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swear maybe some DVD's and cd's.
Chapter One December 1865
Joey jumped out of bed when she realized the sun had come up already. She threw on her over dress and slipped her shoes on. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Megan Younger washing dishes.
"Mornin' Joey," Megan said smiling. "There is some biscuits and bacon in the over for you."
"Why didn't you wake me?" Joey asked grabbing a cup and filling it with milk.
"You had a rough night again. We decided to let you sleep."
"Where is Bella?" Joey asked sitting down to eat.
"Feeding the animals, she got the water from the well already and milked the cow." Megan sat down after she put the last dish away. "She didn't even have to be told."
Joey smiled thinking of how she came to care for the two Younger girls. It had all been Zerelda James' fault really. Her and her husband, Jesse, had moved to Tennessee about six month ago. When Jesse's friend Cole asked if they could care for his sisters, Zee had the idea of letting Joey take them in. Zee had said a girl should be alone up in the mountains. So they let Zee write a letter and he agreed. It was probably to the fact Zee had told him Joey was married and a little older.
Joey loved that the girls were with her. It did get lonely and very often. At first, Anabella was hard to deal with, but Joey soon realized she was becoming a woman. At thirteen and with no mother, it was hard. Joey knew this from experience.
Megan, on the other hand, loved the idea. At 15, she was very intelligent and shared great story ideas with Joey. She loved writing and learning and did both wonderfully. That was why they got along so well because Joey wrote, too.
"Anyway," Megan's voice interrupted her thoughts, "should I go get Bella for our studies?"
"Yeah, I will have to teach you while I cook supper because Jesse and Zee are coming over."
"Okay," Megan said running out the door.
"Don't run," Joey yelled after her laughing. "It isn't lady like." "Four times four," Joey said while kneading the dough for dinner rolls.
"Sixteen," Megan said while looking up from her writing.
"Megan, write your essay," Joey said. "You need to let Bella learn her multiplication tables."
"But, I ain't any good," Bella whined.
"Am not, Bella," Joey corrected her.
Bella pouted, "Can't I go ride Midnight?"
"Anabella Younger," Joey scolded. "This is study time and you know it. Now four times five?"
"Twenty," Bella said staring out the open door.
"Four times six?"
"Twenty-four." "Four times twelve?"
"Forty-eight," Bella said smiling.
"Very good, Bella. Did you write them as we said them?" Joey asked putting the rolls in the oven. She looked at Megan who was finished writing and now reading Romeo and Juliet.
"Yes, ma'am," Bella said.
"Okay. Both of you go clean up and then one of you get the table set."
They both got up and headed up the ladder to their room as Joey stirred the stew. When they had the table set, Joey realized she heard a rider. Jesse and Zee would have the wagon, she thought. She grabbed the rifle and smiled, "Girls, stay in back." They nodded. Joey opened the door to see Jimmy Potter. She sat the rifle down, "Jimmy, what do we owe the pleasure."
The 17 year old boy stood taller than Joey. "I came to call upon Megan, ma'am," he smiled sweetly sliding off his horse.
"Well, we are having company tonight but you are welcome to stay for dinner." She picked up the rifle, "Come on in." Placing the rifle back above the door she looked at Megan, "Set another plate."
Megan saw Jimmy and smiled, "Yes, ma'am." Joey and Zee cleared the table.
"Let me help with the dishes, Joey," Zee said.
Joey shook her head and smiled, "That's okay. I am going to get Bella to do them."
Megan and Jimmy walked out the front door.
"Are you sure that is a wise thing with Cole coming in?" Jesse asked.
"Their brother is coming?" Joey asked surprised.
"Yeah," Jesse said pulling out two envelopes. "There is a letter here for you and one for the girls."
Joey got up and went to the door, "Megan, Jimmy, time to say goodnight." She stepped back in waiting till Megan came in to shut the door.
"You and Bella got a letter from Cole," Jesse said holding it out to her.
Bella squealed and Megan smiled slightly as Bella tore it open. "It says Cole, Bob and Frank are coming for the winter," Bella said excitedly.
Joey wondered what her letter said as she took it from Jesse. She opened it reading to herself.
Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery
"Mr.?" Joey questioned Zee.
"What?"
"I thought you told him the truth?"
"Well..."
"Never mind," Joey said continuing her letter.
It is going to be great to visit. I hope it isn't a late notice but we would really like to see the girls and finally meet you and your wife. See ya soon.
Cole Younger
Joey looked at Zee and frowned, "Why didn't you tell him?"
Chapter One December 1865
Joey jumped out of bed when she realized the sun had come up already. She threw on her over dress and slipped her shoes on. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Megan Younger washing dishes.
"Mornin' Joey," Megan said smiling. "There is some biscuits and bacon in the over for you."
"Why didn't you wake me?" Joey asked grabbing a cup and filling it with milk.
"You had a rough night again. We decided to let you sleep."
"Where is Bella?" Joey asked sitting down to eat.
"Feeding the animals, she got the water from the well already and milked the cow." Megan sat down after she put the last dish away. "She didn't even have to be told."
Joey smiled thinking of how she came to care for the two Younger girls. It had all been Zerelda James' fault really. Her and her husband, Jesse, had moved to Tennessee about six month ago. When Jesse's friend Cole asked if they could care for his sisters, Zee had the idea of letting Joey take them in. Zee had said a girl should be alone up in the mountains. So they let Zee write a letter and he agreed. It was probably to the fact Zee had told him Joey was married and a little older.
Joey loved that the girls were with her. It did get lonely and very often. At first, Anabella was hard to deal with, but Joey soon realized she was becoming a woman. At thirteen and with no mother, it was hard. Joey knew this from experience.
Megan, on the other hand, loved the idea. At 15, she was very intelligent and shared great story ideas with Joey. She loved writing and learning and did both wonderfully. That was why they got along so well because Joey wrote, too.
"Anyway," Megan's voice interrupted her thoughts, "should I go get Bella for our studies?"
"Yeah, I will have to teach you while I cook supper because Jesse and Zee are coming over."
"Okay," Megan said running out the door.
"Don't run," Joey yelled after her laughing. "It isn't lady like." "Four times four," Joey said while kneading the dough for dinner rolls.
"Sixteen," Megan said while looking up from her writing.
"Megan, write your essay," Joey said. "You need to let Bella learn her multiplication tables."
"But, I ain't any good," Bella whined.
"Am not, Bella," Joey corrected her.
Bella pouted, "Can't I go ride Midnight?"
"Anabella Younger," Joey scolded. "This is study time and you know it. Now four times five?"
"Twenty," Bella said staring out the open door.
"Four times six?"
"Twenty-four." "Four times twelve?"
"Forty-eight," Bella said smiling.
"Very good, Bella. Did you write them as we said them?" Joey asked putting the rolls in the oven. She looked at Megan who was finished writing and now reading Romeo and Juliet.
"Yes, ma'am," Bella said.
"Okay. Both of you go clean up and then one of you get the table set."
They both got up and headed up the ladder to their room as Joey stirred the stew. When they had the table set, Joey realized she heard a rider. Jesse and Zee would have the wagon, she thought. She grabbed the rifle and smiled, "Girls, stay in back." They nodded. Joey opened the door to see Jimmy Potter. She sat the rifle down, "Jimmy, what do we owe the pleasure."
The 17 year old boy stood taller than Joey. "I came to call upon Megan, ma'am," he smiled sweetly sliding off his horse.
"Well, we are having company tonight but you are welcome to stay for dinner." She picked up the rifle, "Come on in." Placing the rifle back above the door she looked at Megan, "Set another plate."
Megan saw Jimmy and smiled, "Yes, ma'am." Joey and Zee cleared the table.
"Let me help with the dishes, Joey," Zee said.
Joey shook her head and smiled, "That's okay. I am going to get Bella to do them."
Megan and Jimmy walked out the front door.
"Are you sure that is a wise thing with Cole coming in?" Jesse asked.
"Their brother is coming?" Joey asked surprised.
"Yeah," Jesse said pulling out two envelopes. "There is a letter here for you and one for the girls."
Joey got up and went to the door, "Megan, Jimmy, time to say goodnight." She stepped back in waiting till Megan came in to shut the door.
"You and Bella got a letter from Cole," Jesse said holding it out to her.
Bella squealed and Megan smiled slightly as Bella tore it open. "It says Cole, Bob and Frank are coming for the winter," Bella said excitedly.
Joey wondered what her letter said as she took it from Jesse. She opened it reading to herself.
Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery
"Mr.?" Joey questioned Zee.
"What?"
"I thought you told him the truth?"
"Well..."
"Never mind," Joey said continuing her letter.
It is going to be great to visit. I hope it isn't a late notice but we would really like to see the girls and finally meet you and your wife. See ya soon.
Cole Younger
Joey looked at Zee and frowned, "Why didn't you tell him?"
