As Time Goes By (The Californians 2) (29 page)

"Oh Jake," she said with a shake of her head, "you must know the pleasure's all mine. I'm a lonely old woman, and your Maryanne--well, let's just say this is a small thing in light of all she does for me."

They were joined by others, each complimenting Mrs. Walcott on her house and garden. Even though it was well into the fall, her yard was faithfully tended and still a showplace.

Jake listened with half an ear as Mrs. Walcott con versed. Having seen Rigg take Bobbie into the house and return without her, he had a keen premonition that Rigg was having one on the bridegroom. The thought made him smile, and at the same time he told himself he was not going to get involved, but he was going to keep his eyes open so not to miss any of the action.

Rigg couldn't have asked for a better lead-in if he had planned it. He was holding Gretchen, looking to all the world as innocent as could be, when he joined his par ents, Jeff, Maryanne, Troy, Carla, and his brother Nate. He. listened to their conversation in silence until Bill asked where Bobbie had gone.

"I haven't seen her lately," Troy answered.

"I think she might have gone inside for something. Didn't I see her with you, Rigg?" The conversation went on so swiftly that no one immediately noticed that Rigg hadn't answered Maryanne's question.

Jeff was about to turn away from the group to look for his bride when he caught the slightest of smiles in his brother's eyes. Halting abruptly, Jeff leveled him with a stare.

"Rigg?" Jeff's voice was deep and serious.

"Yes, Jeffrey?" Rigg questioned him with a raise of his brow, and in that instant Jeff's suspicions stepped from doubt onto solid ground.

"Where is she?" Jeff asked, and tried not to smile. He noticed that Jake had suddenly joined the group, and his

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gaze swung to his new father-in-law, but Jake's look told Jeff he was not an accomplice.

"Where is Bobbie? You're not having trouble keep ing track of your wife already, are you, Jeff?" Rigg was shocked. "Married these few hours and already apart? That's not a good start, Jeff old man, not good at all."

Rigg's words so closely echoed those of Jeff's at Rigg's wedding that the groom shouted with laughter.

"There's just one difference, Rigg," Jeff said through his chuckles. "If I know you, Bobbie is not going to escape from wherever you put her, as Kate did."

Rigg's grin was unrepentant, and Jeff had to do a good deal of negotiating, as well as put up with plenty of laughter and leg-pulling, to get Rigg to tell. When he finally had his answer, he started toward the house.

Rigg called after him, "Don't blame Gil; I threatened him into helping."

Rigg's words made complete sense to Jeff as soon as he hit the upstairs hallway. Gilbert was leaning calmly against the wall as though he was expecting Jeff, and he smiled as he approached. No words were exchanged as Gilbert took himself off to the party and Jeff let himself quietly into the bedroom.

Bobbie awoke when Jeff's lips touched her own. "Is that how boring you find our wedding day?"

Bobbie smiled drowsily, and Jeff scooped her into his arms, took her chair, and settled his new wife in his lap. Bobbie cuddled against him and Jeff stole another kiss.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to hold you like this?"

"I think so," Bobbie answered, and rested her head on Jeff's shoulder before she spoke again in a whisper.

"Have I been worth the wait?"

Jeff kissed her long and hard. "Does that answer your question?"

"Will you do that again?"

The groom smiled. "Well, I guess that answers
mine."
Gilbert, who had come back upstairs to tell the newly weds they were wanted in the garden, hesitated before knocking on the door of the silent room. A space of a few heartbeats passed and Gil shook his head in the empty corridor and started back downstairs. Bill met him on the landing.

"Did you talk to Jeff?"

"No, the door is shut and things are pretty quiet."

Bill remembered in a moment how much he had wanted to be alone with his wife after their wedding.

"I'm sure they'll come down soon. If not, Rigg can go up, since it's his fault Bobbie's up there in the first place."

Gilbert had no arguments with that line of reasoning and made a beeline for the food table. Bill, on the other hand, joined his wife, who asked where Jeff and Bobbie were.

"Newlyweds," was all Bill had to say as they walked arm in arm back to the party.

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epilogue

Christmas Day 1872

The Taylor house was filled to the brim with family and friends. Bill, May, and sons were joined by ]ake and Maryanne Bradford, Mr. Parker and Joey, the Marshall Riggs family, including Sean and Marcail Donovan, the Stuart Townsend family, Jeff and Bobbie Taylor, and Troy and Carla Bradford.

Bobbie was settled on the sofa with her niece Gretchen on her lap and her niece Paige at her side. When Marcail joined them, Bobble laughed in delight at the smile that broke over Gretchen's face upon spotting her Aunt Mar-cail.

"Did you want to take her?"

"No, you can keep her. I get to hold her all the time. Will you have your own baby someday, Bobbie?"

"I hope so," Bobbie said with a smile that widened when her sister-in-law Carla stepped into the room. Bobbie simply could not picture her brother as a father, but it was going to happen in early spring.

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Gretchen fussed a little and Bobble transferred her onto her shoulder. With her tiny face cuddled into her aunt's neck, she soon fell asleep. The girls deserted Bobie a few minutes later, and when Jeff saw the couch open next to his wife, he claimed the spot.

After quickly ducking his head so he could look beneath Bobbie's chin at his niece, Jeff kissed his wife's cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason to kiss my wife?"

"'Definitely not," Bobbie answered, and this time offered her lips for his attention. They talked a few minutes before Sean joined them.

Bobbie smiled at the sight of him, since he was wearing the shirt that she and Jeff had given him for his sixteenth birthday, just a few weeks past.

"Are you up for a game of checkers, Jeff?" Sean looked desperate for a distraction of some type, and Jeff was compassionate.

"'Sure," he answered easily. "Let's go into the kitchen." Sean kissed his niece's tiny head as he left the sofa. Watching them leave, Bobbie thought that Gretchen was probably the only person Sean Donovan was tender with at this time in his life. This was Sean's second Christmas without his father, and from the little Jeff had told her, she knew that he missed him desperately.

Bobbie had never experienced the troubled teen years that Sean was in the midst of, but also realized she had made the right choices. She prayed right on the spot that Sean would make wise choices, choices based on the good advice she knew he was getting from Rigg and Kaitlin.

He had worked all summer at the livery and that had basically kept him out of trouble, but he was running

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with a bad crowd again and wanted to quit school. Rigg had put his foot down, but Bobbie wondered when the top would blow sky-high.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Joey joined her and wanted to hold Gretchen. The transition woke her, but she didn't seem to mind. Bobbie and Joey both watched in fascination as she stretched and yawned, tiny fingers grasping in midair as her arms reached over her head.

"Isn't she cute?"

"She certainly is, Joey."

're you going to have a baby?"

'Twice in one hour,' Bobbie thought wryly, but answered nonetheless, "I'd like to."

"You'll have one if God wants you to, right?" "Right." Bobbie answered with pleasure over Joey's insight. The time this young boy took each day to pray for his father's salvation was giving him a new perspective as to the way God deals with His children.

It wasn't long before Gretchen needed her mother and Joey ran off to find Wesley, Paige, and Marcail. Bobbie reached for a section of newspaper. The checkers game in the kitchen did not last long, and before Bobble excted,

Jeff was back at her side.

"That was fast."

"Sean was preoccupied."

Bobbie nodded and was silent. She glanced up to see Jeff watching Carla. "I could look like that one of these days."

"That's quite true."

"Will you still want to hold me?"

"Definitely," he said as his arm went around her. Bobbie liked the way he said that, without a moment's hesitation.

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"Dinner is served," May called from the doorway a moment later. "Everyone find a seat."

There was general pandemonium while everyone was seated either in the kitchen or living room. When all was quiet, Bill stood in the doorway between the two rooms and returned thanks for the food.

"Our Father in heaven, we thank You for the food on these tables and the hands that worked to provide and prepare it. We also thank You for the miracle of grandchildren and their presence with us today. We praise You for Bobbie, as well as the extended family she brings along, and for friends that You bring us in Your time.

'.nd lastly we thank You for this season and the birth of Your Son. May we be mindful of Your love, a love so great that You gave Your only Son to us. May we remember to keep You before us, today and all days. Amen."

Bill's gaze slowly encompassed the two rooms. He was met with smiles and some tears as he beamed in love at all beneath his roof.

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Lori Wick is one of the most versatile Christian fiction writers on the market today. From pioneer fiction to a series set in Victorian England to contemporary writing, Lori's books (over I million copies in print) are perennial favorites with readers. The
Californians
series is a heartwarming tale of lives in the care of a sovereign God.

Born and raised in Santa Rosa, California, Lori met her hus band, Bob, while in Bible college. They and their three chil dren, T'trnothy, Matthew, and Abigail, make their home in Wisconsin.

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Lori Wick is one of the most versatile Christian fiction writers on the market today. Her works include pioneer fiction, a series set in Victorian England, and contemporary novels. Lori's books (over 1.5 million copies in print) continue to delight readers and top the Christian best-selling fiction list. Lori and her husband, Bob, live in Wisconsin with "the three coolest kids in the world."