This story is rated yellow star for adult themes and mild sexual situations
Part One
“What’s taking
him so long?” Twenty-five-year old Trixie Belden stomped her feet to keep warm,
while she waited in the unheated hall
of her brother’s apartment building.
“Maybe he popped
out, or he’s late getting back from the hospital or he’s in the shower.” Honey
Wheeler, Trixie’s partner and best friend, did her best to push the image of a
naked Brian out of her mind. Since their split over a year before, she had done
her best not to think of him that way.
“He said he didn’t have to work, he knew when we were coming,” Trixie ticked things off her fingers as she spoke, “ and his apartment is the size of a postage stamp— even if he is in the shower, my guess is he’d still hear us.”
As she prepared to knock again, there was the sound of footsteps inside the apartment and the door was pulled open. “About time,” Trixie began and broke off.
Honey knew her own hazel eyes had widened at the sight of her former love. Brian, who was the best looking of the Bob-White men— and that wasn’t just her opinion— and who was almost always neat and well-groomed looked terrible. His dark eyes had huge shadows under them, his normally healthy complexion was a palish gray, his dark hair looked limp and greasy and he had lost weight. Brian had a naturally lean athletic build, but at present he was unnaturally thin.
“You look awful,” Trixie said with her customary bluntness.
“Thanks,” Brian said. “Sorry, I must have dozed off. I was going to call you girls and cancel. I seem to have picked up a mild bug.”
“A mild bug?” His sister’s sandy brows shot up. “The plague? Tuberculosis?”
“Glad to see you haven’t lost your propensity for exaggeration.” His gaze shifted. “Hey, Honey. Sorry about this; I have the name and address of some restaurants you can go to.”
“That’s nice,” Honey said, stepping past Trixie past Brian, who was leaning against the door and into the apartment. “We’ll be eating in.”
Brian’s gaze lingered on her for a moment and, when his sister, not bothering to hide her smirk, followed her in, he shrugged and closed the door. “Really, this place isn’t fit for visitors.”
“We’re not visitors; we’re Bob-Whites and that’s family,” Honey said firmly. Of course, Trixie was Brian’s actual family but she was not about to split hairs. He isn’t wrong though, she thought, glancing around the tiny space. Brian did not have a huge amount of money, and inner Chicago rents weren’t exactly cheap. He’d opted for a studio style apartment, with a small kitchenette, a bathroom and a living room that contained a couple of small easy chairs and a futon that obviously, from its present state, worked both as sofa and bed.
Back in Sleepyside, Brian had been the tidiest of the Belden offspring, so the fact that the visible surfaces were dusty, there were dirty dishes in the sink and the unmade bed was strewn with clothes was a bit of a surprise to both young women.
“Honey’s right,” Trixie said. “If you think I can go home and lie to Moms about how well you’re doing, you’re even sicker than you look. Our flight isn’t until ten tonight; that’s plenty of time for us to tidy up around here and order in some food.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Brian said.
“What did the doctor say was wrong with you?” Honey asked, fixing him with a look that brooked no avoidance.
“I haven’t seen a doctor,” Brian stammered. He took a moment before adding, “ I am a doctor.”
“Well, if you’re your own patient, you’re not as good as doctor as I thought,” Honey said with a toss of her head.
Trixie slipped out of her jacket and turned to hang it on the wooden rack attached to the wall. She needed to hide her face in order for neither her friend nor her brother to see the expression on it. Honey was a long way from the timid, uncertain girl she’d met a dozen years before, but she was rarely this take charge. “I’ll do the dishes,” Trixie offered. “while the two of you work the rest of this stuff out.” Trixie hurried into the kitchenette where she could keep her back to them and still hear everything that was said.
“Do you have a specific doctor you want me to call or should I just Google?” Honey faced her ex-boyfriend squarely.
“You’d do that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” Honey said. “And to really annoy you, I’d start offering extra money to get them to make a house call.”
In spite of the situation Brian’s lips twitched and a half-smile crossed his lips. “I know better than to argue when you’re like this,” he said resignedly. “I’ll call myself.”
“Right here, right now.” Honey said.
“There’re not a lot of other places I can go in this apartment.”
Brian was as good as his word, and when he ended the call a few minutes later, announced that the doctor would be there soon. Apparently, he’d called when two consecutive patients had just cancelled their appointments.
“You two could still go out and eat and come back and check on me,” he suggested.
“Yes, we could,” Honey agreed, “but we’re not going to. Now, why don’t you sit down? I’ll make you some tea and then change that bed.” Her nose wrinkled just a little, and a hint of color stole across Brian’s pale face. He obeyed anyway, dropping into one of the easy chairs and pulling a throw rug over him
As Honey searched the cupboards for supplies, Trixie began to dry the dishes she’d washed. She caught her friend’s eye and grinned. It had upset her enormously when her best friend and her eldest brother had ended their relationship, and as neither one of them had ever explained why, it was still something that bothered her. She knew that they’d both dated since, but she also knew that Honey’s dates had led to nothing and Mart, who spoke regularly to his brother, had suggested the same about Brian. From what Trixie could see, there was no current woman in Brian’s life, at least not one whose presence could be detected in the small space. A quick, necessary trip to the bathroom, offered further support for her theory. Trixie hadn’t hesitated to investigate the contents of the medicine cabinet. After all, there might be something in there that would help her ailing brother. There was certainly no evidence of a feminine nature.
She returned to the main room to find Brian nursing a cup of tea. Honey had stripped the bedding from the futon and was already unfolding clean sheets. Trixie wondered how she’d gotten that far that fast.
“Trix, can you gather up the dirty linen? There must be a laundry basket around here somewhere.”
“In the bathroom,” Trixie supplied as she did as asked. She’d checked that too.
An hour later, the apartment looked more than just presentable, and Brian had been seen by the doctor, an older man who seemed to know Brian quite well.
“I keep telling him he needs to look after himself,” the doctor said as he put away his bag and handed Honey a scrip. “He works all the usual shifts at the hospital and still volunteers regularly at the evening free clinic I run twice a week.”
“That sounds like him,” Trixie said with an affectionate smile for her brother. “He’s always had an overdeveloped sense of duty. Trust me, it’s hard for the rest of us to live up to.”
“He should get out more. If it weren’t for Cindy, I don’t think he’d get out at all.”
Trixie and Honey exchanged glances, and the former wondered if her detective skills had been right after all.
“Anyway,” the doctor continued, “he’s definitely not contagious. He’ll have a bit of a balance issue until the antibiotics kick in because his inner ear is pretty inflamed. He just needs forty-eight hours of bed rest and some decent meals into him. I’ll call the hospital,” he added as Brian began to protest. “And this time, do as I tell you.”
Trixie thanked him as she let him out, and then turned to face her brother and friend. “Right, well I think I should go and get that scrip filled. I can pick up some food while I’m out.”
“And you can take quick shower and then get back into bed,” Honey said to Brian. “If Trixie doesn’t mind she can pick up a few things from the market as well. There’s not much in the refrigerator.”
“You can both go, and like I’ve said already; eat out, have some fun. You can bring me something back if you insist, though I’m not hungry.”
“Too bad,” Honey said. “I noticed a drug store and a market just a little way down the street.” She turned back to Trixie. “And I think there was a Chinese Restaurant as well. You could order the food, drop off the prescription, and then grab the stuff from the market…” she trailed off. “Sorry, Trix. You don’t need me to tell you all this.”
“I don’t mind,” Trixie said, loving the look on her brother’s face as Honey issued order after order. “Give me a list for the market though, you know what I’m like. And ;what do you want to eat?”
“Whatever you feel like is good, but get some soup for Brian: hot and sour or chicken and mushroom, she added, throwing a look over her shoulder at the dark-haired man. You’re eating something,” She grabbed a pen and paper from her large tote bag and handed it to her friend. “That should do it for now. I can pick up more stuff tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Brian said, his dark brows lifting as his sister hurried out, barely able to contain her laughter.
“The doctor said forty-eight hours.” Honey smiled sweetly. “Now, are you getting into the shower or do you need me to help you with that too?”
Dark eyes met hazel, and Brian felt a hint of something in his body that had nothing to do with whatever bug he was currently fighting. “I’ll be fine,” he said, slowly walking to a bureau and pulling out fresh sleepwear.
“Good,” Honey said, heading back into the kitchenette. “I’m going to make some tea. Would you like another cup when you’re done?”
The funny thing was, Brian thought, as he sat, propped up on a mound of pillows and cushions, finishing off his soup, that he really hadn’t been hungry. But when Trixie had returned, the aroma of the spicy soup Honey had ordered had sparked his appetite and he’d enjoyed every mouthful. The shower had helped too. Maybe because he hadn’t had one for…he started to count in his head and stopped. He didn’t need to go there, did he? He hadn’t bothered to raise any more objections during the time they ate their meal or when Honey had handed him the tablets prescribed by the doctor. All he needed to do was to remain calm for a couple more hours and then they’d be off back to Sleepyside. Honey’s threat to stay was just that. She’d been worried he wouldn’t eat, but now that he had, he was confident she’d leave peacefully.
He and Honey hadn’t spent much time together since their split— just an occasional hour here and there when he’d managed to get back home— and most, if not all, of the other Bob-Whites had been around when they were together at the time. Not that he didn’t think about her— even he couldn’t look someone in the eye and make that claim. And even now, seeing her sitting so close, laughing with Trixie, trading bites of their Kow-pung chicken and Moo-shoo pork, there was still that old feeling of familiarity, of comfort. He pushed it away.
“Thanks,” he said finally, as he set the empty bowl aside. “I guess I did need that.”
“Doctor Brian doesn’t always know best,” Honey said with one of those smiles. The one between half and full; the one with a world of unspoken words behind it. Damn it!This sickness was really taking its toll on his ability to control his thoughts.
“That was good Chinese,” Trixie said with a satisfied sigh. “I was determined to have a good dinner ‘cause plane food…” She made a face.
“You girls should probably be thinking about calling a cab. You don’t want to be late to the airport.”
“Brian’s right,” Honey said, standing and gathering the empty cartons and Brian’s dishes. “You’re okay with taking care of the report on this one, Trix, and talking to the client without me?”
Trixie nodded. “I’ve got it covered, Hon. Do you want me to call your folks?”
“No, they’re not likely to be home anyway. I’ll send them a text and let them know I’ll be home in a few days.”
“Wait a minute,” Brian said, struggling to sit up straighter. “You can see how much better I am now, and I promise I won’t go back to work until I’m better.”
“I know you won’t,” Honey said easily, “because I’ll be here to witness that first hand.” She smiled brightly, but her jaw was set in a determined way that the other two recognized.
“Trix, can you please talk some sense into your partner?”
Trixie just snorted inelegantly. “She is the sensible one or have you forgotten?”
Had he? Honey was sensible in lots of ways. Sensible and sensitive, but a lot of the time he didn’t think sensible when he thought Honey. Maybe that was because she was the only person he’d ever known who could stop him in his tracks or completely derail his own sensible, orderly approach to the universe.
“You might as well save your energy,” Honey put in, “because I’m staying and that’s that. When I can see for myself that you’re better, I’ll go home.”
Brian shot his sister a look of desperation. Trixie shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t look at me. I have my fiancé waiting at home and as he’s your best friend and Honey’s brother, I’m guessing he’d be on Honey’s side anyway. And if we both went home and told Moms how awful you look, she’d be on a plane out here, so…”
“Oh, for cripes sake,” Brian said. “It’s useless arguing with the two of you when you make your minds up about something.”
“See.” Trixie grinned as she moved to drop a kiss on her brother’s head. “You are getting better. Far more rational thought processes.” She turned back to Honey. “Do you need to go to the drug store or market to grab some basics?”
Brian looked up. Of course they hadn’t planned on staying in Chicago.
Honey shook her head and lifted up the oversized tote bag she always travelled with. “I always carry a change of clothes and basic toiletries with me when we go anywhere out of town, just in case.”
“Just in case what?” Trixie’s expression was so familiar that Brian actually laughed.
“In case we end up having to stay somewhere or do something we weren’t expecting, like, say…now.” Honey explained, shooting Brian a look.
“I love you, Hon, but there are times when you are kind of weird.” Trixie shook her sandy head.
“I love you too, and I’ll remember that if you ever need to borrow anything from my emergency kit.”
Trixie laughed. “Noted. Now, do I need anything to take back with me?”
“It’s up to you,” Honey said. “You can have my notebook if you want to work on the plane, but if not, it means I can do some work here.”
“Could I possibly deny you that privilege?” Trixie asked airily. “I am too good a friend and partner to be so cruel. Besides, as long as you give me the USB, I’ll have everything I need when I get back.” The two had only just opened their long planned for agency a few weeks earlier, and were excited to see their case-load mounting. This was their first out of state investigation, and they were determined to do well.
Honey nodded, and rummaged through her bag again, pulling the USB out of her notebook cover and handing it to her friend.
Twenty minutes later, Brian and Honey were alone and preparing to spend their first night together in over a year.
He looks a little better already, Honey told herself as she made more tea. What was it about tea that seemed more suitable to recovering invalids than coffee? Brian would probably know. Along with the wealth of medical information that filled his mind, he had always allowed for the benefits of natural remedies and time-honoured approaches. He understood the need for balance.
When Trixie had suggested having dinner with Brian while they were in Chicago, Honey had automatically agreed and had seen the relief in her best-friend’s blue eyes. Since she and Brian had broken up, Honey had done her level best to appear unconcerned whenever he was back in Sleepyside. They had been friendly rather than just polite, but if she was being completely honest, it hadn’t been easy. And Chicago was Brian’s place— she didn’t belong there— and it was part of the reason they’d broken up in the first place. Still, she’d figured it was only a few hours, and with Trixie as a buffer, it wouldn’t be that bad. Trixie and Jim were getting married soon, so even if Honey had wanted to create a permanent disconnect between herself and Brian, it had been out of the question.
After all, she’d survived Mart and Di’s wedding three months ago and managed to smile her way through the photos. Of course, the fact that Dan had been her partner in the wedding party had made that easier to deal with. This time, she and Brian would have to stand side-by-side. It was probably a good thing if they were a little more relaxed around each another. As she filled the pot and set the mugs on a small tray, she took a moment to reflect on the past few hours.
As a teenager, Honey had hardly been the most assertive of the Bob-Whites. Even after her confidence in her ideas and opinions developed way beyond anything she might have expected, she was still considered tactful, thoughtful— the sweet one, the sensible one— and she didn’t mind. She rather liked the fact that her friends and family felt they could count on her, but today…today, she had exercised that little used part of her that didn’t just take charge, it took over.
But it had been necessary, she thought as she poured boiling water on the leaves. Brian had been a mess. She loved him, of course. She’d realized it the moment she saw him standing there, looking like that. And not just as the man she could call her first love and pack away into a box labelled, ‘special friend’. Was it possible that there was one single person in the world you were meant to be with? One heart and soul that spoke to yours in a way no one else’s ever could?
Imagining Brian’s response to such an idea was enough to bring her back to reality. He had loved her, she didn’t doubt that, but he was far more logical than she would ever be. People moved on, even from the greatest of losses. The human race, he had often said, was nothing if not resilient. Lifting the tray, she carried it through and placed it on the end table Brian used as a night-stand. She poured for both of them, and then resumed her seat in the easy chair.
“Thanks,” Brian said. “For everything. I really do appreciate it, even if it is hard to tell.”
“I know.” She gave him a half-smile. “Even if you would have thrown me out bodily if you’d been up to it.”
He laughed. One of those laughs that made his dark, dark eyes gleam and those almost dimples appear in his cheeks. “Even in this state, I’m guessing I could have done that. You don’t weigh much more than you did when I first met you.”
“First of all,” she said, waving her finger at him. “It’s cruel of you to remind me that I didn’t develop curves the way my friends did, and secondly, in case you’ve forgotten, I’ve had training. I think you’d find me a little harder to throw around than you think.” The words were out before she had time to register how they might sound to him.
“You have a great body,” Brian said and immediately fixed his gaze on his mug of tea.
Apparently his verbal filter wasn’t working either. Honey pretended he hadn’t said anything, though memories of his appreciation of her body, just the way it was, tugged at a corner of her mind.
“So, current issues aside, how are things at the hospital?” It was an innocent enough question. Of course, what she really wanted to know was “who’s Cindy”. Or did she?
“They’ve turned out pretty well,” Brian admitted. “I’ve learned a lot and done time in paediatrics as well the ER.”
“Do you like Chicago?” If he were enjoying his time that much, maybe he’d choose to stay on. Honey knew that Helen Belden was hoping her son would eventually work at a hospital somewhere in New York State. Of course, he’d had that opportunity and chosen Chicago instead. She knew all about that.
“Honestly, Honey, I’ve hardly seen it. I’m pretty much at the hospital, at the clinic or at home eating and sleeping. Not exactly living the high life here.”
She knew how busy his schedule could be, but this sounded tough. “But you must have made friends, to hang out with when you do get time off.”
“Not really…” Brian took another sip of tea. “I mean, sure, obviously I have friends, but most of them work at the hospital too, so they don’t have a lot of downtime either.”
It didn’t sound like much of a life to Honey. Brian had always worked hard, focussed on his goals, but this sounded downright unhealthy. She found herself imagining him working double shift after double shift, coming back to this tiny space, where she found so little trace of the man she knew him to be. Did he eat solitary meals that bore no resemblance to the wholesome fare of Crabapple Farm?
“Want to watch some television?” Brian asked, interrupting her reverie.
“Sure.”
“I think they have one of those Canadian home shows on you like.”
She smiled as he picked up a remote, and the small television in the corner of the room sprang to life.
It all felt so normal. A meal with his sister and Honey, an hour or so of television, watched in companionable semi-silence. Brian had to remind himself that it was anything but normal now. He was still light-headed, achy and a little feverish, but he was surprised at how much better he felt: the drugs, the shower, the hot tea— the company. He pushed the last away. That was just the bug talking.
But a short distance away from him, so short a distance that he could reach out and touch her if he really wanted to, Honey sat, curled up in the easy chair, nursing her mug of tea. Her lips curved in a smile and her hazel eyes lit up as she watched the transformation of an outdated lake cottage into a cosy retreat.
Honey had had plenty of practice living with redecorating— her mother was famous for it— but her own style was more cottage than mansion, more painted and old wooden surfaces than gleaming marble and stainless steel. She was definitely her own woman. For just a moment he let his imagination drift, making over the room they were in; in his mind, creating a cream and green living room with paned windows and a fireplace. He gave his head a rueful shake. Maybe he needed more drugs— he was losing it for sure.
“I think I might take a shower,” Honey said, uncurling from the chair. “If that’s okay?”
“Sure. I mean, maybe it would be a good idea…”
She was gone, closing the bathroom door behind her before he could finish his sentence. Damn, he’d wanted to talk to her.
Less than ten minutes later, she re emerged. The long fine knit button-through sweater she’d been wearing was still wrapped around her slender form, but now those long legs were bare, making it harder for him to concentrate and to say what he needed to say. “I’ll get your tablets, but do you want anything else?” she asked.
“Actually, I was thinking,” Brian needed this to sound casual, as if it had just occurred to him. “You can’t really stay here; there’s no guest room. Heck, there’s no bedroom. There’s a really nice hotel not far from here. I’m sure they’d have a room available.”
“Are you throwing me out of your apartment in a strange city? Wearing this?” Honey put her hands on her hips, and he could see her well-shaped brows lift through the remnants of her bangs.
“Of course not, I was just…” Brian saw the set of her jaw and watched as she narrowed her eyes. “I have a sleeping bag somewhere. I’ll get it down and I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No, you won’t. You are sick.” She spoke slowly as if he was deficient in some way.
“Look, you can’t expect me to let you sleep on the floor. Because I don’t care how sick I am…”
During this exchange Honey filled a glass with water and grabbed the bottle of pills from the counter. She sat on the edge of the futon and held them out. “Take these.”
“You’re not going to drug me into acquiescence,” Brian said, taking them from her.
“I don’t intend to. I’ve been up since four-thirty this morning, I’m tired and right now, standing here like this, I’m cold— scoot over.”
“What?”
“Scoot over, Brian. Neither one of us is sleeping on the floor tonight. I’m sleeping with you.”
He did as she asked. What else could he do? Honey unbuttoned the sweater and he tried not to stare as he took in the sight of her tiny little stretchy tank top and short cotton pyjama bottoms. Honey was right in saying she’d never developed curves, but he definitely didn’t mind. Her breasts might be small, but they were pert and perky and perfectly…damn, he was doing it again. But she wasn’t lying about being cold. As for those long legs… He moved as far over as he could and she slid into bed beside him.
“You can wake me if you feel sick during the night,” she said, wriggling slightly as she tried to find a comfortable position.
“I feel so much better already,” Brian said. “I’m sure I’ll be back to normal by the morning.”
“Not according to your doctor friend,” she returned pointedly. “Anyway, let’s wait until the morning and see.”
He could hardly argue with that.
“We should both get some rest,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Honey reached over and switched off the lamp, the one remaining light on in the studio space.
Brian knew the room would not be completely dark. The drapes at the window didn’t quite meet and the fabric itself was not heavy enough to completely block out the city streetlights. It didn’t bother him. Over the years he’d learned to sleep just about anywhere— it was the only way to survive med school. He closed his eyes, careful to maintain the physical distance between them. Funny, he’d imagine this moment more than once during their split, but it had never looked like this.
Jim Frayne’s smile widened as he caught sight of the woman he loved. In spite of the fact that she’d been up before dawn, Trixie moved with purpose, her signature sandy curls all but bouncing as she walked. At just over five foot two she was shorter than most of the other passengers, but that didn’t prevent her from striding past men a good foot taller than she was.
He waved as she approached and then his smile shifted from his freckled face, and his brow wrinkled. Trixie ran the last few feet, and flung her arms around him.
“I missed you,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.
“Well, it has been all of,” Jim consulted his watch, “sixteen, seventeen hours; that’s a long time.”
“Too true,” Trixie agreed.
“Haven’t you forgotten something?”
“Forgotten something?” his fiancé echoed, wrinkling her brows.
“Left something behind?” Jim prompted.
“Oh,” Trixie laughed. “You mean your sister, my best friend?”
“That’s it. That’s what’s missing.”
Trixie linked her arm through his and the two headed towards the exit. “She’s still in Chicago; Brian’s sick.”
“What?” Jim stopped mid-stride. Brian Belden was still his best friend, but since his move to Chicago and split with Honey, the two hadn’t had as much contact. “What’s wrong? Do we need to call your folks?”
“No,” Trixie said with a smile. “He’s not that sick. I mean he has some sort of infection, and he looked awful and he’s lost weight and let’s face it, he’s the Belden who can least afford to, and I think he’s working himself into the ground, but…” Her smile broadened.
“You’re telling me all this and you’re happy about it?” Jim could have sworn his girl would have needed a longer flight to be jet-lagged, but he was struggling to come up with another explanation for his fiancé’s odd behaviour.
“Honey is still in Chicago,” Trixie repeated. “With Brian.” She tugged on his arm and they started moving towards the glass exit doors again.
Jim’s frown deepened. Like Trixie, he hadn’t pried or interfered when the other couple had split, but he’d known that his sister had struggled in the first few weeks after the break-up and he didn’t want to see her hurt again.
“Who’s sick.” he said slowly.
“Yep,” Trixie confirmed, “and although he tried to get rid of us, your sister was having none of that. She put him in his place, which was bed actually…”
“What?” Jim’s green eyes narrowed as he cut her off mid-sentence.
“Not like that.” Trixie jabbed him in the side. “She sent him to the shower, ordered food and then made him get back into bed, which of course she’d put fresh linen on, ‘cause you know what Honey’s like about that stuff.”
“Right,” Jim said, though he still wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying.
“Look, I’m not getting my hopes up, so don’t give me that look. But thinking about what you just said, you might have a point.” Trixie’s nose wrinkled slightly and her blue eyes twinkled. “After all, there is only one bed. I wonder how they’ll work that?”
Word Count: 5203
THE WHEELERS' LAKE NEXT
Author's Notes: Biggest hugs and thanks to Mary C, who edited for me. Poor Mary made the mistake of wondering what happened between Honey and Brian and wound up working her way through my misplaced commas and other oddities. Not only did she catch a multitude of mistakes, she also offered suggestions that made this flow far better. Remaining issues are all my own. There's no mystery here—this was completely down to Honey and Brian refusing to be quiet until they'd showed me what did happen. Trixie Belden et al belong to Random House and not to me (but if they ever decided to share...) No profit is being made from these scribblings.
“He said he didn’t have to work, he knew when we were coming,” Trixie ticked things off her fingers as she spoke, “ and his apartment is the size of a postage stamp— even if he is in the shower, my guess is he’d still hear us.”
As she prepared to knock again, there was the sound of footsteps inside the apartment and the door was pulled open. “About time,” Trixie began and broke off.
Honey knew her own hazel eyes had widened at the sight of her former love. Brian, who was the best looking of the Bob-White men— and that wasn’t just her opinion— and who was almost always neat and well-groomed looked terrible. His dark eyes had huge shadows under them, his normally healthy complexion was a palish gray, his dark hair looked limp and greasy and he had lost weight. Brian had a naturally lean athletic build, but at present he was unnaturally thin.
“You look awful,” Trixie said with her customary bluntness.
“Thanks,” Brian said. “Sorry, I must have dozed off. I was going to call you girls and cancel. I seem to have picked up a mild bug.”
“A mild bug?” His sister’s sandy brows shot up. “The plague? Tuberculosis?”
“Glad to see you haven’t lost your propensity for exaggeration.” His gaze shifted. “Hey, Honey. Sorry about this; I have the name and address of some restaurants you can go to.”
“That’s nice,” Honey said, stepping past Trixie past Brian, who was leaning against the door and into the apartment. “We’ll be eating in.”
Brian’s gaze lingered on her for a moment and, when his sister, not bothering to hide her smirk, followed her in, he shrugged and closed the door. “Really, this place isn’t fit for visitors.”
“We’re not visitors; we’re Bob-Whites and that’s family,” Honey said firmly. Of course, Trixie was Brian’s actual family but she was not about to split hairs. He isn’t wrong though, she thought, glancing around the tiny space. Brian did not have a huge amount of money, and inner Chicago rents weren’t exactly cheap. He’d opted for a studio style apartment, with a small kitchenette, a bathroom and a living room that contained a couple of small easy chairs and a futon that obviously, from its present state, worked both as sofa and bed.
Back in Sleepyside, Brian had been the tidiest of the Belden offspring, so the fact that the visible surfaces were dusty, there were dirty dishes in the sink and the unmade bed was strewn with clothes was a bit of a surprise to both young women.
“Honey’s right,” Trixie said. “If you think I can go home and lie to Moms about how well you’re doing, you’re even sicker than you look. Our flight isn’t until ten tonight; that’s plenty of time for us to tidy up around here and order in some food.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Brian said.
“What did the doctor say was wrong with you?” Honey asked, fixing him with a look that brooked no avoidance.
“I haven’t seen a doctor,” Brian stammered. He took a moment before adding, “ I am a doctor.”
“Well, if you’re your own patient, you’re not as good as doctor as I thought,” Honey said with a toss of her head.
Trixie slipped out of her jacket and turned to hang it on the wooden rack attached to the wall. She needed to hide her face in order for neither her friend nor her brother to see the expression on it. Honey was a long way from the timid, uncertain girl she’d met a dozen years before, but she was rarely this take charge. “I’ll do the dishes,” Trixie offered. “while the two of you work the rest of this stuff out.” Trixie hurried into the kitchenette where she could keep her back to them and still hear everything that was said.
“Do you have a specific doctor you want me to call or should I just Google?” Honey faced her ex-boyfriend squarely.
“You’d do that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” Honey said. “And to really annoy you, I’d start offering extra money to get them to make a house call.”
In spite of the situation Brian’s lips twitched and a half-smile crossed his lips. “I know better than to argue when you’re like this,” he said resignedly. “I’ll call myself.”
“Right here, right now.” Honey said.
“There’re not a lot of other places I can go in this apartment.”
Brian was as good as his word, and when he ended the call a few minutes later, announced that the doctor would be there soon. Apparently, he’d called when two consecutive patients had just cancelled their appointments.
“You two could still go out and eat and come back and check on me,” he suggested.
“Yes, we could,” Honey agreed, “but we’re not going to. Now, why don’t you sit down? I’ll make you some tea and then change that bed.” Her nose wrinkled just a little, and a hint of color stole across Brian’s pale face. He obeyed anyway, dropping into one of the easy chairs and pulling a throw rug over him
As Honey searched the cupboards for supplies, Trixie began to dry the dishes she’d washed. She caught her friend’s eye and grinned. It had upset her enormously when her best friend and her eldest brother had ended their relationship, and as neither one of them had ever explained why, it was still something that bothered her. She knew that they’d both dated since, but she also knew that Honey’s dates had led to nothing and Mart, who spoke regularly to his brother, had suggested the same about Brian. From what Trixie could see, there was no current woman in Brian’s life, at least not one whose presence could be detected in the small space. A quick, necessary trip to the bathroom, offered further support for her theory. Trixie hadn’t hesitated to investigate the contents of the medicine cabinet. After all, there might be something in there that would help her ailing brother. There was certainly no evidence of a feminine nature.
She returned to the main room to find Brian nursing a cup of tea. Honey had stripped the bedding from the futon and was already unfolding clean sheets. Trixie wondered how she’d gotten that far that fast.
“Trix, can you gather up the dirty linen? There must be a laundry basket around here somewhere.”
“In the bathroom,” Trixie supplied as she did as asked. She’d checked that too.
An hour later, the apartment looked more than just presentable, and Brian had been seen by the doctor, an older man who seemed to know Brian quite well.
“I keep telling him he needs to look after himself,” the doctor said as he put away his bag and handed Honey a scrip. “He works all the usual shifts at the hospital and still volunteers regularly at the evening free clinic I run twice a week.”
“That sounds like him,” Trixie said with an affectionate smile for her brother. “He’s always had an overdeveloped sense of duty. Trust me, it’s hard for the rest of us to live up to.”
“He should get out more. If it weren’t for Cindy, I don’t think he’d get out at all.”
Trixie and Honey exchanged glances, and the former wondered if her detective skills had been right after all.
“Anyway,” the doctor continued, “he’s definitely not contagious. He’ll have a bit of a balance issue until the antibiotics kick in because his inner ear is pretty inflamed. He just needs forty-eight hours of bed rest and some decent meals into him. I’ll call the hospital,” he added as Brian began to protest. “And this time, do as I tell you.”
Trixie thanked him as she let him out, and then turned to face her brother and friend. “Right, well I think I should go and get that scrip filled. I can pick up some food while I’m out.”
“And you can take quick shower and then get back into bed,” Honey said to Brian. “If Trixie doesn’t mind she can pick up a few things from the market as well. There’s not much in the refrigerator.”
“You can both go, and like I’ve said already; eat out, have some fun. You can bring me something back if you insist, though I’m not hungry.”
“Too bad,” Honey said. “I noticed a drug store and a market just a little way down the street.” She turned back to Trixie. “And I think there was a Chinese Restaurant as well. You could order the food, drop off the prescription, and then grab the stuff from the market…” she trailed off. “Sorry, Trix. You don’t need me to tell you all this.”
“I don’t mind,” Trixie said, loving the look on her brother’s face as Honey issued order after order. “Give me a list for the market though, you know what I’m like. And ;what do you want to eat?”
“Whatever you feel like is good, but get some soup for Brian: hot and sour or chicken and mushroom, she added, throwing a look over her shoulder at the dark-haired man. You’re eating something,” She grabbed a pen and paper from her large tote bag and handed it to her friend. “That should do it for now. I can pick up more stuff tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Brian said, his dark brows lifting as his sister hurried out, barely able to contain her laughter.
“The doctor said forty-eight hours.” Honey smiled sweetly. “Now, are you getting into the shower or do you need me to help you with that too?”
Dark eyes met hazel, and Brian felt a hint of something in his body that had nothing to do with whatever bug he was currently fighting. “I’ll be fine,” he said, slowly walking to a bureau and pulling out fresh sleepwear.
“Good,” Honey said, heading back into the kitchenette. “I’m going to make some tea. Would you like another cup when you’re done?”
The funny thing was, Brian thought, as he sat, propped up on a mound of pillows and cushions, finishing off his soup, that he really hadn’t been hungry. But when Trixie had returned, the aroma of the spicy soup Honey had ordered had sparked his appetite and he’d enjoyed every mouthful. The shower had helped too. Maybe because he hadn’t had one for…he started to count in his head and stopped. He didn’t need to go there, did he? He hadn’t bothered to raise any more objections during the time they ate their meal or when Honey had handed him the tablets prescribed by the doctor. All he needed to do was to remain calm for a couple more hours and then they’d be off back to Sleepyside. Honey’s threat to stay was just that. She’d been worried he wouldn’t eat, but now that he had, he was confident she’d leave peacefully.
He and Honey hadn’t spent much time together since their split— just an occasional hour here and there when he’d managed to get back home— and most, if not all, of the other Bob-Whites had been around when they were together at the time. Not that he didn’t think about her— even he couldn’t look someone in the eye and make that claim. And even now, seeing her sitting so close, laughing with Trixie, trading bites of their Kow-pung chicken and Moo-shoo pork, there was still that old feeling of familiarity, of comfort. He pushed it away.
“Thanks,” he said finally, as he set the empty bowl aside. “I guess I did need that.”
“Doctor Brian doesn’t always know best,” Honey said with one of those smiles. The one between half and full; the one with a world of unspoken words behind it. Damn it!This sickness was really taking its toll on his ability to control his thoughts.
“That was good Chinese,” Trixie said with a satisfied sigh. “I was determined to have a good dinner ‘cause plane food…” She made a face.
“You girls should probably be thinking about calling a cab. You don’t want to be late to the airport.”
“Brian’s right,” Honey said, standing and gathering the empty cartons and Brian’s dishes. “You’re okay with taking care of the report on this one, Trix, and talking to the client without me?”
Trixie nodded. “I’ve got it covered, Hon. Do you want me to call your folks?”
“No, they’re not likely to be home anyway. I’ll send them a text and let them know I’ll be home in a few days.”
“Wait a minute,” Brian said, struggling to sit up straighter. “You can see how much better I am now, and I promise I won’t go back to work until I’m better.”
“I know you won’t,” Honey said easily, “because I’ll be here to witness that first hand.” She smiled brightly, but her jaw was set in a determined way that the other two recognized.
“Trix, can you please talk some sense into your partner?”
Trixie just snorted inelegantly. “She is the sensible one or have you forgotten?”
Had he? Honey was sensible in lots of ways. Sensible and sensitive, but a lot of the time he didn’t think sensible when he thought Honey. Maybe that was because she was the only person he’d ever known who could stop him in his tracks or completely derail his own sensible, orderly approach to the universe.
“You might as well save your energy,” Honey put in, “because I’m staying and that’s that. When I can see for myself that you’re better, I’ll go home.”
Brian shot his sister a look of desperation. Trixie shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t look at me. I have my fiancé waiting at home and as he’s your best friend and Honey’s brother, I’m guessing he’d be on Honey’s side anyway. And if we both went home and told Moms how awful you look, she’d be on a plane out here, so…”
“Oh, for cripes sake,” Brian said. “It’s useless arguing with the two of you when you make your minds up about something.”
“See.” Trixie grinned as she moved to drop a kiss on her brother’s head. “You are getting better. Far more rational thought processes.” She turned back to Honey. “Do you need to go to the drug store or market to grab some basics?”
Brian looked up. Of course they hadn’t planned on staying in Chicago.
Honey shook her head and lifted up the oversized tote bag she always travelled with. “I always carry a change of clothes and basic toiletries with me when we go anywhere out of town, just in case.”
“Just in case what?” Trixie’s expression was so familiar that Brian actually laughed.
“In case we end up having to stay somewhere or do something we weren’t expecting, like, say…now.” Honey explained, shooting Brian a look.
“I love you, Hon, but there are times when you are kind of weird.” Trixie shook her sandy head.
“I love you too, and I’ll remember that if you ever need to borrow anything from my emergency kit.”
Trixie laughed. “Noted. Now, do I need anything to take back with me?”
“It’s up to you,” Honey said. “You can have my notebook if you want to work on the plane, but if not, it means I can do some work here.”
“Could I possibly deny you that privilege?” Trixie asked airily. “I am too good a friend and partner to be so cruel. Besides, as long as you give me the USB, I’ll have everything I need when I get back.” The two had only just opened their long planned for agency a few weeks earlier, and were excited to see their case-load mounting. This was their first out of state investigation, and they were determined to do well.
Honey nodded, and rummaged through her bag again, pulling the USB out of her notebook cover and handing it to her friend.
Twenty minutes later, Brian and Honey were alone and preparing to spend their first night together in over a year.
He looks a little better already, Honey told herself as she made more tea. What was it about tea that seemed more suitable to recovering invalids than coffee? Brian would probably know. Along with the wealth of medical information that filled his mind, he had always allowed for the benefits of natural remedies and time-honoured approaches. He understood the need for balance.
When Trixie had suggested having dinner with Brian while they were in Chicago, Honey had automatically agreed and had seen the relief in her best-friend’s blue eyes. Since she and Brian had broken up, Honey had done her level best to appear unconcerned whenever he was back in Sleepyside. They had been friendly rather than just polite, but if she was being completely honest, it hadn’t been easy. And Chicago was Brian’s place— she didn’t belong there— and it was part of the reason they’d broken up in the first place. Still, she’d figured it was only a few hours, and with Trixie as a buffer, it wouldn’t be that bad. Trixie and Jim were getting married soon, so even if Honey had wanted to create a permanent disconnect between herself and Brian, it had been out of the question.
After all, she’d survived Mart and Di’s wedding three months ago and managed to smile her way through the photos. Of course, the fact that Dan had been her partner in the wedding party had made that easier to deal with. This time, she and Brian would have to stand side-by-side. It was probably a good thing if they were a little more relaxed around each another. As she filled the pot and set the mugs on a small tray, she took a moment to reflect on the past few hours.
As a teenager, Honey had hardly been the most assertive of the Bob-Whites. Even after her confidence in her ideas and opinions developed way beyond anything she might have expected, she was still considered tactful, thoughtful— the sweet one, the sensible one— and she didn’t mind. She rather liked the fact that her friends and family felt they could count on her, but today…today, she had exercised that little used part of her that didn’t just take charge, it took over.
But it had been necessary, she thought as she poured boiling water on the leaves. Brian had been a mess. She loved him, of course. She’d realized it the moment she saw him standing there, looking like that. And not just as the man she could call her first love and pack away into a box labelled, ‘special friend’. Was it possible that there was one single person in the world you were meant to be with? One heart and soul that spoke to yours in a way no one else’s ever could?
Imagining Brian’s response to such an idea was enough to bring her back to reality. He had loved her, she didn’t doubt that, but he was far more logical than she would ever be. People moved on, even from the greatest of losses. The human race, he had often said, was nothing if not resilient. Lifting the tray, she carried it through and placed it on the end table Brian used as a night-stand. She poured for both of them, and then resumed her seat in the easy chair.
“Thanks,” Brian said. “For everything. I really do appreciate it, even if it is hard to tell.”
“I know.” She gave him a half-smile. “Even if you would have thrown me out bodily if you’d been up to it.”
He laughed. One of those laughs that made his dark, dark eyes gleam and those almost dimples appear in his cheeks. “Even in this state, I’m guessing I could have done that. You don’t weigh much more than you did when I first met you.”
“First of all,” she said, waving her finger at him. “It’s cruel of you to remind me that I didn’t develop curves the way my friends did, and secondly, in case you’ve forgotten, I’ve had training. I think you’d find me a little harder to throw around than you think.” The words were out before she had time to register how they might sound to him.
“You have a great body,” Brian said and immediately fixed his gaze on his mug of tea.
Apparently his verbal filter wasn’t working either. Honey pretended he hadn’t said anything, though memories of his appreciation of her body, just the way it was, tugged at a corner of her mind.
“So, current issues aside, how are things at the hospital?” It was an innocent enough question. Of course, what she really wanted to know was “who’s Cindy”. Or did she?
“They’ve turned out pretty well,” Brian admitted. “I’ve learned a lot and done time in paediatrics as well the ER.”
“Do you like Chicago?” If he were enjoying his time that much, maybe he’d choose to stay on. Honey knew that Helen Belden was hoping her son would eventually work at a hospital somewhere in New York State. Of course, he’d had that opportunity and chosen Chicago instead. She knew all about that.
“Honestly, Honey, I’ve hardly seen it. I’m pretty much at the hospital, at the clinic or at home eating and sleeping. Not exactly living the high life here.”
She knew how busy his schedule could be, but this sounded tough. “But you must have made friends, to hang out with when you do get time off.”
“Not really…” Brian took another sip of tea. “I mean, sure, obviously I have friends, but most of them work at the hospital too, so they don’t have a lot of downtime either.”
It didn’t sound like much of a life to Honey. Brian had always worked hard, focussed on his goals, but this sounded downright unhealthy. She found herself imagining him working double shift after double shift, coming back to this tiny space, where she found so little trace of the man she knew him to be. Did he eat solitary meals that bore no resemblance to the wholesome fare of Crabapple Farm?
“Want to watch some television?” Brian asked, interrupting her reverie.
“Sure.”
“I think they have one of those Canadian home shows on you like.”
She smiled as he picked up a remote, and the small television in the corner of the room sprang to life.
It all felt so normal. A meal with his sister and Honey, an hour or so of television, watched in companionable semi-silence. Brian had to remind himself that it was anything but normal now. He was still light-headed, achy and a little feverish, but he was surprised at how much better he felt: the drugs, the shower, the hot tea— the company. He pushed the last away. That was just the bug talking.
But a short distance away from him, so short a distance that he could reach out and touch her if he really wanted to, Honey sat, curled up in the easy chair, nursing her mug of tea. Her lips curved in a smile and her hazel eyes lit up as she watched the transformation of an outdated lake cottage into a cosy retreat.
Honey had had plenty of practice living with redecorating— her mother was famous for it— but her own style was more cottage than mansion, more painted and old wooden surfaces than gleaming marble and stainless steel. She was definitely her own woman. For just a moment he let his imagination drift, making over the room they were in; in his mind, creating a cream and green living room with paned windows and a fireplace. He gave his head a rueful shake. Maybe he needed more drugs— he was losing it for sure.
“I think I might take a shower,” Honey said, uncurling from the chair. “If that’s okay?”
“Sure. I mean, maybe it would be a good idea…”
She was gone, closing the bathroom door behind her before he could finish his sentence. Damn, he’d wanted to talk to her.
Less than ten minutes later, she re emerged. The long fine knit button-through sweater she’d been wearing was still wrapped around her slender form, but now those long legs were bare, making it harder for him to concentrate and to say what he needed to say. “I’ll get your tablets, but do you want anything else?” she asked.
“Actually, I was thinking,” Brian needed this to sound casual, as if it had just occurred to him. “You can’t really stay here; there’s no guest room. Heck, there’s no bedroom. There’s a really nice hotel not far from here. I’m sure they’d have a room available.”
“Are you throwing me out of your apartment in a strange city? Wearing this?” Honey put her hands on her hips, and he could see her well-shaped brows lift through the remnants of her bangs.
“Of course not, I was just…” Brian saw the set of her jaw and watched as she narrowed her eyes. “I have a sleeping bag somewhere. I’ll get it down and I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No, you won’t. You are sick.” She spoke slowly as if he was deficient in some way.
“Look, you can’t expect me to let you sleep on the floor. Because I don’t care how sick I am…”
During this exchange Honey filled a glass with water and grabbed the bottle of pills from the counter. She sat on the edge of the futon and held them out. “Take these.”
“You’re not going to drug me into acquiescence,” Brian said, taking them from her.
“I don’t intend to. I’ve been up since four-thirty this morning, I’m tired and right now, standing here like this, I’m cold— scoot over.”
“What?”
“Scoot over, Brian. Neither one of us is sleeping on the floor tonight. I’m sleeping with you.”
He did as she asked. What else could he do? Honey unbuttoned the sweater and he tried not to stare as he took in the sight of her tiny little stretchy tank top and short cotton pyjama bottoms. Honey was right in saying she’d never developed curves, but he definitely didn’t mind. Her breasts might be small, but they were pert and perky and perfectly…damn, he was doing it again. But she wasn’t lying about being cold. As for those long legs… He moved as far over as he could and she slid into bed beside him.
“You can wake me if you feel sick during the night,” she said, wriggling slightly as she tried to find a comfortable position.
“I feel so much better already,” Brian said. “I’m sure I’ll be back to normal by the morning.”
“Not according to your doctor friend,” she returned pointedly. “Anyway, let’s wait until the morning and see.”
He could hardly argue with that.
“We should both get some rest,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Honey reached over and switched off the lamp, the one remaining light on in the studio space.
Brian knew the room would not be completely dark. The drapes at the window didn’t quite meet and the fabric itself was not heavy enough to completely block out the city streetlights. It didn’t bother him. Over the years he’d learned to sleep just about anywhere— it was the only way to survive med school. He closed his eyes, careful to maintain the physical distance between them. Funny, he’d imagine this moment more than once during their split, but it had never looked like this.
Jim Frayne’s smile widened as he caught sight of the woman he loved. In spite of the fact that she’d been up before dawn, Trixie moved with purpose, her signature sandy curls all but bouncing as she walked. At just over five foot two she was shorter than most of the other passengers, but that didn’t prevent her from striding past men a good foot taller than she was.
He waved as she approached and then his smile shifted from his freckled face, and his brow wrinkled. Trixie ran the last few feet, and flung her arms around him.
“I missed you,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.
“Well, it has been all of,” Jim consulted his watch, “sixteen, seventeen hours; that’s a long time.”
“Too true,” Trixie agreed.
“Haven’t you forgotten something?”
“Forgotten something?” his fiancé echoed, wrinkling her brows.
“Left something behind?” Jim prompted.
“Oh,” Trixie laughed. “You mean your sister, my best friend?”
“That’s it. That’s what’s missing.”
Trixie linked her arm through his and the two headed towards the exit. “She’s still in Chicago; Brian’s sick.”
“What?” Jim stopped mid-stride. Brian Belden was still his best friend, but since his move to Chicago and split with Honey, the two hadn’t had as much contact. “What’s wrong? Do we need to call your folks?”
“No,” Trixie said with a smile. “He’s not that sick. I mean he has some sort of infection, and he looked awful and he’s lost weight and let’s face it, he’s the Belden who can least afford to, and I think he’s working himself into the ground, but…” Her smile broadened.
“You’re telling me all this and you’re happy about it?” Jim could have sworn his girl would have needed a longer flight to be jet-lagged, but he was struggling to come up with another explanation for his fiancé’s odd behaviour.
“Honey is still in Chicago,” Trixie repeated. “With Brian.” She tugged on his arm and they started moving towards the glass exit doors again.
Jim’s frown deepened. Like Trixie, he hadn’t pried or interfered when the other couple had split, but he’d known that his sister had struggled in the first few weeks after the break-up and he didn’t want to see her hurt again.
“Who’s sick.” he said slowly.
“Yep,” Trixie confirmed, “and although he tried to get rid of us, your sister was having none of that. She put him in his place, which was bed actually…”
“What?” Jim’s green eyes narrowed as he cut her off mid-sentence.
“Not like that.” Trixie jabbed him in the side. “She sent him to the shower, ordered food and then made him get back into bed, which of course she’d put fresh linen on, ‘cause you know what Honey’s like about that stuff.”
“Right,” Jim said, though he still wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying.
“Look, I’m not getting my hopes up, so don’t give me that look. But thinking about what you just said, you might have a point.” Trixie’s nose wrinkled slightly and her blue eyes twinkled. “After all, there is only one bed. I wonder how they’ll work that?”
Word Count: 5203
THE WHEELERS' LAKE NEXT
Author's Notes: Biggest hugs and thanks to Mary C, who edited for me. Poor Mary made the mistake of wondering what happened between Honey and Brian and wound up working her way through my misplaced commas and other oddities. Not only did she catch a multitude of mistakes, she also offered suggestions that made this flow far better. Remaining issues are all my own. There's no mystery here—this was completely down to Honey and Brian refusing to be quiet until they'd showed me what did happen. Trixie Belden et al belong to Random House and not to me (but if they ever decided to share...) No profit is being made from these scribblings.
