one day...he'll go too far.”
Her mother held a hand up too her hand and gasped at she understood Josie's meaning. “Never! Oh he would never!”
Josie went on, “I'm miserable here. What I like about the agency is that they match up people who are looking for the same thing. There are some men in a hurry and want a girl who's willing to go on the next train out, and there are others who prefer corresponding with a girl, getting to know her better, to make sure they are right for each other. That's what I wanted.
I liked the idea of someone getting to know the real me. I feel like boys here, they only like me because I'm pretty, they don't who I truly am, on the inside. This was a chance to have someone love me not for what I look like, but for who I am. And someone has. And I've fallen in love with him, too, he's a wonderful man. At first it was a fantasy, wondering if I could find someone to love me, but it's not a fantasy any more; it's come true!”
“But how? You don't know him? How can you marry someone you've never even met? And to go off to Texas? You can't be serious, Josie!”
“ But I do know him, I know so much about him, mother, we've shared our pasts, our dreams and hopes for the future and I know he's right for me. I don't even care what he looks like. He loves me for the real me and that's all that matters. My plan is to leave and marry Sam. It's been so hard for me to talk to you about George, but I knew that I had to give it a shot and talk to you first.”
Her mother was about to speak, then stopped herself. She was lost in thought for a moment, then answered Josie calmly. “Though I would miss you terribly, now that I think about it, maybe it would be best for you to leave for Texas. I want you to be as happy as I've been with George and I hope Sam can provide a good life for you. I'm not going to stand in your way if you've made up your mind.”
She knows , Josie thought. She knows that George really is guilty of the things she's accused him of, that's why she's not fighting the plans to go off to marry Sam.
“ What can I do to help you prepare? We'll have to shop for a wedding trousseau, of course, and there will be travel preparations to be made. Will you marry here, so at least I can meet him?
“ No, that's not how it works. I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible, he wouldn't be able to leave the ranch for that long. He told me that he is in love with me and as soon as I'm ready, to let him know and he'll make arrangements for me to travel to Texas to marry him there.”
“ We can make arrangements for you, darling, we can pay for your trip, there's no need for him to...”
Charlotte was interrupted mid-sentence by George, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway.“Pay for what trip? Is somebody going on a trip?” he asked cheerfully.
Josie jerked upright, her spine stiffened as she heard his voice. She was so wrapped up into the conversation with her mother, they hadn't even heard him arrive home from work earlier than usual. She had hoped she would've finished the discussion with her mother and had time to get back up to her room before he arrived. But it was too late now.
She stood up, turned to her mother and quickly said, “We can finish talking about this later, I'll excuse myself now.”
Josie tried to make her way out of the room but George took a step to block her. She could feel her heart starting to beat a little faster.
“ You can't leave yet, I've yet to hear about the trip we're paying for. Is that how I'm welcomed home?” He laughed as he leaned in and gave Josie a kiss on the cheek. She kept her eyes on her mother the entire time. A hint of agitation flashed in her mother's brown eyes.
“ Yes, Josie, you must stay so we can tell George about your trip.”
Josie gulped. She hadn't had time to express her wish to her mother that she'd like to keep her marriage to Sam just between them until it was closer to the time she'd have to leave. Her eyes pleaded
Her mother held a hand up too her hand and gasped at she understood Josie's meaning. “Never! Oh he would never!”
Josie went on, “I'm miserable here. What I like about the agency is that they match up people who are looking for the same thing. There are some men in a hurry and want a girl who's willing to go on the next train out, and there are others who prefer corresponding with a girl, getting to know her better, to make sure they are right for each other. That's what I wanted.
I liked the idea of someone getting to know the real me. I feel like boys here, they only like me because I'm pretty, they don't who I truly am, on the inside. This was a chance to have someone love me not for what I look like, but for who I am. And someone has. And I've fallen in love with him, too, he's a wonderful man. At first it was a fantasy, wondering if I could find someone to love me, but it's not a fantasy any more; it's come true!”
“But how? You don't know him? How can you marry someone you've never even met? And to go off to Texas? You can't be serious, Josie!”
“ But I do know him, I know so much about him, mother, we've shared our pasts, our dreams and hopes for the future and I know he's right for me. I don't even care what he looks like. He loves me for the real me and that's all that matters. My plan is to leave and marry Sam. It's been so hard for me to talk to you about George, but I knew that I had to give it a shot and talk to you first.”
Her mother was about to speak, then stopped herself. She was lost in thought for a moment, then answered Josie calmly. “Though I would miss you terribly, now that I think about it, maybe it would be best for you to leave for Texas. I want you to be as happy as I've been with George and I hope Sam can provide a good life for you. I'm not going to stand in your way if you've made up your mind.”
She knows , Josie thought. She knows that George really is guilty of the things she's accused him of, that's why she's not fighting the plans to go off to marry Sam.
“ What can I do to help you prepare? We'll have to shop for a wedding trousseau, of course, and there will be travel preparations to be made. Will you marry here, so at least I can meet him?
“ No, that's not how it works. I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible, he wouldn't be able to leave the ranch for that long. He told me that he is in love with me and as soon as I'm ready, to let him know and he'll make arrangements for me to travel to Texas to marry him there.”
“ We can make arrangements for you, darling, we can pay for your trip, there's no need for him to...”
Charlotte was interrupted mid-sentence by George, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway.“Pay for what trip? Is somebody going on a trip?” he asked cheerfully.
Josie jerked upright, her spine stiffened as she heard his voice. She was so wrapped up into the conversation with her mother, they hadn't even heard him arrive home from work earlier than usual. She had hoped she would've finished the discussion with her mother and had time to get back up to her room before he arrived. But it was too late now.
She stood up, turned to her mother and quickly said, “We can finish talking about this later, I'll excuse myself now.”
Josie tried to make her way out of the room but George took a step to block her. She could feel her heart starting to beat a little faster.
“ You can't leave yet, I've yet to hear about the trip we're paying for. Is that how I'm welcomed home?” He laughed as he leaned in and gave Josie a kiss on the cheek. She kept her eyes on her mother the entire time. A hint of agitation flashed in her mother's brown eyes.
“ Yes, Josie, you must stay so we can tell George about your trip.”
Josie gulped. She hadn't had time to express her wish to her mother that she'd like to keep her marriage to Sam just between them until it was closer to the time she'd have to leave. Her eyes pleaded