the
other end. That he would be real. And sweet and kind like you are. I never had
any intention of hurting you. I’m sorry if I have.”
Michael lowered himself into a chair at the dining table,
and Ramona slumped into a matching chair opposite him. She took a deep breath
and told Michael the entire story. She started with her father’s debts and the
way he took his own life, and ended with her mother running away to Texas to
marry a man Ramona had never met.
She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on Michael’s arm.
He stared down at it in astonishment, catching his breath at her touch.
“Michael, I’m sorry that I’ve used you. And most of all I’m
sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the start. I was just so desperate to find
Mother. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. Or anyone else.”
She withdrew her hand and Michael felt he could breathe
again.
“It’s okay,” he said gently. “I know what it’s like to lose
someone. I’m awful sorry for everything that’s happened to you Ramona. I had no
idea. I don’t judge you for what you’ve done. I want you to know that. But I
will tell you that I’m disappointed.”
Ramona managed a little smile. “You are such a kind man. I
can’t see why you would need to use a mail order bride service in the first
place! I’m sure woman around here would be queuing up to marry you!”
Michael blushed and cleared his throat. “There aren’t many
woman around here like you Ramona. I thought, well, I was still thinking
actually, I know you’re here to find your mother and all, but if you wanted I
could still, I mean, we could still get married.”
Ramona leaned back in her chair, away from him, and her
face dropped.
“Never mind.” Michael shook his head. “No, of course not.
I’m sorry. It’s all right Ramona. Just forget the whole thing.”
“Michael.”
“It’s fine.” He managed to force a bright smile. “I’ll help
you find your mother and then you can go home.”
Ramona looked at him quizzically. “Do you mean it,
Michael?”
“Sure. I can help you find her. I know this town well. If
your mother is in Austin, I’ll be able to figure where she’s at.”
“You really are a kind man Michael. Much kinder than I
deserve.”
Chapter Ten
Ramona
Ramona felt renewed when she woke up. Reaching for the
window, she pushed her head through the opening and took a deep breath of the
fresh morning air. The straw tick crunched pleasantly beneath her. She noticed
that the flowers in the vase were now limp and turning brown.
I’ll have to get fresh flowers from the garden. I’m
sorry to think of leaving this pretty house. I was starting to believe
coming here had been a mistake. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep Michael
from bringing up the subject of the wedding. But it has all worked out
perfectly. He’s so understanding. I thought he would put me back on the next
train as soon as he found out why I was really here. I should have just told
him the truth right from the beginning. He’s so kind.
She leaned farther out the window and picked a cherry
blossom from a nearby tree branch.
And Austin is such a nice town. Or, at least, it will be
one day. It will be a shame to leave it, in a way.
She straightened up and shut the window. She was excited to
get started looking for her mother. And now, she had help to do it, so there
was no need to wait any longer.
Ramona bounded down the stairs. A fire cracked and spat in
the hearth, and the smell of hot Johnnie cakes wafted up to greet her.
“Good morning all!”
“Good morning,” came the reply from Michael, Mary and Fred
as each looked up from the dining table where they were about to eat.
“So, Michael, when shall we start looking for Mother? I
have a few ideas about where we might find her. She did leave me one clue. Do
you remember I was asking you if you knew anybody at the university?”
Michael hid a smile behind his hand as Ramona sat down at
the table. Clearing his
other end. That he would be real. And sweet and kind like you are. I never had
any intention of hurting you. I’m sorry if I have.”
Michael lowered himself into a chair at the dining table,
and Ramona slumped into a matching chair opposite him. She took a deep breath
and told Michael the entire story. She started with her father’s debts and the
way he took his own life, and ended with her mother running away to Texas to
marry a man Ramona had never met.
She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on Michael’s arm.
He stared down at it in astonishment, catching his breath at her touch.
“Michael, I’m sorry that I’ve used you. And most of all I’m
sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the start. I was just so desperate to find
Mother. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. Or anyone else.”
She withdrew her hand and Michael felt he could breathe
again.
“It’s okay,” he said gently. “I know what it’s like to lose
someone. I’m awful sorry for everything that’s happened to you Ramona. I had no
idea. I don’t judge you for what you’ve done. I want you to know that. But I
will tell you that I’m disappointed.”
Ramona managed a little smile. “You are such a kind man. I
can’t see why you would need to use a mail order bride service in the first
place! I’m sure woman around here would be queuing up to marry you!”
Michael blushed and cleared his throat. “There aren’t many
woman around here like you Ramona. I thought, well, I was still thinking
actually, I know you’re here to find your mother and all, but if you wanted I
could still, I mean, we could still get married.”
Ramona leaned back in her chair, away from him, and her
face dropped.
“Never mind.” Michael shook his head. “No, of course not.
I’m sorry. It’s all right Ramona. Just forget the whole thing.”
“Michael.”
“It’s fine.” He managed to force a bright smile. “I’ll help
you find your mother and then you can go home.”
Ramona looked at him quizzically. “Do you mean it,
Michael?”
“Sure. I can help you find her. I know this town well. If
your mother is in Austin, I’ll be able to figure where she’s at.”
“You really are a kind man Michael. Much kinder than I
deserve.”
Chapter Ten
Ramona
Ramona felt renewed when she woke up. Reaching for the
window, she pushed her head through the opening and took a deep breath of the
fresh morning air. The straw tick crunched pleasantly beneath her. She noticed
that the flowers in the vase were now limp and turning brown.
I’ll have to get fresh flowers from the garden. I’m
sorry to think of leaving this pretty house. I was starting to believe
coming here had been a mistake. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep Michael
from bringing up the subject of the wedding. But it has all worked out
perfectly. He’s so understanding. I thought he would put me back on the next
train as soon as he found out why I was really here. I should have just told
him the truth right from the beginning. He’s so kind.
She leaned farther out the window and picked a cherry
blossom from a nearby tree branch.
And Austin is such a nice town. Or, at least, it will be
one day. It will be a shame to leave it, in a way.
She straightened up and shut the window. She was excited to
get started looking for her mother. And now, she had help to do it, so there
was no need to wait any longer.
Ramona bounded down the stairs. A fire cracked and spat in
the hearth, and the smell of hot Johnnie cakes wafted up to greet her.
“Good morning all!”
“Good morning,” came the reply from Michael, Mary and Fred
as each looked up from the dining table where they were about to eat.
“So, Michael, when shall we start looking for Mother? I
have a few ideas about where we might find her. She did leave me one clue. Do
you remember I was asking you if you knew anybody at the university?”
Michael hid a smile behind his hand as Ramona sat down at
the table. Clearing his
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