Chapter 14

 

"MICHAEL. ANGELA."

The two angels' laughter stilled immediately.

"Uh oh." Angela stared fearfully overhead. The voice had only been mildly censuring, but an overwhelming sense of guilt filled her. She glanced at Michael, and saw him grab the cigar stub from his mouth and hide it beneath the skirt of his robe.

Michael gave a deep sigh and reached down to help Angela to her feet. "It's O.K., honey," he said. "Mr. G knows it was my fault."

"Not totally," Angela whispered frantically in return. "I knew you were going to do that when you started gathering the clouds."

A soft voice broke into their conversation, saying only a few words before it fell silent.

"Yes, Sir," Michael replied. "I know it was sort of a mean thing to do, but that woman is mean herself."

"Michael." Angela tugged on Michael's sleeve. "Michael, don't argue!"

Michael ignored her and continued, "And you've got to admit, Sir, that it got the point across without really hurting her. But I promise, I'll think before I act from now on. I know we're supposed to be forgiving, not vengeful."

He quirked an eyebrow at the sky. "Ain't that right, Sir? The forgiving part, I mean?"

A muted clap of thunder rolled across the sky, sounding almost like laughter dying away.

 

Stone set Tess on her feet beneath the porch overhang and handed her the crutches. Glancing at Rain and Flower, he said, "Aren't you two supposed to be working on your lessons?"

"Yes, Pa," they answered together. Stifling giggles, they scrambled to their feet and ran into the cabin.

Tess shook her head, one corner of her mouth lifting in a wry grin. "I'm afraid we weren't a very good example out there for them, but I just couldn't seem to stop myself from taking a few jibes at that beastly woman. Who does she think she is, anyway?"

"Aw, Tillie's not so bad," Stone said with a suppressed chuckle. "I kind of enjoy arguing with her. And, after all, Lonesome did attack her. Tillie's always been sort of above herself, though, thinkin' she knows what's best for everyone else. She's been ticked off at me ever since I let her know I was immune to her charms in that town back in Texas where her Daddy owned the bank."

When Tess gazed toward the road the buggy had taken with an unbelieving look on her face, Stone laughed and continued, "She wasn't always that big. And she wasn't always so hoity toity, especially when it came to matters of the flesh. I have to hand it to her, though. She stuck by her Daddy after I sent him to jail. I hear she still gets letters from him."

"You sent Tillie's father to jail?"

"He was embezzling from his bank. Tillie married one of her beaus right after her Daddy went to prison, and they moved to Oklahoma. Her husband got killed in a stagecoach wreck less than a year after they were married, but he left her pretty well off. I'll admit I was surprised to see how fat she'd gotten when I ran into her in Clover Valley. She must've let herself go after her husband died."

"I still don't like her. Did you hear what she called me?"

"Well, maybe she'll leave us alone for a while now — at least until she's sure she's not going to die of rabies."

"That was mean of me, wasn't it? Especially since we could see that the skin wasn't broken under that hole in her stocking."

"Yep," Stone agreed. "You're one mean lady, Tess Foster." Lifting her chin with his index finger, Stone murmured, "Maybe I ought to try to kiss a little of that meanness out of you."

"Maybe you should," Tess agreed in a whisper.

Keeping his finger under her chin, Stone bent his head and kissed her tenderly. A long moment later, he raised his head and nodded toward the swing on the other end of the porch.

"Let's sit a minute, Tess," he said quietly. "Before I fall completely and irrevocably in love with you, I'd like to know just who it is that's crawlin' into my heart."

Tess gasped and stumbled backward, shaking her head wildly. "No! You can't! This can't happen, no matter what the books say!"

When Tess wobbled on her crutches, Stone grabbed for her. Hands on her shoulders to steady her, he stared down into Tess's frightened green eyes, a scowl of disbelief on his face.

"You kissed me back like you were feeling the same damned way! You've wiggled yourself into my life — into my kids' lives — made us start caring for you! What the hell's some damned book got to do with this?"

Tess wrenched her eyes from his and bit her lip. He'd never believe her. How could he? It was almost too outlandish for her to believe herself, and she was the one living it. Just about a week ago, she had climbed down the back side of Saddleback Mountain and fallen a hundred years into the past. Found the man she hadn't even realized she had been searching for all her life — found two children who were the smartest, most wonderful children who could have ever lived.

But that was just it. They had lived — been living seventy years before she was even born herself. And any moment she could leave them — find herself back on the mountain, without any idea how to get back to Stone. She couldn't fall in love with him, then lose him to the murky past — maybe find his name in the genealogy section of the library when she went to search.

"Damn it! Answer me, Tess!"

Stone shook her slightly, and Tess covered her face with her hands, her crutches dropping to the porch with a clatter. A small sob of misery escaped her confining hands. She heard Stone give a muffled snort of annoyance as he swept her into his arms for the third time that day and carried her over to the swing.

"Stop that," Stone demanded after he set her down in the swing seat. "You're not going to pull that on me again. You know I can't stand it when you cry. You're not playing fair."

"I...." Tess dropped her hands and sniffed. "I'm not playing. You just don't know. And I'm sorry. I don't usually cry at all. I...." A hiccup shook her shoulders, and Tess buried her face again.

Her muted echoes of misery crept over Stone's skin on feet as soft as angels' wings. He reached for her — jerked his hand back and grabbed his handkerchief from his back pocket. Thrusting the handkerchief into the bend of Tess's elbow, he stomped over to the edge of the porch, resolutely turning his back on her.

Rain cascaded over the porch eaves, silvery sheens like the tears from a woman's eyes.

"Aw, shit!" Stone muttered. Frowning in puzzlement, he glanced overhead. For just a second, he'd thought he heard a voice whispering a reproof of his profane choice of words again. It couldn't have been Tess — she was still sobbing much too hard to speak.

Stone closed his eyes and bowed his head, shutting out the sight of the pouring rain. But short of covering his ears with his hands like some sissified weakling, he couldn't shut out the sounds of Tess crying. His shoulders slumped and he turned back to the swing.

"Tess."

Tess took a final swipe at her eyes with the handkerchief and then balled it in her hands.

"I'm sorry." she said with a sniff. "It must be those stupid pills making me weepy. The doctor warned me it might take my body a while to adjust to them."

"Doc Calder didn't say anything about leaving you any pills to take."

Tess straightened and lifted her gaze to Stone's face. Though her hands continued to twist the handkerchief, she took a decisive breath.

"It wasn't Doctor Calder. It was my doctor back where I live."

"In West Virginia?"

"No. New York City."

Stone walked over and lifted her skirt hem, exposing the tennis shoe on Tess's right foot. "And do they wear funny looking shoes like that in New York City these days? I noticed it when your skirts flew up out behind the barn. When I kissed you and when you kissed me back."

"It's...it's a Reebok. It's a very expensive running shoe. I've also got a pair I wear in my aerobics class."

"That's not what I asked you." Stone dropped her skirt and slipped his fingertips into his back pockets.

The handkerchief gave with a rip. "Oh, I'm sorry," Tess murmured. "I'll wash it and sew it up for you."

"Quit with the sorry's, Tess. Answer my question."

"No," Tess barely whispered. "It's not what they're wearing in New York these days. But it's what women and men both are wearing in 1993."

Stone sat on the swing and tenderly placed an arm around Tess. "Honey, I'm the one who's sorry now. Look, I didn't mean to push you like this, and if you're not ready to talk right now, I can wait. Just...."

"Darn it, Stone!" Tess jerked away from his arm and turned to face him. "Listen to me! Rain wasn't lying to you up on the hill. Neither was I — not really. I did fall, but it wasn't from any horse. I fell off a mountain in upper New York State on July 31, 1993 and the next thing I knew I was sitting on a hillside in Oklahoma Territory on July 31, 1893!"

"Tess, honey...."

"Don't you Tess honey me in that patronizing voice! I don't have any more idea how I got here than you do. Things like this don't happen, except in books. Shoot, there's probably a Loch Ness monster and a Bigfoot, too!"

"Let me take you in for a rest, Tess. I'll have Flower fix you something to eat, and then you can take a nap."

Tess threw the handkerchief at him, a look of exasperated fury on her face. "Flower believed me! Why can't you?"

"You've been telling the kids this stuff? Look, Tess. Let me get Doc Calder back out here. He really didn't examine anything other than your ankle when he came out before."

"And I suppose you want him to examine my head this time, right?"

"Well, when people get injured, sometimes things don't show up right away."

Tess almost laughed aloud at the look of concern on Stone's face. But instead, she nodded her head.

"O.K. Hand me my crutches, so I can get into the bedroom."

"I can carry you...."

"Hand me those darned crutches, Stone Chisum," Tess said through gritted teeth. "I'm perfectly capable of getting in there under my own power."

"All right. All right," Stone said as he rose to his feet. He picked the crutches up and held them out to her. "Or...O.K., which is what you're always saying. I assume it means the same thing as all right?"

"Yes." Tess grabbed the crutches and wobbled to her feet. "And there really are things like jeeps and movies, too — in 1993!"

Tess levered herself over to the door and leaned on one crutch to pull it open. Half way through the opening, she paused and looked back at Stone.

"Aren't you going to come with me? Keep on eye on me, so I don't fall?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, if you want me to."

"I do," Tess said under her breath. As she swung down the hallway, she passed two doorways on her left. "Are those yours and Rain's bedrooms?" she asked Stone.

"Uh...yeah. I guess you haven't seen the rest of the house, have you?"

"No, only the kitchen and Flower's bedroom."

When she entered the kitchen, Tess saw Flower and Rain with their heads bent over their books on the table. She stopped for a second, glanced at Stone, then back at the children.

""What are you kids studying?" she asked when the children looked up.

"History," Rain answered. "We're making a list of the presidents and the most important thing that happened while they were in office."

"Who's president now?" Tess asked.

"Grover Cleveland," Rain said promptly. "He beat Benjamin Harrison and General Weaver last year."

Tess thought for a moment. Although history hadn't been one of her best subjects, she still had a good recall of the various dates and lists she'd had to memorize.

"Cleveland will get beat by William McKinly in 1896," Tess said in a decisive voice. "With Theodore Roosevelt as his vice president." No sense telling them that poor McKinley would be killed by an assassin's bullet in Buffalo, New York, shortly after he began his second term.

"Tess," Stone murmured in a warning voice.

"Look, kids," she said, ignoring Stone. "You about ready for a break here? There's some things in the bedroom I want to show you."

Flower immediately jumped to her feet. "Oh, have you told Pa? Are you going to show him the plastic and tell us about some of the other things in the future? Pa, Tess said there's an oven that can cook things in a flash. Wouldn't that be neat? I wouldn't have to spend half of every day just cooking meals."

A thunderous look spread over Stone's face. Probably her derangement wasn't Tess's fault, but she had no business filling his kids' heads with her wild ravings. But before he could voice his disapproval, Tess and the children had disappeared into the bedroom.

"Are you coming, Stone?" Tess called through the door in that sticky-sweet voice she had used on Tillie Peterson.

"Damn right!" he muttered, then for some reason quickly corrected the word to darn in his mind.

Tess had the pack on the bed beside her, and Flower and Rain sat on the floor. Nodding at the empty ladderback chair, Tess waited until Stone slumped into it, stretched his legs out and tucked his fingers into his front pockets, before she began unbuckling the straps on the pack.

"I guess you and Rain have probably been discussing the things we talked about yesterday, haven't you, Flower?" Tess asked.

"Well, yes," Flower admitted. "You didn't say Rain and I couldn't talk about it. You just wanted me to wait and let you tell Pa yourself."

Stone snorted and slumped down even further in the chair, but Tess disregarded his glowering face.

"That's right, honey," she told Flower. "And did you believe what Flower told you, Rain?"

"Sure," Rain replied. "It made sense to me. I'm the one who saw you appear out of thin air, remember?"

"I remember," Tess agreed. She dug in the pack and laid out several items on the bed, then set the pack on the floor. Picking up her inexpensive instant camera, she flipped up the flash attachment and held the camera to her eye.

"Smile, you guys."

The flash exploded and Stone surged upright in his chair. Tess pulled the picture from the bottom slot and aimed the camera at Stone, clicking the shutter again. She giggled softly when he bit off his growl of anger and blinked owlishly at her, fighting the flash spots in front of his eyes.

"Now," Tess said in a determined voice. "If my travel through time didn't hurt the film, we'll have pictures of all of you in less than a minute."

"Really?" Flower said in awe.

"Really," Tess said. She picked up the two cardboards and handed one to each child. "Here. You can watch them develop. Hold them by the bottom here, on this white space. That way you won't get fingerprints on the picture."

Rain and Flower stared at the cardboards with rapt attention. Almost immediately, Rain let out a gasp.

"Something's happening," he said. "It's...look, Flower! There's a picture appearing here. Look. It's you and me!"

"And this one's Pa," Flower said in an excited voice. "You ought to see the look on your face, Pa," she said with a laugh. She scrambled to her feet and thrust the picture under Stone's nose. "And look. It's changing into color. I've never seen a camera picture come out in color. They're always just black and white."

"Bull," Stone said. But he reached for the picture, staring down into his own face. It was all there. His brown eyes and hair — the blue shirt he had on — the look on his face that mirrored the anger and protectiveness he felt towards the kids when Tess pointed that black box at them and exploded that light.

As he watched, the colors deepened and the focus on the picture sharpened. He glanced at Rain, and Rain passed his picture to his father. Two images of his kids stared up at him, identical to Rain and Flower.

"This doesn't prove a darned thing." Stone tossed the pictures on the bed. "So there's a new-fangled camera. The newspaper articles I read about the last World's Fair reported all kinds of new inventions these days. There's even something called a telephone, where people can call up a different person miles away and talk to them."

"In my day," Tess said with a smirk, "you can even see the person you're talking to on the other end of some of the telephones. It doesn't matter if you're calling from New York and talking to someone in California."

"Bull," Stone repeated.

Tess gave a sigh and picked up a plastic lighter from the bed. She flicked the roller and a flame spewed from the top.

"I'm not sure what that liquid is inside this," she said. "But I guess it's some kind of liquid gas. When it runs out, you just throw it away and get a new one." She released the lever and the flame died. "See, I always bring at least two with me, in case the fuel runs out in one. I use them to light campfires."

Tess handed Flower and Rain each one of the plastic lighters and picked up a can of soup and her can opener. Fitting the opener to the rim, she squeezed it. It burred softly as the can circled under the opener and the lid fell free.

"The opener works on a battery," she explained. "I usually just bring freeze-dried food with me...." She showed Stone one of the packages of freeze-dried vegetables. "But for some reason the canned soup just tastes better. It's a little heavier to carry, but it's worth it on a chilly evening."

Stone sniffed tentatively at the soup. He dipped a finger in and licked the moisture. "Flower's chicken soup tastes a heck of a lot better than this."

"I agree," Tess said with a smile. "Granny's tasted lots better, too. But when I go backpacking, sometimes I'm gone several days. I don't think it's practical for me to carry a live chicken with me and make soup from scratch, especially when there's all this other, lighter food available."

"You're not proving anything, Tess." Stone set the soup on the beside table. "You haven't shown me one thing that couldn't just be stuff that's in use back east that hasn't made its way out here yet. There's all kinds of canned goods in the stores in town. And so what if someone's figured out an easy way to open the cans? Probably some guy got tired of his wife always griping about how hard it was to open them."

Tess shook her head and leaned down to the pack. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to show you these. Maybe Flower and Rain shouldn't...."

Before Tess could finish, Flower reached for one of the objects in her hand. "New books! Great, Tess. I've read every book we have at least three times. Sometimes I get so desperate for something to read that I even read ahead in our lesson books."

Flower flicked open the step-back cover on the paperback book in her hand and her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, isn't he handsome!?"

Stone ripped the book from Flower's hand and threw it back at Tess. "What the hell are you doing carrying around filthy stuff like that? And how dare you show it to my daughter?"

"This is perfectly suitable reading material in my time!" Tess spat at him. "And it's not pornographic. It's a love story — a time travel romance! The heroine in this novel had something happen to her just what like happened to me. I haven't read it yet, but I've read other books along this line. And the picture is not erotic. It's meant to convey the deep love that the hero and heroine have for each other, which includes physical love."

"You get those damned books out of my house!"

"Oh, Pa, hush up." Flower reached for the book again, while Stone stared at her in amazement. "That's a beautiful picture — a lot prettier than the one over that bar in town where you drink sometimes. That lady in the bar is as naked as the day she was born, and she's got a look on her face that...."

"Mountain Flower Chisum, go to your room!" Stone roared. "You will not sass me!"

"I am in my room, Pa," Flower said in a mild voice as she flipped another page in the book. "Oh. I guess this is what you want us to see, huh, Tess?"

Flower held the book open and pointed at the copyright on the inside page. "It was printed in June of 1993."

After casting a worried look at Stone, Tess nodded.

"Let me see that!" Stone grabbed the book and stared at the page. An incredulous look replaced the anger on his face. Strain his eyes as he might, he couldn't make the date change. Etched in black and white were the copyright symbol, the words June, 1993, and the author's name.

 

 

***