Part II
Trixie sat with the piece of paper in front of her. She sighed as she took another drink of her coffee, grimacing as she realised it had gone cold. She put it back on the table and rubbed her forehead. A headache was forming and she knew that she needed to go to bed but she just had to work it out.
"Honey, it’s almost midnight," Jim said.
Trixie looked up and smiled slightly. "I know, but I have to get this roster worked out before tomorrow. With Moms down with the flu I have to get the twin's roster worked out."
"Finish it in the morning, Trix, when your head’s a little clearer."
"I have to be at work by ten and I need to find a sitter for the next few days."
"Honey’s already offered."
"But she has such little time to spend with Maddy now, if I send Matthew and Katie, she’ll be exhausted," Trixie said.
"Moms will be better in a couple of days and then the normal roster will apply again."
"I was thinking that maybe I should do some night work."
"No." Jim's voice was firm..
"But that way you’ll be here to look after the twins at night and I’ll be here during the day."
"We hardly see each other enough already."
Trixie slammed the paper down and stood up. "Then you work it out."
Jim took her hands in his. "It will be fine, Trix. Now I’m going to take you to bed and no arguments. OK?"
"I’m too tired to argue."
"Good." He swung her in his arms and she giggled.
He strode off towards the bedroom.
"I’m not THAT tired," she laughed.
He grinned. "Me neither."
* * *Trixie and Honey sat on the lawn with the babies under a tree.
"This is the life," Trixie sighed. "No work for two days."
"So, you are feeling a little better?"
"The last couple of weeks has been hard, but now that I have the roster sorted out, I feel much better about working. It’s still hard to leave the babies behind."
"We only work three full days one week and two full days the next but it’s getting harder and harder to leave Maddy during those days."
"No wonder Moms never wanted to work," Trixie told her.
Just then a car pulled up the driveway and a young man got out. He headed into the stables.
"Who’s that?" asked Trixie.
"I have no idea," Honey answered. "But he seems familiar."
A few minutes later, Regan and the other man walked out of the stable.
Trixie watched the man for a moment and then smiled. "It's your other love, Honey."
"What are you talking about?"
Regan and the man walked closer and Honey and Trixie got to their feet.
"Well, hello, Pat Murrow," Trixie said.
Honey smiled.
Pat smiled back. "So, how are you two lovely ladies?"
"We are fine. But what are you doing here?"
"Regan has been writing to my dad since you all came to Fairhaven Ranch. I decided it was time to come and see how your horses are. And maybe get a few pointers."
"How are your parents and Al-Adeen?"
"My parents are fine and Al-Adeen is taking a much needed break. He has sired us some beautiful foals and we are finally seeing a good return on our investment." He looked at the three babies on the ground. "Looks like you two have been busy."
Honey smiled. "May I present Master Matthew and Miss Katie Frayne and Miss Maddy Belden."
"Pleased to meet you all." Pat laughed. "I am going to see your father now, Honey, so I will see you both later."
"How long are you here for?"
"A week or two."
"Then we’ll see you later, and we can introduce you to the rest of the gang."
"Looking forward to it."
Trixie and Honey sat back down again.
"Boy, he’s still as handsome as ever," Trixie teased her friend.
Honey smiled. "More I think."
"So what happened with you two?"
"We wrote to each other for a while, but long distance relationships never last."
"You never told me you wrote to him."
"I thought you might have said something to Brian. When I came back home and I saw Brian again, I realised that there would be never anyone else for me. But it was nice to write to someone."
"Why did you stop?"
"I spent most of my letters talking about Brian and he spent most of his letters talking about Beth, the new girl in his life. We just send cards at Christmas now."
"Well, you are a woman of mystery, Mrs Belden."
"I hope so," Honey told her and they both laughed.
"Something funny?" It was Brian with Jim beside him.
Trixie smiled up at her brother and husband. "Just girl talk."
"Dangerous words for a man to hear." Jim grimaced and Trixie laughed.
"Just met your old flame," Brian told Honey sitting beside her.
"He wasn’t my old flame."
"I am just glad you didn’t want to make him an honorary Bob-White. I don’t think I would have agreed to that."
"There had never been anyone else for me, but a certain cute doctor."
He drew her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. "Good."
"Go get a room," Trixie sighed.
Brian laughed. "Oh, so you are planning to watch bubs for us, are you?"
"If you are that desperate."
Honey laughed. "I am sure that my husband can wait until tonight to continue this conversation."
"I like that idea," Jim growled near Trixie’s ear.
She playfully pushed him away. "Behave yourself, Mr Frayne."
"I am," he told her and then smiled. "But I can be bad if you want."
Trixie laughed as she stood up. "Right now, I am hungry and it is time to put these two munchkins to bed. So how about we invade Moms?"
"Good suggestion, Mrs Frayne," Jim told her as he picked up his daughter.
They picked everything up and headed for Crabapple Farm.
"Look at that," Trixie told everyone. "Mart and Di are here, too. And I wonder who owns the mystery car?"
"Never saw it before," Jim said as they headed up the steps.
Moms met them at the kitchen door. "Some more of my favourite people." She smiled. "I was just preparing some hamburgers. I hope you are all staying for lunch."
"For your hamburgers, I would never say no." Jim grinned.
"Whose is the car outside?" Trixie asked.
"Mine."
They all turned.
"Ben." Trixie smiled. "What a lovely surprise."
"I hope so." He smiled back.
To Be Continued
For anyone who doesn’t know Pat is from book 39 and Ben is from Happy Valley.