* some adult themes

 

A Smoky Mountain Mystery

by Tonja (tonnieb)

 

Chapter One

"Isn’t it beautiful? These mountains remind me a little of the mountains back home, but they seem even wilder, somehow." Honey Belden looked around her with appreciation. The cabin was nestled on the banks of a shimmering lake. All around, the green peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains rose above them. The sky was a clear blue, with only a few puffy white clouds scattered above.

"Actually, the Smokies are part of the Appalachian chain. The very same chain that makes up those stupendous peaks of our beautiful New York home, so in fact, your statement that these illustrious peaks are akin to the Catskills is correct. And they are in fact wilder. According to the biotaxa diversity survey, these hills are home to more than 10,000 documented diverse species of plants and animals. Why, there are hundreds of species of salamander alone!"

"Really, Mart? We’re so far away from home. Can the mountains really stretch that far? " Diana Lynch looked at her fiancé with admiration shining in her violet eyes, but still cast an eye around for any creepy crawly critter- she wasn’t a big fan of anything slimy!

"Yes, dear Di. In fact, if you’ll let me elucidate..."

Mart’s older brother, Brian interrupted with a smile. "Elucidate this, little brother—grab this cooler and take it inside, will you? I’m starving! Let’s get unpacked so we can fix something to eat."

The mention of food was all it took to swing Mart Belden into action. He grabbed the cooler, and a couple bags of groceries they’d picked up on their way to the cabin, and made his way inside. Diana followed with a few more things. Honey forced her eyes away from the view to help. She reached into the rented Explorer for a bag when Brian stopped her.

"Honey, don’t worry about this stuff. You shouldn’t be lifting! Why don’t you just go inside and make sure the food gets onto the shelves before disappearing into Mart’s stomach."

A tanned hand reached around Honey and grabbed the bags she’d just started to pick up. "That’s right pretty lady, you just step back and let us do the work. Listen to Dr. Dad- we’ve got to keep the next generation of Bob-Whites safe and sound for a few more months!"

Honey smiled at Dan Mangan, her hand instinctively going to her slightly rounded stomach. At six months pregnant, all of her friends were getting very protective of her. "Alright, fine. I’ll remember this when Uncle Dan disappears when it’s his turn on diaper duty!" Dan grimaced and disappeared into the cabin with an armful of bags. Honey started to follow, when she realized her best friend Trixie Belden was being awfully quite. She hadn’t said a word when her brother, the walking dictionary, started spouting off and that just wasn’t like her.

"Trix? What’s up?" she asked. Trixie didn’t seem to hear her. She was just staring off into space with a strange expression on her face. "Trix?"

"What? Oh, sorry Honey. Yes, it’s beautiful here. This would be a great place for Jim’s school, wouldn’t it?"

Jim Frayne was Honey’s adopted older brother, and Trixie’s boyfriend of 2 years. His dream was to open up a school for underprivileged boys. That’s what had brought them to the mountains of East Tennessee, not far from Knoxville. Jim was pretty sure he wanted to open his school back in their hometown of Sleepyside, but he felt he had to check out some other parts of the country, just in case. This time, he’d invited all the members of their semi-secret club, the Bob-Whites of the Glen along for a little vacation.

The Bob-Whites were Trixie and her two older brothers, Brian and Mart, Honey,   Diana, and Dan. Brian and Honey had been married for almost two years. Brian was working through his residency at Sleepyside General Hospital. Honey was doing paralegal work at a local law firm. Mart and Di had been together since high school, and had just gotten engaged on New Year’s Eve. With his love of words, he was writing for the Sleepyside Sun, while Di and a friend of hers had opened up a small boutique in town.  Jim and Trixie had finally admitted their feelings to each other a couple years ago.  Though both were very busy. Trixie was fresh out of the Police Academy and working in Sleepyside. Jim had just finished his masters in Education. And Dan, well, he was enjoying looking for the right girl, though he didn’t seem in any hurry to tie himself down, or get started on his career. Though he insisted he still wanted to be a police officer, he continued to do odd jobs and helped his uncle, Regan, out in the stables.

"Did I hear my name?" Jim Frayne came out the cabin’s front door with a wide grin on his freckled face. He grabbed Trixie around the waist. Honey smiled at her best friend and brother.

"Yes, we were just talking about what a perfect place this would be for your school. Though it’s awfully far away from home," she added hurriedly. "You wouldn’t want to miss your nephew growing up, would you?"

Jim looked around with a sigh. "No, of course not. This place is nice, but there’s a lot more back in Sleepyside to keep me there. Let’s just make this a special vacation, huh, sis? And not worry about anything else." With a reassuring pat on his sister’s back, Jim moved to unpack the rest of the gear from the Explorer and went inside. Trixie watched him leave with a pensive expression on her face. Then turned to Honey with a disturbed look in her china blue eyes.

"Awfully peaceful here. Probably nothing out of the ordinary ever happens in a place like this."

"Trix! Are you pining away for another mystery! I’d think after that run-in with those creeps who were breaking into the dorms back at school, you’d be happy for some peace and quite."

"That was months ago! And they weren’t that bad- Pierre Lontard would have made those guys look like puppy dogs." Honey shuddered at that, but Trixie went on. "It’s just that things have been kind of, well, ordinary since then. Even my work at the police department has been boring!"

Honey put a slim arm around her best friend’s shoulders. "You can’t expect an exciting adventure around every corner! Just because we stumbled across a few mysteries growing up doesn’t mean we have to be involved in one every day of our adult lives- at least until we both get some experience and can open our detective agency!"

"I know, Honey. I just can’t help but think my life is getting pretty dull." Trixie trailed off as she grabbed her duffel bag from the other rental car. She and Honey went inside, neither noticing the figure standing on the other side of the Explorer.

 

 

Chapter Two

Trixie lay huddled in Jim’s arms. They had one of the upstairs bedrooms in the cabin. Honey and Brian were in the other bedroom. Dan was sleeping on the couch in the living room, and Mart and Di were sleeping on the futon in the basement rec. room, complete with pool table and dart board.

She just couldn’t sleep. After her exciting childhood, growing up just wasn’t very interesting! With the exception of tracking down those petty thieves while she was in college, she hadn’t been involved in anything mysterious since high school! And Sergeant Molinson had relegated her to parking tickets and desk work since she’d joined the force. She knew she was lucky to have a wonderful family, a handsome boyfriend, and a good job, but couldn’t help thinking something was missing.

She sighed again and quietly got out of the bed. She wandered over to the sliding glass doors and eased out on the deck. As she gazed up at the inky sky, she wondered, "Why can’t I be satisfied? Here I am, in one of the most beautiful spots in the world, with my best friends on vacation, and all I can think about is that I’m bored!"

Trixie’s eyes wandered down to the lake. Thick brush lined the banks, except where it was cleared for the cabin and dock. The small pontoon boat they’d rented waited there for tomorrow. The moon was so bright she could clearly see the small waves gently lapping against the shore, the boat rocking gently in its wake. That was when her sharp eyes caught a movement to her right. A dark shadow was working its way along the bank; she could make out a tiny beam of light, probably a small flashlight in the stranger’s hand.

Trixie leaped to her feet, hoping to get a closer look at the other end of the deck, but her knee brushed against the small table beside her. As it toppled over, sending its contents crashing to the floor, the figure froze. For just a moment, the small light turned her way, then disappeared. Trixie could barely see the figure under the trees, but could easily hear the person scrambling through the underbrush away from her. Without another thought, Trixie turned to rush through the house and outside. Instead, she ran straight into Jim’s arms.

"What’s going on, Trix?"

Trixie thought about what to tell Jim, but thinking back to days gone by, decided to keep quite. Jim would just think she was seeing things, looking for a mystery around every corner. "Nothing really, I just couldn’t seem to settle down, and thought the fresh air might do me some good."

Jim wrapped her in his arm, resting his head on top of her shoulder length blonde curls. "I can think of other things to do when a beautiful woman can’t sleep." Trixie smiled and tilted her head up for Jim’s kiss.

"Really? I’m open to suggestions."

Jim scooped Trixie up into his arms and carried her back to the bed. "Just let me show you…"

 

Chapter Three

"Are there many other cabins around here?" Trixie asked as she helped herself to a bagel the next morning.

Brian passed her the cream cheese. "I think there are several on the other side of the lake and maybe a couple more on this side, but we’re pretty isolated here I think."

"Yes, that’s why I chose this spot. I didn’t want our mountain getaway to get too crowded. Why, Trix?" Jim asked.

Trixie paused for a moment, spreading a thick layer of cream cheese on her bagel. Then she came to a decision. "Well, I saw someone last night, down by the lake. I got the impression he definitely didn’t want to be seen. He took off when I knocked something over on the deck and took off. It was all very..."

A chorus of "Mysterious!" interrupted her story.  As everyone laughed, Trixie felt her cheeks growing red. "It was! I tell you, that man didn’t want anyone to know he was skulking around last night. I, for one, would like to know who he is, and what he was doing here."

"It was probably some hiker, or somebody from another cabin got lost. You probably scared them to death! Sheesh, Trix, give it a rest!" Mart rolled his eyes at his younger sister, so aggravated he forgot to use his vast vocabulary.

As Mart opened his mouth to continue, Diana stopped him by popping a slice of apple into his mouth. She ignored his look, and played peacemaker. "Oh, let’s not start. Trixie, Mart is probably right, but it wouldn’t hurt to look around, make sure everything is okay. I would feel better if we did, especially after all this talk about how isolated we are!"

Trixie smiled at her soon to be sister-in-law. "Thanks, Di. I think so, too. So who’s going with me?"

"Where are we going?" A sleepy-eyed Dan entered the kitchen just then, rubbing his bare chest, and grumbling. "Gosh, can’t a guy get some sleep around here?" He flopped down into the chair Trixie had just vacated, and helped himself to the other half of her bagel.

Honey placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Dan. "Trixie saw someone out by the lake last night. We were just saying we needed to go outside and check around, just in case." She shot a warning look at Mart, to make sure he wasn’t going to start up again. He rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

Dan looked serious. "I’ll go with you, Trix. Just give me a second to wake up, okay?"

 

 

Chapter Four

Less than twenty minutes later, Trixie, Dan, and Jim were trudging through the woods between the cabin and the lake. "It was right along in here, I think. He was kind of sneaking around right along the edge of these woods when I saw him."

"Just what are we looking for? Footprints? I don’t think we’ll find any, the ground isn’t soft enough." Jim asked.

"I’m not sure—just something to prove I’m not crazy! I know I saw him!" Her eyes scanned the ground around her. She knew Jim was right. There was no way their mysterious visitor had left a footprint.

"Hey! Check this out!" Dan called from the other side of some thick bushes. Trixie and Jim worked their way to his side, in time to see Dan picking up a folded piece of paper from the ground.

"What is it? What does it say?" Trixie asked.

Dan had quickly scanned the writing on the sheet then handed it over to Trixie. "Here, read it for yourself."

 

B

Mission accomplished. Bad news is, I can’t pick up the spoils of our victory myself. Little trouble with the boys in blue in Nashville. I hid the package in a safe spot. You should be able to find it. I hid a map to the hiding place at our favorite fishing spot. Remember those summer vacations? Get the goods, and when I can get to you, we should have a very rich future.

Red

 

Trixie’s eyes sparkled. "Oh my gosh! That guy must have been in cahoots with this Red person, and they must have stolen something very valuable. Wonder what it was? We have to find it! Favorite fishing spot...where could that be..." she trailed off as her mind started spinning with the possibilities. Jim and Dan exchanged a glance.

"Well, here we go! Tell you what Trix, let’s take this back and show it to the other guys. And we can all think long and hard about it while we soak up some sun out on the lake. What do you say?" Jim asked.

"How can you even think about spending the day out on the lake! We’ve got to start looking! We’ve got to the find the map before he does! What if he comes back while we’re gone?"

Dan smiled reassuringly at Trixie. "After you scared the guy off last night, I’m sure he’ll be a lot more careful from now on.  We need to think this through, with all the Bob-Whites to help. Have we ever failed you yet?"

Trixie looked a little disappointed, but agreed with the guys.  She nodded, and they headed back to the cabin.

 

Chapter Five

"Favorite fishing spot, favorite fishing spot...Where could that be?" Trixie was stretched out on the deck of the pontoon boat, her blue bikini setting off her golden tan nicely. The group had just finished the sandwiches and drinks they’d brought with them on the boat.

"Probably right here in the middle of the lake, but I’m not having any luck, that’s for sure." Brian grimaced at the float on the end of his fishing line, lying peacefully undisturbed as it had for the last hour or so.

"Maybe you just don’t have the right touch," Honey called from the other side of the boat, where she was just reeling in another small bass. "Sweetie, could you take this off the hook for me? I just don’t have the stomach for it."

Brian, resigned, removed the wiggling fish from the hook, and added it to the three others Honey had already caught in the tank. "At least somebody is catching our dinner, tonight."

"It appears my elder sibling has not perfected the ability to be a successful angler. I fear that what’s interfering in your quest is…" Mart’s comment broke off with a shout as Diana brushed by him, and with a delicate swish of her lavender clad hips, sent him overboard. He came up, sputtering, "DI!"

"I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t see you there! Are you okay?"

"Let’s find out!" Dan yelled, as he lunged at Diana, taking them both over the side. The three of them started splashing around, laughing and dunking each other.

"Well, that will help the fishing," Brian remarked. "I’d probably be better off at the dock."

Trixie sat straight up. "The dock! That’s it! It’s the most obvious place. We’ll have to check there first. She rushed to Jim’s side at the boat’s wheel. "Let’s head back right away, Jim, and check it out."

"Trix, I thought we’d all agreed to stay out for at least another couple of hours! The dock will still be there when we get back. Just enjoy yourself. You haven’t even been in the water yet."

"Well, neither have you. I just can’t stand to wait that long, please, Jim, please?" She turned her blue eyes on him full force, hoping she could persuade him to see it her way.

Jim, unfortunately, was having none of it. In fact, his green eyes had taken on a kind of predatory gleam. Before she realized his intention, Trixie was in his arms. She just had time to scream before both of them hit the water.

She surfaced to everyone’s excited laughter, and wiping her eyes, turned to find Jim. Okay, this mystery will have to wait, she thought, as she closed the distance between them with long, sure strokes. "Oh, you’re going down!" she threatened.

 

Chapter Six

Trixie had let herself be distracted the rest of the afternoon on the lake. When they got back to the cabin, she even helped Di and Honey whip up a salad, boil corn, and bake potatoes while the men cleaned and prepared the fish Honey had caught. But right after dinner, she decided to take advantage of the last hour or so of daylight to search the dock.

While Dan and Jim disappeared to gather some firewood, and the rest finished cleaning up, Trixie slipped out of the house and down to the dock. She brought a flashlight and a butter knife. She’d just started letting her nails grow out, and she didn’t want to break them all by digging around for loose boards. As she started systematically testing the boards at one end of the dock, she heard someone right behind her. Trixie whipped around, the dull knife in a defensive position.

"Whoa, don’t attack your partner! Not to mention your nephew!" Honey laughed as she stepped away from Trixie.

"Sorry, Hon. I guess I’m a little jumpy, and I didn’t hear you coming." Trixie returned to sticking the knife in the cracks between every board, testing for any give.

"Any luck?" Honey asked.

"Not yet. But it’s got to be here! I can’t imagine he would have buried a map along the banks of the river. Everything looks just alike around here- I’m sure it would get lost, not to mention ruined by the elements. There’s got to be a hiding place around here somewhere."

Honey began testing the boards along the bench where she sat. Her growing waistline prevented her from crawling around on the deck with Trixie. She didn’t have any luck, even kneeling on the deck and feeling around underneath the bench. Trixie had just worked her way to the other end of the dock without any success.

"Nothing! Not one loose board! I just don’t get it," she exclaimed.

Honey leaned back on her seat, thinking. "Hmm...Nothing here either. Did you check underneath?"

"Underneath? Well, no. Not yet. Maybe I should go get my bathing suit back on and swim under..."

Honey laughed. "I don’t think you’ll have to go that far just yet. That would make the map a little difficult to get to. Why not just feel around the edges? If it is here, it ought to be easy to get to."

Trixie shrugged, not having any better ideas. She lay down on the edge of dock, looping one arm around a support post, and reached under. She started sliding her hands along the slick boards. "Well, nothing here. Maybe on the other end… wait..." Something crinkled beneath her fingertips. Trixie leaned farther, trying to get her hands around the object. "I think I’ve got it!" she cried, just as she overbalanced herself, and toppled into the water with a splash!

"Trixie! Trixie! Are you okay?" Honey rushed to the edge of the dock, just in time to see Trixie surface with a triumphant grin on her face. In her hand was a large Ziploc bag, inside, she could see what looked like a large piece of yellow paper.

"This is it! We found it!" She thrust the baggie into the air triumphantly, and went under again.

 

Chapter Seven

"What does it say?" asked Di as the Bob-Whites gathered around the flickering flames. While Honey and Trixie had been busy at the dock, the rest of the group had started a small fire in a pit outside the cabin. As Mart and Dan handed out sharpened sticks for marshmallows, Trixie held the thick yellow paper up to the light.

"It is a map. This looks like the lake, the cabin, and the dock."

"That must be the road right in front of the cabin there, but that’s it, other than those three trees up in the corner. What is that beside them?" Honey asked, looking over Trixie’s shoulder.

"I think it’s the sun. But what do those three trees mean? In a forest like this, how on earth will we find those specific trees with nothing more to go on than that?" Trixie was feeling very discouraged. She’d been so excited when she’d found the map. Even the dunking in the cold water hadn’t dampened her spirits. But now, she just didn’t know where to start.

Jim slid a finger under Trixie’s chin, and tilted her head up until she looked into his eyes. "We’ll figure it out, Trix. Don’t worry. We’ll look around the day after tomorrow, see what we can find. It obviously means something- we’ll know it when we see it."

"Maybe...I don’t...wait! Day after tomorrow! Why wait until then? We can start searching in the morning!"

"No way!" Mart protested around a bite of s’mores. "We’re scheduled to go white water rafting tomorrow, and we’re not going to miss that! Come on, Trix! We’ve always wanted to try it!"

"Oh, I forgot!" Trixie moaned. "Can’t we just reschedule? I just can’t stand the thought of waiting a whole other day! What if that B guy finds the hiding place before us?"

"He doesn’t have the map. We do," Dan assured her. "Don’t worry about it. One day isn’t going to make that big of a difference. If we miss this trip, we may not be able to get another time scheduled, and we’d all be pretty disappointed."

Trixie slumped to the ground. "Oh, all right. We’ll wait another day."

Di handed Trixie a toasty s’more, dripping with marshmallow and chocolate. "Here. Eat this and cheer up. Let’s not talk any more about it. That man could be listening. We don’t want him to know that we have the you know what!"

The others sobered, looking around at the dark woods. They quickly finished up their dessert, doused the flames, and went inside to bed. It was time to get to sleep; they had a big day before them tomorrow.

That night, Trixie relaxed in Jim’s arms with a satisfied grin. He raised himself on his elbow above Trixie’s face. "You look awfully happy, Trix. I was beginning to get worried about you."

"Oh, Jim, I’ve never been anything but happy with you! I’m sorry if I’ve been acting a little moody lately. I guess I was just missing the excitement of a mystery. Now, I’ve got one, and I know we’ll solve it." Trixie smiled up into Jim’s eyes before he lay down behind her. As his arm snaked around her waist and she relaxed into the curve of his body, she closed her eyes in contentment. Jim softly kissed the top of her tousled curls, glad to see the twinkle in Trixie’s eyes again.

 

Chapter Eight

Early the next morning, Brian kissed Honey tenderly on the lips. "I hate that you can’t go with us, Honey. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?

Honey’s eyes sparkled as she leaned into her husband’s embrace, their intertwined hands resting on her rounded stomach. "I’m perfectly sure. You guys go have a good time. Di and I are going to do a little shopping while you’re gone. Didn’t you see all those great antique stores as we drove down here! You know you’d be bored silly!"

Brian silently agreed, but didn’t say anything. He just wrapped an arm around Honey’s waist and led her outside where the others were waiting.

"Let’s hit the road! White water’s a waiting—and I for one am looking forward to testing my mettle against its frothy foam!" Mart cried as he climbed behind the wheel of the Explorer.

"Wait! The map! Whose got the map! We can’t just leave it here!" Trixie stopped as she started to slide into the backseat.

"I’ve got it in my purse." Honey said quietly from the passenger seat of the rental car. "Let’s just go, ok?" She was a little nervous about carrying it, but Dan and Jim had assured her it would be fine. She and Di would be out in public all day, so they weren’t worried about the mysterious stranger coming around.

"Oh, ok. Good. Well what are we waiting for!"

Trixie, Jim, Dan, Brian, and Mart took seats on the small benches outside the White Water center. All five wore bright orange life jackets, and carried a paddle and helmet provided by the center. All turned their attention to the young guide as she stepped to the front.

"Hi, folks. My name is Rae, and I’ll be one of your guides today. How many of ya’ll have rafted before?"

Several hands went up around the Bob-Whites. Jim and Brian also raised their hands. They’d gone white water rafting one summer while working at a summer camp out west. Both had had a great time then, and couldn’t wait to try it again.

"Well, I promise, y’all have a lot of fun. But there are a few rules. Number one—the tee-grip." Rae raised her paddle, and indicated the hard plastic end shaped like a T. "This must stay in your hands the entire time. No matter what happens, do not let go of the tee-grip. It’s hard, and makes a nice weapon. You don’t want to be knocking out your friend’s teeth, or giving yourself a black eye, because you freak out and let your paddle go. OK? Now here’s how to grip the paddle."

The Bob-Whites followed Rae’s movements, getting comfortable with the feel of the paddles in their hands.

"It is very important that you listen carefully to your guides, and do exactly as they say. This isn’t a ride at Disney World. Rafting is fun, but it can be dangerous if you get careless. If everyone works together, you’ll have a great trip down the river. Now, to the question everyone is dying to ask, what happens if I fall out?"

"It happens, no matter how experienced you are. If you fall in, first thing is not to panic. We’ll get you back. Second, is to place yourself in the white water swim position- on your back, feet up in front. Your life jacket will keep you on the surface, but if you put your foot down, you could get it wedged on the rocky bottom. And I don’t have to tell you what could happen if you get stuck and can’t move in all that swift water. So, remember that white water position."

Rae continued her lecture, telling the rafters how to get fallen rafters back into the boat, with the throw rope, or by extending the tee-grip end of the paddle towards them. Trixie exchanged a look with Jim. All this talk was making her a little nervous. She was just ready to hit the river and try it. Jim winked at her, and she smiled back, before turning her attention back to Rae.

"All right, everyone! Let’s get to the bus! The rest of our guides will meet us there, and the bus will take us to the drop off point."

The five Bob-Whites joined the crowd heading towards the converted school bus.  It was painted a dingy purple color, and looked a little rickety. Large rafts were tied to the top. As Trixie followed Dan onto the bus, he paused to speak with Rae, who was sitting in the front seat.

"What does a guy have to do to ensure you’ll be his guide?" He flashed an irresistible grin at the pretty, athletic blond.

"That might be arranged. How many are in your group?" she asked.

"Five of us. I’m Dan Mangan. These are my friends, Trixie and Jim, and that’s Brian and Mart right behind them."

"Well, Dan Mangan. I hope you’re ready for a wild ride. You just got yourself a guide. Now get to your seats so we can get this show on the road," she answered.

Trixie gave Dan a shove towards the back of the bus. "I think I’m in love," he said, as he slid into a seat.

Trixie rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Yeah, right" as she settled in behind him, Jim beside her. Brian and Mart took seats across from Dan.

"Leave it to  Dan to find the prettiest girl in East Tennessee," Brian commented.

"Yeah, I wonder what she’s doing later," Dan said with a wicked grin. Trixie whacked him on the side of the head just as the bus lurched into motion.

"I didn’t think that would be the wild ride!" Mart said shakily as he finally climbed out of the bus and onto solid ground. The bus driver, Tub, had driven the windy, narrow road that followed the river bank like he was in a sports car. They had all exclaimed at the close calls they’d had with cars driving the other way. Everyone was happy the ride was over.

"Okay, folks, my group over here, let’s get this raft in the water! Everyone else, group up and your guide will introduce themselves. Let’s get going, guys." Rae said, as the five Bob-Whites joined her. They all threw their paddles inside, and grabbed the large raft by the handles around the edge. The six maneuvered the raft down a concrete ramp, and settled it into the water.

"Everyone climb in, and we’ll do a little practicing while we’re waiting on everyone to catch up," Rae said.

Jim and Brian took positions on either side at the front of the raft. Trixie sat next to Jim, Mart across from her. Dan took the seat on the other side of Trixie, coincidentally, closest to where Rae climbed onto the back. She pushed them off with her paddle, and they floated away from the shore.

Rae had them practice each of the commands she had told them. All front had them all paddling forward, all back put them in reverse. She sometimes called for right front, left back, meaning the opposite sides of the raft paddled opposite each other to help them turn. When Rae screamed "All down" they all sank into the middle of the boat with their paddles in the air. Trixie was careful to keep a tight grip on the end of her paddle, and did her best to follow every order. Rae proclaimed them ready to go, and when the other five boats in their group were in the water behind them, Rae took them out of the calm waters near the shore, and into the quick moving current.

Trixie jammed her left foot as far as possible under the seat in front of her. That was the only way to anchor yourself in the raft. Both hands had to be free to paddle, although they weren’t paddling every second. When Rae called "rest" they all lay their paddles across their laps and just enjoyed the ride. It wasn’t long before Rae warned them they were about to hit their first rapid.

"OK, this first one is called Grump. It’s a class four, and a great way to get your blood pumping!. Everyone get a good grip, and now, all front! Front! Paddle hard, people!"

Trixie threw herself into paddling, keeping an eye on Jim’s steady strokes in front of her. They’d been told it was very important to pull together, or the raft would not go where Rae was guiding it. She could see the white water ahead—roiling, rushing water, sharp, jagged rocks—and they were heading right towards it! Suddenly, the boat crashed down in a swirling maelstrom of water. She could barely hear Rae’s orders over the crashing waves, but maintained as steady a rhythm as she could. Now the boat was rolling from side to side, water splashing over the sides as they negotiated through the rapid. Just as Trixie was sure she’d be swept away, they were through! The water was still moving fast, but smoothly.

"That was awesome!" Mart cried. The others joined his cheer. Rae was laughing with them, as she guided them over to the shore to wait for the other rafts. It was their job to watch to make sure no one fell out, and if so, they would be there to pull them to safety.

"Just wait, you guys.  That was nothing! We’ve got twelve more good rapids coming up- most of them strong class threes and fours. You’ll love it! Great team work, too, by the way," Rae said.

Trixie wiped the water out of her eyes, and brushed her blond curls back behind her ears. "Can you guys believe this? How much fun!"

"Better than I imagined! I can’t imagine anything bigger than that one!" Mart said.

"Rae’s right, that one was pretty calm. We didn’t drop very far, and there was a lot of maneuvering room in there. It should get a lot more exciting from here on out." Brian told them.

And he was right.  The farther down the river they went, the bigger and better the rapids got. They made it through Broken Nose and Second Helping with no trouble. Trixie was just starting to feel like a pro when Rae told them Double Suck was coming up, with Double Trouble right after that.

"Why is it called Double Suck?" Jim asked.

"Once we make our first drop into the rapid, we’ll have to pull harder and faster than ever. The current tries to back up on itself right at the lowest point, and the raft will be sucked backwards. If we lose our forward momentum, we could get pulled back under the rocks, and the other rafts coming over can’t see us."

Mart looked towards the towering rocks they were fast approaching. He couldn’t even see how far down their raft would fall when it went over the edge. From here, it looked Niagara Falls. "Guess this is one of those big one’s you warned us about, huh."

"Yep. Now let’s get moving everyone! All front! Front! HARD!" The Bob Whites' paddles hit the water in unison, propelling them even faster than the current was taking them. Rae screamed "EVERYONE DOWN! DOWN NOW!" Trixie dropped down into the raft, took a deep breath, and suddenly they were falling! It seemed forever before she felt the raft settle into the raging water. Just as she was orienting herself, Rae was screaming. "ALL FRONT! FRONT! PULL HARD!!" It seemed they would never make any headway against the strong current.  They seemed to be stuck in one spot, starting to spin. Rae was screaming orders so quickly now, and changing them up so quickly, she knew they were in trouble. But she didn’t have time to think- she just kept pulling with all her strength. She focused on Jim’s strong arm right in front of her, and matched her strokes to his, until at last, they began to straighten up and pull away from the dangerous rocks.

"Whew! We made it!" Mart yelled, but Rae interrupted him.

"Don’t celebrate yet. Keep paddling, we have a long way to go!" Just then they hit another drop, but Mart’s hesitation had cost them a bit. They were off balance, and heading straight towards a huge gray rock, sloping up out of the swirling water.  "LEFT FRONT! LEFT FRONT! RIGHT BACK! RIGHT BACK!" Rae screamed as she frantically tried to steer them away from the rock, but the current was too strong. The raft struck the rock, and Mart and Brian suddenly found themselves high out of the water. Brian managed to brace himself, but Mart pitched left, crashing into Trixie. Before anyone knew what happened, including Trixie, her left foot wrenched free of the seat, and she pitched out into the water.

 

Chapter Nine

Trixie suddenly found herself in cold, wet, darkness. She wasn’t sure which was up, but the life jacket did its job. She broke the surface of the water in time to hear her brothers, Jim, and Dan yelling her name from the raft. Rae was still struggling to free them from the rock without tipping them all out into the water, and yelled at them to help her. They’d have to worry about Trixie when they could get themselves out of the mess they were in. Unfortunately, they were the first raft through Double Suck, so there was no one there to help them, or her.

Trixie was swept away by the fast current that flowed between the big rocks of Double Trouble. She started to swim, then remembered the white water swim position. She leaned back, and wrapped her arms around her knees, just hoping she wouldn’t slam into one of those vicious rocks. The current kept trying to drag her under, but she managed to stay on the surface, for the most part.

As Trixie rushed away, Jim kept an eye on her, even as he listened to Rae’s instructions. They had managed to get themselves free of the rock, but were now negotiating the rapid, and they weren’t getting any closer to Trixie.

"Dan!" Rae called once they were in calmer water. "Get the throw rope. Make sure you’ve got Trixie’s attention when you throw it. The rest of you, let’s paddle all front!"

Slowly, the gap lessened between the tiny orange helmet floating in river. Trixie turned towards them when she heard Dan’s shout, and he tossed the line to her. She grasped the rope when it sailed just over her shoulder, and held on for dear life, still struggling to keep her legs up and her head above water. Slowly, Dan pulled her alongside the raft, which had settled into the same swift current she was riding. Jim extended his paddle towards her, and she grasped the tee-grip. When she was close enough, he leaned over and grasped the straps of her life vest. With a big heave, Trixie found herself face down in Jim’s lap. He quickly pulled her up into his arms and gave her a fierce hug.

She hugged him back then extricated herself from her boyfriend to get back in her seat. She quickly shoved her foot back under the seat again, as far as it would go. She didn’t want to go back in that water! "Whew, that was graceful!"

Mart reached a hand out to his sister and grabbed hers. "Of course you’d be worried about your grand entrance back into the raft after you nearly drowned! Geesh, Trix, I’m so sorry!" With his face so pale, his blue eyes shining with fear, Trixie had never loved him more.

"I’m fine brother dear, just really glad to be back in here where it’s safe!"

"Are you sure you’re all right? How do you feel? Anything feel broken?" Brian asked.

"No, I’m fine. Just a little out of breath, and some scrapes and bruises."

Rae was just accepting Trixie’s paddle back from a guide in another boat. "I’m sorry about that, guys. I missed a turn back there—it was my fault we hit the rock. Trixie, I’m glad you’re okay."

Trixie smiled at the worried woman. "No worries! Now, don’t we have a few more rapids to tame?"

Jim shook his head at Trixie’s spirit. That was one of the things that he loved most about her.

Rae seemed relieved at Trixie’s words. "OK. Let’s hit it. All front!"

 

Chapter Ten

As Rae and the five Bob-Whites hauled their raft out of the water, they were exhilarated.

"Whew! What a ride!" Dan exclaimed.

"No more accurate a confabulation has ever been articulated!" Mart agreed.

Rae stared at Mart in confusion. "Don’t mind the walking dictionary. I think he was saying he had a great time, right?" Trixie explained.

"I am impressed at the understanding expressed by my female sibling."

"Ok, Mart, we get it. How about putting a little muscle into carrying this raft? I think your slacking, little brother!" Brian said.

Trixie giggled as Mart made a big show of hefting the heavy raft a little higher. Before long, they had reached the bus, which would carry them the rest of the way to the White Water Center. Dreading the short ride, they lingered while Rae helped the other guides secure the rafts on top of the bus. After all the other rafters had filed on, the Bob White’s followed, this time taking seats at the front of the bus. Dan maneuvered himself in the seat next to Rae.

"So what are you doing tonight?" he asked.

"No plans, really. Some of us usually just hang out and drink some beer in the evenings. I don’t have to work tomorrow, so…"

"Oh, you have to come out to our cabin! It has a game room with a pool table, and we’ve got some icy cold beer in the fridge. What do you say?"

"Well," Rae glanced at Trixie and the others,  in the seats behind them. After they all added their invitations, she agreed.

Dan slid an arm around her shoulders, and threw a wink over his shoulder at Mart.

When they arrived back at the cabin, they found Honey and Di relaxing in the shade outside. They raised their eyebrows when they saw the tall, gorgeous blonde get out of a green Mustang convertible with Dan.

"Dan’s found a new friend," Trixie told them as she went inside to change. Honey and Di greeted Rae warmly, and were soon wrapped up in the stories the group was telling. By the time Trixie rejoined the group outside, Honey was almost in tears.

"Trixie! Oh, my gosh, you could have been killed! How horrible!" she shuddered.

Trixie cast a disapproving eye at the boys then gave a Honey a big hug. "I’m fine! I’m not the first person to fall out of a raft, right, Rae?"

"Absolutely not! I lose one just about every trip down the river!" Rae answered.

"That’s something you could have told us before the trip," Mart muttered. Dan elbowed him to shut him up.

"Forget about it! It would take more than a little dunking to slow down Trixie! Now let’s get going on dinner. I promised Rae a Bob-White feast and I don’t want to disappoint her!"

They crowded into the small kitchen. Everyone popped open a beer, except Honey, who sipped water, and Di, who made herself a margarita.

The girls set to work, chopping up tomatoes, green peppers, and onion to grill on skewers with thick, juicy steaks. Mart put the finishing touches on his special potatoes au gratin before putting it in the oven. Jim was marinating the steak, while Brian and Dan drove back to the store for more beer and dessert.

By the time they returned the kabobs were cooking, and the potatoes were bubbling in their cheesy sauce. They unloaded the apple pies they’d picked up at the little bakery restaurant next to the grocery store, and put vanilla ice cream in the freezer. Then they grabbed themselves a beer, and handed another out to everyone who was ready.

It wasn’t long before they all sat down to a feast. The kabobs were devoured, along with the potatoes. The beer was flowing freely, and everyone was laughing and talking as they enjoyed their meal. They learned that Rae had lived in East Tennessee all of her life.  She had grown up in the woods and on the rivers of the Smoky Mountains. They told her all about their adventures growing up in Sleepyside.

After her second kabob, and another helping of potatoes, Rae leaned back with a groan. "Do you guys always eat like this? How do you stay so thin?"

"I promised you a Bob-White feast, and yes, we never miss a meal!" Dan grinned goofily over his beer. "Did you enjoy it?"

Rae smiled back. "I can’t remember ever enjoying a dinner more."

They all pitched in to help with the clean-up, then trooped downstairs to the game room. A friendly game of pool started between Dan and Rae and Jim and Trixie. Honey and Diana played a game of darts, while Mart and Brian faced off across the foosball table.

Trixie was a little buzzed as she watched Jim sink another shot. She leaned back against the wall, and thought about the map. Tomorrow, she would figure out where it led.

 

Chapter Eleven

Trixie groaned as she rolled over, throwing a hand over her eyes in hopes of quieting that nasty little man that was beating a drum right behind her eyes. Her throat was dry, and her bladder was full. But she just couldn’t move. Not yet.

"Ugh. Stop moving. Please, don’t move anymore. Let me die in peace." The large lump beside her spoke. Trixie forced her eyes open to look at Jim.

"Yeah, me, too. Gosh, how much did we drink last night?" Trixie remembered several beers, then switching to Di’s high-octane margaritas. Wasn’t there tequila shots? Ugh.

"I lost count. Now, please, go back to sleep," Jim answered.

Now Trixie couldn’t close her eyes. Every time she did, her head began to spin. As she lay there in agony, the scent of fresh coffee wafted up the stairs. Drawn by the smell, Trixie struggled to her feet and stumbled to the bathroom.

After making her way downstairs, she surveyed the living room. Rae was bundled up on the couch, Dan on the floor beside her. He didn’t look comfortable, but seemed to still be asleep. She tiptoed past them into the kitchen. Honey turned from the counter with a smile on her pretty face. While Trixie’s uncombed hair was tangled from sleep, and she still wore the shorts and tee shirt she had on last night, Honey looked fresh and beautiful in a floral sundress. Her hair was neatly pulled back in a pony tail.

"Morning, sweetie. Feeling a little rough this morning?" she asked with a sympathetic smile, as she handed Trixie a steaming cup of coffee. Trixie grasped the cup and took a cautious sip.

"Rough is not the word. Remember graduation night?" Honey grimaced at her words. They’d attended a huge party the evening they’d graduated from college. Needless to say, both Honey and Trixie had celebrated a little too hard that night.

"Have a seat. Do you think you could eat anything? I was going to fix breakfast, but I’m not sure any of you could stomach it."

"Hmm… I don’t know if I could."

"Well, I could," Mart said as he entered the kitchen, his arm around a white faced Diana. "Greasy food. Eggs, bacon, gravy, fried potatoes, just what the doctor ordered for a hangover."

Diana groaned and ran out of the room, holding her hand over her mouth. Mart watched her go, then helped himself to a cup of coffee. "Honey, my dear, the repast you mentioned sounds like heaven to me. Don’t mind Di. She’s just a little queasy this morning."

"So’s Brian. When I got up, he was curled up like a baby and mumbling something about the evils of liquor," she said with a smile. "I guess Jim, Dan, and Rae are in the same boat."

"I don’t even remember going to bed," Trixie said. "But I do know, we’ve got to get everyone going this morning if we’re going to follow that map today."

By the time Honey finished frying the last strip of bacon, everyone else had dragged themselves to the kitchen. Di was hanging back, nibbling on a piece of toast, while the boys dug in with gusto. Trixie managed a few bites of egg and crisp fried potatoes, and started to feel a little better. Rae helped herself to a piece of bacon, and smothered a biscuit with Honey’s gravy.

"Hmm...Not bad for a cook from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Thanks for fixing breakfast, Honey. I guess we’re all a little under the weather this morning."

"You're welcome, but I can’t really take too much credit for the food. The gravy is from a mix, and the biscuits are out of a can, but thanks, anyway," Honey answered.

"Well, all I know is, this really hits the spot. I had a great time last night with you guys. Thanks for letting me crash here," Rae said, her smile settling on Dan.

He ran a hand through his rumpled hair as he grinned back, then reached out for her hand. "It was my pleasure. I hope you’re not in any hurry to get back. We could all lie around and nurse our hangovers together. I know I don’t have the energy for anything else today."

Everyone mumbled their agreement, except Trixie, who turned to Jim with a desperate look. "But I thought we were going hiking today? Remember, we so wanted to explore the woods on the other side of the road!"

"Oh, Trix, not today, please. I don’t have the energy to walk back upstairs to get dressed, much less to traipse through the forest! Can’t we go tomorrow?"

Trixie got up from the table with a frown, and began clearing empty plates and cups. She was so close to solving this mystery, she just knew it. But Jim was right; she wasn’t sure how far she’d get in a hike before she’d have to lie down with her head between her legs. Looking around at the dreary eyes and slumped shoulders of everyone but Honey, she knew they’d have to wait until later. Maybe they’d feel better this afternoon. Besides, they really couldn’t do anything until Rae left.

The Bob-Whites and Rae did laze around all afternoon. Di clicked around on the living room television until she found "The Breakfast Club" on TBS. Declaring it one of her favorite movies of all time, she lay back on Mart’s chest and settled into watch. Honey sat on the other end of the couch; Brian sprawled on the floor at her feet. Jim and Trixie cuddled into the loveseat, while Rae and Dan sat side by side in the mismatched arm chairs. As the day wore on, their 80’s marathon continued with "Footloose, and "The Goonies". They munched on potato chips and frozen pizza, and before they knew it, it was dark.

Rae pushed herself up from Dan’s arms. Sometime that day, she and Dan had ended up on a mountain of pillows in the middle of the floor. "I’ve got to get going! I can’t believe I’ve stayed this long."

Everyone roused themselves to say goodbye. She told them she had to work tomorrow, but agreed to come back tomorrow night. They wanted to go out on the pontoon boat and watch the sunset. Dan walked her out to her car, and spent a few moments speaking to her quietly before he kissed her goodbye.

When he came back in and sat down, Trixie faced her friends. "Tomorrow, we’re getting up bright and early and going on a treasure hunt! No more excuses!"

 

Chapter Twelve

The rain was coming down in sheets. The rumble of thunder and lightening greeted them as they woke up early the next morning. Trixie stood at the sliding glass door of the bedroom with a look of disgust. "I can’t believe this! Look at that sky! I don’t think this storm is going to let up anytime soon."

Jim agreed. "It looks like a washout for sure, Trix. I’m sorry, I know how you much you wanted to follow that map today.  I was kind of looking forward to it myself."

They went down to breakfast. Everyone looked as downcast as the weather.

"So, now what do we do? We can’t go on a treasure hunt on a day like this!" Di had dressed optimistically, in blue jeans, a tee-shirt and sturdy boots.

"It’s not looking good," Honey agreed. "What do you think, Trix?"

"I hate to waste a whole day, but by looking outside, and according to the Weather Channel, this won’t clear out until at least this evening. At this rate, Red could have dug up the whole forest and found the hiding place without the map!"

Jim squeezed her shoulders. "Don’t get discouraged, Trix. We’ll try again tomorrow. Meanwhile, let’s not sit around in this cabin all day. What do you think about driving into Gatlinburg? I’ve heard they have all kinds of fun things to do, rain or shine!"

The others couldn’t think of anything better to do, though they all dreaded getting out in the pouring rain. Right after they finished up breakfast, they cleaned up and piled into the two vehicles.

It took the better part of an hour to get to the tiny town nestled in the heart of the mountains. Its streets were lined with shops, restaurants, and amusements of every sort. Di elbowed Mart as they passed the third wedding chapel since they’d entered town. "Don’t get any ideas, sweetheart. Both of our mothers would kill us," he said. Honey and Brian exchanged glances of agreement in the front seat.

"Looks like Jim’s found a place to park. Everyone ready to make a run for it?" Brian asked, as he pulled the Explorer alongside the Camry in a parking garage. They all piled out, bundled in rain coats and carrying umbrellas, and walked out onto the sidewalk.

"Where to first?" asked Dan.

Mart had already spotted the place he wanted to check out first. A sign proclaiming the Smoky Mountain Candy Factory had caught his eye right down the street. With a cry of "Ah, sweet sustenance awaits!" He grabbed Di’s hand and headed that way. The rest of the Bob-Whites exchanged amused smiles, but followed. Candy didn’t sound too bad!

Twenty five minutes later, fully sated and clutching bags full of salt water taffy, old-fashioned fudge and other assorted goodies, the Bob-Whites checked out the town’s many other shops. They took an old-fashioned photo in the Olde Tyme Photo Gallery, then picked out beautiful prints of the Smoky Mountains in the artist Jim Gray’s studio store. They watched in amazement as a glass blower turned a glob of molten fire into a beautiful vase, and smiled as a whittler presented each of the girls with a perfect wooden replica of a little dog. They all laughed in the air-brush tee shirt shop. The couples couldn’t resist getting a Gatlinburg souvenir proclaiming their love for each other.

"Honey, I am NOT wearing that back home!" Brian insisted, as Honey held his shirt up to him. It was white, with a colorful Smoky Mountain sunset on the front. Air brushed in black were the words "Brian loves Honey".

Dan was laughing uproariously. "You can all wear those silly shirts to Wimpy’s when we get back! Won’t Mike get a kick out of that!"

Mart stuffed his and Di’s matching purple painted shirts back in the bag. "Maybe we ought to get you one made with Rae’s name on it, just a little reminder of your Smoky Mountain romance."

Dan had the grace to blush, and shoved Mart toward a Mexican restaurant on the corner. "Let’s just grab a couple of appetizers before we head back. We’ve got to make it quick if we want to get there before Rae arrives."

Resisting the urge for more teasing in favor of a plate of quesadillas, Mart led the way into the restaurant. They got a table right up against a big picture window overlooking a mountain stream. They ordered, and as they waited for their food, the girls compared their purchases for the day. Honey was particularly proud of a little stuffed black bear that she and Brian had bought for the baby as a reminder of his "first" vacation.

"If ya wanna see the real thing, take a look over there," the waitress had just arrived with their food. She gestured out the window as soon as she deposited the plates on the table.

The seven Bob-Whites were amazed to see a big black bear lumbering down the banks of the stream.

"Oh, my, gosh!  I can’t believe what I’m seeing!" Di squealed.

"Relax, Di. You kicked one of those in Idaho, remember? I don’t think its coming in the restaurant," Trixie said.  She turned to the waitress. "Does this kind of thing happen often?"

"Oh, from time to time. They come down from the hills when they get hungry. So many of them are so used to people food, they can be a real nuisance. But a few years ago, the city enacted strict rules about not feeding the bears, and securing trash where they couldn’t get into it. I swear, though, no matter how many times I see a bear, I can’t help but be a little amazed."

The Bob-Whites watched the bear until it disappeared into the woods on the other side of the stream. Once that distraction was over, they dug into their food. They’d ordered several different appetizers to share: chicken quesadillas, fried cheese sticks, and nachos loaded with chili, cheese, sour cream, and veggies.

Once they were full, they paid the bill and headed back to the cars. By now, the rain had stopped, and they had to hurry home to beat Rae.

"You are tourists of the worst sort!" Rae exclaimed, as she sifted through the piles of souvenirs. "But that’s really cool that you got to see a bear." They had gotten back to the cabin just before Rae pulled up in her green Mustang. She shook her head as she helped the Bob-Whites unload the cars, including taking several bags out of her own car, which she disappeared with into the kitchen.

"We just couldn’t resist! That’s such a cool little town! I’ll bet you and your friends go there all the time to hang out," Honey said.

"Actually, I haven’t been to Gatlinburg in years. The locals kind of avoid the place. Not because it’s not fun, but its usually so packed with tourists, and the traffic is so awful."

"We didn’t have that problem today. Guess we were the only loons out in the pouring rain," Dan said.

"Rain? What rain? It looks like its going to be a beautiful night. If we hustle, we might make it out onto the lake in time to watch the sunset." Brian hurried everyone along, and soon, they were settled on the pontoon boat, Jim at the controls.

As the sky turned beautiful shades of pink, yellow, and orange, the four couples held each other. After such a rainy day, the sunset was a delight, and they all enjoyed it. Jim hated to interrupt the silence, but his practical side won out.

"We’d better head back before it gets any darker. None of us are that familiar with this lake, and I’d hate to run us aground or something."

They agreed, and helped Jim negotiate his way back to the dock. It wasn’t too difficult with the light of the moon, and soon they were back on dry land.

"Well, I’m ravenous," Mart declared. "What’s for dinner?"

Rae, who’d already developed an appreciation for Mart’s appetite, smiled back at him over her shoulder. "Dinner’s on me tonight. I brought stuff to make my famous spaghetti sauce. I hope you all like Italian!"

"Like it? We love it! Three cheers for Rae!" Mart exclaimed, as he picked up Rae and twirled her around in joy.

Everyone offered his or her help, and Rae had everybody working. As she was putting the water on to boil and browning hamburger meat with onion and spices, she had the girls chopping up vegetables for a salad. Dan was buttering the bread, and Mart was dicing fresh Grainger County tomatoes for the sauce. Jim and Brian found themselves setting the table, and opening a bottle of red wine that Rae had bought.

It wasn’t long before every noodle and slice of bread was gone, and Jim and Brian served hot apple pie and ice cream. They’d never gotten to the dessert the night before last! After that too was gone, and the mess cleaned up, the group gathered out on the deck in the darkness. Diana lit several citronella candles to keep the mosquitoes away, and they talked for several hours.

It was as Rae was talking about some of her favorite spots nearby that Trixie almost lost it. "Wait, what did you say? What was that place called?"

"What place? Oh, Three Oaks Ridge, its not far from here, no more than a mile or so up the path on the other side of the road. It’s a beautiful spot, overlooks the river. Great make out spot! Its really strange though, amidst all the thick trees all around it, there are only three huge old oak trees in that clearing, right on the edge of a cliff. No one really knows why."

"Three Oaks Ridge! That’s it! Oh, don’t you see, the map! That’s the spot on the map!" Trixie rushed inside to retrieve the map from its hiding place. When she came back, she assumed the others had explained what was going on, because Rae didn’t look nearly as puzzled as she had when Trixie took off.

"See, right there. Those three trees, and a sun. Wouldn’t a ridge like that be the perfect place to watch the sunset? That’s it!"

Rae examined the hand drawn map. "That looks about right, its kind of crudely drawn, and definitely not to scale, but you could be on to something, Trixie."

"Well, we’re going there first thing in the morning. No more waiting! You can stay and go with us, can’t you, Rae?" Trixie asked.

"I wish I could, but I’ve got an early trip in the morning. In fact, I need to get home now and get to bed, or I’m liable to lose more than one rafter tomorrow!" Rae got up to leave before she could change her mind. They’d gone easy on the wine tonight, remembering how sick they’d been the last time, so she was fine to drive. Trixie absentmindedly told her goodbye, as the others hugged her and told her to come back tomorrow. She waved as Dan took her hand and walked her out to her car.

"Um, Trix? Di and I need to run back out in the morning. We special ordered some quilts for our mothers, and we’re supposed to pick them up in the morning. We were hoping Brian and Mart would go with us. Maybe you could wait until we get back," Honey said tentatively.

Trixie was disappointed that her best friend wouldn’t be with her when she found the hiding spot, but she had no intention of waiting that long. "Oh, that’s okay, but if you don’t mind, I’ll probably just head on out first thing in the morning. I really need to see this through. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever to figure this out."

"I’ll go with you, Trix." Jim hugged her to him with a smile. "I’m really anxious to see what’s waiting for us up on that cliff, too."

Trixie turned into his embrace with wrapped her arms around him. She mumbled her thanks as everyone else headed off to bed. Dan clapped Jim on the back for some odd reason, but she didn’t think too much about it. She just couldn’t wait for morning.

 

Chapter Thirteen

Trixie awoke as the first rays of sunlight shone through the window. She couldn’t believe she’d slept, she’d been so excited last night. It was a beautiful day, and she was going to solve her mystery just as soon as she could get Jim up and dressed.

"Come on, sleepyhead!" She shook him gently. "It's morning and times wasting! Let’s hit the trail!"

Jim grumbled good-naturedly, but got out of bed and grabbed his clothes before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. Trixie gathered up her own things and went downstairs to clean up. Less than half an hour later, each with an apple in their hands, they set out on the path Rae had indicated led to Three Oaks Ridge. In his backpack, Jim had a small shovel he always carried with his hiking gear. Hopefully, it would be enough to do the job.

As they disappeared around a bend in the trail, Dan’s face lit with a smile. He was watching them out the cabin’s kitchen window. Brian, Honey, Mart, and Di came up behind him.

"Okay, spill it, Mangan. What’s going on? Why did you tell us to make up a reason not to go up to Three Oaks Ridge with Trixie and Jim?"

Dan turned to his friends with a satisfied grin. "You’re going to love this."

Trixie walked quickly, unable to contain her enthusiasm, as she and Jim set out with the map. The well-traveled path was flanked on both sides by towering trees of every kind. The morning air was crisp and comfortable, the humidity not yet setting in. As the path started to get steeper, her steps slowed enough for Jim to catch up with her. He grabbed her hand and brought her to his side as they continued up.

"So, what do you think we’ll find when we get there?" he asked.

"Oh, I’m sure it will be a bag of money, or maybe jewels! Those guys probably stole them from a bank or jewelry store. That was probably the mission Red was talking about. I bet he hid the goods here, then ended up getting arrested or something in Nashville. It has to be something valuable! The note said they would have a very rich future when it was found. Oh! I hope that B guy isn’t anywhere around. Strange that we haven’t seen any sign of him around."

Jim smiled to himself. "I’ll bet we scared him off. He’s probably lying low, waiting until we leave to look for it. I’m not worried about running into him."

"Me, either. If he were worried about us finding the hiding place, he would have tried to get the note or the map back. Maybe he’s just a coward, not really a criminal at all, just a friend of the real bad guys. Whew, its really getting steep, isn’t it?"

They had started a steep, uphill climb. Trixie and Jim stopped speaking to concentrate on their footing on the rocky ground. "We’ve got to be getting close to the top.  Rae said it was no more than a mile or so up here. She just didn’t say it was all uphill!"

Trixie laughed good-naturedly, just as the two topped the hill, coming out into a clearing. Opposite them, the world seemed to drop away, and as they inched to the edge of the cliff, they could see the lake glistening below them, and beyond that, miles and miles of green mountain tops. A hazy mist almost obscured the distant peaks.

"Guess that’s why the call them the Smoky Mountains, huh?" Jim said.

"Yes," Trixie whispered, taken in by the beautiful vista spread before them. "It’s absolutely breathtaking." The couple held each other for a moment, taken in by the view. Then, Trixie got down to business. Turning, she surveyed the clearing around her. It was almost perfectly flat right here, very strange in this hilly country. Crisp, green grass covered the ground. And rising out of the midst of the clearing were three enormous oak trees; they towered over the area like sentinels.

Trixie examined the map. "Well, those look the three trees on the map. The "X" is marked in front of the center tree, so I guess we’ll start there." She and Jim walked to the tree and started examining the ground around it. "I have no idea what to look for, how will we know where to dig? There aren’t any more signs on the map."

"Well, there has to be something marking the spot. How else was old B supposed to find it? Look for something that doesn’t belong here, or looks out of place," Jim answered. 

After a few minutes, with Trixie down on her hands and knees crawling around, she let out a triumphant shout.  "This could be it! Don’t these rocks look weird set out in a circle like that?" She reached out to touch the ground inside of the circle, and pulled up a layer of grass.

"Look!  It's like sod, someone has been digging here! The shovel, Jim, quick!"

Trixie removed the circle of stones, and Jim obediently started digging. It wasn’t long before the shovel hit something hard. Before he could even drop the shovel to the ground, Trixie was digging with her hands, trying to uncover what he had hit. After a few moments, she unearthed a small, metal box.

"This is it!" she breathed. "It’s awfully small for a treasure, though."

Jim kneeled down on the ground beside her. "Why don’t you open it up and see, Trix?" he suggested.

Trixie felt around the sides of the box before she found the release. Inside, there was nothing but a small, red velvet box, which she held in her hands as the metal box fell to the ground beside her. She opened it slowly, and gasped as the sunlight glinted off a perfect, pear-shaped diamond. It was set in platinum, and set with smaller diamonds in the band. "Oh, it’s beautiful!"

"No," Jim said, taking the ring from her hand, and looking into her eyes. "Your beautiful, Trix. This ring is for you."

"For me? What do you…?  Oh. Oh!" She struggled for words, her eyes going from the glittering diamond Jim now held out to her, to his intense green eyes. "You mean...?"

"Yes, Trix. I’m asking you to marry me, right here on this glorious mountaintop."

"Oh." She wasn’t sure what to say, and then her brain finally caught up. "You’re Red! You set this whole thing up, this whole mystery, everything!"

"That’s right, Beatrix Belden. You’re the B in the note, the one the treasure was meant for."

Trixie sputtered in disbelief. "So, there was no mystery! You made it up! All of it! I can’t believe it! Why?"

"What better way to propose to my Schoolgirl Shamus? I figured, I’d give you a mystery to solve, get the sparkle back in your eyes, then pop the question when you figured it all out. Which, by the way, I’m still waiting for an answer to my proposal."

Trixie sat there for a moment then flung herself into Jim’s arms. "Oh, yes! Yes, of course, yes!"

Tears of joy mixed with laughter, as Jim slid the ring onto her finger. "Jim, it’s perfect, this is perfect, you’re perfect! I just can’t believe you did all this for me!"

"Trix, you’ve been my girl since the moment you came crashing into my life eight years ago. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you." Their lips met in a tender kiss. For a few minutes, the world was forgotten. The only thing that mattered was the two of them, alone on a pristine morning, and what had to be one of the most perfect places in the world.

When they finally came up for air, they moved to the edge of the clearing, where they could look down on the rest of the world. Jim sat on the ground, Trixie between his legs, leaning back into his chest. Neither spoke as they enjoyed this moment that Jim had created for them.

Then, Trixie broke the silence, leaning forward to look at him over her shoulder. "Ok, now, let’s talk. I want to know how you did it! Do the others know? Who was that guy I saw? When did you bury this box?" The questions tumbled out of her mouth.  Jim threw back his head and laughed.

"You mean you haven’t figured all that out yet?"

She punched him lightly in the arm. "No, so you’d better just start talking!"

"Ouch, that ring packs a wallop! Tell you what, let’s head back down to the cabin, and I’ll tell the story all at once, to everyone. How’s that sound?"

"So they do know!" she said.

"Well, by now, yes, everyone knows. But I did have an accomplice…" he trailed off mysteriously. Trixie tried for a few minutes to wheedle the information out of him, but he refused to answer. So, after filling in the hole they had dug, and replacing the grass, Trixie and Jim started back down the mountain.

 

Chapter Fourteen

The trip back was much quicker than the trip up, and they covered the distance to the cabin quickly. They found everyone just preparing to leave the cabin and head out on the lake. All plans were forgotten when Jim and Trixie walked through the door.

"Trixie! Where is it! Let me see! Oh, it’s gorgeous! Two carats, at least!" Honey and Di were practically screaming over each other, in turn exclaiming over the ring and hugging Trixie. Brian, Mart, and Dan were slapping Jim on the back, congratulating him, and generally adding to the chaos.

Jim pierced the air with an ear-splitting Bob-White whistle. "Everyone, quiet!"

Six pairs of eyes turned to him. He smiled, snaked an arm around his new fiancé’s waist, and said, "I promised Trixie a story, and we’ll tell you all what happened if everyone will just settle down for a second. Dan- grab the champagne, will you?"

"Sure thing, partner," Dan answered as a he disappeared into the kitchen.

"He’s the one! He helped you cook all this up, right?" Trixie asked.

"That’s right, sweetie. I needed some serious help to fool you! Now let’s all sit down, celebrate with a glass of champagne, and I’ll tell you the whole story."

When Dan came back into the living room, Trixie and Jim were on the couch, with Honey seated beside Trixie. Di perched in one of the arm chairs, while Brian and Mart lounged on the floor. Dan popped the champagne, and handed out plastic cups of the bubbly treat. After a toast, Jim began his story.

"Well, Trix, that guy you saw the first night was Dan. After we all went to bed, he went down there to leave the map under the dock. You weren’t supposed to see him! After you finally went to sleep that night, I snuck down to talk to Dan. We were going to leave that note telling the location of the map somewhere here in the cabin, as if it got left behind by a previous tenant or something, but we decided instead to make it look like your mysterious stranger dropped it. It actually worked out better that way. So, while we were out looking for clues, Dan found the note, which he’d just taken out of his pocket, by the way. From there, the rest was pretty much up to you."

"But how was I supposed to know those three trees on the map were Three Oaks Ridge? If it hadn’t been for Rae just mentioning it...Oh," Trixie said.

"I told Rae what was going on, and she turned out to be the perfect accomplice. We knew we’d have to find someone to tell you about Three Oaks Ridge, it was just lucky for me we met Rae, and were able to talk her into helping us out." Dan said with a grin.

"That still doesn’t explain how the ring got buried up there. When did you guys do that?" Trixie asked.

"That was kind of tricky, actually. It was hard to sneak away, but we did it the other night when you and Honey were searching the dock." Jim answered.

"While you were searching for firewood! I thought you guys were gone an awfully long time!" Di said, proud that she’d figured that one out. "I just can’t believe you two cooked all this up, and didn’t tell any of the rest of us about it. Honey and I could have helped!"

Honey agreed with a nod. "Yes, how could you leave us out?"

"Sis, Dan and I figured the fewer people who knew, the easier it would be to fool Trixie. You know how suspicious she is." He grunted as Trixie elbowed him in the side.

"Well, you two certainly pulled it off. I had no idea! And I’ll tell you, if I wasn’t so happy about this ring on my finger, you two would be in serious trouble for tricking me!"

Everyone laughed at that, then began to talk excitedly about when the wedding would be, and where they would have it. Jim interrupted again with a piercing whistle. "We’ve got plenty of time to plan all that. For now, I’d say we enjoy the rest of this vacation, mystery free!"

 

Epilogue

Two nights later, Jim and Trixie had slipped out onto the deck. They’d spent the last two days enjoying the lake with their friends, and were cooking their last meal in the cabin. They were leaving the next day. The rest of the Bob-Whites and Rae were in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner.

"As Honey would say, this has been a perfectly-perfect vacation, Jim. Thank you so much for giving it to me." Trixie said earnestly, looking up into his eyes.

"This week was the least I could do, after everything you’ve given me over the years, Trix. When I heard you and Honey talking the night we got here, I was surer than ever that I was doing the right thing by creating a mystery. I love you so much! I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together."

"Neither can I, Jim. Neither can I," Trixie answered him with a passionate kiss, which was rudely interrupted by Mart.

"Hey, lovebirds! Get a room! Or better yet, a boreal cleansing! Let’s eat!"

Jim and Trixie groaned in unison, but followed Mart inside. They were hungry. And maybe they’d see about that room later.

 The End

Tonja

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