A/N: I know I promised to do better. I realize it's been 4 months. Writer's block. Sorry to all of you. I don't own Trixie Belden because if I did, I'd let her age and get together with Jim, but I don't. Here you go. Thanks for the patience.
Chapter 4
"Gleeps, do we really have to go into another Bridal Store today," moaned Trixie, "my feet are killing me." Her best friend, Honey Wheeler soon-to-be Belden looked at her sympathetically. She knew Trixie hated shopping. Diana Lynch Belden just looked at her and gave Trixie a small shove into the store. "Yes, we do. Come on Trixie, it's your wedding day. The most important day of your life so far; well, besides finally saying yes to dating Jim," she added impishly. Trixie blushed, but she couldn't help it. She still couldn't believe that the handsome, smart, and compassionate Jim Frayne would ever want to spend his life with her. It was still a dream come true. The proposal had been 6 months ago and she had been putting off wedding shopping. Regardless of how much maturing she had done over the years, she still hated shopping. Honey and Di had caught her fair and square this time though. "Fine," she grumbled half-heartedly, "but this is the last one today, got it?" "Got it," both girls chorused. Still muttering under her breath, she walked into the store with her two best friends following her.
Trixie was just wondering around, pretending to look at dresses, more to humor Honey and Di than anything, when all of a sudden, a dress caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She walked over to get a closer look at it. The dress was a strapless one, no decorations. It was straight until it got to about the waist and then looked as if it became waves of white. It was gorgeous. Trixie wanted to make sure there was one in her size and she couldn't contain a squeak when she saw there was. "Honey, Di, come here she called out," forgetting in her excitement to keep her voice down. Luckily her friends heard her the first time and came right away. "Oh Trixie," they sighed, "it's perfect for you. Simple, yet elegant. You ready to try it on?" The words weren't even out of their mouths, before Trixie headed to the changing rooms. It only took a few minutes before she came back out. The dress brought out the glow of her skin and made her look almost like an angel. Di and Honey were speechless. She looked nothing like the Trixie Belden they had grown up with. "Um, guys," Trixie said, snapping her fingers in their faces. "Do you like or not?" Realizing they had been in a daze, they snapped out of it, gushing with praise about how beautiful the dress was and how Jim would have a heart attack once he saw her in it. "Let's go find shoes and jewelry," suggested Honey. She was shocked when Trixie agreed wholeheartedly.
Hours later the girls finally made it back to Sleepyside. In addition to the dress, they had gotten a cornflower blue sash to tie around Trixie's waist, a little top jacket just in case the weather was a little chilly, since it would be May when they got married, a veil with a small cute tiara attached, white short-heeled shoes with straps, and jewelry, earrings and necklace to match the tiara. All in all it had been a successful day. To say that they were glad Trixie had everything shopped for was an understatement. For now, the dress was being hidden at Di and Mart's house, since Jim was hardly ever over there. He was usually at the Manor or Crabapple Farm. Right now it was Thanksgiving Break. Trixie's break was a little longer than Jim's, so after he went back to school, Trixie and the girls went shopping. Being right after Thanksgiving, well, things were crowded since everyone was trying to start their Christmas shopping.
As the girls were arriving back at Trixie's, Jim was just getting out of class and heading back to the apartment that belonged to the Wheeler's. He had tried dorm living and liked it, but since it was his senior year, he needed to focus on his studies. At this particular moment though, he was having trouble concentrating on his schoolwork. He knew Trixie was going shopping for her dress today and he could well picture her frustration (accurately I might add) at doing something she hated. What was distracting him though was the fact that she was shopping for a dress in which to commit herself to him for the rest of their lives. He knew that if something ever happened to her, he'd be like his Great-Uncle James and probably become a lonely recluse. Winthrop men loved for life. Like Trixie, Jim couldn't believe that the beautiful blue-eyed blonde had agreed to marry him. He just couldn't see it done. He knew Trixie loved him with a fierce passion, but he just couldn't figure out why. "Guess I'll just have to wait until we're married, and we'll have the rest of our lives to discover it together," he thought. He grinned and wondered what her dress looked like. Something simple, that much he knew, but Trixie had never been one for wearing dresses much. He sighed and forced himself to get back to his work. "I can't very well start my Boy's School if I don't graduate." About that time, the phone rang.
Trixie sat at home waiting for Jim to answer the phone. She knew he'd be there studying, but she wanted to call and talk to him for a short while. They actually went to the same school, but because of her classes she was taking, she didn't start for 2 days after him. Unlike Jim, Trixie still lived in the dorm. Once they got married, she and Jim would move into married housing until she graduated. "Jim Frayne speaking," she heard his familiar deep voice say. Her throat clogged for a moment at how blessed she was to be marrying him. "Hello?" Trixie realized she hadn't answered yet. "Hey Jim," she managed to get out. "Trixie," he replied, "I was just thinking about my favorite Schoolgirl Shamus." Trixie blushed and giggled a little. He always had that effect on her. "I know you're studying but I wanted to let you know, I found my dress and I really think you'll like it." Knowing full well she wouldn't tell him one detail, he teased her anyway. "What's it look like Trix?" "Jim Frayne," she scolded teasingly, "you know better than to ask. You'll get to see it in 6 months and not a second before that." He laughed and she had to swallow the lump in her throat. Gosh how she missed him. Yes, it had only been a couple days but she could hardly stand to be apart from him anymore. "Jim," she said hesitantly. "Yeah Trix," he replied. "Have I told you how much I love you, miss you, and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you?" "Not in the past 24 hours," he replied with a smile. "Well I do, I do, and I can't." Hearing that made Jim's heart beat faster. He couldn't wait until he could hold her in his arms and kiss her senseless. He missed their snuggling. "I do," he said, "I like the sound of that. Can't wait to hear that officially." Trixie sighed. "I know, but it's only 6 months from now." "You sure you don't want to elope right now," he asked, half joking, half serious. "Oh Jim, I'd love to marry you right now," Trixie replied, and his heart jumped into overdrive, "but…..we can't. We promised our folks. I'd give just about anything to be Mrs. James Winthrop Frayne right now, so I'd never have to leave you." She didn't sound very convincing. Jim knew she truly didn't want to wait and she would elope in a heartbeat. He also knew that she truly wanted to marry him, although as mentioned before, he didn't know why. Didn't know how he could be truly worthy Trixie Belden. Unbeknownst to him, Trixie was wondering the same thing about him. After a few more minutes, they both said their "I love you's" and "goodnights" to one another and hung up, both realizing after the fact, that the elopement question had not been settled at all.
Will they elope? Or will Trixie's family and friends get to see her in that beautiful wedding gown, walking down the isle? Where's the honeymoon going to be? For the gown, I actually went off of my own wedding dress. It was rather hard to find the right words to describe the dress. I am actually only going to do one more chapter to cover the wedding and departure for the honeymoon. Maybe 2 more so I can get the Bridal Shower and Bachelor Party in. We'll see.