Another round of laughter erupted from the group.
“In fact, they’re all jerks. You can do much better than this.” She dragged Miriam out of the barn and to the buggy. “Where’s the horse?”
“Richie took it to the fenced area over there,” Miriam replied, motioning to the fence.
Megan groaned. “Can you get it?”
“The men do that.”
“So?”
She licked her lips and shrugged. “I suppose we can do it. Megan, what happened in there?”
“I’m too upset to discuss it. I need to relax before I can even bear to mention it.”
Miriam looked like she was ready to protest but obviously decided against it since she shut her mouth.
Satisfied that at least one thing was going right tonight, she led Miriam to the fence. To her surprise, and dismay, Ted came out of the barn and ran over to them.
He had nerve! She intentionally turned her back on him.
“Megan, wait.” He jumped in front of her.
Startled, she stepped back. “Get out of my way, traitor.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “Does that mean you’re willing to go in there and tell them you made the cobbler?”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. You just say, ‘I made the cobbler’ and that’s it.”
“No, it’s not it, Megan. You don’t understand. I work with those guys. I don’t want to be the laughingstock of the farm. It’s been a rough week. I got enough teasing when I fumbled up on the horses. I finally earned their approval today when I lassoed two cattle.”
“You’re right. We’re back in high school and must fit in with the popular crowd.” She didn’t hide her sarcasm.
Miriam excused herself and went to the buggy to wait.
He gave her a pleading look. “Granted, it seems childish to want to belong here since we’re going back home tomorrow, but I want my last night here to be a good one. I mean, we’re in the past. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Good. At least there’s a bright side to all of this. Now, move so I can get Miriam’s horse.”
His eyes grew wide. “Why?”
She pushed past him but he jumped in front of her again. “I don’t want to be here. Maybe you enjoy playing with them, but I don’t.”
He rubbed his eyes. “Megan, please don’t do this.”
“Do what, Ted?”
“Do the same thing you did in the jailhouse when you kept banging that cup on the bars.”
“And what same thing is that?”
“Making a bigger deal out of something than it needs to be. Look, this is only one night, and whether you want to hear it or not, those men do work hard. They get up at sunrise and work until sunset, except for tonight when they take time to have some fun. It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be. They love their wives and children.”
“They have a funny way of showing it.”
Ted sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “To someone in our time period, yes. You’re right. But in this time with the way things are, this is normal. You have to understand that the roles of men and women were different back then. I mean, in this time. Now. Then. Whatever.” He threw his hands up in the air. “You can’t compare those men to the men you’re used to.”
“Thank goodness for small favors. I’m glad I wasn’t born in this time. It’s horrible for women.”
“Is it really?”
“Yes.”
“The people thought I was taking advantage of you and they forced me to do right by you. That doesn’t happen in our time. I could have used you and walked away without any repercussions.”
She rolled her eyes. “That is comparing apples to oranges.”
“No, it’s not. There’s a sense of protection these people have when it comes to women that doesn’t exist in our time. Men feel bound by honor to make sure women are safe.”
Shaking her head, she waved his theories off. “I’m not interested in this conversation. I just want to go back to the house, get a good night’s sleep and get back to my apartment where I can watch TV and surf the Internet. Then I can put this whole miserable experience behind me.” She crossed her arms. “So, are you going to get the horse hooked up or am I?”
He stared at her for a moment, as if trying to figure out what else to say, before he groaned and threw his hands up in the air again. “You’re impossible! Alright. Fine. I’ll do it, but I’m doing it because you’d hurt yourself.”
She scoffed.
“You don’t know anything about horses. You don’t know how to handle them,” he reminded her.
“Then I’m lucky to have you here, aren’t I?” she retorted as he retrieved Miriam’s horse. “Granted, you won’t back me up when you’re in front of the guys, but as soon as we’re alone, you’re on my side, doing everything you can to keep me safe. Yes, this is wonderful. I just love being a woman in this time period.”
She grunted again and stomped over to Miriam who stood next to the buggy. Miriam’s worried expression calmed her enough so that she could talk without yelling.
“He’s getting the horse,” she said.
Miriam nodded. The music started in the barn, and Megan caught the flicker of interest in Miriam’s eyes.
Megan shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “You can find men in other places. You don’t have to look for one here. Who wants a farmer or a farmhand anyway? They work all the time. They get up with the sun and work until sunset. What kind of life is that? You’d be stuck alone a lot. It’d be much better to have a man who works in town, one who’ll come home around five every night and spend a good amount of time with you.”
“Farmers and farmhands work long and hard in the spring, summer and fall, but they have winters to spend lots of time at home,” Miriam said. “Perhaps that will make up for the three busy seasons.”
Megan gave a bitter laugh. “Oh sure. That’s even better. Then when they’re around the house all winter long, they can lounge around all day and get in your way. I’m telling you, Miriam, you don’t want a man to be up in your business all the time because he’s bored. You need time to be alone and get a break. Men are horribly demanding. Why Mike used to call me all the time and keep me up until late at night talking about…” She paused, knowing she couldn’t say Internet stocks. Inspired, she continued, “Well, he talked about money. I like money as much as the next person, but he really overdid it. Sometimes I thought he loved money more than me.” Which might’ve been an accurate assessment, as she looked back on that relationship.
Ted led the horse to the buggy and looked at Megan. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Hitch it up,” she ordered. She returned her focus to the bewildered woman next to her. “Men can get in the way of peace and quiet. Think about it. What if you ended up with someone like Richie? He’s a real blabbermouth. Can you imagine what your winters would be like? You’d need to stuff something in your ears just to get silence.”
“But if someone like him came home every evening, then I’d have to put up with it every day,” Miriam pointed out.
Megan considered her logic and decided she was right. “That’s why you’re better off staying single. Why deal with the misery if you don’t have to?”
“Wow, thanks a lot,” Ted interjected, sounding offended.
“It’s no secret that we were forced to marry,” she quipped.
“That’s the only way a man would marry you.”
She gasped. “It is not!”
“Want to bet?” Ted finished hooking the horse up and shot her an amused look. “If memory serves, your fiancé bailed out on you to be with someone else. I think he realized how difficult you’d be to deal with.”
“I am not difficult!” she yelled, drawing attention from a couple of children who ran around the yard.
Miriam hastened into the buggy. “I’m ready to go.”
Me
gan huffed and climbed into the buggy, sitting next to Miriam who accepted the reins from Ted. Megan refused to look at Ted, the traitor. Of course, he’d stick with the men. Didn’t all men stick together regardless of what their girlfriends and wives thought? It was so typical. And irritating. As Miriam clicked the reins and the horse moved forward, she decided that being single for the rest of her life might actually be a blessing in disguise. And she looked forward to returning to that single life as soon as she hopped on the train.
Chapter Nine
Cole gasped, out of breath from the swim down Devils Lake. He pulled himself up on the bank, careful to hold the time travel device above the water so it wouldn’t get wet. That had been a feat in and of itself, but he managed it. He fell on the grass and rested on his stomach. His lungs hurt from the exertion of the chase, and he was drenched from the shoulders down but he did it. Blake had lost him at some point in the frantic swim.
The moonlight lit the night and when he managed a good, deep breath, he rolled onto his back, holding the device close to his side, still careful to keep it dry. Above him were stars and the nearly full moon. He was, once again, stuck in the wilderness, outside of any town, and he’d dropped his travel bag in his effort to avoid Blake. If he could just keep going, stay one step ahead of the other man, he’d be set. All he needed was to find that chip and he’d be on his way. No one would be the wiser, and who would believe Blake if he told people the truth? They’d assume he was a madman. Heck, they might even put him away in an institution.
His pulse back to normal, he sat up and saw Blake further down the grassy field. Though Blake was on the other side of the lake, he walked in Cole’s direction. Cole got on his belly and crawled away, veering off to the side so he’d end up going perpendicular to Blake’s route. As much as he wanted to stay close to a water source, he couldn’t afford to do it.
Stupid, Blake. You’re really stupid. If you’d just let the matter alone, you’d be safely back home with your family. But he had to pursue Cole and go back into the past, and now look where it got him. Running through uninhabited territory along a lake in the middle of the night, searching for a fugitive who only wanted compensation for all the misery life had dealt him.
Well, so be it. Cole would have to leave him here when he traveled to another time. And all because Blake had to play hero. Stupid. There was no doubt about it. The man was just plain stupid.
***
Ted wasn’t surprised to find that Megan wasn’t at their rented house. He figured that she’d bum a ride with Miriam into town. But he was surprised that she fed the dog on her way out. He talked Richie into staying in his home Friday night so Richie could take him into town on Saturday. If he planned to stay for any length of time, he’d purchase a horse and buggy. It was the same as being without a car. He felt helpless to do anything or go anywhere. Fortunately, Richie was a good sport about things and stayed.
The next morning, the dog laid in the back of the wagon as they went to town. Ted looked at the mutt and realized he was going to miss him. Buddy had become a friend in the short week, but Ted didn’t belong in this time. He had a life to live in the future, even if it wasn’t as fun as being here.
Richie pulled the geldings to a stop in front of Miriam’s residence. “I should go in too. Megan and Miriam were in such a hurry to get back last night, Miriam left her dish behind.”
“In all fairness, Megan was the one rushing her.” He jumped off the wagon and motioned for Buddy to wait for them. “Richie, will you take Buddy?”
Richie looked at the dog before he got down from the wagon. “Why?”
“Well, I never intended to keep him forever,” Ted hedged. It was the truth, though if he’d been in the future, he’d have kept the canine. “I figured I’d give him a place to stay for awhile.”
“Megan can’t stand him, huh?”
He shrugged. “It’s no secret that she tolerates him.”
Richie grabbed the dish and joined Ted as they walked to the front of Miriam’s house. “I understand. The last thing you need to do is upset Megan again. It’s no way to start a marriage.”
Ted nodded and knocked on the front door. He’d never seen a woman as upset as Megan had been. In some ways, it was refreshing. His past girlfriends had gone along with whatever he wanted. He could probably enjoy Megan’s company if they kept in touch after returning home.
As soon as Megan opened the door, she scowled at him.
Then again, maybe hell would freeze over before she’d willingly talk to him.
Esther caught sight of him and ran up to the door. “Come in, Ted. Oh, hello, Richie. You can come in too.”
Megan groaned but didn’t say anything.
Ted preceded Richie into the parlor. Miriam got up from a chair where she talked to her parents.
“I’ll make some coffee,” their mother offered, standing up.
“I’ll make sure your horses get some water to drink,” their father told Richie.
Once Miriam, Esther, Megan, Ted, and Richie were alone in the parlor, Richie handed the pie dish to Miriam. “You didn’t get a chance to bring this back, so I brought it for you,” he explained.
Miriam smiled as she took it. “Thank you, Richie.” She held it for a moment, glanced around, and sighed. “I’ll put this away.” She moved to the parlor door.
“Can I help?” he asked.
She blinked and turned to him. “I’m just going to put it in the kitchen.”
His cheeks flushed. “I can put it up on the shelf for you if it’s too high to reach. Besides,” he glanced at Esther, Ted, and Megan, “I think I’d interfere if I stayed.”
Esther nodded. “That’s wise thinking, Richie. What I have to say doesn’t concern you.”
Ted stared at the older sister, suddenly feeling as if he were a young boy ready for a scolding, and Esther stood with her back straight and her chin high, as if she were the teacher. Megan rolled her eyes and plopped in a chair. Apparently, she’d already been subjected to Esther’s lecture, whatever that lecture was.
Once the three of them were alone, Esther motioned for Ted to sit in the chair next to Megan. Though he realized he was an adult, one who was older than Esther in fact, he quietly obeyed her. There was something in the way she acted that didn’t leave room for argument.
She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh before she shook her head. “Ted, I implore you to be patient with your wife. It is obvious her mother failed to show her what her place is in a marriage.”
He nearly fell off the chair and onto the floor. He expected the woman to criticize him, not back him up. No wonder Megan scowled at him.
“Nevertheless,” Esther continued, her expression filled with sympathy, “I will take it upon myself to instruct your wife in the way she’s supposed to act. It may take time, but she’ll learn.”
Ted glanced at Megan who stared at the floor. She sat back, arms crossed, her legs crossed and one of her legs swinging in irritation. He winced on her behalf. He could only imagine what her morning had been like with Esther ‘instructing’ her.
Esther clasped her hands together. “Unfortunately, you have not been helping her.”
Ted’s head shot toward Esther.
She shook her finger at him. “I know about the cobbler you made. You are forbidden to do any cooking for now on. You must let her do the cooking so she can learn how to do it. The best way to help others is to let them help themselves.”
This conversation was pointless. After all, once he and Megan got on the train, they’d return to their correct time and Esther’s plan wouldn’t come to fruition, so he nodded his agreement. He noticed Megan glaring at him but kept his eyes focused on Esther.
Esther paced in front of them, her steps quick as she spun and turned around. “There are some things a man and a woman can do to ease into marriage. Now, I realize this is a new thing for you, and you didn’t ask to be married. However, marriage is an honorable institution and deserves all the support it can g
et. I’m married. I know how hard it can be, but there are rewards. Megan, it may not seem like it but men like to be taken care of, and who better to care for them than their own wives? Women care for their husbands by cooking for them, keeping the house clean, and doing their laundry. In return, men offer women their protection and security. Since you’re married, you won’t have to sell your body to make ends meet. Ted’s found a good job. Ray Gordon is one of the best farmers in the area, and he’s a fair and generous employer.”
Ted couldn’t argue with her analysis regarding Ray. He did like working for the man. A momentary flicker of grief passed through him at the thought of leaving his farmhand job, but a quick reminder that he didn’t belong in this time renewed his determination to leave. He glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. Good. He and Megan had plenty of time to get to the train station.
Esther patted Ted on the back, startling him. “Ted will do you good, Megan. Richie says he’s a fine man, and Richie is a good judge of character.” She leaned down and looked at him. “You will be a faithful husband, won’t you Ted?”
This was ridiculous, but for the sake of his sanity, he obliged the misguided woman. “I will be a faithful husband.”
Apparently satisfied, Esther stood back up and clapped her hands. “Very good.” She walked over to Megan. “Megan, no one blames you for being a prostitute. You had no family or friends. It’s obvious you were alone and scared. What else does a woman do when she needs a roof over her head and food in her tummy? But that’s why I wanted to see you marry him. I want to make sure you have someone who’ll take care of you too.” Giving Megan a couple of pats on the shoulder, Esther smiled. “This is the best thing for both of you. I just know that once you get used to each other, everything will be wonderful. Marriage is work but it’s worth it.”
Meant To Be Page 11
