Read Online When All My Dreams Come True by Janelle Mowery - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janelle Mowery
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about everywhere I go, and the same thing happened at the church today. And I wasn’t even wearing my trousers.” The sentence came out in a sob.
Her last comment caused Annie to smile. Jace looked away but not before she saw his grin. “It’s not funny!”
“Well, actually it is,” Annie said, still smiling. “You see, it’s not what you’re wearing that causes people to stare… although that dress does look wonderful on you.”
Annie laid her Bible on the couch before she took Bobbie by the shoulders, spun her around, and directed her to a mirror hanging on the wall.
“What do you see?”
Bobbie shrugged without really looking at herself. She tried to pull away, but Annie held her in front of the glass with firm hands.
“Come on. Humor me. What do you see?”
Uncomfortable with Jace in the room, she wished she could be anywhere else. “I just see a girl, a cowhand.”
Annie nodded. “That’s what I thought. Now, let me tell you what everyone else sees when they look at you.” Their eyes met in the glass. “They see a very beautiful young woman they would like to know better.”
Bobbie looked away, shaking her head in disbelief, but Annie wouldn’t let her go. Jace chose that moment to step in.
“Do you remember watching the sun come up this morning? You could hardly look away because it was so pretty. That’s the way it is when people, especially men, look at you. They see something beautiful and want to see more. So they either continue to try to catch glimpses of you or they just flat out stare.”
Bobbie frowned and backed away. He was making sport of her.
Jace crossed his arms. “I can see that you’ve spent way too much time working and not enough time socializing. You still don’t believe me, do you?”
“It’s true, Bobbie,” Annie said. “Just look at the way even my little four-year-old Ben can’t keep his eyes off you.”
She shook her head. “That’s just because I’m a stranger.”
“No it’s not. And if you don’t believe me, just ask him. A child will almost always tell you what he’s thinking. He already said you were pretty.”
Bobbie stared at Annie. The woman seemed determined to win this argument even if she had to stand there all afternoon.
“People know it’s rude to stare, but sometimes they just can’t help themselves. Once they get used to seeing you, the staring will end, just like at the Simms place. Trust us, Bobbie.” Annie gave her a hug. “We wouldn’t lie to you.” Annie stepped back and looked deep into her eyes. “All right?”
She felt her anger melt away and tears rise.
Annie stepped away. “Oh, now don’t start that or you’ll get me going.”
Bobbie laughed as Annie walked to the kitchen, her hands shaking in the air. “I cry way too easy when I’m with child.”
With the smile still on her face, Bobbie turned back to Jace.
He motioned for her to enter the kitchen. “So what did you think of the message?”
“I honestly can’t say. Maybe next time.”
His brows rose. “So there will be a next time?”
She shrugged and headed to her room to change. “We’ll see.”
EIGHT
B obbie pushed away from the table, filled with enough of the noon meal to prove Annie was a good cook. The fact that she’d spent the last two days branding calves didn’t hurt her appetite either. Jace refused to let her help with the roundup. She wanted to argue, but something in his eyes, almost a haunted look, kept her silent.
Jace wiped his mouth and leaned back. “So Bobbie, would you mind taking a trip to town for me?”
Annie returned to her chair, apparently waiting for the answer.
“Sure. You need me to pick something up?”
“Just go into the mercantile and tell them you’re there for me. I gave them a list of items when I stopped by on Monday. They’ll load my order into the wagon for you.”
Bobbie nodded her agreement and stood.
Annie rose with her. “Would you like some company?”
“Sure. In fact,
Her last comment caused Annie to smile. Jace looked away but not before she saw his grin. “It’s not funny!”
“Well, actually it is,” Annie said, still smiling. “You see, it’s not what you’re wearing that causes people to stare… although that dress does look wonderful on you.”
Annie laid her Bible on the couch before she took Bobbie by the shoulders, spun her around, and directed her to a mirror hanging on the wall.
“What do you see?”
Bobbie shrugged without really looking at herself. She tried to pull away, but Annie held her in front of the glass with firm hands.
“Come on. Humor me. What do you see?”
Uncomfortable with Jace in the room, she wished she could be anywhere else. “I just see a girl, a cowhand.”
Annie nodded. “That’s what I thought. Now, let me tell you what everyone else sees when they look at you.” Their eyes met in the glass. “They see a very beautiful young woman they would like to know better.”
Bobbie looked away, shaking her head in disbelief, but Annie wouldn’t let her go. Jace chose that moment to step in.
“Do you remember watching the sun come up this morning? You could hardly look away because it was so pretty. That’s the way it is when people, especially men, look at you. They see something beautiful and want to see more. So they either continue to try to catch glimpses of you or they just flat out stare.”
Bobbie frowned and backed away. He was making sport of her.
Jace crossed his arms. “I can see that you’ve spent way too much time working and not enough time socializing. You still don’t believe me, do you?”
“It’s true, Bobbie,” Annie said. “Just look at the way even my little four-year-old Ben can’t keep his eyes off you.”
She shook her head. “That’s just because I’m a stranger.”
“No it’s not. And if you don’t believe me, just ask him. A child will almost always tell you what he’s thinking. He already said you were pretty.”
Bobbie stared at Annie. The woman seemed determined to win this argument even if she had to stand there all afternoon.
“People know it’s rude to stare, but sometimes they just can’t help themselves. Once they get used to seeing you, the staring will end, just like at the Simms place. Trust us, Bobbie.” Annie gave her a hug. “We wouldn’t lie to you.” Annie stepped back and looked deep into her eyes. “All right?”
She felt her anger melt away and tears rise.
Annie stepped away. “Oh, now don’t start that or you’ll get me going.”
Bobbie laughed as Annie walked to the kitchen, her hands shaking in the air. “I cry way too easy when I’m with child.”
With the smile still on her face, Bobbie turned back to Jace.
He motioned for her to enter the kitchen. “So what did you think of the message?”
“I honestly can’t say. Maybe next time.”
His brows rose. “So there will be a next time?”
She shrugged and headed to her room to change. “We’ll see.”
EIGHT
B obbie pushed away from the table, filled with enough of the noon meal to prove Annie was a good cook. The fact that she’d spent the last two days branding calves didn’t hurt her appetite either. Jace refused to let her help with the roundup. She wanted to argue, but something in his eyes, almost a haunted look, kept her silent.
Jace wiped his mouth and leaned back. “So Bobbie, would you mind taking a trip to town for me?”
Annie returned to her chair, apparently waiting for the answer.
“Sure. You need me to pick something up?”
“Just go into the mercantile and tell them you’re there for me. I gave them a list of items when I stopped by on Monday. They’ll load my order into the wagon for you.”
Bobbie nodded her agreement and stood.
Annie rose with her. “Would you like some company?”
“Sure. In fact,
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