Another Man's Treasure (33 page)

Jude leaned over Miranda and kissed her forehead.

“Sleep, my beauty.”

Jude smelled coffee brewing and heard the clank of weights in the basement.  He went downstairs and found Ross.

“Good morning, brother.   How long have you been up?”

“Morning. Long enough to start the coffee and warm up.  Miranda awake?”

“No, I left her sleeping.  What’s on the agenda today?”

“Calls to Culver, paperwork and review more tapes.”

“Miranda usually goes back to her place mid morning, so you will have plenty of privacy.”

“Good, there is no need for her to hear anymore
about that bastard Castile.  What time does Frannie usually go to lunch?”

Jude looked over at Ross and smiled.

“You make a decision about what you are going to do about Frannie?”

“I want to talk to her, let her inside my head a little.  It’s only fair she knows what she is up against.”

“She is strong, like Mandy.  I think she can handle it and
you
.”

“Does she know about the engagement?”

“I thought I would let Mandy tell her. They are like sisters.  I will tell my boss today and secure the time for our honeymoon.”

“You got a good boss?”

“Oh fuck yeah, Craig knew Grandpa Joe.  They did business together.”

“Grandpa Joe would be proud of you, man.  He was an awesome guy.”

Jude stopped his workout and nodded at Ross.

“I still miss them, Ross.  They were everything to me.  I know marrying Mandy would please them.  What an awesome couple of people they were.  I was very lucky.”

“That you were.  I think back to Grandpa teasing Grandma June.  She would get so damn flustered.” Jude and Ross laughed as they thought back to some of the things Grandpa would say or do. “Didn’t help that we would crack up and egg him on.”

“Fuck, Ross, do you remember the time in the department store?  Grandpa having it announced over the loud speaker that he was stuck in Women’s Intimate Apparel while she was in the bathroom?  She could have killed us all!”

“If looks could have killed, we would have dropped on the spot!  It didn’t help we were standing there with bras hanging over our shoulders.”

“I don’t think I ever saw Grandma smack three people in their heads so fast,” Jude laughed.  “Well, I got to take a quick shower and get to the office. 
I will give Miranda a call later.  I will see you back here around 4pm.”

“You got it, have a good day.”

Jude ran upstairs and jumped in the shower.  He was just about finished when the shower door opened and Miranda stood there, naked and smiling.

“Want some company?”

“Hell, yes…get your sexy ass in here.”

Miranda walked in and shut the shower door behind her.  Jude drew her in close and moved her hair aside so he could kiss her neck. 
Who said Mondays had to suck?

                                                        ***************

Ross was on the phone when Miranda and Jude walked into the kitchen, so they hesitated.  He waved them to come in and finished his phone call.

“Ok then, see you at 12:30.  Yeah, I look forward to it too.  Bye.  Good morning, Miranda.”

“Good morning, Ross, thank you for making the coffee!  You guys have a good workout?”

“Excellent, thank you.  You should join us some morning.”

“Thanks, I will get in a good run today.  The weather is so nice and I love a run right after the rain. What are you up to today?”

“Paperwork, phone calls and lunch with Frannie.”

Jude bumped fists with Ross and gave Miranda a quick kiss and a pat on the ass.

“I’m off to the office. Later, Ross.  I love you, baby.”

“Later, Jude.”

“I love you too, sweetheart, have a great day!”

Jude ran out the door. Miranda sat down at the table with her coffee and booted up the laptop.

“Lunch with Frannie, that’s great.  Don’t tell her about the engagement.  I am meeting her after work and want to spring it on her and her parents.”

“Mum’s the word, Miranda.  The Hedley’s are special to you, aren’t they?”

“They were my adopted parents after mine died.  They treated me like their own.”

“Good people.”

“The best. Frannie and I grew up together. Friends since grade school, we are like sisters.”

“I know the feeling. Jude and I are more like brothers than friends.  He is my only family.”

“You don’t have
any
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family, Ross?”

“My Mom died in childbirth and my Dad passed while I was in college.  I have no aunts and uncles. My parents were both only children.”

“Ross, I am so sorry.”  Miranda reached over and took Ross’s hand. “You have us now…and Frannie.”

“Miranda, that means more than you can imagine.  As for Frannie, we will see what happens.”

“All I can say is go for it.  You won’t regret it. Frannie is an awesome person, but I won’t push.”

Ross laughed and patted Miranda’s hand.

“Push? You and Jude would have us walking down the aisle tomorrow if you could arrange it.”

“I can make a few calls, if you want?”

“Ah, no…let me take care of it.”  Ross and Miranda laughed and he got up to grab more coffee for them. “More coffee, Miranda?”

“No thanks, I am going to take off now and go for my run.  I will be at my place after, stop by later.  Looks like Jude left you the truck.” Miranda reached up and kissed Ross on the cheek. “See ya later, big bro.”  Ross stopped her before she cleared the door.

“Miranda, why does Frannie call you M?”

“When we were little girls, Mrs. Hedley told everyone we were like Siamese twins, so she called me Emme like spelling the word
me
…m…e.  She shortened it to M when we got older.  Once in a while she still calls me Emme when we are alone.”

“What did you call her?”

“I called her Bebe…B…B…Blonde Bomber.  She was, and still is, a very outspoken person.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Miranda winked at Ross and left.  He watched her jog to the end of the driveway, then turn and wave to him.
Jude, you are a lucky man.

Ross headed to the study to look over paperwork and call Culver.  He would work a while before he showered and met Frannie at her office.

             
                                          ************

Francine was working at her desk when her phone rang.

“Francine Marsh.”

“Hey Frannie, it’s Jude.  I hear you’re having lunch with the big guy today.”

nt size=“Hi Jude, that I am. What can I do for you today?”

“I need some info about some new accounts that were set up by the Florida office so I can do the wires.  Seems like I got some transposed numbers and such.  You got that info handy?”

“Sure do, let me pull up last week
’s newbies.”

Jude could here Frannie typing furiously.  He knew he would get the info quicker with her than calling Florida directly. “Ok, sending you the new account info and attachments to your email.”

“You’re aces, Frannie, thanks.  Mandy meeting you today after work?”

“She sure is, at my place for drinks and dinner, so you two bachelors are on your own.  You can drink beer and watch porn.”

“Ha, you’re funny, Francine. Who needs porn when we have the two of you? Laters, baby.”

Jude hung up the phone, but not before he heard Francine swear and laugh at him.  His reference to
Christian Grey was not lost on her.  He knew Miranda would give Francine and the Hedley’s the good news about the engagement. 

My fiancé
e…soon to be wife.  Damn, I love the sound of that! 
Jude put his glasses back on and went about his work with a big smile across his face.

                                                        ******************

It was 12:30pm and Francine heard Ross clear his throat.  He stood in the doorway, leaning to the right with his arms crossed.  The first thing she noticed was how he
filled
the doorway. 
Holy fuck, look at those blue eyes and that smile.

“Hey there handsome, I am almost ready. Come on in.”

Ross strode across the room and sat down across from her desk.  He couldn’t take his eyes off Francine and the bit of cleavage that showed.

“Take your time, Frannie, I am enjoying the view.”

“Normally, I would tell you to take a picture, but I kind of enjoy your blue eyes boring holes through me.  I ordered lunch in, do you mind eating here in my office so we can talk?”

“Not at all.  What do you want to talk about?”

Francine finished what she was typing and the delivery from the Irish Pub came.  Ross went to pay, but the delivery boy said it was already taken care of.

“It’s on the firm, Ross.  When I stay in for lunch, the offunch, thice pays.”

“Nice benefit.”  Ross took the package, tipped the kid and brought it to the desk. “How’s your Monday going?”

Francine walked around the desk, sat next to Ross and crossed her legs towards him.  Her skirt pulled up enough to expose a fair amount of her thigh.

“My Monday is fine. Same old, same old.  Look, Ross, I wanted to talk here because it would be private.  I know I have come on a little strong. It is just who I am.  When I want something, I go for it.  At the same time, I don’t want to scare you.”

“I wouldn’t say you necessarily scare me, Frannie.  I am just cautious.”

“I know you were hurt a long time ago.  Miranda and I have talked some.  I just want to say whatever happened, it wasn’t me, you know?  If you ever want to talk about it, I will listen.”

Ross stared straight ahead for a moment, then took a deep breath and spoke quietly, as if the memory caused him physical pain.