“Oh, Bob, no! I don’t know where you got such an idea. I’m sitting here praying for you. I don’t think you should have kissed Jeff, but everyone makes mistakes.”
Maryanne’s voice lowered with intensity. “You do understand that, don’t you, Bobbie? Just confess this and go on, even if you have to find work elsewhere. Apologize to Jeff and then to the Lord. Ask Him to take you on from here.”
Bobbie nodded in agreement. She was coming to the same conclusion, but she felt so badly about everything that she wasn’t even sure how to pray most of the time.
“It’s too bad in some ways,” Maryanne continued. “You couldn’t ask for a nicer boss. After you’d gone upstairs this evening, he dropped by to tell you to take the morning off.”
“You’re right; Mr. Taylor is wonderful. And I’m going to need the morning off after staying up all night.”
“My Bible is in the bedroom, Bobbie, and that’s where I need to be. But tomorrow, before you go to work to talk to Jeff, read Romans eight, 26 and 27. Those are verses about prayer, and I suspect you need them right now.”
Maryanne hugged Bobbie and headed up the stairs. Bobbie followed soon afterward, and this time, with a prayer in her heart for the coming events of the day, she fell asleep quickly.
“I’m glad you were here, Jeff, since my decision to leave was so sudden and I thought I would have to miss you.”
“I’m glad too, Sylvia, and I’ll be praying that you have a safe trip.”
“Thanks, Jeff.”
“Well, I guess this is goodbye. I don’t plan to be back in Santa Rosa anytime soon. You’ve been a true friend, Jeff, and I’ll never forget you.”
Jeff and Sylvia embraced in a final goodbye as Sandra came out of the stage office. Jeff stepped away to give the sisters some privacy. He stayed on the platform until the stage pulled away, waving when Sylvia’s head appeared in the window.
Jeff returned to the office intent on asking his father when Bobbie would be in, but Bill sent him on an errand. ‘It was just as well,’ he thought as he left. The office was no place for the showdown he was planning.
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which can not be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Bobbie prayed long and hard over the words she had just read. They were exactly what she needed. She felt with all her heart that God wanted her to trust Him.
‘Thank You for these verses, Father, and for Your mightiness and power and for Your faithfulness. You know my heart and how much I want to make things right. Please give me the words with Jeff and Mr. Taylor today. I want to run from this, God, but I know I can’t. Help me to trust You. Please give me the needed strength and wisdom.’
Bobbie did not end the prayer but continued to petition God silently all the way to work. She found Bill in his office and he greeted her warmly. Talking proudly about his new granddaughter for several minutes, he finally noticed that his employee had something on her mind.
“Did you need something, Bobbie?”
“Yes, actually I do. I’ve decided to take a few weeks off just as soon as you can spare me, and then I’m going to look for work someplace else in town.” Bill opened his mouth to object, but Bobbie rushed on.
“It has nothing to do with you or the work here at the office, and I want to thank you for all you’ve done.”
“Bobbie,” Bill finally cut in, looking a little thunderstruck, “is there something I can do? I mean, your work here is excellent and if there’s anything I can say to change your mind, just—”
“No, but thank you.” Bobbie stood, telling Bill that her mind was made up.
“Is Jeff around?” Bobbie asked with her hand on the door handle.
“No, I asked him to run uptown.”
Bobbie nodded. “I guess I better get to work.”
Bobbie left the inner office still praying, and she congratulated herself over not bursting into tears. She had only been at her desk a few minutes when Bill came out and asked her to take something to Rigg.
Bobbie complied, but she was disappointed since she wanted to see Jeff right away. The Lord reminded her then to trust Him, and Bobbie stopped herself from scanning the street in hopes of spotting him.
“I’m telling you, Dad, she won’t be quitting.”
“Jeff,” Bill said with extreme patience, “she was just in here and told me herself.”
“You’re repeating yourself, Dad. I’m telling you that as soon as she comes back, I’ll talk with her and get this whole thing worked out.”
“So you’re the reason she wants to quit?” Gilbert commented softly.
“Not exactly, but my presence is making her uncomfortable. I’m sure she plans on apologizing to me and then walking away. What she doesn’t know is that I’m not about to let her do that.”
Bill and Gilbert were left staring at each other in confusion as Jeff walked out of the room.
forty-two
Jeff was next door when Bobbie came back. She went straight to her desk to work, wondering yet again when she would see him. Jeff returned to the shipping office knowing that his father was in his office and that Gilbert was in the back room. Praying that no customers would come in, Jeff approached Bobbie’s desk.
“My dad tells me you’re quitting.”
Bobbie had of course seen him come in, and had waited quietly for him to take a seat. Jeff’s plans to be completely alone with Bobbie for this confrontation went up in smoke. Discovering that she was quitting had sent him into something of a panic.
“I had to, Jeff. I know you understand.”
“I understand a lot of things, but I’m not sure you do.” Jeff spoke softly from the chair in front of the desk.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then it’s time you did. I think we have a lot to say to each other—things we should have discussed a long time ago.”
Thinking he wanted her to continue working, Bobbie gave him a negative shake of her head. “There’s nothing to discuss, Jeff. Please just let me say what I need to say.”
Jeff could see that she was not going to listen to reason until she could relate her feelings, so he folded his arms over his chest and waited.
“I know how upset you must be,” Bobbie began, seeing 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 vulnerable 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 feared—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. “And will you please hold still!”
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, Bobbie?” 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?”
“Are you going to run away?”
“I might.”
“Then no, you may not,” he stated without moving. “And 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. Bobbie 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 married.”
Bobbie smiled. “And when will that be?”
“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.”
“Are 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 customer 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 grinning.
“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 something 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 s
miled 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 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.”
forty-four
October 5, 1872
Bobbie 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. Bobbie was amazed to see Gilbert inside.
“All 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.
“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.