The Third Kiss

It was late Friday afternoon and Trixie was sprawled across an easy chair in Honey’s room. Diana stretched out lazily on the bed, while Honey decided that the floor, with the side of the bed as a prop, made for a comfortable spot. After an afternoon of swimming and tanning at the lake, they were taking it easy until Mart and Dan arrived for dinner. They were all eating at Manor House and even dressing up a bit for a change. Matthew and Grace Wheeler were hosting their friend George Rainsford for dinner.

“It’s going to be dead boring again all week,” Diana moaned as she reached for her sketchbook. “Both of you will be busy, and I’ll have nothing to do but watch those wretched brats all week.” Trixie was scheduled to return to her seven-day shift on Monday and Honey would be back to work at her internship in the city.

“Diana!” Honey protested, never looking up from filing her nails. “You never call them that! What did they do?”

“It’s all Bobby’s fault,” Diana complained. “They said they got it from him. Larry and Terry keep thrusting frogs in my face and demanding that I kiss them, I mean the frogs, not the twins. They’re off on some crazy story about the Frog Prince.” She stopped sketching for a moment and her eyes narrowed. “Actually, they didn’t read the story until after they saw the movie. I guess I should’ve paid more attention, but I’m the only one here during the week unless it’s Trixie’s off week. I’ve taken them to the library, to the art museum, for tea at Crimpers, even out to Croton Point Beach. I’m out of ideas.”

“What about a hike at Killfish Point?” Honey suggested. “You could take a picnic and there are plenty of easy trails.”

“That’s a good idea,” Diana admitted. “It’s just so hot and humid right now, though. I was trying to think of ways to keep cool.”

“There’s no reason you can’t bring them to the lake,” Honey pointed out. “Just because I’m not here doesn’t mean you can’t swim.”

“I know, and I appreciate it. It’s just with them, it’s easier to take them to the country club. That way we can eat lunch there and it gives Harrison a bit of a break as well.”

“Hey, don’t forget about the dollar matinees on Wednesdays at the Cameo,” Trixie reminded her.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” Diana said drily. “That’s where they saw that silly movie about the frog prince.”

“Did you happen to take Bobby with you to see that one?” Trixie pretended to study the chipped nail polish on her toes, anxious to hear the answer.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. He might have gone with us for that one.” Di frowned as she tried to remember. “He did tell them about the book though, at least I’m pretty sure that’s how they found out there was a book.”

“If you’ve got swimming at the country club, an afternoon movie, a picnic at Killfish Point, and then the library, you should have a full week of activities,” Honey pointed out. “I’ll be here on the weekend and then Trixie will be available the next week.”

“I know, it won’t be long, I’m just feeling … restless, I guess. And I’m sick to death of frogs.” She shuddered as she recalled one particularly hideous large bullfrog that Larry had thrust in her face. All four of her younger siblings had laughed when she shrieked at them to get the beast away from her.

“Maybe you should start sketching them.” Trixie gestured toward to pad in front of Diana. “If your brothers think that you actually want to see the frogs, maybe they’ll leave you alone. That’s how it’s always been with Bobby. He just wanted to get to me; he didn’t really care about what he was doing.”

Diana snorted. “Right, I can see my senior project now – Frogs by Diana. All my fellow art students will be calling me Frog-girl.” She gave a small shudder. “I’m not sure that will work, Trix.”

“Isn’t there a well-known sculptor who does frogs?” Honey asked. “I think I remember seeing some of his bronzes at a museum.”

“Yes, they call him Frogman,” Diana told her. “He is rather well respected,” she said grudgingly. “But still, frogs …” she shook her head slowly. “I just don’t know.”

“Maybe you should ask Jim Henson how he feels about frogs.” Trixie nibbled her bottom lip and looked up at the sky, her face a mask of innocence. “I’d say Kermit was pretty good to him and his career.”

“I can’t ask him.” Diana rolled over and shot her friend an icy look. “He’s dead. Besides, that’s one famous frog.”

“Trixie may be on to something,” Honey employed her well-known tact. “There are some rather famous frogs. Mark Twain had a book about one that we read in high school, and then there’s that video game the guys were crazy about, Frogger. You could do an entire portfolio on frogs, it could be serious or comedic, whatever you wanted.”

“Celia told me that when she picked out her tattoo that frogs were really popular.” Trixie had contemplated a tattoo, but had never been able to decide on a design that spoke to her. “You never did design me a tattoo; maybe you could design me a frog.”

Diana rolled her eyes. “You seriously want to be permanently marked for life with a stupid frog on your ass?”

“Well, I never said I was getting it on my ass,” Trixie joked. “It could look pretty cool on my ankle; it brings a sort of hop-to-it imagery to the tattoo.”

Honey couldn’t stop her giggle, and looked apologetically at Diana. “Sorry, Di. But if you wanted, you could design a pretty awesome frog for Trixie’s ankle.”

Diana glared. “If you want a frog tattoo, I’ll give you a frog tattoo.” She sat up then, and adjusting her position so her back was now against the headboard of Honey’s bed, she began to sketch furiously in her book. “I really need my colored pencils to do it justice,” she muttered.

“You don’t have to do this, Diana.” Trixie chewed her lip and looked anxiously at Honey. “I was just teasing. I’m not sure I can afford a tattoo right now, besides maybe we should all just get Bobwhites or something.”

“I’m not getting a tattoo,” Honey answered, her voice sharper than intended. She took a deep breath. “Don’t want one, don’t need one. They …” she shuddered as she thought of it. “They say that they hurt.”

“Celia is a wimp,” Trixie muttered. “Dan said they were completely painless.”

“Dan was drunk!” Honey retorted.

“No, he wasn’t,” Diana replied. “And he’s right. They’re completely painless.”

“Oh, how do you know?” Trixie teased.

Diana stopped sketching and she looked up, a guilty look on her face.

Trixie’s hand flew to her mouth and she looked at Honey, who by her expression of shock had arrived at the same conclusion.

“You have a tattoo!” Honey pointed her finger at Diana.

“What? Why do you think I have a tattoo?” Diana retorted, tossing her hair.

“Because you just now did not deny that fact,” Trixie replied. “Since we haven’t seen it, and we’ve seen you in your bikini, that means …”

“It’s on her butt!” Honey squealed. The two girls made a dive for Diana. They were determined to uncover the tattoo.

“Nooo!” Diana squealed as the sketch pad went flying. But she was no match for the two girls working together. Once they had her pinned she realized cooperation was in her best interest.

“Okay, okay!” she said out of breath from the exertion of wrestling with the girls. “I’ll show it to you, but no judging!”

Honey and Trixie nodded and released her and she removed her top. “Where exactly is this tattoo?” Trixie asked, resting back on her knees.

“It’s under my left breast,” Diana said. She pulled her bra out of the way, and lifted the breast to reveal the image to them.

They both leaned forward in an almost synchronized move, squinting their eyes. “It sure is small,” Trixie said.

“It’s purple,” Honey remarked. “I didn’t even know they did purple tattoos.”

“Of course it’s purple,” Diana sniffed. “Did you think it would be black? It’s not my color.”

“It looks like an intricate infinity symbol,” Trixie finally said. “With lots of curls and stuff.” She looked up at her friend curiously. “Did you design it?”

“Yes, I did,” she said, pulling her bra down. “And I designed Dan’s as well, so if you don’t like it, then …” She shrugged and gave them an anxious look. “If you don’t like them, then I beg you to please just lie to me.”

“I like it just fine,” Trixie said. “It’s nice and discreet and … I have to wonder one thing, though,” she tilted her head to one side.

“What?” Diana asked.

“Has Dan seen it?”

Diana threw the pillow at her friend. “Of course he has you big dolt! We got them together.”

Honey giggled. “Yes, but has he seen it since you got them?”

Diana sniffed. “As a matter of fact, he has. In fact, he’s quite drawn to it at certain times.”

Honey giggled. “Now that sounds interesting, but I’m still not convinced I could ever get one. They’re just so … permanent.” She shrugged. “Are you still going to do it, Trix?”

She turned to look at her friend who was staring at Diana’s sketch pad. “Trixie? Trixie? What is it? Do you like the frog Diana designed?”

Trixie shook her head. She held the pad out to Honey and said. “Who does that look like?”

Diana had drawn a pair of frogs sitting on a lily pad. One was obviously Trixie as a frog. It had her features and a familiar expression of curiosity on her face. But the other frog, that was the one that had attracted her scrutiny.

“Oh! How cute!” Honey exclaimed recognizing Trixie instantly. “It’s a frog caricature of you and …” she stopped and frowned. She looked at Trixie and then at Diana. “Who did you model the second frog after, Diana?”

She shuddered. “The least hideous of those frogs the boys kept trying to get me to kiss. That one was kind of cute, and he had the cutest expression on his face.”

“Did you ever kiss it?” Trixie asked.

“No!” she answered emphatically. “Like I explained to the boys, I already have my handsome prince. Why would I want to kiss a frog?” She looked back and forth between the two girls. “What is it? There’s something about the frog you’re not telling me.”

“You drew Jim Frayne’s face on the other frog,” Honey told her. “It looks just like him. Are you sure you weren’t just channeling him because of the date and everything?”

Diana shook her head. “Honey, I’ve never seen Jim Frayne. Not even a picture. I wasn’t hanging around with you guys that summer, remember? I was gone to camp and I didn’t even meet you until like the second week of school. Then it was October before we really started talking and you invited me over.”

“It’s just a coincidence ,then.” Honey shook her head, still amazed at the likeness that Diana had captured. “I was hoping you’d seen that guy somewhere.”

“No, just a frog,” Diana replied. The groan from Trixie got her attention. “What is it?”

“Would you think I was completely crazy if I told you that I kissed a frog?”

“We already think you’re mostly crazy,” Honey pointed out. “It would take more than frog kissing to push you over the edge. Why?”

“Because I did,” she admitted. “I’m pretty sure that it was that same frog, the one Diana drew.”

“Are you saying that you think Jim Frayne is a frog?” Honey said, straightening up. “Because if you are, then yeah, I think you’re completely crazy.”

Trixie flopped back on the bed. “Yeah, I think I am.”

A knock on the door prevented further discussion about kissing frogs. It was Honey’s mother. “Are you girls ready? I thought we agreed that tonight the ladies would be a little less casual than we’ve become accustomed this summer?”

“Oh! Is it time?” Honey looked at the clock and saw that they still had a little time. “Don’t worry, Mother. We’re getting ready now.”

 

 

The three girls traipsed down the stairs at Manor House right on time. Cheerfully garbed in cool, cotton sundresses, and sandals, they continued to chatter about everything in the world except the frog that looked like Jim Frayne.

The arrived in the front hallway right as the large grandfather clock began to whirr and wheeze seven loud gongs.

“Right on time,” Honey smiled. “Now, where is everyone? We can’t be the last ones to arrive.”

The girls were not surprised to find everyone assembling in the library. It was Trixie’s favorite room in the house, and she knew Honey’s father felt the same way. Collections of books lined the walls, their colors ranging from the muted tones of older volumes to the brightly colored dust jackets of current best sellers. The atmosphere was eclectic and comfortable, and Trixie took a deep breath, inhaling the scent that was a mixture of toasted bread and beeswax that Cecilia used when she dusted. It even smelled comfortable, cozy and calm. If space became an issue, it was easy for people to spill over into the larger, more formal living room. The living room was beautiful and perfectly appointed with elegant furniture, classic paintings, and deep carpets, but the library was a more intimate space.

They had no sooner walked into the library, when Matthew Wheeler and George Rainsford appeared. It soon became obvious they were discussing the missing heir, Jim Frayne.

Trixie listened carefully, trying not to be obvious, but it ceased to matter when George turned to her and asked a question.

“You girls didn’t happen to find anything up at Ten Acres the other day, did you?”

“No, sir,” Trixie shook her head. “The well still works, but it looks like you had it winterized for cold weather.”

“Yes, I did,” he admitted, his brow knit as he recalled the well. “You weren’t thinking …”

“No sir, the well isn’t big enough for anything like that.”

“I see. Well, I guess all we can do at this point, Matthew, is to argue that Mrs. Vorwald should receive Jim’s property and trust fund. It’s not like Jones has any real claim to his estate.”

“Do you think it will work?” Trixie couldn’t help but ask.

“No, to be honest I don’t,” George replied. “Unless I’m mistaken, Matthew agrees with me.” He turned to give a questioning look to his friend.

Matthew poured a glass of scotch and offered it to his friend, while taking a second one for himself. He took a sip before answering.

“I agree with you, George. You should be able to argue that the bulk of the estate and the trust fund should go to Julianna. There’s clearly enough money in the estate that the judge will award Jones something, a few million, unless I’ve misread the situation.”

“A few million!” Trixie gasped. “How much … I mean …” She stopped as she realized the size of Jim’s estate was none of her business. She’d had no idea he would be worth so much money.

Matthew smiled into his scotch. “It’s a matter of public record, Trixie, so don’t worry. A few million will represent about ten percent of Jim’s net worth once George liquidates the estate. It was about half that size seven years ago. A good money manager should produce results that have assets doubling every seven years. George is no fool about money; he’s managed Jim’s properties and trust very well.”

“You mean Jim’s a millionaire?” Diana asked surprised. Even after learning how much Trixie’s ring was worth, she’d never expected to hear that.

“I guess for a multi-millionaire it would be worth kissing a frog or two,” she murmured to Trixie, giving her an elbow in the side in jest.

“What do you mean by that, Diana?” Grace Wheeler asked as she sipped her glass of white wine.

“It’s just our younger brothers, Mrs. Wheeler,” Trixie told her. “They’ve been hunting frogs this summer and asking Diana and me to kiss them. They’ve apparently seen The Frog Prince at the Cameo one too many times. They have the distinct impression that Sleepyside is harboring an enchanted toad.”

“Toads and frogs are completely different species.” Mart and Dan had entered the study to catch the last of Trixie’s comment. “You should have learned that in elementary school.”

Honey frowned. It was normally fine for the two almost-twins to tease each other, but she didn’t like that is was in front of George Rainsford. He may have been an old friend, but he was still a guest at her mother’s dinner party.

Trixie opened her mouth to protest, but noticed Honey’s expression before she spoke. “Yes, of course you’re right, Mart. They are completely different.”

“I’m not sure I’d want either in my house,” Grace Wheeler shuddered. “But they do eat spiders, so they have that going for them.”

Grace detested spiders. Her feelings of revulsion were so strong that she didn’t even care for the local police detective, Spider Webster, simply because of his nickname.

“All sort of insects, dear.” Matthew drained the last of his scotch. “Are we ready to eat, then? And do I take it that frog logs are not on the menu?”

Grace smiled. “Not tonight, we’re having George’s favorite – French bistro style steak with asparagus and watermelon salad.” She paused for only a beat. “Fresh peach ice cream for dessert as well.”

Trixie clapped her hands as the squeamish feeling she had at the mention of frog legs diminished. “It sounds like one of my favorites too, Mrs. Wheeler.”

“I think cook mentioned that, Trixie.” The three adults and Trixie moved ahead of the group.

Honey tugged Mart’s arm and spoke softly. “You notice she didn’t mention the quinoa. She doesn’t want Daddy to know that’s what it is.”

“There’s nothing wrong with quinoa,” he replied, eager to get to the dining room.

“Relax,” she said. “There are place cards, but you don’t need to tease your sister tonight. She’s … fragile.”

Mart snorted as Dan stopped right in front of them and spoke. “Trixie? Fragile? Are you kidding?”

Honey and Di both nodded. “Bobby has her fixated on frogs right now and the situation with Jim has her upset.”

“She’s had seven years to come to terms with this,” Mart pointed out. “Why is she so upset?”

“She feels like she failed!” Diana hissed. “Now you two keep things light tonight, no teasing! And whatever else you do, do not mention frogs again!”

 

 

“If everyone agrees, I think we might have dessert on the veranda tonight,” Grace suggested. “The temperature seems to be cooperating now that the sun is setting.”

The group agreed. Large fans placed strategically around the ceiling of the veranda would keep things cool, and deter the flies, and mosquitoes. There was comfortable seating and no one was in any real hurry for the evening to end. Mr. Rainsford had entertained them greatly at dinner with tales of his courtroom exploits over the years.

“I asked Celia to call and invite your brother up for some ice cream, dear.” Grace told Trixie. “I know how much he adores ice cream.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Mrs. Wheeler,” Trixie replied automatically. “Hopefully, he won’t appear with too many layers of dirt on him.”

Honey’s mother laughed and reminded Trixie that they were eating outside so it hardly mattered.

Trixie nodded, suppressing a sigh. It didn’t seem as if anything would matter much after Monday.

Bobby showed up with a freshly scrubbed face and clean shirt that Trixie suspected had more to do with her mother’s intervention, than with his own good manners. Not that she had been much better when she was his age. But it was his escort that was the real surprise.

“Brian!” Trixie greeted her oldest brother with delight. They’d only seen him for a few hours on the fourth, so it was a welcomed treat for his friends to see him again, a few days later.

“Celia assured me that there was plenty of peach ice cream,” he greeted his hosts. “If you’re sure it’s not an imposition.”

“Oh pish, posh!” Grace fluttered her hand. “You know it’s not an imposition at all. We had hoped you’d be able to make dinner.”

“I appreciated the invitation, Mrs. Wheeler, but since my shift didn’t end until six, I knew it was too close to time for dinner. But it’s nice to make it in time for dessert.”

Bowls of the delicious fruity frozen treat were passed around to everyone. George in particular was interested to hear how the young people were doing in school and in their jobs. They were just finishing the last remains of the ice cream when a strange noise caused all eyes to turn to Bobby.

“Uh, sorry,” he muttered, hastily placing his cup and spoon on the empty tray. “I think that was Kingsley.”

“Bobby!” Trixie admonished. “You didn’t bring him, did you?”

“Him?”

“Who is Kingsley?” Brian asked.

The noise sounded again only this time is was the unmistakable throaty trill of a frog.

“Oh!” Grace Wheeler took a step back and Diana edged away as well.

“I had to bring him, Trix, honest I did! He insisted he needed to be here.”

“He insisted?” Brian leaned forward curiously, while Trixie just sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Kingsley is special,” Bobby informed his brother. “He talks to me and stuff and he wanted to come.”

“The frog talks to you, buddy?” Dan asked, his tone friendly. Unlike Trixie and Mart, Bobby’s antics didn’t bother him in the least. He was good friends with the youngest Belden and found him smart and interesting.

Bobby nodded. “He really likes Trixie. He wants her to kiss him again.”

Trixie groaned and put her face in her hands, feeling the heat rising.

“Again?” Mart straightened in his chair. “You mean she’s already kissed this frog before?”

“Um …” Bobby realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have, and hesitated before he replied. “Maybe,” he finally said.

“Trixie kissed a frog?” Mart hooted, stopping abruptly when Honey elbowed him in the side.

“Knock it off,” she hissed under her breath.

“Please, Trixie?” Bobby’s wide blue eyes were impossible to resist.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” she grumbled, giving her older brother an evil look. “Yes, I kissed the frog. I lost a bet with Bobby on the fourth of July. It hardly matters, does it? I mean, Honey kisses you and that has to be far worse than kissing a frog!”

Brian burst out laughing as Mart opened his mouth to protest but a hard kick to his ankle stopped him abruptly and he cast his eyes at his girlfriend. “You’re not letting me have any fun,” he said under his breath.

“Bobby, why don’t you take the frog down to the lake?” Dan suggested. “I don’t think Mrs. Wheeler needs another frog in her garden up here.”

“Okay, if you’re sure, Trixie?”

There was something in his voice that pricked at her, and the vague memory of a frog’s croak that had sounded like her name.

“Just hand me the frog, Bobby,” she said, holding out her hands. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this.”

All eyes on the verandah stared in disbelief as Bobby’s expression brightened. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the frog he’d named Kingsley. “Thanks, Trixie,” he said as he handed her the frog. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

Right there, in front of her brothers, her best friends, the Wheelers and George Rainsford, she brought the frog up in front of her face. “I’m never going to live this down,” she told the frog. “But here goes nothing.”

She brought the frog to her lips, and for the third time, kissed it right on the top of its head.

A loud crack sounded as if a boulder had been rent into pieces and a bright and blinding light surrounded Trixie and the frog. The witnesses to the kiss threw up their hands to shield their eyes, and when the light dispersed they all blinked to see Trixie kissing a very tall, handsome, and naked redheaded young man. Her arms were linked around his shoulders and his hands were at her waist.

“What in the …”

“Who in the hell …”

“It worked! It worked!” Bobby jumped up and down, clapping his hands. “I told you it would work.” He twisted ecstatically and pointed his finger at Mart. “I told you it would work. Kingsley said it would work.”

“It’s Jim!” Honey whispered in disbelief. “It can’t be, but it is. It’s Jim.”

Honey’s words seemed to register with the couple and they broke the kiss, exchanging foolish looks before the young man spoke.

“Hi, Trixie,” he said softly

George Rainsford was the first to come to his senses. He stepped forward and touched the young man on the shoulder. “Jim?”

“Excuse me, young man.” This time it was Matthew Wheeler who stepped forward. “I think before we do anything else, we had best get you some clothes.” He looked around at his guests. “If you’ll excuse us for a moment, we’ll be right back.” He took a few steps toward the door, his hand on Jim’s shoulder guiding him, when he stopped and turned. “Brian, if you don’t mind coming with us, I’d appreciate it.”

Brian stood to follow them.

Trixie flushed. She, Honey and Diana averted their eyes, as Matthew Wheeler ushered the young man from the verandah and into the house. No one spoke, not a single word, until the two men returned. It was obvious that Matthew had provided him with some of his own casual clothes. They hung from his frame, emphasizing his leanness.

Matthew glanced at each of his guests in turn, before settling his gaze on George Rainsford. “George,” he said, “This young man tells me he is indeed Jim Frayne, the missing heir. He has quite a story to share. If everyone will take a seat.” He waved his hand around and they all complied.

Jim asked for water and it was quickly provided. He drank deeply, then sat the empty glass down, and cleared his throat.

“Thanks,” He grinned. “I had a bit of a frog in my throat.”

Mart and Dan both groaned. Brian just grinned. It had only taken him a few minutes to realize why Honey and Trixie had been drawn to Jim Frayne seven years ago.

“Too soon, I guess.” Jim grinned, his green eyes twinkled at Trixie. “It all started the morning after the mansion burned. I’d found the money in the mattress and returned to the summerhouse to leave a note for Trixie and Honey. I knew they’d find it there, but I needed to get out of town. I had a feeling Jonesy would be back. He wasn’t going to give up completely if he thought he might get some money out of it.”

“But your note said he thought you were dead,” Honey reminded him.

“I wrote that, but I also knew he wasn’t going to leave anything to chance,” Jim replied. “I didn’t want you girls to worry about me. It turns out that I was right; I hadn’t even gotten off the property when he showed up. He took all the money off me right there, and I would’ve happily let him have it if he’d let me go, but that wasn’t enough. He wanted the property and everything I might have coming to me. We … well, we clashed, and I hate to say it but he got the best of me. I was still tired from fighting the fire the night before, and he got the jump on me. I really didn’t think he’d resort to violence.”

“He hit you?” Trixie whispered.

Jim nodded. “We fought hard, but he got the advantage when he hit me over the head with a rock. That knocked me out, and as crazy as it sounds, when I woke up later, I was a frog.”

“Are you saying you think that Eugene Jones turned you into a frog?” Grace Wheeler asked. Her hand at her throat, she was complete astonished by the events that had occurred on her verandah.

“Ma’am, I really don’t know. All I know is that I was fighting him as if my life depended on it, because I really think at that point that it did, and the next thing I know – I’m a frog. It might have been Jonesy, it might have been some friend of his. Either way, the result was the same.”

“It took me some time to adjust to frog life—a few weeks anyway—and by that time, Bobby had returned home. I let him catch me a few times; it was an easy way to keep up with Trixie and Honey. I tried to communicate with Bobby, but I didn’t get through to him at all until after that idiot crook tried to get the diamond from him. Somehow, he understood that I might be a frog but there was also something more. He considered me his friend.”

“You are my friend,” Bobby pointed out. “Even when you were still a frog.”

“You were the frog that jumped on Dick the Dip?” Brian asked.

“Yes, that was me. There was no way I was going to let that jerk hurt Bobby, I knew Mart and Regan were behind him, and just needed a distraction. I became the distraction.”

“I told you, Trixie.” Bobby said indignantly. “I told you he could talk to me.”

“You could talk to Bobby then?” Trixie asked.

“Not very well,” he admitted. “I was still learning. It got better about a year later and it wasn’t consistent. But after that incident, Bobby named me Kingsley because he said I was the Frog King.”

“You could get the other frogs and animals to do what you said,” Bobby replied. “Reddy always listened to you.”

“You told Reddy to sit that day in the kitchen!” Mart pointed a finger. “It was you, not Trixie.”

“It was me,” he admitted. “For a long time my communication skills were rough. I kept up with everything that was going on, but it was difficult. Winter was hard. Frogs normally hibernate during winter. If I’d hibernated, then I would’ve missed much of what went on around here. I still missed a lot. You guys went on a lot of trips!” He looked at Matthew Wheeler. “You are very generous, sir.”

Matthew acknowledged the compliment with a nod.

“Since I could communicate with other animals, I put the word out to all of them. They’d all have my protection and Bobby’s if they could tell me how to stop being a frog and become a human again. It took some time, but finally a mouse was brave enough to come to me and explain about the spell that was used to turn me into a frog. It was so powerful it would take three kisses from my true love to return me to my human state.”

Trixie pinked slightly. Now her friends knew that she’d kissed a frog not once but three times.

“Somehow Bobby convinced Trixie to kiss me that first night, but I couldn’t come up with anything. I thought for sure she’d be able to understand me, but she didn’t. All that came out was a croak.”

“It was a nice croak,” Trixie offered with a smile.

“Thanks, it was a nice kiss.” Jim’s green eyes twinkled. “I’m not sure how he managed to convince her to try again, because by this time I wasn’t at all sure Bobby believed me.”

“Sure I did,” Bobby spoke up. “But it’s like Trixie told me. You can’t go around telling people that frogs can talk to you. Sooner or later they’re going to think you’re crazy and send you off to, well, wherever it is they send people who think frogs can talk.”

“He persisted and she kissed me again. That time I think she almost understood me, my croak sounded a lot like Trixie to me, but it still wasn’t enough for her to recognize me.”

Trixie bit her lip. “It did sound that way, but you didn’t or couldn’t say it again, so I decided it was what I wanted to hear, not what you actually said.”

“And then today, well, you were all here for most of it,” Jim offered. “Something made her try one more time and …” he stopped and shrugged. “Here I am.”

“What did you eat all that time?” Mart asked.

“The same things as the other frogs,” he answered. “Insects, spiders, flies, that kind of thing. When I first realized I was a frog, it wasn’t easy. But then when I found other frogs, they showed me what to do.

“I always tried to stay around and awake until after Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t easy. There are several frog species in this area, everything from wood frogs to leopard frogs to bullfrogs. I wasn’t really any of those, but I’d try to follow the wood frogs because they were better able to keep up with you in the woods. Unfortunately, they don’t really hibernate like some of the others, so winter was hard. But I was lucky, by late spring every year Bobby usually found me again.”

“Jim, I have to be honest. If I hadn’t been present and witnessed you turning from a frog to you, I’d never believe this story,” Matthew Wheeler told him.

“Matthew makes a valid point,” George Rainsford spoke up. “There is no way we can produce you in court and offer the explanation you’ve been a frog for the last seven years. They’ll send every one of us for psych evaluations.”

“But he has to show up in court!” Honey cried. “That’s what we all want. Even Juliana wants a cousin, not his money.”

“I heard about Juliana,” Jim said. “I caught a few glimpses of her when she was here, but I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Oh, you’re going to love her, Jim,” Trixie assured him clapping her hands together in glee. “She’s just delightful. She wants some family in the worst sort of way.”

“I’m sure I will,” he answered. “But Mr. Rainsford has a point. My story may be the truth, but will anyone believe I was really a frog for the last seven years?”

“So what do we do, George?” Matthew asked.

“Why should we do anything?” Trixie leaned forward her eyes bright. Her friends recognized the expression. She had an idea.

“Why can’t Jim just show up? You can produce DNA, fingerprints, all those kinds of things, right? You can prove that Jim is Jim, right?”

“Absolutely,” George replied. “We may have to put a rush on things if we want it ready in time, but we can prove it.”

“Then don’t offer a story,” Trixie said with a smile. “Let Jonesy explain where Jim has been.”

The two men exchanged a look. “You know, Trixie,” Matthew grinned. “That just might work.”