his makeshift vanity.
She shook her head, her eyes wandering to the stack of empty beer cans in the corner. She tried not to be concerned about the growing pile. She just never knew Roy liked beer as much as he seemed to on the farm.
“No, I don’t care that you go out with your friends.”
“I told you that you could come, but you wouldn’t have any fun. Just a bunch of lazy guys hanging around.” Roy checked his reflection in the hanging mirror over the window. He fluffed his black hair out of his eyes, and wet the sides to keep off his ears.
“It’s okay,” she answered, not wanting to be the girl who made her boyfriend stay home.
“What, then? You wanna take a trip or something? Go camping or to the beach, just the two of us? Do you really want me to ask Darren for some time off?” He crawled back to her and nestled his face in her hair. “I will if it’s that important to you.”
Pearl smiled through the hesitation in his voice. “Oh, yes. I would love that.”
She squealed in delight and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her.
“Okay, okay,” he said, easing himself off the bed. “You know I gotta go. You’d better get back before Granny realizes you’re gone.” Roy took one last swig and tossed the can into the heap in the corner.
Pearl stood up, reaching for her yellow flowered sundress. Roy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Whoa, looks like someone has been enjoying Granny’s cooking,” he said, giving her belly a little pat.
Pearl looked down at her flat stomach. Shyly she pulled the dress over her head, covering her naked body from Roy. She tried a smile with a light shrug. “Afraid I’ll become a fat farm wife?”
He laughed. “Might be a little late for that.”
He gave her a quick kiss, still chuckling to himself. He walked out of the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the chicken coop with her fingers digging into her skin, pushing her belly back in.
CHAPTER 6
Three months after her arrival in Oregon, Pearl sent home her first letter. She had written many letters, but not one of them made it to her father and Billy. She spent a week taking photos of the farm, capturing the alluring beauty of the open fields and high pine and oak trees. She especially enjoyed taking photos of Granny baking pie, and Vernie pruning her lilies. The children posed expectantly, acting as perfect angels with smiles that could fool anyone. Even Cindy gave her one shot, over the shoulder with her long red hair sweeping the middle of her back. And of course there was a photo with Roy. She posed happily with him as the picture of a perfect couple, as well as action shots of him and Darren hard at work on the tractor and tending the cattle. With the printed photos in hand, all that was left was to write the letter.
She told her father and Billy of the beauty of Oregon, how it lay right next to California, so the weather was always sunny. The beaches were hot, and she loved to swim in the ocean. It was a life of luxury, with nothing to do but find ways to pass the day away. She lay in the fields reading books she always wanted to read, played games with the children, and helped Vernie in the garden. She promised she missed home, but knew that here with Roy was her destiny. He was building them a future, a home of extravagance where she could hire house cleaners and cooks. She couldn’t wait for Billy and her father to visit—they were welcome any time. There was plenty of room. She was sure Roy would build them a house, too.
And yet through all of these promises of hope to see them, somehow she forgot to send the letter with a return address.
She dropped off the envelope at the Mullington post office and walked into Fitch’s, the only grocery store in a twenty-mile radius. List in hand, Pearl knew better than to ever venture from it, since Granny always checked the receipt. She had been doing Granny’s shopping for the past
She shook her head, her eyes wandering to the stack of empty beer cans in the corner. She tried not to be concerned about the growing pile. She just never knew Roy liked beer as much as he seemed to on the farm.
“No, I don’t care that you go out with your friends.”
“I told you that you could come, but you wouldn’t have any fun. Just a bunch of lazy guys hanging around.” Roy checked his reflection in the hanging mirror over the window. He fluffed his black hair out of his eyes, and wet the sides to keep off his ears.
“It’s okay,” she answered, not wanting to be the girl who made her boyfriend stay home.
“What, then? You wanna take a trip or something? Go camping or to the beach, just the two of us? Do you really want me to ask Darren for some time off?” He crawled back to her and nestled his face in her hair. “I will if it’s that important to you.”
Pearl smiled through the hesitation in his voice. “Oh, yes. I would love that.”
She squealed in delight and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her.
“Okay, okay,” he said, easing himself off the bed. “You know I gotta go. You’d better get back before Granny realizes you’re gone.” Roy took one last swig and tossed the can into the heap in the corner.
Pearl stood up, reaching for her yellow flowered sundress. Roy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Whoa, looks like someone has been enjoying Granny’s cooking,” he said, giving her belly a little pat.
Pearl looked down at her flat stomach. Shyly she pulled the dress over her head, covering her naked body from Roy. She tried a smile with a light shrug. “Afraid I’ll become a fat farm wife?”
He laughed. “Might be a little late for that.”
He gave her a quick kiss, still chuckling to himself. He walked out of the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the chicken coop with her fingers digging into her skin, pushing her belly back in.
CHAPTER 6
Three months after her arrival in Oregon, Pearl sent home her first letter. She had written many letters, but not one of them made it to her father and Billy. She spent a week taking photos of the farm, capturing the alluring beauty of the open fields and high pine and oak trees. She especially enjoyed taking photos of Granny baking pie, and Vernie pruning her lilies. The children posed expectantly, acting as perfect angels with smiles that could fool anyone. Even Cindy gave her one shot, over the shoulder with her long red hair sweeping the middle of her back. And of course there was a photo with Roy. She posed happily with him as the picture of a perfect couple, as well as action shots of him and Darren hard at work on the tractor and tending the cattle. With the printed photos in hand, all that was left was to write the letter.
She told her father and Billy of the beauty of Oregon, how it lay right next to California, so the weather was always sunny. The beaches were hot, and she loved to swim in the ocean. It was a life of luxury, with nothing to do but find ways to pass the day away. She lay in the fields reading books she always wanted to read, played games with the children, and helped Vernie in the garden. She promised she missed home, but knew that here with Roy was her destiny. He was building them a future, a home of extravagance where she could hire house cleaners and cooks. She couldn’t wait for Billy and her father to visit—they were welcome any time. There was plenty of room. She was sure Roy would build them a house, too.
And yet through all of these promises of hope to see them, somehow she forgot to send the letter with a return address.
She dropped off the envelope at the Mullington post office and walked into Fitch’s, the only grocery store in a twenty-mile radius. List in hand, Pearl knew better than to ever venture from it, since Granny always checked the receipt. She had been doing Granny’s shopping for the past
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