Triple Creek Ranch - Part 17

Good Morning Faithful Friday Fiction Fans!
Spring is in the air, in the trees, the flowers, the breeze, the birds and the sunshine. Even if the sun is hiding behind some dark rain clouds. I know it is not officially "spring" but it sure feels like it. My sister and I have slept with the windows open for several nights now. It is so delightful to wake up to hear robins singing outside my window. One time this week it got up to 87 degrees! As much as I'm enjoying this lovely weather, I can't help but wonder what summer will be like. :} And it's election year. I'll probably be out campaigning; knocking on doors and waving signs whether it is hot or not.


Let me see, what have I done this week? Monday Mom, S and I went over to help my brother get things priced for Light of Faith's first homeschool conference. I spent most of my time outside cleaning off spinner racks and playing with the kids until lunch. After lunch I donned my paint clothes and set to work repainting the shelves. I tried to stay in the shade since it was very sunny with not a cloud to be seen, but I ended up with a sunburn anyway. :} Then I attended a senate debate on Monday night. Rather interesting listening to the three candidates for senate all try to tell you the same thing. :)
Tuesday I got things done around the house and prepared for my writing classes on Wednesday.
Today I'm going bowling with families from church. And tomorrow is our State's caucus. It should be interesting. I wonder how long it will last?


As far as writing goes, I've pretty much worked on "Mystery at Random" this week and nothing else. I know, I need to work on some of my other stories, but I'm trying to get this story done. So far it is 5 and 1/2 parts long. It wouldn't surprise me if it ended up at least 7 parts. I think you all will enjoy reading this story when I get it done and start posting it.
This the last Triple Creek Ranch that I have written, so if you have questions that you want answered, or comments or thoughts that you'd like to share, now would be a good time so that I can get back into the Triple Creek Ranch mood. :)
Enjoy it!

Part 17

    Norman wasn’t impressed. “Humph. The question is, does she have anything that will work on this ranch?”
    “No, not a thing.”
    Drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair, Norman fell silent. His eyes held a far away look in them and his wife waited. “Perhaps,” he at last began slowly, when Jenelle was about to suggest they retire for the night, “it will be cooler on Monday and we can go into town then. I suppose we can’t ask her to do much with the costumes she has now, can we?”
    Jenelle shook her head, feeling pity around her heart for her husband, for his shoulders drooped and he looked so bewildered about the whole situation. “Darling,” she leaned forward letting her hand rest lightly on his arm, “can we not spend some time right now praying for Orlena and asking our Heavenly Father for wisdom in dealing with her?”
     Kneeling side by side, Mr. and Mrs. Mavrich brought all their worries and cares for their sister to Him who cares for each one, asking for wisdom of whom it was said, “if any man lacks wisdom let him ask, of God who giveth to all,” and pleading for true love from the One who is love. When they at last rose, Norman held his wife close in his arms and murmured with his cheek pressed against her light hair, “I thank God for giving me the most wonderful wife in the world.”

    Saturday passed quietly enough. Jenelle, busy with her usual household duties, refrained from asking her young sister to assist her. Not that she wouldn’t have welcomed help, but she was too busy to deal with the storm which would have surely come had she asked. Besides, she didn’t feel as though the time of confrontation had arrived. “I’ll wait until we get new material.” She spoke softly as she moved about upstairs getting the rooms to right. “She can help sew her dresses.”
    Orlena, having no desire to venture forth in the great outdoors after her last experience, wandered about the house until, discovering a bookshelf, she established herself in a chair and began to read. True, none of the books were quite to her liking, but there were enough of them to keep her occupied most of the day.
    The evening meal passed by quietly enough. Norman told about moving the cattle and Jenelle refrained from mentioning anything too specific about her day with Orlena. Orlena got out of carrying any dishes to the kitchen on plea of a headache.

    The sun was barely up the next morning when Orlena was roused by someone shaking her shoulder gently and a voice calling her name.
    “What do you want?” she asked rather startled, for Jenelle was standing beside the bed.
    “This is Sunday morning, Orlena, and since we have to leave for church in a little over an hour, breakfast will be on the table in five minutes.”
    Yawning, Orlena sat up. It took her a few minutes to really wake up enough to let Jenelle’s words register in her brain. When they finally did, her sister-in-law had already slipped away. “Church?” Orlena muttered. “Out here in the middle of nowhere? Who will see us?” To her, church was the place you went to show off your finest clothes, newest hat or latest style of dress. It was also the place to discover the latest fashions and to see if Mrs. DeNae would wear a new hat again.
    Standing before her closet, Orlena remembered that her best black dress was ruined. How could she go to church in anything else? She remembered she hadn’t gone to church the Sunday after it had been finished. “Now I can’t show that horrid Clare Brighten that I loved my grandmother more than she ever loved hers.” Her lips pouted as she pulled another black dress and flung it on the bed. “I’ll have to wear black,” she thought. “I’m in mourning. But I should have my other one. If Norman hadn’t been so unkind about getting my real mourning dress remade, I would be wearing it.”
    After managing to array herself in the black dress with its many buttons, she brushed her hair, carefully arranging her ringlets in the latest style. This took her much longer with no one to help her and breakfast was half way over before she entered the dining room.
    She saw her brother look up at her entrance, exchange a glance with his wife and then return his eyes to his half empty plate as he remarked, “Good Morning, Orlena.”
    “Morning?” she sniffed, as she settled her flounces in her chair, “It is still practically night.”
    Norman refrained from answering her and Jenelle remarked about the clouds which had come up over night. The rest of the breakfast was eaten in silence and then Norman departed to hitch up the horses.
    The ride to church was an entirely new experience for Miss Orlena. The dust from the horses hooves and the carriage's wheels settled over the fine silk of her black dress turning it nearly grey. The sun was also quite warm for so early in the day though the clouds did lessen its heat. Long before they reached town Orlena wished she had worn anything but her long sleeve, rather heavy, black dress. Tiny trickles of perspiration trickled down her neck, under her collar and then down her back. Upon arriving at the little country church at last, Orlena gasped. This was nothing at all like she had expected. Where were the stained glass windows? Where was the soft carpet and the cushions in the pews? It was a disgrace. A perfect disgrace. Had Norman been paying the least bit of attention to her at the moment, she would have ordered him to take her to the train station and send her home right away. Fortunately, however, he was speaking with someone and his sister had no choice but to follow Jenelle down the aisle.

What do you think of this story?

Do you still like it?

Should I continue writing it?