Disclaimer: Western Publishing owns these wonderful characters, and the best gift they could give us all would be a new set of Trixie’s with new mysteries by good writers. Until then, I’m borrowing them and promise not to make any money off of them.
Author’s note: This takes place on the upcoming Christmas Eve in my slowly growing universe. Jim and Brian are college freshmen at the U. of Missouri (Go Mizzou!) Mart and Dan are juniors, and the girls are sophomores. Yes, this includes Hallie. You’ll have to wait for the third story (immediately following Senioritis) to find out why.
The Best Gift
By Yankeegirl
Trixie put her lipstick away and finished singing the last chorus of the Royal Guardsmen’s "Snoopy’s Christmas" as she brushed her hair.
Christmas bells, those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And goodwill to manTrixie finished running her brush through her curls just as Honey and Di arrived. She heard Hallie let them in, then three pairs of feet thundered up the stairs.
The girls were getting ready for the BobWhites annual Christmas Eve party. Last year, the familes had all decided to leave Christmas Eve for the kids and parents to get together with their friends, and Christmas Day for family celebrations.
Honey, Di and Hallie walked in Trixie’s room.
"Is the coast clear?" she asked Hallie.
"Auntie and Uncle Peter just left for the Lynches with Bobby, and Brian and Mart are still over Manor House," she said.
"Then let’s get dressed," Di said, grinning mischievously.
The four girls all had the same outfit, sort of. Each had a shirt in her best color and a black skirt.
"I bet the guys don’t notice," Hallie said.
"Mart will notice I’ve got a skirt on and I’ll never hear the end of it," Trixie said, sighing.
"Not if he can’t take his eyes off Di, he won’t," Hallie retorted.
Di just smiled. She had a deep purple silk shirt and a short, straight skirt. Both perfectly matched her violet eyes and black hair. Hallie had gone short too, but her red bodysuit and ballerina style skirt gave her thin body a fragile grace.
Honey and Trixie went for long skirts. Trixie’s blue shirt and stretchy skirt clung to her curves. A slit on one side revealed her legs, something she hoped Jim would notice. Honey had a full skirt and forest green twin set. Her long frame gave the outfit an elegance Trixie knew she would never attain.
The girls had settled in the living room with Christmas goodies they had made earlier and waited for the boys. Their presents were in a paper bag on the coffee table. When the boys walked in, everyone started laughing. The boys all wore khakis and shirts in the same colors as their girlfriends.
"We know each other way too well," Dan said, as they settled down around the room. Trixie curled into Jim on the floor by the fireplace. Honey and Brian snuggled on one side of the sofa, with Mart and Di on the other. Hallie looked around for a seat near Dan, who was in the easy chair, before finally giving up when Dan pulled her into his lap.
"Okay, everyone have their presents?" Trixie asked. The boys added theirs to the bag with the girls.
The BobWhites had decided each would come up with a service to another member and make out a gift certificate and they would all draw for one.
"How are we going to do this?" Honey asked.
"Why don’t we all go in order of joining the club," Brian suggested. "Trixie, Jim, Honey, Mart, me, Di, Dan and Hallie. If you get your own present, you have to pass it to the person before you. Trixie would pass to Hallie."
"Sounds good to me," Di said. "And let’s wait until everyone has theirs before we look at them."
Mart passed the bag to Trixie. She pulled a piece of paper out, then passed the bag to Jim. The bag went around the room until finally Hallie removed the last piece of paper.
"Okay, all set," she said. "Trixie, what did you get?"
Her cousin unfolded the paper she held and started laughing. "What a perfect present," she said. "Thanks, Honey. I’m always better off when someone else does my sewing."
At that, everyone else laughed. Trixie’s dislike of sewing was well known. Then Jim opened his. His eyes widened and he turned red. Oh, does this have some possibilities. I owe you one big time, Brian. Trixie peeked over his shoulder, then looked at Brian in amazement.
"Who are you and what did you do with Brian?" she asked.
"What gift prompts this unusual reaction?" Mart asked.
"Well, I figured I’d give somebody some of the things you can get away with when you’re the oldest," Brian said. "So if you, Trixie or Hallie had gotten it, it was a promise to cover for you some night while I’m home so you could go out and maybe miss curfew or see a movie Moms and Dad wouldn’t let you see. If Jim, Di or Dan had it, I would cover for the Belden they are dating."
"What if Honey had gotten it?" Di asked. "You can’t cover for yourself very well."
"Oh, I could have found something to replace it," Brian said.
"Never thought you had it in you, Brian," Dan said, grinning. Honey was blushing as she thought about some of the ways Brian could have replaced that present. Mart just sat there, his mouth open.
"Okay, let’s keep going," Trixie said, realizing Brian was embarrassed. Honey opened her present.
"Thank you, Dan," she exclaimed. "A whole week of exercising Lady for me will be great. I love riding her, but I hate cleaning up after it when it’s all snowy."
"No problem," Dan said. "What did you get, Mart?"
He opened his certificate and grinned. "Di’s going to appreciate this as much as I am, Hallie," he said. He turned to his girlfriend. "After I finish these dance lessons Hallie’s promised to give me, shall we go dancing some night?"
"Sounds wonderful," Di said. "Thanks, Hallie."
Brian opened his paper, which promised him a picture of anything he wanted from Di. She was known around school for her artwork. "Now it’s my turn to thank you, Di. I know just who I want you to draw, too." He looked down at Honey, still snuggled next to him.
Then Di opened her present from Jim, a week of being driven anywhere she wanted. "Thanks, Jim," she said. "Now if Mart can get his dancing lessons finished, I know just the place to go."
"Looks like it’s my turn," Dan said. "Yes!"
"I think I know who got mine," Trixie groaned. "What do I get to do?"
"Looks like you’ll be checking the feeding stations all week," Dan said. "That’s got to be my least favorite chore. Don’t worry, Jim. She’ll have plenty of time for whatever date you’ve got planned."
"Looks like that just leaves me," Hallie said. She opened her present, a homemade dinner for two from Mart. "Looks like we’re getting our special date too, Dan. Mart, I hope you cook as well as you eat."
After that, the four couple talked, munched on Christmas cookies and planned activities for the rest of Christmas vacation. They also thought about their presents.
Di could already see her and Mart dancing the night away at the country club some night. No squished toes either. She smiled at her blond boyfriend, who had quickly decided that Hallie was his favorite cousin.
Brian was already mentally rearranging the posters on his half of the dorm room he shared with Jim at school to make room for a Lynch original of his favorite BobWhite. Should I ask her to pose on one of the horses or at the clubhouse? Maybe all dressed up like she is tonight. Maybe even…Brian, don’t let yourself go there.
Jim contemplated the possibilities Brian’s gift presented. From time to time he whispered ideas in Trixie’s ear. But in the end, she came up with their date.
"We’d better hope Brian doesn’t ask what he’s covering for," Jim whispered back. He already could think of some possibilities Trixie’s idea presented, but pushed them aside until he had some time alone with her.
Hallie still snuggled on Dan’s lap as they tried to figure out what kind of dinner they wanted from Mart. I’ll even have time to spend a quiet evening with Hallie over dinner if Trixie’s helping with my chores.
"This has been the best Christmas ever," Hallie said to everyone. "I don’t remember whose idea this gift certificate one was, but I can’t wait until next year to do it again."
They all agreed, and slowly the conversation turned quieter. When the Beldens finally got home, they found all eight Bob-Whites asleep in the living room.
"It looks like they had a fun time tonight," Mrs. Belden said, noting the smiles on their faces. "I can’t wait to do this again next year."
The End