“Momma! I got off early to help with supper. Is Grant here yet? He stopped by the store and I invited him over.”
“We are in the kitchen, Corinne. No, your beau hasn’t shown up yet.” She glanced over at Emmalyn. “We better make another apple pie. That boy sure does enjoy my apple pies and he can pack them away.”
Emmalyn giggled. It was weird hearing about her 4th great-grandfather being such a pie addict. She was looking forward to meeting another member of her family.
The three women worked smoothly in the kitchen together, talking about their lives and swapping man stories. Emmalyn was careful how she worded her life at home, realizing that her lifetime was decades in their future. Twice she slipped up and explained it away as her town being more progressive. The Goudier woman were gracious enough not to push.
The door slammed a couple hours later and the Goudier men started filing in. George, being the head of the household, was the first to burst into the kitchen.
Emmalyn watched as her fifth great-grandfather swing Esther around in a quick dance spin while swiping a fingerful of stew gravy to sample. Esther didn’t miss it and she swiped at him with her towel.
“Get your dirty fingers out of there. You don’t know where they’ve been.”
He grinned and kissed her playfully on the cheek. “Of course I know where they’ve been all day. Attached to my hand, where else? Besides, I washed my hands before coming into your kitchen.”
He finally noticed the extra body in the kitchen and he straightened up. “And who is our guest?”
Corinne wiped her hands on her apron. “This is Ms. Goudier, she’s from Hopeful, Arkansas.”
She saw the look of suspicion cross George’s face and shook her head. “My married name is Smythe. My maiden name was Goudier.”
He nodded his head but the hint of suspicion didn’t leave his eyes. “Nice to meet you Mrs. Smythe. What brings you to Hopeful, Colorado?”
Corinne broke in again, not allowing Emmalyn to answer. “Her husband died and she’s looking to relocate here. She had family here at one time.”
“I don’t recall another Goudier family here.”
Emmalyn spoke up before Corinne could. “My family was going to homestead here but instead settled in Arkansas. Since my family are all gone, I wanted to go back to the place that my parents talked about so often.” She was surprised at how easily the lie slid from her lips.
“Oh, that makes sense now. At the store I thought you said your family had homesteaded here,” Corrine giggled.
Emmalyn blushed and smiled at George who was watching her closely. “I hit my head pretty bad and was a little confused when I first woke up. I thought I was home.” She lifted her hair to show him the bruised lump that was on the side of her forehead.
He nodded his head. “That’s a pretty good-sized goose egg. I reckon that would rattle anyone’s brains.” He reached over and quickly broke off a small piece of the crust from one of the apple pies while Esther’s back was turned. “Welcome to our home, Mrs. Smythe. We are happy to have you here.”
“Oh please, call me Emmalyn.”
Esther turned towards George and patted his arm. “They are very progressive in Arkansas.”
It took Emmalyn a moment to realize that Esther was explaining to George the reason she asked him to address her in such an intimate manner. All of the rules of etiquette should have been engrained in her mind with all of the books she’d written but writing about them and putting them into practice were two different things. She would have to be more careful until she could figure out how to get back home.
“I apologize for my manners. Arkansas is very progressive and I forget myself when in other cities.”
George nodded his head. “I should say so.”
Esther smacked his arm with the dishrag in her hand. “Leave her alone, George. Just because you are old doesn’t mean that you are right. The world is changing. Those who adapt will thrive.”
He quickly kissed her on the cheek. “Who are you calling old? I could run circles around most of the cowhands we have on the ranch.”
“And usually do, Dad,” Corinne broke in. “But you yell as much as you run so I think they let you win.”
“Hey! Watch your mouth, young lady, or I’ll race you too.”
They all started laughing as George began stretching his arms and legs. Soon he was bent over trying to catch his breath with his over exaggerated movements, which caused a new burst of laughter from his viewers.
“Hello, anyone home?”
Corinne whirled and unconsciously wiped her hands on her apron. The glow that emanated from her when she heard Grant’s voice was bright and her joy obvious.
“We are in the kitchen, Grant. Come meet our guest! She’s a Goudier too!”
The tallest, most handsome man Emmalyn had ever seen strode into the kitchen. His dark black hair and piercing blue eyes drew her attention and she now knew where she got her blue eyes from. She remembered to curtsy instead of holding out her hand as Corinne introduced them.
“Grant, this is Mrs. Smythe…I mean, Emmalyn. Emmalyn this is Grant.”
She didn’t miss the look Grant threw his fiancée. Neither did Corinne but she giggled instead of taking offense. “She lives in Hopeful, Arkansas and they are very progressive there. Everyone goes by their first name. Isn’t that so odd? But I love it. I want to start doing that here.”
Grant shook his head. “I’m not sure that is going to go over very well here. There are still some old-timers who might not appreciate it.”
“Well it can’t hurt to try and if they don’t like it, I’ll go back to calling them proper names.”
He shrugged but gave her a quick wink as he walked over to Corinne’s father. “Mr. Goudier. Good to see you sir.”
George glanced over at Emmalyn and then Corinne who was watching her favorite men closely. “Grant, call me George. It’s what the progressive people are doing.” He shook Grant’s hand while waggling his eyebrows at his daughter, causing another uproar.
Emmalyn tried to remember her parents ever talking about George’s sense of humor. It was wonderful and he didn’t seem to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders as her parents had indicated.
“Your ancestors worked hard and sacrificed so much to bring the cattle here to Hopeful and make the ranch successful. Hard work and sacrifice is the key to success. Horsing around and idle hands are a recipe for failure.” Her mother and father’s words echoed in her mind but what she saw here was a healthy combination of both.
Within the hour, the family were all seated around the large table in the dining room. Steam and salivating scents filled the room as they said grace and prepared to dive in. The food was divine and the conversations were even better. Emmalyn took in every word, hoping to engrain this moment into her memory forever. She didn’t know what would happen once she fell asleep. Would she wake up here or would she wake up in her own century? Every moment was precious.
She started to choke on the roll she was chewing as the words penetrated her brain. Every moment was precious. The rut she was experiencing at home was her own creation, not anyone else’s. She was in charge of how wonderful or how boring her life was and she could allow others to influence how she saw her life or she could tune them out.
“Emmalyn, are you okay? Do you need help?” Esther began to get up to pound her back.
She put up a hand to indicate that she was alright before taking a drink of milk to wash it all down. “I’m alright, thank you. I just had a realization that I had wasted so much time in my life waiting for tomorrow to come; expecting tomorrow to be the same as the day before and the day before that instead of creating the day that I wanted to live. I just accepted things instead of changing them. I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time.”
Corinne reached across the table and patted her hand. “There’s still time, Emmalyn. You are still young enough to have a wonderful life. Maybe find another beau, visit your children, be a grandm
other.”
Emmalyn smiled at her and nodded. “Yes, I can definitely change my future.”
The evening flew by and Emmalyn couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed so hard or felt so relaxed. The fire created a warm glow in the living room and the furniture was soft and inviting. The interaction between the family and Grant was lovely to experience. She wished she had that kind of interaction with her own children and their significant others.
Collin was so busy with his life they never spent any time together. His wife, Danika, had their first child, a sweet little girl named Hannah. Emmalyn had only seen her once, right after she was born. She was six months old now but the only way she was able to see her growth were the pictures Danika posted on social media.
Beti was busy keeping her relationship with girlfriend stable. Cricket had breezed into Beti’s calm life and stirred it up, bringing the drama and tension that Beti had always hated.
And then there was her Bug, Kate. It broke Emmalyn’s heart.
Her attention was torn away from her memories as Corinne’s voice raised a little.
“Well I didn’t think it was funny.”
“Calm down, Corinne. I was just teasing you.”
“Did it sound like teasing to you, Emmalyn?”
“I’m sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. I didn’t hear.”
“Grant said that I had better pay attention to Momma’s cooking or he will waste away to nothing.”
Grant shook his head. “It was just a joke. I was playing with her.”
Emmalyn felt the anger from the past ten years bubble up inside of her. How many times had Bryant “just joked” around like that with her? “Well, Grant, that doesn’t sound like a joke. What is the punchline? Because if the punchline is Corinne, then that’s actually pretty insulting, don’t you agree?”
He stared at Emmalyn for a moment before nodding his head. “Yes, ma’am, I guess it is insulting though it wasn’t said to be. I honestly was just joking.”
“In the future, before you joke, I suggest you turn the words around in your head and see if someone said them to you, if you would find it funny or insulting. Insulting your wife is the fastest way to make sure you never have supper waiting for you.”
She held back a smile as Grant swallowed hard and she saw Corinne beaming in the background. He nodded and turned towards Corinne.
“I’m so sorry, my sweet. I was thoughtless.”
“It’s okay this time, Grant. I appreciate you recognizing that it was insulting to me.”
George and Esther, who had been sitting back taking in the scene, stood up together.
Esther smiled at them. “As wonderful as the evening has been, it’s time for us older folks to retire. Four o’clock in the morning comes pretty fast.”
Grant also stood and bowed to Esther and George. “I shall take my leave too, then. Thank you for a wonderful evening.” He turned towards Emmalyn and took her hand in his. “It was very nice to meet you, Emmalyn. I hope you find what you are looking for here.”
She smiled and nodded, unable to tear her eyes from his blue ones. “Thank you, Grant. I believe I already have.”
Corinne walked Grant to the front porch and Emmalyn heard the screen door slam shut. She smiled, knowing that Corinne was gutsy enough to insist on a goodbye kiss from Grant, even though in this day it wasn’t appropriate. Though Corinne didn’t seem to be the type of soul to follow propriety. She went and did what she wanted. It’s probably why the ranch had been so successful during the great depression in the twenties.
Emmalyn made her way upstairs to the guest room that Esther and Corinne had made up for her. She slipped into the lace and cotton shift Esther had given her to use and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in her thoughts. She didn’t hear her door open or Corinne slip in until she sat down next to her.
“Emmalyn, are you alright?”
She smiled at the young woman. “I’m just fine, thank you. It’s been quite an eventful day.”
“It really has. I’ve met a new friend and that friend stood up for me down in the living room. Thank you for that.”
“You are very welcome but you know you can stand up for yourself too.”
“Inside I really want to but it’s not appropriate.”
Emmalyn took Corinne’s hand and held it. “And is it appropriate to allow others to insult you, even under the guise of a joke? Promise me something right now, Corinne. Don’t ever let anyone talk down to you or insult you. You are a very strong, intelligent and compassionate woman. Stand up for yourself and for heavens sakes, teach your children to stand up for themselves too. Adults aren’t always right and you should only respect your elders and spouses if they respect you too. If you keep your words strong, your life will be strong which will make your family strong”
“I promise. If you see my slipping though, you can remind me.”
Emmalyn shook her head. “I need to get back home. I don’t know where I’m going to live but I miss my children. You need to remember this on your own. Pass it down to your children and make sure they pass it on to theirs. Goudiers are strong stock, intelligent stock. Don’t let others push you into the mud and never lose your voice.”
“I promise, Emmalyn. I hope you do move here and bring your children. I will miss you if you don’t.”
“Even if I don’t, I’ll always be right here,” she touched Corinne’s temple softly. “Now go get some sleep. It will be an early morning, for sure.”
Corinne kissed her cheek quickly and smiled as she stood. “Yes, it does come early but that’s when you catch the worm.”
Emmalyn groaned. “Ewww, worms.”
Both women laughed as Corinne quit the room. Emmalyn tucked herself into the bed and lay her head on the pillow. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was lying in her own bed. This was Bryant’s room in her time but in the past it had once been both of their rooms. The room that Esther and George were sleeping in was her room in the future. It was all so surreal.
She took a deep breath and snuggled deeper into the blankets. The pillow was a little stiffer than hers at home and it almost smelled…sanitized. She took another deep breath but that caused her head to start pounding again where she had hit it earlier that morning. Maybe she could get a compress from Esther.
She tried to escape from the covers of her bed but they latched onto her as Velcro clings to its opposite. She thrashed and struggled but was still unable to get released from its grasp. She cried out and she felt hands grab onto her shoulders to steady her.
“Emmalyn, it’s alright. You’re safe.”
She snapped her eyes open, staring into the concerned face of Bryant.
“Bryant? What are you doing here? How did you get here?”
“The hospital called me as soon as they got you stable. It’s a miracle you didn’t freeze out there on the ice. What were you thinking, walking down to the pond in the middle of the night?”
Bewildered, she glanced around the room, recognizing the hospital where she gave birth to all three of their children. She tried to sit up but the pounding became worse. She leaned back into the pillow, realizing that was the smell she’d experienced. Was the entire day just a dream? Had she been in a coma or sleeping and imagined it all?
“What happened?”
Bryant gently pulled her hand into his and he sat on the edge of the bed. “You went for a walk but you didn’t tell me. You somehow slipped on the ice in the middle of the pond downtown and hit your head. Fred Tinker Jr. found you when he was on his bread delivery route. If it hadn’t been for him, you would have frozen to death and I would’ve lost you.”
She saw his eyes well up with tears. Shocked at his expression of so much emotion, she squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry. You just made me so mad with your comments about supper.”
“What comments, honey? I thought the cook made an excellent meal. Granted, I don’t like to eat that heavy before bedtime but the lasagna truly was a work of art.”
“Mom’s awake?”
She heard Collin’s voice and she peered over Bryant’s shoulder. “Collin, what are you doing here?”
Collin frowned and walked over to her, kissing her forehead farthest from her lump. “We flew in as soon as Dad told us what had happened. We are all worried about you.”
“Who’s we?”
“Danika, Hannah and I. Dad said we could use the family jet. I hope that’s okay.”
“Has that damn doctor been in to see Mom yet?”
Beti’s demanding voice filled the room and Emmalyn forced herself to sit up. “Beti! What are you doing here?”
Collin elbowed his sister. “I think she might have brain damage. She’s acting really weird.”
Bryant stood and turned towards the door. “I think we need to get the doctor in here right away. Something is off.”
Kate came walking in through the door. “I already got him. I told him that if he didn’t come and see Mom right away, I was going to kill him off in my next screenplay. He didn’t like that.”
Emmalyn’s mind whirled and she felt the room spin. “Just what the hell is going on here? Collin, you never come to see me and I have a little fall and suddenly you bring the entire family? Beti, I thought Cricket hated your father and refused to allow you to be a part of the family. Kate, I just talked to you last night and you told me that Mike wouldn’t let you come see me. I wanted to come pick you up.”
Kate sat on the edge of the bed where moments before Bryant had sat. “Oh Mom, this is worse than we thought. You might have brain damage. First of all, who is Cricket? Isn’t that a sport? Second, who is Mike? You know I’ve been engaged to Stephen for the past couple of weeks. We weren’t going to tell the rest of the family until we all got together for Christmas dinner like we do every year.”
Country Wishes Page 27
