“Or that we’re sending her fast food.”
Tom and Scott exchanged a grin. Suddenly all three were laughing and a great deal of the tension they were under eased.
“You two can laugh,” Tom said with mock severity. “I’m the only one Brianna knows and she’s probably cursing my name.”
“Or thanking you for supper,” Scott added. “That is, if she can catch it.”
“Oh my, I wish I could be here when you try to explain it to her,” Anna said, wiping her eyes.
Tom sobered instantly. “Yeah, me too.” Their eyes met and held in silent communication.
“And that should be soon,” Scott said with satisfaction, scooting his chair up to his computer. “Let’s try again.” With typical teenage preoccupation, he was oblivious to the emotions of the other two.
And try they did. Time after time, the blue mist appeared, swirled into an opaque window and disappeared in less time than it took to make a long-distance phone call. Scott programmed and reprogrammed but nothing made a difference. They worked until they fell into bed exhausted.
The next morning they were up again at first light. More times than they could count, Brianna appeared in the blue window only to evaporate into a wisp of mist a few moments later. Her life was an open book to them, though she was not usually aware they were watching her. They saw her hauling buckets of water, washing clothes, going for walks, riding horseback and even feeding the chicken.
Some of it made no sense. Several times they saw her standing behind some sort of lunch counter and once crouched down on a huge rock carving something into its surface. There was one at night where she seemed to be outside dressed in her nightgown. She had a big grin on her face as she hurried along a path with a bundle of something in her arms. They were still trying to puzzle that out when they caught her swimming in the nude. Anna made Scott and Tom close their eyes.
It was Anna who finally noticed something they had all missed. Brianna was riding a horse hell-bent for leather down a well-traveled road. Tom and Scott were wondering if Brianna was in some sort of danger when Anna suddenly sat up straighter and pointed to a corner of the picture.
“What’s that?”
“It looks like...snow,” Tom said in surprise. “Snow in July?”
Anna shook her head as the mist faded. “I don’t think it is July. In fact, when you think about it, the seasons have been changing back and forth all along. We’ve seen wildflowers and green grass, then yellow dry prairie the next time. Half an hour ago she was swimming, obviously during the summertime, and now there’s snow on the ground. If you think about it, the length of her hair keeps changing back and forth too, and so does her weight.”
“By gosh, you’re right. That’s the key somehow. It’s got to be... Scott stroked his upper lip thoughtfully. Suddenly he closed his eyes and dropped his head on the back of his chair. “Oh, God, I can’t believe I’m so stupid!”
“What?” Tom and Anna said in unison.
“Anna,” Scott said, sitting up and leaning forward intently, “What day was it when you came forward?”
“July fifteenth.”
“And what time?”
“I don’t know, around ten o’clock.”
“What about you, Tom?”
“About the same, I guess.”
“I’ll bet it was precisely the same. That’s why Brianna and Anna switched in the first place. They were in exactly the same place at exactly the same time when the time warp came together,” Scott said. “And that’s what we’ve been doing wrong. The Mobius strip won’t stay together because I haven’t been gluing the ends together in the same place. It won’t work unless the time is the same. Let’s see...” He moved to the other computer and made some quick calculations.
“The DNA will take care of the place so all we need is to get the time right. I’m not sure how much time has passed for Brianna, but I don’t think more than a year. I’ll program it for July 1861 to be sure. Let’s see, the optimum time for a transfer should be...hmmm...twelve forty-five tomorrow afternoon. That’s when we’ll try again.”
“Good,” Tom said, standing up and stretching. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve stared at that darn blue window about as much as I care to for one day.”
Scott grinned. “Me too...” He broke off as the phone rang. “I wonder who that is. Everybody thinks we’re on the mountain.”
“Do you think he’s right about tomorrow?” Anna asked, watching Scott cross the room to answer the phone.
“I’d say there’s a good chance of it.”
“Then this is probably our last night together.”
Tom reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Tom,” Anna said hesitantly, “Can we go back to Brianna’s house tonight?”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I know it is.”
“What about Scott?”
“From the look of that silly grin on his face, I’d say he’s got some plans of his own.”
“And Sam’s going along, too?” Scott was saying. “All right, I’ll ask.” He put his hand over the receiver. “Some of my friends are headed to a dance in Lander tonight. Do you care if I go?”
Tom was startled. He wasn’t used to being cast in the role of parent. “I’m not sure—”
“Personally, I think Scott ought to go have some fun,” Anna put in. “He’s worked very hard these last few days.”
“That’s certainly true. I guess it would be all right…”
“Yeah, I can go,” Scott said into the phone. “I can get a ride to your place if you can bring me home...Okay, see you then.” He sighed happily as hung up the phone. “Ryan’s been my best buddy since we were kids. We’ve both been so busy this summer we haven’t got to do much. If you can give me a ride over, they’ll bring me home afterwards. He and Sam only live a couple of miles away.”
“Why not take your pickup?”
“No headlights.”
“Oh.” Tom stood up and stretched. “Anna and I were thinking of going to town anyway, so we’ll just drop you off on the way.”
“Great. It’ll only take me a minute to get ready.”
“One thing, Scott,” Tom said as the teen turned to go. “Absolutely no partying, and I’ll be calling you later to make sure.”
“You sound just like my dad!”
“From what I hear of the man, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Scott looked surprised for a moment then grinned. “Yeah, I guess it is. Anyway, I promise I’ll be good. Tomorrow is a pretty important day.”
“For all of us.” Anna wondered if she would have the courage to follow her heart tonight or if she would spend the rest of her life regretting her cowardice.
It was still early afternoon when they pulled up to the rambling old ranch house. “Now, who’s this? Tom asked, watching a pretty girl come running down the steps, her long dark hair flying out behind her.
Scott shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, that’s just Ryan’s little sister, Sam.”
“I thought you’d never get here, Scott,” Sam said as she reached the car. “I’ve been waiting for you ever since Ryan called.”
“You have?” All semblance of indifference disappeared as he got out of the car wearing a grin that seemed to stretch clear across his face. “What for?”.
“You promised to hook up our new wi-fi hot spot so we have access to the Internet all the time, remember?”
“That won’t take long. First let me introduce you to my friends. Tom, Anna, this is Samantha...”
“Well, well,” Anna murmured in satisfaction as she and Tom drove back down the lane a few minutes later. “I do believe our Scott is in love. Did you see him blush?”
“Yes, and I was glad of it. I was beginning to think he spent his whole life cooped up with his computers. Sam seemed pretty impressed with him, too. Now then, on to us. How does a candlelight dinner for two sound to you?”
“Why? Are Bri
anna’s touchlights broken?”
Tom laughed. “No, we use candlelight when we want to be romantic.”
“How strange. Touchlights are brighter. You can see so much better.”
“That’s the whole point. Dim lights tend to improve one’s looks, you see.” Tom grinned. “Tell you what, we’ll skip the candles and get a bottle of wine.”
Anna was appalled by the huge variety of alcoholic beverages in the liquor store they stopped at when they finally reached Riverton. But it was soon forgotten when they entered the grocery store. She stared in amazement at women hurrying by with overflowing grocery carts. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined such a cornucopia. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, milk, already baked bread, and aisles and aisles of things she’d never even seen before.
“You have all of this and people eat TV dinners?”
“Only when they don’t have time to cook.”
“But there should be plenty of time with all the machines you have to clean house and do the laundry. Women don’t even have to make soap or candles anymore.”
“No, but most of them have jobs.”
Anna was aghast. “You mean they work like their husbands? Who takes care of the children?”
“They hire people to do it.” He smiled at her horrified expression. “Not everything has been a change for the better, I guess. Come on, let’s find something decadent for dessert.”
They finished their shopping and returned to Brianna’s trailer. Tom was tempted to use the Bar-B-Cue in the back yard but decided against it. The last thing they needed was a curious neighbor dropping by for a visit.
Ignoring Anna’s protests, Tom did most of the cooking, though she insisted on helping him with the fresh fruit salad. The steaks were done to perfection and smothered with sautéed mushrooms and onions. Baked potatoes oozing with sour cream and melted butter, fresh green beans, salad, and a delicious light wine completed the main course. Topped off with a generous slice of cheesecake, the meal left them both feeling well fed and satisfied.
“Brianna’s going to have a fit when she sees what we left in her refrigerator,” Tom commented as they finished loading the dishwasher and turned it on. “Shall we have some more wine?”
“If you like. What’s wrong with what we left?”
“Nothing really,” he said, handing her a glass of wine and switching off the kitchen light. “But from the looks of her, I’d say Brianna’s more into health food than fat and cholesterol.”
“Is that why she’s so pitifully thin?”
Tom smiled as he sat down on the big overstuffed sofa in the living room and put his feet up on the coffee table. “Exactly, but she does it on purpose. What’s the matter?” he asked with concern when she lifted her hand to rub her forehead.
I have a slight headache. It happens sometimes when I have my hair braided tight like this.”
“Staring at that blue mist all day probably didn’t help, either.” He set his wine on the end table. “Come here. I’ll see what I can do.” He unpinned the long thick braid from her head and unplaited it. The honey gold hair felt like spun silk in his hands.
“Mmmm,” Anna sighed as he began massaging her neck and shoulders. “That feels wonderful. You really do have magic fingers.”
Tom smiled as he felt the muscles under his hands relax. At last when her head was lolling like a rag doll, he put his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest. “Better?”
“My headache’s completely gone.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and hugged his arms to her. “Do you have any idea what a special man you are?”
“Of course,” he said with a chuckle as he closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of her head. “People come from miles around just to have their necks massaged.”
She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “That’s not what I meant,” she said, running her fingers down the strong line of his jaw.
Tom couldn’t resist the invitation of those luminous blue eyes and the slightly parted lips. He didn’t even try.
At first his kiss was tentative, but intensified rapidly with her eager response. Anna’s fingers wandered through the crisp hairs on his neck as he explored the inside of her mouth. Desire escalated quickly like a forest fire raging out of control in tinder dry underbrush.
Tom pulled away before he lost what little restraint he had left. “I knew coming here was a mistake,” he said huskily.
“And I think not coming would have been.” She lay her head on his chest. “I love you, Tom.”
“Oh, Anna.” He pulled her tight against him. “I don’t know if I can let you go tomorrow.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“I know.”
Anna pulled his head down and kissed him lightly. “I want you to make love to me,” she whispered against his lips.
“No!” With an almost superhuman effort he pushed her away and jumped up from the couch. “Damn it, Anna, we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Lucas is expecting a virgin. How long could you expect to hide the fact that you aren’t?”
“Tom, I’m a widow, and Lucas knows it.”
“What?”
“I was married for a few weeks. H-he was an old man, but he consummated the union. I guess he thought it was his duty because after the first time he never bothered me that way again.”
“Oh, my poor Anna,” he cried in anguish dropping down beside her and gripping her hands.
“It wasn’t so bad, really. He was kind to me and got me away from my aunt for a little while. I was sorry when he died, but I didn’t love him. I didn’t think I’d ever love anyone, until I met you.” Anna returned the pressure of his fingers and smiled mistily. “I know it’s wrong, but I may never have another chance at happiness.”
“Lucas—”
“…has been with Brianna for a year. Hasn’t it occurred to you that his feelings for me might not be the same as they would have been?” She cupped Tom’s face in her hands. “Lucas and I have a lifetime together, but you and I have only tonight. Please, Tom.”
His resistance disappeared in an uncontrollable flood of longing and desire. Wordlessly, he stood and brought her to her feet. With one fluid motion he swept her up in his arms and headed down the hall to Brianna’s bedroom.
“I love you, Anna Daniels,” he whispered laying her down on the bed. “I’ve loved you as long as I can remember. No one will ever take your place in my heart.”
Their bodies molded together in perfect symmetry as they shared the joy of discovery. Buttons moved unhindered through buttonholes, and cloth slid across warm flesh with delicious deliberation. Soft feminine curves conformed to hard male muscles, similarities and contrasts to be explored and savored. Finally, the last piece of clothing fell to the floor, and a combined sigh of pure pleasure greeted its departure.
The sensation of their totally naked bodies shifting together, skin against skin, sent them both reeling into a haze of sudden uncontrollable need as they caressed each other with glorious abandon. Though they would have liked to prolong the moment, it was impossible to quell the tides of passion that rocked them both.
There was no guilt, no inhibitions when they came together at last, only soul searing intensity as their ecstasy mounted to undreamed of heights. The end, when it came, was like shattering into a million pieces, the fragments mixing together until the two entities became one. Reality returned slowly, and with it the conviction that there could be no wrong in something that felt so very, very right.
CHAPTER 34
(March 1861)
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Seth, sit still,” Brianna said with irritation. “If you keep wiggling around like that your hair will be a disaster. I’m not much of a barber, anyway.”
“It itches!”
“Of course, it does. Every time you move more goes down your neck.”
“You sound like my big sister.”
“And you act just like my brother.”
/> “Children, children, stop your bickering,” Ian said with a grin.
“Wait till she starts on you,” Seth warned. “You won’t think it’s so funny then. I don’t see why we had to do this anyway.”
“Because spring is finally here, and I’m tired of living with a bunch of grizzly bears.” Brianna stood in front of him and eyed the hair cut critically. “Hmm, I think a little more off here...and...there, that should do it. Now, into the shower with you. Lucas just finished pouring the water, so it’s all ready.”
“Why can’t you just scrub the walls and beat the rugs like most women do when they start spring cleaning?”
“We don’t have any rugs. Besides, you all smell like grizzlies, too.”
“Remind me never to get married,” Seth grumbled, getting up from the chair and unbuttoning his shirt as he walked to the shower.
Brianna frowned. If it had been Billy, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but it wasn’t like Seth to be so grouchy.
“Which of us is next?” Ian asked cheerfully.
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
Lucas didn’t even look up from the wires he was splicing together at the table. “Go ahead.”
Ian plopped down in the chair. “Are you going to trim my beard too?”
“Do you want me to?”
“I don’t know. I may just shave it off. What do you think?”
Brianna shrugged. “I’m not a good person to ask. Beards have never really impressed me, though I am rather partial to mustaches.”
“That clinches it then. The beard goes.”
“Don’t do it on my account. You might even want to wait until you’re sure winter’s over. Now then, any preferences as to how I cut your hair?”
Unlike Seth, Ian submitted to the haircut with cheerful surrender. Though he was still somewhat skeptical about Lucas’s’ shower, he even said he was looking forward to his bath. Brianna was about half done when Seth emerged from the shower dressed in the clean clothes she had left on her trunk for him. By the time he’d dumped the dirty water outside and carried the tub back in, he was extremely pale.
“Do you feel all right?” Brianna asked with concern.
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