Chapter Sixty Four
Later, Jim opened his eyes, to see his best friend peering over him.
"Good morning, sunshine," Brian said sarcastically.
"Go 'way," he muttered, feebly lifting his arm.
"Nuh uh. Not till you tell me why you downed a fifth of aged scotch whiskey when you haven't had anything harder than root beer for twelve years."
Jim just shook his head. No way.
Brian glanced over his shoulder and dropped his voice. "Jim, listen to me. I found you, and the room smelled like sex. When they cleaned you up after pumping your stomach, there were plenty of jokes about you having a nooner with your wife. I know you haven't touched Hallie in years, so fess up. The way I found you? Something happened. Who were you with?"
Jim closed his eyes, praying this was all a bad dream, and mutely shook his head.
"Was it Jill?" Brian asked. "Because I found a letter on your desk from her, resigning immediately. Did you get involved with her, Jim? Is that why you started drinking? Because she left? Did you knock her up?"
Brian had the letter secure in his pocket, where Hallie couldn’t find it. It was innocent enough wording, but people generally didn’t quit immediately when they seemed happy with their job.
"No," he managed.
"What does she want? Something set up on the side? You have maybe two minutes before your father comes busting in here," Brian said quietly. "So you better hurry it up and give me some sort of explanation to spin to them."
"I—I don't remember," Jim said weakly.
Brian frowned but before he could answer, the door flew opened and Matthew and Madeleine Wheeler came rushing in.
"Jim! What the devil happened?"
Jim swallowed hard and just shook his head.
"He doesn’t remember," Brian said evenly, but his eyes let Jim know he didn't believe his friend's story.
"Secretary quit," Jim grunted. "Talked to the lawyers about a divorce."
"You poor dear," Madeleine crooned, running her hand over his face. "Why isn't Hallie here anyway?"
"I didn't call her," Brian replied. "She's at work."
Matthew frowned.
"That ungrateful little bitch," Madeleine snarled. She had never cared much for her daughter-in-law.
Brian nodded his agreement.
"I didn't know if she'd come, honestly," he said. “But the hospital probably called her, being the spouse.”
"She would have," Jim said quietly. "I think."
Jim asked for a moment alone with his father.
“Truth time?” Matthew asked, folding his arms over his chest.
Jim nodded weakly.
“I screwed up, Dad,” he said miserably. “I did something I shouldn’t have and it could blow up in my face.”
“The secretary?” Matt guessed, frowning.
Jim nodded. “It wasn’t planned, Dad, she just…came onto me and I couldn’t stop her.”
“You couldn’t stop her? I’ve seen the girl, you’re practically twice her size, and you couldn’t stop her?”
Jim swallowed. “I didn’t. I should have but…I didn’t. I didn’t want to. It was just a moment we shared.”
Matthew raised one eyebrow and Jim turned red. “Okay, a few moments.”
Matthew sighed. “Is she going to be a problem?”
“I don’t know.”
“You need to learn to keep your pants zipped, Jim,” Matthew said sternly. “I’m not always going to be here to clean up your mess. Let me know if she needs to be removed.”
“Yes, sir,” Jim replied miserably.
***
By the time Hallie was summoned, after making arrangements for Jim’s children to stay with Helen Belden, Mart and Diana had arrived at the hospital. Mart had finally called Hallie, after calling Honey first. Honey and Trixie had come as well, having been out shopping when Brian called Honey. Bo and Luke and Dan were walking in as Hallie headed for the entrance.
Great, she thought, once again, everyone beats me here. Bo came running because Trixie did, that’s got to strike a nerve with him.
But Bo seemed genuinely concerned for Jim’s health, not foaming at the mouth with jealousy that his wife was present, as Hallie had hoped.
"Starting the party without me?" The words were out of Hallie's mouth before she could stop them, regretting it instantly when she realized all of the old Bob-Whites were there, plus the Dukes, plus her in-laws.
"Good of you to come, Hallie," Madeleine greeted her coolly and politely, as usual.
"How is he?" Hallie ignored the greeting.
"Stable. He'll be released pretty soon," Brian answered, studying his cousin. "He downed a fifth of scotch in what was probably a very short amount of time."
Hallie frowned. "Jim doesn't drink. He hasn't for years."
Aralyn, Tiffany and Natala walked up to the group, Tiffany’s expression one of panic. Aralyn had driven them right over when Tiffany got the call about her uncle.
"We were hoping you could shed some light on why he might have started suddenly," Trixie said to Hallie tentatively.
Hallie's eyes narrowed. "I get it. Schoolgirl Shamus is back in action, as soon as her precious Jim is in trouble. Watch out Bo, Jim just might steal her back and leave you hanging," she snapped. “Obviously banging the Trixie lookalike secretary wasn’t enough for him. He’ll probably play the sympathy card to get back in Trixie’s bed. Who knows? Maybe the next kid Trixie pops out will have red hair.”
Trixie's mouth dropped open and Bo looked stunned as there were soft gasps around them. Luke's eyes narrowed, But it was his daughter who reacted first.
Tiffany Duke stepped forward and slapped Hallie across the face, hazel eyes blazing. “Don’t you ever speak about my family like that again!” she hissed.
Aralyn grabbed Tiffany and pushed her towards Natala before Hallie could strike back, then took her place, eyes darkening with rage. If Hallie tried to hit Tiffany, Aralyn would lay her out. “You wanna get nasty, Hallie and start flinging insults? How about the fact you’ve been so jealous of my mother your whole damn life that you schemed your way in to Jim’s bed thinking it would hurt her? We all know you were whoring around with Jim and Ben Riker at the same time, and it was eating at you that my mother found happiness, wasn’t it, making your little plan completely ineffective!” she taunted.
Bo stepped up behind his daughter and put his hands on her arms as a warning, but she ignored him.
“You’ve been nothing but a bitch since the day I met you, and I’m sick of it. You treat Nat like crap when she’s a better person than you could ever hope to be, you treat your kids and husband like crap, and now Jim is laying in there unconscious and you probably drove him to it!”
“Aralyn, that’s enough.” Bo pulled her back.
Red spots flushed Hallie’s features, and her dark eyes were a little glassy. Bo realized quickly Hallie had been drinking.
“Aralyn, sweetheart, come on,” Bo pulled her back.
“Just playing her own game,” Aralyn shrugged but her face belied her anger. “She doesn’t get to just waltz in here and start hurtling insults at you and Mom!”
“She’s been drinking,” Bo murmured in her ear.
Brian maneuvered himself between his niece and cousin. “Hallie, this is a hospital, not a bar. Keep your comments to yourself and behave civilly, or I’ll have you removed.”
Bo, having released Aralyn, who was flanked by Tiffany and Natala, stood behind Trixie and towered over her. He placed his hands on Trixie's shoulders and evenly said, "If someone has deliberately hurt Jim, then we'll all figure out who. Right now, we have no idea what happened."
Trixie's hand covered her husband's, as she smiled up at him gratefully.
"Saccharine sweet," Hallie snarked. "How touching. I have no idea why my idiot husband would drink himself stupid. Try asking his secretary, she sees him more than I do. Maybe they had a lover’s quarrel, because God know he hasn’t touched me in years."
Only Trixie and Dan saw Brian’s eye twitch ever so slightly.
"Can we see him?" Tiffany asked, her eyes moving over Hallie's defensive stance to Bo's protective one. Hallie might be married to her Uncle Jim, but Trixie was her second mother. If Aralyn hadn’t pulled her away, Tiffany might have slapped Hallie a second time. Her hand itched to do it now. Jim deserved so much better than her, she thought. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man.
"I'm sure he'd like that," Brian smiled. "Right through there."
Jim's face lit up as his nieces came in.
"Well, if it isn't the prettiest trio of young ladies in New York." He felt the familiar pang when his eyes landed on Aralyn. He had already seen the blue hair, so it wasn’t as shocking today.
"Hi, Uncle Jim," Tiffany squeezed his hand. Jim knew she was worried when she used the moniker of Uncle.
"Looking a bit peaky," Aralyn sat on the edge of his hospital bed near his feet.
Natala stood next her, and Jim knew she was reading his aura.
Jim nodded. "Got my time zones messed up. It was definitely not five o'clock here."
*
Outside his room, Hallie squared off against her family.
"You know what?" she said. "You can all just leave. I'll take care of my husband; I don't need any of you assholes causing trouble."
"He's our son," Matthew said tightly.
"And he's a Bob-White," Honey crossed her arms over her chest.
Hallie rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that moronic Bob-White crap. That was years ago."
"You're out of line, Hallie," Dan snapped.
Hallie glanced at the man she had once had a crush on, whom in her younger days she had hoped to end up with. But one look at Daisy Duke had erased all other women from Dan’s mind. Hallie knew the minute she met Daisy that she could have never competed with the Southern belle.
"Jim is our friend, and we stand by him. Get over it!” Trixie added, stepping forward, her blue eyes flashed anger.
And against her. The message was clear. Hot tears threatened Hallie's dark eyes and she spun on her heel, storming down the hall.
"Maybe I should go talk to her," Trixie said uncertainly.
"Sweetheart, something tells me you're the last person she wants to see," Bo said gently.
"I'll go," Di said. "It's high time we had a little chat."
The raven haired beauty went after Hallie. Mart shrugged. He wasn’t about to try and stop his wife. His cousin needed someone to get her in line.
***
Hallie kicked the soda machine in anger. They were all ganging up on her, yet again. Always them against her.
“Are you done with your tantrum?” a cold voice demanded.
She turned to see Diana Belden behind her. She and Di had always been friendly, at least in the old days.
“Screw you, Di. Go back to your saintly friends.”
Diana blocked her way, violet eyes flashing. “You can screw yourself, Hallie. I’ve defended you plenty over the years to this family but I’m really wondering why. We came to be with our friend, and you start in with the nastiness from the moment we arrive. Just once, maybe you can stop being a raging bitch and let us give you some support!”
Hallie flinched and swallowed. “I should have been called first, not last.”
“Well, that wasn’t up to me,” Di snapped. “But you don’t exactly give off a caring wife demeanor. Maybe if you treated Jim with something other than scorn, you would have been called sooner.”
“He’s a grown man! Brian didn’t need to call his parents!”
“You’re certainly not taking care of him,” Diana pointed out.
Hallie took a step backwards. “But his secretary is, is that your point? I’m his wife! I’m a Belden, a member of this family and yet I was called last!”
Di shook her head. “I don’t know anything about the secretary. All I know is that you’ve turned into a bitter old bitch that no one wants to be around, and maybe if you changed your attitude a little bit, people might actually like you. I remember I did, before you became this venomous, hateful woman that no one wants to be around.”
That stung, and Hallie inhaled sharply. Diana stared at her for a moment but Hallie couldn’t think of anything to say. Shaking her head in disgust, Diana walked away.
***
Jim looked up as another doctor entered his room. This one was male, older, with thinning hair.
"Dr. Frayne? Dr. Keller," he held out his hand, which Jim shook.
"Hi. What are you a doctor of?" Jim asked wearily.
"Psychiatry," was the cheerful answer.
Jim sighed. "I wondered when you'd show up."
Dr. Keller raised an eyebrow. "Expecting me, then?"
Jim shook his head. "I have degrees in psychology and sociology. Someone ODs on drugs or alcohol, they send in the shrink to see if it was a suicide attempt. No, it wasn't. I had a rotten day, made a bad decision, and then made another bad decision by drinking."
Dr. Keller pulled a chair over next to the bed. "And your hostility?"
"I don't need you to psychoanalyze me," Jim snapped. "I'm not playing the system. I had a crappy day."
Dr. Keller nodded. "Would you like to tell me about it?"
"No," Jim answered sullenly.
"Dr. Frayne, you should know your family is very concerned about you. They say you've become very withdrawn, very quiet, and that your marriage is falling apart."
"Probably, probably again and definitely yes. That would be a contributing factor to today. Spoke with my lawyers," Jim sighed.
"Dr. Frayne, there is most definitely doctor-patient confidentiality here," Dr. Keller reminded him.
"You know, I just don't want to talk," Jim answered, his green eyes staring at the man.
"Very well. But if you change your mind, here's my number."
Jim nodded, planning to throw the card away.
Leaning his head back against the pillow, he recalled the day’s events. He had had an affair again. A one night stand. Or one afternoon stand. Whatever it was. There was no denying it. He was twice her size. He could have stopped her, easily. But he had wanted it so badly, to touch a woman, to believe it was Trixie, if only for a few minutes. He had cheated on his wife again. The wife he didn't love, and was going to have tailed for proof of an affair, in order to simplify the divorce. And yet he had just done the very thing he was having her followed for.
Hypocrite, he thought in disgust. You’re a big hypocrite, Frayne. If Dad was alive, he sure wouldn’t be very proud of you right now.
***
Hallie was there when he was released the following morning, driving him home silently. He was to take the day off, and left the administrative duties of the school in Mart's hands.
Hallie had let the children stay home from school, and Jim was delighted when Regan wanted to lie on the couch with him. Valerra kept her distance, as usual, but Byron shyly approached his father to tell him about his soccer team.
Hallie was in and out of the living room, sometimes working on a design in the kitchen. Her dark eyes watched the children with their father. She knew it cut him deeply that Valerra was so cool and polite, and Byron so shy, despite the last couple of months where he had been spending more time with them. They couldn't remember those early years when Jim spent every waking moment with them. Hallie knew it was she that had pushed Jim away from her and the kids. She had done it on purpose and she was glad. She didn’t know why she wanted them in the divorce settlement, except to hurt him. Her life would be so much simpler, easier without them underfoot all the time. And it would hurt Jim if she got them. That gave her a bit of mean gladness. More than a little, actually.
Then there was Ben. Patiently waiting for her to decide whether or not she was going to leave Jim. There had always been passion between her and Ben. Not lust, like with Jim, but passion. His revelation that he had planned to ask her to marry him still had her floored. If she had just not gone to Vegas that weekend, she could have had Ben. And she could have been happy.
Too late for regrets, Hallie, she thought. Ben still loved her. Jim never had. Maybe a divorce was the best thing after all.
***
Jim was quickly overwhelmed at the thought of having to find a new secretary. Out of guilt, he wrote a large check to Jill, hating himself for what he had let happen. She had called a couple of times, wanting to continue the affair, but the calls stopped abruptly. To his relief, it didn’t appear she was going to cause any trouble. Of course it would be her word against his but if Hallie had any idea….
Marge Trask, who still worked as Matthew Wheeler’s personal assistant paid him a visit a couple of days later.
Jim greeted her warmly. She often attended family celebrations, long considered part of the family, and she adored the younger generation of kids. She was “Aunt Marge” to all them.
“I’m delighted to see you, Marge, is there something I can do for you?”
The elderly lady’s blue eyes sparkled. “It might be more what I can do for you, Jim.”
Jim grinned. “Marge, Dad would skin me alive if I stole you from him.”
Marge laughed. “No, dear boy, but I think I have a solution for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“I have a grand-niece, a bit younger than you that I think might fill your assistant position.”
Jim raised a red eyebrow. “I remember you telling us about her. Your brother’s daughter’s daughter?”
Marge nodded. “She was laid off recently, and thinking of moving up this way. She’s been in Atlanta for a few years.”
Jim nodded.
“She has a bit of a varied resume,” Marge pulled it from her purse and handed it to him, “but she’s a very clever and organized girl, multi-talented. I was hoping you might interview her.”
Jim scanned her resume. “She’s got some impressive computer skills, that’s for sure. I’d be happy to interview her.”
“She’s also a certified and qualified body guard,” Marge laughed.
Jim snorted. “I might be in need of one of those soon.”
“I thought it would be helpful,” her eyes twinkled at him.
“Lovely. And please don’t feel you need hire her. If she’s not what you’re looking for, then so be it.”
“Understood. I look forward to meeting her.”
***
Trixie had just shut the back of her SUV after taking the bag of groceries out when she heard the vehicle turn into her driveway. Turning, she was surprised to recognize the shiny SUV with Ten Acres Academy logo on the side.
She had thought after his last visit Jim wouldn’t be back so soon. He didn’t look much like the administrator or PHD that he was. In his polo shirt and khakis, he looked like any other middle aged man out for a day.
Jim approached Trixie, hands in his pockets.
“Fancy seeing you here,” she brushed her sandy curls back from her forehead.
“I took a day off,” he answered with a smile.
“Come on in,” she said.
“Thanks. Need any help carrying those?”
“Nah, I’ve got it. But if you can get the door to close it, please, that’d be great,” she answered.
He did so, following her inside to the kitchen.
“Sit,” she motioned to a chair as she began to unpack the groceries.
“Thanks,” he said, trying not to notice the way her jeans clung her to her hips.
“So to what do I owe the pleasure of a second visit so soon?” she asked teasingly.
“First, I wanted to apologize for the last visit,” he started but she cut him off.
“Jim, it’s not a big deal. You’re hurting. We’re old friends. It was just a passing moment.”
“I was way out of line,” he replied.
Trixie nodded as she took cans out of a bag. “You were. But I never would have let it go further. You know I don’t feel that way anymore.”
Jim nodded.
“What’s the second part?”
“Was Bo mad?” Jim asked, ignoring the question.
“He wasn’t pleased but he’s Bo,” she laughed. “He’s not going to come hunt you down, if you’re worried. Unless you try it again," she added. "He was quite concerned about you the other day.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” he closed his eyes.
“So?” Trixie prompted.
“I think I’m going to divorce Hallie.”
Trixie raised one eyebrow. “You sure? Last time we talked—”
“Dad’s lawyers will make sure she doesn’t clean me out or steal the kids. I don’t mind sharing custody and of course, I’ll provide alimony for her. I’m just worried about the kids.”
“It’s not going to be easy for them,” Trixie agreed.
“The thing is Trix,” Jim looked up at her, “I just never, never should have married Hallie. Yeah, we were drunk and in Vegas, but it was just a dumb move.”
“You must have loved her at some point,” Trixie said softly.
Jim sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Well. . .”
“Jim, I’m not a priest,” she said. “I can’t give you absolution for whatever’s been eating at you all these years.”
Jim nodded. “I know. But you need to know the truth.”
Trixie braced herself. “And?”
“I got involved with Hallie because you were going to marry Bo,” he said bluntly. “It all started that night. I married Hallie because I wanted to marry a Belden woman. I wanted to have a family like the Beldens. Like my family was before my parents died. I took Hallie because you were beyond my reach.”
Trixie closed her eyes. Bo had guessed as much, many years ago. Trixie had vehemently denied the idea. Jim Frayne would never do such a thing, she answered. There were plenty of women willing to have him.
“Hallie and I talked about annulling it once we sobered up. Then we decided to give it a few months to see what happened. Right as I decided it wasn’t working out, she turned up pregnant with Byron.”
Trixie took the milk and cheese out of a bag. Bo had been right again. She really had to give her husband more credit. He was a decorated Marshal, after all, and smarter than most people realized.
“Of course I couldn’t leave her after that. So we tried to make it work, for his sake. Dumb, I know. Did I ever tell you I wanted to name him after my father?”
Trixie shook her head. “We were all surprised when you didn’t.”
“The bitch wouldn’t let me,” he snapped. Trixie flinched. “I’m sorry, Trix, I know she’s your cousin and all but. . . she threw a fit over his name. Same with Valerra and me wanting to name her Katje. I finally put my foot down on naming Regan. It caused such a huge argument. She wanted our children to have the best of everything, and I can’t blame her for wanting that. She wanted them to have crazy, exotic names. She would have shipped them to some exclusive boarding school if I hadn’t stood my ground. It was bad enough she had an absolute fit about the boys going to the Academy. She didn’t want them exposed to any roughness. We fought so much over that. I know it doesn’t look good that my own boys don’t attend my school. But boarding school? Can you imagine how that would have looked? The sons of the school’s owner off in some private school? It would be worse than now. I should have realized it was one way for her to get out of raising the kids.”
Trixie reached over and squeezed his hand. “I didn’t know all this.”
“Of course not. I wasn’t about to intrude on your married life.”
“You didn’t have to stay so far away all these years, you know.”
“Yeah, I did,” he answered, his green eyes looking at her. “Because it ate me up inside that Bo had everything I ever wanted. The girl, the family. He’s a good man. I underestimated him. Right before your wedding I got pretty drunk. Brian sat with me as I puked my guts up and made sure I didn’t choke on my own vomit.” Jim’s eyes drifted over the neat front yard. “I tried to bet him my entire fortune it wouldn’t last a year.”
Trixie raised one sandy eyebrow.
“But I was wrong,” Jim continued. “Bo stuck by you. Through everything. Dirty diapers, two am feedings—he even transferred to New York so your kids could grow up with Mart and Di’s.”
“And yours,” she added. “You’re part of our family too, Jim.”
Jim smiled sadly. “If he wasn’t tracking some criminal down, Bo was at all the games, all the plays. He knows Sean’s routine as well as you do. He’s never too busy for his kids. Trixie, I only recently learned what my kids hobbies are, yet I’ve always known what your kids’ are.”
“Jim Frayne, that’s crap and you know it!” Trixie said, annoyed. “You know Byron loves soccer. Valerra wants to be a model and equestrienne. Regan loves his comics.”
“I tried,” he sighed. “I tried to be a good father but I . . . I couldn’t bear to be near Hallie, and I pulled back. My kids get all quiet when I come home. They don’t run to me the way yours do to Bo. Regan does, but the other two…they don’t trust me yet.”
“Stop comparing yourself to Bo,” she interrupted. “You’re two completely different men.”
Jim sighed again. “I really admire the guy.”
Trixie smiled at the compliment to her husband. “Jim, listen to me. If you want to divorce Hallie, then go ahead. But maybe you should take some time off from the school. Take the kids on a trip. Spend some extra time with them, get to know them better. Let them know how much you love them. Because I know you do.”
Jim nodded. “That might work. Did I tell you Hallie’s gone back to work?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow again. “I thought she was enjoying the high life.”
Jim snorted. “She enjoys laying around the house all day because she can drink in peace. She hates the society obligations. Hates all the parties and corporate crap we have to attend to. She’s decided to go back to work as an architect.”
“But she quit like, over ten years ago!”
Jim nodded. “She called up her old buddy Ben.”
“Riker?” Trixie demanded. Jim nodded.
“The one and only.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. He’s more than willing to have her back in the firm.”
Trixie ran a hand through her curls. “Is this to help show she’s a good mother?”
Jim snorted. “The alcohol alone will show how unfit she is. But is a negligent father any better?”
“You’re not negligent, Jim,” she said loyally.
His eyes were sad as he looked over at her. “I wish I could believe that.”
Trixie reached over and took his hand. “Jim, you might not be the father you wanted to be, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad father. And it’s not too late to change it all.”
Hallie’s quitting drinking, she claims,” he said absently. “All for Ben Riker. She wouldn’t quit all these years for her children, but she’ll quit for her ex.”
Trixie bit her lip. “Jim, maybe it’s best to divorce her. Be free of her, at least, legally. You’ll always have to deal with her because of the kids, but you can at least release the burden that’s Hallie.”
Jim nodded. “Yeah. I have a PI following her every move, because I just can’t trust her. Pretty awful of me, huh?”
Trixie gave a short laugh. “You’re talking to the original target of Hallie’s hatred. She can’t be trusted Jim, and if you want to protect your assets and keep the kids, it’s the only way. Trust me. Hallie will shoot herself in the foot soon enough.”
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
***
Author’s Notes
- A huge yeee-haa to Ronda, my lovely editor who helps keep me on track!
- Word Count, 7485
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