You'll Head Straight out of Town

And you may not find any
You'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
You'll head straight out of town.

 

There were only a few people at the private air terminal in White Plains. Jim and Trixie listened as Bob Murphy explained the available options to them. The problem was inevitable. A flight plan to Vegas would not permit them to leave the airport for several hours.

“Did Dad explain why we were going to Las Vegas?” Jim asked the long-time Wheeler International pilot.

Bob nodded. “Yes, I really hate it for the two of you. If you want to wait around in the lounge, I’ll update you every twenty minutes. This is very unusual, you know. Las Vegas only gets snow… maybe once every five years or so. When it happens, they don’t cope very well at the airport.”

“Jim, does it have to be Las Vegas?” Trixie asked.

“What do you mean?”

“There are other places we could go, you know, to elope?” She squirmed. It seemed strange to be having this discussion in front of Bob.

“You could go to Vermont,” the pilot suggested.

“Vermont?” Trixie and Jim exclaimed together.

“Sure, couples elope there all the time. They have very liberal marriage laws. Hang on, I’ll get you some phone numbers. Or, you can come with me to the lounge and we’ll check out locations on the computer there.”

Thirty minutes, seven phone calls, and a dozen Google queries later, they found the perfect location. “Yes, ma’am, are you sure you have room?” Jim asked politely. Trixie was on pins and needles as she listened to Jim’s side of the conversation. “Well... yes today if possible but tomorrow if we can’t get there in time. Five o’clock? I see. We’ll do our best. Thank you.”

“Well?” she asked eagerly as he hung up the phone. “It looks like we’ve got the place to ourselves,” he told her. “I’m not sure why they aren’t full up but they can handle us -- a wedding, cake, honeymoon suite, the works.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope, if we can get there in time and get a license, we can get married tonight,” he answered.

“Where exactly are you going?” Bob asked.

“It’s an old historic home in Newport, Rhode Island. I’m guessing they don’t get as much business in the winter because people don’t think of the beach then. But it’s a beautiful place and they offer elopement packages. It’s called The Mansion at Cliff Walk.”

“Newport is the closest airport. Let me file a flight plan, it’s only a twenty to thirty minute flight. You may make it in time after all.”

 

 

“Dad! Are you hearing what I’m saying?” Mart couldn’t believe his dad was so calm. “Trixie is eloping with Jim.”

“Yes, I hear you, Mart. Apparently, you think everyone in the bank needs to hear you. Calm down, son. If this is what Trixie wants, then we need to respect it,” Peter Belden replied mildly. “You and Diana chose the kind of wedding you wanted.”

“Diana and I didn’t elope,” Mart said through clenched teeth.

“Hey, Dad!” Brian spoke from the door of his father’s office.

Peter sighed and leaned back in the heavy leather chair. “What brings you by the bank this evening, Brian?”

Brian shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. In the warm, dark blue, corduroy shirt Honey had given him for Christmas and his comfortable hiking boots he looked more relaxed than he had for some time. “Just finishing up some errands. I had the day off and thought I’d see if you wanted to grab some coffee at Wimpy’s,” he replied cheerfully. “I wasn’t expecting Mart to be here, but he’s welcome to come too.”

“Wimpy’s is exactly where I’ve been trying to talk him into going for the last ten minutes,” Mart snapped. “He keeps telling me to butt out of it.”

Brian’s dark eyebrows rose at his brother’s tone. “Is there a problem with eating at Wimpy’s?” he asked mildly.

“No, of course not,” Peter answered. “I’ll be happy to have coffee with you, Brian. How about we try Dino’s Diner for a change?”

Brian wrinkled his nose. “Dad, that place is a dive. What’s wrong with Wimpy’s? Oh! Is it your cholesterol? What did the doctor say about your LDL? Have you had any heart problems? You haven’t been having chest pains, have you? I’ve been telling Moms she needs to try more heart healthy recipes; I hope she looks at that cookbook I gave her for Christmas.”

Peter Belden held his head in his hands for a moment, wondering how on earth he managed to get himself in this situation. He sighed before looking up again at his concerned oldest son. “Brian, I do not have high cholesterol. Although after listening to Mart for the last ten minutes, I suspect my blood pressure may be on the rise. Mart wants me to go over to Wimpy’s and demand that Mike, Dan, and Captain Molinson tell me what they know about Trixie’s plans to elope with Jim.”

“What?” Brian yelped.

“You heard me correctly, Brian,” Peter was weary of the topic, and of his sons’ responses.

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s go find out. There’s no way they can resist all three of us. Besides, I have a few medical tricks up my sleeve.” Brian’s eyes narrowed as he speculated on what forms of medical torture he might employ to force the truth from the three men.

“We don’t need to go find out, son. Trixie told me all of her plans earlier this afternoon, right before she left with Jim.” Peter glanced at his watch. “They should be on a plane to Las Vegas by now.”

 

 

“It’s almost a shame we had Bob fly us here,” Trixie commented as Jim loaded luggage into the sporty rental car. “I’ll bet this is less than a four hour drive from Sleepyside.”

“Probably closer to three hours,” Jim agreed. “Should we check in first and get directions to the courthouse?”

“I don’t know.” Trixie chewed her lip and glanced at her watch. It was already five o’clock. “Do you think the clerk’s office will still be open?”

Jim groaned. “It’ll be close. I think she said if we could get to the courthouse by five-thirty, they’d be open. That was the only drawback, no twenty-four hour license service in Rhode Island.” He shook his head, incredulous at his lack of foresight. “Do you realize that we could have left Wimpy’s, obtained a license, and been married tomorrow afternoon – without leaving Sleepyside?”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Trixie protested. “Besides, our friends would have organized and bossed us to the ends of the earth and back. This way we get what we want. Do you think we should call and let our dads know about the change of plans?”

“Bob promised me he’d call Dad and let him know as soon as he landed back in White Plains. He’ll pass on the message to Peter.”

“Since when do you call my dad, ‘Peter’?” Trixie asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Since he told me I had his blessing to marry his daughter,” Jim replied easily. “The week before Thanksgiving to be exact.”

“Jim! Tell me you didn’t! You asked my dad for permission, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes.” He glanced across at her as he maneuvered the nifty sports car through a tight turn. It was easy to grab her hand in the enclosed space. “It was important to me that he approve. If my mom had a father or a brother to watch out for her, she might not have ended up married to someone like Jonesy.”

“Jim…” Trixie stopped, biting her lip.

“What? What’s wrong?” He gave the sturdy fingers another small squeeze, and a secret thrill went through him when he felt her engagement ring.

“There’s no way I would ever marry someone like Jonesy.” Her voice was soft and broken.

Jim was taken aback. He suspected at that particular moment, that Trixie had little use for his mother. “No, you would never marry someone like him. My mom wasn’t strong like you.”

“You’re a strong person as well.” Trixie’s voice was small.

Jim deliberately changed the subject. “Now, if we could just get married tonight we could start practicing for being parents ourselves!”

“Looks like you better head for the inn.” Trixie grinned at him when he pulled up to an empty courthouse parking lot. “You’re not going to get a license to start practicing for any kids until tomorrow.”

 

 

Matthew Wheeler picked up the ringing phone absently as he worked in his comfortable study. He listened carefully to the caller, and then spoke only a few words before hanging up the telephone. After checking his watch, he called Crabapple Farm.

“Good evening, Helen. Is Peter home from the bank?” he asked cordially.

“Certainly, Matthew. Let me get him for you.”

Matthew grinned, waiting for his neighbor to pick up the phone.

“Hello, Matt.”

“You’ll never guess where our wayward kids ended up.” He got right to the point, not bothering with pleasantries.

“I believe Trixie said they had a reservation for the Bellagio,” Peter looked around his study. He was suddenly grateful he had taken the call there, far from the ears of his oldest two children and their spouses.

“They’re at an inn in Rhode Island.” Matthew grinned. “There was a problem with some snow in the Rockies. Since Vegas wasn’t possible, they found someplace else. They had Bob Murphy call and let me know.”

“It’s good to know they arrived safely.”

“Yes, but they won’t be getting married until tomorrow,” Matthew said. “Bob said they didn’t get there in time to get a license today. The clerk’s offices aren’t open twenty-four hours in Newport, like they are in Vegas.”

“Sounds like a quaint place,” Peter remarked. “Did Bob say if they needed anything?”

“No, he seemed pretty chipper, said it had been a pleasure flying them there.”

“Okay, thanks for letting me know. Oh, and Matt?”

“Yes?”

“I think it might be a good idea if we didn’t let anyone else know exactly how close they really are,” Peter suggested.

“Absolutely!” Matthew agreed.

Matthew hung up the phone and wondered if Helen were giving Peter some of the same grief he had received from his own wife.

“Grace, what are you up too?”

“Oh, Matthew. I was just thinking about doing a little shopping today.” Grace said brightly. “How difficult is it to charter a plane?”

“You need a plane to go shopping?” He was instantly suspicious.

“Well, yes. I thought I might fly to one of the other Neiman Marcus locations and check out their post-Christmas sales. The New York location is so over-shopped,” Grace replied, grasping for straws, and failing to hide the look of guilt on her face.

“Which location?” he probed.

“Maybe Houston or Scottsdale,” she said weakly.

“Maybe Las Vegas!” he thundered.

“Now, Matt… I was just thinking if we just showed up, we really wouldn’t be in the way. It would still be an elopement,” Grace pleaded.

“Grace, you promised if I told you that wouldn’t interfere.” Matthew was stern.

“It’s not interfering if we just show up. Interfering means we’re trying to make them change their plans – that’s not what we want at all, we just want to be innocent bystanders. Even Las Vegas weddings need witnesses.”

“Madeleine Grace Hart Wheeler,” Matthew roared. “You are not using my company plane to abscond on some wild adventure to Las Vegas to chase after your son. I forbid it!”

Grace drew up her shoulders and lifted her chin in a regal manner. “You will not take that tone with me, Matthew. It’s my company as well as yours. I own the same amount of stock as you do. Just because I’ve always gone along with your wishes for the board and the voting, doesn’t mean I have to agree with you on everything. If I want to use our company plane, then I’ll do so. If it’s not available, then I’ll just charter a plane to take me to Las Vegas.”

Matthew was stunned. Grace had never spoken to him that way before.

 

 

Jim and Trixie exchanged looks of relief as the desk clerk easily fulfilled their inquiry about separate rooms. Apparently, the inn wasn’t crowded and could accommodate a last-minute reservation for an elopement package. They were checked in and unpacked in time for a delicious supper, served in the inn’s elegant dining room.

“Hello, I’m Mary Chandler. Welcome to the Mansion House. I’m the proprietor, concierge and chief bottle washer.” The tall, thin gray-haired woman introduced herself as they were drinking coffee.

Once she agreed to join them they began to pepper her with questions about what to expect. They jumped at her offer of a quick tour of the inn.

“The town clerk’s office will open at nine,” she informed them as she showed them the Governor’s Room. She stood quietly as they gazed at the elegant room, lined with glass windows along the end. “Of course, you’ve missed the best, since its dark already. But tomorrow, at sunset, it will be spectacular!” she promised.

Trixie and Jim admired the beautifully appointed room. “This looks as if it’s already set up for a wedding,” Trixie offered.

“Yes, that is pretty much our specialty at the Mansion House,” Mary admitted. “We had an anniversary party scheduled this weekend that had to be cancelled. They had booked the entire inn. That’s why we were able to accommodate you. It really helps to ease my mind because at least we’ll be able to refund them a portion of their money.”

“What happened?” Trixie asked.

“A couple celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary had to cancel. The husband had a heart attack yesterday,” Mary explained. “They were married here on New Year’s Eve, fifty years ago. I know they could little afford to lose their deposit money, but so close to the event, all the food has been purchased and it’s too late for the staff to get other jobs. The good news is, he’s expected to make a full recovery, and they’d like to reschedule for Valentine’s weekend. However, they will have to come up with the entire amount again, and they’re not sure if it will be possible.”

“I guess they were bringing their family with them?” Jim commented as the tour continued.

“Yes, they had booked every room. We can easily handle up to twenty additional guests besides the happy couple. I hope it works out for them. They were such a sweet couple, just a pleasure to work with.” She blinked, focusing again on the young couple in front of her. “Sorry, I just wish we made the kind of profit that would allow us to overlook their cancellation fees. We won’t make any money on it, of course; we’re just looking to break even.”

Trixie spoke first. “Did you say twenty additional people?”

 

 

“Diana, are we superfluous?” Mart was slumped on the sofa in their apartment, mindlessly clicking through the channels on their television.

“What do you mean?” She gave him a puzzled look, not following his thinking.

“You and me. We’re not detectives like Honey and Trixie, but we’re no slouches either. We’ve had a few good ideas over the years, right?”

“Of course we have!” Diana sat up straight. “Why, if Trixie hadn’t messed up your plans that night when you confronted my fake uncle, you would have solved the case on your own.”

“Okay, so why didn’t we know they were going to elope? How come Dan knew?”

“Oh, sweetie!” Di put her head on Mart’s shoulder and rubbed his chest comfortingly. “Dan didn’t figure it out. Jim more or less told him, probably because he appreciated Dan being blunt with him. Besides, if it had been you instead of Dan, you wouldn’t have encouraged Jim to elope. You might not even have encouraged him to ask Trixie to get married. Have you thought about what you would have told him to do, if he asked you for advice?”

Di’s question was met with silence. “Mart? Have you thought about it that way?”

“Mart?”

“Diana! Look!” Mart sat up eagerly, not noticing his abrupt displacement of his wife from her comfortable position on his shoulder.

“What is it?” She stared at the television. “It’s just the weather channel. Are they calling for more snow?”

“Not here, but look – Las Vegas is paralyzed by a snow storm!”

“So, Jim and Trixie are used to snow, they’ll just – Oh!” She stopped, realizing what he was saying.

“There’s no way they are flying to Las Vegas!” Mart exclaimed.

“Where would they go instead?” Diana asked. “Atlantic City?”

“Not for a wedding,” Mart mused. “Okay, they didn’t head west. It’s probably too late for them to still get married today. Where would they go?”

“Why don’t you call Bob and ask him?” Diana said.

“He’ll never tell. Besides he may not even be back yet,” Mart protested.

Diana shook her head. “You haven’t hung out with Trixie nearly enough, sweetheart. Let me show you how it’s done. Hand me the Westchester County phone directory, please.”

Mart gave his wife a strange look, wondering what she was up to, as he moved to pull a hefty phone directory out of the end table drawer and hand it to her.

She flipped through it, locating the number and dialing. Taking a deep breath, she started her spiel. “Hello, this is Mrs. Belden. Yes, Mr. Wheeler’s daughter. Has the Wheeler International plane has departed yet? I see, and has Captain Murphy scheduled a return flight plan? Thank you. Let me make sure I’m clear on this. Captain Murphy remains available for flying this evening? Yes, there’s a possibility for another trip this evening. No, we’ll give him a call. Thank you.”

Di hung up the phone triumphantly. “Newport, Rhode Island.”

Mart’s jaw dropped. “You lied to them.”

Di shook her head, “Of course not, I am Mrs. Belden too! I never lied, she asked if Mrs. Belden was Matthew Wheeler’s daughter -- and she is. So what do we do now?”

Mart shook his head in amazement. “You’re scary, you know that? You learned all that from hanging around Honey and Trixie?”

Diana nodded and grinned. “I’ve done a few favors for them; sometimes they needed a different voice or a bit of acting. What do we do next?”

“We do what Trixie and Jim probably did. We hit the computer and look for wedding packages in Newport. You can drive to Newport in about four hours. How do you feel about a quick vacation?”

“Maybe a second honeymoon for us?” Di’s eyes brightened.

Mart grinned, “Absolutely. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it! Do you have plenty of blank SD Cards?"

“Yes, I think so. Why?”

“Don’t weddings usually need a photographer?”

 

 

In spite of the darkness and the cold weather, Jim and Trixie decided to take the seawall path down to the shoreline and explore. Bundling up in their coats, they made the trek.

“It’s a shame about the Harwell family,” Trixie remarked.

“Yeah, I’m glad we’re able to help them out a little by having our wedding here,” Jim answered.

“I just wish there was a way we could help them more,” Trixie said.

“Once a Bob-White, always a Bob-White,” Jim quipped, slipping an arm around his fiancée.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Trixie demanded.

“You know exactly what it means. I can see exactly what’s going on inside that head of yours. You’re wondering if we should call our family and invite them to our wedding. That will allow Mary to refund all of the Harwell’s money to them, so they can reschedule for Valentine’s weekend.”

“See!” she protested, tossing her head. “You don’t know me at all! I was going to call and invite them -- and surprise you.”

Jim grinned. “I was going to call and invite them and surprise you.”

“Do you really think we should?” Trixie grabbed his hand in excitement.

“We’ll need to check with Mary first, but why not? Like you said it’s only a three hour drive.” Jim grinned again, he couldn’t stop it. Trixie was such fun; it was one of the things he loved about her. “We may be the first couple in history to invite their family to crash their elopement.”

Trixie giggled. “So much for your secret ladder routine.”

“Well, I’m still good for some things,” Jim insisted, pulling her close for a kiss.

“Hmmm, like what?” she asked, when he finally released her.

“You’re not helping my ego, Belden!” he complained. “I meant I was still good for kissing,” he finished with an exasperated sigh.

“Oh!” She looked up at him, her blue eyes twinkling. “Kiss me again; you may be right about that.”

 

 

Liz pulled up outside Mr. Maypenny’s cabin and stared. This is crazy, I can’t believe I let Honey and Diana talk me into this. Shaking her head, she decided to leave. If Diana wants information from Dan, let her come shed her hormonal tears all over him! She can just leave me out of it. Why do I care if Trixie has eloped?

As she started to shift the car into reverse, she was caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She groaned as she realized it was Dan, standing next to the vehicle, motioning for her to roll down her window.

“Hi, Dan,” she said, looking at him with a false cheerfulness.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Um, I was just looking for you.” Oooh, that was lame!

“Well, here I am. What do you want?”

“Nothing, I’ve changed my mind,” she said haughtily. His demanding tone irritated her. She could feel hackles she didn’t know she had rising down her back. Liz began to roll up the window.

Dan was having none of that. He yanked the car door open. “What is it that you wanted, Elizabeth?”

“I told you, I’ve changed my mind!”

“Are you crazy?” Dan demanded. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Liz glared at him. “I know how to tell time, Daniel. It’s not that late!”

“It is for Mr. Maypenny!” he shot back. “Now tell me what you’re doing out here.”

Her jaw tensed as she continued to glare at him. “What is it about the fact that I changed my mind that you don’t understand?”

“I understand you were out here, trespassing on private property. I have a good mind to take you in and charge you.” His look was menacing.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” he retorted. “Tell me what you’re doing out here, Elizabeth or you’ll find out just how much I dare.”

Liz studied his face. Wondering what had happened between them to bring them to this level, she looked at her hands clenching the steering wheel of the trendy automobile. Taking a deep breath, she turned her car off and turned in the seat, extending her hands toward Dan. “Guilty as charged. Take me in.”

“What?”

“Take me. Arrest me. Cuff me and stuff me, whatever it is you police officers do to people who trespass. You can even harass me a little if you like. Just let me know when you’re done so I can call my lawyer. Or better yet, you can call her for me, Detective Mangan. Honey Wheeler, her number might be programmed into your phone.”

“Why you selfish little b…” He stopped abruptly. “You would drag her into this?”

“No,” she answered flashing her brown eyes at him. “Apparently, you would!” She stood up next to the car door then, close to him. Close enough that he flinched to keep from taking a step backwards.

“Just what is your problem, Mangan?” she demanded. “I’m here in New York and a partner in the agency, just like Honey and Trixie. So why don’t you tell me what your problem is with me, so we don’t have to keep tip-toeing around each other and putting our friends in the middle of your stupid problem!”

 

 

Trixie and Jim grinned like two kids on Christmas morning.

“You mean it?” Trixie asked.

“Absolutely. We had everything reserved for the Harwells,” Mary Chandler leaned back in her desk chair and ticked off each point on her fingers, “food, flowers, musicians, and a minister. I think everyone is still available except the photographer.”

“We might not need a photographer,” Jim glanced at Trixie to see if she were thinking the same thing.

“Would you like to use my office to make your calls? I realize it’s getting a bit on the late side. But from what you’ve said, everyone could easily arrive by one or two o’clock tomorrow, plenty of time for your family to settle in and freshen up before the wedding ceremony. That also gives my staff plenty of time to make sure everything is in order and prepared.”

“Thanks, but we have cell phones and it’s probably easier to call on them, since the numbers are stored in our phone.”

“In that case, please feel free to use the lounge. There are cookies, coffee and tea available in there. Right now you’re our only guests, so you won’t disturb anyone, although we accepted a new guest reservation earlier tonight. They haven’t arrived yet. You needn’t worry, there is still plenty of room for your families, and the couple understood that we have a wedding scheduled.”

“Oh, that’s fine with us,” Jim assured her. “If you don’t mind, we’ll just use the lounge.”

“Who do we call first?” Trixie asked as she fairly skipped and twirled into the comfortable lounge. The scent of hot beverages and warm cookies permeated the air.

“It would probably be best if we started with our parents,” Jim answered, his breath catching at the sight of Trixie’s obvious excitement. “You know, they’re going to think we’re crazy.”

“So, who cares if we’re crazy?” Trixie countered.

“Mmmm, I’ve been crazy for a long time,” he answered. “Crazy in love with a certain blue-eyed detective.”

“I know what you mean,” she sassed, practically dancing into his arms. “I think I’ll even call Captain Molinson and invite him to come.”

“He thinks we’re in Vegas,” Jim commented.

“Yeah…” Her mind shifted to the mystery back home. “I’m sure he has everything under control with Brad, but…”

“Captain Molinson is doing fine. You gave him everything he requested of you and more. We have to trust him, Trix. He told us the best situation would be if we left town for a few days. Didn’t you notice how he was almost hopeful the rest of the Bob-Whites were coming with us?”

She turned and slipped her arms around his neck. “See, we are crazy! I can’t believe I’m inviting Captain Molinson to my wedding!”

“Hmmm.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “Didn’t you tell me one time that you thought he was a hottie?”

Trixie almost choked, pushing Jim away. “No! Jim Frayne, you are crazy!”

Jim laughed, pulling her back. “Just making sure.” He kissed her again. The kiss grew in intensity and his hands moved to explore under her sweater. He caressed her back, noticing her scars had all but disappeared. Swallowing that particular memory, his hands drifted around, intent on finding her breasts. He continued kissing her, his tongue exploring her mouth like he wanted to explore the rest of her. He stopped to take a breath, and realized he absolutely had to stop, or he would lose all control.

“Trixie--” he reluctantly distanced himself from her. “We have phone calls to make… and if we hadn’t just decided we were already crazy, I would accuse you of driving me insane.”

She sighed in frustration, feeling the same urgency he had shown, and wondered how they were going to make it another twenty-four hours. “Start calling,” she said as she reached for her own cell phone.

 

 

Dan stared at the furious woman standing in front of him. She’s madder than hell and damn if it doesn’t make her even more beautiful. Not to mention those little gold-rimmed glasses! No girl with glasses like that should look sexy.

Liz swallowed as she stared into his hot, dark eyes. They were smoldering, she was sure of it. And that mouth -- it looked dangerously sexy. She licked her lips wondering what it would be like to kiss that mouth. Stop it! She told herself. He’s a jerk!

The tension grew and Dan moved his hands so that they rested against her car, entrapping her in between. “You see, it’s like this. You can tell me what you’re doing out here, or we’ll just take a little trip into town and you can tell Captain Molinson what you’re doing out here.”

“I told you!” She gritted her teeth in frustration. “I changed my mind! If you hadn’t already been outside, prowling around like some kind of… of… paranoid, whacked Barney Fife type-law enforcement officer, then you would have never known I was here. So take me down to see your beloved Captain. I’ll happily tell him how you refused to let me turn my car around after I made a wrong turn on your property! I’m sure it will give me the opportunity to make plenty of contacts for the agency.” She tossed her head and looked at him defiantly, daring him to drag her down to the police station.

“Something brought you out here, Lizard,” he said slowly, reaching one finger to stroke her tense jaw. “Why won’t you tell me what it is? It’s not like Maypenny has shoe sales or offers designer handbags at wholesale prices. What did you want with me?”

She slapped his hand away, practically shouting. “What is it about: I... CHANGED… MY… MIND… that you DON’T understand? I know you’ve been educated, Daniel, so please enlighten me as to how can I explain myself more clearly?”

“Admit it, you were coming out here to hit on me,” he said with a lecherous grin. “You can’t stand the fact that I don’t fawn all over you like Riker.”

“Oh, PLEASE!” she crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip, giving him a glare that would have blinded many men. “You couldn’t get it if I hit you over the head with a clue by four, could you?” Her tone was a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

“There’s plenty about you I don’t get,” he muttered. “You’re either the vainest, most self-centered person I’ve ever met in my life or…”

“Or what?” she demanded, not wanting to admit that it hurt to know he thought of her like that.

He shook his head, “You’re not like Trixie or Di or Honey.”

“What – you think there are three types of girls in the world? Oh please! Now will you let me leave? It’s getting late.”

“You just said it wasn’t that late,” he reminded her, leaning closer into her personal space. He had noticed the flash of pain in her eyes and was confused by what he had seen.

“If you eloped with a man, how many suitcases would you pack, Lizard?”

“I told you not to call me that!”

“How many? Come on, tell me, Dixie and I’ll let you go.” His tone was softer now, almost wheedling.

“If you knew me at all, you would know the answer!” she snapped.

“Oh? Less than a dozen? Be honest.”

“Why don’t you be honest and tell me… what is your problem with me?”

Because I don’t know what my problem is! I don’t want to like you. You’re too girly-girl for me, way too much maintenance. He didn’t say what he was thinking. “Men like me eat girls like you for breakfast,” he finally said out loud.

Liz gazed at him, unable to say a word. She wasn’t even sure she could breathe, much less speak. She tried to swallow but her throat seemed paralyzed as well.

“Are you going to tell me why you were here?” he asked quietly.

She shook her head.

His lips moved in. Suddenly she realized that she had to know what it felt like to kiss him. Really kiss him, not just brush her lips across his. His hands had moved from the car to her shoulders and her lips parted in anticipation. Her heart was pounding and her eyes tried to close. This is it!

“Daniel? Are you out here?” Mr. Maypenny’s voice carried through the night and washed over them as unwanted as a bucket of ice water would have been. Then a light flicked on.

Liz blinked as she felt Dan withdraw, both physically and emotionally.

“Did we wake you up?” Dan turned toward the elderly man, his tone apologetic.

“No son, this new phone of yours is ringing like crazy. Jim says he needs to speak with you.”

 

 

Forty minutes later they stopped, and compared notes. “We’ve talked to everyone except Mart and Diana,” Trixie concluded as they reviewed the phone calls. “I wonder why they didn’t answer their cell phones.”

“Probably the usual reason,” Jim answered, dwelling for a moment on how incredibly jealous he was that Mart and Diana could imbibe freely in what he desperately wanted to enjoy with Trixie.

“But they’re late owls,” Trixie protested. “Maybe they’re just with the boys in the student quarters.”

Jim shook his head, “Tad was with them.”

“Well we can try them again in the morning not to mention, the others will let them know.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Frayne?” Mary Chandler’s voice interrupted.

“Yes, Ms. Chandler,” he answered, rising from the chair.

“I wanted to introduce you to the couple that just checked in,” Mary entered the room. “This young woman had several cameras around her neck so I asked her if she was a photographer. To make a long story short, she said she’d be more than happy to photograph your wedding.”

Jim and Trixie stared in shock.

“Well, well, well…” Mart grinned. “What have we here?”

“How … how … how did you find us?” Trixie was the first to recover her powers of speech.

“Elementary, my dear Watson.” Mart bowed and gestured as if sweeping a deerstalker’s cap from his head. “A perfectly logical series of deductions – and just a smidgen of subterfuge -- allowed us to determine your exact location.”

Diana was giggling, and Jim suddenly chuckled too. Once more, the Belden almost-twins had demonstrated the closeness of their connection. Mart swept his sister off her feet in a bear hug and spun her around, before reaching out to grasp Jim’s hand.

“Welcome to the family, James. Let the festivities commence!”