Group Writing Project #3
Author’s note: This is part of a larger story that’s still in my head. (It’s the third story, actually) Hopefully it stands alone well enough. Trixie has been living on the West Coast for several years. She graduated from UC Berkley with a degree in criminal justice, took special investigative training, and is working at a detective agency. She’s on a case working undercover at a prep school which has brought back strong memories of her years with the Bob-Whites and has stirred feelings of longing for home.
City Lights
by April
Trixie Belden glanced at her wristwatch and sighed. According to the watch that had belonged to her grandmother, it was still 2:34pm. Once again, she’d forgotten to wind it and it had stopped. She hurriedly wound the stem as she stood on tiptoe and craned her neck looking around for a clock. She had to jump slightly to read it over the heads of the bustling crowd at San Francisco International Airport. The time was 3:22pm.
"He’s going to want to throw me into the bay!" Trixie muttered as she broke into a run and maneuvered her way through the waves of people surging around her. She gambled that he was traveling light and bypassed baggage claim, hoping he was still waiting at the gate. He was.
He saw her the same moment she spotted him. He looked a bit taken aback as he stood and came toward her. Trixie opened her mouth to call out to him but was stunned to feel her throat constrict, not letting his name get past her lips. Totally unexpected were the tears that stung her eyes. Never in a million years would she have foreseen a reaction like this! Still running, she pushed past a group of travelers and flung herself into his arms. She held onto him tightly.
"Hey…hey!" Mart Belden said gently as his arms tightened around his little sister. Her face was buried against his shoulder, but he thought she was crying. He dropped a quick kiss on the top of her tousled blonde head and patted her back soothingly. "What’s all this about? What’s the matter, Trix?"
Trixie shook her head, took a deep breath and loosened her death grip on him. She stepped back, wiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Jeepers, Mart," she said with a shaky laugh, embarrassed by her unexpected display of emotion. "It beats me! I couldn’t be that glad to see you!"
He smiled and gave her a quick hug before bending down for the duffel bag at his feet. "Now that sounds more like you! Um… are you all right?" He looked at her with concern in his round blue eyes. She was thinner than when he’d seen her over a year ago and there were dark smudges under the blue eyes that were so much like his own. She nodded and tried to smile. "Well, then," he asked lightly, "are you going to get me out of here and feed me? My stomach’s still on New York time – dinnertime!"
"And that sounds more like you!" Her smile this time was genuine. Mart fell into step with her as they made their way toward the parking area. "Thank heavens it’s Saturday, so the traffic won’t be too bad. Can you wait until we get to my place or do you want to stop somewhere on the way?"
"No offense, but by the looks of you, there isn’t much in that fridge of yours," Mart observed. "I vote we stop on the way."
"I’ll have you know I went shopping just this morning," Trixie informed him tartly. "Like I’m going to make my own brother starve! But if you’re really hungry, we’ll stop off and grab something. There’s an In and Out not too far from here. The burgers and fries are made fresh – they’re almost as good as Wimpy’s."
"Sounds good to me," he assured her. As Trixie led him to the parking area, Mart had a chance to study her. She looked so different somehow than when he’d seen her last. Sandy blond hair framed her face in soft curls that now reached past her shoulders. Like himself, she still had freckles sprinkled generously across her nose and cheeks, but they were softer than when they’d been kids. Maybe that’s all it is, Mart thought. We’re not kids anymore. At twenty-three and twenty four, they’d each been on their own for years. He frowned. But I saw her face as she came racing at me. She looked so…vulnerable. Last time I saw her, after her detective training, she seemed tougher than ever. Today she looks as tough as Jell-O.
Mart glanced fondly down at his sister as she strode past the rows of cars. He’d almost forgotten how small she was – didn’t even come up to his chin. Heck, she wouldn’t even reach Brian or Jim’s shoulder. Jim! Mart jerked his head up and paused mid-stride. I wonder if she’s guessed that Jim sent me to this seminar in his place? He mentally smacked himself in the head. Of course, she has, Belden – it doesn’t take a private investigator to figure this one out.
Trixie noticed he’d stopped and turned with a grin. "Am I going too fast for my elderly brother to keep up?" she teased. "Or are you about to perish from hunger?"
"Although I am indeed in need of sustenance, I assure you, my diminutive sibling, I am perfectly capable of perambulating with alacrity and agility to your conveyance!" Mart answered, grinning back at her. It was good to see the sparkle back in her eyes as she laughed. He’d given up the pompous, inflated verbiage years ago, but every now and again, it was good for a joke.
"Actually, Mart, the car’s right here." Trixie dug her keys out of her jeans pocket and led the way to a maroon Ford Escort that had seen better days. Mart’s sandy eyebrows shot up in surprise. Trixie caught the look as she unlocked the door. "And what’s that supposed to mean?"
"Uh…nothing, Sis," he said mildly. "I just never pictured you in an Escort. And besides, I thought blue was your color." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as he used to do in their youth and although she rolled her eyes and shook her head, she smiled at him.
"You’re still as goofy as ever," she laughed.
"As goofy as the day is long," he agreed, misquoting the Bard.
"Oh, Mart!" Trixie giggled and glanced over at her brother as she started up the engine. "I can’t tell you how great it is to see you again!"
"Oh, Trixie!" he joked. "Sure you can! Go ahead and tell me - in great detail, please. Whoa – what have we here?" He’d bumped the glove box with his knee and it had popped open, spilling an assortment of Ghirardelli chocolate bars onto his lap.
"My stash of survival food. I’d forgotten about it – go ahead and help yourself."
"Mmm…" Mart needed no further urging. "I presume this is the same Ghirardelli as in Ghirardelli Square?"
"Yep," Trixie nodded. " And that’s one of the stops on our tour. If you think their candy’s good, just wait ‘til I treat you to one of their sundaes! That alone is worth the trip out here. I thought we’d go to Fisherman’s Wharf and Golden Gate Park this weekend, then on Wednesday when you’re done with the seminar, I’ll take you around the rest of San Francisco, Trixie style."
"That sounds great, Trix! I’m looking forward to seeing the City by the Bay." He remembered never to say ‘Frisco when he was talking about San Francisco. He’d made that mistake once, shortly after Trixie had moved here and was tartly informed that San Franciscans hate that nickname. City by the Bay was acceptable, however. "I really appreciate you taking time off for me," Mart said between bites of mint chocolate. "Fair Beatrix, I thank you for your pains."
There was a time she would’ve glared at him for daring to remind her of her hated given name but ever since that dance years ago, they’d come to understand one another. Over the years they’d grown close, for they were a lot alike in many ways. The only person Trixie had ever felt closer to was her best friend, Honey Wheeler.
"Well, you couldn’t have picked a better time. I’ve been working undercover at a prep school in nearby Woodside and I’m out on spring break this week. You’re actually part of my cover. I’m staying in the City with my big brother this week if anyone from school sees me around. Just remember I’m your eighteen–year-old sister. Oh, and our last name is Barton."
"Are you still Trixie then?" he inquired as he opened up the milk chocolate with almonds.
"I considered going with Bebe Barton, but I was afraid I’d forget to answer when someone called me," she replied, smiling as she noticed her brother wolf down a second candy bar. It’s nice to know some things never change. "So I’m still Trixie."
Mart shoved the rest of the candy back into the glove box and slammed it shut. He regarded his sister for a moment and asked her softly, "Are you still Trixie then?"
"Mart, I just…" Trixie turned her head, encountered his bright blue gaze and caught his meaning. She inhaled sharply as she focused once again on the traffic around her. Have I changed that much? She grimaced. Yeah, like I make a habit of flinging myself at people and blubbering all over them. This case has gotten to me even more than I realized if it’s that obvious. Unwilling to take his unspoken invitation to unload her troubles, she summoned up a passable grin and said lightly, "Yeah, Mart, I’m still Trixie. Always have been -always will be. Tell me, how are the folks doing? Moms says Bobby’s as tall as you now."
Mart’s eyes narrowed at the obvious diversion, but he shrugged and said, "The folks are fine – they missed you at Christmas. Dad’s hair’s going gray. Moms’ paintings did really well at the showing at the Sleepyside Art Gallery. And yeah, looks like Bobby’s going to pass me up height wise. He misses you, too." He paused for a moment then decided to try again. "We all miss you, Trix. Everyone wishes you’d come home. There are detective agencies in New York, you know."
Not now, Mart, I just went through this with Moms on the phone last night. "Look, Mart," Trixie measured her words carefully, "I really appreciate your concern, but let’s put this conversation on hold for now. I don’t want to think about what’s going on in my life tonight. I really just want to enjoy being together again - it’s been awhile. Let’s just have some fun, okay?"
"Sure, Trix," agreed Mart with a sigh. Well, she’s still as stubborn as ever, that hasn’t changed. Guess she’ll talk when she’s good and ready. "It’ll be great to see San Francisco with you."
"Thanks, Mart," Trixie said with relief. "How’s Megan? I can’t wait to meet her when I go back for Brian and Honey’s wedding! Moms and Honey say she’s a doll. Dad, Brian and Bobby say she’s great and, of course, you’ve been singing her praises for almost a year now and all I’ve seen of her are a few photos."
"She’s wonderful, Trix! Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found her."
Lucky in love – well, I’m glad at least some of the Beldens are. "Sometimes I can’t believe how you two met!" she said aloud with a broad grin. "Who’d have thought a person would find true love at the Cosmo McNaught website? Heck, who’d have thought there’d even be a Cosmo McNaught website?"
The thought of grown people so into a fictional character from a juvenile book series that they have a website to chat, write fan fiction and post messages about the books always struck her as extremely humorous. That her brother met and fell in love with one of the posters from the board struck her as extremely hilarious. She tried to swallow her laughter for Mart’s sake, but the memory of what she’d read the one time she went over to check out her brother’s pastime popped into her head and the laughter burst out in spite of herself. They were discussing Cosmo’s love life! Trixie laughed harder. They were debating which character was Cosmo’s true love and writing romances about it! Tears came to her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. Driving and laughing hysterically was not a good combination.
"I’m s-sorry, M-mart," stuttered Trixie, trying to regain control of herself. " It’s just that I remembered something I read there on the website. Never mind - you know I’m happy for you! I think you deserve all the happiness that comes your way! I’m glad you found Megan and I want to hear all about her."
During her laughing fit, Mart hadn’t known whether to be insulted or relieved that she was laughing like the old Trixie again. But somewhat appeased by her sincere wishes for his happiness, he proceeded to tell her about the love of his life. Trixie had seen Megan’s pictures and knew she wasn’t beautiful like Diana. Megan had a mop of short brown hair; a freckled, slightly upturned nose and almond shaped gray eyes. She had the fresh-faced good looks of the girl-next-door, but not the beauty Mart attributed to her. Trixie glanced over at her brother as he spoke of Megan. How he feels about her is written all over his face. Look at the light in his eyes. For just a moment, it seemed her heart constricted tightly and a wistful pang of longing pierced through her. Will anyone ever look like that when they talk about me?
"Trix," Mart was saying. "You should see her when she smiles – she lights up the whole room! And her laugh is infectious – once she gets going, you can’t help but laugh with her. She has a wonderful sense of humor, too. She’s witty and smart. That’s what’s best of all, I can really talk to her – about anything, Trix. It amazes me sometimes how we can talk for hours. I never had that with Di. I always felt I had to impress her, entertain her – perform for her. But with Megan, I can be myself. I swear she’s the best thing that has ever happened to me!"
Trixie swallowed hard then reached out and squeezed her brother’s hand. She’d heard all this several times before when they’d visited by phone and by email, but seeing the happiness in Mart’s eyes touched her. "I’m so happy for you, Mart," she said sincerely.
"Thanks, Trixie," Mart replied. "Um…I need your advice about something, though, if you don’t mind."
Trixie gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. Okaaay, what’s this about? Please, oh, please don’t let it be about something…intimate. She felt her checks start to get hot. How she always hated blushing so easily! Trixie cleared her throat and with more confidence than she felt, said, "Go ahead, shoot."
"I don’t want to seem like I’m competing with Brian, or taking anything away from their wedding plans, but Trixie, I want to ask Megan to marry me. Soon," he confided.
"You want to ask her soon or marry her soon?"
"Both, actually," Mart grinned. "If it were up to me, we’d get married next month. But with Brian and Honey getting married in a few months, I don’t see how we can manage before Christmas. But I was talking about getting engaged as soon as I get back - next weekend. What do you think – would that be bad form?"
"Mart!" cried Trixie. "If you’re sure you want to spend your life with Megan, you go right ahead and propose just as soon as you want to! Brian of all people should understand how it is to be in love. He and Honey have waited so long for his medical career to be on solid ground, I’m sure neither one of them would have a problem with it. Heck, Mart, you should know them well enough to know they’ll be happy for you, too!"
"Whew! I was hoping you’d say that! Thanks, Trix!" Mart reached over and patted her arm.
"Well, then, let me be the first to congratulate you and wish you every happiness!" Trixie smiled as she turned onto the hill that would take her to her basement apartment in an old Victorian townhouse – a painted lady as they were affectionately called. The smile froze on her face as she quickly turned to her brother. "Mart, I’m so sorry!"
"What?" He gaped at her, bewildered at the sudden mood swing.
"Oh, Mart!" she wailed. "I forgot to stop off at In and Out Burger and we’re almost home! I did make my brother starve - I’m sorry!"
Mart laughed, reached out and gently tugged on one of her long curls. "Don’t worry, Sis, the candy bars kept me alive. But I sure hope there’s something in your fridge!"
Trixie lifted her face and breathed in the cool, damp night air along with the mingled scent of fish, fresh sourdough bread and the bay. It wasn’t very sophisticated to like the tourist attractions of San Francisco, but she just couldn’t help herself, she loved Fisherman’s Wharf! After giving Mart a quick chance to unpack and freshen up and a roast beef sandwich on sourdough bread, she’d whisked him down to the Wharf to see the sights.
They’d had enough time to catch the Hyde and Beach cable car for the classic ride up and down the steep hills of the City, grab delicious walkaway crab cocktails and fresh sourdough bread at one of the many stalls along the Wharf, and stroll down to Aquatic Park to watch the fog roll in. Trixie never tired of the sight of the fog creeping over the Golden Gate Bridge as if it was a soft and stealthy invasion force. Like advancing scouts, searching fingers of fog preceded the dense mass behind them. Then slowly, silently, the sun was swallowed up and the thick, billowy gray carpet rolled in to blanket the bay and the hills that surrounded it.
No longer able to see the exquisite view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel and Alcatraz Islands, the twinkling lights and forested hills of the towns across the bay, Trixie had taken Mart across the street for a tour of Ghirardelli Square. Wearing a purple tie and tails, the elegant Mr. Wills, one of the colorful figures of the area had still been at his post by the brick staircase leading into the former candy factory. He’d doffed his top hat to Trixie, bowed low over his shiny spats, tapped his cane once and had, in a surprisingly good voice, crooned "Mona Lisa" to Trixie as a small group had gathered around. This of course, had made her blush, but she’d smiled and dropped some money into his hat when he’d passed it around amid the applause that had followed. The tour had ended as promised at the Chocolate Factory, where she’d treated her brother to an ice cream sundae so huge he hadn’t been able to finish it.
From there, as the street was well-lit and well populated, they’d walked down to Pier 39, passing up the Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum, and the other rather cheesy places. Pier 39 was mostly a small mall consisting of little shops, arcades and restaurants with lovely views. Drawn by the sharp, playful barking of seals, they’d gone down to the end of the pier, hoping to see the sea creatures as they thronged the docks below. The lights bouncing off the fog had lent an eerie glow to the dark shapes of the sea lions that had gathered by the pier.
Leaning against the wooden fence that surrounded the pier, Trixie pulled up the collar of her coat, shook back her hair and took another deep breath of the cool air. The shops were closing for the night leaving only the restaurants open, and the crowds had thinned, leaving them alone at the end of the pier. Without turning her head, she said just barely loud enough to be heard over the din of the sea lions, "Penny for your thoughts, Mart."
"I’ve just been taking it all in, Trix. I’ve seen pictures of San Francisco of course and then there are the background shots from Nash Bridges, but I wasn’t expecting to feel like this about a city. Not only is it a beautiful city, it seems possess a certain flair, an air of… je ne sais quoi. I like it."
They fell silent again for a few moments then Mart took Trixie by the hand and led her to a secluded bench away from the cacophony of the creatures below. Keeping her hand in his as she sat down, he reached into his pocket, pulled out some change, turned her hand palm up and placed the coins there before he sat down next to her.
"What’s this for?" Trixie blinked in surprise, watching him and expecting to see his teasing grin.
Mart regarded her with a serious expression in his eyes, but smiled and said, "Inflation. I’m giving you more than a penny for your thoughts. ‘Fess up, little squaw, what’s going on?" Watching her closely, as she forced a grin and began to shake her head, his own smile slipped from his face. "Huh-uh, Trix, I’m not going to buy that. You were crying on my shoulder at the airport, remember? What’s going on?"
Two pair of round blue eyes locked for a moment in a silent struggle of wills. Sensing that Mart wasn’t going to back down and leave her to her troubles, she looked around for a diversion. "Mart," she whispered close to his ear, "we’re in public and I can’t talk about it where we might be overheard."
Twisting his body to look all around, in an exaggerated skull and daggers way and seeing that there was no one remotely near them, he leaned close to her and in a stage whisper said, "The coast’s clear!" Continuing quietly in a more normal tone of voice he reasoned, "Trixie, even if someone was standing ten feet away, he couldn’t hear us over the noise of the sea lions! Look, I’m worried about you. I’ve been worried about you ever since you ran away after…"
"I never ran away!" Trixie protested fiercely and sprung to her feet, flinging the handful of change down onto the wooden floorboards. The resulting clatter was drowned out by the incessant sound of the sea lions. Trembling with anger, she clenched her fists and turned on him as he stood up, towering over her. "How dare you say that Mart Belden?" In her anger, she forgot to use his cover name. "When you went off to school, was that running away? Just because I…I…" Her voice caught as tears of anger gathered behind her eyes. She bit her bottom lip and spun on her heel. As quick as she was, her brother knew her well and was even quicker as he lunged for her and caught her around the waist before she took off running.
"Okay, okay… I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Poor choice of words." He held her firmly as she struggled briefly. Mart knew that with her self-defense training and karate he’d be no match for his little sister if she insisted on getting away from him. He had no doubt Trixie could hurt him if she really wanted to. As he held on, hoping she didn’t really want to, he continued to speak softly. She became still as his words penetrated her anger and embarrassment. "I meant, I’ve been worried about you since you moved out here. I won’t mention what happened before. That’s ancient history. I just want to know what’s going on now so I can help. I can tell something’s really wrong, Trixie. Since I set eyes on you at the airport this afternoon you’ve been like the Ghost of Trixie Past – just a shadow of the Trixie I know. You know I care about you. No matter how far away you are, that’ll never change, you’ll always be my only sister. My almost twin sister. Let me help if I can. I can’t stand seeing you like this."
As she calmed down, Mart dropped his arms from her waist. He finished his speech and stood miserably, waiting for some reaction. Trixie stood with her back to her brother, feeling as if a weight was pressing her down, keeping her from even moving. There’s nothing he can do. This is something I have to deal with on my own. I can’t really tell him much about the case but I can’t leave him standing here worrying about me. He loves me. There aren’t a whole lot of people in this world that do and almost all of them are so far away. He’s right. I ran away. She gasped a shuddering gasp at the self-revelation. Somehow Mart heard it or sensed it over the noise and laid his hands on her shoulders. I want to stop running…I don’t want to be alone anymore.
Trixie squared her shoulders, turned to her brother, looked up into his drawn face and said quietly. "I’ll tell you what I can, Mart, but I don’t think there’s anything you can do. Let’s sit down." She looked around the area with a practiced eye and seeing no one in the vicinity and knowing the sea lions would provide ample cover, she determined the area was secure.
"There are a few things going on right now." Leaning close to Mart, she spoke as softly as she could over the sea lions so that he alone could hear her. " The worst one is the case. What originally started out as a fairly simple surveillance and information gathering undercover assignment is becoming a national nightmare. A few weeks ago, I stumbled onto something that goes beyond the prep school. When I realized I was in over my head, I went to my boss who called in the FBI. My boss used to work for them. Since I’ve established my cover and it’s still working, they left me in and are trying to handle things on the outside. But I’m so afraid that it’s not going to be enough. Mart," she whispered desperately, "I think something awful is going to happen and I don’t know that we’re going to be able to stop it!"
Mart stared, ashen-faced down at his sister. It took him a moment to find his voice. "What do you think is going to happen?"
"I can’t discuss it, Mart," she whispered back. "I’ve told you all I can – probably more than I should have."
Mart reached out and pushed a curl back off his sister’s cheek. Her face was cold. His hands were cold. His blood ran cold as he thought of the danger she must be in. Trixie had bravely faced danger many times over the years. But I’ve never seen her like this, so strained, so haunted…except for those awful days and nights when Honey was in the hospital. Just like then, I feel so helpless. All I could do was be there for her as much as I could, which wasn’t much, with me having had to go back to school. And I won’t be around long this time. Poor kid, we thought she was the one who ran away. Maybe it was the people she needed the most who did the running. He took her cold hands between his and began to rub them to warm them up. "What else, Trixie? You said there were a few things going on."
She hesitated, watching Mart trying to warm their hands. She needed to get him home where it was warm. Looking up at her brother, she confided, "I’ve been a teenager again for the past six weeks, I’ve been going to school again. Woodside is aptly named. Except for all the redwood trees, the wooded hills remind me of home. There are horses and horse trails everywhere - mansions and homes with acreage. The prep school has stables and I’ve been out riding almost every day the weather’s decent with a group of kids; like we used to when we were kids - when we were all together. When we were the Bob-Whites of the Glen." When I was happy, she added silently. When I was loved and in love. Once again, her heart constricted and the tight feeling of misery washed over her in a wave she felt would knock her over. She’d thought she’d gotten used to the vacuum in her life that loneliness had created – to that hard cold knot in her chest she’d learned to live with. She’d made friends here and there over the years and had dated here and there, but it wasn’t the same as the close-knit, loving relationships she’d had in the past. Life out here was fast-paced. Everyone was busy. She only had one college friend left in the area and she was married. She still spoke with Honey often and Honey flew out to San Francisco whenever she could. It had been over four months since the last visit. Sometimes it seemed like the only friend close by was her co-worker, Jackson Treat. She’d earned his respect after their first case together and their friendship had grown from there. It had been hard won, for at first they fought like two kids over the remote control.
"You’re homesick then, Trix?" Mart asked gently.
Trixie nodded and said with a shaky voice, "Yes, I want to go home more than anything, Mart, but home isn’t there for me anymore."
He considered that for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Crabapple Farm is right there where you left it Sleepyside is, too and so are Moms, Dad and Bobby."
"I know, Mart, but everything changed! I’m homesick for a time, more than a place," she explained. The aching longing in her voice made Mart flinch. "I want to go back home to when we were young and the world was not so cold and my worst problems were all math related! I want to go back home to when we were all together with our friends! I want to go home and run up to Manor House and sit on Honey’s bed and talk with her for hours. I want to go home to the stables and see Regan again and ride Susie through the game preserve. I want to go swimming in the lake. I want to go home to the Clubhouse and see all the Bob-Whites gathered around the table. I want…" Trixie’s voice broke and she felt her heart break along with it. A tear rolled down her cheek, then another.
For the second time that day, Mart gathered his almost twin into his arms. Once again, Trixie buried her face into his shoulder, but this time, she couldn’t stop her sobs that shook the both of them. Mart braced himself and held her tight and just let her cry. He felt awful. He couldn’t fix anything for her. He was her big brother; it was his job to make things better. Okay, so what do I do now? If anything, I’m even more worried. Poor kid. At least she’s not alone anymore. Man, if it was my own money and if I hadn’t promised Jim I’d go, I’d dump the seminar! How can I leave her like this?
After a few minutes, it didn’t sound like Trixie’s tears were letting up at all. It was cold. He needed to get her home where it was warm. Gently, he laid his cheek on her tousled head and patted her back. "Shh…hush now, Trix. I’m here, you’re not alone anymore." He repeated it over and over like a mantra of sorts. It took only a short time for it to work. Before long, Trixie was down to a few shuddering hiccups. She raised her head and sat up out of Mart’s arms, took the hankie he offered her and mopped up, carefully avoiding looking at her brother. This has got to be some kind of a record, she thought dejectedly. Twice in one day I make a blubbering fool out of myself in public. At least Moms taught her sons to always carry a clean handkerchief…
"Are you okay?" Mart asked anxiously and leaned down, trying to see her face. Trixie nodded, but wouldn’t look up.
"Thanks, Mart, I’m sorry I drowned your coat," she said with another hiccup.
"That’s okay, it’ll live." He stood up and looked down at the large wet patch on the shoulder of his brown suede jacket. …or not. He reached down for her hand to pull her to her feet.
"Well, we’d better get you home where it’s warm," they both said in unison. Trixie blinked in surprise at the timing and finally looked up at her brother. "Jinx - Coke!" she said and almost smiled.
Trixie took the hand the gentleman extended and hopped lightly into the stern of the sailboat. Mart followed.
"Welcome, aboard!" said the dark-haired gentleman. The broad smile on his tanned, good looking face revealed a single dimple and crinkled the corners of his friendly blue eyes. "I see you had no problem finding the Respectable II. Sorry I wasn’t waiting up on the pier - had some last minute chores here."
"That’s okay. Some detective I’d be if I couldn’t even follow directions!" Trixie smiled up at him and turned to her brother. "Mart, I’d like you to meet Jackson Treat, my friend from the agency. Jax, this is my brother, Mart."
"Pleased to meet you, Jackson," Mart shook hands with his sister’s friend, a man of his height and not many years older than him.
"The pleasure’s mine, Mart," Jackson clapped a hand on Mart’s back briefly.
"I couldn’t help but notice the name of your boat is, uh, rather unusual, Jackson," said Mart, making conversation.
"Actually, it’s my Dad’s boat," Jack explained. "He’s retired now and has taken over my grandfather’s ranch in Sebastapol. When he worked here, he used to race his sailboat. He never won, but Mom always told him he made a respectable showing. So his boat became "Respectable" and when he bought this bigger boat, it became "Respectable II, " he grinned. "By the way, Mart, call me Jack - most normal people do." His teasing blue eyes met Trixie’s as he emphasized the word ‘normal’.
"And just what do mean by that, Jax?" challenged Trixie with a toss of her head, teasing him right back, her hands on her hips.
"Only that you’re anything but normal," Jack grinned. "Let’s say you’re…unique. Yep, you’re a oner, Trixie!" He winked at Trixie and turned to Mart and explained, "She’s the only one who gets away with calling me Jax. I don’t think she’s ever going to forgive me for calling her Miss Winks."
"At least I spell you with an ‘x’ now!" Trixie retorted.
"Then you’ll flunk the spelling bee," Jack pointed out.
"You know what I mean!"
Mart had been following the exchange with a rather bewildered look on his face. Miss Winks? Are they talking in code here?
Jack noticed Mart’s look and checking to make sure there was no one else within hearing distance lowered his voice and asked, "She’s told you that we didn’t get along well on our first case?" Mart nodded. "It was mostly my fault. She looked like a kid and I was ticked that I was paired up with her – I felt like I was babysitting." Catching the look on Trixie’s face, he quickly added, "She had me eating crow when she found the clue that broke the case," He looked over at her and grinned. "You do have to admit though, Trixie, some of your methods are rather unorthodox!"
"Maybe," admitted Trixie, "but telling me I acted like I was playing tiddly-winks instead of working on an investigation was pretty rude!"
"Yes it was," he chuckled. "And you were rude right back when you accused me of thinking it was a game of jacks and that I hogged the ball! I apologized, Trix, but you go right on calling me Jacks."
Trixie’s eyes widened. "But I haven’t called you J-A-C-K-S for months! I call you J-A-X now, because after all that time, it seemed weird to say Jack," she explained earnestly. "I did it at first just to irritate you, I didn’t know it still bothers you. I’ll stop if you want me to, Jax."
Jack and Mart laughed and when Trixie realized she’d called him Jax again, she joined in. Still smiling, Jack jumped onto the dock and began to undo the moorings. "Trixie," he said. "It doesn’t bother me a bit. You can call me Jax ‘til the day I die if you like."
"Well, Captain Jax," grinned Trixie as she gave him a smart salute, "Your crew for the day’s reporting for duty."
Catching the mid-morning ebb tide, they sailed out of San Francisco Bay through the Golden Gate onto the Pacific Ocean. The sight of the famous orange-red suspension bridge that spans the narrow opening between the two peninsulas was breathtaking. The sun at their backs cast a net of silver glitter across the choppy blue waves of the ocean. The day was pleasant, clear and bright, and perfect for sailing. Jack headed south past the Cliff House, the now deserted Seal Rock and Ocean Beach before heading back for the calmer waters of the bay.
Back on the bay, they headed for Angel Island to explore the "Jewel of the San Francisco Bay". They docked in the cove. Jack picked up a previously arranged picnic-to-go at the Cove Café. The trio gamely hiked up Mt. Livermore since it was a 5-bridge day and the promise of a panoramic view to remember awaited them. Halfway up the hill, they stopped for their picnic. Refreshed, they continued to the top of Mt. Livermore.
Enthralled with the view, Trixie barely noticed that Jack had taken her hand and was watching her drink in the sight. Half of her hair had escaped her scrunchie, and her nose was sunburned. The sweatshirt tied around her waist had a dirty sitz print from sitting on damp dirt, and her tee-shirt was damp where she’d spilled water, but her eyes were as blue as the sky and her smile as dazzling as the sun on the water. Mart pointed out each of the five bridges as they turned to get the entire view of the green hills and the bay. Trixie and Jack supplied him with the name of each bridge in turn: Golden Gate, Bay, San Mateo, Dumbarton and San Rafael.
They took the ferry over to Alcatraz Island, also known as "The Rock", to see the famous penitentiary featured in many movies. Trixie hung back as they approached the ticket window. She looked up at the stern, imposing building and shook her head. "I’m sorry, Mart, but I don’t think I can go in there today," she said quietly. "You two go on ahead and I’ll just check out the view."
Mart was concerned to see the haunted, troubled look back in his sister’s eyes. "Trix, I don’t need to see this. I’ve seen so many cool things already. Why don’t we just go back to Angel Island?"
"Oh, Mart, you told me this was in your top ten list of things you want to see in San Francisco!" Trixie protested. "I thought I could go inside again, but I find I just can’t. I know I’m being weird. I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. Please don’t let me spoil this for you…please take the tour." She shot him a pleading look and bit her lower lip.
Not wanting to make her feel bad, yet not wanting to leave her alone in such a mood, Mart hesitated.
"Go ahead and take the tour, Mart," Jack spoke up quickly. "I’ll keep Trixie company." A look of understanding passed between the two men, over Trixie’s head. Jack was well aware that his friend had been under a strain lately.
"That’s not necessary!" Trixie felt a hot flush creep up her cheeks. Really, you’d think I was thirteen again! Why do guys always think I need protecting?
"Hmm…spending time in a dreary lock-up joint in the charge of a balding, overweight guide versus the conversation and company of a beautiful woman out in the sunshine. Hmm… decisions, decisions." Jack turned to Mart. "Sometimes I think your sister must think I’m a moron," he complained jokingly. He nodded toward the gathering group. "Your tour is leaving."
"Thanks, Jack!" Mart hurried to catch up.
"My pleasure," Jack smiled lazily down at Trixie, who was too surprised to keep fuming. He called me a beautiful woman! was her first thought. But he was joking at the time. She sighed
Once again, Jack caught her hand as they strolled along the path away from the prison. They found a secluded spot not too far from the dock and sat looking at the boats on the bay and at the San Francisco skyline.
Breaking the comfortable silence between them, Jack said quietly. "I think I can understand why you’re not too fond of prisons. I don’t much care for them myself. I’ve put a few people behind bars and though that’s where they belong if they’re dangerous to society, it doesn’t make it easy to live with."
Trixie turned and looked up into his warm blue eyes and he held her gaze for a moment. "That’s exactly how I feel, Jax," she said slowly. Her eyes clouded with pain and she pulled away from his gaze to look out, unseeing, across the water at the city. She drew her knees up and rested her arms on top of them. "But this time, I’ll be helping to put children behind bars."
Jack reached out and brushed her cheek gently with the back of his finger. "You’re trying every way you can to help them before it’s too late, Trixie," he said softly. "I know you, you’ve tried your best to turn these kids back from the mess they’re in. And you’re doing everything possible to stop their plans."
"Am I, Jax?" Trixie asked bitterly. "When Mr. Anson brought in the FBI, I thought this thing would be wrapped up within a week. It’s been three weeks now Jax and they keep stalling! I’ve gathered more than enough evidence already to stop these kids and get them out of the school with no one else getting hurt! And maybe, just maybe, at this point they can be helped, not just locked away! But if this thing goes any further…" She buried her face in her arms. There were no tears today. Just the cold, hard knot that seemed to settle in her chest.
"Trixie," Jack stroked her hair, trying to offer what little comfort he could. "You know that the FBI is hoping the kids will lead them to ‘Lexington’. He’s the one who has engineered this, just like he has at other schools across the country. Maybe they can stop it this time, but who’s to say he wouldn’t be right back there next year? They know he’ll go on warping kids and rallying them to his "cause" at other schools. You’ve got to trust them a while longer. If ‘Lexington’ gets tipped off before they get a line on him, he’ll go so far underground it’ll be back to square one."
Trixie didn’t move or say anything for so long that Jax became worried. He pulled her into his arms and rested his cheek against her hair. "I wish I could tell you it’s going to be all right, Trixie, but I know better than that. I can tell you this, though. You’re not alone. I’ll help you any way I can. I hope you know that."
Wordlessly, Trixie nodded her head. She stayed there in his arms for awhile longer but the chatter of the tour group coming back out drew them to their feet. Hand in hand they went back to the dock and waited for Mart.
Jack did his best the rest of the day to turn Trixie’s thoughts away from her case. Mart, who was angry with himself for not being sensitive enough to have foreseen a problem visiting the prison, joined in. The two men joked and teased each other like old friends. It wasn’t long before Trixie was laughing again and enjoying their company along with the wind, the water, the sails, and the sun.
Jack’s offer to drive Mart out that evening to Napa Valley for his seminar had been gratefully accepted. When they pulled up to the old winery turned into a school for troubled youth, Mart was glad that he wouldn’t be leaving Trixie alone, that she would have a friend for the drive back. He got out and grabbed his duffel bag. Trixie and Jack got out of the car and Jack extended his hand to Mart. "I’m glad I could spend some time getting to know you, Mart. Hope to see you again before you go back to New York."
Mart shook hands and said, "I’d like that. It’s been a pleasure, I had a great time, Jack! Thanks for everything!" He slid his eyes over to his sister for an instant, then looked back at Jack. "Take care."
"Thanks, I will," Jack smiled and turned to Trixie. "I’ll wait for you here. Don’t hurry. ‘Bye, Mart."
Trixie jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and walked her brother up to the big wooden double doors of the old brick building. "I’ll be back to pick you up Wednesday around noon," she informed him. "Try to have a good time at your seminar or at least stay awake," she added with a grin.
"Thanks, Trix. And thanks for taking me around. I really did have had a great time," he said. He put his duffel bag down and hugged her. "I’ll see you Wednesday. You take care, too."
She nodded and hugged him back then stepped away. "’Bye Mart!"
Instead of taking the turnoff back to San Francisco, Jack pulled off onto a canyon road. He drove for a few miles before he pulled into a scenic turnout high in the wooded hills overlooking the Bay Area. He turned off the engine. The cities surrounding the bay looked like a carpet of little lights spread out below them. It was beautiful, but Trixie, puzzled and getting rather tired asked, "Jax?"
"Trixie," he explained, turning to watch her face carefully in the dim light. "I just want to tell you something." His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, then flexed and let go. He never thought it was going to be this difficult.
Trixie eyed him a bit warily. I don’t want to discuss the case anymore. I don’t even want to think about it tonight. "If it’s about the case, Jax…"
"No, Trixie, it’s about…our…friendship. We’ve known each other for what, almost a year now and…" She was staring at him blankly. This is flattering; she doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about! "Okay, we didn’t get off on the right foot at first, but we’ve been friends now for well over six months and…" He saw her blink and nod, still with a puzzled look in her big blue eyes. "Trixie--I’m trying to tell you I love you!"
And with that, Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
For just a second, Trixie stiffened in shock - Jax was kissing her! Then her arms wound around his neck – Jax was kissing her! The kiss lasted a long moment then he drew back and smiled into her eyes. The butterflies in her stomach turned to pterodactyls. Holding her gaze, his eyes smoky in the dim light, he slowly bent towards her again, a soft smile turning up the corners of his mouth. When his warm lips found hers, Trixie felt the cold knot inside her melt away. I’m not alone anymore! She snuggled closer and kissed him back, winding her fingers through his thick brown hair. This feels so right! "Jax?" she whispered.
Keeping his arms around her, Jack eased back, laid his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. Smiling into her soft blue eyes he whispered, "Yes, Trixie?"
"I think I love you, too!"
The End