"This has gone on long enough," Frank snarled. "You're staying put until we hash this out."
"There isn't anything to discuss," Joe stated, attempting to rise but halted by Frank's looming presence.
"Then tell me why you've been giving me the cold shoulder," Frank demanded. "The whole time we were together today you were acting like you would rather be elsewhere."
"Because I had," Joe admitted honestly. "If I had known you and your friends were going to be at the carnival, we wouldn't have gone."
"Why?" Frank demanded, hurt. "And what do you mean my friends? They're your friends too."
"Really?" Joe inquired bitterly. "Then why were Biff and Chet just standing there, with you, when Aaron attacked me?"
"Because I wouldn't let them help you," Frank said, his voice sad.
"Why?" Joe asked, his eyes showing all the hurt he had bottled up inside him. "What do you have against me?"
"I don't have anything against you," Frank said softly, sinking down on the bed beside him. "Joe, I admit I've gone about it the wrong way, but there was a reason for the way I've been behaving."
Joe looked at him, his head tilted sideways as he waited for Frank's explanation. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you have this tendency to act before you think." Frank paused, giving Joe a chance to say something. When he kept quite, Frank continued, "I think that's because you know I'm there to get you out of whatever trouble you land in. But I'm not going to be here when you get back from camp.
"Oh, I'll still be around but not as often so you're going to have to start looking out for yourself. I won't be here to make sure you..." he broke off and swallowed nervously as Joe's eyes sparkled fire.
"You've been treating me like a pariah because you're worried about me?" Joe erupted. Frank nodded slowly. He didn't know why Joe was so upset.
Joe jumped off the bed and began pacing as he mumbled to himself. "I can't hear you," Frank said finally. "Speak up."
Joe came to a stop in front of Frank. "Of all the lame-brained, knuckle-headed stunts I've ever pulled.....YOU just topped them," he informed Frank. "For starters, why didn't you just say so in the first place instead of making me think you couldn't stand me?"
"I didn't mean too," Frank told him, his soulful brown eyes entreating Joe to believe him.
"But you did!" Joe shouted at him. "I've done my best to stay away from you because it hurt too much to be around you," he added, his voice growing softer.
"Joe, I..."
"And second," Joe interrupted whatever Frank had been about to say. "I don't need you to take care of me all the time. When we're working on a case, then, yes, I need you to make sure I'm okay just as much as you need me to do the same for you. But I can take care of myself under normal circumstances. I was going to handle Aaron but Franc beat me to it. Although," Joe added, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly, "it would have been nice to of thought you cared enough to want to help."
"I really messed up," Frank admitted. "I'm so sorry baby brother,"
"You're forgiven on one condition," Joe told him, wanting things to get back to normal.
"What?" Frank asked a bit warily.
"Don't ever decide something is for my own good any more without checking with me first?"
"I promise," Frank replied, leaping to his feet and giving Joe a bear hug. "We'd better get downstairs before mom sends out a search party for us," he added, opening his bedroom door with these words.
"Too late," Mr. Hardy said with a smile, lowering the hand he had just raised to knock on the door. "You two work things out?" he asked, looking back and forth between the faces of his sons.
"Yeah," Frank replied, giving his father a genuinely bright smile.
"Then let's go eat," Mr. Hardy said, silently thanking God. "Your mom's growing impatient."
"Are you sure you, Vanessa and Franc don't want to go to the beach with us?" Frank asked Joe the next day as they were finishing an early lunch.
"I'm sure," Joe replied. "Go. Have fun."
"We could go with you," Frank suggested.
"Frank!" Joe exclaimed in exasperation. "Would you please relax?" Joe gave a little laugh. "You're trying to overcompensate and there's no need. Honest."
"But this is our last free day," Frank argued. "You have a test tomorrow and graduation is Tuesday night and you're leaving Wednesday morning. We won't get another chance to spend some time together until the first of August."
"Relax," Joe ordered him again. "We are both going to be too busy to miss each other, much." He was so glad things were almost back to normal. "Now, go and pick up Callie. I'll see you when I get home tonight."
Frank finally left and it wasn't too long after that before Joe jumped on his bike and left for Franc's house.
"Hi," Joe greeted her when she opened the door.
"Hi," Franc returned, glancing around curiously. "Where's Vanessa?"
"She had to go with her mom somewhere but she said to tell you she will be here later," Joe explained her absence.
"Well, come on in," Franc invited him. "If you want to go ahead and get out of your clothes, I'll meet you by the pool. I have to put a load of clothes in the washer."
"Sure," Joe agreed and headed toward the bathroom to strip down to his trunks. He took his clothes out to the pool with him and laid them on a lawn chair.
"Maybe we should put those in the house," Franc suggested. "We don't want them to accidentally get wet."
"Good idea," Joe agreed and, retrieving his clothes, carried them back into the house. Franc came in behind him and headed to the kitchen to make a pitcher of lemonade.
"Can I help?" Joe asked, entering the kitchen behind her.
"Want to grab some glasses and fill them with ice?" she suggested. Joe took two glasses down from the cabinet and loaded them with ice. Franc filled the two glasses witht he refresher and set the pitcher in the refrigerator.
"I guess I had better put on my bathing suit," Franc said, heading for the door. "If you want to take those on out, I'll meet you out there."
"Done," Joe agreed, picking up the glasses. He exited the kitchen and entered the living room in time to see Franc hurrying up the stairs. As he headed for the patio doors, he tripped over something and fell forward, the two glasses flying from his hands.
Franc, having heard Joe fall, came running back down the steps to see if he was all right. "Oh, no," she said, after he had gotten to his feet and assured her he was okay. "Your clothes."
Joe looked at the chair where he had lain his clothes only moments before. The lemonade had spilt all over them and the ice had already begun to melt on his jeans. "Talk about ironic," Joe commented, grinning. "I brought them in to keep them dry."
Franc smothered a giggle. "Don't worry. I'll toss them in the dryer," she said, picking them up and taking them with her into the kitchen. Joe followed and watched as she stepped into the utility room and tossed them in the dryer. Turning it on, she came back out. "They will be dry in time for you to go home," she said.
"I'll pour some more lemonade and take it out to the pool while you change," Joe offered. "After I finish cleaning up the mess I made in the living room."
"Oh, I think your clothing took most of it," Franc said, dimpling at him. "I'll meet you at the pool."
Joe grabbed a mop and went back into the living room. He stooped down and gathered the glass together and set it aside then began mopping up around the chair. It was a good thing the carpet hadn't been installed yet, he thought as he took the mop back into the utility room and returned with a broom and dust pan. He gathered up the glass and dumped it the waste can by the kitchen door. Returning the broom and dust pan to their proper place, Joe fixed two more glasses of lemonade and carried them out to the pool where he found Franc lying on a lawn chair wearing a two piece black bikini.
"Here you go," Joe said, smiling in appreciation at the sight she presented.
"Thanks," Franc said, taking a glass from him and sipping it.
"You are welcome, kind lady," Joe returned, sitting down beside her and taking a sip also. He set his glass down on the table between the two chairs. "Want to race?" he asked her, looking at the pool.
"You're on," she declared, putting her glass down and jumping up. They went to one end of the pool and dived in. Joe won the first lap but Franc beat him on the second one.
"You're a good swimmer," Joe complimented her.
"Thank you," Franc replied. "You aren't too shabby yourself."
"I was captain of the swim team this year," Joe admitted.
"I can believe it," she said. "Ready for some more?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"No," Joe turned her down. "Let's just take it easy for a bit."
"Tired?" Franc asked.
"Lazy," Joe returned, smiling and going onto his back to float. They stayed int he water for a little while longer, getting out when the sun disappeared behind the first of several dark clouds and it turned breezy.
"I'll go grab your clothes," Franc told Joe. "Too bad it looks like a storm is coming. I wish Vanessa could have gotten here earlier."
"Me too," Joe agreed, wondering what Frank and the others were going to do once it started raining.
Franc went into the utility room and pulled Joe's clothes from the dryer. "Here you go," she offered them to him. "I can toss your trunks in to dry if you want and then we can watch some television until Vanessa gets here."
Joe left to go and change. When he returned he handed Franc his trunks which she tossed into the dryer with her bikini and then the two went into the living room.
"Oh, no," Franc said, heading toward the patio door. "We forgot to bring our glasses inside. I'll be right back," she told Joe. "Go ahead and pick out a channel to watch."
Joe picked up the remote for the television and was about to turn it on when he heard a scream from outside. He rushed through the patio door and saw Franc, fully clothed, splashing around in the pool.
"I've got a cramp," she screamed, going under the water. Joe dove into the pool and grabbed Franc beneath her arms and pulled her to the surface. He swam toward the edge of the pool where the steps were and lifted her into his arms and carried her upt he steps and laid her on one of the chairs.
"It's my left leg," she groaned. Joe helped massage the cramp out of her leg. As she was beginning to feel better, the sky opened up. Joe helped her to her feet and the two hurried inside, the glasses forgotten.
"I'm sorry," Franc said, laughing when they had made it inside. "You just can't seem to stay dry."
Joe looked down at himself and laughed along with her. "How did you fall in?" he asked, sobering up.
"I was walking by the pool on my way to get the glasses, which we forgot, again," she added wryly, "when my leg started cramping. I was so surprised, I just fell in. You saved my life. Thanks," she told him, smiling up into his eyes gratefully.
"Always glad to be of service," Joe replied, giving her a mock bow. He shivered.
"Come on, I'll let you have one of Daddy's robes to wear until your clothes are dry," she told him, taking his hand and leading the way upstairs.
While the two were upstairs, Vanessa pulled to a stop beside Joe's bike. Getting out, she went to the front door but no one heard her knock. Knowing they were in the house even if they weren't by the pool because of the rain, she went around to the patio and entered the house that way. She heard voices and ascended the stairs in search of them.
"Got your clothes?" Franc asked, entering her dad's room and seeing Joe standing there wearing a short royal blue robe she had given him to change into.
"Yeah," Joe said, holding them up for her. She took them from him, accidentally dropping his shirt. "Oops," she said. Bending over to retrieve it, her bracelet snagged on the belt of the robe, pulling it down toward the floor with her arm. The robe fell open to reveal Joe in his birthday suit right as Vanessa walked into the room!
"There isn't anything to discuss," Joe stated, attempting to rise but halted by Frank's looming presence.
"Then tell me why you've been giving me the cold shoulder," Frank demanded. "The whole time we were together today you were acting like you would rather be elsewhere."
"Because I had," Joe admitted honestly. "If I had known you and your friends were going to be at the carnival, we wouldn't have gone."
"Why?" Frank demanded, hurt. "And what do you mean my friends? They're your friends too."
"Really?" Joe inquired bitterly. "Then why were Biff and Chet just standing there, with you, when Aaron attacked me?"
"Because I wouldn't let them help you," Frank said, his voice sad.
"Why?" Joe asked, his eyes showing all the hurt he had bottled up inside him. "What do you have against me?"
"I don't have anything against you," Frank said softly, sinking down on the bed beside him. "Joe, I admit I've gone about it the wrong way, but there was a reason for the way I've been behaving."
Joe looked at him, his head tilted sideways as he waited for Frank's explanation. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you have this tendency to act before you think." Frank paused, giving Joe a chance to say something. When he kept quite, Frank continued, "I think that's because you know I'm there to get you out of whatever trouble you land in. But I'm not going to be here when you get back from camp.
"Oh, I'll still be around but not as often so you're going to have to start looking out for yourself. I won't be here to make sure you..." he broke off and swallowed nervously as Joe's eyes sparkled fire.
"You've been treating me like a pariah because you're worried about me?" Joe erupted. Frank nodded slowly. He didn't know why Joe was so upset.
Joe jumped off the bed and began pacing as he mumbled to himself. "I can't hear you," Frank said finally. "Speak up."
Joe came to a stop in front of Frank. "Of all the lame-brained, knuckle-headed stunts I've ever pulled.....YOU just topped them," he informed Frank. "For starters, why didn't you just say so in the first place instead of making me think you couldn't stand me?"
"I didn't mean too," Frank told him, his soulful brown eyes entreating Joe to believe him.
"But you did!" Joe shouted at him. "I've done my best to stay away from you because it hurt too much to be around you," he added, his voice growing softer.
"Joe, I..."
"And second," Joe interrupted whatever Frank had been about to say. "I don't need you to take care of me all the time. When we're working on a case, then, yes, I need you to make sure I'm okay just as much as you need me to do the same for you. But I can take care of myself under normal circumstances. I was going to handle Aaron but Franc beat me to it. Although," Joe added, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly, "it would have been nice to of thought you cared enough to want to help."
"I really messed up," Frank admitted. "I'm so sorry baby brother,"
"You're forgiven on one condition," Joe told him, wanting things to get back to normal.
"What?" Frank asked a bit warily.
"Don't ever decide something is for my own good any more without checking with me first?"
"I promise," Frank replied, leaping to his feet and giving Joe a bear hug. "We'd better get downstairs before mom sends out a search party for us," he added, opening his bedroom door with these words.
"Too late," Mr. Hardy said with a smile, lowering the hand he had just raised to knock on the door. "You two work things out?" he asked, looking back and forth between the faces of his sons.
"Yeah," Frank replied, giving his father a genuinely bright smile.
"Then let's go eat," Mr. Hardy said, silently thanking God. "Your mom's growing impatient."
"Are you sure you, Vanessa and Franc don't want to go to the beach with us?" Frank asked Joe the next day as they were finishing an early lunch.
"I'm sure," Joe replied. "Go. Have fun."
"We could go with you," Frank suggested.
"Frank!" Joe exclaimed in exasperation. "Would you please relax?" Joe gave a little laugh. "You're trying to overcompensate and there's no need. Honest."
"But this is our last free day," Frank argued. "You have a test tomorrow and graduation is Tuesday night and you're leaving Wednesday morning. We won't get another chance to spend some time together until the first of August."
"Relax," Joe ordered him again. "We are both going to be too busy to miss each other, much." He was so glad things were almost back to normal. "Now, go and pick up Callie. I'll see you when I get home tonight."
Frank finally left and it wasn't too long after that before Joe jumped on his bike and left for Franc's house.
"Hi," Joe greeted her when she opened the door.
"Hi," Franc returned, glancing around curiously. "Where's Vanessa?"
"She had to go with her mom somewhere but she said to tell you she will be here later," Joe explained her absence.
"Well, come on in," Franc invited him. "If you want to go ahead and get out of your clothes, I'll meet you by the pool. I have to put a load of clothes in the washer."
"Sure," Joe agreed and headed toward the bathroom to strip down to his trunks. He took his clothes out to the pool with him and laid them on a lawn chair.
"Maybe we should put those in the house," Franc suggested. "We don't want them to accidentally get wet."
"Good idea," Joe agreed and, retrieving his clothes, carried them back into the house. Franc came in behind him and headed to the kitchen to make a pitcher of lemonade.
"Can I help?" Joe asked, entering the kitchen behind her.
"Want to grab some glasses and fill them with ice?" she suggested. Joe took two glasses down from the cabinet and loaded them with ice. Franc filled the two glasses witht he refresher and set the pitcher in the refrigerator.
"I guess I had better put on my bathing suit," Franc said, heading for the door. "If you want to take those on out, I'll meet you out there."
"Done," Joe agreed, picking up the glasses. He exited the kitchen and entered the living room in time to see Franc hurrying up the stairs. As he headed for the patio doors, he tripped over something and fell forward, the two glasses flying from his hands.
Franc, having heard Joe fall, came running back down the steps to see if he was all right. "Oh, no," she said, after he had gotten to his feet and assured her he was okay. "Your clothes."
Joe looked at the chair where he had lain his clothes only moments before. The lemonade had spilt all over them and the ice had already begun to melt on his jeans. "Talk about ironic," Joe commented, grinning. "I brought them in to keep them dry."
Franc smothered a giggle. "Don't worry. I'll toss them in the dryer," she said, picking them up and taking them with her into the kitchen. Joe followed and watched as she stepped into the utility room and tossed them in the dryer. Turning it on, she came back out. "They will be dry in time for you to go home," she said.
"I'll pour some more lemonade and take it out to the pool while you change," Joe offered. "After I finish cleaning up the mess I made in the living room."
"Oh, I think your clothing took most of it," Franc said, dimpling at him. "I'll meet you at the pool."
Joe grabbed a mop and went back into the living room. He stooped down and gathered the glass together and set it aside then began mopping up around the chair. It was a good thing the carpet hadn't been installed yet, he thought as he took the mop back into the utility room and returned with a broom and dust pan. He gathered up the glass and dumped it the waste can by the kitchen door. Returning the broom and dust pan to their proper place, Joe fixed two more glasses of lemonade and carried them out to the pool where he found Franc lying on a lawn chair wearing a two piece black bikini.
"Here you go," Joe said, smiling in appreciation at the sight she presented.
"Thanks," Franc said, taking a glass from him and sipping it.
"You are welcome, kind lady," Joe returned, sitting down beside her and taking a sip also. He set his glass down on the table between the two chairs. "Want to race?" he asked her, looking at the pool.
"You're on," she declared, putting her glass down and jumping up. They went to one end of the pool and dived in. Joe won the first lap but Franc beat him on the second one.
"You're a good swimmer," Joe complimented her.
"Thank you," Franc replied. "You aren't too shabby yourself."
"I was captain of the swim team this year," Joe admitted.
"I can believe it," she said. "Ready for some more?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"No," Joe turned her down. "Let's just take it easy for a bit."
"Tired?" Franc asked.
"Lazy," Joe returned, smiling and going onto his back to float. They stayed int he water for a little while longer, getting out when the sun disappeared behind the first of several dark clouds and it turned breezy.
"I'll go grab your clothes," Franc told Joe. "Too bad it looks like a storm is coming. I wish Vanessa could have gotten here earlier."
"Me too," Joe agreed, wondering what Frank and the others were going to do once it started raining.
Franc went into the utility room and pulled Joe's clothes from the dryer. "Here you go," she offered them to him. "I can toss your trunks in to dry if you want and then we can watch some television until Vanessa gets here."
Joe left to go and change. When he returned he handed Franc his trunks which she tossed into the dryer with her bikini and then the two went into the living room.
"Oh, no," Franc said, heading toward the patio door. "We forgot to bring our glasses inside. I'll be right back," she told Joe. "Go ahead and pick out a channel to watch."
Joe picked up the remote for the television and was about to turn it on when he heard a scream from outside. He rushed through the patio door and saw Franc, fully clothed, splashing around in the pool.
"I've got a cramp," she screamed, going under the water. Joe dove into the pool and grabbed Franc beneath her arms and pulled her to the surface. He swam toward the edge of the pool where the steps were and lifted her into his arms and carried her upt he steps and laid her on one of the chairs.
"It's my left leg," she groaned. Joe helped massage the cramp out of her leg. As she was beginning to feel better, the sky opened up. Joe helped her to her feet and the two hurried inside, the glasses forgotten.
"I'm sorry," Franc said, laughing when they had made it inside. "You just can't seem to stay dry."
Joe looked down at himself and laughed along with her. "How did you fall in?" he asked, sobering up.
"I was walking by the pool on my way to get the glasses, which we forgot, again," she added wryly, "when my leg started cramping. I was so surprised, I just fell in. You saved my life. Thanks," she told him, smiling up into his eyes gratefully.
"Always glad to be of service," Joe replied, giving her a mock bow. He shivered.
"Come on, I'll let you have one of Daddy's robes to wear until your clothes are dry," she told him, taking his hand and leading the way upstairs.
While the two were upstairs, Vanessa pulled to a stop beside Joe's bike. Getting out, she went to the front door but no one heard her knock. Knowing they were in the house even if they weren't by the pool because of the rain, she went around to the patio and entered the house that way. She heard voices and ascended the stairs in search of them.
"Got your clothes?" Franc asked, entering her dad's room and seeing Joe standing there wearing a short royal blue robe she had given him to change into.
"Yeah," Joe said, holding them up for her. She took them from him, accidentally dropping his shirt. "Oops," she said. Bending over to retrieve it, her bracelet snagged on the belt of the robe, pulling it down toward the floor with her arm. The robe fell open to reveal Joe in his birthday suit right as Vanessa walked into the room!