The gathering around the brunch table on January 1, 2000 was grim.  The expressions on the faces of the Bob-Whites Plus were more in line with a nuclear arms debate than a group of close friends.  Glaring was the favored expression.  Conversation was almost nil.

Hallie’s dark-as-night eyes flashed furiously at Simon, who sat at the far end of the table, concentrating on his food and seemingly unaware of Hallie’s anger.

Emerald green eyes stared crossly at Jo and she met Jim’s challenge, glower for glower. 

Honey’s hazel eyes were battling between sisterly concern and sisterly admonishment, while her husband’s dark eyes weren’t angry as much as cautionary as he laid one hand on her knee.

Trixie’s snapping blue eyes darted between Mart and Tad—who at least managed to look somewhat sheepish between glares at each other—and Jim, who was oblivious to both her and Honey’s irritation with him.

Dan raised one eyebrow as he shot silent promises of revenge at both Mart and Tad, while his friends were more concerned that their respective girlfriends were not looking at them.  They might have preferred glaring to the cold shoulder treatment they were receiving this morning.

Diana was trying to lock her sharp violet eyes with Hallie’s dark ones but her friend either didn’t notice or carefully kept her gaze from meeting Diana’s.

Sally kept her icy stare fixed on her brother.  It didn’t matter how long it took for him to meet her eyes.  She’d wait.

Simon was the only one not glaring and he certainly had no remorse on his face for his actions of the night before.  Perhaps if he had known that he had set off a chain reaction amongst the group he might have channeled his gentlemanly side.  As it was, the cocky surgeon was all that was present as he broke the tense silence around the table.

“Honey, this sure beats breakfast in the hospital cafeteria.  I’m glad I came over last night and I’m equally glad I stayed this morning.”

Jim’s glare tripped from Jo to Simon, while a poorly muffled snort of utter disgust came from the general vicinity of Hallie’s chair.

Concern won out over admonishment and tears began welling in Honey’s wide eyes.  She bit her lip to force them back but she was swiftly losing that battle.  Matthew’s cry from the bedroom, where he had been napping in his bassinet, brought her instantly to her feet.  She pushed back her chair and turned to go, then stopped, spun on her heel and snapped, “I don’t know how our perfectly perfect party of last night turned into this but by the time I get back I’d better see my friends again!”

Before Brian could grab her hand for an encouraging squeeze, she had stalked off.  A moment later the bedroom door slammed behind her, fueling Matthew’s cries and causing several of the people around the table to jump nervously.

“All right,” Brian said, his deep voice brooking no nonsense.  “You heard the lady.  What the hell happened here after I got called to the hospital?”

 

December 31, 1999, 4:55 p.m.

Jim tapped on the door.  “Jo?  Bob says we’ll be landing soon.  You’d better stop primping and come sit down and put your seatbelt on.”

“I’m almost ready,” came Jo’s muffled voice from inside the airplane’s bathroom.  “Go sit down.  I have to make an entrance.”

“You falling headlong into your seat as we descend will be quite an entrance, that’s for sure.”

“I said I was almost ready,” Jo promised.

Jim heard make-up cases clicking shut, the rustling of carry-on bags being zippered, and some final spritzes of hairspray as he turned toward the cockpit.  The door was open and the Wheelers’ long-time pilot, Bob Murphy, had the controls.

“She claims she’s almost ready,” Jim told him dryly.

“She’s got about five minutes,” Bob warned, rolling his eyes with Jim as the men silently commiserated about women and their time-consuming grooming habits.

“I’ll make sure she—”

Jim turned back toward the cabin, cutting himself off in mid-sentence as he stared at the vision in front of him.

“Wow!”

“That comment just earned you a kiss at midnight,” Jo purred.

Her dress was dark green satin, transitioning to a lighter shade as it fell softly toward her ankles.  The halter top was intricately beaded, scattering in smaller patterns down the dress.  She gave a runway spin so he could see her bare back, the ties of the halter top dangling alluringly down her tanned skin.

“You look ... amazing.”  He flushed slightly and tried to whip out some banter to cover his uneasiness.  “You never cease to surprise me, Ms. Darnell.”

“You were expecting something sluttier?”

“I didn’t say that!” he protested.  “More like ... exotic, daring, enticing.”

She put her hands on her hips in feigned irritation, her brown eyes sparkling playfully.  “And I’m none of those things?”

“You’re all of those things and more,” Jim assured her.  “You look like a piece of heaven on earth.”

It was her turn to blush and to cover her pleasure with a witty retort.  “Well, I know all about your jealous temper.  I didn’t want to spend my New Year’s Eve watching you beat some hapless man to a pulp just because he’s ogling me, so I decided to go for something a little more conservative.”

Jim was certain that, conservative or not, there wouldn’t be a man in the restaurant who would be able to take his eyes off of her.

 

December 31, 1999, 7:15 p.m.

“Mmm ... everything looks delicious,” Brian murmured.  He reached for a cheese wedge, only to have his hand smacked by his wife.

“Don’t mess up my patterns,” she warned as she put the finishing touches on the tray.  “We just ate an hour ago.  How can you be hungry?”

Putting his lips close to her ear, he whispered, “Certain physical exertions always make me hungry.”  He chuckled as he felt the cool skin of her cheek heating up under his kiss.

“Well, we don’t have time for any more physical exertions before our guests arrive, so keep your hands to yourself, Dr. Belden.”  She covered the cheese tray with plastic wrap, wriggled out of his grasp, and went to put the tray in the fridge.

As she leaned down to put it on the lower shelf, her cute butt sticking out toward him, Brian couldn’t help himself.  He leaned over her, pushed fabric out of his way, revealing an alluring morsel of skin just beneath her waistline, and bit her.

“Ouch!” she yelped, though it hadn’t really hurt.  “So much for worrisome and hesitant!”

Pulling her into his arms, he pinned her up against the counter and passionately assaulted every bare piece of skin he could find.  For a moment, he thought he had her.  She moaned needfully and he could feel her sinking into his embrace.  But she regained her senses and pushed him away.

“I have to go get dressed.”

“I’ll help,” he offered, tugging at the string in her sweatpants.

“Dressed, not undressed!”  Laughing, she pushed him away again as the doorbell rang.  “Saved by the bell.  Go answer it.  I’m going to get changed.”

“Who’s here this early?” Brian grumbled.  “The party doesn’t start until eight.”

“It’s Leanne,” she reminded him.  “She’s watching Matthew for us so we can enjoy the party.”

Leanne lived in the building and was the daughter of one of the doctors Brian worked with at Bellevue.  She was 14—too young to be out all night on New Year’s, her parents agreed—and was eager to earn some extra money babysitting for the Beldens.

“If Leanne’s watching Matthew all night, will that afford us an opportunity to sneak into some dark closet during the party?” he asked hopefully.

“Maybe,” Honey returned coyly, leaving him with a flirtatious toss of her golden mane over her shoulder as she hurried off toward the bedroom.

 

December 31, 1999, 7:25 p.m.

“Done!” Trixie proclaimed, zipping up her suitcase and lugging it to the bedroom door.

“Wow,” Dan murmured, staring at the half-empty closet.  “It’s going to be weird here.”

Trixie snaked her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.  “Think of it this way:  No arguments about hogging the closet or the bed sheets or using up all the hot water.”

“I like those arguments,” he grunted.  Planting a kiss on top of her head, he added, “This is going to be hard.”

“Harder than when I was in training?”

“Yeah.  When you were in training, at least we could look at your schedule and mine and plan visits.  We knew the exact date you’d be finished.  This time we have no idea what kind of schedule you’ll be on or when this whole adventure will be over.  Who knows when we’ll see each other?  It’ll be hard not having specific weekends to look forward to.”

Trixie tilted her head up, her blue eyes troubled.  “Regrets?”

“None,” Dan assured her.  “Other than the fact that we haven’t yet invented teleportation so we can visit each other at a moment’s notice.”

“You can work on that while I’m gone.”

They were in the midst of their first of many good-bye kisses when the doorbell rang.

“That’s Mart,” Trixie sighed.

“Of course it is.  His timing is almost as crappy as Tad’s.”

He took her suitcase to join the boxes by the door and buzzed open the security door for his brother-in-law.

They were putting on their coats when Mart came through the door, took one look at Trixie’s pile of boxes and suitcases and said, “Just how long is this party going to last?”

Trixie made a face at him.  “I’m leaving for Washington tomorrow afternoon.”

“Right.  I forgot,” Mart teased.  He gave her a hug.  “Four hours isn’t enough distance between you and your annoying brother?”

“It’s too much distance and you know it.”

“Is your lovely girlfriend double parked?” Dan asked, trying to usher the almost twins out the door in a timely fashion.

“Um...” Mart hedged.  “Something you two should know.  Sally’s not my girlfriend anymore.”

“What!?” Trixie exclaimed in genuine dismay.  “What happened?”

Mart would’ve loved to string her along but he was struggling to withhold his cat-that-ate-the-canary grin and Dan saw right through him.

“Martin?” he asked, grinning as he pointedly drew out the questioning tone.

Mart scowled at him, disappointed he couldn’t tease his sister a while longer.  “She’s now my fiancée,” he admitted and was immediately engulfed in Trixie’s embrace.

“I was just wondering why you hadn’t already asked her.  Congratulations!”  She gave him a kiss on the cheek and Dan gave him a hearty slap on the back.

“I hadn’t already asked her because I had to save up money for a great ring.  And then I had to come up with the most romantic proposal ever.  And just so you know, we’re having a long engagement because I want to finish my master’s—that’s what I told Sally—and save up for the greatest honeymoon ever.  She thinks we’re going to Niagara Falls.”

“Where are you really going?” Trixie asked.

Mart snorted.  “Like I’m telling you.  You can’t keep a secret and I don’t want Dan and Tad tagging along on my honeymoon, much less my little sister.”

 

December 31, 1999, 7:50 p.m.

“They’re here!” Tad called as he opened the door of the Lynch penthouse and ushered in Dan and Trixie, Mart and Sally, and Hallie.

Diana hurried to greet her guests.  She gave Hallie an especially warm hug, glad her friend had changed her mind about coming to the New Year’s gathering.

It took her less than a minute to see that Trixie was practically dancing on her toes, her blue eyes lit up like the elaborate Christmas tree near the front window.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing.  Tell them, Mart.”  When her brother looked blankly at her, she forced her face into a grim façade and said, “Tell them that Sally’s not your girlfriend anymore.”

It didn’t produce the same reaction as it had in the Mangan apartment.  Sally was standing right next to Mart, holding hands with him, and with one quick glance Diana saw the sparkle on her left ring finger.

“You’re engaged!” she exclaimed.  She hugged Sally and then Mart and gave them her congratulations.

“You see, Trix,” Mart explained, as if she were a child, “That ruse doesn’t quite work when Sally’s in the room.”

Trixie sulked for an instant then brightened up and said, “Let’s go next door and tell Honey and Brian.  Sally can stay here until we tell them.”

“I already told them,” Mart said, emphasizing that the news was his and Sally’s to share, not Trixie’s.

“You told Brian and Honey before you told me?”

Mart grinned impishly.  “You were the only one I wanted to pull that trick on.  If Dan hadn’t interfered, I could’ve milked your consternation quite a bit longer.”

Before Trixie could retort, Dan asked, “So, who’s staying where, Di?”

“Mart, Sally and Hallie are staying here,” Diana replied.  “You and Trixie are across the hall with Brian, Honey, Jim and Joanne.”  She reached out for Sally’s bag.  “Let me get you girls settled in and we can dish about the proposal before we go across the hall for the party.  Everybody knows Mart’s the most romantic man in the state.”

Mart flushed but Tad pouted.  “More romantic than me?”

“Definitely,” Diana tossed over her shoulder, winking at her boyfriend as she started up the hallway.

Trixie and Dan left to take their overnight bag across the hall.  Diana took Hallie and Sally to their rooms, leaving Mart and Tad in the living room.

Tad crossed his arms across his chest and glowered at Mart.  “More romantic than me?  I doubt it.”

Mart dismissed his protest with a haughty sniff.  “Nobody’s more romantic than me, dude.  On the other hand, few people are more devious than you.  Mangan ruined my fun with Trixie and I need your help to get him back.”

Tad flashed a wicked grin and asked, “Any particular ideas?”

“Well, it can’t be anything too elaborate because I’ll have to pull it off sometime tonight.  I’m swearing off practical jokes for 2000.”

Tad let that one pass without comment.  “You could wait until he passes out drunk and paint his nails.”

“That won’t work.  First of all, Dan never gets falling down drunk and second, he’s a light sleeper.  Real light.”

“In other words, you already tried that trick and failed?”

Mart grinned sheepishly and nodded.

In perfect synchronization, they sank down on the couch, propped their feet up on the coffee table and put their thinking caps on.

 

December 31, 1999, 8:20 p.m.

Dan whistled as he let Jim and Joanne into the Wheeler penthouse.  “Wow, do I feel underdressed!  Jo, you look great!”

“Wow is right!” Trixie agreed.

As Diana brought over her camera, Jo protested weakly, “Oh, you don’t have to take my picture.  Jim just took me to dinner before we came over.  I’m ready to change into something more comfortable.”

“Jim, stand next to her and Di will get a picture of both of you,” Trixie insisted.  “You two look too good not to.”

Honey sighed.  “I remember when I could fit into a dress like that.”

“Reason number 44 for not having children,” Jo teased, adding, “Give me a break, Honey.  You look great for just having had a baby two months ago.”

Trixie impatiently pushed Jim closer to Joanne.  “Put your arm around her and pretend you like each other, for crying out loud.”

“How’s this?”  Jim slid his arm around Jo’s waist and smiled ghoulishly at her.

“You look like you want to cut me into little pieces and bury me under your garage,” Jo retorted.  “Smile like a real person.  Smile the way you do when I’m not bugging the crap out of you.”

Jim laughed deeply, a smile breaking across his face as his eyes twinkled happily.  He was always happiest when in the company of his friends.

Diana took a couple of quick shots before Jim put a stop to it, his face slightly flushed from the feel of Jo’s smooth skin under his hand as he unconsciously caressed her bare back.

“All right.  I need to get out of this suit and tie and into jeans and a sweater.”  He picked up Jo’s bag and asked, “Where’s Joey sleeping?”

“The guest room,” Honey said, nodding her head toward the suite located behind the dining room that was reserved for Mr. Wheeler’s business guests.  “You should find anything you’ll need under the sink in the bathroom, Jo, but please don’t hesitate to ask if you need something.”

Jo nodded, her bright eyes taking in the lavish penthouse.  Though the Wheelers were far from ostentatious, it was clear that all the furnishings and décor were of very high quality.  As they went back to the guest suite, Jim pointed out a commissioned portrait of his adoptive father astride Jupiter that his family had given him for his last birthday and a small Degas sculpture.

He didn’t normally “show off” his family’s wealth, but there was something about the light in Jo’s eyes as she gently ran her fingers over the bronze ballerina that made him want to give her all the specifics.  He told her about the original casts commissioned by Degas’ family after his death in 1917.  He told her about the acquisition of this particular piece from a horseman in Virginia who was also a devoted art enthusiast.  Matt had bought it for his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary.  They had met and had their first date at the New York Ballet.

“I bet it’s worth a lot of money,” Jo breathed in awe.

“Not planning on robbing us, are you?” Jim teased.

“I didn’t bring a big enough purse.  Maybe next time.”

Her impish smile lit up his heart like nobody but Trixie had ever been able to do. 

 

December 31, 1999, 8:45 p.m.

When Tad came into the Wheeler kitchen, Mart was dry-washing his hands.  All he needed was a handlebar mustache to look like a villain from a silent film.

“I’ve got it!  It’s simple but brilliant.”

“By simple, do you mean juvenile?” Tad asked as he pulled a couple of frosty beer steins out of the freezer.

“Well ... yeah,” Mart admitted.  “But it’ll still be great.  Saran wrap on the toilet.”

“So the pee goes everywhere.”  Tad thought about it and grinned.  “The mental image is amusing but how are you going to pull it off?”

“Dan might not get drunk but he’ll still consume plenty of beverages.  After he’s had a few beers, he’ll break out the soda and bottled water.  Sooner or later, he’s gonna have to use the little boy’s room.”

“Except that so will everybody else.  There’s only one bathroom off the main hallway.  How can you guarantee that a) Dan will use that one and not the one in his bedroom and b) nobody else will use it before him?”

Flinging an arm around Tad’s shoulder, Mart lowered his voice and said, “That’s where you come in, my friend.”

 

December 31, 1999, 9:15 p.m.

A touch on his shoulder made Jim turn.  “Well, hello, Di.  Where did you run off to?

“Just next door to print these out for you and Joanne.”  She handed him a copy of the photo she had taken earlier.

Jim smiled as he studied it.  “You made us look good.”

“You do look good.  I’m a photographer, not a wizard.  I can only shoot what’s there.”

They were silent for a moment as they both looked at the picture of the happy pair.

“She’s very grown up,” Di commented.  “Hard to believe she’s the same pig-tailed girl from way back when.”

Jim chuckled.  “I think we’re all a little young to be reminiscing about way back when.”

“Maybe.  But there’s a pretty big gap of maturity between teenager and adulthood, don’t you think?”

A burst of laughter shifted their attention to Mart, Dan, and Tad.  Jo was egging them on as they did their best impersonations of the Three Stooges, which looked more like two stooges meeting Lurch from The Addams Family.

Jim cocked an eyebrow up.  “Sometimes that gap never actually gets bridged.”

Diana laughed and kissed him on the cheek.  “Having someone who makes you laugh can be a very good thing.  Why do you think I fell for Mart and then Tad?”

Tad was balancing a pretzel over his nose like pince-nez and had affected a very broad Cockney accent.  Jim wasn’t sure who he was supposed to be but it was making Jo laugh like crazy.

“Because opposites really do attract?” Jim replied with a wink, thinking of the shy beauty queen and the boisterous jokesters.

“Hmm...” Diana murmured.  “They do indeed.”

Before Jim could respond, she walked off to give Jo her copy of the photo.

 

December 31, 1999, 10:40 p.m.

Honey opened the front door and smiled brightly.  “Simon!  What a nice surprise!”

Simon took off his coat, handing it to Brian to hang up in the closet.  Returning his backpack to his shoulder, he said, “I unexpectedly got out of work early.  Since that never happens, I figured I’d better take advantage of it.”

He caught Hallie’s eye across the room and smiled, nodding his head in greeting.  Hallie flashed a brief and small smile before lowering her eyes and turning back to her conversation with Diana.

“Is there somewhere I can change?” he asked Brian, gesturing to his hospital scrubs.

Brian pointed down the hall.  “The bathroom’s the first room on the left.”

The door was closed when Simon reached it and he knocked to see if anybody was inside.

“Hold your horses, Belden!  I have a tiny little bladder and have consumed a hell of a lot of beer.  You do the math!”

Simon grinned and chuckled, resting an arm on the doorframe while he waited.

He heard the toilet flush and the faucet at the sink turn on and off.  A moment later the door opened and he smiled into a pair of slightly glazed brown eyes.

“I believe that would be biology, not math.  Which Belden is harassing you?”

Joanne smiled.  “Mart, of course.  He keeps trying to get in here.  He must have the bladder of an 80-year-old grandmother.  I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“Change of plans at work.  Happy to see me?”

“Yum!  The eye candy party just got a little sweeter.”

Pointing over her shoulder into the bathroom, he said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to change.  I’m a little underdressed for the eye candy party.”

“Speak for yourself.  Some of us might think you’re a little overdressed.”

Sweeping his eyes down her snugly fitting sweater and jeans, he responded, “You, too?”

“I was.  Jim took me to Atelier for dinner,” she preened.

“Nice.  What did you do to deserve that?”

“Don’t you wish you knew?”  She ducked under his arm and headed up the hallway.

As he watched her go, he heard Hallie’s laughter and caught a glimpse of her long, ebony hair as she chatted with her cousins near the corner of the hallway.  “Joanne?” he called.

She turned and when he gestured, she ambled back to him.

“Want to do me a favor?”

“Depends on the favor, but I’d say you have a good chance of me saying yes.”

Leaning down close to her, he murmured, “I was wondering if I might get a little lip date with you at midnight.”

“Me?”

She looked genuinely shocked and it made him laugh.  “Yes, you.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think Ms. Belden will be willing to auld lang syne me.”

“So I’m a consolation prize?”

She put her hands on her hips and even the excessive alcohol floating around in her eyes couldn’t hide her spirit.  He tried to imagine what a little firecracker she would be in bed.

“If you were a consolation prize, men would be throwing contests left and right, just hoping to be the runner-up.”

Appeased, Jo’s cat-like smile returned.  “Well, I should probably clear it with Hallie first.”

That took him by surprise.  “Why?  Does she want to kiss me at midnight?”

“She doesn’t know that she wants to but she does, even if she doesn’t know it yet.  Shit, I’ve had too much to drink.  I sound like Honey.”

Taking another glance down the hallway, Simon replied, “I think Hallie might need a little nudge.  If I ask her, she’ll just say no.  Whereas you...”  He winked at her.  “...probably never say no.”

Jo smirked and turned away, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll catch your act at midnight, Dr. Hottie.”

Simon focused his eyes on her cute little ass as she flounced down the hall.  When she was out of sight, he brought his gaze up ... right into the indignant glare of Hallie Belden.

 

December 31, 1999, 10:50 p.m.

“So, it’s about an hour until the new millennium is upon us,” Brian began.  Before Mart could open his mouth, his older brother jabbed a finger his way.  “No debates on when the millennium actually begins.”

“But there was no year zero, therefore—” Mart tried to continue his oratory but Sally put her hands on his face and drew his lips to hers to muffle his argument.

“Thank you, future sister-in-law,” Trixie sighed with relief.  “What were you going to say, Brian?”

“I was just curious if anybody has made any New Year’s resolutions.”

“I don’t care how clichéd mine is,” Honey said.  “My resolution is to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.”

“Does anybody have any resolutions that will take longer than a week and a half to accomplish?” Brian teased, putting his arm around his slender wife.

“My resolution is to have daily contact with Dan while I’m in Washington,” Trixie announced.  “Text, email, voicemail or, best of all, actually talking to him on the phone.”

“Best of all would be actually visiting me,” Dan pointed out.  “But I do like your resolution.”

“What’s yours, Dan?” Tad joked.  “Checking the personals for a new wife?  Ouch!”

“What a horrible thing to say!” Diana scolded.  “Don’t inspire me to make my resolution finding a new boyfriend while I’m in New York.”

“My resolution is to work as much overtime as they’ll allow me,” Dan answered.  “The purpose being threefold.  One, I can earn more money toward our house.  Two, I can fast track my way to detective status.  And three, it’ll keep me busy so I don’t miss Trixie so much.”

As he and Trixie shared a kiss, Diana scowled fondly at Tad.  “That’s what you should’ve said.”

“I was going to.  Dan totally stole my answer.”

“Like you ever would’ve used the term ‘threefold’.  Clearly, Daniel stole his answer from me,” Mart put in.

“And just where are you going that you’ll feel the need to keep busy in order not to pine after me?” Sally asked.

He opened his mouth but when he was unable to come up with a reasonable reply, he put his hands on Sally’s face and drew her lips to his to end the discussion.

Everybody laughed and Dan said dryly, “The best way for Mart not to stick his foot in his mouth is to keep said mouth otherwise occupied.”

“That explains why he’s usually busy eating, I guess,” Simon added.

Mart smirked and said, “Much as it pains me to use this particular phrase, what’s your New Year’s resolution...”  He winced and concluded, “...future brother-in-law?”

“Well, long-distance relationships seem to be the new trend for 2000.  Maybe I’ll find a nice girl halfway across the country and start up a long-distance, long-term relationship.”

“Please,” Sally sniffed disdainfully.  “Your idea of a long-term relationship is cooking a girl breakfast the next morning before you send her home.”

“He does make excellent omelets,” Jo noted, smiling coyly his way.

Hallie rose abruptly and moved off to the buffet table.  Diana immediately went to join her.

“You okay?”

“Of course,” Hallie answered airily.  She made a great show of being unable to decide between the spinach dip and the cheeseball.  

Diana wasn’t buying it.  “I thought you two were friends now?”

“I never said that.”  Hallie picked up a few crackers, still trying to make a decision about what to put on them.

“You told me you two had made peace.”

“Peace and friendship are two different things.”  Her hand hovered over the dishes, wavering uncertainly.

Frustrated, Diana took a spoonful of spinach dip and slapped it on Hallie’s plate.  “There.  Decision made.  Now stop obsessing over the food and talk to me.  Do you or do you not like Simon Drake?”

Hallie’s face darkened.  “Why don’t you say it a little louder?” she hissed.  “I’m not sure Dr. Ego has quite enough women fawning all over him.”

“Who’s fawning over him?  Jo?  She’s flirting with all the guys.  She doesn’t mean anything by it.”

“I don’t care if she does,” Hallie retorted.  “I have no interest in Simon.”

“After he bought that teacup for you?  I thought that was so sweet.”

“It was not sweet.  It was penance.  He was an asshole to me and he broke my grandmother’s cup.  He owed it to me.”

Diana crossed her arms across her chest and stared hard at her friend.  “So you don’t care if, say, Simon kisses Jo at midnight?”

“I don’t care if he wants to French kiss his sister at midnight.  He’s not getting his lips near mine.  He’s an arrogant, intrusive, bas—”

“Be careful.  Dr. Ego might overhear you.”

Hallie jumped a foot, her face turning bright red as Simon reached over her shoulder and grabbed a beer from the ice bucket.  Trying to regain her poise, she stated haughtily, “If I had known you were going to be here, I wouldn’t have shown up.”

“That would’ve been a shame,” Simon replied nonchalantly.  “Then we would’ve had uneven numbers for midnight kissing.  Since I have no interest in making out with my sister and you have no interest in burying the hatchet with me for an innocent New Year’s kiss, I guess that leaves me with the very cute and very feisty Ms. Darnell.”  He hesitated, smiled his devilish smile that made Hallie involuntarily shiver, and concluded, “Perhaps you and Jim Frayne could recreate your Founder’s Day embrace on Main Street.”  He winked at Hallie and sauntered back to the group.

As Hallie and Diana turned to watch him go, they came face to face with Jim.  And judging by the color of his face, he had clearly overheard at least the tail end of the conversation.  Hallie thought she might actually burst into flames.  Jim smiled faintly at her and even reached out to squeeze her arm as he passed by into the kitchen.

Hallie returned her smoldering gaze to Simon.  This was worse than the cup.  This time, she was going to rip his liver out.

“For heaven’s sake,” Diana warned, “don’t throw your plate at him.”  She pried it from Hallie’s clenched fingers and placed it on the table.  “And don’t go over and yell at him, either.  You know how much store Honey sets by these Bob-White gatherings.  Don’t spoil her party by starting a fight with Simon.”

Hallie nodded, taking a couple of cleansing breaths and smiling weakly at her friend in gratitude.

“All right,” Diana went on.  “You’re calm.  You’re cool.  You’re with your friends and you’re having a lovely time at this party.  And—Oh.  My.  God.  You kissed Jim and didn’t tell me about it?”

 

December 31, 1999, 11:45 p.m.

“One minute to midnight!” Trixie announced.

“Somebody cut her off,” Mart jested.  “It’s fifteen minutes to midnight, Trix.”

Trixie frowned, looked at her watch, shook her wrist, and looked again.  “My watch says it’s almost midnight.”  She looked at the television but there was no shot of a glittering ball in Times Square, ready to drop down to the New Year.  She turned her eyes to the clock on the mantel and, sure enough, it was only 11:45 p.m.

Honey giggled and Trixie’s attention shot her way.  “What?”

“Nothing.”  Her gaze averted over Trixie’s shoulder for a brief moment before she giggled again and tried to cover it up by taking a sip of the sparkling grape juice Brian had brought for the non-imbibing members of their party.

Trixie spun around and found Dan standing behind her, trying not to look guilty.  “What did you do?”

“It’s possible that I might have adjusted your watch so it was fifteen minutes ahead.”

Trixie crossed her arms, tapped one foot, and did her best to look annoyed.

Dan shrugged and laughed.  “What?  Haven’t you noticed you haven’t been late for anything this week?  I thought it was a good plan.”

“Just for that, maybe I’ll kiss someone else at midnight.”

Dan quickly put his arms around her and pulled her close.  “Want me to see if Di is available?”

“Perv.”  She grinned, tilting her head back in askance for his kiss.  “There’s nobody else I want to kiss on New Year’s Eve.  Ever.”

He leaned his head down to oblige her, unwilling to come up for air until Tad called out, “I thought it wasn’t midnight yet?”

They broke apart and Dan said, “Her watch says it’s midnight.  Besides, who am I to say no to a pretty girl wanting a kiss?”

Almost simultaneously, the rest of the girls all puckered their lips dramatically and with a “What’s a guy to do?” shrug and a wolfish grin, Dan proceeded to give Honey, Diana, Sally, Joanne, and Hallie each a friendly kiss.

Trixie gave both Jo and Hallie a studied glance as she watched the parade of kisses.

“Neither of them,” Honey murmured behind her.

“What?”

“Don’t try and fix either of them up with Jim.”

Trixie scowled fondly at her.  “How do you always know exactly what I’m thinking?”

Honey linked her arm through Trixie’s.  “Because you’ve been my best friend for a decade.”

“Okay, so since we’ve both known Jim that long, too, why?”

“Joanne is Jim’s pesky little sister.”

“But she keeps him on his toes and keeps him from being gloomy.  And Jim can talk to Jo when he can’t talk to anybody else.  Seriously, you know they have secrets he doesn’t share with any of us.”

“True.  But they only see each other as friends and that’ll never change as long as they only get to see each other a few times a year while she’s at U of M.  Besides, Joanne is too wild to even think about settling down right now.”

“So what’s wrong with Hallie?”

“Well, first of all, she’s your cousin.  That doesn’t squick you out?”

“What?” Trixie asked in disbelieving laughter.

“Leanne said it,” Honey replied with a grin.  “I’ve been dying to use it since I heard it.”

“No, Hallie and Jim wouldn’t make me ... squicked.”

“Doesn’t matter, because first of all, Hallie’s not ready for a long-term relationship and second of all,” Honey lowered her voice conspiratorially, “when she is, I already have someone in mind for her.”

“Who?”

Honey tilted her head to the right and Trixie turned her head subtly to where Joanne and Simon were popping open the champagne bottles.  Her eyes went wide. 

“Are you nuts?” she hissed to her best friend who was grinning in a decidedly scheming way.  “Hallie hates him.”

“She doesn’t hate him,” Honey insisted.  “They’ve made peace.  She told me so.”

“Champagne, Ms. Belden?” Simon teased as Hallie approached.

Hallie’s face darkened and she snatched a champagne flute from Simon’s hands, turned on her heel and purposely crossed to the far side of the room to talk to Jim.

“Peace, my foot,” Trixie whispered.  “Ten bucks says she slugs him if he tries to kiss her at midnight.  And another ten says someone else has their eye on Dr. Feelgood.”

“Who?”

Trixie tilted her head back toward the pair serving drinks.  Honey’s eyes widened but before she could comment, Trixie dragged her off to where their husbands were waiting to celebrate the New Year with them.

“Are you old enough to drink champagne?” Simon teased, holding the bottle just out of Jo’s reach.

“I’m old enough to drive.  I’m old enough to vote.”  Her eyes fell into a half-lidded sultry position.  “I’m old enough for a lot of things.”

“That may be true,” he replied in a mocking tone, “but if you want to share a kiss with me at midnight, maybe you’d better get permission first.”

 

December 31, 1999, 11:59 p.m.

“One minute to midnight ... for real this time!” Trixie shouted, laughing with the rest of her friends.

Dan slid his arms around her and leaned down for his New Year’s kiss.  Trixie pulled back and gave him an impish smile.

“Sure you don’t want me to see if Di is available?”

Dan chuckled under his breath.  “There’s nobody else I want to kiss on New Year’s Eve.  Ever.”

“Well,” Trixie hedged, her dimples puckishly alluring.  “If you’ve made up your mind.”

“I have.”

Across the room, Jim and Hallie stood watching the couple.

“Do you remember that year your family came to Sleepyside for Christmas and let you stay through the New Year?” Jim asked.

Hallie nodded, turning to him with a smile.  “Eight teenagers pairing off, just waiting for the chance to make out at midnight.”

Jim chuckled.  “And only Brian and Honey are still making out.”

“Time marches on.  But we’re all still friends.  I think that’s what’s important.”

“You don’t regret not having a future with Dan?”

Hallie stared curiously at him.  “No.  That night was the one and only time Dan and I ever kissed.  It was kind of...”  She shrugged, as if that explained it all.

“Hallie, can I talk to you for a minute?” Jo grasped her arm and pulled her aside without waiting for an affirmative answer.

“Trying to make up your mind?” Diana asked, as she slipped an arm around Jim’s waist.

“Make up my mind about what?”

“There are two beautiful women available for kissing at midnight.”  She nodded toward the two dark-haired women in the hallway, one tall and subdued, the other petite and animated.

“Unfortunately, you’re not one of them,” he replied with a teasing wink.  “Is there some rule that says I have to kiss someone at midnight?”

“No, but something tells me you’d like to kiss one of them.”

Jim flushed but didn’t answer.

“Think about it,” Diana said, leaving him with a kiss on the cheek.

Over at the food table, Sally grabbed Simon’s arm.  “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Refilling my plate,” Simon joked, grabbing another hot wing to go with his glass of champagne.

“She’s his best friend!”

“I thought Mart was his best friend?”

“No, Brian’s his best friend.”

“But you just said—”

“Brian’s his best Bob-White friend.  She’s his best non-Bob-White friend.”

He shrugged carelessly and grabbed a handful of chips to add to his plate.  “So what?  She’s a grown-up, isn’t she?  Isn’t she allowed to make her own decisions?”

“He’s going to be mad.  Trust me.  Why don't you just stick to nurses and interns?”

Simon patted her condescendingly on the head and replied, "Why don't you stop bossing me around, little sister?"

“Sally, where’s your not quite better half?” Diana asked teasingly. 

“Probably in the bathroom.  Why?” Sally responded absently as she anxiously watched her brother stroll away to join Trixie and Dan near the television.

“Well, I can’t find Tad and if both of them are missing, they’re probably up to no good.”

As it turned out, Mart was in the bathroom and so was Tad.

“Are you sure this will work?” Tad asked as he watched Mart pull the Saran wrap tight across the toilet bowl and carefully lower the seat.

“Trust me.  I’ve done it before.  It’s freakin’ hysterical.”

“Man, if I ever did this to Steve, he’d kick my ass.”

“Yeah, that’s the trick.  You’ve got to catch them on a good day.  Tonight’ll be perfect…”

They heard voices outside in the hall and Mart put his finger to his lips and continued the conversation in a whisper.

“So you don’t care if I kiss Simon when the ball drops?  Are you sure it’s okay with you?” Jo asked.  “I don’t want you seeking revenge or something.”

Hallie shrugged. “It’s a free country, Joanne.  Why would I care?”

“I don’t know.  But you seem like you’re pissed.”

“Well, I’m not.  I really could care less.”

“Hallie, you and I are friends and if this is going to affect that friendship, then never mind.  It’s just—”

“Yeah.  I get it,” Hallie replied dryly.  “Seriously, whatever.  Enjoy yourself.”

“Oh, I’m sure I will.  And, you know, it’ll just be a friendly New Year’s kiss.  I’m sure you could get one in, too, if you wanted to.”

“I don’t want to.”

She stepped aside to allow Brian and Honey to pass by them on their way to the master bedroom.  Honey’s expression was deeply disappointed.  “You were supposed to have the night off.”

“Sweetheart, that’s not what ‘on call’ means.  A couple of the residents got pulled into an emergency surgery, so now they’re short-handed in the ER.  It won’t be a full shift.  I’ll be back in time for brunch tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure I will,” he promised.  “Are you mad?”

“I’m not mad,” Honey said, purposely making her sigh as dramatic as possible to cloak her disappointment.  It came with the territory, she knew.  But all their friends were here and would be kissing each other within seconds.  She didn’t want to be standing alone.  She smiled and added, “As long as I get my New Year’s kiss first.”

“That I can do.”  Brian pulled her close and offered her a deeply sensuous kiss.

In the next room, their friends shouted, “Happy New Year!”  Brian and Honey hurried to join them.  As Mart and Sally poured champagne for everyone to toast the New Year, Trixie and Dan slipped out onto the balcony to try and catch a glimpse of the Times Square celebration.

“What a wonderful place to finish off a great year,” Trixie murmured as she snuggled up against Dan’s chest.

“Yeah.  Maybe we’ll all be able to be here again next year.”

Their quiet moment was interrupted by the sound of arguing in the guest room, which was just inside the penthouse from the balcony.

“It was just a friendly New Year’s kiss!” Jo insisted.  “I promised you one, too, remember?”

“Just a friendly New Year’s kiss?  That’s why everybody was staring?  God, Jo, he had his hands all over your ass and you practically had your tongue down his throat.  You’ve had way too much to drink tonight.”

“Duh!  Isn’t that kind of the point of New Year’s?  Everybody’s been drinking except our hosts and that’s only because Brian was on call and Honey’s nursing.  Even you had a few drinks, Frayne, and I saw you kissing Hallie at midnight, so don’t get all judgmental on me.”

“Hallie and I shared what actually was a friendly kiss.  It was barely a kiss at all.”

Trixie and Dan stared uncomfortably at each other.

“Do you think we should interrupt?” Dan whispered.

Trixie shook her head.  “I don’t think so.  They’ll work it out.  Let’s get back into the living room before they notice us.”

They slipped inside and as they passed the kitchen, Tad called out to Dan.  Dan let go of Trixie’s hand as she went to wish a happy New Year to her girlfriends and came to join him.

“What’s up?”

Tad turned the kitchen faucet on and let it run.  “Um ... I was just wondering if we should ... um ... throw Mart a party.”

“What for?”

“For ... for his engagement.”

Dan shrugged.  “The Beldens and Drakes might throw them a party this spring.  I don’t think we’re under any obligation to throw him one.”

“Right.  I didn’t mean a party.  I just meant ... maybe the three of us could go out on the town.  You know, before I go back to Chicago and Mart goes back to Indian Lake.”

Dan stared at him in bewilderment.

“Well, you know, Brian and Jim could come, too.  If they wanted.  Simon, I guess.  Maybe your friend, Aidan.”

“Tad, why are you running the water?”

“Oh ... I was going to ... rinse out glasses.  And I was waiting for the water to get hot.”

Dan stared at the sink, where steam was rising up from the faucet.  “I think it’s hot.  And now I’ve gotta pee.”

“You do?”  Tad flashed his lop-sided grin.  “Better go then.”  He turned off the faucet and gestured his friend down the hallway.  Behind his back, he gave the thumbs up sign to Mart, who was standing by the bathroom door, trying to look casual.

As Dan approached, he remarked, “Gotta use the bathroom, huh?”

Dan frowned.  “Yeah.  What’re you?  Bathroom monitor?”

“No.  Go ahead.  Go right ahead.”

As Dan hesitated, trying to figure out why his best friend was acting so weird, Trixie pushed by her husband.  “Sorry, Dan.  I really gotta—”

She disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door before Mart could stop her.

“Uh-oh.”

Dan’s frown deepened.  “Uh-oh what?”

The shriek from inside the bathroom gave him a pretty good idea.

 

January 1, 2000, 2:05 a.m.

Jim lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.  He felt bad for starting off the New Year so poorly with Jo.  It wasn’t really that he needed to be in control.  He just hated seeing people he cared about put themselves into bad situations.  Whether it was a foolhardy Trixie jumping into danger without thinking, or the boys at the school reacting violently to their own sad lives, or his best friend doing what she wanted to do without a thought about what others might think.

Still, he knew he had no right to give Jo a dressing down after she had kissed Simon.  She was an adult and fully capable of making her own decisions.  She wasn’t one of his students.  She wasn’t his little sister or his girlfriend—and hadn’t that line seemed oddly fuzzy this evening? 

It was a friendly New Year’s kiss.

With tongue.

And some groping.

Fueled by too much alcohol.

With a resigned sigh, Jim got out of bed.  It could wait until breakfast, of course, but they had just ended the party a short while ago and he knew Jo couldn’t have fallen asleep yet.  And he knew he wouldn’t unless he apologized to her.

He threw a robe on and cracked open the bedroom door.  All was dark and silent.  He made his way quietly down the hall and through the dimly lit living room to the guest quarters off the dining room.  He didn’t see a light on under the door.  He knocked softly and when there was no response, cocked his head close to the door and knocked again.

“Jo?” he whispered.  “Are you awake?”

She hadn’t seemed the least bit tired when the rest of the gang mutually decided to call it a night.  He had figured she’d still be up, reading or working on her laptop.  He knocked again.

Finally, he decided to peek in.  After his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, he noted that the bed was still made and that Jo was nowhere in sight.

Jaw tight, Jim went back to the living room, sat on the couch and waited for her return.

 

January 1, 2000, 2:20 a.m.

Hallie was also sleepless in her room at the Lynch penthouse.  Her reasons for being awake were slightly different from Jim’s.  The noises from the room next to hers were poorly muffled and she was fighting paranoia.  Were they purposely making that much noise?  Were they genuinely trying—and failing—to be discreet?  And why was it bothering her so much?

“It’ll just be a friendly New Year’s kiss.”

That’s what Jo had told her, shortly before she had proceeded to throw herself at the studly surgeon, virtually begging for a physical.

She had given Jo permission.  Hell, she’d practically given her blessing.  She didn’t care what Jo and Simon wanted to do.  She didn’t.

She didn’t.

Maybe if she kept telling herself that, it would eventually be true.

Why in the hell did Jo need her permission anyway?  It’s not like she was dating Simon.  Or making eyes at Simon.  Or kissing Simon.  Or sleeping with Simon.

God, was she really that obvious?

At least now she knew the truth.  Her initial instinct had been correct.  Simon Drake was an insufferable prick.  He wasn’t interested in her.  He was interested in any single woman he could get his hands on.  She should be grateful this thing with Jo had happened.  Now she’d know to steer clear of the womanizing jerk.  If Jo wanted him, she could have him.

And judging by the sounds coming from next door, she was.

 

January 1, 2000, 2:30 a.m.

“That was enjoyable,” Jo panted.

Simon nodded his agreement before rolling over to the other side of the bed.

“Tell the truth.”

“What?” he asked.  “It was fun.  I totally agree.”

“No, admit that the only reason you wanted to sleep with me is because you know I’m headed back to Michigan on Monday.”

He didn’t have the good grace to flush or even look sheepish.  He merely grinned wickedly at her and let that suffice as his answer.

Jo chuckled and propped herself up against the headboard, running her fingers through her disheveled hair.  “We were both just looking for a good time.  I certainly didn’t put any strings on it.”

Simon rolled onto his side and flung a well-toned arm over her bare stomach.  “So you’re not expecting me to propose marriage or anything?”

She smiled seductively at him.  “The only proposal I’d be interested in is another go around before I slink back over to the Wheeler penthouse.”

He rubbed her stomach for a moment without responding or meeting her eyes.

The sultry siren expression on her face disappeared and she gently removed his arm from her body and got out of bed.  “Yeah, that line is hard to gauge.  I know.”

“What line?”

“If we do it once, it might just make her jealous enough to do something about it.  If we do it twice, you might’ve gone too far.”

“Make who jealous?”

Jo gave him a withering look as she picked her clothes up off the floor and began to get dressed.  “I’m not stupid.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“Hallie is in the next room and you’ve got it bad for her and you’re trying to make her jealous.”

“Am not.”

Her laughter was muffled behind the t-shirt that was only halfway over her head.  She pulled it all the way down and now her rich brown eyes were sparkling with mirth.  “You sound like a little boy.”

After a quick beat to digest that, he replied, “Do not.”

She leaned down to pull her sleep pants up and when she was off balance, one foot in the air, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down to the bed.

“And just for the record, your imminent departure from the city wasn’t the only reason I wanted to sleep with you.”

“Really?  What was the other reason?”

He ignored the inference that he had only two reasons for being attracted to her and answered with a shrug, “You’re hot.”

His smile was irresistible—to everyone except Hallie Belden, apparently—and she smiled back, leaned over and gave him one last kiss. 

“Goodnight, Simon.”

He kissed the back of her hand as she stood to go.  “Goodnight, Joanne.”

 

January 1, 2000, 2:35 a.m.

He was starting to nod off when the click of the door catch startled him back to alertness.  A petite figure tiptoed in and softly shut the door behind her.

“Where have you been?”

Jo stifled a shriek and spun around to face Jim.  “Shit, you scared me!” she whispered.

“I came to your room to apologize and you weren’t there.  Where were you?”

Even in the muted glow that came from the light over the stove in the next room, he could see her anger clearly written on her face.

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.  “Gee, Dad, it’s New Year’s and I guess I thought you might relax my curfew a little.  Sorry I didn’t call and let you know where I was.”

Tilting her nose up haughtily, she turned to go.  Jim sprang off the couch and quickly crossed to her, grabbing her arm to halt her retreat.

“You slept with him?”

“So what if I did?” She glared at him.  “Are you worried about me, or are you worried about Hallie?”

“Hallie?  Why?”

“Because she likes Simon.”

“She hates Simon.  For good reason, apparently.”

“Bull.  That’s UST, Frayne.  Worst case of it I ever saw.”

“UST?”

“Unresolved Sexual Tension.  They’re dying to get into bed with each other.  It’s just more fun for them to fight.”  Narrowing her eyes, she added, “I would’ve thought you’d be familiar with that.  Didn’t you and Trixie fight a lot?”

“Dammit, Jo, don’t bring Trixie into this.”

“Why not?  That’s what you’re upset about, isn’t it?  Trixie didn’t marry you and now she’s going off to Washington against your better judgment.  Mart and Sally want to live in sin on your property against your rules.  Renee didn’t want to stay with you just so you’d have a girlfriend, even if you don’t love her.  And I’m not the sweet, tactful, virgin bride little sister Honey is.  You’re pretty much losing control of everybody in your life.”

“Shut up,” he growled.

Jerking free of his grasp she said, “I’m several years past the age of consent.  Simon and I are both unmarried, unattached adults who know how to practice safe sex.  Hallie said she didn’t care.  So why should you care so much?”

She turned away but he caught her wrist and spun her back around.  Putting his other arm around her waist, he pressed her close to his body, lowered his head and kissed her.  A hot, steamy, throw caution to the wind, kiss.  She resisted him for a few frantic heartbeats before throwing her arms around his neck and returning his passion.

Finally, he pulled away just slightly and in a husky voice asked, “My room or yours?”

“Mine,” she answered quickly and breathlessly.

Pushing her away, he snarled, “That’s why I care so much.  Because I need to care enough for both of us.”

She was too startled to be angry.  “What?”

“You just screwed Simon Drake and now you’re ready to crawl into bed with me?  God, Jo, grow up.  You can’t live life like that.  I’ve got about three dozen reasons why up at the school—boys who’ve grown up without a father, or with a father who’s in prison, or a mother who’s addicted to drugs.  You’ve got to care about somebody and you might as well start with yourself if you don’t give a damn about anybody else.”

He turned smartly on his heel and returned to his bedroom, fighting the impulse to slam the door behind him.

 

January 1, 2000, 9:10 a.m.

“Good morning,” Trixie greeted through a yawn as she shuffled into the living room in her pajamas.

“I know why I’m up,” Honey said, smiling sleepily while her son nursed contentedly at her breast.  “Why are you up?”

Trixie flopped down on the couch and fell over onto her side.  “Don’t know,” she mumbled groggily.  “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Are you excited about this week?”

Trixie’s eyes flew open and she grinned in spite of her fatigue.  “Yeah.  I guess that’s it.  Nerves, too.”

“You’ll be great.  I never saw a challenge you couldn’t full body tackle.”

Trixie snorted.  “You sound like you’re ready for a day of watching football.  Brian make it home?”

“Just a little while ago.  He’s taking a shower.  I hope he didn’t wake you.”

“Nah.”  She hesitated then decided to share her discovery with her best friend.  “I woke up about two thirty.”

“Two thirty?  You couldn’t have been asleep for much more than an hour.  What happened?”

Sighing, Trixie sat up and ran her fingers through her tangled curls.  “I heard somebody in the living room.”

Honey laughed.  “The first mystery of the New Year.  I should’ve known.”

“Well, it didn’t sound very happy so I was worried and I was up anyway.  I had to pee before I investigated.”  As Honey’s eyes twinkled mischievously, she quickly added, “Yes, I checked under the seat first.  Mart and Tad are so dead.  They really need to grow up.  Of course, if I could think of some way to get them back, even if it was juvenile and petty...”

“Trixie, who was in the living room?”

“Oh.  Jim.”

“What was he doing?”

“Um ... yelling at Joanne.  Kissing Joanne.  Turning his back on Joanne.”

Honey’s eyes grew wide and she was struck dumb as she tried to interpret Trixie’s mysterious report.  Finally, all she could come up with was, “What?  What?”

Trixie threw her hands up in exasperation.  “I don’t know!  I couldn’t hear them!  Jim definitely looked mad though when he came back down the hallway.  And they were arguing last night, too.”

“When?  About what?”

“Just after midnight.  About Jo kissing Simon.”

“Well,” Honey admitted reluctantly, trying to remember her tact.  “They were kind of ... obvious.”

“So, do you think Jim kissed Joanne and she turned him down because she’s after Simon?”

“I don’t think Jim would do that.  And if he did, I don’t think it would make him mad.  And if it did, I don’t think he would’ve kissed her in the first place.  If he was mad, I mean.  Except then, Joanne wouldn’t have turned him down.  I mean, he would’ve had to have kissed her for her to turn him down.”

Trixie groaned.  “No Honeyspeak before I’ve had coffee, please.”

Honey giggled.  “Sorry.  Brian will want some when he gets out of the shower, if you want to get it started.”

Trixie nodded, pulled herself off the couch, and headed to the kitchen.

Honey had Matthew over her shoulder when Jim came in, his eyes bloodshot, face drawn.  Clearly, he hadn’t gotten much in the way of sleep, either.

“Hello,” Honey said softly.  A chipper “Good morning” didn’t seem appropriate.

Jim grunted and flopped down on the couch, much the same way Trixie had earlier.

Honey stood and went to him, holding out Matthew.  “Here.”

“What?” Jim asked, even as he held up his arms for his godson.

“There’s no evil power on earth that can withstand a baby’s cuteness.  And you look like you need just such a weapon to combat whatever’s eating you up inside.”

He grimaced but Honey thought she saw just a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.  She laid the burp cloth on his shoulder and squeezed for just a moment.  When Jim brought Matthew up and began gently patting his back, she sat down on the coffee table so she could look him square in the eye.

“Bad night?”

Jim only grunted a reply.

“Trixie told me she saw you and Joanne out here kissing.”

Jim scowled, his eyes darkening to a deep forest green.  “She was spying on me?”

“She was up to use the bathroom and heard voices.  She wouldn’t be Trixie if she didn’t investigate.”

Jim shook his head in annoyance but didn’t answer.

“Jim, do you have feelings for Joanne?”

He looked up sharply.  “Not those kind of feelings.”

“Then why did you—?”

He held a hand up to halt her question.  “Let it go, sis.”

Honey pursed her lips tightly.  After a moment, she nodded a reluctant consent.

Maybe Jim would talk to her later.  In the meantime, they could all enjoy a pleasant brunch before they went their separate ways.

 

January 1, 2000, 10:40 a.m.

“Good morning,” Diana chirped as she iced the cinnamon rolls she had just taken out of the oven.

“Yeah,” Hallie mumbled back.

“Did you sleep well?” her friend asked pointedly, her violet eyes twinkling.

“Not particularly.”

Diana giggled.  “Well, I guess ‘sleep’ isn’t exactly accurate, but you know I’m always mixing up my words.”

“Di, let it go.”

“Come on, Hal.  Simon’s room was right next to mine.  Maybe you didn’t actually get any sleep but it sure sounded like you were having an enjoyable New Year’s.”

Simon came in just then, whistling cheerfully.  “Good morning, ladies.  Okay if I jump in the shower real quick?”

Diana nodded and smiled, her gaze shifting over to Hallie’s, perhaps wondering if he might have some company in the shower.  She was surprised to see the blackberry eyes cold and steely.

When he had gone, she turned on her friend.  “What happened?”

“I said let it go.”

“But it sounded like … I mean, from what I could hear … Hal, did he treat you badly?”

“Diana … please stop.”

She turned and stalked out of the kitchen and a moment later, Diana heard the front door open and slam shut behind her friend.

 

January 1, 2000, 10:50 a.m.

Hallie looked unhappy.  Actually, she looked like her cousin.  Brian rarely got good and truly angry but when he did … well, that’s what Hallie looked like now, Honey thought nervously.

“Good morning,” she greeted cautiously.

Hallie continued stirring milk into her coffee without answering.  Finally, she looked up and smiled.

Forced a smile, Honey was certain.

“Good morning.  Anything I can do to help?”

“No, we’re almost done.  Are Diana and Sally on their way with their contributions?”

“Mm-hm,” Hallie replied absently as she meandered to the table and sat down.

Honey would’ve asked her what was wrong but at that moment Jo came in from the guest room.  She ripped open the cupboard door, yanked out a mug, and smacked it down so hard on the counter Honey was sure it was going to break.  She poured a full mug of coffee, sucked down half of it with a predatory growl, refilled and sat down next to Hallie, who glared at her but said nothing.

Honey swallowed hard.  Brian was finishing up the bacon and pulling out pitchers of juice to put on the table.  He raised his eyebrows in question but Honey just shrugged and returned her focus to the eggs, making sure they didn’t burn.

The front door opened and Simon came in, giving Honey a kiss on the cheek before filling up a cup of coffee for himself.  Honey sighed in relief.  Maybe only Hallie and Jo were irritable this morning.  They both had coffee.  Maybe they just weren’t morning people.  Although it was getting pretty close to being afternoon, not morning.

Simon kissed Jo on the cheek as well and sat down next to her.  Hallie stood and moved to the opposite end of the long dining room table without a word.  Joanne elbowed Simon and jerked her head toward a seat across from her and he stood and moved without comment.

Honey’s sigh wasn’t as relieved as it was before.

Diana and Sally came in bearing plates of cinnamon rolls and coffee cake.  Honey sniffed appreciatively.  “Smells wonderfully wonderful.  Thanks for helping out.”  She looked over their shoulders.  “Tad and Mart are coming with you, right?  I certainly can’t imagine either of them missing breakfast.”  She smiled at her friends, surprised to see tight smiles and narrowed eyes.

“Oh, they’ll be here,” Diana said coolly.  “They’re just not ‘with us’ today.”

“They’re being punished,” Sally added.

“Oh.  That’s … okay.  That’s … good,” Honey replied, smiling in understanding even as her stomach clenched.  Her plans for a pleasant brunch weren’t looking promising.

One by one, the rest of the group came to brunch, each of them having a suitably dark glare for at least one other person around the table.

Honey and Brian brought the remaining dishes to the table and sat down.  Brian asked if he could offer a blessing and everybody nodded.  Honey tacked her own silent prayer to the end of Brian’s and they began passing the food.

For several minutes, it was silent.  Not the contented silence of friends enjoying good food but the tense silence of friends who’ve had a falling out.  Several of them, it appeared.

“Honey, this sure beats breakfast in the hospital cafeteria,” Simon said appreciatively, toasting her with a forkful of scrambled eggs.  “I’m glad I came over last night and I’m equally glad I stayed this morning.”

Hallie snorted in disgust.  Jo narrowed her eyes at her.  Sally jabbed her fork into her plate and the ensuing scrape must have sent needles up everybody’s back.

Matthew began crying in the back bedroom and Honey jumped to her feet.  Fighting back tears, she snapped, “I don’t know how our perfectly perfect party of last night turned into this but by the time I get back I’d better see my friends again!”

A few seconds later, the bedroom door slammed behind her, fueling Matthew’s cries and causing several of the people around the table to jump nervously.

“All right,” Brian said, his deep voice brooking no nonsense.  “You heard the lady.  What the hell happened here after I got called to the hospital?”

The glares dimmed and expressions of shame began to populate the table.  Nobody liked to upset Honey, no matter what was going on between them.  She was their hostess, their sister, their best friend, and the kindest person they knew.

Finally, Mart was the one to get the ball rolling. 

“Trixie, Dan, I’m sorry about last night.  It wasn’t an appropriate time to pull a practical joke and I’m definitely sorry that it went wrong.”

The Mangans’ expressions softened a bit, prompting Tad to offer his own apology.

“Me, too.  I mean … it was his idea.”  He winced as Diana kicked him under the table.  “But I’m sorry I went along with it.”

Trixie and Dan nodded their forgiveness.  Trixie took a breath and said, “Jim, I’m sorry I was snooping last night—this morning, whatever.  It’s none of my business if you want to—”  A sharp glance from Jim made her stop short and take a more vague approach.  “It just wasn’t my business and I’m sorry.”

It was Trixie’s very nature to be inquisitive and being a Bob-White meant she cared about the well-being of her friends.  Jim knew it took a lot for her to apologize, especially in front of everybody else, all while not revealing what she had inadvertently discovered.  Jim smiled at her before turning his attention to Joanne.

“Jo, I’m sorry for yelling at you last night.  I never did get around to that apology.  I’m even more sorry for this morning.  It was totally uncalled for.  Of course, you’re an adult and can make your own decisions.  You know I have control issues.  I’m trying.”

Jo’s expression didn’t soften as quickly as the others’ had.  She sipped at her coffee, her dark eyes meeting Simon’s over the rim of the mug. 

Diana noticed and saw Hallie’s eyes narrow into slits at the silent exchange.  Her eyes widened a bit as if she’d come to a sudden realization and she gasped, drawing everybody’s attention to her.

Her cheeks heating up, she mumbled hurriedly, “Nothing.  I’m sorry I was so pushy this morning, Hallie.  Clearly, it was none of my business.”

“Well, we’re making some progress,” Brian observed.  “Anybody else?”

After a very pregnant pause, Sally offered, “I’m sorry I upset Honey.”  She shot an evil eye toward her brother before adding, “She’s been a wonderful hostess and … well, family issues can be dealt with later.  At somebody else’s apartment.  I feel very badly that we’re all acting like spoiled children.  I’ll go get Honey.”

She started to stand up but Honey was already there, rocking Matthew in her arms to keep him quiet.

“Please sit down, Sally.  I’m sorry I got so bent out of shape.  I’m sure Brian can come up with some post-partum hormonal imbalance to explain it.”

“You have no reason to apologize, Honey,” Jo said, offering an apologetic glance to both Jim and Hallie.  “We haven’t been very gracious guests.”

Several voices offered a “Sorry, Honey,” and looks of regret.

Brian pulled out Honey’s chair and she sat down, smiling sweetly at her friends and family.

In the face of the kind-hearted woman, nobody could remain angry for long.  Hallie took her attention away from Joanne and Simon and stroked Matthew’s baby soft hair as she offered a rueful smile to her cousin-in-law.  Joanne gave a quiet smile to Jim and he touched her foot with his under the table.

“So … when is Simon going to apologize to me?” Mart asked.

“For what, Belden?”

“For hogging the bacon.  Pass it down here, please.”

Simon cracked a grin and after taking a couple of slices for himself, graciously passed the plate to his future brother-in-law.

It broke the tension and soon everybody was chatting more or less happily.  There would certainly be discussions later, and maybe even arguments, but for now they could remember and enjoy the fact that they were all close friends, through thick and thin.

Brian clinked his fork against his glass and raised it.  “How about I offer a New Year’s toast and we start at the beginning again?  We need to get this millennium off on the right foot.”

“Actually, since there was no year zero—”

“Shut up, Mart,” several people vocalized and everybody laughed as they raised their glasses for Brian’s toast.

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better person.”

“Hear!  Hear!” was the reply as they all sipped at their juice and coffee. 

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions,” Tad added and everybody laughed again.

“I remember one my mother used to offer,” Dan added.  “It’s a traditional Irish toast.  In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.”

“And God bless us…” Mart began.

“Every one!” they all concluded, raising their glasses high to bring in the new millennium.

 

 

  

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AUTHOR'S NOTES

Chapter 28 (11,792 words)

Thanks, as always, to my lovely editors, this time for keeping me straight on my timeline and making sure all my holes were filled in.

Thank also to Terry for reminding me of the last name of the Wheelers’ pilot.  Sorry, Mary, it wasn’t “the Pilot”. *g*

Here is a picture of Jo's dress, if you are interested.

Mart’s little trick on Trixie was the same thing my brother did to his family when he and my SIL got engaged.  It didn’t work so well with the immediate family, with Lori standing next to him beaming brightly, but I thought my grama and aunt were going to start crying when my brother told them (SIL couldn’t come to that particular gathering due to work).  It was pretty funny.

What plans does Mart have for his honeymoon?  You’ll have to be patient and wait until they get married to find out!

I’m not sure which Degas sculpture Matt Wheeler shelled out big dough for but Degas' most famous one ("Petite danseuse de quatorze ans", or "Little Dancer 14 years old") sold for a record $19 million in 2009 through Sotheby’s.  Much as I love the Wheelers, I really don’t think they’re *that* rich.  He must have bought a different one.  The facts Jim gave Jo about the original Degas casts are true and I imagine Mr. Wheeler, as both a horse lover and an art lover, may have been friends or at least acquaintances with Paul Mellon, a wonderful old Virginia horseman, art lover, and philanthropist who died in 1999.

Thanks to the creative folks at Jix who mentioned several great practical jokes.  Mart and Tad do plan to save some of those ideas for another time, as they were too time consuming, but thank you for your evilocity!

Jo tells Simon that Jim took her to dinner at Atelier, a four start French restaurant not far from the Wheeler penthouse.

Thanks to Ronda (and Tess) for introducing me to the word “squicked”. *g*