As Time Goes By (The Californians 2) (23 page)

"I am doing okay. How about yourself?"

"I'm fine. How was your visit with your aunt?"

'qnteresting," Sylvia said, and then smiled. Jeff smiled back and wondered at the emotional change in her.

To look at her one would think she had been quite ill, but her eyes belied the frail look of her body. Those big sapphire-blue orbs looked out with a guileless serenity that Jeff had never seen there before.

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They talked for over an hour, and as Jeff was ready to

leave, something compelled him to ask Sylvia out. "Maybe we could go to supper sometime."

"Oh, I'd like that, Jeff," Sylvia answered, her eyes shining with pleasure.

"Great! How's Thursday night?"

"Thursday is fine."

"Oka3 I'll stop by about 6:30. See you then." "Good night, Jeff." Sylvia stood at the front door and watched until he was out of sight. She begged God to help her keep her heart in check. But Jeff Taylor was a wonderful man and Sylvia had always been a little bit in love with him. She wasn't sure it was possible to see him socially and not fall for him all over again.

Sylvia recognized the fact that there weren't many men who would still be friendly with her after the way she had acted. In fact, she meant to apologize about that. Thursday night, she told herself, as she went into the kitchen to tell Sandra she had a date.

thirty-three

The week flew by and Cleve could hardly believe he was leaving town the next day. He had a wonderful time with Bobbie, and praised God for her spiritual influence and the opportunity to come and see her.

Cleve had gone every day to the shipping office to eat lunch with Bobbie and the Taylor sons, and every day he wondered the same thing: How long would it be before Jeff and Bobbie knew they were in love?

Strangely enough, he was not jealous, but to him the way they cared for each other would have been obvious to a blind man: their specific smiles for each other with which no one else was gifted: Private jokes, although shared with everyone, nevertheless singled them out as. something special.

Their last lunch together was at the hotel on Thursday, before Cleve would be taking the morning stage home. Bobbie announced she would treat.

"Have you fallen into a large sum of money?" Jeff wanted to know.

"It's impolite," Bobbie informed him with her nose in the air, "to ask a lady about her age, weight, or bank

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account." Bobbie said this with the snootiest voice she could muster.

"Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right, and anyone who's anyone would certainly know that."

"Well, I know your age and I would guess that your weight is somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred pounds soaking wet, but your bank account, now that's a mystery." Jeff wagged his finger under her nose and tried to look stem.

"Get that finger any closer and I'll bite it," she promised him.

Cleve could only shake his head. They played around like sweethearts. Even the fact that Jeff had a date with another woman that night couldn't change Cleve's mind. Too many times he had seen Jeff drop his arm protectively around Bobbie's shoulders, and even kiss her cheek or forehead. Brothers and sisters wouldn't have acted this way.

Cleve knew that Bobbie considered Jeff a friend, and vice versa, but Cleve believed these two were on the threshold of something far more intimate. He said as much to Mrs. Taylor the night before he left town.

"Yes, Cleve, I have noticed that they have a very close relationship. Jeff is going camping with Jake and the kids the weekend after this, and something tells me things might come to a boil," Maryanne shrugged noncommittally. "But then I've been wrong before."

"Yeah," he agreed with a smile.

Every evening Bobbie and Cleve had spent time in the Word. Bible lessons that had been no more than stories to Cleve now had personal application. The look of wonder, and often conviction, that Bobbie saw on his face was at once joyful and sobering.

"I'll be praying for you, Cleveland."

'nd I'll be praying for you." They hugged each other, and Cleve told her how excited he was to go home and

tell Jasper and Joanne of his salvation.

"Give them my love."

Jeff and Gil came from the shipping office just as the stage arrived, and all the men shook hands. Jeff's arm dropped around Bobbie's shoulders in a familiar fashion and that was the last sight Cleve had of Bobbie as the stage pulled out of town.

"How long, Lord?" Cleve said inside the empty stage. "How long before they discover their true feelings for each other?"

"Honestly, Cleve, this has been some kind of a mircle--I mean your coming here and talking with Pastor Keller."

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thirty-four

Things did not "come to a boil," as Maryanne had predicted, but Jeff did find out in a hurry that what he had always suspected was true: Going camping with the Bradfords was going to be fun!

Marcail shared his feelings and was in the shipping office every day to question Bobbie.

"Bobbie, did you get my bedroll all set?"

"I sure did. We're going to sleep in the back of the

wagon and we'll share the blankets."

"How about Jeff's?"

"Good question, how about Jeff's?" Jeff asked as he joined the ladies at the desk. He was equally as excited and did nothing to hide it.

"We've got you all set too," Bobbie told him with an indulgent smile that might not have been as well-received if he hadn't been so enthusiastic about this outdoor excursion.

"Now let me get this straight," Jeff questioned her for at least the tenth time. "We leave Friday at about 5:00 and we have an hour, maybe an hour-and-a-half, before we reach the place where we camp."

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"Right." Bobbie couldn't hide her smile. He was so much fun to watch. Of course she remembered acting the same way when her father had first taken her and Troy. They must have driven him nuts with their nonstop questions and chatter. Jeff and Marcail were almost as bad.

Everyone planned to meet at the Bradfords', with the exception of Sean, who usually worked until 6:00 at the livery. Joey Parker came with Kaitlin and Rigg to see Marcail off, and Bobbie thought he was the sweetest little boy she had ever encountered. But her attention didn't linger on Joey for very long as she watched Kate, thinking that she looked tired and uncomfortable.

Bobbie's eyes misted just a bit when Rigg helped her down from the wagon with extreme care, but then she felt like giggling at the way Kate waddled, her stomach going before her like the prow of a ship. Kate stopped in front of Bobbie and the younger woman couldn't hide her grin.

"I walk like a duck, don't I?"

Bobbie's hand covered her mouth, but her eyes told Kate she was about to laugh. "I'm sorry, Kaitlin."

Kate smiled. "Don't apologize. You can't do anything that Rigg hasn't done already, including quack like a

duck when he walks behind me."

"He really does that?"

"Well, he did. But one day I burst into tears and he stopped." Kate gave a mighty sigh. 'k man thinks he knows the woman he's married, but then she gets pregnant and cries for no reason, or craves fried chicken at three in the morning. And the heatDit's enough to drive me crazy!"

"This isn't a very hot summer."

"It is if you're pregnant," Kate assured her.

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Bobbie nodded, remembering that Alice had said something about that as well.

"We're all set," Jake called from his place beside the wagon.

Bobbie watched Marcail hug her sister. "You listen and obey Marc," Kate told her. "Stay close to the others so they don't lose you."

"I will." Marcail was squirming with excitement, mak ing Kate laugh. Rigg snatched her close for an instant when it looked like she had forgotten to hug him, and they all watched as she scrambled into the back of the wagon.

Jeff was talking with Maryanne as Bobbie climbed

aboard, and she heard part of their conversation.

"I just assumed that the whole family went."

"I've never cared for camping and I'm also a person who loves solitude, so I don't mind having the house to myself for an entire weekend."

She grinned at Jeff before moving to kiss her son and daughter goodbye, and then she went to her husband. Jake wrapped her in his arms and they kissed, unembar rassed, for a long time. He whispered something in Maryanne's ear that made her smile and then took his seat and picked up the reins.

They were waved out of the yard with smiles and laughter, and when Bobbie turned back to settle in for the ride, she found both Jeff and Marcail staring at her

from their places nearby in the back of the wagon. "What?" Bobbie asked with a raised brow. "Nothing." Jeff answered as they both kept smiling. Bobbie shook her head and thanked the Lord for these good friends. She also prayed that this weekend would be all that they hoped it would be.

One hour and twenty minutes later Jake brought the wagon to a stop under a huge oak tree. The creek was in plain view some 30 feet away, and the sound it made as it tripped lightly over the rock-filled bed was immediately comforting to Bobbie.

Jake and Troy went to work setting up camp, and Jeff also pitched in, doing with quiet efficiency -whatever he was instructed. Bobbie and Marcail had disappeared somewhere and Jeff figured they were collecting fire wood.

Camp was swiftly put into shape, with bedrolls, fishing tackle, provisions box, and rain ponchos all unloaded. They were stacked neatly under the wagon or next to the huge logs that were laid out in a triangle around the spot where the fire would be built.

It was during the building of the fire that Jeff became confused. Troy appeared at his side with an armful of logs.

"Where are Bobbie and Marc?"

"Oh, they probably went to change," Troy told him nonchalantly, and even though Jeff was unsure what he meant, he didn't need to ask because the girls mate rialized atthat moment, both wearing pants.

Troy headed back into the surrounding woods and Jeff was left staring at the girls as they put their other clothing under the wagon seat. Jake's voice came low to his ears from where he had come close with his own armload of wood.

"I've been getting jeans for Bob to wear camping since she was a little gift," Jake began, having seen the look on the younger man's face. "She's always very discreet about it and Bobbie asked Kaitlin's permission before she found some for Marcail. But, Jeff," Jake stopped until he

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was sure he had his attention, "if you're offended, Bobie can go and change right now."

Jeff's gaze swung once again to the girls. Bobbie's pants were very baggy, and in fact he could only see them from the knees down because of the oversized man's shirt she was wearing. Marcail's shirt stopped just below her hips, and she would have looked like a boy standing there if it weren't for the fat black braid that hung down her back.

"No, she doesn't need to change, although I appreciate your giving me a moment to get used to the idea."

Jake's look was understanding as he asked Jeff to build the fire. Thinking he had put a strain on the evening, Jeff was grateful for something to do.

Bobbie and Marcail were as ladylike as always, and supper was a mixture of delicious food and laughter. They used the provisions from home for that meal, but Troy and Jake set out snares for the meals the following day. Bobbie planned to be up early to do some fishing. Jeff told himself he would join her, but she and Troy left camp so quietly that Jeff and Marcail slept through it.

Brother and sister sat side-by-side on the creek bank and talked in low tones.

"I thought Carla was going to come this weekend," Bobbie commented just as she felt a tug on her line. Troy didn't answer for a minute because his mind was still working on the fact that Bobbie hadn't lost her touch. She was one of the best anglers he knew.

"It's her dad's birthday and they're having a special dinner tonight."

"Why didn't you stay?"

Troy chuckled softly. "I love Carla, but I'd much rather go camping than attend a birthday party."

Tears flooded Bobbie's eyes when her brother confided that he loved his girlfriend. She turned her face quickly

back to the water, but Troy noticed. "What's the matter?" "Nothing."

"You like Carla, don't you?"

"Oh Troy, she's wonderful! Please don't mind me." They were quiet for a moment. Two more fish were snagged, one for each of them, and then Troy spoke quietly.

"I liked Cleve."

"I like him too, Troy, but
like
isn't enough to build a marriage on."

"No, I guess it isn't."