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Authors: Susan Horsnell
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Boston for Justine” Ben asked as he ate.
“Just over two years. Grandpapa stayed with me while I got well and he took care of mama and papa’s burials and their estate. I wanted to come back here to be with him but he said I couldn’t come until I had a profession, he thought I’d have no future otherwise. I don’t think he really thought I’d come and run the ranch after he passed. He put me in school and I’d almost finished training as a school teacher when he passed and left me the ranch. I already love the ranch like I knew I would. I think it would have broken my heart to teach children knowing I could never marry and have some of my own” Justine blushed. “I’m sorry, I have a habit of bein’ a bit too forthright”
“Not at all but why won’t ya marry and have children?” Ben asked innocently.
“Look at me Ben. What man would want a, umm, what did ya friend call me? Oh yes, what man would want an ugly freak? It still hurts when people say things like that to me but she’s right and I have accepted that I’ll always be on my own”
“I think there is someone for ya Justine. That gal the other night was just downright mean and what she said isn’t true. There are a lot of good people who will see past ya face to the person ya are inside” Joseph told her.
“Thanks Joe but I’m quite determined that I be better off on my own”
Ben looked closely at Justine. He was finally beginning to understand some of how she thought. “Maybe it’s not just me after all” he thought to himself. Ben, like his father, really liked Justine and although she was determined to be alone he was just as determined to be her friend. He knew she was a kind, caring person and he wouldn’t believe that some man wouldn’t fall in love with her. Ben felt an unexpected pang of jealousy at the thought of another man holding Justine and sharing her bed. He wanted to be the one to give her children and make her happy. “Whoa! Where did that come from; ya just want her as friend remember?” he told himself but deep down he knew he wanted more.
“Where did ya grow up Justine?” Alice asked.
“Tulsa Oklahoma. We were only visitin’ Boston for a holiday when the fire started in the hotel”
“What did ya pa do?” Ben had the next question.
“He was a Lawyer, the best” Justine told him thoughtfully.
“Was Mason ya ma’s pa?” Ben asked.
“Hey, give the gal a chance. I’m sorry darlin’ we shouldn’t be firin’ questions off at ya like this” Joe told her.
Justine laughed. “I don’t mind Joe. It helps for ya to understand me. Yes Ben, he was my ma’s pa”
“I didn’t think he’d married. He never mentioned any family at all” Virginia said thoughtfully.
“He married my grandmama when they were both young and she died givin’ birth to my ma ma. He told me there was never anyone as good as her after she died so he stayed single. Grandpapa bought his ranch and left mama to be raised by friends in Tulsa. He never brought mama out here but he used to visit her in Tulsa twice a year. He loved my mama and she loved him very much. I don’t know why he wouldn’t bring us here and when we asked he said he had his reasons. I begged him to let me come here when mama and papa died but he wouldn’t hear of it. He came to Boston to visit twice a year and he gave me everything except himself. I’d cry and plead with him to bring me back here. I hated that school, the taunts, the teasing and the cruelty but grandpapa would tell me to hold my head high and be strong. When he’d leave to come back I used to tell him I hated him but it wasn’t true”
Ben felt so sad for Justine and what she’d been through but he admired her courage to fight on.
Justine sighed and looked around at the faces watching her before she spoke quietly. “I don’t think I’m runnin’ away comin’ here. Boston is such a big place with so many people and I just wanted somewhere I could be happy without so many stares
“Just over two years. Grandpapa stayed with me while I got well and he took care of mama and papa’s burials and their estate. I wanted to come back here to be with him but he said I couldn’t come until I had a profession, he thought I’d have no future otherwise. I don’t think he really thought I’d come and run the ranch after he passed. He put me in school and I’d almost finished training as a school teacher when he passed and left me the ranch. I already love the ranch like I knew I would. I think it would have broken my heart to teach children knowing I could never marry and have some of my own” Justine blushed. “I’m sorry, I have a habit of bein’ a bit too forthright”
“Not at all but why won’t ya marry and have children?” Ben asked innocently.
“Look at me Ben. What man would want a, umm, what did ya friend call me? Oh yes, what man would want an ugly freak? It still hurts when people say things like that to me but she’s right and I have accepted that I’ll always be on my own”
“I think there is someone for ya Justine. That gal the other night was just downright mean and what she said isn’t true. There are a lot of good people who will see past ya face to the person ya are inside” Joseph told her.
“Thanks Joe but I’m quite determined that I be better off on my own”
Ben looked closely at Justine. He was finally beginning to understand some of how she thought. “Maybe it’s not just me after all” he thought to himself. Ben, like his father, really liked Justine and although she was determined to be alone he was just as determined to be her friend. He knew she was a kind, caring person and he wouldn’t believe that some man wouldn’t fall in love with her. Ben felt an unexpected pang of jealousy at the thought of another man holding Justine and sharing her bed. He wanted to be the one to give her children and make her happy. “Whoa! Where did that come from; ya just want her as friend remember?” he told himself but deep down he knew he wanted more.
“Where did ya grow up Justine?” Alice asked.
“Tulsa Oklahoma. We were only visitin’ Boston for a holiday when the fire started in the hotel”
“What did ya pa do?” Ben had the next question.
“He was a Lawyer, the best” Justine told him thoughtfully.
“Was Mason ya ma’s pa?” Ben asked.
“Hey, give the gal a chance. I’m sorry darlin’ we shouldn’t be firin’ questions off at ya like this” Joe told her.
Justine laughed. “I don’t mind Joe. It helps for ya to understand me. Yes Ben, he was my ma’s pa”
“I didn’t think he’d married. He never mentioned any family at all” Virginia said thoughtfully.
“He married my grandmama when they were both young and she died givin’ birth to my ma ma. He told me there was never anyone as good as her after she died so he stayed single. Grandpapa bought his ranch and left mama to be raised by friends in Tulsa. He never brought mama out here but he used to visit her in Tulsa twice a year. He loved my mama and she loved him very much. I don’t know why he wouldn’t bring us here and when we asked he said he had his reasons. I begged him to let me come here when mama and papa died but he wouldn’t hear of it. He came to Boston to visit twice a year and he gave me everything except himself. I’d cry and plead with him to bring me back here. I hated that school, the taunts, the teasing and the cruelty but grandpapa would tell me to hold my head high and be strong. When he’d leave to come back I used to tell him I hated him but it wasn’t true”
Ben felt so sad for Justine and what she’d been through but he admired her courage to fight on.
Justine sighed and looked around at the faces watching her before she spoke quietly. “I don’t think I’m runnin’ away comin’ here. Boston is such a big place with so many people and I just wanted somewhere I could be happy without so many stares
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