said Ramona, wondering how she was
going to find her mother if she was going to be stuck in the house all day,
every day, while Michael was at work.
I’ll just have to find a way. Perhaps I can borrow the
wagon. I’ll have to earn his trust, so that he lets me take it out on my own.
But how I wish I could just go to her now. Still, it is very cozy here, and
they have all been so very welcoming. It won’t be the worst thing to stay here
a bit until I can get my bearings and figure out where Mother is.
***
When Michael and Fred came home from work that evening, he
seemed to be in a pensive mood. Ramona watched him closely; he was even quieter
than he had been the previous evening. Mary and Ramona bustled about the small
kitchen, cooking fried bacon, cornbread and buttermilk for supper. Mary showed
Ramona where everything was located while they worked, and the two of them
chatted happily together.
Michael and Fred sat together by the fire, stoking it
occasionally while Fred puffed on a pipe.
“How’s the building coming along?” Mary called to them
both, from the kitchen.
“Fine. It’ll be another couple of years, they tell us,”
said Michael.
“Phew! That structure’s going to be something, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
Ramona listened intently to the exchange, hoping to get
some further insight into what Michael was like. The moment he’d walked in the
door after work she had felt her pulse quicken. There was something about him
that made her nervous, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to be
nearer to him. He had such a gentleness about him, and seemed to consider her
feelings in everything he said and did. She could already see the warmth in his
eyes when he looked at her.
Forget about Michael. I’m here to fetch Mother. I have
to focus on finding out when he can take me to the University. After Mother and
I return to New York I won’t ever see him again, so there’s no use in thinking
about him. I need to just get him out of my head.
“Come and get it!” called Mary, breaking through Ramona’s
reverie. Ramona removed her apron and wiped her hands clean before carrying
plates to the table.
The men made their way to the kitchen, Fred cleaning his
pipe out first. As Michael took his seat, his arm brushed against Ramona’s, sending
a wave of tingles through her body. She started and looked up at him in
surprise, wondering whether he had felt it too. His green eyes were staring at
her quizzically, as though he were trying to read her thoughts.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he said politely as he removed his hat
and sat down.
“Did you have a nice day?” asked Ramona. Her voice was
uncharacteristically low.
“Thank you, I did. And you?”
The way he watched her made her squirm with pleasure. He
seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. Ramona nodded.
“Yes, thank you.”
They barely spoke for the rest of the evening. Fred and Mary
exchanged concerned glances. Fred shook his head at Mary, and she smiled
pityingly at the two of them.
“There’s chemistry there no doubt,” she whispered to Fred,
“but they’re each too afraid to speak to the other. I guess that will change
with time.”
“It’d better,” remarked Fred.
Chapter Nine
Michael
Michael had every intention of bringing up the topic of the
wedding the following day. He’d lost his nerve the previous evening when his
arm had brushed against Ramona’s sending a jolt through his body. He’d felt as
though his throat would close up entirely, but he was determined to find out
where Ramona stood on the subject before work. When morning came and Ramona
bounced down the stairs, looking glamorous and cosmopolitan, he lost his nerve once
more and instead busied himself buttering a piece of bread.
This afternoon. After work. I’ll speak with her then. It
would be too hurried a conversation to have it now. No - afternoon is a much
better time to talk.
When Michael got home from work that afternoon,
going to find her mother if she was going to be stuck in the house all day,
every day, while Michael was at work.
I’ll just have to find a way. Perhaps I can borrow the
wagon. I’ll have to earn his trust, so that he lets me take it out on my own.
But how I wish I could just go to her now. Still, it is very cozy here, and
they have all been so very welcoming. It won’t be the worst thing to stay here
a bit until I can get my bearings and figure out where Mother is.
***
When Michael and Fred came home from work that evening, he
seemed to be in a pensive mood. Ramona watched him closely; he was even quieter
than he had been the previous evening. Mary and Ramona bustled about the small
kitchen, cooking fried bacon, cornbread and buttermilk for supper. Mary showed
Ramona where everything was located while they worked, and the two of them
chatted happily together.
Michael and Fred sat together by the fire, stoking it
occasionally while Fred puffed on a pipe.
“How’s the building coming along?” Mary called to them
both, from the kitchen.
“Fine. It’ll be another couple of years, they tell us,”
said Michael.
“Phew! That structure’s going to be something, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
Ramona listened intently to the exchange, hoping to get
some further insight into what Michael was like. The moment he’d walked in the
door after work she had felt her pulse quicken. There was something about him
that made her nervous, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to be
nearer to him. He had such a gentleness about him, and seemed to consider her
feelings in everything he said and did. She could already see the warmth in his
eyes when he looked at her.
Forget about Michael. I’m here to fetch Mother. I have
to focus on finding out when he can take me to the University. After Mother and
I return to New York I won’t ever see him again, so there’s no use in thinking
about him. I need to just get him out of my head.
“Come and get it!” called Mary, breaking through Ramona’s
reverie. Ramona removed her apron and wiped her hands clean before carrying
plates to the table.
The men made their way to the kitchen, Fred cleaning his
pipe out first. As Michael took his seat, his arm brushed against Ramona’s, sending
a wave of tingles through her body. She started and looked up at him in
surprise, wondering whether he had felt it too. His green eyes were staring at
her quizzically, as though he were trying to read her thoughts.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he said politely as he removed his hat
and sat down.
“Did you have a nice day?” asked Ramona. Her voice was
uncharacteristically low.
“Thank you, I did. And you?”
The way he watched her made her squirm with pleasure. He
seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. Ramona nodded.
“Yes, thank you.”
They barely spoke for the rest of the evening. Fred and Mary
exchanged concerned glances. Fred shook his head at Mary, and she smiled
pityingly at the two of them.
“There’s chemistry there no doubt,” she whispered to Fred,
“but they’re each too afraid to speak to the other. I guess that will change
with time.”
“It’d better,” remarked Fred.
Chapter Nine
Michael
Michael had every intention of bringing up the topic of the
wedding the following day. He’d lost his nerve the previous evening when his
arm had brushed against Ramona’s sending a jolt through his body. He’d felt as
though his throat would close up entirely, but he was determined to find out
where Ramona stood on the subject before work. When morning came and Ramona
bounced down the stairs, looking glamorous and cosmopolitan, he lost his nerve once
more and instead busied himself buttering a piece of bread.
This afternoon. After work. I’ll speak with her then. It
would be too hurried a conversation to have it now. No - afternoon is a much
better time to talk.
When Michael got home from work that afternoon,
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