As Time Goes By (The Californians 2) (28 page)

"I know how upset you must be," Bobbie began, see ing she finally had his attention. "It was inexcusable of me to avoid you after what I did. I'm sorry, Jeff, for my behavior at the Walcotts', and I hope you'll forgive me. If you want, I can also apologize to Sylvia. If you'd rather I not mention it to her, I'll understand."

Something squeezed around Jeff's heart at the vulner able way Bobbie sat across from him and bared her soul; her face and voice told of her misery. She was so precious to him, and she had done exactly what he fearedw mentally chastised herself for days over a kiss he had thoroughly enjoyed.

Jeff was suddenly desperate to hold her hand and be near her, certain that if he did, his touch and words would put everything right. They had always touched in a special kind of way, and it never occurred to Jeff that such an action would not be welcome at the moment.

"Do you forgive me, Jeff?" His silence had brought Bobbie perilously close to tears. Jeff rose from his chair to circle the desk.

Bobbie, fearful that he would do just as he intended, and that his touch would be devastating to her emotions, sprang out of her own chair and moved around the desk to avoid him. "Jeff, please answer me."

"Just as soon as I get close enough, I'll answer you." "Why when you're close?" "Because I
need
to touch you, Bobbie," he answered as he followed her around the desk 'nd will you
please
hold still!"

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The couple came to a stop where they had started, since they had completely circled the desk. Jeff thought this could go on all day, so before Bobbie could react he reached across the desktop and plucked the glasses from her nose.

"Jeff." The name was said fearfully, a sound that tugged at Jeff's heart, but he had to get this settled.

"It's all right, Bobbie," he said tenderly as he took her arm. "We're just going to head into the back room here so I can talk to you."

Bobbie was unaware of Gilbert leaving the room and closing the door behind him. She was led to the back of the room, where a small window cast a patch of sunlight on the wood floor.

When Bobbie felt a wall behind her, she leaned against it. In order to hide their trembling, she locked her hands together behind her back. Jeff still had her glasses, so until he leaned, with his forearm on the wall above her head, his face nose-to-nose with her own, she could not see him clearly.

"Will you kiss me again, Bobble?" The question was whisper-soft and Bobbie searched Jeff's eyes for why he would be teasing her in this way.

"Why?" It was the only word that would come. "Don't you want to?"

"You know I do." Bobbie's heart was in her eyes, and she did nothing to hide how wonderful it was to have Jeff so near. But it wasn't right. "Please don't torment me, Jeff. It's not like you to be cruel."

"I'm not doing a very good job with this, am I?" He said the words almost to himself, and Bobbie was more confused than ever.

"May I have my glasses?"

'9,re you going to run away?"

"Then no, you may not," he stated without moving. 'Tknd by the way, Sylvia left town this morning. She's headed home to stay."

Bobbie was silent, digesting this newest information. "Now will you kiss me?"

"You want me to kiss you because Sylvia left town?" Bobbie felt like her world was spinning.

"No," Jeff said with great patience. "I want you to kiss me because you're going to be kissing me every day for the rest of our lives and we need the practice."

Bobbie's hands came up and grabbed frantically at the front of Jeff's shirt. "Please give me my glasses, Jeff."

He complied this time, and Bobbie searched Jeff's face from behind her lenses. 'This is why God told you to trust Him,' Bobbie said to herself as she clearly saw the love in Jeff's eyes.

"Why, Bobbie--why has it taken us so long to see what everyone else has seen for weeks?"

''I don't know," Bobbie answered, and truly she didn't. "Do you still want that kiss?"

Jeff's eyes narrowed with emotional fervor, and that was enough answer for Bobbie. Her hands framed either side of his face and she kissed him tenderly on the lips. Bobble would have broken the kiss after a brief moment, but Jeff's arms had come around her, causing her own to slide without prompting around his neck. She returned his kiss with every drop of longing she had ever felt.

Bobbie was still a little dazed when Jeff stepped away from her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't kiss me like that again until after we're mar ried."

Bobbie smiled. 'Tknd when will that be?"

269grinning.

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"How's this evening?" The look on Jeff's face was so comical that Bobbie giggled. That laugh got her kissed again, and Gilbert, in the outer room, smiled at the silence.

"Why is the storeroom door shut?" Bill wanted to know as he exited the office.

"Jeff and Bob are in there."

'kre they talking?"

"Some of the time," Gil answered with a grin.

Bill looked at the closed portal and then back at his son. The two grinned at each other and Gilbert watched his father sigh with relief.

"It's about time, isn't it, Gilbert?"

The younger man's smile widened. "Yes, Dad, you're right. More than enough time."

forty-three

The hours after lunch evaporated in a dreamy haze for Bobbie. Jeff had a few errands to run and Bobbie made an effort to keep her mind on the job, but Gilbert repeated questions twice before she heard and she forgot the names of two customers. After the second such cus tomer went out the door, Bobbie looked up to see Bill grinning at her. He had been uptown and had just come in.

"Jeff tells me you're staying." Father and son had run into each other outside the office and Jeff told his father of his plans.

"I
did
quit," Bobbie said almost hesitantly. "Did you hire someone else?"

Bill had no chance to answer because May shot in the door as if she had been chased by hounds.

"Oh Bobbie, Bobbie! I can't believe it. I just talked to Jeff and he told me. I didn't think he'd ever come to his senses!" Bobbie was enfolded in May's loving embrace, and over her shoulder Bobbie could see that Bill was still

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"Bill!" May suddenly turned on her husband.
"'Why
haven't you given this girl the day off? Why, she hasn't even had a chance to tell her family!"

"Well, I---" Bill started, but May cut him off.

"Now you just run along home, Bobbie; I'll fill in here. I can't think how Bill could have overlooked this."

Bobbie looked hesitant again, and May rushed on to assure her. "I'll tell Jeff you've gone home and I'm sure he'll be along shortly. We'll be fine for the rest of the day. Oh, here's Jeff now. Walk Bobbie home, dear, and then bring her to supper tonight. Ask Jake and Maryanne too."

"Can you believe this, Bill? First nothing, now two daughters-in-law and a grandchild..." May's words were cut off as she pushed the young couple out the front door and closed it behind them.

Bobbie and Jeff looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Your mother is wonderful."

"That she is. Did you really want to go home?" "It wasn't my idea."

"Well, then, I'll have to thank my mother for the chance to have you all to myself."

They walked hand in hand toward the Bradfords', their conversation as relaxed as ever, but now with a certain intimacy that was both mysterious and exciting.

"The first question we're going to be asked tonight is
when,"
Jeff told Bobbie.

"You mean, what date have we set?"

"That's it."

"Oh." Bobbie walked a few steps in silence. "What do we tell them?"

"Why, October fifth, of course!"

Bobbie came to a complete stop just before they walked into her yard. "You've already consulted a calendar?"

Jeff's look was adorably mischievous. "I've known for some time now that you were the one. Women aren't the only ones to plan and dream, you know. I didn't know when God would bring us together like He did today, but while I waited, I thought about our future constantly."

"I think I'm ready for you to tell me everything, like when you knew and all that."

"Well, I think I was pretty unsettled from the very beginning, since I was jealous of Gilbert when he ate

lunch with you and I had to go to Sylvia's."

"Gilbert! Are you serious?"

"I'm afraid so, but that wasn't really the start. The start was when you came to the house to visit me after

the accident. Remember when we played checkers?" ''i remember."

"I wanted to kiss your neck in the worst way."

"Jeff," Bobbie said softly, her cheeks heating just slightly, "that was weeks ago."

"I know, and all I can say is, God is a strong provider. You see, that was back when I still thought you might marry Cleve, and I knew I had no business feeling as I did, but God somehow moderated my feelings through that time.

"The
moderation
began to fade on the camping trip and evaporated completely when I felt your lips on mine."

Bobbie stared at him in amazement. ''i knew some thing took place on the camping trip, but Jeff, the rest of what you said happened right after I came back to town."

"Yes, I know." Jeff smiled tenderly and bent to kiss her.

"I wondered when you two would get around to that," Troy interrupted the kissing couple. "I do hope this means you're going to marry her." Troy directed this

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question to Jeff, doing his best to look like an enraged father while a grin split his face.

"How does October fifth sound?"

"Great!" Troy exclaimed, and hugged his sister before shaking Jeff's hand. The three walked into the house and told Maryanne, who promptly erupted into tears. She couldn't speak for some moments.

"Oh Bobbie," she finally said, not caring that both Jeff and Troy were listening. "Please tell me it's love this time."

Bobbie looked to the tall brown-haired man who quite literally held her heart in his grasp. Maryanne watched her daughter's eyes light with love, a love that matched the tender light in Jeff Taylor's eyes as he returned Bobbie's gaze.

"Never mind, Bobbie," she stopped her before she could speak. "You just put every fear to rest."

fo four

October 5, 1872

Bobble Taylor was helpless with laughter or she would have tried to reason with her captor.

"Now, Bobbie, just come along quietly," Rigg said in a voice as smooth as honey. "Let me tell you how much better you have it than my wife did. She was stuck in a cubicle at the church."

Rigg stopped before a bedroom on the upper floor at the Walcotts' and opened the door with confidence. Bobie was amazed to see Gilbert inside.

'a, ll right, Gil, here she is. I'll head back down and you see that she doesn't escape."

Rigg bent low and kissed his new sister-in-law's cheek. "Welcome to the family." Bobbie watched in silence as Rigg sailed back out the door. She turned on Gil as soon as the door shut.

"Gilbert Taylor! I can't believe you're a part of this!" "I had to, Bobbie," he told her with a helpless smile.

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"Rigg said if I didn't help I would
never
find my bride on my wedding day."

Bobbie truly sympathized with him and couldn't hold her laughter. "Where are you going?" She stopped when she saw Gilbert head for the door.

"I'm supposed to stand guard in the hallway."

Bobbie looked a little uncertain, and he stopped short of leaving the room.

"It's all right, Bobbie. I'll be right outside the door. Just make yourself comfortable."

Bobbie tried to do as she was told, but all she did was pace. They had chosen the room well, since the door Gilbert guarded was the only exit--unless she wanted to escape out a second-story window. She also noticed that the windows were all closed tight. Not that she would have shouted out one of them, but if Jeff began to look for her it would have been nice to wave at him from above.

Resigning herself to the circumstances, Bobbie finally did as Gil instructed. She sat in a chair and put her feet on a low stool. Within the space of a few minutes, she was sound asleep.

"I've never seen a dress as beautiful as Bobbie's," Mrs. Walcott informed Jake. "But then I've never known a seamstress like your wife either."

"She has a real gift. And you, Mrs. Walcott, have a gift for generosity with your home. This is twice in the same year you've let us invade, and we thank you."