Keeping Up With the
Joneses
Alternate Ending
Chapter 18 (replacing the epilogue)
Katie held on to Rick’s arm as she made her way up the
aisle. Soon, she would be Mrs. Katje Jones. Somehow,
that thought did not please her.
“Are you sure about this?” her former boss whispered as they
made their way up the aisle to the preacher. “It’s not too late to bolt.”
Katie bit her lip. Memories of a happy wedding flooded her
mind. Not for one minute did she ever have doubts about marrying Win. That day,
she had walked up the aisle with confidence and determination that she was
doing the right thing.
Katie glanced at the people standing in the front of the
church. Jonesy stood, slightly stoop-shouldered, with
the preacher. He nervously slicked back his hair with his hand. Katie grimaced,
just thinking about running her fingers through it. If only it was thick and red, she thought.
Katie glimpsed around the church. She had wanted to be
married in the courthouse, but Jonesy had insisted
that they “do things right”. He made the arrangements at the church, hired a
florist, decorator, and even caterers for the reception. He begged her to allow
him to purchase a white wedding dress for her to wear, although this was her
second marriage.
Now, dressed in the simple white gown, Katie felt
uncomfortable. The lace was itchy, the material was too hot, and it was a
struggle not to trip on her dress tail. She had felt like a princess on her
wedding day to Win. But, today was different. Instead
of a wedding, it felt as if she was going to a funeral.
Katie took a deep cleansing breath. She tried to focus her
attention to the man who would become her groom. She was sure of Jonesy’s love. She knew in her heart that she did not love
him in return, but she hoped to someday love him, as well. He had on an expensive tuxedo, but it did not
flatter him. It only seemed to accentuate how stooped his shoulders were. I wonder why I never noticed that before,
she thought. Win would have filled it out
just right. His shoulders were so
broad…
Hastily, she removed all thoughts of her
beloved first husband from her mind. You
can’t think of one man when you’re marrying another! Katie tried to return
her thoughts to the man who was waiting at the altar for her.
Katie looked up and nervously smiled at Jonesy. When he smiled back, all Katie could think about
was how yellow his teeth were. The thought of kissing him at the end of the
ceremony sickened her. And
what about after the ceremony, on
our honeymoon? she thought distastefully. What am I going to do? She clung to Rick’s arm, slowing their
progress down considerably.
Katie glanced at the front once more. She
spied her eleven-year-old son there, looking handsome in his tuxedo. Katie
smiled at Jim, but she noticed that he looked unhappy. He tried to muster one
of his lopsided grins, but Katie could tell it was a struggle.
When Jonesy saw
that Katie was looking at Jim, he nonchalantly put his arm around Jim. Katie
noticed that Jim stiffened at her groom’s touch. She saw a look of absolute
repulsion on her son’s face. She also observed the look that he gave Jim. Jonesy glanced at Jim with total hatred.
At that moment, Katie and Rick reached the
front. Rick lifted her veil and kissed
her cheek. As he leaned over to her, he whispered, “It’s not too late. There’s
a car waiting outside, if you change your mind.”
Katie smiled weakly at him. Rick took his
seat, and the dashingly handsome minister J began the service.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today
to celebrate the union of Jacobson Jones and Katje
Frayne. Marriage is an institution of
divine appointment and is commended as honorable among all men. It is the most
important step in life and should not therefore be entered into unadvisedly or
lightly, but discreetly and soberly.
“I solemnly require and blah, blah, blah…”
The words were beginning to rush together in
Katie’s mind. The room started spinning. Leave,
Katie! Leave! Win’s voice shouted in her ear. Don’t do this! This is wrong! You can’t marry Jonesy!
You don’t love him!
Katie looked up when she heard the
minister say her name.
“And do you Katie,
take this man to be your awful, er, I mean lawful
wedded husband; and do you solemnly promise before God and these witnesses that
you will love, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all
others keep thee only unto him so long as you both shall live?”
“I-I…I don’t!” Katie looked at Jonesy with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t.”
Jonesy looked at
her, too stunned to say a word. Jim jumped jubilantly in the air, repeating
“Yes!” over and over again. He hopped down off the platform to make his way to
his mother.
Before he could reach her, however, Jonesy grabbed his arm. “This is all yer
fault, you little brat!” he hissed at Jim. He raised his hand to slap Jim.
Suddenly, all Katie’s strength returned to
her. Filled with righteous anger, she grabbed Jonesy’s
arm before he could hit Jim. “If you ever lay a hand on my son, you’ll be
singing soprano. Permanately!” Then she kicked him in the groin with her pointy-toed
shoe to give him a sample of her threat.
As Jonesy was
doubled over moaning in pain, Jim ran to his mother’s arms. “I’m so glad you
didn’t marry him, Mom!” he cried.
“Me too, Jimmy! Now
let’s get out of here.”
“You can’t just leave,” Jonesy
whined, the pain making it difficult to talk.
“Just watch us!” Jim hooted, landing a
skillful right hook on Jonesy’s nose. However, being
an honorable young man, Jim tossed Jonesy his
handkerchief to sop up the blood streaming from his rapidly swelling, crooked
nose.
Chapter 19
The next week…
Katie and Jim pulled into the driveway at
Ten Acres. At first, they were both shocked by the condition of their uncle’s
property. But with a smile and a shrug, Katie opened the truck door. “Looks like we have our work cut out for us, Jimmy.”
Uncle James hobbled out of the house. He was
extremely thin and his clothes were ragged, but he looked ecstatic to see his
relatives.
“Katie, is that you?” he called, holding his
arms out. “I was so happy when you called and said you’d be coming here to
Sleepyside.”
Katie embraced her uncle tenderly. The fact
that he was related to her only by marriage was of no importance. Katie dearly
loved this man who so reminded her of her late husband. She was determined to
take care of him and get him and his property back into pristine condition.
“And this must be little Jim!” Uncle James
replied, tears pooling in his green eyes. Jim eagerly hugged his great uncle.
“It’s good to see you again, Uncle James,”
Jim politely answered. “It sure is swell of you,
letting us move here.”
“Oh, pashaw!”
Uncle James said, flipping his hand in an exasperated manner. “That’s what
family is for. Besides, I’ve been so lonely here since Nell died.”
“Don’t you have some neighbors nearby that
you could visit with?” Katie asked. “Does anyone live in that beautiful estate
on the hill?”
Uncle James shook his head. “Nobody has
lived in the Manor House for years. I guess no one from these parts can afford
such a house. It’s a bit ostentatious, if you ask me.”
“Aren’t there any other neighbors?”
Uncle James snorted. “Just
those dad-blame Beldens. Trying to take my land!”
Uncle James waved his feeble fist. “That nincompoop judge ruled against me, and
Peter Belden got that patch of woods.”
Katie had heard about
the boundary dispute. She and Jim smiled
at each other, and Katie winked at her son conspiratorially. Uncle James
certainly had a large dose of that Frayne temper.
“Now, Uncle James, we’ve seen your deed, and
that tiny patch of poison ivy did
belong to the Beldens,” Katie soothed. “Besides, what do you want with that
little bit of woods when you already have ten lovely acres? You should just let
bygones be bygones.”
Uncle James grumbled under his breath.
“Do the Beldens have any kids?” Jim asked.
“It would be fun to have some friends to hang around with.”
“Well now, they have two boys about your
age. And I think Mrs. Belden had another boy a couple of years ago.” Uncle
James snorted. “And they got a harum-scarum daughter, as she’s known around
these parts. She and her brothers are constantly chasing their blasted puppy on
my property.”
Jim smiled at the description of the Belden
girl. “Maybe I’ll run into them sometime.”
“Knowing Beatrix
Belden, she’ll run into you!” Uncle James scoffed.
Chapter 20
Katie and Jim worked hard cleaning Uncle
James’ mansion. It would take a great deal more work, but Katie enjoyed it. It
helped take her mind off of her grief. In fact, she hadn’t felt this well since
before Win died.
“Jim, you’ve worked hard all day. Why don’t
you play outside while I fix dinner?” his mother suggested.
Jim wanted to help his mother, but some
unknown force was drawing him outside. “Okay, Mom. I would like to explore a
little.”
Jim went outside and looked around his great
uncle’s property. He was getting ready to check out an old dilapidated
summerhouse, when he heard yelling.
“Reddy! Come back here!” a young voice
shouted.
Before Jim could move, he was knocked over
by a hyper puppy and a sturdy blonde. Dazed, Jim looked up into the bluest eyes
he had ever seen.
“Gleeps!
Sorry about that!” the blonde girl said, holding out her hand to help him up.
“I had to catch my puppy before he went on the miser’s property. Reddy likes to
chase his chickens.”
Jim smiled and touched the little girl’s
hand. He jumped at the instant electricity he felt. “Who are you?”
The blonde smiled and tossed her unruly
curls. “I’m Trixie Belden. I live over there at Crabapple Farm. What’s your
name?”
“I’m Jim Frayne. My mom and I just moved
here from
Trixie blushed to the roots of her sandy
curls. “Golly, Jim! I’m sorry! I didn’t know he was your uncle. I’m always
putting my foot in my mouth.”
Jim smiled. “It’s all right. I know how
Uncle James can be.”
“Did you fi…” the new voice stopped at the sight of the redheaded
boy. “Hey, who are you?”
Jim stared at the dark-haired boy now
standing before him. A blonde boy quickly caught up to him, who was lagging
behind because of the large doughnut he was eating.
“I’m Jim Frayne, and I just moved here. Glad
to meet you.”
“I’m Brian Belden,” the older boy answered.
“Amb I’m Marm,” the blond boy garbled, his mouth full of food.
Trixie rolled her eyes. “In case you
couldn’t understand, his name is Mart.”
“It sure is swell that you all live nearby,”
Jim said. “Maybe we can go hunting or fishing together sometime.”
“That would be great!” Brian exclaimed. “We
got a friend named Tom that takes us to all the best hunting and fishing spots.
I bet he’d take you, too! He works at the Cameo at night, but he’s free all
day.”
“That would be great! Do you like to hunt
and fish, Trixie?” Jim asked, studying the blonde-headed girl.
Trixie shrugged and picked at a grass stain
on her jeans. “Usually I’m too busy helping Moms with Bobby. He’s our brother,
and he’s always into trouble.”
“Like his sister,” Brian teased with a grin.
“Natch,” agreed
the boy who could pass as Trixie’s twin.
Jim smiled, enjoying the Beldens’ banter.
“I’ll have to meet him sometime.” He admired Trixie’s curls that framed her
face. There was one curl, right in the middle of her forehead, which reminded
him of a nursery rhyme his mother used to say to him. Jim longed to tug on that
corkscrew strand of hair.
“I’m sure Moms would let you come over to
dinner sometime,” Trixie offered. “She’s a great cook.”
“I’d like that.”
“Where were you heading to before the
supposedly fair Beatrix knocked you off your feet?”
Mart asked, wiping the doughnut crumbs from his chin.
Jim shrugged. “There’s an old summerhouse
over there. I thought I might check it out.”
“Gleeps!
I love exploring!” Trixie said, her china blue eyes shining. “Maybe we could
help you clean it up!”
“It would be a neat place for a fort,” Brian
commented. “Or maybe a clubhouse.”
“Boy, it sure would be fun to have a club,”
Jim told them. “Hey, maybe we could start one.”
The Belden kids agreed in unison.
“Well, we’d better get home,” Brian said.
“Yeah, it’s dinnertime,” Mart added. “I’m
starved.”
“See ya, Jim,”
Trixie called, flashing a dimpled smile at the redheaded boy.
“Bye!” Jim called to his new friends. Jim
smiled and headed back to his new home, truly happy for the first time in a
long while. He had been dreaming of living in the country again, and having
some good friends.
“Sometimes,” he decided, “dreams really do
come true!”
Author’s notes:
When I mentioned doing an alternate ending, I had
several positive responses, so I decided to try a KK ending. Hope you all enjoy
it.
Thank you to KayRenee who did
a lightning fast edit job on this! Your suggestions were priceless, my friend!
I had to let my handsome husband make a cameo
appearance. Did you recognize him? J Of course, for
the record, my dh has never said ‘awful’ wedded
husband. But I just had to put that slip of the tongue in there!
Did you catch all the references to The Secret of the
Mansion? I also had to make Trixie and Jim meet the same way that Win and Katie
met. Yes, I’m an incurable romantic!
And I’m sure all you Trixie fanatics know who Tom is!
And the final quote of this ending is directly from The
Red Trailer Mystery, but said by Jim. I had to get that in there somewhere
since I already messed up the program!
Thank you all for reading!