Book 15 in the Nancy Drew Files series, 1987

“I hope George has a good time,” Nancy Drew said as she, her boyfriend Ned Nickerson, and Bess Marvin drove onto the expressway away from the airport.

“She won’t,” Bess said. She giggled, and her long blond hair bounced around her shoulders. “George hates ruffles-and that bridesmaid’s dress is covered with them.”

“Then why did she promise to be in the wedding?” Ned asked.

“George made that promise years ago,” Nancy explained. “She was hoping Marian had forgotten it.”

“So now she’s on her way to Dallas,” Bess said, an impish grin on her round face, “carrying a shrimp-pink gown with lace and ruffles and bows. Speaking of shrimp, I’m hungry. How about stopping somewhere for lunch?”

“Are you kidding? We just had breakfast,” Nancy said.

“That was three hours ago!” Bess pulled against her seat belt so she could lean over to the middle of the back seat to see Nancy in the rearview mirror. “Pizza, maybe? With sausage and mushrooms and pepperoni and anchovies?”

“Arrgh!” Ned groaned and clutched his mid-section.

“Forget the anchovies and it’s a deal,” Nancy said, passing a slow-moving pickup truck. “All right with you, Nickerson?”

He reached over and flipped a strand of reddish blond hair off her forehead. “Sounds great. Let’s stop at the Pizza Palace. I can ask if they could use a hardworking college kid for two weeks.” Ned was on a break from Emerson College.

“That’s not fair,” Nancy protested. “I promised I wouldn’t take any cases while you were on break so we could spend some time together. You can work, but I can’t?”

Her reputation as a successful young detective kept Nancy busy most of the time. All too often her job had meant she couldn’t see Ned as much as either of them wanted.