I always liked Ned being from the Midwest and having played basketball in high school.
I started this a few months ago and with Steph’s encouragement decided to send it in!
To create Jim and Dan’s wives, got help from Steph to combine parts of some of their biggest supporters from the board.
You Never Know Who’s the One
By Jon
Trixie Belden, age twenty-four, got on the plane at Westchester County Airport, happy to get a much needed break from Sleepyside to go visit her Uncle Andrew in Iowa.
She had come back to Sleepyside after a year in California and couldn’t handle the marriage of the man she thought was her destiny, Jim Frayne, to another woman. He had married a girl named Stephanie who had moved back to her Native California from Chicago a few years earlier. Trixie was always impressed with her collection of dragons from all over the world. She guessed she had waited too long to express her feelings. She liked the girl but was pretty unhappy.
The only other man in her life she had ever considered as a possible life partner was Dan Mangan but he was happily married to Sandra, a girl who had grown up in Australia and lived in Florida and Texas before moving to Sleepyside.
At least, she reflected to herself, other things had worked out. She was about to open her detective agency with her best friend, Honey, who was married to her brother, Brian, and Mart was married to her other friend, Di.
Jim was about ready to open his school with Brian as the doctor and Mart teaching agriculture and running the farm on the grounds. Di was the curator at the art museum. Dan was on the New York police force.
When she landed, waiting for her was her Uncle Andrew who she hugged and also a good friend she had made while visiting eleven years before and had continued to stay in touch with, Ned Schulz, who was a high school basketball coach and teacher in Iowa.
She hugged Uncle Andrew and shook hands with Ned and they went to get her bags while chatting about plans for her visit. She found out that Mr. and Mrs. Gorman had retired to California. Bob and Barbara Hubbell had recorded a couple of albums and were on tour.
They got her bags, threw them in Uncle Andrew’s van, got in and headed out to Happy Valley Farm. Uncle Andrew had received a letter from Mrs. Belden who was concerned with how Trixie was handling Jim and Dan getting married so he had invited her out for a couple of weeks of fun and relaxation.
They arrived to a nice dinner set out for them by Uncle Andrew’s assistant.
Uncle Andrew said, "Being a bachelor I always need help with the household things. I guess I wasn’t as lucky as my brothers to find such wonderful women like Helen and Eleanor to marry and have families with."
Trixie said, "You’ve always been the best uncle in the world. We all love you a lot."
After a delicious dinner, Uncle Andrew excused himself to go to bed and Ned asked Trixie if she was too tired to go out on the town such as it was.
Trixie said, "No, I’m never too tired to have some fun. Should I change?"
Ned said, "No, those nice jeans and blouse will do fine. Did I tell you you look beautiful?"
Trixie blushed and said, "About fifty times but a girl always likes to hear that especially from a nice handsome man."
And she couldn’t help but notice how handsome Ned was. Of course she had noticed him at that dance all those years ago but she had been thinking about Jim all that time.
Ned noticed how beautiful Trixie was and remembered how much he had liked her from the start but always had thought she’d wind up with Jim. He kind of admitted to himself that he was hoping something would start between them and also was thinking about Jim’s call a few weeks earlier and what was going on at home at the school.
They went out to a nice country western place in town where Trixie saw some of the people she had met before were and she greeted all of them. Dot was there and asked about Jim.
Trixie said, "He got married a few months ago and is getting ready to open his school."
Dot said, "He was such a nice and handsome guy but he seemed to only talk about you all that night of the dance. It’s too bad that neither of us wound up with him."
Trixie and Ned had a wonderful evening, talking and dancing and laughing. Neither of them had laughed that long or that hard in a long time.
Ned told Trixie of his failed two romances in the last few years and Trixie told him about a man she had dated in California and then she talked about what had happened with Jim.
They spent the next two weeks together so much that Uncle Andrew complained that he never saw her and she had come to visit him but, secretly, he was pleased. He always thought that Ned was a good man and now that Jim was out of the picture, Trixie needed someone new.
Trixie was starting to realize she was falling for Ned and the feeling was mutual but suddenly it was her last night in Iowa and they walked out on the farmland after dinner and to the back gate.
Unknown to Trixie, Ned had just called Jim and said "Yes" to something Jim had offered him earlier after clearing up some happenings at home.
It was a beautiful starlit night and Trixie said, "This is such a wonderful place. I’ve always loved it. It would be nice to live out here forever."
Ned said, "I always thought Sleepyside was really nice the various times I was out there to visit all of you guys for various things."
Trixie said, "I wish you’d come and visit again and I didn’t have to say goodbye to you tomorrow. I really have enjoyed this time we had together."
Ned said, "So have I, but there might be something happening that may bring us together more often."
"I hope so."
Ned put his arms around her waist and bent down and kissed her. She responded to his kiss with a kiss of her own and after a few moments they pulled apart and gazed into each other’s eyes.
Trixie said, "Wow, you better come and visit soon!"
"Actually I’m coming there to live. Jim offered me the job of physical education director at the school and I accepted. They’re cutting sports from the curriculum of the local high schools next year so I’m out of a job."
Trixie said, "Kiss me again to celebrate."
They parted the next day. Three months later Ned came to Sleepyside to live and since they'd spent those three months writing to each other every day, Trixie and Ned were already in love by then.
On the night he arrived, Jim threw a party for him at the school which was built but not open yet and everyone noticed Trixie and Ned.
That evening they went out on the porch and Ned said, "I want to tell you something, Trixie. I have fallen in love with you."
Trixie said, "I’m glad because I love you, too!"
They kissed and headed back inside.
A month later they were engaged. On Christmas Eve, they were married in a beautiful ceremony in the Crabapple Farm living room.
They had a wonderful reception and then they were off to start their life together.
The End