Nora Ray (Ray Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page A

with their mouths open.
    John raised his eyebrows and gave a funny sideways grin and headed to the kitchen.
    Well , Nora thought, Mom must be really enjoying this!
    The y planted foxgloves all along the edge of the porch which was probably a foot above ground. They alternated snap dragons and petunias in front of the foxgloves to give a layered look.
    Nora grabbed the last box of petunias and was placing them on the ground where they were planting with her feet spread apart to brace herself and her seat high in the air which was also covered in dirt, when she heard Jeremy sing, “Elenora.”
    She crumpled to her knees, “ Oh, No!” she muttered painfully. She rubbed her face automatically as if to wipe some invisible pain away, unknowingly caking dirt all over it.
    “ Go away, Jeremy!” she yelled without thinking.
    Then she caught herself, “ No, Jeremy, would you come here?”
    “ Well, yes, ma’am. I would be obliged to.”
    Laura was taking in the scene with a look of fascination and amusement. She had never seen her calm, sensible daughter so flustered and embarrassed at the same time. Quite interesting , she thought.
    John heard voices outside and came to the door. He walked out and introduced himself taking in the scene with amusement. He held out his hand. “Hi, I understand that you are Jeremy.”
    “ Yes,sir,” Jeremy answered still valiantly trying to keep a rip roaring laugh from bursting forth.
    “ I would like to invite you in for a visit. I think Nora made some lemonade earlier.”
    “ Oh, No!” Nora uttered after they went into the house. She felt so mortified. Every horrible thing she dreamed of came true and worse.
    Laura reached over and patted her on the hand. “Why don’t you go in and take a bath and wash your hair, she comforted, “I’ll have this little job done in a jiffy.”
    “ Thanks, Mom.”
    Nora snuck around the house half bent over to keep Jeremy or her dad from seeing her from the windows. She entered the back door to go into her bedroom to grab her clothes. She hoped she got into the bathroom without being seen. She turned the water on in the tub before she saw her face in the mirror covered with dirt. “Oh, No!” she muttered again in total humiliation.
    After her bath she couldn ’t face Jeremy again, so she lay down on her bed and waited for him to leave.
    Not five minutes later, her dad called her to come to the kitchen . How much more humiliation can I stand in one day? She asked herself.
    She presented herself in the kitchen with a red scrubbed face. Her hair was still wet, but she had loosely braided it in one long braid down her back. She wore clean freshly ironed yellow sun dress as she shyly stood there with her face down.
    Her dad looked at Jeremy who had risen when Nora walked in and saw th e admiration on Jeremy’s face. That settled it for him. “Nora, you have my permission to go on a date with Jeremy Saturday night.”
    Nora quickly looked up at Jeremy in surprise. How could anyone want to date her after seeing her as she was today?
    What she s aw when she looked at Jeremy was that silly grin on his face. She resigned herself, and nodded. After Saturday night, she hoped she never would ever, ever hear him sing, ‘Elenora,’ again. Two more days , she thought, just two more days.
    Nora was on pins and needles Saturday afternoon. She changed her mind every few minutes about what to wear. When it was time to get dressed, she changed clothes four times before she called her mom to help her decide.
    Laura helped her with her hair and finally decided to let it hang down. Nora knew it would be in her way, but her mom thought it looked pretty that way.
    She went dutifully into the living room to sit on the sofa to wait for Jeremy. Danny came in and sang, “ Two little lovebirds sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First came love, then came marriage. Then came Nora pushing a baby carriage.” A big belly laugh followed.
    “ Go away, Danny!” Nora yelled before