Chapter 19:

Tropical Depression Diana

"Daddy, tell us it isn't so!" Trixie exclaimed as her father hurried over with Uncle Zach. "Is there really a horrible hurricane headed this way?"

"Not quite, Kitten," Mr. Belden said, correcting his son's exaggeration. "The disturbance is currently a tropical depression. But I'm afraid there is some bad weather on the horizon. The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to intensify rapidly. There is a very good chance it will develop into a hurricane. If so, meteorologists predict the brunt of the storm will make landfall mid-next week, with heavy swells of rain in front of it. We'll have to monitor the situation carefully, but it looks like we'll have to fly out this weekend ahead of the disturbance."

"Gleeps, Mr. Belden, I'll go call Dad and tell him to have the plane on standby," Jim said, his redhead spinning. "That sure doesn't leave us much time to finish filling Papa's tags!"

"Or to figure out who's been messing with his lines!" Trixie added with a gasp.

"If this storm turns out to be as bad as the news center is predicting, a few tags and cut lines are the least of our worries," Uncle Zach returned grimly. "Right now, peoples' safety should be our top concern. If conditions continue to worsen, the state may very well issue a forced evacuation of the Parish."

"But where will your family go?! Honey cried as the rest of the returned sportspeople gathered around. "Anglers' Landing is your home, Mr. LeBlanc."

Uncle Sam smiled and told Miss Wheeler not to fret. "We have in-laws and friends we can stay with, Honey. This isn't our first Hurricane. Or I doubt our last," he added. "Keep in mind, too, my brother, like the local radio station, tends to over-dramatize the weather."

As Uncle Zach huffed and pointed out how much devastation Tropical Storm Deloris had caused, Hallie calmly pulled off her boots and socks, freeing her sparkling toes. "Papa will probably come home with us," she drawled.

Trixie's first thought was, "poor Ollie". But then she thought of Benoits. "Do you have people you can stay with, Beau?" she asked.

Beau, who'd been discussing the shocking turn of events with Cap, looked up with surprise. "Why, I just assumed you'd ask me to come home with you, Goldilocks," he said.

Trixie's mouth fell open. She didn't know what to say. So her father answered for her.

"You and your family are more than welcome to come stay with us, young man," Mr. Belden replied.

"Daddy?!" his horrified daughter shrieked, bringing a laugh from Beau. The Cajun young man had been pulling Miss Belden's leg.

"Thanks for the invite, Mr. Belden," Beau said, genuinely appreciative. "But Mom's got a brother up in Georgia. We usually camp out with his family. I was only teasing your daughter, Sir."

Trixie let out a big sigh of relief. If the Benoits truly needed a place to stay, she supposed inviting them to stay at Crabapple Farm was only right. Moms would adore Josette. And Trixie imagined Bernie wouldn't be that bad to live with. Mr. Benoit could be very charming when he wanted to be – for a suspected alligator thief, that is.

But as for having Beau living under her roof? Why, Trixie shuddered to think. Having three brothers was headache enough!

"Nice to know you were worried about me, though, Goldilocks," Beau added, throwing Trixie a kiss.

Only Miss Sugar-Pops snatched that drifting smooch right out of the air and gave her cousin a sneer.

Trixie, however, wasn't the only one receiving dirty looks. So was the young Mr. Benoit. And they were coming from clenched-fisted Jim Frayne.

Dan, noticing his hot-headed friend's displeasure, decided he'd better intervene. Beau was pushing his luck. Jim was ready to knock the cocky Cajun's block off. And though Dan wouldn't have minded lending his buddy a hand, Honey was apt to faint at the bloodshed.

So, instead, Dan interjected, "Hey, girls! Guess what they've named the storm? Tropical Depression Diana."

The two Sleepyside young ladies shared a giggle. "Di will love that!" Trixie said.

"I'll have to send her a text," Honey chimed.

That's when Uncle Zach broke up the party. "Come on, crew. We've got gear to unload, and these young people need to get back to the kitchen. Tropical Depression or Hurricane, there's work to do, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting hungry."

However, before the fishermen and women headed off, Trixie grabbed her sibling by the tail of his filthy shirt. "Hold up a sec, Mart," she whispered so the others wouldn't hear. "I heard you say something to Honey about not catching many alligators today. What's up with that? More funny business?"

"Not this time," the tired boy admitted, wiping his brow with an arm. "The carnivorous creatures were simply satiated on crappie and had no interest in our bait, Trix. Recent record temperatures, coupled with Deloris's storm runoff, have caused an algal boom and depleted the water's oxygen level, resulting in a massive fish kill. Maxine and my honey-hole looked like it was covered with snow when we got there this morning."

"You mean the fish suffocated?" his sister gasped.

"Precisely," Mart said. "With their gills clogged with algae and already low oxygen in the water, the fish couldn't breathe. The phenomenon is somewhat complex but common, I hear. The alligators had a smorgasbord."

Trixie chewed her thumbnail. "Are you sure someone didn't poison the fish?" she asked. It seemed a logical question, given the hunters' recent troubles.

"No sign of it," Mart replied. "Though I did wonder that, myself, Trix. Uncle Zach reported the kill to Lt. Hebert," he added.

"Good to know," his sister said, filing the info away. "Being stuck at the resort is so frustrating, Mart. How do you solve a mystery when you can't even examine the crime scene?"

And for once, Miss Belden's know-it-all sibling had no answer.

After supper, the Bob-Whites of the Glen, minus their honoree members, gathered in the tidy living room of cabin two. Taking a seat in one of the recliners, the teens' guest of honor, Mr. Belden, appeared nervous as Jim called the meeting to order.

Unbeknownst to Trixie and her friends, at dinner, when Mr. Belden had learned of his daughter's encounter with the cottonmouth and Jim's close call with Chip-Tooth Chucky, he'd come very close to calling Mr. Wheeler, requesting Matt send the jet for the New Yorkers immediately. Mr. Belden had decided that coming on the trip was a huge mistake. And now, sitting before the young people, Trixie and Mart's father was dreading what he might hear.

Trixie had said it had to do with Mr. Leblanc's recent troubles. And that she and her friends needed Daddy's advice. So, it was hard to tell what the teenagers had uncovered. But based on past experiences, Mr. Belden reasoned it must be big – and probably something he wouldn't like if they were coming to him.

So, as Trixie took the floor from Jim, Mr. Belden gripped the chair's padded arms and braced himself for the worst.

And his curly-haired daughter didn't waste any time in diving right in. She began by telling Daddy all about finding the Shady Rest brochure in Uncle Zach's desk and her theory that Uncle Zach might be the one tampering with Papa's lines. Honey then shamefully went on to explain to a very quiet Mr. Belden what she'd overheard when she'd been eavesdropping on Uncle Zach and Aunt Liz in the kitchen. Jim finished by backing up the girls' suspicions by revealing Mr. LeBlanc's part in Uncle Sam's racy divorce trial.

When Jim was through with his account, Trixie brought up Bernie's midnight phone call and her hunch that Mr. Benoit might have used illegal means to secure Beau's tags. Honey was careful to add that the girls weren't sure who Bernie had been speaking to that night. But she explained why they thought it might be Aunt Renee or Sam's ex-wife, Ms. Camille. Of course, Miss Wheeler's brother assured a speechless Mr. Belden that Trixie might have dreamt up the entire episode. But even so, the idea did sit well with their distressed listener.

To put it mildly, Peter Belden had been stunned by what he'd heard. And as his daughter and her friends took a pause, Mr. Belden asked, "Is that all? Or is there more?"

That's when his daughter confessed there was a whole lot more, and she blurted out every other little thing the girls had uncovered. "So see, Daddy," Miss Belden began, rambling in summation, "Honey and I really don't know if we should go to the Sheriff. We still have no clue what's going on."

"That's right, Mr. Belden," Honey jumped in. "After the LeBlanc's freezer got broken into this morning, and the Forets lost their bait, Trixie's inclined to rule out Uncle Zach. She thinks it's more likely that Sure-shot Shelly's step-sons are the ones who are stealing alligators. But Jim believes a bear got into both families' bait. And that's what Sheriff Theriot thinks, too - at least about Papa's bait."

Trixie grimaced and crossed her arms. "Sheriff Theriot laughed when I showed him the cigarette butt I found," she admitted. "Which is why I really don't think we need to go to him with all this? Do you, Daddy? The sheriff isn't going to take anything, Honey, and I have to have to say seriously."

"We have a number of suspects, Mr. Belden," Miss Wheeler agreed, "but not a lot of evidence outside of hearsay, I'm afraid. And we certainly don't want to cause more problems for the LeBlancs and Benoits if they turn out to be innocent."

As Trixie and Mart's father rubbed his head, letting what he'd heard sink in, Dan said, "I think you girls might be overthinking your case. I didn't hear you mention anything about Aunt Izzy. Sometimes, the perpetrator is staring you right in the face like a bug on a windshield." Mr. Mangan smirked, recalling the day Papa's sister had jumped on the LeBlanc's commuter van.

Smiling at the boy's visual, Honey admitted Crazy Aunt Izzy was still on the girl's list of suspects. Only with recent events, the pair of detectives had been focused on more questionable parties. Besides, beyond their initial encounter with Ms. LeBlanc, the young ladies hadn't had any further run-ins with Hallie and Cap's great aunt. Since then, about all they'd learned about Ms. LeBlanc was that she was a witch and that she and Mrs. Richards were close friends.

But as Trixie and Honey were mulling over Dan's advice, Mr. Belden cleared his voice to gain the young ladies' attention.

"I see no need to involve Sheriff Theriot in the Leblanc's personal problems," Mr. Belden began, much to his daughter's relief. "In fact, I think it's best we let the family work things out for themselves. I can assure you, Zacharie is not trying to frame his father in hopes of having Papa committed."

Mr. Belden paused, trying to hide his humored smirk under his mustache.

"Yes, Zach believes it's time for Papa to retire," Peter continued, once he'd regained his composure. "But you all should know, the Shady Rest Boca Raton is hardly a nursing home. One cannot be committed there. The village is actually a very nice senior community of single-family houses. It has its own golf course, pool, and tennis courts. The residents come and go as they please."

Trixie and Honey started to speak in unison, but Miss Belden bowed down to her quieter friend.

"I'm very glad to hear that, Mr. Belden," Honey said. "But I honestly can't see Papa playing golf or even relaxing by the pool. Why would Uncle Zach think his father would be happy in a community like the Shady Rest? Especially when it's so far away from the family?"

"Papa has several good friends who live in Boca Raton, Honey," Mr. Belden explained. "He often visits them during the off-season, and the men go fishing. But Besides that," Trixie and Mart's father went on, "the Shady Rest offers assisted living, which makes it quite attractive to people in the LeBlanc's position. You see, Zach's concerned that if Papa remains at Anglers' Landing and his mental state continues to deteriorate, the majority of Mr. LeBlanc's care will fall on Elizabeth's shoulders. Sam, as you noted, believes his brother is worrying for nothing. That Papa's always been a bit of what we would call a 'loose cannon'. Sam thinks his father should stay where he is. According to Harold, both of Papa's sons have the man's best interest at heart."

Mart, sitting beside Honey on the sofa, started to cough, and he went to the kitchen for a bottle of water. "Maybe so, Dad," he said, returning with drinks for everyone. "But has anyone bothered to ask Papa what he wants?"

Opening his drink, Mr. Belden took a swallow of the cool liquid inside and then assured the young people that Papa had been consulted. "As you can imagine, Mr. LeBlanc's not ready to give up his life on the swamp," he said. "And just like you, Honey, I can't say I ever see the man doing so. But should Mr. LeBlanc decide to step down one day and wish to move, places like the Shady Rest have long waiting lists. Renee told Harold that Zach filled out that application you found, thinking he might go ahead and submit it on the off chance his father might change his mind. Only Renee talked her brother out of sending it in. Their mother has a home in the Shady Rest Boca Raton. And Renee believes her parents would end up killing each other if their father moved in next door," he finished with a chuckle.

Trixie and Jim were sitting cross-legged on the braided rug in front of Mr. Belden's chair, and the young man gave his best girl a wink. "Sounds to me like this could turn into a murder case, Trix," he teased. But when Trixie didn't laugh, Jim sobered. "What about the situation surrounding Beau's tags, Sir?" he went on to ask Mr. Belden. "Do you think the sheriff might need to look into that?"

"I don't believe so, Jim," the mature man returned. "This is a guess on my part, but I have a feeling those tags Mr. Benoit was talking about weren't Beau's but Papa's. The young man gets a portion of the proceeds from each one he fills for Mr. LeBlanc.

I prefer this doesn't leave this room," Peter Belden went on, 'but when Bernie was injured, Mr. LeBlanc was opposed to Beau taking his father's place. Papa's thinks the boy's irresponsible and felt he'd be more of a hindrance than help. Mr. LeBlanc also couldn't see paying the young man when free help was on its way.

Zack finally convinced Papa to hire Beau. Bernie had gone to Zach, explaining that the Benoits needed the money. And Zach told his father he'd take full responsibility for the decision."

Dan locked eyes with Trixie. He guessed she wasn't buying her father's theory– and Mr. Mangan wasn't sure he was either. "I can see where you're coming from, Mr. Belden," the young man admitted. "But don't you find it strange that Beau won so many tags in the lottery?"

Mr. Belden rose to his feet and stretched. Sitting too long had caused his abused muscles to tighten up. "There's a simple explanation for that, too, Dan," Peter said. "Robert Robert told me Louisiana's alligator population has exploded in recent years. As a result, the Parish awarded more tags than usual this season. One of Rob's friends received twice as many as Beau."

It was on that note, that Jim brought the Bob-Whites' meeting to a close. Trixie was glad now that the teens had gone to her father. Daddy had provided the young people with some helpful information. Uncle Zach and Bernie weren't in the clear, as far as Miss Belden was concerned. But if what Daddy had said was true, Trixie felt the girls' time might be better spent examining other suspects.

Best of all, Mr. Belden hadn't told the budding detectives they couldn't work on their case. True, Daddy had suggested the youngsters butt out of the Leblanc's personal affairs. But if those affairs involved stealing alligators, Trixie wasn't about to look the other way. She had a mystery to solve – a puzzle that needed to be finished. The only problem was that the Sleepyside sleuths were rapidly running out of time.

After the girls had told Daddy goodnight, Jim walked Trixie and his sister back to their cabin. Along the way, Honey noted that her heart went out to the LeBlancs, especially to Papa. "It seems the poor man can't catch a break," the soft-spoken girl said. "First, Tropical storm Deloris forces him to shut down his business, now Tropical Depression Diana is threatening to end his alligator season early. Heavens, I hate to think of what's next. It seems every day is a battle with Mother Nature when you live on the Bayou."

"Aunt Izzy told Papa he'd angered the spirits of the swamps," Trixie reminded her friend, gazing up at clouds scuttling across the moon. "Maybe it's those spirits taking their revenge, Honey."

Jim smiled but, like Honey, felt for the deeply rooted Cajun family. "The LeBlancs greatly respect nature," the young man reminded his curly-haired friend. "And they live near the coast by choice, despite knowing the hazards, Honey. Still, this year's been especially rough on the LeBlancs," the boy went on. "It's no wonder Papa didn't feel up to joining us for dinner tonight. Hearing about Tropical Depression Diana and today's dreadful hunt would have been enough to take the wind out of even the toughest old sailor's sails."

"I thought it was kind of weird the way Aunt Renee rushed us off when we took her and Papa their dinner," Trixie mused as the teenagers casually ambled on. "She didn't invite Jim and me in, Honey. And Aunt Renee kept looking back at Mr. LeBlanc's bedroom door. I noticed it was shut when I peeked in the house."

Honey slapped at a pesky mosquito that had decided her shoulder looked tasty. The insects were worse at night. And the pretty girl sighed, glad her torture was nearing an end. "From what Jim told me, the two of you woke Aunt Renee from another nap," she said. "If Papa was also resting, I imagine she didn't want you rousing him, Trixie. Did Aunt Renee happen to mention whether Dr. Guidry had replied to her email about those odd animal tracks we found?"

While Honey had been taking her afternoon siesta, Trixie had compared the samples of hair she'd taken from the hen-house and boar's tusk, and the two had matched. As a result, the young people were anxious to know what kind of strange beast Dr. Guidry thought had left the prints in road out by the Foret's.

Trixie cringed as she accidentally stepped into a puddle, filling her boot with water. "She told us no when we asked," Miss Belden said, stopping her friends so she could unlace her boot. "But I got the feeling maybe Aunt Renee hadn't messaged him yet. She was acting…well… really weird, Honey."

"That's what you said before," Honey returned as Trixie wrung her sopping stock. "Weird, in what way? I thought she was acting bizarrely the other day when I woke her."

"Aunt Renee was just groggy," Jim laughed as Miss Belden slipped back into her boot, and the three carried on.

Cabin three was now in full view. And Trixie hated the thought of going inside. That's because Hallie was inside. And the Sleepyside Miss Belden wasn't in the mood to listen to Miss Sugar-Pops ramble on about how she was the best darn gator hunter this side of the Mississippi for the rest of the night.

Even with the fish kill, Hallie had managed to haul in a couple of real whoppers that morning. And the Idaho girl hadn't been shy about rubbing her trophies in the other deckhands' faces -or her female cousin's bug-bitten one, for that matter.

"Those gator skin boots are gonna look mighty fine on my feet, goin' back to Idaho, aren't they, Cuz," she'd said to Trixie before the B.W.G.'s meeting with Daddy.

The Sleepyside Miss Belden had come within an inch of telling her boasting cousin that the fancy boots were libel to make her big clodhoppers appear even bigger, and she should stick with her flip-flops. Only Trixie knew Hallie was the type of girl who could make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Why the model-perfect girl would probably start a trend, and the green-eyed, blue-eyed girl had replied, "Those boots will look mighty fine, alright. But it's a shame they'll cover up your toenail polish, Hallie."

Ah, yes, it had been one of Trixie's better sarcastic barbs.

But alas, the jab hadn't ended Hallie's bragging. And as the teens started on the last steps of their journey, and Trixie was bracing herself for another round, the phone in Honey's purse jingled.

"That's Di's ringtone," Miss Wheeler announced, deciding not to answer. "Remind me to check her message when we get inside, Trixie. Di probably got my text about the National Hurricane Center naming the tropical depression Diana."

Trixie grinned; she'd remember. Then Miss Belden's face dropped. For there, perched on the girls' porch swing, was Beau Benoit.

"Well, looky there, if it isn't Red, walking Goldilocks home tonight," the young man called out to Trixie. "First Slick, now Mr. Square? When's it gonna be my turn, Beautiful?"

"Maybe when Bayou Chevrette freezes, over," Miss Belden muttered, wishing she could wring the boy's neck as easily as she had her sock.

"Just ignore him, Trixie," Honey sniffed, starting up the steps.

Only Jim took Trixie's arm to keep her from following her friend. "First, Slick?" he repeated with an air of surprise. "When did Dan walk you home, Trix?"

"He didn't," the steamed young lady returned. "I mean, Dan sort of did. We walked back to the cabins from the dumpster together. But that's all it was. Only Mr. With-Nothing-Better-To-Do saw us and made a big deal about it."

"That's very true, Jim," Honey added, going to bat for her friend.

And Jim let go of Trixie's arm.

"I figured it was something like that," the red-headed boy admitted. "So what are you doing here, Beau?" he added with a grimace.

"Pony-Boy and I thought maybe Goldilocks and Sweet-Thing might want to hang out with us tonight," the Cajun boy replied. "We're headed over to my friend Charlotte's place. A bunch of the gang from school will be there. I thought the girls might like to meet them. You're welcome to come too, Red," Beau added, winking at Trixie. "Charlotte goes nutty over guys with muscles."

As Trixie's hackles rose, Jim laughed. "Sounds like fun," Mr. Frayne admitted. "But I'm afraid I'll have to pass, Beau. It'll be a late night. And the early bird catches the worm, as they say. Or, in this case, the gator," he corrected with a laugh.

Mr. Benoit had been anticipating Jim's no. But that didn't stop Beau from trying to get a yes out of the young ladies. "What about it, girls?" he said. "Pony-Boy thought you might grace us with your presence if we asked you all proper like this time . Me, I thought the bedroom window thing was rather romantic, but…"

Again, Jim sounded like Beau's echo. "This time?" he asked Trixie with a raise of an eyebrow. "And what's this about a bedroom window?"

Miss Belden was ready to spit nails. "Bea and Cap invited Honey and me to a fais do-do the other night," she revealed defensively. "Beau climbed the tree outside our loft window to get our attention. Honey, and I thought he was a raccoon and…."

"The long and short of it was, we didn't go to the dance," Honey quickly finished, as Jim was losing patience. "We told the boys to go away."

As a very unhappy Mr. Frayne was mulling over why he hadn't been told of the young men's visit or invited to the big shindig, Trixie asked Beau where Cap and Hallie were.

"Sugar-Pop's inside getting dolled up for the festivities," the boy on the swing replied. "And Pony-Boy is over at his Pop's doing his hair up pretty for Sweet-Thing here. It will scar the poor boy for life if you don't go with us," Beau told a blushing Honey with a laugh. "So how about it, ladies? If I know Charlotte's Mom, there will be plenty of good things to eat. Lots of music, too."

"Like Honey and I told you the last time, Beau. We're not going anywhere with you," Trixie returned, joining Honey at the door. "The two of us have a jigsaw puzzle to finish."

Beau emitted an amused howl. "Whatever floats your boat, Goldilocks," he said. "Last chance, Red?" he called to Jim as Hallie burst out the door, nearly bowling her cousin and Honey over.

Thrusting a long leg under the porch light, the Idaho girl then asked her dreamboat if he liked purple. Hallie was again in her flip-flops and had done up her toes in satiny grape. The young lady was also wearing a pair of cut-offs so short the front pockets hung below the fringe. Moms would never have let Trixie out of the house in such things!

"You know it's my favorite color!" Beau laughed as he stood and looped the tanned girl's arm through his. "Maybe we can get Charlotte to streak your hair to match, Sugar-Pops?"

As Hallie and Beau started down the steps, Trixie noticed Jim staring at her cousin. Mr. Wonderful had a goofy grin on his face. And the ticked girl knew it wasn't because he thought Hallie was inappropriately dressed. Though Trixie certainly felt she was.

"Good night, Jim," the Sleepyside Miss Belden called coldly, wishing the chicken's foot dangling from the doorknob would magically claw the boy's bulging eyes out. "Don't be late, Hallie," the miffed girl added as the daring young lady and her beau headed down the walk.

"Trixie and I will miss you!" Honey chimed after the pair with a ring of laughter.

And as the Sleepyside Miss Belden opened the door and Jim sheepishly headed back to cabin two, Miss Belden muttered, "Not."

A short time later, while Trixie and Honey were preparing Mr. Belden's and the boys' lunch for the next day, Honey dialed Di, putting the phone on speaker. As Honey had guessed, Diana had received Miss Wheeler's text about the tropical depression. Miss Lynch had replied with a smiley face, requesting her best friends give her a ring. Di had some exciting news she wished to share with Trixie and Honey. So it was on pins and needles that Trixie and Honey waited for Di to pick it up.

After five rings, Honey was about to cancel the call when their friend's sunny voice came over the phone. "How are things in Louisiana?!" the faraway girl asked. "It sounds like you've got some excitement brewing."

Opening a package of peppercorn beef, Honey giggled, "You don't know the half of it, Di. Today, Trixie came within a hair of being bitten by a cottonmouth."

"And Jim was almost eaten by an alligator," Miss Belden added, squirting yellow mustard on a sub roll.

Diana giggled. "So it's the same old, same old, is it?" she replied, pretending to be bored.

As the three young ladies shared a laugh, Trixie began slicing down a block of cheese and asked how things were going at home. Di and her family had only gone to the Poconos for the weekend. So Miss Lynch was back at school.

"Things couldn't be better!" Diana chimed through the mobile device with delight. "This afternoon, I was sitting with Brian on the bus when Mark Myers took the empty seat beside mine—Mark's senior class president this year, you know. And anyway," Di continued to ramble, not letting the girls get a word in edgewise. "He wanted to borrow Brian's math book –Mark's in the same class. And well, we got to talking, and before I knew it, Mark asked me if I liked moves. And, of course, I said yes. And that's when he asked me out! And it just so turns out the movie Mark thought we'd go see is the same one Brian's taking Loyola Kevins to Friday night. So the four of us are going to double date! Isn't that, well… out of this world?!"

At the mention of Loyola Kevins, Honey's smiling face drooped. "Sounds wonderful," she said, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

"Yeah, swell, Di," Trixie said, slapping down her knife. If Di had used one more "and" Miss Belden would have screamed. It was bad enough that Brian was seeing someone other than Honey. But now Di was ditching Mart? Not that any of the teenagers were going steady. And Di seemed to have a new suitor every week. Still, the whole situation had Miss Belden good and bugged.

"I think it's the absolute end-all, end-all!" Di went on, oblivious to her friends' lackluster responses. "I can hardly wait for Friday. Oh, and speaking of Friday, if Hallie's there, would you put her on? I'd like to know what brand of nail polish she uses. The salon's booked, and I want to do my nails for my big date."

Trixie grumbled. Her cousin and Di had too much in common. "Sorry, Di," she returned as Honey wrapped the boys' sandwiches in plastic. "Miss Sugar-Pops went to a party with her brother and Beau."

"Miss Sugar-Pops?" Di mumbled into the receiver.

Honey went for a bag of chips. "That's Beau's nickname for Hallie," she called over her shoulder from the cupboard. "Mine's Sweet-Thing, and Trixie's is Goldilocks."

Di, who hadn't stopped giggling since she picked up the phone, wished she were there. "I wonder what my nickname would be?" she mused.

"I imagine something like Angel-eyes," Trixie scoffed, plopping down on the kitchen stool. "Beau's partial to the color purple, and I'm willing to bet those violet peepers of yours would knock him dead, Di."

"Now I really wish I was there," Diana admitted dreamily. "So how come you and Honey didn't go to the party? Weren't you invited?"

"Oh, we were invited, alright," Trixie replied. "Only there was no way we were going, Di."

"Trixie's having a bit of trouble with Beau," Honey explained as Miss Belden harrumphed in the background, "A bit of trouble?!"

Miss Belden then proceeded to tell the young lady back in Sleepyside about her boy problems. "So you see, Di, Beau just won't leave me alone," she finished.

Diana was quiet for a moment, then said, "Are you sure you want Beau to leave you alone, Trixie? From the picture Honey sent, I'd say he's a real hunk."

Miss Belden groaned. Trixie was beginning to think she was the only girl on the whole planet, outside of Honey, who wasn't taken in by the Cajun Casanova's charms. "Of course, I'm sure, Di," she said. "Only nothing I do or say seems to work. Even the salt Honey and I ringed the cabin with hasn't warded him off."

Miss Lynch thought for a minute. "Well, have you told Beau straight out that you're not interested in him? Sometimes, you tend to be a little wishy-washy when expressing your feelings, Trixie."

Honey winced, knowing Di's observation wouldn't sit well with their friend.

"Diana Lynch, if anyone's wishy-washy, it's you," Trixie sniffed, rising from the stool. "But for your information, I told Beau, in no uncertain terms, that I was interested in someone else."

Honey and Di both giggled. "And who might that be?" Miss Wheeler teased.

"It wouldn't be Jim, would it?" Diana ventured.

Bristling, Trixie went to the fridge for a drink. "Of course not," she grumbled, popping a soda. "Well, maybe. But even if it is…"

"You're being wishy-washy again," Miss Lynch advised as Honey burst out laughing.

"Oh, hush up," Trixie replied, trying not to laugh and snort soda up her nose. "I need your help, Miss Smarty-Pants. I've never been in this position before. What should I do?"

Again, Di fell silent. Then, after a moment, she said, "I may be wrong, Trixie, but I get the feeling Beau's the type of boy who's attracted to girls who play hard to get. He sees you as a challenge. If you keep rejecting Beau, he'll keep chasing you."

Both Trixie and Honey gasped. Their more experienced friend could be onto something. "What are you suggesting I do, Di?" Trixie asked, leaning over the phone to avoid missing a word.

"Well, maybe if you were to fall all over Beau, Trixie, he'd lose interest and run the other way," Diana replied.

Honey grabbed her friend's arm. "Oh, Trixie, Di could be right," she cried.

"But Honey," Miss Lynch heard Trixie whine. "I just couldn't! I wouldn't know how to act. Beau would never buy it."

"Sure he would," Honey insisted. "All you'd have to do is swoon over Beau like you did my cousin Ben last Thanksgiving, Trixie."

"You did pack a pretty dress, didn't you?" Di asked.

Trixie's face turned redder than a stop light. Moms had slipped a sundress into her daughter's bag when she hadn't been looking. But Miss Belden shuddered at the thought of putting it on and flaunting herself in front of Beau Benoit! Why, Trixie would rather die first!

"Oh, no, I'm not going to put myself through that again," she told her friends. "When I pretended to have a yen for Ben, I did it for a very good reason. Mr. Lytell would have sold the Jalopy if I hadn't."

That's when Trixie and Honey heard Di's mother calling for her daughter in the background. "Oops, got to go!" Miss Lynch declared. "Keep me posted on what you decide, Trixie. Toodles for now!"

As Di abruptly hung up, Trixie confessed to Honey she was in over her head. "I still don't know what to do?" she said.

Honey sat her friend back down on the metal stool. "Trixie," she said quietly. "At this point, I'd say you have two choices. Either you keep shutting down Beau's advances, or you give Di's idea a try. It's really up to you. Either way, I think you ought to tell Jim how you feel about him. I'd hate for there to be any misunderstandings between the two of you."

"But Honey, what if Jim's like Beau? What if I tell him I like him, and he loses interest or runs the other way? Jim hasn't told me how he feels," Trixie confessed. "I mean, sometimes, when he holds my hand or sits next to me at the table, I'm just sure he likes me. But then, at other times, like when he's teasing me, or I see him looking at other girls, I'm not sure at all."

Honey smiled sympathetically. She knew exactly how her friend felt. "Then maybe the best thing to do is just to continue to ignore Beau, Trixie," the young lady said. "We will be going home soon."

However, there was one problem with Miss Wheeler's suggestion. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her friend to ignore Beau. The annoying boy was like a giant mosquito, zeroed in on its target where Miss Belden was concerned. Worse, the young man's attention was making Trixie increasingly itchy and nervous.

Beau seemed to be getting kicks out of stirring up trouble between Trixie and Jim - and between Trixie and Hallie, too, for that matter. Not that Miss Belden cared so much about being at odds with Miss Flip-Flip. Her cousin and her short shorts could go jump in the Bayou, as far as her cousin was concerned.

Only Trixie quickly dismissed that idea. If Hallie were to take a flying leap? Why, Jim was sure to rush to the young lady's rescue and then gaze appreciatively at Miss Sugar-Pops in her wet tank top.

Letting out an angry growl, Trixie decided maybe Di was right. Perhaps she was being hasty in wanting to drive Beau off? The young man was just as athletic and good-looking as Jim. Smart too. And Mr. Benoit didn't seem to have any problem telling Goldilocks she was beautiful.

Then Trixie groaned and came close to pulling out her curls. She didn't want Beau. He told every girl she was beautiful. Trixie wanted Jim. Oh what she wouldn't give to have Mr. Frayne look at her with that goofy smile he'd given her cousin. Darn that Hallie Belden!

And when Trixie came to her senses – or so she thought. "Darn that Jim Frayne!" she corrected herself venomously. The highly irked girl didn't need either young man! Boys were all the same!

"I'm going to do it, Honey!" Trixie announced with determination. "I'm through being wishy-washy. Tomorrow, I'm going to break out the insect repellent and put on that dress. I'm going to give Beau Benoit a good dousing of my own kind of medicine. That big pest isn't going to know what hit him."

Honey smirked as she gathered the dirty utensils and placed them in the sink. "Aren't you worried what Jim will think?" she asked her decided friend.

"Nope," Trixie replied with a sniff, going for the kitchen towel. "Your brother can jump in the Bayou after Hallie, for all I care!"

"What?" Honey giggled, splashing her friend with soapy suds.

"You and I are through with boys, Hon," Trixie declared hotly. "So let's hurry and finish these dishes. We're back to making voodoo dolls!"