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You Had Me From Hello Part Two
Trixie stared at Honey. She wasn’t sure she had heard her sister-in-law correctly. Looking at the others she realized they were just as stunned.
“What did you say?” Jim asked.
“Mart’s cheating on Di.”
Trixie shook her head. “That’s not possible.”
“Mart wouldn’t do that,” Brian said.
“Di wouldn’t lie,” Honey said.
“There’s no way,” Dan said getting to his feet. “Mart wouldn’t cheat on Di. He loves her.”
“Dan’s right,” Brian said. “It’s impossible.”
“Then where did Di get the idea Mart was cheating?” Jim asked as he repositioned Katje in his arm.
“That’s something we will need to ask Di,” Honey said.
“She didn’t say anything to you?” Trixie asked looking at Honey.
“I have a better question,” Dan said. “How did you know all this?”
“We all should sit down,” Honey said.
Trixie settled back on the couch beside Jim as Brian sat in one of the recliners with Honey on the arm. Dan sat back down in the chair he had vacated moments before.
“So,” Trixie said.
“Okay.” Honey let out a breath. “It was a couple weeks before Katje was born when Di and I met for lunch. I had noticed she looked tired and withdrawn. It didn’t take much pressing, but she broke down and told me Mart was cheating on her.”
“Did Di have any proof?” Trixie asked.
“She didn’t say anything. “Then how can she assume he’s doing this?” Jim asked. “That doesn’t sound like Mart.”
“I agree with Jim,” Brian said. “This isn’t Mart.”
“Then we need to figure out where Di got this idea and how we can fix it,” Trixie said.
“Trix, I know you want to help Mart, but I think we should let them sort it out on their own,” Brian said.
“At the rate they’re going, they’ll be divorced over nothing.”
“Then what has Mart been doing all those nights when he should be home with Di?” Brian asked.
“Di said that when Mart works late he stays at the farm,” Jim said. “But after Di called, I went looking for him. He wasn’t at the school, but at the bar in town. He was completely plastered.”
“So he hasn’t been working late?” Hone asked.
“Have you actually seen him there?” Dan asked at the same time as he leaned forward.
“He’s been there when I’ve left for the day,” Jim said. “And he’s an adult. I don’t monitor his every move.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Trixie said getting to her feet. “I don’t believe Mart would cheat on Di and you all shouldn’t either.”
“Trixie’s right,” Dan said. “He has doted on her since high school. There has to be something else going on.”
“Then how do we figure it out?” Honey asked.
Trixie smiled, a twinkle sparkling in her blue eyes.
“Uh-oh,” Brian said. “She’s got a plan.”
Trixie looked at her eldest brother. “And I think it’ll work.”
“Just promise us it’s not dangerous,” Jim said.
“It’s not,” Trixie said, smiling.
“Why do I not feel reassured?” Jim asked.
The next afternoon, Trixie was in the city with Katje. She had talked to Di that morning and she had agreed to meet Trixie to shop for outfits for the anniversary party.
Trixie was sitting on a bench in the middle of the mall rocking Katje in her stroller. She had arrived early hoping she was doing the right thing. She needed to know what was going on with her brother and his wife.
“Trixie!”
She looked up and saw Di coming toward her pushing the double stroller. She smiled at her sister-in-law, trying to hide her surprise at Di’s pale face.
“Hi, Di. How are you?”
“I’m all right.” Di stepped up to her. “Are you ready to find a dress?”
“I guess so.” Trixie got to her feet. “I appreciate your help.”
“No problem. Where’s Honey? She usually comes on these sprees with us.”
“A case came up that she needed to attend to,” Trixie said as they made their way past the stores.
“That’s a shame,” Di said. “So, what kind of dress were you looking for?”
“Actually, I’m not really sure. It’ll be the first time since having Katje that we’ll be going out.”
“I guess you’re looking forward to your anniversary,” Di said quietly.
Trixie smiled. “I guess I am. This first year together in marriage has had so many special moments for us.”
“Are you really happy?” Di asked as they made their way into one of the dress shops.
“I really am,” Trixie admitted. “But I think you also know about being happy.”
Di remained quiet as she moved further into the shop. Trixie knew she needed to take her time.
Trixie decided to drop the subject for the time being and focus on finding something to wear for the party.
After an hour of searching, Trixie found the perfect dress for the evening. She had also watched as Di found one for herself.
With their dresses paid for, they decided to head to the food court for a snack before heading home.
Trixie sat with the children as Di went to purchase the food. Looking at the twins, she realized how much they both looked like Di and Mart. They had Di’s dark hair, but Mart’s blue eyes and wavy curls. She wondered how any of them would survive if the divorce went through.
“Here,” Di said, setting down two cups and a couple cookies. “I figured we could use the sugar rush.”
“Good idea.” Trixie looked at Katje and saw she was sound asleep. She looked back at Di and saw the sadness on her face. “Di, level with me. What’s going on?”
Di tried to smile. “I knew I couldn’t keep anything from you.”
“Di, I can’t understand why you want a divorce. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Sure it does. Especially if your husband would rather be with another woman than you.”
“You really don’t believe that, do you?”
Di let out a sigh. “I don’t know what to believe.”
“How do you know Mart has been with another woman?”
“Trixie, he rarely comes back to the city at night and on nights that he does, he falls right into bed without a word.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s with another woman, Di. Did you ever ask him what he was doing?”
“He said he was working.”
“But?”
“But when I called the school to talk to him, he wasn’t there.”
“Di, he may have been away from the phone.”
“Trixie, please don’t try to talk me out of this. Mart and I are just too different. It’s better that we find out now, rather than later.”
“Di, I want to help.”
“I know you do, but there’s nothing you can do.”
“Di, what proof do you have that Mart has been cheating? You know you need some solid evidence before you accuse him.” Trixie had a feeling the idea of Mart cheating wasn’t Di’s. “Di, did someone say something to you to make you think Mart would do that?”
Di looked at her cup and Trixie knew she had hit the nail on the head.
“Who?” Trixie asked softly.
Di quickly got to her feet. “Trixie, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Di took hold of the double stroller and walked away.
Trixie let out a breath. She had a feeling someone else was involved. She hoped she could figure this out before either of them went through with the divorce and made a mistake.
Trixie kept her eyes closed as she moved to get into a more comfortable position. She felt a slight weight in her left arm, but no movement. She knew Katje was still asleep and figured she could sleep for a little longer.
Someone had to have given the idea to Di, she thought. But who would do that to them? Could someone be saying these things to Di to purposely hurt their relationship, or is someone just interfering when it’s none of their business? I know there has been something going on. In the past couple weeks when I’ve seen him, he’s been quiet and looks really tired. I wonder if he’s been working too hard. Maybe I need to sit own and talk with Mart. But I also need to figure out who put the idea of Mart cheating in Di’s head.
A kiss on her cheek made her smile. Opening her eyes, Trixie saw Jim crouched beside the recliner she had settled in earlier. She said, “Hi.”
“Hi, there.” He kissed her on the lips. “How was your day?”
“Long.”
“Hmmm.” Jim reached over and brushed her hair back. “Long because you talked to Di?”
Trixie nodded as she glanced at Katje. She pulled her daughter close to her chest. “There’s a lot we need to talk about.”
“Well, why don’t we talk over dinner,” Jim suggested.
“You’re probably hungry. It shouldn’t take me long to get something together.”
“You don’t need to,” Jim said, standing up. “Dinner is ready.”
“Jim, you shouldn’t have had to make dinner after working all day.”
Jim just smiled. “Come on.”
Trixie got to her feet, set Katje in the bassinet and then followed Jim into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw a pizza box in the middle of the table.
She looked at Jim and he said. “I thought you’d be hungry, so I had it delivered.”
“Thank you.” Trixie kissed his cheek. “I love you so much.”
“Come on. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
They settled at the table and started eating. Trixie told Jim about her day and the conversation with Di.
“So, you think someone put the idea in Di’s head?” Jim asked, wiping his hands on a towel.
“Someone had to,” Trixie said, putting her slice down. “You’ve seen how much they love each other. Mart would never do anything to hurt her.”
“I agree with how much he loves Di, but that doesn’t explain what Mart has been doing those nights he’s told Di he was working,” Jim said.
Trixie stared at her husband. She got the feeling that her husband doubted her brother’s honesty.
“Are you thinking that what Di said has to be true?” Trixie asked slowly.
“Trix, I know you’re worked about them, but shouldn’t you just let them sort it out on their own? I mean, if we were having problems, I wouldn’t want them interfering.”
“Wouldn’t you want someone to help if it was just a misunderstanding?”
“If it was a misunderstanding, it wouldn’t take long for us to come to our senses.”
“But this is a misunderstanding, and we need to help them realize it.”
“Trixie, I know you care about them both, but you should leave this alone. This is their business, not yours.”
“But, Jim, they haven’t realized it is a misunderstanding.”
“I’m having a hard time believing it is.”
Trixie stared at Jim. She had a feeling he knew something she didn’t. “Spill.”
Jim let out a breath. “I knew you wouldn’t drop this, so I did some checking with the staff at school.”
“And?” Trixie prompted.
“They said the nights Mart was supposedly working late at the school, he wasn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Then what does it mean? Mart is up to something and the more I think about it, I think…”
“Don’t you say it,” Trixie said angrily.
“You have to look at all the possibilities,” Jim said. “And that’s one of them.”
“That’s not Mart and you know it. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Di.”
“Then where has he been those nights?” Jim asked, raising his voice.
“Whatever it is, it hasn’t been cheating on Di.”
At that moment, Katje started crying. Trixie stared at Jim for a moment, and then went to get their daughter. She pulled Katje to her chest and tried to quiet her down. Realizing Katje was wet, she made her way to the nursery to change her.
I can’t believe Jim thinks Mart would actually cheat on Di, she thought. It’s not possible. Mart wouldn’t do that to her. He loves her so much. There has to be a way to help them through this and figure out who has been telling Di that Mart was cheating. It has to be someone who knows Di really well and has been talking to her a lot lately. Once I find the person, then we’ll know why.
“Here’s a bottle for her,” Jim said coming in to the nursery. “I thought she might be hungry.”
“Thank you.” Trixie stayed focused on what she was doing.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jim set the bottle on the changing table and listened as he left the nursery. With Katje in a dry diaper, Trixie picked her up and nestled her in her arm. Trixie grabbed the bottle and moved over to the rocking chair.
I have to calm down, she thought. I don’t want to fight with Jim about this. I know my brother and it is impossible to think that he would hurt Di this way. Mart doesn’t treat people poorly. He treats them with respect, and Di is on a pedestal. He wouldn’t cheat on her. There has to be another explanation and I plan to find out what it is.
Because Trixie wanted to avoid another heated conversation like the one at dinner, she spent the rest of the evening in her study, reading. She finally made her wa to the master bedroom around midnight.
Stepping into the bedroom, she saw Jim was already asleep on his back. Quietly, she changed, and then slipped under the covers on her side, facing away from him. Trixie let out a deep breath and closed her eyes.
A while later, she instinctively rolled onto her other side, putting her head on Jim’s chest and wrapping her arm around his waist. As she drifted to sleep, she felt Jim wrap his arm around her shoulder.
She woke the following morning to a kiss on the top of her head. Opening her eyes, she realized her head was on Jim’s chest.
“Morning,” Jim said.
“Morning.”
“How did you sleep?”
“All right. I didn’t even wake up once.”
“That’s for sure. You slept through Katje’s cries.”
Trixie propped herself on her arm and looked at Jim. “I’m sorry I missed it. You’re probably exhausted.”
“I’m all right.” Jim brushed the curls out of her face. “Trix, I want to apologize for last night.”
“There’s no need.”
“There is,” Jim said. “I know you have faith in Mart, and you’re sure that he wouldn’t cheat on Di. You have a stronger connection with him than any of the rest of us, and I should go with you on this. Your feelings have never been wrong in the past and I don’t think you’re wrong now.”
Trixie smiled. “Thank you for believing in Mart.”
“I should have believed in him from the start. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want us to get into another fight about this.”
“I’m all right with you believing in Mart. Now, all I have to do is figure out how Di came up with this crazy notion.”
Jim rolled to his side to face her. “And how are you going to do that?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure it out.”
Jim smiled. “I know you will.”
At that moment, Katje started crying. Trixie let out a breath. “I guess it’s my turn.”
“I’ll make breakfast.”
“All right.” Trixie gave Jim a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Trixie got out of bed and hurried to their crying daughter.
That afternoon, Honey came to the house with her 10-month-old son, Peter. They chitchatted for a few minutes.
“So,” Honey began. “Did you have any luck with Di yesterday?”
“We talked, but I didn’t get too far.”
“From what she did say, were you able to get any clues?”
“I think someone put the idea in Di’s head that Mart was cheating, and she believed it.”
“But who would do that?” Honey asked. “Who would want to hurt them both?”
“I wish I knew. Honey, how were things prior to Mart and Di’s wedding? Anything peculiar?”
“Everything seemed okay, except you weren’t there.”
“I feel bad that I wasn’t, but I couldn’t get away.”
“Mart understood.”
“Right,” Trixie said sarcastically.
“Did Mart say something?”
“He accused me of caring more for Brian than him, since I made it to Brian’s wedding and not his.”
“He couldn’t have meant that,” Honey said quietly. “He was probably in shock from the news.”
“I guess,” Trixie said, but she still felt hurt by his comments. She decided to get back on the subject. “What about the time before the wedding? Do you remember anything happening then?”
“The days up to her wedding were just as hectic as mine, even though Mart hadn’t been kidnapped.”
“How so?”
“Well, it was a couple days before the wedding and I was visiting Di to see how she was coping. She was a bit frazzled but so happy. We were about to head out for a ride when her mother cornered us. Mrs. Lynch started questioning Di about her decisions for the wedding and several times during the conversation she asked if Di was sure she wanted to marry Mart.”
“So, her mom was questioning her decision before they got married.”
Honey nodded.
Trixie leaned back on the couch, an idea forming in her head.
“Trix?”
She looked at Honey. “Listen to this theory.” Trixie took a breath. “Let’s say this couple gets engaged, but one set of parents doesn’t think they are right for one another. The couple goes ahead with the wedding. They are deeply in love and start a family. The one set of parents still doesn’t approve of them, and starts putting crazy ideas in one of their heads when the other is spending a lot of time working.”
“So, you think this idea came from Mr. & Mrs. Lynch?”
“I don’t know what else to think. From what you said, it just makes sense.”
“Bu how do we prove it?”
“We talk to Mart and get him to level with us about what he’s been doing.”
“Do you really think he’s going to tell us?”
“Probably not. That just means we’ll have to do the next best thing.”
Honey smiled. “And should I assume we’ll be doing that tonight?”
“We might as well get it over with. I’d like for everything to be wrapped up by the party.”
“That’s not a lot of time.”
Trixie smiled. “Then we’ll have to get busy.”
“All right. Count me in.”
“Good. Now, this is what we should do…”
That night, Trixie and Honey were seated in Trixie’s Jeep in the Manor House driveway. They figured since Mart was staying at Crabapple Farm, he would head off to his destination as usual. And when he left, they would follow at a safe distance.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Honey asked from the passenger seat.
“Do you have any other ideas on how we can find out what Mart is doing?”
“No. It’s just that it doesn’t feel right spying on him.”
“We wouldn’t have to spy on him if he’d level with us.”
“You know, Mart is going to blow a gasket when he finds out,” Honey said.
“He may blow one at first, but if this smoothes things over between him and Di, I think it’ll be worth it.”
“I hope so, because he is on the move now.”
Trixie watched Mart’s car head down the driveway of Crabapple Farm. She started the Jeep’s engine and followed him. The two vehicles made their way into Sleepyside to the business district. When Mart pulled to a stop, Trixie turned at the corner and pulled up to the curb.
They got out of the Jeep and moved to the corner. They watched Mart get out of his car and make his way toward a warehouse where a bunch of men were working, carrying boxes.
Mart stepped up to the men and shook a couple hands. He got in line and started passing the boxes along.
“What is Mart doing?” Honey asked softly as they followed his movements.
“I don’t know.” Trixie kept her eye on Mart. “He’s working. But why? He works at the school.”
“Trix, I know this may sound crazy, but could he be working because Jim fired him?”
Trixie swiveled her head to glare at Honey. She couldn’t believe that had even been suggested.
“Why would Jim fire Mart? He’s an important part of the team at the school. It’s not possible. Jim would not do that.”
“Then why is he working there?”
“I don’t know, but it does explain what he’s been doing all these nights.”
“We just need to find out why,” Honey said.
Trixie straightened up. “And we’ll do that later. Let’s get out of here.”
“All right.”
On the way back to the Manor House, Honey said, “I can’t understand why Mart is working there.”
“He has to have a reason.”
“But why keep it from Di?”
“I don’t know. He must know something, which he probably thinks isn’t good, and decided to take action instead of asking for help.”
“If that is the case, why didn’t he tell us?”
“I don’t know.”
After dropping Honey off at Manor House, she returned to Ten Acres. Pulling up to the house, she realized the only light on was in the nursery. She quietly entered the house locking the door behind her. After slipping off her coat, she made her way upstairs.
Reaching the nursery, Trixie looked in and saw Jim was asleep in the rocking chair with Katje in his arms. Soft music was playing in the background.
Smiling, Trixie moved over to Jim and lifted Katje out of his arms without waking him. She gently set their sleeping daughter in her crib.
Turning back to Jim, she saw his head had rolled to the side. Trixie moved to Jim and gave him a kiss. Jim moved his head and slowly opened his eyes.
“You’re home,” Jim said sleepily.
“I sure am. Come on. Let’s get some sleep. It’s late.”
“All right.”
They made their was to their bedroom, changed and climbed into bed. Trixie turned the light off before settling her head on Jim’s chest. As she tried to go to sleep, she heard Jim’s even breathing and knew he was out.
Why is Mart working at the warehouse? She thought. Why couldn’t he level with us about what was going on? Or at least level with Di? She’s his wife and he shouldn’t be keeping secrets from her. They are in this together. I guess we’ll just have to confront him, and when I think we, I mean all of the Bob-Whites, except Di. Mart needs to be honest with her without us around.
The next morning, Trixie was sitting in the living room feeding Katje. She had been up most of the night trying to figure out how she could help her brother and sister-in-law. She didn’t want to just tell Di what Mart was actually doing.
“Morning.”
Trixie turned and saw Jim standing in the doorway rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Good morning to you.”
Jim moved toward her. “How did things go last night?”
“All right.”
“Just all right?”
“We found some stuff out. And before you ask, you will find out at dinner tonight. Honey invited us up to Manor House.”
“Should I be worried?”
Trixie shook her head. “No.”
“Then what’s going on? You two must have been out late because I didn’t even hear you come in.”
Trixie smiled. “It wasn’t too late. But I did find you asleep in the nursery.”
“I had to rock Katje to sleep somewhere.”
Before Trixie could say anything else, the telephone rang and Jim went to answer it. Looking down at Katje, she saw their little girl was asleep and carried her over to the bassinet.
Jim came back into the room and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I need to go.”
“Is something wrong?”
“A couple of the kids are sick and one of the teachers called in. I need to go.”
“All right. Give me a call later.”
“I will.” Jim kissed her again on the cheek and left.
Alone again, Trixie hoped it wasn’t anything serious at the school.
That night, Jim drove up to the Manor House. Trixie glanced in the back seat at Katje, who was asleep. They arrived and climbed out, with Jim handling the baby carrier. As they stepped up to the front door, it was pulled open by Brian.
After handing Brian their coats, they followed him into the living room. Honey was sitting the floor with Peter while Dan and Mart occupied the couch. Once the greetings were over with, they made their way into the dining room. As they sat down, Trixie wasn’t surprised to see the tired look on Mart’s pale face in the bright dining room light.
She also wasn’t surprised that Mart was ignoring her. Knowing he was angry, she tried not to let it bother her.
As they finished dessert, Trixie glanced at Honey hoping she would take the lead.
“There was a reason for this dinner tonight,” Honey said
“What’s that?” Brian asked.
Trixie looked at Mart. “Do you want to tell them what you’ve been doing at night, Mart? Or do you want Honey and me to do it?”
Mart’s head shot up as he glared at her. “You don’t know anything.”
“Why don’t you level with us?” Honey asked. “It’ll probably be better if they hear it.”
Mart leaned back in the chair and glared at her and Honey. “If you think you know, go right ahead.”
“So?” Dan prompted.
“Last night, we followed Mart to figure out what was going on, since he wouldn’t tell us,” Honey said.
Trixie realized Mart was getting angrier. She continued, “We followed him to the business district and saw him go to one of the warehouses, where he was working.”
“He was working at a warehouse?” Brian asked.
Trixie nodded as Jim looked at Mart. “Do you not want to work at the school?”
“I enjoy working at the school,” Mart said.
“Then why get a job at the warehouse?” Dan asked. “And why did you keep it a secret?”
“Maybe it’s none of your business.”
“I thinks it’s your wife’s business,” Trixie said.
“She doesn’t care.”
“She does care. She just thinks you’ve been cheating on her,” Dan said.
“What?!” Mart exclaimed. “What do you mean she thinks I’m cheating?”
“Just what I said,” Dan replied.
“Didn’t you ask Di why she wanted a divorce?” Brian asked.
“I’ve tried calling her, but she won’t answer the phone.” Mart put his head in his hands. “I can’t believe this.”
“Mart, didn’t you realize by keeping this a secret that you were hurting Di?” Trixie asked.
“I was working at the warehouse to get some extra money.”
“Why didn’t you say you needed more money?” Jim asked.
“I will not take charity. I wanted to do this on my own.”
“What were you trying to do?” Honey asked.
“Di is getting tired of living in the city and I was trying to get some extra money so that we could buy a house here in Sleepyside. She wants to be closer to her family and…and so do I.”
“So, you took the other job to earn some more money,” Brian said.
Mart nodded. “Right now, everything I earn is being used and the other job is letting me set some money aside.”
“You should have told us, Mart,” Brian said.
“Like I wanted this secret out. Not one of you can keep a secret.”
“That’s true,” Honey said.
“So, what are you going to do?” Jim asked. “Are you going to talk to Di?”
“I have to. I just can’t understand how Di came up with the idea that I was cheating on her.”
“We were thinking about that too,” Trixie said.
“And we think someone close to Di put the idea in her head,” Honey finished.
“Who?” Mart asked. “Never mind. I think I know.” He got to his feet. “I need to go. I’ll talk to you all later.”
Mart quickly left the house as Trixie looked at Honey. “Hopefully everything will work out.”
“I hope so too,” Honey said.
Trixie rolled onto her back and immediately smelled the sweet scent of a rose. Opening her eyes with a smile, she saw Jim sitting on the bed beside her holding a rose to her.
“Happy anniversary,” Jim said as he leaned down and gave her a long, sensuous kiss, leaving her breathless.
“Happy anniversary to you, too,” Trixie said softly.
Jim kissed her again. “You don’t know how much I love you.”
“Probably as much as I love you.”
Jim moved the hair off her forehead. “And to think it’s been just a year since you became my wife and helped me make one of my dreams come true.”
“We made our dream come true.”
Trixie reached her arms around Jim’s neck and lowered his face to hers. As they kissed, she felt she needed to have more. It had been too long since they’d been together.
“Jim?” she said taking a breath.
“I need you too.”
Trixie grabbed the bottom of Jim’s T-shirt and lifted it over his head. Jim leaned in closer and nuzzled her neck as he slowly unbuttoned the pajama top of her she was wearing.
Jim’s kisses moved down her chest to her stomach. She felt him kick the covers off the bed.
“I love you, my schoolgirl shamus.” Before they could go any further, Katje started crying.
Trixie let out a frustrated sigh. “I knew it.”
Jim just groaned.
“Besides, the doctor told us we had to wait.”
“I know,” Jim said. “But I’ve missed it.”
“I know.” Trixie kissed Jim. “I’ll get her while you fix her bottle.”
“Okay.”
That evening, Trixie stood in front of the full-length mirror in the master bedroom gazing at her reflection. The knee-length black dress hugged her figure. As she smoothed the silk and lace, she was glad she had gotten her figure back after Katje was born.
“You look beautiful.”
Trixie turned and saw Jim standing in the door gazing at her with love in his eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and blue tie.
“You look handsome, yourself.”
Jim moved into the room and stood behind her as she looked into the mirror. “You will stand out at our party.”
Trixie turned to face Jim. “I’ll stand out because I’m with you.”
Jim leaned down and kissed her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jim leaned back and said, “We need to get going before Mother or Dad come looking for us.”
“And we still need to drop Katje off at the Manor House for the sitter.”
“We should go then. We don’t need to be late to our own anniversary party.”
Trixie gave Jim a mischievous smile. “I could think of better way to spend our anniversary.”
“So can I. But we can’t keep Mother waiting.”
Trixie sighed. “I guess you’re right.”
Jim kissed her again. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Hours later, Trixie and Jim were talking with Honey, Brian and Dan. They were getting to know Dan’s date, Rae Ann. As they conversed, Trixie wondered where Mart and Di were. She had hoped the two of them had made amends, but since they weren’t there, she figured it hadn’t happened.
They had dinner and the music was beginning to play. Trixie and Jim moved over to their parents while the others began dancing.
Jim gave Madeleine Wheeler a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for this evening, Mother.”
“We really appreciate it,” Trixie said.
“I’m glad you’re both enjoying it.”
“I just wish Mart would show up,” Helen said. She looked at Trixie and Jim. “Did either of you talk to him today?”
Trixie shook her head as Jim said, “I didn’t go to the school today.”
“I’m worried about him,” Helen said.
“Moms, I wouldn’t worry. I think everything will be okay.”
“How do you know?” Peter asked.
Trixie smiled. “I know my brother.”
Jim took Trixie’s arm. “Excuse us. I think our song is playing.”
As they moved to the dance floor, Trixie heard the opening chords, but didn’t think it was their song. The lyrics confirmed it.
One word, that’s all you said Something in your voice caused me to turn my head Your smile, just captured me You were in my future as far as I could see And I, don’t know how it happens, but it happens still You asked me if I loved, if I always will
“This song says it all,” Jim said softly, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Well you had me from hello I felt love start to grow The moment I looked into your eyes, you won me It was over from the start, you completely stole my heart And now you won’t let go I never even had a chance you know You had me from hello
“But I never said hello when we first met. I only demanded to know what you were doing inside there.”
“But it was at that moment that I knew that there was something special about you,” Jim said.
Inside I built a wall So high around my heart, I thought I’d never fall One touch, you brought it down The bricks of my defenses scattered on the ground And I swore to me I wasn’t going to love again The last time was the last time I’d let someone in
“You were the one who broke through the wall around my heart,” Jim said as Trixie leaned her head against his chest. “I had decided that I wouldn’t love anyone again, but you stormed into my life and I couldn’t stop the feelings that followed.”
But you had me from hello I felt the love start to grow The moment I looked into your eyes you won me It was over from the start you completely stole my heart And now you won’t let go I never even had a chance, you know You had me from hello
“I had those same feelings. You were new to by boring life and I found excitement,” Trixie said.
“I don’t think we even had to say hello, because we were meant to find each other.”
“That’s what I think too.”
That’s all you said Something in your voice calls me, turns my head You had me from hello You had me from hello Girl, I’ve loved you from hello
“I’ve also loved you since then.”
“Thank you for being my wife, Mrs. Frayne.”
“Thank you for being my husband, Mr. Frayne.”
Trixie leaned up and Jim gave her a kiss, glad they had found each other and were together.
As a fast song began to play, they broke apart and moved back to their parents. Also there were Brian, Honey, Dan and Rae Ann. They group moved to the table and sat down.
Once seated, Matthew Wheeler, Jim’s adopted father, raised his glass. “It’s time for a toast.” Everyone raised a glass. “To Jim and Trixie. It has been a year of excitement for you and we hope your lives will be filled with much more. Happy anniversary, Trixie and Jim.”
“Happy anniversary, Trixie and Jim,” the others chorused.
Trixie turned and gave Jim a kiss, glad he was her husband.
At that moment, a waiter came out with a cake and set it in front of them. The waiter handed the knife to Jim.
“I guess they knew better than to give Trixie sharp objects,” Brian said.
“Real funny,” Trixie said. She shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t want to cut the cake anyway.”
“So, you’re going to make me do it myself?” Jim asked with a sly smile.
“I guess I could help.” Trixie smiled.
Trixie covered Jim’s hand with hers and they made the first cut together.
“Make sure I get a big piece,” a voice said.
Trixie looked up and saw Mart standing in the doorway behind their table. “You made it.”
Mart smiled. “Sorry about being late.”
“It’s all right,” Helen said. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”
Mart moved around the table to Trixie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Happy anniversary, Trix.”
“Thanks, Mart.”
Mart turned to Jim and shook his hand. “Congratulations on surviving a year with this nut.”
“Thanks,” Jim said.
“Mart,” Helen said. “Where is Di? Isn’t she joining us?”
“Di had to take care of something and said she would be along soon,” Mart said moving to an empty seat and sitting down.
As the pieces of cake were passed around the table Trixie watched Mart out of the corner of her eye. There was something different about him, but she couldn’t place it. She couldn’t tell whether it was a good different or bad.
When they finished their pieces of cake, Mart got to his feet and moved behind her chair. He asked, “Trixie, may I have this dance?”
After a quick glance at Jim, who nodded his head, she said, “I’d like that.”
Trixie took Mart’s hand and stood up. They moved over to the dance floor as a slow song began to play.
Trixie put her arm on Mart’s shoulder as he put his had on her waist. Their other hands were clasped together. As they danced, Trixie said softly, “I take it you talked with Di.”
Mart nodded. “We were up most of the night.”
“And?”
“We’re back on speaking terms.”
“That’s good.”
“Well, if it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have even gotten there.”
“Did you tell Di what you were doing at night?”
Mart nodded. “I leveled with her. She was angry at first, but when she found out the reason, she was more understanding.”
“What about getting a divorce? Is she still going through with it?”
“No. We talked long and hard about it. We love each other and don’t want to lose that. We also decided that we need to move back here to Sleepyside soon. Neither of us like living in the city and that moving back, we’ll be closer to our families. Also, there are daycares here that Di thinks will be the best for the twins, especially since she wants to start working again.”
“She does?”
“Yeah. She said that with both of us working, we should be able to get the money we need sooner. But we’re going to find an apartment which will be a lot cheaper than the ones in the city.”
“I think everyone will be glad to have you both here,” Trixie said.
Mart was quiet for a moment. “Trix. I need to apologize.”
“For what?” Trixie asked, puzzled.
“The morning I woke up in your guest room, I said some things that were mean.” He looked her in the eye. “I understand why you couldn’t be here and I don’t hold it against you. I know you would’ve been here if you could. And I also know that you aren’t at fault for the problems Di and I are having. I should have never said what I did. I’m sorry.”
“You’re forgiven.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I knew you didn’t mean what you said. You were following your emotions.”
“I am sorry for what I said, and for pushing you into the cupboards.”
“You’re forgiven.”
“Thanks, Trix.”
Mart looked away from her. “I think your husband is looking for you.”
Trixie looked at Jim and saw he was staring at her. Her gaze shifted back to Mart. “Just one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m glad you’ll be coming home.”
“Thanks, Trix.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and they returned to the table.
As they reached the table, Trixie saw some movement by the door. A moment later Di stepped into view. Di smiled when she saw them. She quickly made her way in their direction.
“Trixie, Jim, I’m really sorry I’m late. I didn’t expect to be so long.”
“It’s all right,” Trixie said giving Di a hug. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”
Di leaned back. “Happy anniversary.”
“Thanks, Di,” Jim said and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I need to thank you,” Di said leaning back. “I should’ve heard you out when you tried to tell me.”
“You weren’t ready to hear it then.”
Di looked at Mart with love in her eyes. “But I have now, and I think everything is going to work out.”
“Is everything okay between you two about Mart’s alleged wandering heart?” Jim asked.
“That has been taken care of and I know we won’t be hearing about that again,” Di said.
“Good for you both,” Jim said wrapping his arms around Trixie’s waist. “I hate to do this, but would you excuse us? I have this incredible need to dance with my wife.”
“By all means, go right ahead,” Di said smiling. “Enjoy.”
Trixie turned in Jim’s arms and they moved to the middle of the dance floor. Trixie wrapped her arms around Jim’s neck as his went around her waist.
“I’m not sure I’ve told you this, but you are beautiful.”
“It has been a couple hours,” Trixie said.
“I love you so much,” Jim said. “You made my life worth fighting for, and I am looking forward to our years together.”
“I’m glad you are in my life too. I don’t know where I would be if we had never met. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Jim kissed her. “And I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“Neither can I.”
Trixie settled her head on Jim’s chest as he tightened his hold on her. She felt they had accomplished a lot in the first year they had been married, and knew that they would do more as the years progressed. Their lives were perfect and their friends were happy. That’s all that seemed to matter.
The End
Author’s Notes: My esteemed appreciation goes to Amy and Kaye for the edit. I really do appreciate all your hard work you both put in. Amy is also responsible for creating a marvelous page for my stories. You definitely rock. The title and words from the song “You Had Me From Hello” comes from Kenny Chesney. I am borrowing the title and will return it when I’m done.
Disclaimer: This is an unauthorized fan fiction site and is not affiliated with Random House in any way. No profit is being made from these pages.
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