Disclaimer, you know.
It had only taken them five minutes to get to Loretta's ranch, after helping them get the suit cases off the cart they started towards Hugson ranch, which was a quick ride away.
"So, Zeb, how much do you know about me?" Dorothy asked.
"Well, I was told I shouldn't bring up some things, uncle bill told me some things, that your aunt told him, and I don't believe half of them, one of them believing that you could single handedly save your entire town from a con artist." Zeb said.
"I did, that man, is now my teacher at school." Dorothy said.
"there are other things I know, and don't believe, but I'll let time tell if what you say is true." Zeb said.
"thanks." Dorothy said.
"you know, you don't need the jacket any more, it's always warm here." Zeb said.
"that's nice to know." Dorothy said.
"you know, uncle bill says often, that he wishes he never left Kansas, he kinda misses winter." He said.
"I figured it be the corn he would miss." Dorothy said.
"Oh that too, but I've never seen snow either." Zeb said.
"Well, maybe next year you can spend the winter with us." Dorothy suggested.
"Maybe." Zeb said.
Dorothy smiled and looked around. The scenery in this small town seemed more vibrant than the fields of Kansas, yet at the same time, it seemed a bit dull.
"Uncle bill and aunt Melinda can't wait to finally see you, apparently the first time they ever saw you, they were in Kansas for a funeral." Zeb said.
"Oh." Was all dorothy could manage to say.
"well, here we are, Hugson ranch." He said
Dorothy looked up and saw a sign marked 'Hugson Ranch and horse drawn carriages. She could see at the top of a hill a large house, with a large field and barn next to it, and alongside that a stable.
"Big house." Dorothy said.
"Well, aunt Melinda and uncle bill have been trying to have kids for years, uncle bill is a bit miffed that his sister had triplets." Zeb said.
"I can imagine." Dorothy said shaking her head.
As Zeb stopped the cab dorothy took toto and pockets from her lap and set them down the path. Going 'round to the back of the cart she grabbed her suit cases and started towards the house with Zeb.
"Should you put the horse back in the stable?" Dorothy asked.
"Jim? Oh, he'll be fine, we normally leave him out on the cart during the day, I think he feels useless when we put him in the stables." Zeb said
"Interesting." Dorothy said looking back at the horse and cab.
As they got up to the house Zeb took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Walking in immediately a blast of hot air mixed with the scents of various fruits and spices hit them.
"Aunt Melinda! I'm home!" Zeb called
Immediately a woman with pale skin. Wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. Over which was a red apron. She immediately ran up to dorothy and looked her over. Her hair was a light brownish blonde
"My you've grown so much since I last saw you." She said taking Dorothy's chin in her hand.
"I'll bring her things up to the guest room." Zeb said grabbing the suit cases from Dorothy's hands and walking up the stair case by the door.
"Last time I saw you, you couldn't have been much taller than up to my knees." Melinda said.
"Zeb said the last time you saw me you were in Kansas for a funeral." Dorothy said.
Immediately her face fell. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"Yes." She sighed.
"well…now I know which one it was…" Dorothy said trailing off.
"I know you probably hear this a lot, but you look so much like your mother." Melinda said.
"More often than I'd like." Dorothy replied.
"I can imagine, well, let's not stand in the door way, or your pets might get out." Melinda said leading her into the sitting room.
"Toto and Pockets are very obedient, and they know to stay by me." Dorothy said.
"Well, let's not taking any chances." She said untying her apron and placing it on a nearby table.
"Should I refer to you as auntie Melinda?" Dorothy asked.
"If you'd like to." Melinda replied.
Dorothy looked around the room and then settled down on a couch. Toto and pockets jumped onto her lap and curled up.
"Can I get you anything?" Melinda asked.
"Not right now, but thank you." Dorothy said.
"I see my sister in law taught you well." Melinda said as Zeb walked into the room.
"you know, dorothy I have to thank you for coming, not only will I have an extra set of hands, but it got me out of this week's tutoring sessions." Zeb said.
"Zeb what am I going to do with you?" Melinda said.
"Good question, ask my dad." Zeb said.
"why don't you go check and see if your father and my husband are awake and strong enough to see dorothy." Melinda suggested.
Zeb nodded and walked out of the room. Dorothy shook her head and sighed.
"I feel like he means well." Dorothy said.
"but his head isn't always in the right place, a lot of people say that." Melinda said.
"Joe said it." Dorothy
"Oh, you met Joe and Lorretta?" Melinda asked.
"I met joe on the train here, and Lorretta at the station." Dorothy replied.
"So, that's why Zeb headed that way first, I was wondering why he did that." Melinda said.
"Actually, Auntie Melinda, do you have a phone I can use? I should probably call my aunt and uncle and let them know that I got here all right." Dorothy said.
Meanwhile at the gale farmhouse.
At the time of Dorothy's phone call, Aunt Em had been doing the dishes, henry was taking care of the triplets, and Aislynn was at school. The fact standing that the call was almost missed, had Em not made it a personal habit to never let the answering machine get it. she walked out with a wet dish and towel and took the phone off the hook.
"Gale Residence." Em said.
"oh, auntie Em, I was worried for a moment you guys weren't home." Came Dorothy's voice.
"Dorothy! Oh, did you make it to California all right?" Em asked worriedly.
"yes, auntie Em, I'm still a bit stiff from the train ride though." Dorothy said.
"Well, you're safe and sound now, is Melinda with you?" Em asked.
"yes, she's right here, would you like to speak to her?" dorothy asked.
"If it's alright?" Em asked.
A moment later the sound of the phone being passed on to her and then Melinda's voice.
"Emily?" Melinda asked.
"Hello Mel." Em said into the phone.
"Emily, do you happen to know Dorothy's preferences in pie?" Melinda asked.
"well, if I had to guess, since she's only ever had a few different types of fruit pie, mince, pumpkin, and pecan, I'd have to say the same as her mother." Em said.
"So, she'll eat anything that's put in front of her so long as it's food and not most types of fish?" Melinda asked.
"Mel, I can't even stand fish, touching it, cooking it, or tasting it let alone the smell, though dorothy will eat tuna, and sardines if they're put in front of her or the only thing available." Em said.
"okay, so exactly like her mother." Melinda said.
"not really, like her father, she has a big sweet tooth but is very selective." Em said,
"Remember that time both frank and Madeline got Cavities?" Mel asked.
"yes Mel, but don't change the subject, we're talking about our niece, not her parents, I want you to take good care of her, I know she's capable of being on her own like Zeb is, but take care of her, I don't want any harm coming to her, I've watched her grow up, she's like an elder daughter to me." Em said.
"I understand Emily, I promise, nothing will happen to her." Melinda said.
"Hey, Mrs. Gale, sorry for showing up unannounced, but…am I interrupting something?" Alex asked walking in with Aislynn.
"Who's that?" Melinda asked curiously
"That's alex, The Teak's son." Em said.
"Are you telling me, that you let the Mr. Teak's Grandson into your home?" Melinda asked.
"Mel, he's not like his father was, well, he isn't any more, dorothy changed him." Em said.
"Emily, I'll believe this once, put him on the phone, dorothy would like to talk to him." Melinda said.
"alex, phone call." Em said as he walked over.
Alex smiled and took the phone.
"Dorothy?" He asked.
"oh, alex, I've heard from a reliable source that you've been sulking." Dorothy said.
"Dorothy, of course I've been sulking, and to be honest, the entire town has kinda fallen into a sullen tone" Alex said.
"Think of something to brighten the mood there then." Dorothy said.
"And what do you suggest I do?" Alex asked.
"Whatever you think I would do." Dorothy said.
"not helpful." Alex said.
"Well, I can't think of everything." Dorothy said.
" not useful dear." Alex said.
"Alex…" dorothy said trailing off.
"Dorothy, do me a favor, Be careful." Alex said.
"Alex, I don't need you to tell me to be careful any more than I need my aunt to tell me, which is once." Dorothy said.
"just trying to keep the point across." Alex said.
"I get it, but still alex, oh, Zeb's back, alex promise me you Won't do anything stupid." Dorothy said.
"keeping myself occupied, I guess I could do some extra dance lessons." Alex said
"alright, that's a start, alex, I'll call you tonight if auntie Melinda allows me, I love you." Dorothy said.
"I love you too, I miss you, we all do." Alex said handing the phone back to Em.
"Dorothy, before you meet my brother, I should tell you, the last time they saw you, was your parent's funeral" Em said.
"Yea, I guessed, give everyone my love back home." Dorothy said.
"Alright sweetie, will do, well, we won't keep you any longer." Em said.
"love you." Dorothy said.
"Love you too sweetheart." Em said before the phone hung up.
Back in California.
As dorothy was led into uncle bills room, she found him with a book in one hand. His other arm was in cast. His neck was in a brace. He had a black eye, and a cast over his nose as well. His right leg was in a cast as well. But otherwise, the only thing that had changed between the picture that dorothy saw back home, and now. Was that his hair was greying, and he was bigger. On another bed, about a yard away from the other bed, dorothy knew it was Ned. He wasn't in much better condition than bill, except his neck wasn't in a brace, but his hand was bandaged, and both his legs were in casts.
"Uncle bill?" Dorothy asked.
He looked over the best he could and smiled.
"My, you've grown since I last saw you, come over here into the light, let me get a good look at you." He said.
"I can see her from here, she looks exactly like her mother, except the hair has more of a resemblance to her father's her mother's hair was a little lighter." uncle Ned said.
Dorothy shook her head and walked forward.
"Ned, stop showing off that memory of your" uncle Bill said.
"Oh, right, there is something missing." Dorothy said as it dawned on her.
"What?" uncle Bill asked.
Dorothy smiled and rummaged through her pockets. Pulling out here glasses, she hated them, but it gave people more to compare. Putting them on she smiled.
"There now do I look more like my mother?" Dorothy asked.
"Oh, she's even got glasses now, I told you she would Mel." He said.
"You also said a lot of thing would happen with her." Mel said.
"Yes." He replied.
"dorothy, come over here please." Ned said.
Dorothy smiled and walked over. He motioned for her to lean in. which she did.
"Be careful around my son Zeb, he doesn't get much company around here apart from Lorretta, and her boyfriend when he's around, he can be quite mischievous." Ned whispered.
"Noted." She whispered in response.
"Dad, what are you saying?" Zeb asked.
"Zeb, why don't you go out and make sure all of Jim's shoes are still on properly, Melinda, why don't you bring dorothy and her animals to the guest room so she can get settled in." Ned suggested.
Melinda nodded and motioned for dorothy to follow. Dorothy nodded and removed her glasses. Pocketing them she followed Melinda out of the room and up the stairs. The first door on the right was the room Zeb had put her things in.
"bathroom is down the hall second door on the left, if you need anything give a holler." Melinda said walking off.
Immediately Toto and pockets jumped onto the bed which was covered with a baby blue comforter and sky blue blanket. The sheets on the bed were a lime green and the pillows were pink. Sighing she opened the suitcase which had her boots and the slippers in them. Changing out of the shoes she had been wearing and into her boots she brought the other suitcase to the closet. Opening the door, she found a piece of paper with the word 'Boo!' written on it. she sighed and picked the paper up.
"Really? I don't know why but I half expected a science classroom skeleton." Dorothy said.
"Didn't want you to think I had skeleton's in my closet." Zeb said walking in.
"was that a pun?" dorothy asked.
"yes." Zeb replied.
"That was terrible." Dorothy said.
"yes, it was." Zeb replied.
"Zeb, can I put my clothes in the closet in peace?" Dorothy asked.
"Sure, Auntie Melinda wants me to take you into town though, we don't need Jim or the wagon, we can walk, I just didn't think you or the others would have liked walking in noon time sun." Zeb said.
"That's very sweet of you, just give me a few minutes and I'll be down stairs." Dorothy setting her suit case on the floor and opening it.
Zeb nodded and left the room shutting the door behind him. Dorothy smiled and put all her clothes up in a matter of moments, however as she was putting up one of her night gowns, a small packet containing the Pea shooter alex had made her a few years ago, along with a note.
"I'd feel more secure if you carried this around with you, I slipped a bag of dried peas in the shoe box with the slippers, love alex." Dorothy read aloud
"Well, at least he's concerned." Toto said stretching out on the bed.
"you two want to come, or would you rather nap?" Dorothy asked.
"actually, a nap would be rather nice." Pockets said curling up next to toto.
"I see, well if you two wake up before I get back, do not leave this room, understood?" Dorothy asked going into the shoebox and grabbing the bag of peas and slipping it in her dress pocket.
"Understood." They said.
