The Broken Road
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!
Chapter One
The waves gently rolled in, broke against the sand, and rolled back out again, a continuous, calming, and harmonious cycle. The sun reflected off the ever-changing water, a gorgeous pearly peach. A warm early summer breeze blew by, whipping up the sand and twirling it lightly before depositing it back on the nearly isolated beach. Having finished her cool down from her jog, Trixie collapsed down onto the sand, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. She slipped off her sneakers and her socks, let out a loud expulsion of breath that frightened a nearby bird into flight, and concentrated on turning off her iPod. Grateful to take a few minutes to herself, she pulled her legs up and rested her hands on her knees, smiling in appreciation at the breathtaking scene nature had painted specifically for her through darkly tinted sunglasses. She never grew tired of the scene. It was one of absolute and pure beauty.
A hand dropped on her sweaty shoulder, made her jump and brought her out of her peaceful and tranquil thought, but didn't scare her. She knew who it was. Chuckling lowly, Max dropped down beside her and grinned. He spread his long limbs out and leaned back on his elbows, making himself comfortable. "Penny for your thoughts," he murmured, aiming a charming wink her way.
Reaching up, she absently took out the ponytail holder and set her curls free. "With the recession we're in, you're going to have to do much better than that, Mr. Donovan. A penny's not worth much these days," she replied dryly and, unfortunately, quite truthfully. "Make it a twenty and you've got a deal."
A soft, feminine laugh followed. Another person sat down on the opposite side of Max. Pressing a hand to her expanding belly, Jocelyn looked past Max and smiled widely, looking lovely in a soft yellow sundress. "Hey. You're going to have to go easy on us, Belden. Max here is going to be unemployed soon. I already am. A penny's about all we have," she added with a deep, throaty chuckle when Max just rolled his eyes at her.
Trixie curled her toes into the warmth of the sand. It was odd working without Jocelyn. She couldn't imagine what it was going to feel like when Max was no longer there. Tapping her remaining partner on the shoulder, she stated easily, "This is your last assignment, Max. How does it make you feel?" She tilted her head to the side, curious about his answer. He was never too open with his feelings.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. Leaving wasn't proving to be as hard as he thought it would be, not when his wife of almost two months was no longer employed by the agency. While the few missions he had completed without her were still more than challenging, a lot of the excitement had waned for him, a sign that it was definitely time for him to leave. He could almost visualize his much-needed edge slipping away. An agent without his (or her) edge was dangerous to the welfare of any mission. Squeezing his wife's bare knee, he admitted honestly, "Not too bad, Belden. Not too bad at all."
Jocelyn reached down and picked up a small, flat stone. Absently, she rubbed it and glanced out over the wide expanse of ocean. "Max was given the okay by the Chief to tell me about his last assignment so I know all about it."
"It promises to be one of our easier ones," Max murmured. As much as he would like to go out in a blaze of glory, he was more than content to leave the agency after a less than complex mission. It wasn't exactly an in and out; it would take a little finesse, a few lies, and a whole lot of playacting. All they had to do was gain the mark's trust, make the sale, and get out of Dodge. Nothing too hard. Nothing too difficult. Simple.
Jocelyn nodded. It suited her just fine. Now that she was officially out of the CDA and enjoying a normal life, she was more than ready for Max to join her. Sitting on the sidelines the past few weeks while he finished out what he felt were his obligations to the agency was just about killing her. She wanted him home.
"Yeah. It really does." Trixie wrapped her ear buds around her iPod and set it off to the side. "In fact, it sounds like one of the easiest ones we've ever been assigned to. I think the Chief is going soft on you, Max," she said, giving him a playful punch.
"Hey, I'm not going to turn down a trip to the Vegas strip," Max replied, hands up in supplication. "You ever been there before, Trixie?"
Long blonde curls danced with the negative shake of her head. "No. Never have. We may actually be able to have some fun, too." Not that she was counting on it. Fun was not synonymous with any of their missions.
Jocelyn took off her matching yellow sandals and placed them off to the side. The warm sand felt wonderful underneath her slightly swollen feet. "Las Vegas," she said, imagining the possibilities. Even a pregnant woman could have fun there, she mused quietly. Arching an interested eyebrow, she suggested, "You know, Heidi and I were kicking around the idea of taking a vacation while you and the rest of the crew are gone. Vegas would be the perfect place to go. What do you think about that?"
The glare Max sent in her direction didn't need many words to accompany it. "Joss," he began and then stopped when a stream of loud laughter began pouring out of her.
"Can't blame a girl for trying, can you?" she asked rhetorically, eyes twinkling with barely suppressed mirth.
"I'll take you anywhere you want to go once I'm unemployed. I promise," Max declared, draping an arm around Jocelyn's tan shoulder. She leaned into him, content with the answer, although she would give just about anything to be with him on any of his missions.
The picture the two of them made caused her smile to grow. But it sputtered off her face as a spear of longing shot through her, making her wish for someone to share such a moment with. Her heart knew who that someone was, too. Ducking her head, not wanting them to see into her innermost thoughts, she picked up a handful of sand. The fine grains slipped through her fingers, to land back on the beach. She watched it with avid interest and cleared her throat, needing a distraction before she turned all maudlin on them. As usual, she found it in her work. "We're going to have a solid back-up team watching our every move, too. Shane's coming with us, plus a few others that we've worked with in the past. Even better, it shouldn't take all that long; most likely a week at the most. It won't be too long before that husband of yours can take you anywhere you want to go, any time you want to do it."
It sounded pure and sweet to her. "I'm looking forward to that time. Do you think you could hurry things along?" Jocelyn turned wide, pleading eyes on her husband.
"We'll try, Joss," Max assured her, unable to resist the blatant manipulation of his wife. He caught her hand, held it within his, and cocked his head towards Trixie. "It all depends on how quickly we can gain our mark's trust and make the deal. As Belden said, we're predicting a week or less."
Trixie nodded her agreement. A week was the estimated time for completion. In all the missions they've worked together on over the years, this one here promised to be one of the simplest. All she and Max had to was gain the trust of one Eric S. Young and sell him some vital information. Then they could walk or, in this case, fly away while the rest of the team followed through and discovered what Mr. Young did with the information and who he attempted to sell it to.
"Hey, Trixie." Jocelyn reached across Max and tapped her friend on the knee, deciding now was a great time to unleash her humor. Straight-faced, with only the slightest twitch of her lips, she declared, proud of herself when none of her laughter bubbled out, "I can tell you that if Max has to have a pretend fiancée for this case, I'm glad it's you."
She took off her sunglasses, all the better to see the unconcealed amusement swirling in Jocelyn's eyes. "Thanks," she replied dryly, a lone eyebrow arched high. "That means a lot."
"No, really. I mean it," Jocelyn spoke insistently, her eyes dancing with delight. "You two are such a perfect match. I mean, it's just so obvious that you two were meant to be together." Deep chortles of glee started bubbling up and out, startling a few wayward seagulls back into the air.
Max hugged his laughing wife closer and focused on Trixie, looking both chagrinned and amused. "She's been laughing about it ever since I told her our roles for the mission. I can't get her to stop," he admitted quietly. Leaning closer, he shared in a conspiratorial whisper, "Don't mind her. I'm convinced it's the hormones."
Although her cheeks were tinted a soft pink, Trixie understood immediately Jocelyn's humor. "She's right, though. We are a rather odd pick," she replied, her chuckles mixing with Jocelyn's. Her dimples started to wink in her cheeks.
Max had to raise his voice over the laughter trickling out of his wife. "I think Chief Ogilvie knew that you were the only agent Jocelyn wouldn't mind having me paired up with," he inferred accurately. "She trusts you, Trixie."
"And I trust you," Trixie mumbled under her breath. Trust had been more than earned over the past seven years. She had trusted both of them with her life too many times to count. It had been reciprocated just as many times over the years. She stood up and dusted off the sand, wanting to end the current conversation. Somehow talking about pretending to be someone's fiancée with the pregnant wife as an avid and interested audience wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. Gesturing towards the path, she offered without hesitation, "Do you want to go inside and get something to drink? It's hot out here."
"I could use some water," Jocelyn announced, the laughter finally subsiding. When her first attempt to stand didn't go that well, she accepted Max's hand and stood up with his assistance. "All that laughing has made me parched." As she slipped back into her sandals, she couldn't resist one more giggle. It would be so much fun to be a fly on the wall, to watch her husband and her good friend attempt to masquerade as an engaged couple. They would make it work even though there wasn't an ounce of chemistry between them.
With his wife's hand firmly held in his, Max followed Trixie up the sandy path to the large and attractive deck, one of the best features of the house. "You're probably wondering why we stopped by," he said as they trooped up the steps together.
"You mean you didn't come by just to let Jocelyn indulge in a fit of hysteria at my expense?" Trixie quirked an eyebrow and stepped through the French doors.
"You've got quite an understated sense of humor there, Belden," Max replied sarcastically and followed her into the kitchen. He bit back a comment at the odd décor and color combination of Trixie's home. The pink always made him stop short, as did the assorted knickknacks and frilly furniture. It simply didn't fit with her. "Anyway, we came to drop off your packets. I left the information you're going to need on the table."
Trixie handed the bottle of water over to Jocelyn and picked up the first of two manila envelopes, both addressed to her. A plane ticket fell out. "Wednesday morning," she murmured to herself, tapping a short finger on the gleaming countertop. "Bright and early. That gives me exactly seven days to pack for the trip."
"No need to worry about that," Jocelyn chirped out cheerfully after taking a long swig of her water. "Heidi and I volunteered to take care of all your packing needs for you. You don't need to lift a finger. You don't even need to buy an outfit or pack any toiletries. You don't need to worry about anything. We'll take care of it for you."
Sharp sapphire blue eyes leveled on her friend's innocent face. She didn't like the sound of it, not one little bit. "What are you two going to do to me?" she wondered aloud, immediately suspicious.
"Nothing…bad," Jocelyn hastened to tack on although her lips were beginning to twitch again. "We merely plan on taking Mr. Young's profile to heart. Faithful to his wife, loves her dearly; they've been married for twenty-four years, you know. However, he still has an appreciative eye for the ladies, especially blondes with pretty blue eyes. And especially blondes who like to dress like they belong in Vegas. We are simply going to make certain that his eye will be more than appreciative for you." To top it off, she blinked…not quite innocently.
Trixie muttered a rarely spoken curse word under her breath, imagining the wardrobe the two of them were going to put together. It would probably rival the closet of any showgirl. "Lovely," she muttered under her breath, sarcasm dripping from her lips.
"Don't worry. It will be," Jocelyn assured her, ignoring the sarcasm and desperately trying to ward off another attack of the giggles. "Glitzy and flashy are the adjectives of your vacation. You don't have to lift a finger. Everything we pick will set off all your…assets to perfection." She almost said it with a smooth face. Almost. Unfortunately, she couldn't hold her laughter in. It reverberated off the pristine walls of the kitchen.
Trixie shuddered, more than certain that she was going to despise her outfits. She glanced down at her dark gray tank top and burnt orange mesh running shorts. Yeah, glitzy and flashy weren't anywhere near her normal style. While she could pull it off and had many times before, it was more than a little bit out of her comfort zone. In other words, she hated it. With a passion. Swallowing a groan, she turned to Max. "I've got my plane ticket and, thanks to your wife over there, I don't have to do any shopping or packing. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Just study your profile. Out of all the information we've gleaned about Mr. Young, he only deals with people that he one hundred percent trusts. We need to know our backgrounds, forward and back, Trixie. We can't afford any mistakes. If we make any, we have to be able to react quickly to save it." He tapped the second envelope sitting on the counter. "Everything you need is in here."
"Thanks. I can handle it." It would give her something to focus on besides the hideous wardrobe her friends were planning on putting together for her. "What else do I need to know?"
"Since he has a thing for the ladies, you'll be the point of contact. You need to get in touch with Mr. Young within the next day or two. His contact information is inside here." Max held up the envelope to punctuate his point. "You'll most likely have to talk to a lackey first. Let him know what we are selling; see if you can whet his interest. Then give him your phone number for contact information. You can share that you'll be in Vegas in the middle of the week if he's interested in meeting with us."
She digested the directions, putting them to memory. Max was perfectly capable of taking care of the preliminaries but she recognized what he was doing. It wasn't merely because Mr. Young liked women. No, Max wanted her to take charge since he wasn't going to be around after they came back from Las Vegas. "I'll do it."
"Good. That's it, then. We'll see in you a few days." Holding her sides, which ached from all her laughing, Jocelyn led the way through the house to the front door. Max grabbed Trixie's elbow and held her back as Jocelyn walked away. Quickly, he whispered so his wife wouldn't hear him, "You should know that I chose not to add my alias to your information, Trixie. I thought it would be beneficial so you aren't tied down to me, just in case we need to make a quick change. All Mr. Young and his employees will know is that you have a fiancé. Don't let my assumed name slip out, okay?"
About to question, she stopped. His quick nod towards Jocelyn answered her question. "I understand," she murmured softly. "I won't say a thing. I promise."
He blew out a relieved breath, grateful that she understood. "Thanks. The chances of anything going wrong are slim to none but…" He lifted his shoulders. "I'll be in touch, Trixie."
"And I'll be shopping!" Jocelyn called out blithely, her smile widening at the growing scowl on Trixie's face.
Trixie ignored Jocelyn's comment, knowing it would be fruitless to argue. She was going to be stuck with whatever clothes the duo came up with. What fun. "So, will we be traveling together on Wednesday?"
"Since we're supposed to be the picture of a devoted couple, of course we will be. I'll pick you up early Wednesday morning for our flight. We should be in Vegas in the afternoon. If all goes well, we'll make our first contact soon after." He nodded his head, hoping his prediction would be correct.
"Heidi and I will deliver your luggage then, too. We also have plans of helping you dress for success, too." She gave Trixie a broad wink.
"Can't wait," she said, her tone belying the words. "I'll see you on Wednesday." She closed the door, turned a blind eye to the pink interior, and headed back into the kitchen, wanting to see what else they delivered. She didn't waste a second before opening the second envelope. Out fell two discs. One was marked with her assumed name for the mission. Beatrix B. Johnson, her choice. The name made her eyes light up. She'd learned right off that it was best to keep her name as close to normal as possible when a new identify was required. It helped alleviate some of the problems with learning a new identity. The Johnson was included at her own suggestion. Setting it aside, knowing she would need to devote a lot of time to memorizing the multitude of information on it, she picked up the second disc, pleased by its presence. It looked like she was the one in charge of protecting the information they were peddling to Mr. Young. "Fine by me," she said in a quiet undertone and placed it back on the table.
So intent on the objects, so intent on running through what she needed to do, the chime of her cell phone startled her. Laughing at her foolishness, Trixie sprinted over to the counter and answered without looking at the caller id, "Hello?"
"Trixie!" Honey's joyful voice answered.
"Honey Belden," Trixie replied, happy to have her friend and newest sister-in-law on the phone. Immediately, all thoughts about her upcoming mission dissipated into the air. Suddenly, she became simple Trixie Belden of Sleepyside again. Cradling the cell phone, she left the kitchen and its newest items and strolled down the hallway towards her bedroom, twirling a curl the entire way. "How are you?"
"I'm great," Honey answered, twirling a strand of long hair around her finger. She picked up her glass of lemonade and walked out to her back porch. There was nothing quite like n early June evening. Wind chimes tinkled musically with the advent of a slow moving breeze. "Brian left a message. He's going to be working later today than he anticipated so I'm alone for awhile. I thought I'd spend my time wisely and give you a call. What's going on in sunny California?"
"It's sunny," Trixie countered with a cheeky grin, glancing out her bedroom window.
"Hah, hah," Honey laughed and sat down on a new wicker chair, a housewarming gift courtesy of her parents. They had thoughtfully outfitted the entire porch, including the lovely white wicker set, a beautiful wooden glider, porch swing, and an amazing grill, her husband's favorite. It had already been put to the test on more than a few backyard barbecues. "Very funny, Trix."
Unknowingly copying Honey, Trixie settled down onto a chair in her bedroom, putting aside the thoughts of her upcoming mission. There was nothing like making a connection with someone from home. Even though it had only been two months since she'd seen them, she was eager to hear about her hometown. "Tell me about Sleepyside."
"Di is really showing now. Wait until you see her," Honey shared, grinning at the thought of the mom-to-be in their midst. "And she's never looked lovelier. Mart walks around with this starstruck look on his face, as if he can't believe that they are really going to have a baby. Have you talked to them recently?"
"Two nights ago," Trixie shared, smiling at the memory. "They gave me the great news that the newest Belden is going to be…"
"A little girl!" Honey squealed excitedly, nearly spilling her lemonade. She slapped it down on a table and leaned forward. "Can you believe? We're going to have a niece!"
"It was one of the first times where Mart was practically incoherent. He had trouble stringing together two words, let alone the usual nonsense that slips past his lips. Di had to intervene." Her smile widened. It had been sweet to hear. Would have been even sweeter to see, a nagging voice whispered into her ear that she resolutely pushed aside.
"I can imagine." Honey looked down at her flat stomach, wondered how long she would be able to wait before her biological clock started ticking away. Probably about the time she got to hold the little bundle. "I still can't believe you knew about the baby before my wedding and didn't tell me, Trix," she said reprovingly. "You could have told me, you know."
"No, I couldn't," she shot back, understanding exactly how Honey felt. "It wasn't my secret to tell. Mart and Di were very adamant about keeping the baby a secret until after your wedding."
"It was a wonderful surprise," Honey acknowledged and took a dainty sip of her lemonade. "The best ever. Mart and Di showed up at our house shortly after we got home from our honeymoon. They didn't even make it into the house before Mart spilled the news. We couldn't have been happier."
"They couldn't wait to tell you." Ever the restless one, Trixie stood up and started pacing through her house, ignoring the odd assortment of frill and chintz that decorated the place. She ended up at the back window, staring out over the ocean.
Honey leaned back in her chair, a foot swinging idly. "Did you get my latest email? I sent you one right after I got home from work."
"No. I went out for a run and just got back in from it. I haven't had time to check it yet." She changed directions and sat down at the roll top desk, painted white with a floral garden of pink, purple and yellow stenciled across the top of it. She lifted the top back and took out her laptop. "What did you send me this time?"
"Why, more pictures, of course!" Honey answered gaily, giggling. Only she knew that her giggle held a nervous edge to it. Chewing on her lip, she wondered what Trixie would think of one particular picture in the batch. Striving for nonchalance and nearly achieving it, she added, "I've been trying to catch you up to date with the wedding pictures. I don't want you to miss a thing."
"You know I love the pics." Trixie sounded normal but she felt the familiar trepidation work its way up her spine. Honey's nonchalant words didn't fool her. The newest Mrs. Belden always managed to send a picture of her and Jim. She wasn't as eager as she had been to open the newest installment. To put it mildly, the simple act of looking at the pictures caused her to ache. With what, she didn't want to analyze. "The photographer Miss Trask suggested did a fabulous job."
"Don't I know it," Honey murmured, swirling her drink. "We were all so pleased with them." Her lovely hazel eyes darkened while she waited for Trixie to see the newest set. She tried not to be too obvious, only sent one or two of her sister-in-law and her brother together at a clip, but this was the first time she would be able to hear a reaction, firsthand as it were. "Is your computer on?"
"It's ready," Trixie mumbled. She tucked a wayward curl behind her ear and called up her email. Ignoring the one from work, she called up Honey's and clicked on the attachments. "Oh, Honey," she breathed out, staring at her best friend and brother holding hands underneath the flowering crabapple trees, eyes only for each other. White blossoms floated down around them, a natural confetti for the blissfully happy newlywed couple.
Honey didn't need to see the picture. Out of the multitude of settings and poses, that one was her favorite. There was something so magical and enchanting about it. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Absolutely." Trixie stared at it a moment longer before forwarding on to the next pictures, murmuring comments about the pictures of her parents, Honey's parents, and the entire wedding party together. There were gorgeous ones taken at the lake, at the gardens and on the cultured grounds of the country club. The photo of Brian and Honey daintily offering each other their first bite of wedding cake, in direct contrast to Mart and Di who had smashed huge pieces into each other's face, made her chuckle. But it was the last picture that made her prattle of comments come to a complete and sudden stop. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it.
Silence stretched on. Knowing full well what picture was holding her dear friend captive, Honey's nerves started to grow. Standing up from her chair, she began pacing the spacious back porch, hoping she hadn't gone too far this time. "Trixie?" she asked, needing to break the silence.
"Sorry," Trixie murmured back. She reached out, touched an unpainted finger along Jim's handsome face. "It's a…nice picture," she finished, rather lamely even to her own ears.
"Yeah. It is." Nice was quite an understatement. Honey had debated back and forth over the past few weeks, uncertain if she should email it or not. She had finally decided to take the bull by the horn, or, in this case, the sister-in-law by the curls, and sent it. The picture Trixie was currently looking at was one of the maid of honor and best man dancing during the wedding party dance, the only dance the two of them shared the entire evening. In it, the photographer caught an amazing moment between them, one that she never expected to see. It was all in profile, with the two only having eyes for each other, and the other couples mere specks in the background.
Trixie recognized the part of the dance immediately. It was at the exact start of the dance, the exact moment when she had looked him straight in the face. She was staring up at Jim, her pretty face looking extremely young and uncharacteristically vulnerable. And Jim…he was gazing back at her with something that could only be termed as a deep-seated desire. For her. The potency was practically leaping off the screen. Due to nerves and her hatred of being caught up in the limelight, she hadn't noticed it during the dance. But she couldn't help but notice it now. It made her breath catch almost painfully in her throat. That ache she'd expected was much more than she'd thought it would be. It was long and jagged, causing her breath to come in ragged little bursts.
When Honey said her name, Trixie quickly hit the forward button. Once again, the photo of Honey and Brian showed back up, letting her know that she had viewed them all. Thinking it was amazing how one little picture could shake her to her very core, she dropped back in her chair and silently vowed to overlook it. She had other things to concentrate on, like her upcoming mission, her last one with Max. Understanding that she had to say something before Honey started in with the third degree, she mumbled, "Thanks for sending me the pictures. They're beautiful."
Honey could actually visualize the curtain coming down between them. For once, she didn't let it fall neatly or quietly. "Trixie!" she admonished her, scowling out into her backyard.
"What?" Trixie replied, flinching at the defensive tone of her voice, and felt her cheeks warm in response. She was suddenly grateful for the fact that they were having this conversation on the phone and not in person.
It made Honey grin. She drummed a finger along the porch railing. Deciding to push her advantage, she inquired, "Have you heard from Jim recently? I know that you two actually communicate now, on your own, without one of us Bob-Whites having to act as your go-betweens."
"A few days ago," Trixie said. Her hated blush began to do more than just heat. It started to blossom. She ducked her head and stared at the brilliantly bright white carpet on her floor. "We talked for a few minutes but that's all. I caught him in-between meetings."
Ah. Trixie called Jim. Honey thought that was a very good sign indeed. "He's been working like a fiend," she shared, wishing she could see Trixie's face right now. Trixie was never great at hiding her feelings, especially when they involved Jim. "He's been burning the candle at both ends recently. Between his job and the many road bumps he's hit in building his house at Ten Acres, he hasn't had much of a chance to rest." Honey also suspected that the main reason why he was driving himself so hard resided in San Diego.
"He told me about the problems with his house." Trixie tried to keep her tone casual since both of her sister-in-laws were gifted not only with supersonic hearing but also an extremely annoying intuition, especially when it came to her. "He sounded very frustrated about the progress at Ten Acres."
"It's been one thing after another. He's frustrated, all right. I'll be able to check on him on Friday," Honey said with a small sigh, filing away the information for later. She couldn't wait to tell Di about the progress Trixie was making with Jim. "I'm heading into the city to help my mother with one of her society functions. It's a luncheon and will take up most of the afternoon. I couldn't say no when she asked for me so I get to spend the entire day in the city." She wanted to see how he was faring. She wasn't expecting any changes. Her mother had told her a rather interesting story about Jim, Trixie and the hallway between her old bedroom and her brother's.
"Ah…yes," Trixie muttered, her blush deepening. The last time she saw Madeleine Wheeler burned bright in her mind, as if it had happened yesterday. Crossing her fingers, she hoped Jim's mother had no clue about what she and her tipsy husband had interrupted. "I hope you enjoy it."
"'Enjoy' isn't the exact word I would use." Honey swallowed another little sigh. She much preferred her job and her home with her husband to rubbing elbows with the rich and slightly bored. It wasn't her preferred scene, not by a long shot, even though she had been born into it. "But we're raising money for a good cause so it's worth it. And I'll get to see my family. My mother will be there since she helped organize it. My dad is coming too. The Wheeler family is going to be well-represented." She purposefully didn't mention Jim.
Frowning at some nonexistent speck of dust off in the distance, Trixie's imagination got the better of her. She could visualize Jim attending the society function with a dazzling heiress on his arm. Her frown deepened into a scowl. "Your dad is going to be there, too?" she questioned carefully, unable to voice the one she really wanted to.
Honey rolled her eyes and stood up. There were times when her best friend was simply too stubborn. She decided not to push her any further. "My mother, my father and I will be representing W&H, International. Unfortunately, my wonderful, full-blooded adopted brother refused the offer to eat a delicious lunch and listen to a few well-meaning speeches. He claims he's swamped at work."
"Okay." He wasn't going to be there. Trixie disguised her sigh of relief with a well-timed cough. "Well, I hope it's a success."
"I'm sure it will be. After all, my mother was on the committee that put the whole event together. They always do a wonderful job." Honey rested a hip against the sturdy porch railing.
"So far we've covered your husband, Mart, Di and the new baby, and your brother." Trixie felt the flame increase on her cheeks. What was it about Jim that made her feel like an adolescent again? She blew out a frustrated breath and hurried on, "What about Dan? I haven't heard much about him lately. We've sent a few texts and emails back and forth but I haven't actually spoken with him since your wedding." She always sent him updates on her, exactly as she promised him, and he always responded. They simply hadn't made an actual connection yet.
"I asked Mart the very same question the other day because we haven't talked to him, either. Dan's also been super busy from what I understand. The DEA's definitely keeping him active." The metal bells hanging in different lengths and sizes caught her attention. Honey flicked the middle one, sending all of them in motion and releasing a lovely, comforting tinkling sound.
Trixie leaned back in her chair, relieved that they were off the subject of Jim. "I'm not surprised. He looked a little tired during your wedding week."
"I thought so, too. But he's Dan. He can handle anything." Glancing out at the large back yard, Honey visualized the shrubs, plants and flowering trees she hoped to start planting there. "What about you, Trix? Have you been busy? Do you have anything exciting on tap?"
"I just finished up a case a few days ago which is why I'm home right now," Trixie said, hating to gloss over her work with Honey, her former and favorite partner of all time, but was left with no other option. "I have about a week before I start my next one."
There was a pregnant pause before Honey answered. "Good for you." She bit her bottom lip, always hating it when Trixie couldn't share her job with her. As she harshly reminded herself, she didn't have anyone else to blame but herself. She was the one who decided not to pursue a career in criminal justice. She didn't carry many regrets over her choice except at moments like this. Blinking back a set of sentimental tears, she murmured, "Be safe, Trix. And have fun."
"Don't worry. I'll try." Trixie smiled into the phone.
"I mean it. Have fun," Honey stressed pointedly.
"Fun," Trixie repeated, seriously doubting it. Pretending to be the fiancée of her partner, having her wardrobe planned by two friends who were obviously going to put her in outfits that only a Barbie doll might envy, and selling the contents on that little disc weren't exactly anywhere in the realm of her idea of fun. "We'll see, Honey. I'll keep you updated."
"You do that." Honey played with the pale green headband that matched her shirt. "I know your information is about as classified as any of our government's secrets. You aren't able to tell me much. However, can I ask when do you head out?"
"In a week," she replied without hesitating. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her the destination but Trixie caught herself just in time. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't. "I've got a few little chores to do between now and then." She glanced towards the kitchen where her 'chores' were waiting for her.
The sound of wheels on asphalt made her gasp with delight. "Oh, Trix! I think Brian's home earlier than expected!" Hazel eyes lighting up, she leaned over the edge of the railing, caught sight of his car, and let out a shriek of pure happiness. Whirling around, Honey hurried to the porch steps, taking them two at a time. "I've got to go. I'll talk to you later!"
Trixie stared down at the phone. All she could hear was the dial tone. Honey hadn't given her the chance to say good-bye before she hung up. "Too funny," she mumbled and put her cell down on the desk. Then she turned back to her laptop. Almost of her own volition, her fingers called the pictures back up, moving quickly until she came back to the one of her and Jim. Resting her chin in her hands, she studied the picture. It was one of the most powerful ones she ever had the pleasure of viewing. "What do you make of that, Belden?" she asked herself but no answers were forthcoming. She was left at the same point where she had been two months earlier. The separate lives they led were not nearly as fulfilling or satisfying as they used to be. She wondered if Jim felt the same.
Notes for The Broken Road:
I need to thank my editors again for helping me out with the last story in The Breakaway Trilogy. I have absolutely terrific editors who make the writing experience so much easier and more meaningful! Lots of thanks need to go to my sister, Pam and Joyce for all their help. I'm also adding in a few more editors and feedbackers, too. Lots of more thanks need to go to CountryGirl, Grandma Cindy, Heidi01, Jo and Rosamund. Ladies, you are all the absolute best! Thank you very much for your help with editing and also with the continuity of the story. Simply put, you all make everything better. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. All mistakes belong completely to me!
I hope you enjoy reading the concluding story. Breakaway and Separate Lives have both led up to this one. Please note that I've made up the hotel that Trixie stays at in Las Vegas. Any resemblance to any actual hotel, either in name or in description, is completely coincidental!