Chapter 6

Without stopping to think, Max jumped back in the car and followed Brian and Fran back to Brian's. While he drove, he swore repeatedly, ranting and raving about how he could not believe that Fran would stoop so low as to sleep with a man she barely knew just to get even with him for flirting with Helen. When they finally reached their destination, Max watched as Brian and Fran got out of Brian's car and went into the house. Max tried desperately to calm himself, but it was no use. The image of Fran in bed with Brian kept appearing in his mind, which only renewed his anger.

Finally, Maxwell decided that sitting here in the car was useless. He quickly got out and ran up to the door and burst in, fully expecting to catch his nanny in the act. "Miss -- Fine?" To Max's great surprise and embarassment, he saw two couples, fully clothed, seated in the living room, talking.

"Mr. Sheffield, what are you doing here?" Fran asked, shocked. "Are the kids all right?"

"What? Oh, yeah, the children are just fine," Max replied, still not thinking clearly.

"Are you all right?" Fran asked. She could see that he was breathing hard and his face was red.

"Oh, hi, Maxwell," Helen said warmly. "How are you enjoying the island?" Max stared at her, unable to think how to answer her question. Instead, he turned to Fran. "Miss Fine, could we talk in private?"

"Sure, Mr. Sheffield."

"You can go in the kitchen," Joe volunteered. "You must be Maxwell. I'm Brian's brother, Joe."
Max nodded. They shook hands awkwardly. "The kitchen's right through there," Joe said, pointing to a door.

Max thanked him, and he and Fran went into the kitchen. Max made sure the door was closed before he spoke. "When we came back from Paris, and I said it would be best for us to just be friends, I meant it. At the time, I really thought we could simply go back to the way things were before, but I found out tonight that that's not possible."

"What are you saying?" Fran asked, genuine concern on her face. A minute ago, she'd been joking around with Joe and Brian, and now Mr. Sheffield was standing here in front of her, looking more distraught than she'd ever seen him. Fran had no idea what could have brought this on.

"I-I came here because I was jealous," Max admitted. All day long, he'd been denying it, but now he'd finally said it out loud. It felt good to finally have it out in the open. "I couldn't stand the thought of you being with another man. I don't know what came over me."

"Look, you're only human," Fran said. "Everybody gets jealous sometimes. It's a part of life."

"I suppose I owe you an apology," Maxwell said with a sigh. "I never should've pretended we could just be friends. It's just that, ever since I lost Sara, I've been so afraid of getting hurt again."

"I know you miss your wife. I've known it for four years," Fran said with a slight smile. "But you wouldn't be here right now if you didn't have feelings for me. Maybe it's time you stopped running from them."

"It's so easy for you to say that. You've always been able to look at the bright side of life."

"I know it's a risk for us to get into a relationship right now. But sometimes you've just got to take that risk," Fran said with a playful wink. "It might be worth it."

For a moment, Max said nothing. He simply looked in her eyes. He knew she was right. It was time for him to let go of all the uncertainties that had kept him from pursuing a real relationship with Fran for so long. They leaned in to kiss. It would be the first time they'd been so intimate with each other since their ridiculous agreement to remain friends.

Just as their lips were about to meet, the door burst open, and Joe stuck his head in. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but Brian wants to know if your date is officially over."

Fran looked at him for a moment, not quite sure what he was talking about. When she finally did remember that she was supposed to be on a date with Brian, she gasped. "Oh, God, Brian! I completely forgot!"

Joe smiled. "I guess that's a yes."

Fran was clearly embarrassed. What kind of a woman nearly kisses another man in the middle of a date? She went back out into the living room to try and explain things to Brian. "Uh, Brian, I don't know quite how to say this, but--"

"It's over, I know," Brian finished for her. "It's OK, Fran. You're only here on vacation, it's not like we were engaged or anything. Besides, I get the feeling you've already found someone better," he said, nodding over at Maxwell.

"Well, it's just that Mr. Sheffield--Maxwell--and I have a history together. You guys understand, right, Joe?" Fran asked desperately.

"Sure we do," Joe said. "Helen and I have known each other since we were kids. At first it was awkward going from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend, but it was worth it." He and Helen kissed.

"I know I never should've waited this long to acknowledge my feelings for Fran," Max admitted. "But ever since my wife died, I've been hesitant about getting close to a woman again."

"I know we just met, but I've got to tell you, from my own expererience, sometimes you just have to take chances," Joe said. "I had to follow Helen all the way to New York to convince her to marry me. I knew if I'd stayed in Nantucket and let her go through with her engagement to Davis Lynch, I couldn't live with myself."

Helen nodded. "Yeah, Joe's right. You can't let a good thing get away."

Fran chuckled. "Mr. Sheffield has a history of doing that. Don't you?" she turned to him with a wink. "Go on, tell them what play you passed on."

"Miss Fine, please, I don't think this is really necesary," Max protested.

"OK, fine, if you won't tell them, I will. He turned down Cats," Fran said.

"You mean Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats?" Helen asked, astonished. "You turned that down?!"

"Yes, I did," Max said. "I was just starting in the theater. How did I know it would be the biggest bloody thing on Broadway?"

There was an awkward pause. No one seemed to know how to respond to Maxwell's question. "Well, anyway, we should probably be getting back to the hotel. You know, the kids and all..." Fran said with an awkward chuckle.

"Right," Maxwell agreed. "If we're gone too long, Brighton begins to scare Grace, and she refuses to go to bed."

Helen nodded. "Sure, we understand."

Brian stood up. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us, Fran, but I really am happy for you."

"Thank you," Fran said sincerely.

She and Max apologized to the Hacketts and Helen, then left. Fran was unusually quiet on the ride back to the hotel. Finally Max spoke up. "You've never gone this long without saying anything. What's on your mind?"

"Well, it's just, you still haven't said it," Fran replied.

"Said what?"

"You know, that you love me. I just need to hear those words from you."

Maxwell parked the car at the hotel and turned to her. "Fran, I love you." He leaned in and kissed her.

Fran sighed contentedly. She knew this wasn't a proposal, and they still had a long way to go before they would be ready to discuss that, but for right now it was enough just to have heard those three words. The rest would come in time.

The End!

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