Nora Ray (Ray Trilogy) (8 page)

“
I admit they are my babies,” Samantha admitted with pride. “I searched the through books and magazines until I found the perfect dogs, then I ordered them. They have never given me a reason to regret that decision.”

The younger boys went outside for a game of basketball on the driveway.

Jeremy sat on the couch and pulled Nora down beside him. Samantha served lemonade.

“
You have a beautiful home and lawn; I have never seen so many flowers blooming at once at one house.” Nora complimented.

“
Thank you,” Samantha responded. “Five yard workers don’t hurt either. Does it Jeremy?”

Jeremy gave a
mock bow and said, “At your service, Ma’am.”

“
Okay, I’m curious. I noticed that all the boy’s names began with J, except the youngest, Dennis,” Nora inquired. “There’s got to be a story behind that.”

All three of them laughed at her question. “
Everybody asks that, too,” Samantha answered good naturedly.

“
He’s adopted.” Jeremy pointed out.

“
No,” Donald spoke up with a smile. “We found him crawling in the alley. When nobody came to claim him we didn’t have the heart to put him back out there so we’ve had him ever since.”

That
’s not right, Dad, “Jeremy disagreed. “A distant relative sent him from England and we didn’t have the heart to send him back.”

“
Actually, what really happened,” Donald put in, “was when they brought the birth certificate to Samantha to fill it out, she was eating. When she tried to say Jennis the nurse misunderstood and wrote Dennis.”

Nora was sitting there with her head whipping back and forth as each one told their story. Her m
outh was hanging open wondering what to believe. Jeremy and Donald could hardly contain their amusement as they watched her expression.

“
Now, Nora, I will tell you the truth of the situation.” Samantha laughed at their antics, “When Dennis was born, we still had our hopes of getting our baby girl. Of course, that didn’t happen. We hadn’t even planned a name for a boy, so on the spur of the moment, Donald piped up and said why another J name. I’m a D man. We chose not to go with a junior so the name Dennis evolved.”

“
That’s a cute story,” Nora proclaimed. “Uhm, all of them” she added elbowing Jeremy.

“
We really wanted to meet you since,” Donald cleared his throat, “Jeremy is so smitten with you.”

“
Thank you,” Nora replied, “it helps understand Jeremy’s sense of humor when I see him interact with you.”

“
Well, yes,” Donald shook his head and winked at Samantha. “Sam here had a little trouble understanding me at first but now she can throw it back at me.”

“
What I wanted to say is Jeremy has talked to us about your desire to be a doctor. He has mentioned your determination, your studies and your father’s illness. I think he mentioned a nephew as well.”

“
Yes, Sir,” Nora responded.

“
I am on the board of directors at the hospital. If you are interested, at the end of this school year, I will help you get a job at the hospital as a nurse’s aide. That will give you some experience in your field of interest. After working at the hospital you may not want to continue your education in that area. If you do want to pursue that area of study then you will already know people who work in that field. That experience will also help you obtain a scholarship.”

Nora choked back tears. “
Sir, this is very important to me. I would forever be grateful for your help.” She leaned back on the couch and rubbed her face. “I plan to earn a scholarship. I will put in every necessary effort I can to be a doctor. My family is very important to me and my goal is to help them.”

At that moment Donald Littlefield promised himself that this very deter
mined girl would get every necessary help he could give her to help her obtain her goal.

Chapter Seven

Jeremy and Nora met in the school cafeteria for lunch on Monday.

“
You know,” Jeremy commented, “my dad is really serious about helping you become a doctor.”

“
I really appreciate that. He seems like a good man.”

“
Well,” Jeremy hesitated as he spoke. “He is my dad, you know.”

“
That makes him really special.”

Wait a minute! Did I detect a compliment in that or did you mean something else?”
he said cocking his head to the side and frowning.

“
Jeremy,” Nora laughed, “You’re such a goose.”

“
A goose? Me?” indignantly he replied. “I believe you are calling me names now!”

Shaking her head at his antics, she held up her hands. “
I give up. I give up.”

“
Thank you, my lady. That’s as it should be. Yes, Ma’am, as it should be.”

She giggled. “
Jeremy, you make me laugh.”

“
Ah, my mission is accomplished.”

“
One more thing, my beautiful Nora, will you go to homecoming with me on Friday night?”

“
I would be honored.”

“
Ah, my other mission accomplished, I shall be given knighthood soon.”

Jeremy had another plan that he was almost holding his breath over. He wanted to give Nora his class ring to symbolize that they were going stead
y.
Aah
, he thought,
all mine. Other boys stay away
.

Fortunately the weather was nice for once for the Homecoming football game. Nora chose to wear her blue jeans, with a navy pull over sweater and matching button down cardigan sweater. She pulled her blond hair back in her favorite long br
aid down the back.

Jeremy came in the door to pick her up and gave a loud whistle as he looked her up and down. Her parents giggled at him and Nora turned her usual shade of red when he was around.

He placed a large white corsage on her wrist and said, “Now that I have been named a knight I will guard my queen tonight.”

“
Thank you, my humble servant,” Nora replied picking up the spirit of his mood.

As they walked out the door, her parents heard him say, “
Are you sure I have to be the servant?”

“
It is amazing how he can pull her out of her serious mood!” Her mother commented.

Nora and Jeremy sat huddled together and held hands. When their team had a winning play they all
jumped up and rooted for their team. Nora was fascinated by the coronation of the king and queen and her attendants during half time. She had never been to the Homecoming game before. Their team lost the game by two points.

They got in the car to leave.
Jeremy was thinking,
I hope I can get the mood right to ask her if she will wear my ring.

N
ora was thinking of Danny wanting to play football. “You just wait until Danny plays football in high school. He’ll win the game!” Nora claimed with confidence.

“
You go, girl. I hope we get to watch every game together when he plays.”

“
I wonder,” Nora became serious while she thought out loud. “Will I be a doctor by then?”

“
Nora,” Jeremy said to her as they drove out of the football parking lot, “if you want to be a doctor, you will be a doctor. Have no doubt about it.”

“
There is something I have been wondering about.”

“
Okay.” Jeremy questioned, “What would that be?”

Nora shook her head;
we seem to be having another serious conversation.
Feeling encouraged she asked, “What have you decided to study? Do you plan to go to college?”

“
There is no doubt that I will go to college. My dad would have a cow if I didn’t.” He ran his hand through his hair. “That’s what my working in his law office is all about. He wants me to see all sides of being a lawyer, especially the paralegal part. He wants me to get enthused about researching old cases and finding answers to help solve cases.”

“
How do you feel about doing that kind of work?”

“
I don’t like being boxed up in library all day long looking through a bunch of books. After a while I feel like I can’t breathe and I want to go outside.” He shook his head, “That sounds childish, like I want to go outside and play.”

“
You know,” Nora said thoughtfully, “maybe that’s just not for you, so to speak. Something inside you yearns for a job that fulfills you and makes you happy. Doing research is not your thing. What have you done that you enjoyed so much you didn’t want to stop even for lunch?”

Jeremy drove into the Dairy
Mart. He ordered two hamburgers and two cherry limeades.
Now, maybe, we can get a romantic mood
.

“
Nora,” he began with a serious frown on his face, “I have seriously given some thought to your question and I’m sure that I have the answer. You make me happy. I could spend the rest of my life holding you hand, kissing you, smelling of your hair, and adoring your beautiful face. I could make you my occupation.” He reached for her hand and gave a husky laugh.

“
Jeremy, I was serious!” she exclaimed exasperated.

He brought her hand up and gave it a kiss as he continued to tease her. “
Sweetheart, I feel very serious.”

Their hamburgers and cherry limeades came and they ate hungrily. When they finished, Jeremy continued. “
Other than the fact that I can’t get you out of my head, and would like to have you as my occupation, the flowers at our house are there because I planted them. I enjoy working among the plants. Remember when you were at our house and my mom made reference to the flower beds?”

Nora nodded.

“The reason she mentioned me is because I designed them and did most of the work. My parents didn’t make me; I wanted to make the flower beds.”

“
They are beautiful. So do you think you would like to work in your mom’s business?”

“
I think so, but I can’t.”

“
Why?

“
My dad has a problem with it. He says that I would be working as a day laborer making pennies a day. I should go to college and make something of myself. I really don’t know what to do. I do know that I don’t want to be a lawyer, but I would break his heart and make him really mad at me.”

Nora sat and frowned. Jeremy really had a problem and she could tell tha
t he was upset. Every son wants his father to be proud of him, but Jeremy needed to be happy, too.

“
Jeremy,” Nora scooted over close to him, “I will give this some serious thought. I know we can come up with an answer that can make both of you happy.”

“
Thank you, Nora, for taking my problem seriously. There has to be a way to work this out, I just haven’t thought of it yet.” Since he knew he couldn’t kiss her at the Dairy Mart he leaned over and smelled her hair. “I do have an idea that I have given considerable thought to,” he said as he started the car.

“
Oh, yeah, what is that?”

He teased, “
Every time I have brought you to the Dairy Mart, you have snuggled up to me. I’m going to figure out how to bring you here more often.”

She laughed and lightly punched
him on the arm.

Jeremy decided the time wasn
’t right to give her his ring. He thought,
I’ll try another tactic.

“
It is getting late and I really would like to see you tomorrow night. Do you think you could go out with me again?”

“
Yes, I think so.”

“
I have something in mind. I want to take you to a nice restaurant and have a nice long leisurely meal so that I can spend more time with you. How does that sound?”

“
Lovely. What time?

“
Would six be a good time for you?”

“
I’ll be ready.”

The next morning Nora got
her research books out and looked up horticulture. It seemed like the perfect field of study for Jeremy. Her dad saw her studying her books, “What’s my girl got her mind wrapped up in now?” he asked her.

“
Dad, I want to talk to you about something.”

“
Okay,” he said as he sat down.

“
Jeremy has a problem. I hope I can help him. He has been pulled from each direction by his parents. He works for his mom on Saturdays at her flower shop and greenhouse. He works for his dad after school every day at the law office. Both of them want him to enter their occupation when he completes school, especially his dad.”