Part I
Crash
Trixie looked around her, dazed. There was a loud ringing in her ears. She felt her car door open and strong hands reach for her.
“Trixie, are you okay?” she heard a faraway sounding voice ask.
Trixie nodded her head and then looked up into the concerned face of Tad Webster. “What happened?” she gasped.
“Let’s get you out of your car first. Can you move?” asked Tad.
Trixie nodded again. Tad reached into the car and unclipped the seat belt holding Trixie in place. He helped her out and led her over to a grassy area by the street. He carefully lowered her to the ground and placed his jacket gently over her shoulders. She took one look at her car and shuddered. She saw the cluster of emergency vehicles on the street and the group of onlookers. She looked up at Tad, her eyes full of questions.
‘You were waiting to make a left turn. That red SUV plowed into the back of you. Your car spun around and slammed into the light pole. I’m afraid your car might be totaled,” Tad explained.
Trixie held her forehead in her hand, ‘Was anybody hurt?” she asked.
“No,” answered Tad.
“Why are my ears ringing?” asked Trixie.
“Your airbag deployed and that makes a huge racket.”
Tad rubbed Trixie’s back, then disappeared briefly. When he reappeared, he was carrying a cup of hot tea from the nearby coffee shop. He guided the cup to Trixie’s mouth and then watched as she sipped the warm beverage, relieved to see color slowly returning to her face. Trixie sat back and watched as Tad jumped up and began assisting the emergency crews with the street clean-up. He then returned to her side where he gently readjusted the jacket he had thrown over her shoulders. He took Trixie’s hand and helped her stand, She wobbled and he reached out to steady her. ‘I think we should get you checked out at the hospital,” said Tad. Despite Trixie’s objections, Tad assisted Trixie to his car.
As they drove along, Trixie looked at Tad thoughtfully. "You're a really nice guy, Tad."
"Huh?"
"Seriously, I was wrong about you,” remarked Trixie. “ You're a really nice guy.”.
"What are you talking about?" questioned Tad.
"I used to think you were a goon." She paused. "But now, I see you as a friend."
Tad looked at Trixie and smiled. He pulled his car into a parking space and led Trixie into the emergency room. As the doors closed behind them, Tad yelled, "Could I get some help for my friend?"
Burgers and a Ride
Tad stepped back as a nurse guided Trixie to a wheelchair and then pushed her down the hall, disappearing behind a set of double doors. Tad, alone in the waiting room of the Sleepyside Hospital Emergency room, pulled out his phone and scanned through his contacts. Finding the one he wanted he pushed the “call” button and prepared himself for the conversation.
“Uh, Hi Mrs. Belden, this is Tad,” he said into the phone as soon as Mrs. Belden answered.
“Hello Tad. What a nice surprise. What can I do for you?” asked Helen Belden cautiously, surprised by the call.
Tad told Mrs. Belden about the accident, assuring her that Trixie had not sustained any injuries, but that she was being checked out at the hospital as a precaution. Mrs. Belden thanked Tad and told him that she would call Mr. Belden and that they would both come to the hospital immediately. The call ended and Tad slid his phone back into his pocket and prepared to wait for either Trixie or her parents. Tad was pacing the small, beige waiting room when noticed a stack of ragged magazines piled on a table. Shrugging his shoulders, he selected a six month old Time magazine and sat back on an ink stained chair. He was thumbing through the magazine when he heard his name being called.
“Mr. Webster, Miss Belden is asking for you,” the emergency room receptionist said
Tad tossed the magazine onto the nearby table and quickly went down the hall to Trixie’s examining room. Pausing at the entrance to her cubicle, he rapped softly on the door frame the was hidden behind the gray privacy curtains. Trixie looked up and met his eyes with a weary smile.
“Hi Tad. Come on in,” she said.
Tad pushed the curtains aside and entered the area.” How are you feeling, Trix?” he asked.
“I think I’m okay. My shoulder hurts from the seatbelt and my ears are still ringing. But aside from that, everything else seems to be fine.”
“Whew! Glad to hear that. I was really scared when I saw your car spin around. I thought for sure that you were seriously hurt or worse.”
“Looks like I dodged a bullet again, Webster, Guess you’re still stuck with me,” Trixie managed a weak grin, then paused , chewing her bottom lip, “Wish I could say the same for my car. Do you think it will cost a lot to get it fixed?”
Tad’s brown eyes caught Trixie’s blue ones. “Trixie, I’m afraid that your car is totaled.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“No, but usually when an old car is smashed up, the insurance companies total them out. And your car was really smashed up, Belden. I hope you don’t mind, but I suggested that they tow it to the Sleepyside Body Shop.”
Trixie said nothing as she fought back the tears threatening behind her eyelids. She had been so proud of her car and loved the freedom it provided as she commuted between home and school. The realization that she no longer had this old friend jarred her.
“Great,” Trixie groaned aloud. “How the heck am I going to get back and forth to school?”
Before Tad could answer, he heard the voices of Peter and Helen Belden as they approached the cubicle. He stepped back to give them room. Helen rushed over to Trixie’s side and hugged her tightly, satisfying the need to make sure that her daughter was indeed all right. Mr Belden stood at the other side of Trixie. When Helen was done with her assessment, Peter leaned over and gave Trixie a kiss on the forehead. The three conversed quietly while Tad stood off to the side until Peter looked up and saw him. Crossing the room, Peter grabbed Tad by the hand and shook it, thanking him for his assistance with Trixie and the accident.
“No thanks needed, Mr. Belden,” blushed Tad. “I was worried about her too. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“What happened?” Peter asked.
“Trixie was waiting to make a left turn onto Millbrook Lane and an SUV plowed into the back of her. The impact spun her car around.” Tad explained.
“It actually dislodged my seat,” Trixie shuddered. “It was really horrible , Dad. And I’m really sorry but I think my car is totaled.”
“Shhh, we’ll deal with your car later,” soothed Mr. Belden, walking back to Trixie’s bedside.
“But I have to get back and forth to school. How am I going to do that? I’m doing really well this term and I don’t want to blow it. I loved that car and now I am going to have to find another one.” Trixie exhaled loudly and heaved herself back on her pillow, wincing as her sore left shoulder made contact with the bedding.
“We can decide this later, when you’re back at the farm,” said Peter.
“But I need a way to get to school,” Trixie argued.
“Well, I can always drive you back and forth,” said Mrs Belden.
Trixie’s eyes grew wide as she tried to visualize her Mom taking her to the community college in her minivan. “Moms, this is college, not elementary school. No, I don’t want my Mom to drive me to school,” she declared. As the conversation went on, Trixie became more upset over her lack of transportation.
Finally Tad spoke up shyly, “Excuse me. I have a possible solution. Since Trixie and I are both attending the community college, why don’t I just swing by and pick her up. Our schedules aren’t the same, but I can give her a ride to and from school. She might have to hang around a bit after her last class, but…”
“Oh Tad, that’s very nice of you, but we can’t ask you to do that. I’m sure we can come up with a solution that works for everybody,” replied Mrs. Belden.
“No, really, I would be happy to help out and it’s absolutely no problem at all to give Trixie a ride.”
Peter and Helen looked down at their daughter. Trixie glanced over at Tad.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked.
“Sure. You’re not even out of my way. We can do that for as long as you need it.”
This resolved, the Beldens and Tad began to discuss the specifics of the accident. Hoping to keep the Beldens calm, Tad kept his descriptions of the accident somewhat vague. Glancing at Trixie, Tad was relieved to see her adding to the conversation, her previous distress forgotten. They were interrupted by the sound of a nurse coming into the room, rustling a bunch of papers in her hands.
“We’re setting you free, young lady. Just take it easy for a couple of days,” she cautioned.
After completing the paperwork, Trixie walked down the hallway and out of the hospital. Mr. Belden was going back to the bank and Mrs. Belden was going to return to the farm.
“Trixie, are you coming with me, “ she asked, her hand on the car door.
“Um, not sure.” Trixie faced Tad. “Will you let me buy you lunch as a ‘thank you’ for all you did for me this morning?”
“First Trixie, no thanks are necessary. Second, I would love to have lunch with you But, are you sure you’re up for it?”
Trixie nodded and looked at her mother. “I’ll be fine, Moms. We’ll just be at Wimpy’s.”
Tad saw Helen hesitate. “After lunch, I’ll take her to the body shop so she can grab her books and anything else she left in her car. Then I’ll bring her back to the farm so she can rest. Is that okay with you?” he asked.
Helen Belden nodded, gave Tad a quick hug and left. Tad held out his arm to Trixie, “Shall we?”
Trixie nodded and the two headed off for a delicious lunch of burgers and shakes.
Taking the Field
A week later Tad and Trixie were comfortably settled into a carpooling routine. Tad would swing by Crabapple Farm every morning around eight o’clock to pick up Trixie. Most mornings Trixie had a stash of freshly baked goods from Moms’ kitchen.
“Trixie, I’m going to have to start walking to school if you keep bringing all these treats. I’m gonna weigh a ton by the time this term ends,” said Tad through a mouth full of warm blueberry muffin.
“I’d be happy to drive and let you run behind,” Trixie suggested with a grin. “That way you could keep that tall, athletic body in tip-top shape.”
“Haha! Funny Belden,” smirked Tad as he took another big bite of the hot muffin.
At the university, Tad parked his Jeep Cherokee and he and Trixie walked across the campus. Tad went to his business management class and Trixie headed off to her astronomy class. As Trixie walked along, she thought how her friendship with Tad had changed over the last two weeks. “Who would think that Tad would turn out to be such a good friend to me, she mused?
Across the campus, Tad had similar thoughts. Three years earlier, Tad had received a baseball scholarship to another university, which he had proudly and eagerly accepted. But a rotator cuff injury during his junior year had ended his baseball career and also his scholarship. His return to Sleepyside had been a low point in his life. Having played baseball for most of his life, Tad was uncertain about what he should do next. However, with Spider’s help and encouragement, he enrolled in the community college to finish up his degree. He also got a job at the Community Center where his love and knowledge of baseball were an asset as he helped create youth baseball programs as well as other sports opportunities.
Reconnecting with Trixie after a few years apart had been interesting and refreshing. He realized that while he had grown up at college, Trixie had also grown up. Although still a petite woman, her short curls now fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were still an amazing shade of blue and her charming and pretty ways turned many heads. Tad enjoyed her sense of humor and her love of adventure. Her hot temper had cooled somewhat and she seemed to be a lot more introspective and focused. He found it amazing that, despite having been acquainted with each other for many years, this was the first time they had actually gotten to know each other. They both enjoyed making the other laugh and often told outlandish stories to achieve that goal.
On the drive home that day, Tad entertained Trixie with stories of his various sports teams and the players on them. The team that caught Trixie’s attention was Tad’s soccer team, because that team was a co-ed team. Tad noticed that Trixie seemed interested in the it and asked her if she wanted to join. Trixie hesitated. Even though she ran several days a week, she had no experience playing soccer. “I don’t know Tad. I might really mess up. Besides, I’ve never played soccer with a team before. I’ve only kicked the ball around with Bobby.”
“Don’t worry about experience, Trixie. This is a recreational league and nobody wins anything except a t-shirt and bragging rights.”
Trixie remained hesitant to join the team.
Tad continued to encourage her participation, “Come play one game. I think your tenacity would be an incredible asset on the field. You should at least try it. You wouldn’t buy a car without a test drive. Come try out the team.”
That argument convinced Trixie to make the leap and when she exited Tad’s car that afternoon he had extracted a promise from her to play soccer that weekend. Tad honked as he drove away from the farm and Trixie’s feet quickly carried her into the house.
“You look happy today,” noted Moms
“Oh Moms. Guess what? Tad asked me to play on his co-ed soccer team.” Trixie passed through the kitchen in such a flurry that her mother had no time to reply.
Moms watched as Trixie disappeared from her view. Continuing the dinner preparation that was underway, Moms recalled Trixie’s demeanor two years earlier,
“Moms, everybody is off doing their own thing. Honey and Di are always going to a party or a study group or something else. Brian is so busy he doesn’t even have time to eat. Mart and Dan seem to have disappeared. I know they are all working hard and have a lot of pressure, but really, did they drop off the face of the earth? Did they forget about me?
Trixie bit her lip, debating whether to continue her tirade. Exhaling loudly, she added, “And Jim doesn’t communicate with anybody at all. Whoever heard of piling up college work so deep that you can’t even lift your head? I feel like I am thirteen again and Honey hasn’t even moved next door. Remember how boring the summers were when I was a kid? Well, I’m back there again and I hate it.” Moms remembered how dejected and lonely her daughter had looked as she vented her frustration about her close-knit group of friends that had been around for the last 5 years and their disappearance from her life. She silently applauded Trixie’s decision to go to the community college and not create a mountain of debt for herself. But when she saw Trixie’s unhappy face, that decision pulled at her heart. She had watched while Trixie attended the local college, but noticed that she didn’t participate in any additional activities. It was almost as if Trixie were waiting for her close group of friends to come back home for her life to resume.
Moms could hear Trixie moving around above her. A few minutes later, she heard her daughter bounding down the stairs.
“Bye Moms. I’m off for a run. I promise I’ll help with dinner when I get back,” said Trixie as she breezed through the kitchen and out the back door, letting the door slam behind her. Trixie jumped off the terrace and started on her run down the driveway and onto Glen Road, her earphones firmly in place as the classic rock music pounding in her ears set her pace.
“Good for you, Tad. You got my girl excited again,” Helen said. Humming softly and smiling, Moms was happy and hopeful that a new chapter seemed to be opening up for Trixie.
Trixie”s first game found her watching as the other team took the field. "Why did I let Tad talk me into joining his co-ed soccer team?" she wondered anxiously to herself.
Even though Trixie had doubts about being on the soccer team, Tad did not. Knowing how tenacious Trixie was, Tad thought she might end up being quite an asset to the team.
As the game played out, both teams succeeded in scoring. But time was running out if Tad's team wanted to score, break the tie, and win.
Trixie positioned herself near the goal. Tad sent a shot across the front of the goal, sending the opposing goalie into a chase. Trixie stopped the ball, steadied it and shot.
Trixie heard a Tad's voice ring out, "She shoots! She scores!" as he ran and swept her up in a big hug.
"Hmmm," thought Trixie, "maybe this wasn't such a bad idea."
Nicknames and Shakes
A week after Trixie’s first soccer game, she again found herself on the field with Tad’s team. She felt more comfortable than she did at her first game, thanks to practice sessions with Tad. She hopped up and down as she eagerly awaited the whistle, starting the game. Once the whistle was blown, Trixie ran up and down the field, darting around the opposing team, and frustrating its players. When the game was over, Tad’s team had another win on their record. Heaving their gear into the back of Tad’s jeep, Trixie and Tad drove home, excitedly reliving the game and its highlights.
“That was a great pass you made in the second half”’ Tad complimented his friend.
“Yeh, well, it worked out because the defenders didn’t really think I knew what I was supposed to do. That’s what happens when you ask them how to play the game.” Trixie said with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
“Wait! You asked the opposing team how to play soccer?” Tad asked. ‘Why? You already know how to play. And if you have any questions, you can ask me.”
“No silly. I just asked them so they would think that I knew absolutely nothing about the game and then they would ignore me and leave me wide open to receive passes. Besides, they got on my nerves with their goofy t-shirts,” Trixie explained.
Tad chuckled. “Interesting strategy, Belden. But it worked, so good for you.”
“A lot of the male players think they can run all over me, so I just made them believe that I was so useless to the team that nobody would ever pass me the ball.” Trixie continued. “I loved catching them off guard.”
“Remind me to watch out for you, Belden. You can be evil.” Tad laughed. “Hey, are you hungry. We could stop by Wimpys and grab a shake.”
“Yum, that sounds perfect,” answered. Trixie. She settled back in her seat as Tad swung his car in the direction of the favored hangout.
Settling themselves at Wimpy’s, Trixie and Tad gave Mike their order then leaned back and relaxed in their booth. Trixie fiddled with a paper napkin and looked around the diner. Tad watched as her lips turned up slightly, as if suppressing a smile.
“A penny for your thoughts?” offered Tad.
Trixie looked back at Tad and shrugged. “ Sometimes, just for fun, I give people nicknames that relate to something they have said or done. And, being the nice girl that I am, I keep it clean,” she added with a grin. “Or at least I try to.”
“Okay, go on” urged Tad.
“But I can't help but think about that one guy who tried to do a bicycle kick in front of the goal. Remember, he had a bandanna tied around his head and was wearing bright green socks. Admirable attempt, but a failed execution.”
Tad laughed as he recalled the botched kick attempt that had the opposing player landing flat on his back while his legs continued to pump through the air.
“After that, whenever I saw him running down the field, I thought to myself, “There goes Miss Gulch,” explained Trixie.
“Who’s Miss Gulch?” asked Tad.
“Seriously, you don’t know who Miss Gulch is?”
Tad shook his head.
“She’s the cranky neighbor in The Wizard of Oz. She rides her bike over to Dorothy’s farm and has an order from the sheriff to take Toto away from Dorothy. It’s a great scene in the movie when they show Miss Gulch riding her bike, all prim and proper and so self-righteous.”
“Oh, her! Yeh, I can see that.” Tad paused for a moment. “Did you nickname any other players while you were out there?”
Trixie giggled. “As a matter of fact, I did. Do you remember that one female player that was always whining. She was wearing clean, white, Keds sneakers, had a big puffy ponytail with a scrunchie and was wearing lots of make-up?”
“Who could miss her. She also had some rather large assets in front.”
Trixie’s eyebrows raised up as she looked at her friend. “That too. I don’t know how she could see in front of her when she was running down the field. Anyway, I nicknamed her “Soccer Barbie” because she reminded me of a Barbie doll dressed up to play soccer.”
“And what do you know about Barbie dolls, Belden?”
“Very little!” answered Trixie and they both laughed.
Trixie and Tad looked up as Mike brought two large milkshakes to the table.
“Here’s to friendship,” said Tad as he held out his frosted glass toward Trixie.
“Friendship,” agreed Trixie as the two tapped their glasses together. Their eyes met as they slurped at the delicious cold beverage. Relishing the feel of the cool treat after a warm afternoon on the soccer field, the two continued to discuss various plays of the game, the current Sleepyside gossip, and anything else that came to mind. They laughed and teased each other as the sweet concoctions in their glasses disappeared.
The following Monday, Trixie bounded out of the house when she heard Tad honking his car horn. “Here,” she said as she thrust an apple turnover, wrapped in a paper napkin, into his hand.
“Ummm,” Tad inhaled the fragrance of the delicious pastry. “This smells amazing. But, seriously, you don’t need to bribe me with treats in order to get a ride.”
Trixie giggled. “It’s the least I can do. You have been such a great help.”
Tad shook his head. “Stop it. I enjoy our riding together. You give me more than food for thought. Who else could entertain me with her theories about how to win a soccer game by acting dumb?”
“Haha, Webster,” replied Trixie as she snapped her seatbelt and settled back in her seat.
“By the way,” she continued, “I heard from the insurance company today. Since my car was indeed totaled, my insurer went after that driver to collect compensation. Apparently, he’s being a real pain in the… rear.”
Tad glanced at Trixie. “Spider said he was drunk. Did you know that?”
Trixie nodded. “Yes, I guess his version of a healthy breakfast is a martini smoothie . At least he had insurance. Once I get my money, then I can go out and try to find a decent car, like that will be fun.” Trixie snorted.
‘I could help you,” volunteered Tad, “unless your Dad or one of your brothers wants to do that”.
Trixie turned her gaze toward Tad. “Oh yeh,” she snorted. “I could see Mart coming home from college to car shop with me. I would probably end up buying a bicycle just to get away from him. But seriously, you would help me shop?”
Tad shrugged. “Sure, why not? Besides, it’s always fun to check out cars.”
Trixie responded by raising her brows at her friend. “Really? But yes, I accept your offer to help me. And I’m sure my Dad won’t mind. He might want to check out any car I decide to buy, but as for shopping for it, nah, not something he wants to do.”
“If you want, we could start looking this weekend.” Tad suggested.
“Okay, but I have to work nine to three on Saturday. Can we go out after that?” Trixie asked.
Tad snapped his head around to look at his companion, surprise on his face. “Working? I didn’t know you had a job. Where do you work?”
“Ingrams’ Antiques. Do you know that place? It’s right near where my car got totaled.”
“Oh yeah, It’s that new place, right? When did you start that job?”
“This Saturday.”
Tad looked at Trixie. “You mean this Saturday is your first day?”
Trixie nodded.
Tad smiled at her. “Then we can celebrate that in addition to looking for a car for you. How did you end up working there?”
“Imogene Ingram was in the bank one day and was telling my Dad how she needed some help in her shop, which has really taken off, by the way. My Dad told her about that antique show the Bob-Whites had put on when we were younger, and she said she would be interested in meeting me. So I went over to her shop and we talked. I don’t know a lot about antiques, but I do love learning about their history. As long as I don’t have to spend my entire time dusting them, I should be fine Her shop is really cool and she is really smart about the business aspect of it, although she can be a bit kooky sometimes. But that just adds to the fun of the job.”
“Hmmm.” Tad murmured, briefly recalling the time he and Trixie had spent time together polishing antiques in preparation for that show. “Trixie Belden: Antique store associate. It does have an interesting ring to it.”
“I know. Who would have thought! But I love that old, musty smell that seems to cling to antiques. And I always feel like I’m poking around in somebody’s attic when I’m in an antique store. It actually might turn out to be a fun job. Besides, there are worse things I could be doing.”
Tad glanced at her. “Like what?”
“Oh, babysitting or cleaning offices or babysitting or serving fast food or babysitting...” Trixie grinned at Tad.
“So I take it you don’t want to babysit, huh?”
“You’re a quick study, Webster.”
Tad took a bite from the warm, flaky pastry as he glanced at the pretty girl sitting next to him as he steered his car down the road toward the highway and the community college. Ah yes, he thought to himself, you definitely don’t have to bribe me to drive Trixie around.
Mart sat back on the family room couch and adjusted the volume on the television. He opened a bag of Cheetos and eased the pull tab off a can of coke. “Ahhhh, this is the life,” he sighed as he tuned in to a baseball game. A constant stream of Cheetos from the bag to Mart’s mouth only added to his contentment. A short time later, a home run made him jump up in excitement. But as he started to sit back on the couch, he noticed that his fingers were all orange. “Yuck,” he grimaced. He looked around the room for a napkin or a towel, but couldn’t find one. He thought about wiping his hands on his pants, but didn’t want to have orange stains on his clothing. Mart looked at his mother’s magazines piled on the coffee table. He shot a quick glance over both his shoulders, making sure he was alone. Then he grabbed one of the magazines off the table and flipped through it. Spreading it wide open, he laid it on the coffee table and wiped his fingers across the glossy pictures. Satisfied with his semi-clean hands, Mart sat back down and continued to watch the game. He was interrupted a short time later by the sounds of laughter from the front porch. He recognized the voices of his sister and her friend Tad. Mart heard the front door open and the two entered the front hall of the farmhouse. The continuing laughter aroused Mart’s curiosity and he got up to see what was so funny. When he looked around the corner into the hall, he gasped. Big, bright splotches of color covered the two friends’ clothing as well as their arms and legs. Tad looked up and saw Mart standing in the doorway watching them.
“Hey Mart,” Tad called out as he slipped off his shoes.
“What have you done?” Mart demanded.
“Paintball, Mart,” Trixie answered. “And we had a blast. You should come with us next time.” Trixie toed out of her tennis shoes and laid them aside. She and Tad headed to the kitchen to find a snack that they could take out to the backyard. As they passed through the family room, they saw Mart’s snack sitting on the coffee table. Trixie grinned when she saw the magazine. Picking it up, she waved it toward Mart’s face.
“I think the real question is, what have you done?” Trixie asked gleefully.
“Tsk! Tsk!,” said Tad, shaking his head from side to side. “Try a spoon next time, buddy.” He slapped Mart on the back and then turned and followed Trixie into the kitchen.
Mart watched the two disappear towards the back of the old farmhouse. Shaking his head, he sat back down on the couch. But his contentment had vanished with the arrival of Trixie and Tad. He frowned slightly as he tried to figure out the relationship between the two. Although he and Tad had gone to school together, they had never been close friends. While in high school, Tad had played baseball and had been a team captain his senior year. Tad tended to hang around with the other jocks, dating different girls and generally making his life something like a party. Mart knew that Tad was a good person, but he still couldn’t see Tad and Trixie having any kind of a serious relationship. “This is what happens when I go away to school,” grumbled Mart as he heard Trixie’s laughter from the kitchen. “I turn my back for a couple of years and everything goes crazy.” Mart returned his attention to the baseball game, but found he couldn’t concentrate on it. What was with Trixie and Tad? He knew that they spent a lot of time together and that Tad was helping Trixie find a car. “Hmph,” Mart snorted. “And he doesn’t seem to be in a very big hurry to do that.” Mart stared at the television screen in front of him but his mind was on his high school friend and his sister. Through all his musings, it never occurred to him that both Trixie and Tad had changed and grown up and that now their personalities meshed together quite nicely. Any thought like that would have greatly surprised Mart.
