A Dicey Love Story

CBS News Correspondent Steve Hartman says he likes to think when he invites people to be on his "Everybody Has A Story" segment, it's the best offer they'll have all year. But for Lisa Walker, his proposal ranks second at best.

The 31-year-old is a hairdresser who lives with her brand-new fiance, Jeff Jandreau. Both previously married, they now share a daughter and son of hers, a daughter of his, and an "it" of theirs.

They also share quite a dicey love story.

It began the day Jeff asked Lisa to dinner, and flirted with disaster

Lisa says, "He just went out on a wing and a prayer, and leaped."

Jeff adds, "The last thing I wanted to do was ruin anybody's friendship."

The friendship at stake here was between Lisa and her best friend, Lori Davis. These two had been in each other's weddings, been godparents to each other's children, and guardians of each other's trust.

Lisa says she met Jeff through her best friend. "He was dating Lori," she says. "Well, he married Lori."

They were married five years before bitterly divorcing. That's why, when Lisa and Jeff started dating two years later, the town was aghast.

Lisa says, "Oh my God. The ex-wife, the new wife, best friends."

But one woman saw it differently.

Lori Davis says, "They have a lot more in common. Their personalities are a lot alike."

Lisa says, "She said, 'Who else would I want in my daughter's life than my best friend?' And that was the nicest thing that she ever could have said to me."

Their friendship survived what would have surely buried most. And thank God it did, because their biggest test was yet to come.

It happened about a year ago as Lori's second husband, Greg Davis, was on the phone with the police - apparently, to report a drunk driver he was following.

It is as follows:

Operator: State Police may I help you?
Greg: Hey, my name is Greg Davis and I'm on route 113 up in State Falls and I've been following a car for…Oh! Oh! …He just crashed...
Operator: Hello? Hello?

The drunk driver hit a truck head on. Greg was too close to stop.

Lori says, "I said, 'Greg was in an accident, and he got killed. And I need you.'"

Lisa notes, "Of course, she was crying, and we just held hands on the way to the funeral home to make arrangements."

A true best friend makes your toughest burdens bearable and your brightest moments possible -- Lisa and Lori know that better than anyone, and value it like gold.

Asked if Lori is going to be at her wedding, Lisa says, "She sure will be."

Lori says, "If she's been with me through my weddings, through the death of my husband, why can't I be there for a new beginning for her?"

That was two years ago.

Showing pictures of her big day, Lisa says, "The wedding went wonderfully – just a very small, quaint wedding. No long-lost relatives," and no best friend, either.

Just two weeks before the wedding, Lori told Lisa that she was having second thoughts about attending, to which Lisa responded with a sigh of relief.

Lisa notes, "In my heart, I couldn't tell her not to come. I couldn't. So I kept telling her, 'You decide.'"

In the end, they both just felt it would be too weird. And although it still can be awkward at times, by and large, the ex-wife and the new wife say getting along is easy and would recommend it highly for a number of reasons.

Lisa says, "For the sake of children."