Chapter 6

Brian and Jim had just come through the preserve as the car sped off. They hadn’t seen Trixie fall. The horses started to prance as the vehicle spooked them. It took both riders all of their skill and strength to remain in the saddle.

Jim’s face filled with rage as he tried to control his mount. “I didn’t realize Glen Road had become a drag racing strip,” he said through clenched teeth. Jupiter finally settled down.

“It seems to be getting worse all the time,” Brian commented still holding Starlight’s reins tightly. “It’s getting to the point that it’s dangerous to ride the horses along here.” They pointed their horses toward Lytell’s store.

Jim pulled on the reins to stop Jupiter. He peered up and down the road looking for something.

“What’s wrong?” Brian asked, stopping his mount alongside him.

Jim continued to scan the road and said, “I thought Trixie was going to go running along Glen Road this morning. I don’t see any sign of her. I wonder if she’s home already.”

Brian scanned the area as well. “I don’t see her, either, ” he said. “She usually runs up to the Glen Road Inn and turns around. Let’s go see if we can see her.”

The two rode in silence for several minutes. They saw no sign of her. “She’s probably back home taking a shower by now,” Brian said. He glanced over at Jim. It didn’t take rooming with his friend for three years to know something was bothering him. Brian suggested, “We could stop by Mr. Lytell’s and call home to make sure.”

They turned their mounts around and headed back the way they had come. When they got to the store, they dismounted and tied the horses to the bike rack that stood outside the store. As they entered the store, the bell jangled their arrival. They were almost to the cash register when Mr. Lytell came out from the back room.

“What can I get you two today?” he asked with a pleasant smile on his face.

“We just need to make a phone call,” Brian said. “Could I please have some change?” He reached into the pocket of his jeans pulled out his wallet and handed over a crisp one dollar bill. With the quarters in hand, he turned and headed back to the pay phone in the front of the store. He deposited the money and dialed his home number.

“Hi, Dad,” he said into the receiver. “Is Trixie home yet?” He paused as he listened to the other end of the line. “No, nothing’s wrong that I know of,” he continued. “Jim and I were riding on Glen Road and didn’t see her. She had mentioned that she was going to run this way.”

He listened again and then he peered out the front window of the store, alarm in his eyes. “Well, thanks, Dad. Maybe she headed up to the Manor House to visit with Honey,” he suggested. Politely he said his good-byes and then quickly hung up the phone.

“She’s not home?” Jim asked, panic in his voice.

“He said he hadn’t seen her and he’d been home all morning,” Brian said, worry taking over his voice.

All the while the phone conversation had been going on, Mr. Lytell had been standing at the cash register eavesdropping on their conversation. When Brian hung up the phone, Mr. Lytell very casually said, “Trixie was in here about fifteen minutes ago. She had been out running and stopped by for some water.”

“We must have just missed her. She’s probably up at our house visiting Honey,” Jim said, trying to convince himself that nothing was wrong.

“Let’s head back to the stables and we can check in there,” Brian suggested. “Trixie’s a big girl and can take care of herself.”

As they headed out of the store, Jim noticed movement in the ditch about 20 yards down the road. At first he thought it was just the wind blowing the trees, but then he saw a flash of red, and blond curls. He realized it was Trixie.

“She’s over there,” he said to Brian and took off toward her.

Trixie was moving very slowly as she made her way back onto the road. She looked up when she heard Jim’s cry and gave him a weak smile. As she stepped onto the pavement she winced in pain.

“Trixie, what happened?” he asked.

Trixie looked dazed, bruised, and battered. The entire right side of her body was covered with road rash, she cradled her right shoulder and favored her left leg. She looked as pale as a ghost.

She shook her head as if to clear her mind and bring herself back to the present. “I’m not quite sure what happened. I remember leaving Mr. Lytell’s store and starting to pick up my pace when I noticed this car coming down the road. Next thing I know it’s gunning straight at me. I went to step off the road and twisted my ankle. I think the mirror clipped my shoulder. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the ditch feeling like I’ve been hit by a Mack Truck.”

Jim reached out to wrap an arm around her to steady her. She moaned a little as his arm gently encircled her shoulder. “I’m okay,” she said, trying to take a step back. Her ankle gave out and Jim tightened his grip. Trixie groaned again, her pain-filled eyes rapidly blinking away unshed tears.

Brian had just reached them. His keen eyes rapidly assessed the situation. “Let’s sit you down here so I can take a quick look at you,” he suggested.

“I’m fine,” Trixie insisted through clenched teeth. “I’ve been bruised before.” She turned out of Jim’s arm and started to walk away, frustration adding to the look of pain in her eyes. As she stepped on her left foot it gave way again. Instinctively, she grabbed for Jim with her right arm. An involuntary scream of pain erupted from her.

Not wanting to argue anymore about her injuries, Jim gently lifted her into his arms and purposefully carried her back to Mr. Lytell’s store and gently placed her on the steps.

Brian had followed the two and when she was settled he said, “You’re not okay, Trixie. You’ve hurt your ankle and your shoulder, and you were just about run over by a car. Mr. Lytell, will you call an ambulance and the police department? This needs to be reported.”

Trixie started to protest. “I don’t need an ambulance. I’m not in critical condition or anything like that. I’ve just got a few bumps and bruises.”

“Yes, but one of those bumps is on your head and caused you to lose consciousness,” Jim pointed out.

Trixie tried to stare down her brother and her boyfriend but there was no backing down. Finally, she conceded, “I’ll go to the doctor but I don’t want to ride in an ambulance.”

Reluctantly, Jim and Brian agreed with Trixie. They caught Mr. Lytell before he was able to place the calls. Instead of calling an ambulance, he called Trixie’s parents, who would come over and pick her up and take her to the emergency room.

Both Brian and Jim would have preferred to go with them, but they realized they needed to get the horses back to the stables and rub them down. They waited with Trixie until her parents arrived. Spider Webster pulled up to the store just as her parents pulled up. Moms rushed over to assure herself that Trixie wasn’t seriously injured.

“Moms,” Trixie said, “it’s all right. I just have a few bumps and bruises. I’ll be back to normal in no time.”

Brian chuckled and said, trying to lighten up the situation, “It’s a good thing Mart isn’t here. He’d make some comment about you never being normal to begin with.”

Spider took down some basic information. Despite having been taken by surprise, Trixie was able to provide him with the color and make of the car as well as the first three digits of the license plate. She hadn’t gotten a good look at the driver of the car but what she had given would be a start. She promised if she remembered anything else she would get in touch with the police and not try to solve the mystery herself.

After Trixie had left with her parents, Jim and Brian headed back to the stables with the horses. Neither of them said much as they rode, each of them deep in their own thoughts. When they arrived at the stables, Dan and Mart were just coming in as well. They had been patrolling the other side of the preserve.

Dan called out to them, “You’re just in time. We were trying to decide what to do for lunch. Diana and Hallie are meeting us here. We thought maybe we’d make some sandwiches and head down to the boathouse for a picnic and a swim. Would you guys like to join us? Of course, Trixie and Honey are invited, too.”

Jim had dismounted Jupiter and was slowly leading him into the stables to remove his saddle and rub him down. “I think I’ll pass,” he said. He passed Mart and Dan without another word. Both guys looked a little puzzled. Jim usually didn’t pass up a picnic and swimming, especially if the girls were involved.

Brian walked over to Dan and Mart. “Trixie was in an accident this morning,” he said.

Mart gasped, “What happened? Is she okay? Where is she?”

Brian took a deep breath and then explained what had happened. “Moms and Dad are taking her to the emergency room. She wasn’t happy about it but her ankle and shoulder were pretty banged up and she did have a good bump on her head. Despite it all, she was able to give Spider Webster a good description of the vehicle including part of its license number. “

Mart looked a little relieved. “Don’t you dare tell her I said this, but I’m always amazed by how observant Trixie can be.”

Dan grinned. “Don’t bet on it. When the time is right, I may just have to use that comment against you.”

“With friends like you, who needs enemies?” Mart asked, giving Dan a weak smile.

The three headed into the stables to take care of their horses and the tack. Jim was busy brushing down Jupiter. He didn’t say a word when they came in but appeared to be brooding over something. Brian had experienced Jim’s moodiness last spring when he and Trixie had broken up. He knew that when Jim was ready to talk, he would. Until then, the best thing to do was stay out of his way.

“Jim,” Dan said. “That must have been scary seeing Trixie all banged up. I hope she’s okay.”

“I warned her about running along Glen Road. It’s just not safe,” Jim snapped back, fiercely rubbing down Jupiter.

“Whoa,” Mart said. “Trixie’s a big girl. She’s been running along Glen Road regularly for the past year and has never had any trouble.”

Jim set the currycomb down and looked directly into Mart’s eyes. “Where ever Trixie goes there is trouble.”

Mart started to say something back, but Brian stopped him. “Let him go. I’ll explain later,” he quietly said.

Mart started again, but Brian warned under his breath, “Believe me, just let it go for now.”

The four young men worked in uncomfortable silence as they went about the chores that Regan expected of them. The work was done in short order.

“I’m going to run into town and see if I can catch Honey on her break. She’s working from nine to three today. I know she’d want to know what happened. I might stop by the hospital first to see what Moms and Dad know,” said Brian.

Dan, Mart, and Brian left the stables and each went in a different direction. Mart decided to walk the path to Diana’s home and let her know what had happened in person. Dan went out in search of his Uncle Bill and then would head over to Mr. Maypenny’s. He would call Crabapple Farm later and talk to Hallie.

Brian headed home to get his car and update Hallie and Bobby. While he would have liked to just jump in the car and go into town; he figured he’d better take a quick shower first. Forty-five minutes later he had spoken with Hallie and Bobby, showered, and was headed into town.

Dan was coming to meet Hallie and Bobby at Crabapple Farm. Then they would meet up with Diana, Mart and Larry and Terry Lynch at the boathouse. Hopefully, they would be able to take their minds off of Trixie for a while.

Brian pulled into the hospital parking lot and quickly made his way into the waiting room of the ER. He scanned the room looking for his parents. Moms was sitting nervously in one corner but there was no sign of his dad.

“Moms,” he said trying not to startle her. “How’s it going?”

“Your father just went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. The doctor came out about ten minutes ago. They x-rayed Trixie’s arm, ankle and skull.”

“Do they have any results?” Brian asked.

Moms worried her hands as she replied, “Well, her shoulder was dislocated, as you probably suspected, and she has a slight concussion. In addition, she sprained her ankle.”

Brian thought for a second, trying to think of something comforting to say. Then he replied, “It could have been a lot worse.”

“It’s bad enough,” Moms said. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Trixie and her escapades.”

“Moms, you can’t blame Trixie for this one. You’re reacting just like Jim did. As far as I know, she’s not working on any mystery. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I know you’re right, Brian. I just get so scared when she gets into these scrapes,” she said. “I know it’s not fair that I worry more about her than you boys, even though you’ve all gotten into tight spots. You had that scare with the cyanide poisoning and Mart got caught in that avalanche.”

Peter came into the room carrying two cups of coffee. “Brian, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Well, I thought I’d let Honey know what happened. She’s scheduled for a break in about twenty minutes and I wanted to have the most up-to-date information.”

“Did your mother tell you what we know?” Peter handed his wife one of the cups of coffee.

“Pretty much,” Brian replied. “Are they going to admit her?”

“They didn’t think so,” Moms said. “They were going to wrap her ankle and get her shoulder set and stabilized. She’s not going to be very mobile for a few days.” She took a sip of the coffee. The act seemed to calm her nerves.

“What about her concussion?” Brian asked.

“They said we’d need to be careful and not let her sleep too long but that she would be okay at home. I figured between all of us we could take turns through the night,” Moms replied.

“I’m sure she’s happy about that. She sure fought admitting she was even injured,” Brian said.

“Well, I guess that doesn’t really surprise me,” his dad said. “She never wants to be the center of attention."

“Well, I’m going to head to the pool. Then I’m going to go track down Jim. This is really bothering him and I don’t think it will be good to let it fester,” Brian explained. He hugged his parents and then quickly made his way out the door and back to his car. He made it to the pool just as Honey was taking her break.

“What brings you here?” she asked as she stepped into his warm embrace and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

“Well, I have some bad news.”

She looked him in the eyes, panic running across her face. “Is something wrong with Mother or Dad?”

He pulled her back into his arms and said, “No, it’s not your parents, or Jim.” He took a deep breath and then continued, “Trixie was struck by a hit and run driver this morning.” Honey gasped, color draining from her face. “She’ll be alright. I stopped by the ER before I came by. It looks like she has a concussion, dislocated shoulder and a sprained ankle as well as a few scrapes and bruises.”

“She’ll be alright,” Honey repeated. “Are you sure?”

“Dad said that she would be coming home later today. She’ll be sore and they want someone to monitor her all night. The biggest thing will be keeping her from moving around too much.”

“I’m sure Jim will help,” Honey said.

Brian didn’t say anything for a few minutes, trying to choose the right words. “Of course,” he said hesitantly. “Jim and I found Trixie right after the accident. We were out riding and heard car tires squeal. He made sure Trixie was okay and we stayed with her until my parents came to pick her up. I thought he was okay until he snapped at Mart.”

“That’s not good,” Honey said. “I wonder what’s up.”

“I have my suspicions,” Brian explained. “For now, I’m not going to say anything to Jim. He might work it out on his own. He got that way last spring after he and Trixie broke up. I generally just steered clear of him. He’d snap at me and then apologize for his behavior. I think he knows what’s happening but hasn’t learned to handle certain feelings.”

“Well, I hope he gets his feelings under control. Trixie doesn’t need that added pressure. She’s just starting to feel confident in their relationship again,” she said.

Honey glanced at her watch. “My break’s almost over. I only have to work until three so I’ll call you when I get done to find out what’s happening.”

Brian gave her one last kiss and then said, “I know we were going to go out to dinner and then to the Cameo tonight, but I don’t think I’m in the mood.”

Honey squeezed his hand. “That’s okay. We’ll do whatever you want tonight. I just want to do something with you, all right?”

“Definitely,” he replied. “I’ll try to be good company.”

Mart, Diana, Larry and Terry followed the trail from the Lynch house to Manor House. As they passed Crabapple Farm they caught up with Hallie, Dan and Bobby.

“Any word from Moms and Dad?” Mart asked. He was carrying a picnic basket of food that Mrs. Lynch had overseen the packing of.

“Uncle Peter called about five minutes ago. Trixie’s doing okay. They’re just finishing up with her and hope to have her home in an hour or so,” Hallie said.

Larry, Terry, and Bobby raced ahead of the rest of the group. Dan carried the cooler of drinks that he and Hallie had packed. “So what did Dad really say?” asked Mart when the three younger boys were out of earshot.

“That’s about it,” Hallie replied. “Trixie has a sprained ankle, dislocated shoulder and a mild concussion. They’re not going to keep her overnight but someone will have to keep an eye on her through the night.”

“Well, I’m sure Dr. Brian will help out,” Diana commented. “As will all of you. I’d volunteer to help out but I think I’d just be in the way.”

“I’m sure Trixie would welcome people tomorrow. She’s going to be pretty much grounded for a while. I’m not sure how severe her sprain is but she won’t be able to use crutches with her dislocated shoulder,” Hallie said. “I’m going to volunteer to switch rooms with her for a few days. Then at least she won’t have to use the stairs.”

They were approaching Manor House. Jim was pacing on the verandah, muttering to himself. He looked very agitated.

“Hey, Jim,” Dan called out. “We’re heading over to the lake with Larry, Terry, and Bobby. Why don’t you join us?”

“I don’t know how you can think of having fun at a time like this,” Jim snapped at him.

Mart stopped in his tracks. “We’re taking the boys swimming to distract Bobby. He was a little upset about Trixie. Besides, Dad called and said Trixie’s doing well and they’ll be home in about an hour. It will better to have a quiet house for her to get settled in.”

Jim sulked away to the other end of the verandah. Dan and Mart exchanged confused glances.

“What’s up with him?” Diana whispered.

Mart thought for a second. “I’m not sure but I have my suspicions. Why don’t you guys go down to the lake? I’m going to go have a little talk with Jim.”

With a quick kiss of encouragement from Diana, Mart climbed the stairs as the rest of the group headed out.

He stood at the top of the steps, contemplating how he was going to approach Jim. This was new territory for him. Usually Brian would be the one who would have a heart-to-heart with Jim. After all they were best friends. Something told him that he was the better person for this situation. Brian was too close to the situation.

“Jim,” he quietly said, trying to get his attention without startling him.

“What do you want now?” Jim snapped again.

“Something’s bothering you and I wondered if you wanted to talk about it,” Mart replied, leaning against the rail of the verandah and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Jim said. “You just don’t get it. Trixie got herself into trouble again and everyone comes to her defense.”

Mart could feel his temper flaring but knew that letting it go would not help the situation. “Wait a minute. I don’t know what you think Trixie should have done differently. She’s been running that same route for over a year and has never had any trouble. You’ve seen how she thinks things through and doesn’t rush headlong into things anymore.”

“But she could have been killed,” Jim anguished, stopping to meet his tortured eyes with Mart’s.

Mart took a deep breath. He suspected there was something very serious going on in his friend’s mind and if he didn’t handle it right, he could really set Jim off.

“Yes, she could have been killed,” Mart said. “She could get killed being thrown from a horse. She could die from some horrid disease. She could get a hangnail that develops into an infection that doesn’t heal. But she hasn’t. And it could have very easily been anyone of us.” He pushed away from the rail and started to head down the steps.

“But it wasn’t,” Jim moaned. “It was Trixie. What would I have done if I had lost her?” he whispered. “Everyone I love, I’ve lost.”

Mart stopped dead in his tracks. He’d been right. There was something much deeper going on in Jim’s head. Slowly, he turned around and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Whoa,” Mart said. “You’ve got to stop the what ifs. Don’t start inviting trouble. No one can predict what happens, but if you spend all your life worrying about what might happen, you’re going to miss a lot in life.” He paused to let the words settle in and then said, “And if you start going all super protective on her, Trixie’s either going to bean you in the head or turn and run as fast as she can on that sprained ankle of hers. You can’t smother her.”

Jim’s shoulders slumped. He seemed to deflate. “Don’t you think I don’t know that? The logical side of me knows that Trixie was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The overprotective me wants to put her in a bubble so I won’t lose her.” He paused for a second and then said, “And before you can say anything else, I know I can’t do that.” He moved toward the steps and sat down on them. Mart sat next to him.

“Well, you know I’d do anything for Trixie,” Mart said. “If that means listening to you lament about her and the circumstances around her so you can work out your feelings, I will.”

“Thanks, Mart,” Jim said. “I really appreciate it and I may take you up on it. I’ll let you in on a little secret that I trust you not to share with anyone. I’ve actually begun seeing a counselor.”

Mart tried to mask his surprise. “You have? That’s great if you think it’s going to help.”

“It already has. I thought I was doing okay when Trixie and I broke up this winter. If Brian is truly honest about it though, he would say I was near impossible to live with and very moody. Then Reddy died and I convinced myself everyone I loved had died or was going to die. I was surprised and scared how I handled it. I finally got up the courage to find a counselor and started seeing one about a week ago.”

Mart looked at Jim in the eye. “There’s nothing wrong with seeing a counselor. It takes a lot of courage to face your demons.”

“Well, I knew if I want to make things really work with Trixie I would have to, or I would smother her and then I’d lose her for good.”

For several minutes, the two guys sat on the porch steps, arms resting on their legs, looking out onto Glen Road. They were lost in thought and didn’t hear Brian come up the path from Crabapple Farm.

“Hey, why are the two of you so deep in thought?” Brian asked. Both Jim and Mart jumped. He glanced from one to the other, trying to read their expressions.

“Just realizing how fortunate all of the Bob-Whites are,” Jim replied. He gave Brian a genuine smile. Sensing Brian was worried about how he was reacting, he continued. “I’m having some issues but I’m working on them. Trixie doesn’t have anything to worry about.”

Brian gave a sigh of relief and decided that was enough for him. “Good. Now I heard something about a picnic and swim at the lake. So why are we sitting here?” He extended his hand to Jim and pulled him into a manshake. The two best friends knew that eventually things would be truly okay.

As the three walked to the lake, Brian updated them on Trixie.

 

 

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