To the Farm - Part 4

Welcome back, Faithful Friday Fiction Fans,
Have you had a good week? I did. The weather was incredible! It got into the low 50s one night and the following day was only in the 60s! What is this, fall-come-early? But it's nice. :)

It's been a week of trying to get a lot done. And I've actually felt like I've gotten things done. Writing especially. The new "book" is over half the length of a TCR book. (Or Gift from the Storm) and it's still going. Yes, I am planning on telling you more about it soon. I just don't have the time right now to come up with what to tell you. :) I will tell you this though, this is a modern story. And it has just ONE POV. Most of my books have multiple points of view, so this has been different.

But I'm busy, so I'll let you get on with this next part of

To the Farm

Part 4

    “Maybe we should take a look and see if it needs bandaged.”
    Ria shook her head and glanced about the room. No one appeared to be paying the slightest notice to them and she relaxed. She didn’t feel like being the center of attention right then. Raising pleading eyes to her cousin’s face, she waited for him to speak.
    After a moment he grinned. “All right. I won’t say or do anything now, but . . .” and he tugged one of her braids again. Jack was a tease but he could also be as sweet and gentle as his father.
    Just then the door opened and Ed, Al, Sam, Jason and Tom came in with Frank.
    “Lemonade?” Will asked, holding up the pitcher.
    “Do you have to ask?” Tom laughed.
    William grinned, “No, I could have just told you we drank it all.”
    Sam gave him a slight, friendly shove and everyone laughed.
    When the glasses were drained, Ed stood up, remarking, “Well, we should be getting on, we’ve still got to walk back to town. Ria, you ready?”
    A slight frown wrinkled Ria’s forehead as she looked at her brother. “Not quite,” she murmured almost sheepishly.
    Ed raised an eyebrow and waited.
    “I turned my ankle a little when I was playing with Patriot. I’m sure it will be fine if I can rest it a few more minutes.” Her eyes looked pleadingly into her brother’s brown ones.
    For answer he came over and dropped down before her. After running his hands lightly over her swollen ankle, he looked up. “There’s no way you’re walking home on this foot, Sis,” he stated flatly.
    “I knew she’d never be able to walk here and back home again,” Dave whispered to Chris. Pete silenced his younger brother with a look.
    Before more could be said, Frank spoke up. “I’ll tell you what, just let me have Ria. I’m going to take the truck and make a quick round of calls, and I can leave her at home.”
    Ed looked relieved at this suggestion and stood up. “That’ll work just fine. Come on gang, let’s go! Thanks for the lemonade, Grandma!”
    “You’re all welcome,” Grandma replied with a smile, as all the lads echoed their leader’s thanks before swarming out the door to set off on their return walk home.
    “Let’s go the short cut,” Ria heard Dave call.
    And Fred replied, “Can’t, don’t know the way.”
    Ria grinned. It was fun having a secret with just her mom and Uncle Edmund.
    “You ready to go, Ria?” Frank asked. “I’ve got a lot of stops to make.”
    “Yes,” and Ria started to stand up, carefully keeping her weight off her wrenched ankle.
    “Do allow me, my lady,” her uncle bowed and the next minute had her in his arms.
    With a laugh and a blush, Ria said good bye to Grandma and Grandpa and was soon seated in the old farm truck beside Frank.
    Frank honked the horn as they passed the gang and Ria waved. This was going to be more fun than walking home, even if her ankle did give her twinges of pain when she moved it.
    As Frank pulled into the first farm, he turned to his niece. “I won’t be more than a few minutes. I’m just going to run in and tell them dinner’s at the farm next Saturday.
    Ria couldn’t help laughing at this idea. “Only a few minutes,” she giggled. “Only if everyone is out.”
    “All right,” Frank laughed too. “I give you permission to honk the horn if I’m not back in five minutes.” With that he jumped out of the truck and bounded up the porch steps to disappear inside moments later.
    To her immense surprise, Frank did appear within five minutes, while Kirsten, with baby Ruth in her arms and little Rose beside her, waved.
    At George’s and Vincent’s farms, it was the same, for the men were out in the fields. When they reached Karl’s they discovered him out in the front with the two younger boys. These greeted Frank with great excitement and all began to talk. Finally Ria honked the horn and with much laughter, Frank tore himself away.
    “It’s a good thing I brought you along,” he told Ria as they once more bounced over the dirt roads towards David’s farm. “I probably would have stayed there until dark. At least until Karen called them in for supper.”
    “Oh, you would have been invited to eat,” Ria assured him with a smile.
    On the porch, Henry and Anna were playing with Donny, or were supposed to be. Instead they were arguing over something while Donny cried.
    “Oh, I’ll get out with you,” Ria exclaimed as the truck stopped. And before Frank could reply, she had slipped out and was hobbling to the porch. There she comforted her little cousin while Henry and Anna, forgetting their quarrel, hung on to their uncle in great glee.
    The stop there lasted longer than the allotted five minutes as Frank played with his young relatives. Finally they were on their way again.
    “Only one more stop to make before town,” Frank remarked, glancing over at his niece. “Think Ed will be in?”
    Ria shrugged.
    As they pulled up beside the white farm house, Emma and Lucy came bouncing out of the door shouting and shrieking.
    Frank stepped from the truck at the same time that Louise came out on the porch with flour covered hands, looking tired.
    “Frank!” she exclaimed, “What are you doing home?”
    “I’m on leave,” Frank replied giving her a hug while the two little girls hung onto his legs and squealed, talked and giggled all at once.
    Ria had thought she would remain in the truck, but on seeing her aunt’s tired face, she climbed out.
    Instantly the twins made a rush for her as she was their favorite older cousin.
    “Ria! Ria!” they cried in glee. “Come see, come see!” they begged, pulling on her hands and trying to drag her along.

What did Emma and Lucy want Ria to see?

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