Always There
Summer 1955
Chapter 1
"Reagan," said Honey, "I want you to meet Trixie Belden. She lives down the road at a darling little place called Crabapple Farm." Reagan looked up from where he was brushing down a horse. "Nice to meet you Miss Trixie," he replied. "Gleeps, you don't have to call me Miss Trixie," Trixie said, "just call me Trixie." Reagan slowly stood and wiping his hands off, and with a twinkle in his green eyes, walked towards them. "The name is Bill Reagan, well really William, but everyone just calls me Reagan."
Later that Afternoon…
"So Trixie, what do you think about Reagan?" Honey asked. They were walking along the path between the two houses after Trixie's horse riding lesson. "Can you keep a secret," asked Trixie, blushing a little bit. "Of course I can," cried Honey. "I kind of think he's cute. How old is he" Giggling, Honey replied, "Oh he's ancient. He's about 21. He's been with us for 3 years now. I don't know what we would've done if Daddy hadn't hired Reagan." Trixie tried to appear casual as she looked back to where they could still see him working with the horses. Trixie knew 13 was too young to be thinking about men, especially older men. Red hair and green eyes make the best combinations though. Little did she know how soon her heart would beat for another red head and green pair of eyes.
Summer 1960
"Jeepers Honey, come on or we'll be late. Reagan will kill us if we don't exercise the horses today," Trixie shouted as she hurried up to the Manor House where her best friend had lived the past 5 years. Trixie hurriedly put her blonde curls up into a ponytail so it wouldn't get in her face. So focused on this, she wasn't watching where she was going and ran straight into a solid body, in the form of none of than James Winthrop Frayne II, or Jim as he was known to everyone. Honey and Trixie had met him 5 years before when Ten Acres, the house between Trixie and Honey's homes had burned down. He had run away from his abusive stepfather Jonesy and they were helping him find the hidden money in the mansion. After it burned down during that hot and dry summer, he had run away again to one of the nearby boy's camp. Trixie and Honey had gone on a trip and found him a week later. Shortly after, Honey's parents, the Wheelers, had adopted him. Now, with her brothers Mart and Brian, they were part of a group call the Bob-Whites of the Glen, along with Honey, Jim, Diana Lynch, and Dan Mangan. Di had been a poor little rich girl like Honey, and Dan was Reagan's nephew who had come to live with them the winter of 1955.
"Golly Jim," Trixie stuttered now, "I'm really sorry. I'm such a total klutz." With a grin that lit up his green eyes, helped her to stand, all the while keeping up a silly lecture on running and doing hair at the same time. She blushed as she stood up, stumbling a little against him, but his strong hands held her steady. Jim was now 20 years old and a sophomore in college, while she was just 18 and fresh out of high school. Just as when she was 13, Trixie still had a thing for red hair and green eyes. And that fit Jim perfectly. "Thanks Jim," smiling up at him. Jim felt a twinge go through him looking into her sparkling blue eyes. He'd never forgotten how he felt when he first saw her after waking up in his great-uncle's house, and then again when she had found him after him ran away the second. For years, he had been friends her and her brothers. Now, he was back for summer break to find she'd grown up on him. The short blond curls had grown into long, blonde, and curly. She had the right curves, and her smile seemed even more beautiful.