As Time Goes By (The Californians 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Lori Wick
passed well-known sights--the post office, Riggs Mercantile, the barber shop--each one familiar and beloved even in the rapidly descending darkness.
Spotting her house, Bobbie began to run. Her parents were not expecting her for two more days, but they wouldn't be sorry to see her now. Bobbie stopped just short of throwing open the door. Drawing in a deep breath, she put her bags down. She rapped hard and stood still, telling herself to breathe as she waited.
Maryanne, never dreaming her daughter would arrive early, wished she had brought a lantern with her to the door so she could see who was on her front step.
"Who is it, Mary?" Jake called from somewhere in the living room.
"Tell him it,s Bobbie," Bobbie said softly before her mother could make a sound, and then Bobbie watched her mother dissolve into tears. She didn't move to touch her daughter or try to speak to her; she couldn't. She cried uncontrollably in a way that she hadn't for over five years.
Jake came on the scene to find his daughter's arms around his wife, attempting to comfort her and stop her tears. Jake added his own tears as his arms went around both of his girls, and the three of them stood still, no one noticing the cold air coming in from the open door.
48 As Time Goes By 47
"Mom, try to stop," Bobbie pleaded.
"Come and sit down, Mary." Jake led his wife to the sofa and sat on one side of her. Bobbie quickly retrieved her bags from the porch and closed the front door. Not noticing that the house looked wonderful, her attention was centered wholly on her distraught mother.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I shouldn't have surprised you," Bobbie said as she sat on the sofa next to her mother. The words were like cold water in the face of the distressed woman.
"Oh Bobbie, no," she choked out. "I'm just so glad to see you and it's been so long." She cried some more but was finally gaining some control. Bobbie glanced over to
see her father grinning at her. She smiled back. "Welcome home."
"Thanks." Bobbie's smile nearly stretched off her face.
"Stand up and let me look at you." Bobbie complied and stood quietly for his inspection.
"Have I changed?" Bobbie asked the question with exaggerated innocence and her father chuckled.
"You're not much taller but there's definitely more to you." Jake Bradford's eyes sparkled and it was Bobbie's turn to chuckle.
"Well, I got my wish and finally developed in the front but the Lord was overly generous in the back." Bobbie's voice was dry.
Jake laughed in earnest then. The Bradford women were notorious for having smaller bustlines and larger posteriors.
"Don't you fret, Bobbie. You've got a nice figure, just like your mother's, and she's got a great"
"Jacob!" Maryanne spoke sharply, and both husband and daughter laughed. Maryanne patted the sofa and
Bobbie sat on the edge, turning to face her mother, who lay back against the cushions.
"Look at you," she breathed as she gazed into her daughter's face. "Why didn't we ever think to cut your hair? Just look at those dark blonde curls," Maryanne said with a small shake of her head. Bobbie only shrugged and smiled.
In truth her hair was darling, cut short all around her head and so curly. It was a natural curl that simply hadn't had a chance against the weight of Bobbie's previous longer style. The frames on Bobbie's glasses were a little different now, but other than the hair and glasses, she was very much the same. Her mouth still smiled just as easily and her eyes were still a beautiful deep green.
"Where's Troy?" Bobbie asked quickly when it looked
as though her mother would cry again.
"On a date."
Bobbie's parents took great delight over the way their
daughter's mouth dropped open.
' date?"
"That's right. He'll be home pretty soon."
"Why didn't anyone mention this in their letters?" "It just happened," Jake informed her with a smile. Bobbie had a thousand questions then, and before her parents could answer them all, Troy walked in. He was a good six inches
Spotting her house, Bobbie began to run. Her parents were not expecting her for two more days, but they wouldn't be sorry to see her now. Bobbie stopped just short of throwing open the door. Drawing in a deep breath, she put her bags down. She rapped hard and stood still, telling herself to breathe as she waited.
Maryanne, never dreaming her daughter would arrive early, wished she had brought a lantern with her to the door so she could see who was on her front step.
"Who is it, Mary?" Jake called from somewhere in the living room.
"Tell him it,s Bobbie," Bobbie said softly before her mother could make a sound, and then Bobbie watched her mother dissolve into tears. She didn't move to touch her daughter or try to speak to her; she couldn't. She cried uncontrollably in a way that she hadn't for over five years.
Jake came on the scene to find his daughter's arms around his wife, attempting to comfort her and stop her tears. Jake added his own tears as his arms went around both of his girls, and the three of them stood still, no one noticing the cold air coming in from the open door.
48 As Time Goes By 47
"Mom, try to stop," Bobbie pleaded.
"Come and sit down, Mary." Jake led his wife to the sofa and sat on one side of her. Bobbie quickly retrieved her bags from the porch and closed the front door. Not noticing that the house looked wonderful, her attention was centered wholly on her distraught mother.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I shouldn't have surprised you," Bobbie said as she sat on the sofa next to her mother. The words were like cold water in the face of the distressed woman.
"Oh Bobbie, no," she choked out. "I'm just so glad to see you and it's been so long." She cried some more but was finally gaining some control. Bobbie glanced over to
see her father grinning at her. She smiled back. "Welcome home."
"Thanks." Bobbie's smile nearly stretched off her face.
"Stand up and let me look at you." Bobbie complied and stood quietly for his inspection.
"Have I changed?" Bobbie asked the question with exaggerated innocence and her father chuckled.
"You're not much taller but there's definitely more to you." Jake Bradford's eyes sparkled and it was Bobbie's turn to chuckle.
"Well, I got my wish and finally developed in the front but the Lord was overly generous in the back." Bobbie's voice was dry.
Jake laughed in earnest then. The Bradford women were notorious for having smaller bustlines and larger posteriors.
"Don't you fret, Bobbie. You've got a nice figure, just like your mother's, and she's got a great"
"Jacob!" Maryanne spoke sharply, and both husband and daughter laughed. Maryanne patted the sofa and
Bobbie sat on the edge, turning to face her mother, who lay back against the cushions.
"Look at you," she breathed as she gazed into her daughter's face. "Why didn't we ever think to cut your hair? Just look at those dark blonde curls," Maryanne said with a small shake of her head. Bobbie only shrugged and smiled.
In truth her hair was darling, cut short all around her head and so curly. It was a natural curl that simply hadn't had a chance against the weight of Bobbie's previous longer style. The frames on Bobbie's glasses were a little different now, but other than the hair and glasses, she was very much the same. Her mouth still smiled just as easily and her eyes were still a beautiful deep green.
"Where's Troy?" Bobbie asked quickly when it looked
as though her mother would cry again.
"On a date."
Bobbie's parents took great delight over the way their
daughter's mouth dropped open.
' date?"
"That's right. He'll be home pretty soon."
"Why didn't anyone mention this in their letters?" "It just happened," Jake informed her with a smile. Bobbie had a thousand questions then, and before her parents could answer them all, Troy walked in. He was a good six inches
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