Valentine's Gifts and Tree Roots

by Treanna

 

Jim walked out of the bathroom and stood for a moment a smile on his face. He was looking towards the bed where Trixie sat cross-legged looking at a photo.

She was wearing one of his tee shirts and he grinned as she again pushed the neckline onto her shoulder where it stubbornly refused to stay.

When she sighed, his eyes moved to her face and he was distressed to see a lone tear drop to the photo frame she held. He walked over to the bed and sat beside her.

"Baby, what is wrong?"

"Oh, I don’t know," she said almost loudly and he was surprised by the vehemence in her voice.

"I just feel so--" Not sure what to say she lapsed into silence.

He took her hands in his. "Are you sick or is something bothering you?"

She again sighed. "We have had such a wonderful day. The books you gave me today for Valentine's were the best and the party we had with the Bob-whites was super."

"Maybe now that it is over you are feeling a little flat."

She nodded. "It has been a hard year, Jim. Getting engaged, planning for a wedding and then getting kidnapped has taken its toll on me. And then for clumsy me to again fall over that darn tree root was embarrassing."

Jim thought for a moment and then hugged her to him. Trixie hugged him back, her hands running down the scars on his back.

"I still hate him for what he did to you" she whispered and he moved away slightly.

"Do you know what I see?"

She shook her head.

He moved the tee shirt off her shoulder.

"When I see this," he said, running his finger over the scar there. He pulled the tee shirt over her head and gently touched the scar on her side. "And when I see this, I remember that you were willing to give your life for me. And the scars on my back are a symbol of how much I love you and how I would give my life for you. You are the most important person in my life and I pray every day that we grow old together. I couldn’t bear to lose you, my shamus."

Trixie pulled him into her arms as the tears fell. "I love you, too, Jim."

He kissed her shoulder gently and seductively. "Do you know how I want to celebrate the rest of Valentine's Day?"

She looked at him and smiled. "No idea. Maybe you need to show me."

He looked down and touched her grazed knee. She shivered and he grinned.

"Promise me whenever you get pregnant you will stay away from that darn tree or I will pull it out by the roots myself."

Trixie reached down and pulled at the towel around his waist. "We have a lot more practicing to do before we can get it right enough for a baby."

He laughed as he lay her down on the bed. "Most definitely."

*      *     *

Trixie sat down at her desk and sighed. It had been a long two months and she was exhausted. Tad Webster walked in and smiled.

"Congratulations, Trixie," Tad greeted her. "You are the talk of the police force. Stopping the robberies at Crimper's was an amazing feat. Mr Crimper was just blowing your trumpet to the reporters outside the store."

She smiled. "I took a long time though to find out who was stealing the stock. Who would have believed it was Old Man Carstairs on the back door. Especially because he was using the money from selling the stock to support his gambling habit."

"He was only a few months away from retirement and now he will be spending his retirement in the State Pen."

"Well, I am for a break. I am exhausted."

"You deserve it, Trixie. I am sure me and the other guys will be able to survive without you for a few days."

"With Sergeant Spider Webster leading the charge I have no doubt you will all be fine without me."

"So, what are you planning to do with your week's break?"

"Sleep and read."

Tad laughed. "So, you are dusting off the old Lucy Radcliffe books, are you?"

Jim bought me the whole new set for Valentine's Day and I haven’t had time to even open the cover of the first one. But I am going to rectify it over the next week."

Tad looked up and smiled when he saw Jim enter.

"Well that red-headed man has arrived to take you to lunch and I had better get back to work so if I don’t see you again enjoy your break."

Trixie stood up. "Thanks, Tad."

She smiled at her husband as he walked towards her.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She smiled. "Not overly but I am still looking forward to spending time with you."

He gave her a hug and kissed her lovingly. "That stomach flu you had is still bothering you?"

She shook her head. "No, I am feeling fine just really tired."

"Then I am glad that you have a week off."

"I wish you could, too, Jim. I wish we could go away."

They headed out of the police station. "I wish I could, too, Trix, but we are snowed under at the moment and I can’t see that changing for a while."

"Can’t someone else take over for a while?"

"I wish. But maybe in a couple of months it will be easier to slip away."

"You have been saying that ever since our honeymoon."

They walked into Wimpy’s and sat down. Jim ordered a hamburger, fries and a milkshake but Trixie just ordered a root beer.

"I hope you aren’t on a stupid diet." He told her and she frowned.

"Why do you think I need to be?"

He sighed. "No, I don’t, Trix, and you know that."

She watched him eat his burger. "We had a big morning tea at work that is all."

"You promised me you would meet me at the clubhouse after work tonight. Remember?"

He nodded. "I know that everyone else has sorted out their things that they have outgrown but us."

"The school charity drive is next week and I promised Mr Andrews, the principal that we would help out. Even though we are older the Bob-Whites still has a reputation at the school for being good fundraisers and I don't want to let him down."

Just then Jim’s phone rang and Trixie sighed. "Please let it ring."

He shrugged his shoulders as he answered it.  When he had finished he looked at Trixie and smiled slightly. "Duty calls, Trix."

"Can’t we have one meal without you getting a call?"

"And you don’t get calls at all hours of the day or night." He stood up. "I have to go but I will meet you at the clubhouse at six."

The kiss he gave her was quite chaste and she sighed as he left.

Marriage was not what she had imagined it to be.

*     *      *

By six-fifteen Trixie was fit to be tied. She had already sorted out her things and started on Jim's. So when he arrived at six-thirty, she was beyond angry.

"Hi, baby, sorry that I'm late."

"You talk as if it is the first time."

"I said I was sorry. There was something last minute I had to attend to."

"There always is. I wanted to talk to you before we go up to the house for dinner but now we might not have time."

"What is so important, Trix?"

Trix turned her back on him. "Nothing that you would be interested in I am sure."

"Fine," he snapped. "I have had a lousy day and all I want to do is spend some time with my wife. But, no, she has to be in one of her moods. I am going home and you can explain my absence to your family. And don’t bother following me, I need to be on my own for a while."

He headed out of the door and stormed away.

Trixie hurried to the door. "I can’t anyway, Jim Frayne, you told me I wasn’t allowed to!" she shouted to his retreating back.

He walked a few more steps and then stopped. He let what she said sink in. He then turned and hurried back. And tripped over the tree root.

Trixie hurried to his side as he struggled to sit up. He rubbed the bump on his head.

"Jim, are you okay?"

His eyes focused on her. "Trix, are you saying what I think you are saying?"

She nodded frowning, unsure of his reaction.

When he yelled and dragged her into his arms, she was surprised.

"How long have you known?"

"I found out this afternoon."

"How?"

"When I was in New York last week, I bought a test. I don’t even know why."

He looked at her face. "Aren’t you happy?"

She nodded. "Over the moon, but I thought that you would be upset."

"Upset. Never, baby. This is the best news I have heard in ages."

She hugged his tighter. "Oh, Jim, I am so glad."

They sat for a moment and then he gently untangled her from his arms.  "Maybe we should go and see your folks?"

She nodded. She helped him up. "How is your head?"

"Just a bump," he reassured her. "I am fine."

So, after locking up the clubhouse, they headed for Crabapple Farm.

Everyone was already there. Brian was the first to notice the lump on Jim's head.

"I am fine," Jim assured him but Brian insisted on checking.

"How did you do it?’

"I tripped over the tree root near the clubhouse."

Brian laughed. "Isn’t that Trixie's trick?"

Jim looked at Trixie. "Not this time."

Moms looked around the family seated in the lounge room. "We have a few minutes before dinner, so I wanted to know how everyone's day went.

Mart smiled at Di. "Well, we found out today we are going to be parents in seven months."

Moms jumped up and gave them a hug. Peter Belden looked stunned.

"Grandparents." He sighed. "I don’t know if I am ready to become a grandparent."

Brian smiled. "Well, Dad, you'd better be because we are going to have a baby, too, in around seven months."

Moms screamed with delight as she hugged her son and Honey.

Trixie looked at Jim and smiled. "Must have been a good Valentine's Day," she whispered.

It took him a moment to understand what she said and then he began to laugh. And Trixie joined in. Everyone looked at them in surprise.

"What’s got into them?" Mark snorted.

"Must be a private joke." Di smiled. "Can we share in it?" she asked.

Trixie wiped her eyes. She tried to talk but every time she did she looked at Jim and started laughing again.

Finally, Jim took a deep breath.

"We were just mentioning that it must have been a good Valentine's evening this year."

"Oh yeah." Mart grinned and Di elbowed him in the ribs.

Peter Belden looked confused. "I don’t understand."

Trixie grinned. "As far as we can work it out February fourteenth was the night we conceived so I assume it was the same for the others."

Honey smiled. "That is what we worked out." She squealed suddenly  and went to hug her friend.

"What?" Brian asked.

Honey smiled at him. "Think about what Trixie said."

Brian thought for a moment and then grinned.

"Three Bob-Whites pregnant. Trust you three girls to do things together."

Di hurried over and the three girls hugged.

"Can you believe we all fell pregnant at the same time?" Di laughed.

"United we stand and deliver together," Trixie said and the celebrations began.

The End

Told you I would bring that old tree back into play. But wait for the next story you won’t believe what Jim does to that tree.