Read Online As Time Goes By (The Californians 2) by Lori Wick - Free Book Online Page A
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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77
"He never advertised, but Mom needed a break, and when he found out that Bobbie was coming back into town and that she was experienced, he scooped her up."
"So you've known for some time that Bobbie was coming back to Santa Rosa?"
Jeff immediately saw his mistake and struggled to find words that would erase the anger from his date's face. "'Sylvia, I'm sorry that I never mentioned Bobbie's re turn. But we don't talk about my job very often and it just never came up. I wasn't trying to hide anything from you."
Sylvia saw his sincerity, and knowing that she was overreaching, she tried to calm herself. She knew that her eyes weren't as pretty when she was angry and she never wanted Jeff to find her unattractive.
With her mass of blonde hair and startling blue eyes, most men did find her attractive. But Sylvia wasn't inter ested in what most men thought, just Jeff Taylor. Jeff of course didn't know that, since she did see other men and always let him know about it. But if she stayed with it long enough, she was sure she could bring him around, was sure she would see that spark of jealousy in his eyes that told her he cared. So far it hadn't happened, but Sylvia was patient. She had let him get away once before when they were just 17. It wasn't going to happen again.
An image of Bobbie and the way she looked at the lagoon picnic sprang to mind. "You don't suppose she'd come back beautiful, do you?' Sylvia asked herself and then had to work at not laughing at the thought; it was simply impossible. Ladies did not laugh out loud at the supper table, and besides, she didn't want to explain to Jeff what she was thinking.
Jeff was blissfully ignorant of Sylvia's thoughts as they finished their meal and then parted company an hour or
80 As Time Goes By 79
so later. Jeff was tired as he climbed the stairs to bed, but a light glowing faintly from beneath Gilbert's door propelled him to his brother's room.
"Gil," Jeff opened the door a crack, "are you up?" "Yeah." Gil answered from the bed, where he had lain down with his Bible. He rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand as he watched Jeff drop into the room's only chair.
"Out with Sylvia?"
"Yeah, we had supper at the hotel. Their meat loaf is good." Then Jeff fell ilent, staring at the floor.
"How did it go with you and Bobbie today?"
Jeff stared at his younger brother. Gilbert had always been able to read his mind, and sometimes it was very disconcerting. This time he had understood, without communication, that Jeff was nervous over Bobbie's return.
"'I was fine as soon as I saw her and saw that she was okay. Before that I was sure it was going to be awful."
"She's pretty nice, I'd say, and no one would ever call her lazy." Both men smiled. Before the day was over they had both followed their father's orders and taken large boxes from her or just plain stopped her from lifting one. They were then able to witness a stubborn look cross her face, one that was so cute and determined it made them smile.
"Definitely not lazy." Jeff agreed and once again stared at the floor, causing Gil to wonder what was on his mind.
"What's wrong, Jeff? Did she say something that's bugging you?"
"Do you ever get the feeling that something is going to happen and you're not sure you want it to, but you can't do anything about it?"
"Not really. What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure myself, but I'm really afraid I'm going to hurt Bobbie all over again."
Gilbert was silent until his eyes dropped to the open pages of his Bible. "Can I tell you about what I was just reading, Jeff?"
"Sure." Jeff seemed almost relieved by the distraction. "I'm in the book of Job right now, and I know you're familiar with the story, but I never read this without marveling at all he went through. He loses everything! And, Jeff, he didn't have a clue. I mean, he had no idea any of this was going to happen! In a very short time, however, his wealth is wiped out, all ten of his children die, and he ends up
"He never advertised, but Mom needed a break, and when he found out that Bobbie was coming back into town and that she was experienced, he scooped her up."
"So you've known for some time that Bobbie was coming back to Santa Rosa?"
Jeff immediately saw his mistake and struggled to find words that would erase the anger from his date's face. "'Sylvia, I'm sorry that I never mentioned Bobbie's re turn. But we don't talk about my job very often and it just never came up. I wasn't trying to hide anything from you."
Sylvia saw his sincerity, and knowing that she was overreaching, she tried to calm herself. She knew that her eyes weren't as pretty when she was angry and she never wanted Jeff to find her unattractive.
With her mass of blonde hair and startling blue eyes, most men did find her attractive. But Sylvia wasn't inter ested in what most men thought, just Jeff Taylor. Jeff of course didn't know that, since she did see other men and always let him know about it. But if she stayed with it long enough, she was sure she could bring him around, was sure she would see that spark of jealousy in his eyes that told her he cared. So far it hadn't happened, but Sylvia was patient. She had let him get away once before when they were just 17. It wasn't going to happen again.
An image of Bobbie and the way she looked at the lagoon picnic sprang to mind. "You don't suppose she'd come back beautiful, do you?' Sylvia asked herself and then had to work at not laughing at the thought; it was simply impossible. Ladies did not laugh out loud at the supper table, and besides, she didn't want to explain to Jeff what she was thinking.
Jeff was blissfully ignorant of Sylvia's thoughts as they finished their meal and then parted company an hour or
80 As Time Goes By 79
so later. Jeff was tired as he climbed the stairs to bed, but a light glowing faintly from beneath Gilbert's door propelled him to his brother's room.
"Gil," Jeff opened the door a crack, "are you up?" "Yeah." Gil answered from the bed, where he had lain down with his Bible. He rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand as he watched Jeff drop into the room's only chair.
"Out with Sylvia?"
"Yeah, we had supper at the hotel. Their meat loaf is good." Then Jeff fell ilent, staring at the floor.
"How did it go with you and Bobbie today?"
Jeff stared at his younger brother. Gilbert had always been able to read his mind, and sometimes it was very disconcerting. This time he had understood, without communication, that Jeff was nervous over Bobbie's return.
"'I was fine as soon as I saw her and saw that she was okay. Before that I was sure it was going to be awful."
"She's pretty nice, I'd say, and no one would ever call her lazy." Both men smiled. Before the day was over they had both followed their father's orders and taken large boxes from her or just plain stopped her from lifting one. They were then able to witness a stubborn look cross her face, one that was so cute and determined it made them smile.
"Definitely not lazy." Jeff agreed and once again stared at the floor, causing Gil to wonder what was on his mind.
"What's wrong, Jeff? Did she say something that's bugging you?"
"Do you ever get the feeling that something is going to happen and you're not sure you want it to, but you can't do anything about it?"
"Not really. What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure myself, but I'm really afraid I'm going to hurt Bobbie all over again."
Gilbert was silent until his eyes dropped to the open pages of his Bible. "Can I tell you about what I was just reading, Jeff?"
"Sure." Jeff seemed almost relieved by the distraction. "I'm in the book of Job right now, and I know you're familiar with the story, but I never read this without marveling at all he went through. He loses everything! And, Jeff, he didn't have a clue. I mean, he had no idea any of this was going to happen! In a very short time, however, his wealth is wiped out, all ten of his children die, and he ends up
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