“You’re all dressed up,” commented seventeen year old Joe Hardy to his year older brother who had just entered the living room dressed in a new pair of jeans and plaid shirt.

“And... you’re not,” Frank returned, his brown eyes focused on Joe curiously. “Weren’t we supposed to double date tonight?”

Joe shrugged and a lock of blond hair fell covering one of his intensely blue eyes. “Mrs. Bender’s aunt called from Miami. She was hurt in a car wreck and she and Vanessa flew down to take care of her for a few days,” he explained.

“You could still go with Callie and me,” offered Frank, smoothing back a strand of his brown hair as it fluttered out of place by the force of the fan.

“I’ll pass,” Joe said. “Nothing personal, but Callie has been no fun since her dad took off with his secretary last month.”

“Can you blame her?” Frank countered. “He packed up all of his belongings while she and her mom were at her grandmother’s and didn’t even say good-bye except for that horrid note he left tacked to the bulletin board in the kitchen.”

Joe shook his head. “I still find it hard to believe,” Joe said. “Mr. Shaw just didn’t seem like the type to cheat on his wife.”

“Agreed,” Frank replied. “But, well, did you ever see his secretary?” Frank asked, having met her once when he and Callie had gone to Mr. Shaw’s office one afternoon. “And Callie had told me that he had been working late a lot.”

“How’s Mrs. Shaw taking it?” asked Joe.

“She’s trying to put up a brave front,” Frank answered. “But her eyes are almost always bloodshot. I’m sure she’s crying a lot.”

“That’s just so not right,” Joe fumed. “Wish there were some way I could help out. They must be having it hard without his income.”

“You really mean that?” Frank asked, perking up a bit.

“Sure,” answered Joe, looking at his brother curiously. “Why?”

“Mrs. Shaw said her car had been making funny noises but she couldn’t afford to take it to a mechanic right now,” Frank informed him.

“And you want me to check it out and fix it if I can?” Joe guessed, grinning. “No problem,” he agreed at once. “Are you sure she won’t mind if I work on it?”

“I’d be willing to bet on it,” Frank told him. “Why don’t you come with me now and you can work on the car while Callie and I have our date and then we can ride home together afterwards?”

“Or, if it’s nothing major, I can walk home,” Joe said. “It’s only a few blocks away. Let’s go,” he said, standing up.

“I’ll let mom know we’re leaving,” Frank volunteered.

Joe nodded. “I’ll grab my toolbox and stuff it in the van,” he said, heading outside.

They arrived at Callie’s a few minutes later. “Hey,” the blond-headed seventeen-year-old greeted her boyfriend then gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Where’s Vanessa?” she asked, not surprised to see Frank dressed smartly while Joe was in his usual jeans and rock band embossed shirt.

“She had to leave town,” Joe explained. “So it looks like just you and Frank tonight.”

“Not quiet,” she commented, her brown eyes twinkling. “You forgot to include yourself.”

“I kind of let drop that your mom’s car is making weird noises and Joe volunteered to work on it,” Frank informed Callie, watching as her expression softened as she looked at Joe.

“Thanks, Joe,” she said, moving aside to let the boys into the house. “I know mom will appreciate it. It hasn’t been easy since he,” she sneered the word, “left.”

They followed Callie into the living room where her mother, a woman in her mid thirties whose brown hair glinted beneath the lit lamp with natural blond highlights was sitting on the sofa watching the evening news. “Mom, Frank and I are off to the movies,” Callie told her. “Joe came over. He’s going to work on your car while we are gone.”

“That’s very kind of you,” acknowledged Mrs. Shaw, looking at Joe through bright green eyes. “But you don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind, really,” Joe told her, feeling empathy for the woman who had lost someone she loved albeit in a different manner than he had done when his girlfriend, Iola Morton, had been killed the previous year in a car bombing. “I enjoy working on cars.”

Joe followed Callie and Frank outside as they were leaving and pulled his toolbox out. “Enjoy the movie,” he said as he headed for the Shaw’s garage.

Almost an hour and a half later Joe finished and crawled back out from beneath the car. He got to his feet and turned to the table near the car but stopped in surprise when he saw Mrs. Shaw leaning there watching him. “Um, hi,” he said, starting forward to grab a rag from the table with which to wipe the grease from his hands.

“Hello,” she replied a bit breathlessly stepping in front of him.

“It, uh, wasn’t anything serious,” Joe said, swallowing and backing up as she came closer to him, her green eyes filled with a predatory gleam.

“You’re very skillful,” she stated, smiling at him. “And handsome.”

“Um, thank you, Mrs. Shaw,” Joe replied nervously, backing up until he was against the car and could go no further.

“Call me Serena,” she invited him to use her first name as she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled it down. Joe gulped as she put her lips to his and made contact.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.