still there. Someone may be tailing him too," Joe said. He went over to the phone, and remembering his promise to call Vanessa, gave her a ring first to let her know he had made it home safely. Next, he dialed the Shaws' house.
"Hel...hello," blond-heaed Callie Shaw answered the phone with a little giggle. "Stop that!" she hissed at her playful boyfriend as he blew gently into her ear.
"Callie, I need to speak with Frank," Joe's voice reverbrated in her ear.
"It's Joe," Callie said, handing the phone to Frank who made a face as he took it from her.
"This better be good," he growled into the phone.
"Interrupted something, did I?" Joe asked, grinning. "Have you noticed anyone tailing you tonight?" he asked, turning serious almost at once.
"What? Joe, what are you talking about?" Frank asked, growing concerned. "What's happened?"
Joe told Frank about being followed and their dad seeing if it could be an old enemy. "Be careful and keep your eyes open on your way home," Joe concluded.
"Will do," Frank agreed, getting ready to disconnect.
"Uh, when will you be home?" Joe asked.
Frank's eyebrows drew closer together. "Later," he said, starting to wonder why Joe was being such a nuisance all of the sudden.
"How much later?" Joe pushed.
Frank sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll be home by one," he promised, ringing off.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Callie demanded, taking Frank's chin in her hand and looking into his troubled eyes.
"I don't know," Frank admitted, smiling wanly at her. "Joe's never been this...protective before."
"He's probably afraid he's losing you," Callie told him.
"What!" Frank exclaimed, his eyes going wide. "No way. We talked about it earlier," he said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Do you really think he's upset because I started early?"
"No," Callie replied slowly after having thought it over. "I think he's feeling lonely because you are going to live on campus instead of commute."
"It's only across town," Frank pointed out.
"But it might as well be across the country," Callie told him. "You and Joe have always been there for each other twenty-four seven," she said. "Things are going to be very different now."
"You think I should live at home?" Frank asked her, looking puzzled.
Callie shrugged. "It's only for one more year," she replied. "Then you and Joe could live on campus together."
"I thought you would be happy if I lived on campus," Frank said, still mystified by what she was saying.
"Why would you ever think that?" she demanded, her eyes widening in surprise. "Frank, I know you. You'll spend all your time worrying about Joe."
"Joe has to take care of himself sometime," Frank said, although Callie wondered if Frank was trying to convince her of this fact or himself. "Look, you're right," he admitted when she stared at him. He ran a hand through his mane of brown hair. "I'm worried about him right now. Why was someone following him?"
"Then why..." Frank stopped her words by placing a finger to her lips.
"He's going to be graduating from high school next year," Frank stated. "He's gotten used to me looking out for him. I'm not always going to be there. I'm going to have my own family to look out for in the future and so will Joe. He needs to learn to be responsible for himself or he will never be able to take care of a family." Frank's eyes begged for Callie to understand.
"I'm sorry, Frank," Callie told him, shaking her head. "I don't think Joe's emotionally ready for that kind of separation. You either for that matter. No, hear me out," she said, holding up her hand as he was about to interrupt. "You two aren't like normal brothers," she pointed out. "You face life and death situations every week. You need each other whether you want to admit it or not. Granted," she continued, "Joe does tend to get himself into situations because in the back of his mind he knows you will be there to get him out of trouble, but he would know you would help him even if you weren't in the next room."
"But that's just it," Fank said, seriously. "He has to learn to get himself out of the messes he gets into, or better yet, not to get into them at all."
"So you're just going to ignore the fact that someone was following him tonight?" Callie demanded in disbelief.
"Joe has the same training and experience I have," Frank replied. "He can handle it."
"And if he can't?" Callie asked, looking at him hard.
"Then he's going to have to figure a way out of whatever he gets himself into with someone else's help," Frank asserted. If Frank had sprouted a second head, Callie could not have been more surprised.
"Relax," Frank told her. "Joe will be all right," he promised. 'But what about you?' she wondered silently as he pulled her close. 'If something happens to Joe, will you be all right after you deserted him?'
"Just my pride," Joe grimaced and looked up into the face of the man whose foot he had tripped over. "Sorry," Joe apologized with a lopsided grin.
"My fault, entirely," replied the red-cheeked man with curly black hair and green eyes. He held out a hand and helped Joe to his feet. "I should keep my feet under the table and not in the aisle," he added with a friendly wink.
Joe laughed and apologized again before taking Vanessa's elbow and steering her back to the booth. "I guess I really made an entrance this time," Joe said a bit derisively as he sat down in the booth across from Vanessa.
"You always make an entrance," she corrected him, laughing and capturing one of his hands in hers. "I don't know why you wanted to meet here," she said, her voice going soft as she looked into his eyes.
"So we could eat," Joe said, a bit uncomfortable with the look in her eyes. He felt decidedly like prey.
"We could have had dinner at my place," she reminded him.
"That's, uh...not such a good idea," Joe said.
"Why not?" Vanessa demanded, her eyes narrowing. "My mom's not there."
"That's why," Joe replied. "People might think we were doing something."
"We could," she said, beginning to rub his fingers. "Give then something to talk about."
Joe pulled his hand away, his heart wrenching at the hurt look in her eyes. "I see," she said, looking down.
"No, you don't," Joe said, taking her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes. "I love you. More than I ever thought I could love anyone ever again."
"Then why?" Vanessa demanded, the wounded look still present.
"I've always viewed sex as a holy union between a man and a woman who love each other deeply," Joe tried to explain.
"But you just said you loved me and I do love you," she pointed out.
"I know, I know," he said, releasing her chin and taking her hand in his. "But I don't want to have to hide anything about our relationship. And if we made love before we were married, we couldn't let our parents know."
"So, you're saying if we didn't love each other, it would be okay to have sex and not let everyone know?" she asked incredulously.
"No," Joe denied, shaking his head. "That's not it at all."
"Then what?" Vanessa demanded a simple answer. "Why won't you make love to me?" she asked, her voice rising unconsciously.
"Because I will not have sex unless I'm married," Joe answered.
"You mean, you're a...a..." she said, her eyes wide in shocked disbelief.
"A virgin," Joe finished for her. "Yeah, I am," he admitted.
"Not even with Iola?" she asked, her voice dropping.
"Not with anyone," Joe answered firmly. "Making love should be special," he insisted. "Not something you do to pass the time."
"I didn't..." Vanessa began hotly.
"That's not what I mean," Joe quickly corrected himself. "I mean, it should be an expression of love between a man and his wife."
Vanessa's eyes softened and she smiled at him. "You are such an old-fashioned romantic," she said, leaning across the table to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"You're not mad at me?" he asked a bit hesitantly.
"Of course not," she denied. "This is just one more example of how special you are."
Joe blushed at the compliment and she squeezed his hand. "Now," she said, sitting back against the booth's cushioned chair. "Let's eat. I'm starved."
Joe went to order and soon returned with burgers, fries and shakes. They sat, ate their dinner, and talked. It was a considerable amount of time later when Joe happened to glance at his watch. "Wow! It's almost eleven."
"Really?" Vanessa demanded, her eyebrows shooting up. "It doesn't seem possible," she added.
"It is," said the employee who was wiping down another booth. "You and the party behind you have been here for over four hours."
"Oh, no!" Vanessa exclaimed in embarrassment. "We're sorry."
"Don't sweat it," replied the young man, tossing the cloth he had been using from one hand to the other. "It's been a slow night," he added, walking away.
"Let's go," Vanessa said. "I'll drop you off at home."
Joe stood up and picked up their tray. He emptied its contents in the trash by the door and left it sitting on top with a few other trays. He returned to the table and held out a hand to Vanessa. When she put her hand in his, he pulled her to her feet and together they exited Barney's Burger Barn into the cool night air.
They got into Vanessa's Ford Explorer and pulled out of the parking space. They were almost to the Hardy home when Joe realized they were being followed. "Make a left," Joe ordered, his eyes on the side mirror.
"Why?" she asked, making the requested turn without giving a signal.
"We're being followed," Joe informed her. "I noticed them at Harcourt Street and they've kept the same distance making every turn since."
"I didn't know you and Frank were working on a case now," she said, glancing over at him briefly.
"We aren't," Joe replied. "Make a left on Laison and a right on Tyler," he ordered. "Go slow until you reach Liason then step on it."
Vanessa did as instructed then took four more cuts in rapid succession, finally ending up on the highway leading to her home. "Did we lose them?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Joe answered, keeping a lookout. "What say we head on out to your place and I borrow your car? I'll bring it back in the morning," he promised.
"Worry-wart," she said, smiling affectionately at him. She loved it when Joe got all protective. Vanessa drove to her house and unlocked the door. Joe went in first and made sure no one was lurking about or had been in the place.
"You could come and stay in our guest room," Joe offered, his eyes full of concern as he looked into hers.
"Don't worry," Vanessa told him, holding up her hand to his face. "We lost them. Besides, you were being followed. It just happened to be in my car."
Joe wanted to argue, but he knew she was probably right. "Lock the door and turn on the alarm as soon as I leave," he ordered her sternly.
"If you'll call me when you get home," she bargained.
"Deal," Joe agreed, smiling as he leaned in close and covered her mouth with his.
A couple of minutes later they pulled apart and Vanessa walked Joe to the door, locking it after him and turning on the alarm as she had promised.
"How was your evening?" petite Laura Hardy asked her son as he entered the living room.
"Very nice," Joe told her, smiling fondly at the memory of Vanessa laughing earlier at him.
"What did you two do all night?" Mr. Hardy asked, smiling at Joe although his eyes were laced with concern. He knew Andrea Bender was out of town.
"Would you believe we talked?" Joe asked, laughing. "We started eating and the next thing we knew, one of the guys was busing the tables and getting ready to close-up." His eyes clouded over and he looked at his dad. "Are you working on anything?" he asked.
"No," Mr. Hardy replied. "I wrapped the case for Albany Air yesterday. Why?"
"Someone was following us as we left Barney's Burgers," Joe said, frowning.
"What kind of car?" Mr. Hardy asked.
"A Toyota, I think," Joe responded with a shake of his head. "It kept far enough back so I couldn't get a good look at it."
"Are you and your brother working on anything now?" Mr. Hardy inquired, quirking an eyebrow for accent.
"Nope," Joe answered. "It's been quiet all week."
"Hmm, well, until we find out what's going on, I think you should stick close to the house or your brother," Mr. Hardy ordered him. "I'll go make a few phone calls and see if anyone has been released or escaped from prison recently."
"And I'll call the Shaws and see if Frank is still there. Someone may be tailing him too," Joe said. He went over to the phone, and remembering his promise to call Vanessa, gave her a ring first to let her know he had made it home safely. Next, he dialed the Shaws' house.
"Hel...hello," blond-heaed Callie Shaw answered the phone with a little giggle. "Stop that!" she hissed at her playful boyfriend as he blew gently into her ear.
"Callie, I need to speak with Frank," Joe's voice reverbrated in her ear.
"It's Joe," Callie said, handing the phone to Frank who made a face as he took it from her.
"This better be good," he growled into the phone.
"Interrupted something, did I?" Joe asked, grinning. "Have you noticed anyone tailing you tonight?" he asked, turning serious almost at once.
"What? Joe, what are you talking about?" Frank asked, growing concerned. "What's happened?"
Joe told Frank about being followed and their dad seeing if it could be an old enemy. "Be careful and keep your eyes open on your way home," Joe concluded.
"Will do," Frank agreed, getting ready to disconnect.
"Uh, when will you be home?" Joe asked.
Frank's eyebrows drew closer together. "Later," he said, starting to wonder why Joe was being such a nuisance all of the sudden.
"How much later?" Joe pushed.
Frank sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll be home by one," he promised, ringing off.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Callie demanded, taking Frank's chin in her hand and looking into his troubled eyes.
"I don't know," Frank admitted, smiling wanly at her. "Joe's never been this...protective before."
"He's probably afraid he's losing you," Callie told him.
"What!" Frank exclaimed, his eyes going wide. "No way. We talked about it earlier," he said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Do you really think he's upset because I started early?"
"No," Callie replied slowly after having thought it over. "I think he's feeling lonely because you are going to live on campus instead of commute."
"It's only across town," Frank pointed out.
"But it might as well be across the country," Callie told him. "You and Joe have always been there for each other twenty-four seven," she said. "Things are going to be very different now."
"You think I should live at home?" Frank asked her, looking puzzled.
Callie shrugged. "It's only for one more year," she replied. "Then you and Joe could live on campus together."
"I thought you would be happy if I lived on campus," Frank said, still mystified by what she was saying.
"Why would you ever think that?" she demanded, her eyes widening in surprise. "Frank, I know you. You'll spend all your time worrying about Joe."
"Joe has to take care of himself sometime," Frank said, although Callie wondered if Frank was trying to convince her of this fact or himself. "Look, you're right," he admitted when she stared at him. He ran a hand through his mane of brown hair. "I'm worried about him right now. Why was someone following him?"
"Then why..." Frank stopped her words by placing a finger to her lips.
"He's going to be graduating from high school next year," Frank stated. "He's gotten used to me looking out for him. I'm not always going to be there. I'm going to have my own family to look out for in the future and so will Joe. He needs to learn to be responsible for himself or he will never be able to take care of a family." Frank's eyes begged for Callie to understand.
"I'm sorry, Frank," Callie told him, shaking her head. "I don't think Joe's emotionally ready for that kind of separation. You either for that matter. No, hear me out," she said, holding up her hand as he was about to interrupt. "You two aren't like normal brothers," she pointed out. "You face life and death situations every week. You need each other whether you want to admit it or not. Granted," she continued, "Joe does tend to get himself into situations because in the back of his mind he knows you will be there to get him out of trouble, but he would know you would help him even if you weren't in the next room."
"But that's just it," Fank said, seriously. "He has to learn to get himself out of the messes he gets into, or better yet, not to get into them at all."
"So you're just going to ignore the fact that someone was following him tonight?" Callie demanded in disbelief.
"Joe has the same training and experience I have," Frank replied. "He can handle it."
"And if he can't?" Callie asked, looking at him hard.
"Then he's going to have to figure a way out of whatever he gets himself into with someone else's help," Frank asserted. If Frank had sprouted a second head, Callie could not have been more surprised.
"Relax," Frank told her. "Joe will be all right," he promised. 'But what about you?' she wondered silently as he pulled her close. 'If something happens to Joe, will you be all right after you deserted him?'