As Time Goes By (The Californians 2)

by Lori Wick

  Maryanne had a quilt in her arms and put it around her daughter.

  The group stood, over 30 of them, a cold but grateful mass, until the flames were little more than smoking timbers. About half the barn would have to be rebuilt, but no animals were lost and no one had been hurt while fighting the fire.

  Pastor had come on the scene to help and he led the group in a prayer of thanksgiving for God's protection and for the rain that minimized the loss and possibility of injury.

  Maryanne took the food she had brought into the Mickleson home and then rejoined her family at the wagon. The rain had slackened. Both Bill and Jeff were there talking with Bobbie, who sat in the back with Troy.

  "Jeff tells me you're chilled to the bone. You get right into bed when you get home."

  "I alwhys knew Jeff was a big tattletale." Bobbie tried to joke, but her shivers were nearly rattling her teeth out.

  "I mean it, Bobbie. I don't want you coming down with something. If you feel a cold starting just stay in bed. If I don't see you by 8:00, I'll know you needed rest."

  Bobbie was too cold to argue and Bill left before she could say anything. Jeff peered a bit anxiously into the back of the wagon.

  "If you don't come in tomorrow I'll come by and see

  yOU."

  "Thanks, Jeff."

  "Good night," Jeff said to the family in the wagon and then watched as they disappeared into the dark.

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  fifteen

  Bobbie felt great the next morning and was on the job at ten to eight. Bill questioned her closely until he was satisfied that she was really feeling well. Bobbie's smile was a bit indulgent as she answered his questions.

  'll right, Bobble," he said when he caught her look. "Just humor me. You're under my care now and I take my responsibility seriously."

  "I know you do. That's why your sons keep taking packages from me that I'm perfectly capable of lifting."

  Bill was surprised that she was aware of their watchful care, but was quick to recover. "Like I said, humor me."

  They smiled at each other and then Bill told Bobbie that he would be uptown for most of the morning.

  Gilbert didn't come in until close to 9:00. He arrived to find the shipping office packed with clients. Nearly 20 people sat on the benches and milled around the win dows. The morning stages were late and these people were the overflow from the small stage office next door.

  The stages arrived within minutes of each other and Jeff showed up to meet them. He and Gil helped unload and load both passengers and packages before heading

  back to the empty shipping office. Bobbie had taken a seat at the desk and was working on the never-ending stream of paperwork.

  "I didn't think I was going to see you today." Jeff had taken one of the two chairs that sat opposite the desk.

  "You sound like your dad," Bobbie commented as she laid her pencil down and removed her glasses. Jeff watched as she rubbed the little marks left by her spectacles on the bridge of her nose.

  "Do they always leave those marks?" Jeff asked, lean ing close now.

  "Not always, but they do pinch some." Bobbie contin ued to rub her nose. When she replaced the glasses she found Jeff watching her with concern.

  At some point in the last few days they had become friends. It felt wonderful, Bobbie thought, to know that Jeff was her friend. He cared about her and liked work ing with her, and she felt the same about him.

  Bobbie smiled at Jeff's concerned look and his thoughts moved in the same direction as her own. What a good friend Bobbie was turning out to be. She was fun and kind, and he genuinely enjoyed being with her.

  Jeff and Bobbie were still sitting and talking quietly with each other when the office door opened.

  "Well, hello." Sylvia's voice came from just inside the door and both Jeff and Bobbie turned to greet her. Jeff, ,knowing her well, noticed instantly that she was upset about something.

  "Sylvia, come in." Jeff smiled solicitously and offered his chair, but Sylvia's look was frosty. Jeff sighed. He wondered what he was in trouble for now. A mental run down of the last few days told him he hadn't forgotten any more dates with her and it wasn't her birthday. He figured he'd have to wait and see. Sylvia never kept her

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  anger to herself for very long, so he was certain to hear the cause before the day was out, and quite possibly within the hour.

  "I can't stay. I just stopped in to say hello. It's good to see you, Bobbie."

  "You too, Sylvia. How have you been?"

  "Fine, and yourself?"

  "Fine," Bobbie answered with a smile.

  The question was sincere and so was Sylvia's, but that was only because seeing Bobbie was such a relief. She wasn't beautiful. In truth, she wasn't even pretty. Oh, her hair looked better and she was no longer straight-upnd-down, but the glasses were just the same and she wasn't a bit taller. She still had the soft aura of a child.

  The thought made Sylvia relax. That must have been why Jeff was staring at her so intently when she came in. Jeff thought of Bobbie as a little sister.

  "Well, I'm headed uptown so I can't stay." Some of Sylvia's irritation with Jeff returned when he didn't beg

  her to stay longer or offer to go with her.

  "I'll walk you to your buggy."

  "You don't have to," Sylvia assured him, but was pleased when he followed her.

  "'Bye, Sylvia," Bobbie called, and the older woman gave her a smile and a wave. Bobbie sat back down in her desk chair.

  "Wow!" Was the only word that would come to mind, and she said it out loud.

  "What's wow?" Gil wanted to know as he came from his father's office where he had been working.

  "Sylvia," Bobbie answered. "I thought she was pretty when we were kids, but now--" Bobbie let the thought hang, and Gilbert watched her as she stared off into space. She was still just sitting when Jeff returned.

  "'Did you think she wouldn't be as pretty?" Gil wanted to know.

  "No, but I didn't think you could improve on Sylvia. I mean she was always the most beautiful girl in school, but now she looks like an actress you'd see on the stage. Her hair and eyes are more wonderful than ever."

  Both men noticed that there was a tiny note of envy in Bobbie's voice and the thought saddened them. Sylvia was attractive and they were among her admirers. But both of them found Bobbie delightful, and the idea that she would wish herself to be anything other than she was made them both regretful.

  Bobbie realized just then that the Taylor brothers were staring at her. "Have I said something wrong?" she asked cautiously.

  "No, no," they rushed to assure her. Neither one had any idea how to tell Bobbie how they felt about her, so she was left in some confusion over their odd behavior.

  Bill came back an hour or so after lunch. No one had taken any time to eat so he sent his sons and Bobbie out of the office.

  "I don't want to see you back here for at least an hour." With these words he saw them out the door and shut it behind them.

  "Well, I guess he told us," Bobbie laughed. "Now, I brought my lunch today, but, Jeff, you still owe me lunch out and, since you have such a poor memory, I think you should treat Gilbert too."

  "Is that right?" Jeff's hands had come to his hips and

  he stood regarding the sassy little blonde beside him. "Yes, that's right. Don't you agree, Gilbert?" "I'll agree to anything for a free meal."

  Jeff could see that he was outnumbered and gave in gracefully. Once at the hotel, they all ordered the special

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  of the day and the men finished their meal with pie. Sipping her coffee as they made short work of dessert, Bobbie told herself to make time for the post office before she returned to work. The rule in the Bradford family was simple: Anyone who had time to get to the post office brought home the mail.

  Bobbie told her lunch companions that she would see them back at the office, but when she told them where
she was going, they decided to go with her. Bobbie had two letters from Jenner, one from a girlfriend and the other from Cleve.

  They were back at the office before Jeff realized she had received mail from a man. He couldn't resist teasing her, even though he was well aware of her engagement. The letter was lying unopened on her desk, and when things were quiet, Jeff spotted it.

  "What's this?" Jeff said with delight. "You're not get ting mail from a man, are you, Bobbie?" Jeff had picked up the letter and was examining it closely. "What's his name now? Oh, Cleveland. Hmm, what do you suppose he has to say?"

  "Does the word 'busybody' mean anything to you, Jeffrey? Now give that back to me." Laughing, Bobbie had come out of her chair. She reached for the letter but Jeff sidestepped her. He held it behind his back.

  Bobbie stood with her arms folded across her chest, her foot tapping the floor. 'are you going to give me that letter?"

  "Just like that? Give it back when I'm having such fun teasing you?" Jeff brought the letter out and waved it in the air like a trophy. Bobble made a grab for it and felt her fingernail scrape against his hand.

  "I've scratched you!" Bobbie was aghast. She had never done such a thing before.

  "It's all right."

  "No it isn't. I'm going to cut these nails right now." "No," Jeff nearly shouted as Bobble headed for her handbag. "I'm fine, Bobbie, don't cut your nails on my account."

  "Jeff, I scratched you!" Bobbie repeated herself as if that 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.

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  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."

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  "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

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  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, gave Marcail a quick hug, and smiled at Bobbie, but his thoughts seemed far away and the ride to the Taylors' was fairly quiet.

  "I thought Jeff was coming to lunch," Sylvia's sister

  commented when she came in alone after church. "We had a fight." 'gain?"

  "Yes, again," the younger girl snapped. "He's not doing anything right. He wanted me to have lunch at his house today."

  "So why didn't you? Surely you didn't come here on our account." Sandra's voice was dripping with malice.

  She had tliought it was going to be such fun having her sister stay with her, but Sylvia hadn't grown up at all in the years she was away from Santa Rosa. She was as self-centered and conniving as she had been when they were kids. Carl had been on her to get Sylvia to end her visit and go home, but Sandra didn't know how to tell her, so she not only had to put up with Sylvia's childish behavior but her husband's angry words to boot.

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  "I didn't want to have lunch there," Sylvia went on as though explaining something to a simple child. "I can't ever get Jeff alone at his house. There are people every where. And I'm never going to get Jeff to propose to me if I don't get him alone."

  Sylvia had told herself that she was never going to tell Sandra her plans for Jeff, but she was growing desperate. And just as she suspected, this news was not well re ceived by her sister.

  "Sylvia, you can't be serious."

  "I don't know what you mean," Sylvia stated, but it was a lie.

  "If you're in love with Jeff, why are you seeing other men?"

  The younger woman tossed her head with an indig nant sniff. "I should have known you wouldn't under stand. Not all men are like Carl, you know. They don't all just fall at your feet the moment they lay eyes on you. Sometimes the woman has to work a little harder to get what she wants."

  Sandra's look was piteous and it made Sylvia furious. Without a word she pounded up the stairs. The slam ming of her bedroom door echoed throughout the house.

  Carl, who sat quietly on the sofa being ignored, watched his wife. When she finally turned to face him, he felt guilty for the anguish he saw there. Some of it was his own fault. He hadn't realized just what Sandra had to deal with when it came to Sylvia, and he had put even more pressure on her.

  His compassionate look was like a lifeline to his wife, and when he held his hand out to her, she joined him. Sandra cried against her husband's chest like she had never
cried before. They talked for a long time and came to some painful decisions. They wouldn't try to change

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  things overnight, but Sylvia was not going to go on staying with them forever--this much was clear. What wasn't clear was how she would be told, by whom, and when.

  Bobbie opted to sit at the "kids'" table. There wasn't enough room at the big kitchen table for everyone, so a smaller table was set up in the living room for the youn ger family members.

  Troy and Gilbert were both younger than Bobbie, but she took a place in the living room with Sean, Marcail, and Nate. Laughter was plentiful around the small table, thanks to Bobbie. Even Sean was beginning to thaw. The small blonde had that effect on people.

  "So how young were you when you learned to swim?" Bobbie was questioning the Donovan children about growing up in Hawaii.

  Marcail shrugged. "We just always knew."

  "Our mother always said we could swim before we could walk." This was the first time Sean had offered information without a direct question and Bobbie be lieved they were making progress.

  "I tried swimming when I lived in Jenner," Bobbie told them with a laugh. "I thought I would die."

  "You almost drowned?" Marcail asked with wide eyes.

  "No, it was freezing. I didn't think water got that cold. Every inch of me was blue. I think I shivered for two days."

  "The water was always warm in Hawaii."

  "I would have loved that, Sean. Anyway, I didn't try it again for a long time, but eventually I did learn to swim in the ocean and I really enjoyed it."

  The remainder of the conversation was relaxed and it wasn't long before everyone was finished eating. There were more than enough hands to help in the kitchen, so Bobbie followed Marcail outside to the swing. It was cold, but the gifts bundled into their warm coats and hoped it wouldn't rain.

  "I'm freezing, Marcail," Bobble called to her after the nine-year-old had the swing high in the air. "Did you want to go in pretty soon?"

  "Let's go to the barn. It'll be warmer in there." Marcail worked the swing down to a gentle glide and jumped the few feet to the ground. She and Bobbie hurried toward the barn.