As Time Goes By (The Californians 2) by Lori Wick
Authors: Lori Wick
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Frontier and Pioneer Life - California, INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE
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explained everything.
"It's nothing. Look." Jeff thrust his hand out and Bobbie saw that he was right. It was a tiny mark on the surface of the skin that would probably disappear if he rubbed it.
"Please don't cut your nails."
"It could have been much worse, Jeff. I really shouldn't keep them so long. And really, Jeff, I can't believe it even matters to you."
"I just think your hands are very pretty and that it'd be a shame to cut your nails."
Bobbie was not sure why, but having Jeff tell her that her hands were pretty made her inordinately happy. It also made her blush. To hide her embarrassment Bobbie turned away and sat back at her desk. But Jeff had seen the flushing of her cheeks, and as he set the letter back on the desk and stopped his teasing, he understood with sudden and complete clarity why someone would ask Bobbie Bradford to marry him.
110
sixteen
The Micklesons' barn fire was the talk around town for the next few days and on into Sunday. Pastor Keller announced that weather allowing, there would be a "barn-building day" on the following Saturday.
The Micklesons were descended upon after the service with promises of attendance and help. Bobbie was thronged also. She couldn't believe how many people came up to hug her and welcome her home. It felt wonderful. When the people Surrounding her finally cleared, Bobbie looked
down to see Marcail at her side.
"Hi, Bobbie."
"Hi, Marcail. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I want you to come and meet my sister."
Marcail grabbed Bobbie's hand and was led to the Riggs' wagon. Kate was already seated.
"Katie, this is Bobbie. Bobbie, this is my sister Kate."
"Hello," Bobbie greeted Kaitlin with a smile, and Kate responded to the warm friendliness she saw there.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Bobbie. Marc has been planning this meeting for two days. I'm sure she told you I was expecting."
As Time Goes By 111
"Yes, she did. Congratulations."
"Thank you, but I'm afraid it's been a disappointment to Marcail that I haven't come to the shipping office to meet you. The truth is, I'm tired all the time and I just wasn't up to it. She finally figured out we would see each other here."
Nathan Taylor came on the scene just as Kate finished talking, and whatever reply Bobbie was going to make was cut short.
"Hi, Nate," Bobbie greeted him cheerfully. "I forgot to tell you yesterday that a girl came in looking for you. She said she'd see you Monday, and I think she said her name was Brenda." Bobbie had given this message softly so as not to embarrass Nate, but his face flamed nonethe less.
"Now there's no reason for you to be blushing like that, Nathan." Bobbie's voice was her most sarcastic. "I know for a fact that she only came in to see if you were just as homely on Saturday as you were when you left school Friday."
The teasing did the trick. Nate instantly relaxed, and Kate, who had been listening from the wagon, fell for Bobbie just as her sister had.
"Well," Nate decided to give as good as he got, "I might be homely, but at least I'm not short." Nate took great delight in his being four years younger than Bobbie and many inches taller.
"Is that right?" Bobbie cocked her head to one side in a
way that was becoming familiar to them all.
"Yes, that's right."
"What you don't know, Nathan, is that I could be taller. I just don't want to be."
"Is that right?" Nate imitated her perfectly, and before
112
Bobbie could reply, the Riggs' wagon was converged upon by Bradfords and Taylors.
Everyone seemed to be talking at once, and after a few minutes May and Maryanne decided they should all have lunch together. A hasty potluck was planned and Maryanne and Jake headed home to collect their food. Marcail begged Bobbie to ride with them, so she found herself in the back with her new little friend and a very quiet Sean, whom she had just met.
The wagon was already moving when Jeff hopped aboard and made himself comfortable on the blankets. He tipped Sean's hat over his eyes,
"It's nothing. Look." Jeff thrust his hand out and Bobbie saw that he was right. It was a tiny mark on the surface of the skin that would probably disappear if he rubbed it.
"Please don't cut your nails."
"It could have been much worse, Jeff. I really shouldn't keep them so long. And really, Jeff, I can't believe it even matters to you."
"I just think your hands are very pretty and that it'd be a shame to cut your nails."
Bobbie was not sure why, but having Jeff tell her that her hands were pretty made her inordinately happy. It also made her blush. To hide her embarrassment Bobbie turned away and sat back at her desk. But Jeff had seen the flushing of her cheeks, and as he set the letter back on the desk and stopped his teasing, he understood with sudden and complete clarity why someone would ask Bobbie Bradford to marry him.
110
sixteen
The Micklesons' barn fire was the talk around town for the next few days and on into Sunday. Pastor Keller announced that weather allowing, there would be a "barn-building day" on the following Saturday.
The Micklesons were descended upon after the service with promises of attendance and help. Bobbie was thronged also. She couldn't believe how many people came up to hug her and welcome her home. It felt wonderful. When the people Surrounding her finally cleared, Bobbie looked
down to see Marcail at her side.
"Hi, Bobbie."
"Hi, Marcail. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I want you to come and meet my sister."
Marcail grabbed Bobbie's hand and was led to the Riggs' wagon. Kate was already seated.
"Katie, this is Bobbie. Bobbie, this is my sister Kate."
"Hello," Bobbie greeted Kaitlin with a smile, and Kate responded to the warm friendliness she saw there.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Bobbie. Marc has been planning this meeting for two days. I'm sure she told you I was expecting."
As Time Goes By 111
"Yes, she did. Congratulations."
"Thank you, but I'm afraid it's been a disappointment to Marcail that I haven't come to the shipping office to meet you. The truth is, I'm tired all the time and I just wasn't up to it. She finally figured out we would see each other here."
Nathan Taylor came on the scene just as Kate finished talking, and whatever reply Bobbie was going to make was cut short.
"Hi, Nate," Bobbie greeted him cheerfully. "I forgot to tell you yesterday that a girl came in looking for you. She said she'd see you Monday, and I think she said her name was Brenda." Bobbie had given this message softly so as not to embarrass Nate, but his face flamed nonethe less.
"Now there's no reason for you to be blushing like that, Nathan." Bobbie's voice was her most sarcastic. "I know for a fact that she only came in to see if you were just as homely on Saturday as you were when you left school Friday."
The teasing did the trick. Nate instantly relaxed, and Kate, who had been listening from the wagon, fell for Bobbie just as her sister had.
"Well," Nate decided to give as good as he got, "I might be homely, but at least I'm not short." Nate took great delight in his being four years younger than Bobbie and many inches taller.
"Is that right?" Bobbie cocked her head to one side in a
way that was becoming familiar to them all.
"Yes, that's right."
"What you don't know, Nathan, is that I could be taller. I just don't want to be."
"Is that right?" Nate imitated her perfectly, and before
112
Bobbie could reply, the Riggs' wagon was converged upon by Bradfords and Taylors.
Everyone seemed to be talking at once, and after a few minutes May and Maryanne decided they should all have lunch together. A hasty potluck was planned and Maryanne and Jake headed home to collect their food. Marcail begged Bobbie to ride with them, so she found herself in the back with her new little friend and a very quiet Sean, whom she had just met.
The wagon was already moving when Jeff hopped aboard and made himself comfortable on the blankets. He tipped Sean's hat over his eyes,
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