THE CLOSER WE GET

After the ordeal they had sustained over the last batch of invitations, Jim took the box of newly addressed wedding invitations up to the post office window himself. He breathed a sigh of relief when the postal worker took them from him. She smiled and quickly thumbed her way through the envelopes, noting that they were already stamped and ready to go.

“Thank you, have a great day!” she said as she turned her back to him.

Jim stood for a moment and watched while the woman walked over to a large bin and emptied the box into it. He looked at her intently, noting the way she closed the now full bin, and locked it.

Jim turned to leave the post office. He felt more at ease now that they were safely in the hands of the U.S Postal Service. He doubted even Jonesy could get the invitations now.

Trixie was working her shift at the police department. They weren’t any closer to catching a break on the car burglary case. The perpetrator had already made off with numerous credit cards, cash, radios, and various personal belongings, that were no doubt being sold on the black market.

She shuffled through some statements on her desk from the newest victims. These latest burglaries had her confused. She scanned one after another. Frowning, she read through them again.

“Hey, what’s up?” Honey asked her.

Trixie looked up and wrinkled her nose at Honey and Hallie.

“Ugh! No wonder we can’t catch a break on this case. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Why? What happened?” Hallie asked her cousin.

“Well, these statements I have on my desk. There are six of them. All of these burglaries happened within the last forty eight hours. They all seemed to happen around the same time. But,” Trixie paused, looking each of the women in the eye before continuing, “They were spread out all over town. One even happened out on Old Telegraph Road, at what is suspected to be roughly the same time that car was broken into in the Town Hall parking lot.”

It was Honey and Hallie’s turn to frown.

“So, it’s a gang?” Hallie asked, grimacing.

“Maybe…” Trixie chewed her lip, lost in thought.

Honey and Hallie exchanged a look before Honey cleared her throat to get Trixie’s attention.

“So, what are you and my brother doing this evening?”

Trixie blinked and began gathering the papers into a neat pile and slid them into a file folder.

“Um, I think we’re going to dinner tonight. He mailed the invitations out today. We wanted to celebrate.”

Both Honey and Hallie nodded simultaneously. They had met at the Manor House the day before, along with Trixie, Diana, Helen Belden, Janet Lynch, and Maddie Wheeler. They’d had a mass invitation addressing party as soon as Nick had given them the green light that the invitations were ready.

Trixie still felt guilty that Nick had to once again go through the hard work of creating 200 more invitations, days after completing the previous 200.

Nick had handled it good-naturedly and never complained. He showed his sympathy that such a thing would happen to the couple, but never cast blame. He’d kept the template as he’d originally told the bride and groom he would do in case they needed extras, never expecting they’d need the full 200. But, being the good friend he was, he stayed up late at night, and got up early in the morning to crank out the new set of invites.

Matthew Wheeler had insisted on paying him extra when he’d rushed to complete them, even though he proclaimed he’d do them even another time, if it meant helping Jim and Trixie.

“Well, let’s hope that won’t be needed,” Matt said, shaking the younger man’s hand.

Trixie’s attention was diverted from the case at hand to Jim for a moment. She smiled to herself as she remembered their conversation the night before.

“So, you’ll take the invitations to the post office?” Trixie asked, for what felt like the tenth time to Jim.

Regardless, he smiled down at her patiently. “I will take the box into the post office, I will watch the postal worker load it up for the truck, and I can even wait for the truck to arrive to get tomorrow’s mail.”

Trixie rolled her eyes, lifting one side of her mouth, “Now, you don’t have to go that far. I’m sorry I keep obsessing about this.”

Jim kissed her forehead.

“Sweetie, you have every right to obsess. I’m with you in this. I’ll watch the postal worker for my benefit as much as for yours.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for putting up with me.”

“My pleasure!” he murmured against her mouth before kissing her.

“Trixie? Hello?”

Trixie jumped and came back to Earth at the sound of Dan’s voice.

“Hi, how long have you been here?” she asked, glancing around for Honey and Hallie.

Dan grinned and sat on the corner of her desk, “Long enough to be treated to the vision of your head in the clouds.”

Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. She mumbled an apology, finished gathering papers, and stood to file them into the cabinet next to Molinson’s office.

“Where are Honey and Hallie?” Trixie asked, inconspicuously hiding her face behind the file cabinet.

“I passed them on my way in and they were on their way out. I was warned you were distracted.”

Trixie looked up sharply, frowning. “Distracted? With what?”

“Well, a case for one. Maybe your wedding, for two,” Dan smirked.

“Yeah, OK, you’re right. Now, what did you want?”

Dan shook his head in mock disbelief and teasingly chastised, “For shame, Trixie! Is that how you talk to a friend?”

Trixie grinned, “Why, yes it is! Now get to the point, Mangan.”

“I just need the files from the car burglary case. I want to go over a few things.”

Trixie retrieved the file from the drawer she’d just placed them into. She held them above his open palm, and said, “There are some inconsistencies in regards to the where and when in some of these reports.”

Dan raised a brow, nodding in acknowledgement. “Duly noted, thanks.”

Trixie pushed the cabinet drawer shut and moved back to the desk. She opened a drawer and grabbed her car keys. Shaking the keys on the ring, she asked Dan if he needed her for anything else.

“No, I don’t think so.” Dan couldn’t resist adding, “Hot date?”

“Maybe.” Trixie rolled her eyes and walked away.

She looked forward to going home as she did every night. She may have loved her job with the Sleepyside Police Department, but going home meant being with Jim. She looked forward to being married and actually living in the same house with him. That and sleeping next to him every night, a small voice whispered inside her head.

By the time she pulled into the driveway of Crabapple Farm, she was warm and flushed. Fanning herself with her hands, she went into the kitchen.

Moms was at the counter preparing dinner. Trixie sniffed appreciatively.

“Hmm… that smells good.”

Helen looked up and smiled at her daughter, “Thank you very much. I decided to use the last of the green peppers I froze last year, and made some stuffed peppers.”

Trixie groaned, “You would make them tonight. Jim and I are going out to dinner.”

“I’ll save you some for your lunch tomorrow,” Moms promised.

Trixie stopped long enough to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator before excusing herself to get showered and ready for her date with Jim.

After showering and drying her hair, she went to her room and selected a new china blue skirt, with an ivory short-sleeved sweater for a top. The blue of the skirt matched her eyes, and she was pleased with the picture she made in the mirror. She reached for the shoes she’d laid out earlier. They were also new; ivory colored slip-on flats and she wore no stockings. One last twirl before the mirror, and Trixie walked out of her room.

She was coming down the stairs when she heard the deep voices of her father and Jim. With a hop to her step, she went down the last few steps.

“Hi!” Jim’s eyes lit up when he saw her.

“Hi, sweetheart! How was your day today?”

Peter wished them a fun evening and discreetly left them alone.

Jim stole a quick kiss, and grinned, “Are you ready? I’m starved.”

Trixie told him she was indeed ready to go, and he reached around her to open the door. She called a final ‘good night’ to her parents as they closed the door behind them.

Jim took her hand in his for the short walk to his Tahoe. He opened her door, and continued to hold her hand, assisting her up into the vehicle. Before releasing her hand, he kissed her knuckles, making her giggle.

Laughing, Jim walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and drove them toward the Country Club.

Trixie chattered the whole way. She talked about her day, her week, and the overall work atmosphere since that car burglary case began. She asked Jim questions about the boys at the school, his day, and of any plans he had for the boys.

Jim answered appropriately, “yes’ing”, nodding, and “no’ing”. Trixie finally took a breath as he parked in the lot at the Country Club. Jim turned the engine off and turned in his seat to face her.

“Trix, are you okay?”

Trixie blinked in surprise. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“Maybe because you’ve done nothing but talk since I picked you up.”

“Talking is a bad thing?” Trixie cocked her head to the side, trying to understand what he meant.

“It is when it isn’t normal for you to be talking so much about nothing.”

Her eyes widened, “You mean, you think my interest in you and the school isn’t normal? And you aren’t interested in me and my work?”

Jim took a deep breath, “No, sweetie, that isn’t what I meant. That is the last thing I meant. It just seemed to me that you were making any and all efforts not to talk about something.”

“Like what?”

Jim stared at her intently. “You tell me, baby.”

Trixie looked down at her hands, thinking over what he said. Initially, she’d been afraid he was upset with her over something. But, she realized he was right. She’d done everything in her power not to talk about Jonesy. But, she’d done that mainly for his benefit.

Looking back at him, she turned more sideways in her seat to face him, too.

“Jim, I love you so much!”

“I love you, too!”

“We only have five weeks until we’ll be married.”

Jim waited for her to add more, and finally she did.

“I want the wedding to be what we’ve dreamed of, I want to be the perfect wife for you. I want us to spend the rest of our lives with each other. I want to be able to take care of you and your needs. I don’t want to leave you wanting something else.”

Jim had been tempted to interrupt early in her monologue, now he couldn’t hold back. “Trixie, there is no such thing as perfection. At least in the terms you are talking about. You are exactly what I want and need. In that way, you are perfect for me. There could never be anyone else for me. I don’t want you to feel you have to be anything, but yourself. I fell in love with Trixie, and she satisfies me, makes me happy, fulfills my needs and wants perfectly. What can I do to help you understand that?”

Trixie gulped, feeling tears prick the backs of her eyes. “I think you just did it.”

Jim closed his eyes briefly, before opening them again.

“Thank God!”

A lone tear slid down her cheek, and Jim tenderly wiped it from her cheek with his thumb.

“Trixie baby, why are you crying?”

His concern was evident, not only in his eyes, but also in his tone of voice.

It was Trixie’s turn for a deep breath. “I’m sorry; I have had so much on my mind since we set the date for the wedding. I was afraid I wouldn’t be what you needed. I was afraid I wouldn’t be the wife to make you happy. Then, I totally fudged the wedding plans.” Trixie’s hands gestured wildly while she voiced her frustrations. She gulped and then looked down, resting her hands in her lap again. “I truly needed our family and friends to help me. I know we’ll have to throw parties for the school, and I have been afraid I wouldn’t know what to do. I was afraid I’d embarrass you.”

She finally paused for more air, and Jim interjected. “You didn’t fudge anything. I should have been the one helping to plan our wedding, and I let you down. Trixie, we’ve had this conversation before. Please, trust me when I say I love you, and only you.”

“I do. I know you love me.”

“We’ll be fine. If you ever want to throw a dinner party, then we will, if not, we won’t. We don’t have to do anything that we don’t want to.” Jim impulsively hugged her to him before releasing her to look down into her sweet face.

Another tear trickled down her cheek, and she angrily wiped it away. “Damn these tears! I can’t stop crying lately!”

“I’ve noticed. I was afraid you were having second thoughts about marrying me.” Jim looked deeply into her eyes and she felt, her soul.

“No, never that! I have loved you for so long that I can’t imagine my life without you!”

“I can’t imagine not being with you either. But, I’ve also noticed you’re very stressed-out over the wedding.”

“The wedding plans intimidated me, but I was never stressed out because of you!” Trixie reached for his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

“The plans are made, so let’s enjoy these final days of ‘single-hood’ and look forward to our life together as a married couple.” Jim sounded hopeful that what he’d said had calmed her.

“I’ll try to stop being so easily stressed out.”

He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, and reached to tuck a curl behind her ear. “Whenever you’re stressed, call me. I can de-stress you.”

In spite of the serious conversation, Trixie giggled.

“I’m sorry, Jim. I just got a flash of what you’d be doing to ‘de-stress’ me.”

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making her giggle more.

“Five more weeks, sweetheart! Five more weeks!”

They both sobered, realizing their relationship was going to change. They were going to add that physical side that could only bring them closer, making it better, stronger.

“Are you ready to go have some dinner?” he asked her.

Trixie flipped the sun visor down to look at her reflection in the mirror.

“Eek! I have to fix my face before we go in there!”

She scrambled for her purse, but he stilled her frantic hands with his.

“I think your face is ‘perfect’, just the way it is.” Jim leaned over and kissed her gently on her soft lips.

Trixie closed her eyes, lost in the sweet sensation. When he’d ended the kiss and slid back in his seat, she opened them again and smiled brilliantly.

“Would you be very disappointed if I suggested we skip the Country Club and get Wimpy’s take-out instead?” she asked impishly.

“If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.” Jim started the Tahoe again and backed from the parking space.

The drive to Wimpy’s took no time at all. Trixie had powdered her cheeks and added some more mascara. She was satisfied she looked presentable again, and went in with Jim to get their food.

Jim ordered two of their ‘usuals’ and Mike was pleased to accommodate. Trixie carried the carrier with their shakes; Jim took the bags of food.

Once they were settled again in the vehicle, Jim turned to ask her, “Where to, my fair lady?”

“Um, I was thinking the lake. It’s been a warm day, so it shouldn’t be too chilly.”

“And, if it is, I can light us a fire,” Jim agreed with her.

The Tahoe was parked at the end of the Wheeler driveway, next to the clubhouse. Taking the blanket he’d kept in the truck for the winter, and using a flashlight from the glove box, they made their way to the lake hand-in-hand.

Jim set their dinners on the small table, in order to spread the blanket out in the grass.

“I’m so glad the rains have held off now. Otherwise, we’d never be able to sit here in the grass and have our picnic,” he grinned. Trixie agreed, laughing in her enjoyment of the moment. He went into the boathouse to get a lantern the group of friends had left there just for this purpose. Moments after returning to the blanket, Jim had the lantern burning brightly. He turned the flame down to a more romantic setting and sat down next to his future wife.

The picnic arranged, they opened the boxes of food and began to eat.

For a long while, the only sounds that could be heard were the soft chewing noises, the slurping of their shakes and the moans of pure delight over the scrumptious food.

Trixie nibbled on her last few French fries, while Jim closed his now empty box from his burger and fries, and then reclined back onto the blanket.

“Hmm! That was good! I haven’t had a Wimpy’s burger for too long!”

Trixie smiled and agreed. She took her empty box, along with Jim’s and got up to toss them into the trash inside the boathouse, returning a short time later to plop down into her spot on the blanket. Jim was still lying back on the blanket, staring into the darkened sky.

Trixie watched him for a little while before she softly cleared her throat.

Jim rolled to his side, resting his head on the heel of his hand, and looked at her questioningly.

He could see by the frown on her face and her opening and closing mouth that she struggled to find the right words before she tried to speak.

“We talked about a lot tonight.”

There it was, a simple statement, but one that could lead into a magnitude of directions. Jim waited to see what she else she would say.

Trixie paused, and then continued, “The only thing we never talked about was Jonesy.”

Jim was surprised she’d bring him up. “Trixie, there is nothing to say. He’s disappeared off the face of the Earth.”

She chewed on her lower lip, before she tried to speak again.

“Sweetie, I don’t want to upset you, I really don’t. I just think we should talk about this, too.”

“Why? Will it change the problem?” Jim pushed himself up to a sitting position, resting back on his hands.

Her voice continued in its calming tone, “No, it won’t change anything. Jonesy will still be out there when we’re finished.”

“Then why bring him up?”

“We both think Jonesy was behind the disappearing invitations. We should be prepared in case he’ll try something else before he’s put back in jail for skipping out of his probation.”

Jim had tried hard to forget Jonesy. He continued to keep his eyes opened, but he refused to give Jonesy the benefit of disrupting his life further.

“I’m prepared, Shamus. Really, I am. I am keeping watch for any signs of him. I hope you are, too.”

Trixie was quick to nod, “Yes, I am constantly on alert.”

“I flat out refuse to waste any time worrying over what Jonesy will do next. I will do my best to keep a straight head and avoid any trouble, but we have a life to live.” As he spoke, he reached out to wind one of her curls around his finger. “I really want to be able to live and most importantly, to live our life together. This is a special time for us. I want us to enjoy it. Does that seem too much to ask?”

Trixie swallowed past the lump she felt forming in her throat. “No, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for. I want the peace of living and loving you. Jonesy will be sorry if he tries anything else to mess with us!”

Jim leaned over to capture her lips with his. Trixie’s hands came up to cradle the back of his head, elongating the kiss.

They finally separated and each of them gasped for a breath. Jim sat back again, leaning on his hands.

“We’ll be married in a month’s time,” he breathed.

Trixie’s eyes reflected the lantern light as she smiled at him, “And, then we won’t have to stop.”

Jim’s eyes widened as she read his mind, then he laughed out loud. “Exactly right, Shamus. You’ve read my thoughts exactly.”

The light was dim enough that she hoped he couldn’t see her blush. The closer they got to their wedding day, the more their wedding night was on her mind. She knew they’d decided to wait, but that time was almost upon them. She felt nervous and excited at the same time.

He suddenly got up from the ground. “Let’s go back, okay? I think we both have a busy day tomorrow. Besides, it’s getting chilly. I don’t want to build a fire if we aren’t going to stay out here long anyway.” Jim reached his hand for hers.

Trixie placed her small hand in his larger one and he pulled her upright. Handing her the flashlight, he picked up the lantern and extinguished the flame. Jim set it in the boat house and shut the door behind him, turning to reach for her hand again.

The moon was now bright in the darkened sky; the stars sparkled down on the couple. The duo in love walked slowly down the path back to Jim’s Tahoe, not noticing the cool breeze, not worrying about Jonesy, knowing their wedding invitations were on their way to their guests, with a peace they hadn’t felt since word of Jonesy’s release had come.

Each of them lost in their sweet thoughts of their life together, their love, and their future. Neither noticed the snap of a twig a short distance away, or the way the moonlight eerily caught the lone figure and his maniacal grin as he watched their retreating figures move through the night.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Many, many thanks go to my editor, our very lovely KayRenee!!! She is awesome!!!
I had thought to further progress the story this time, but, Jim and Trixie said they needed some "them" time. So, who was I to argue?
Also, adding my gratitude to Vivian for the home she's given me! Many HUGS! Thank you!!!!