***
Ted couldn’t believe he’d let Megan talk him into wearing the skirt she was making. It was after supper, and the sun was setting. Streams of the remaining sunlight filtered through the lacy white curtains that Miriam helped Megan create. He wanted to check on his new horse in the barn out back, but instead of feeding the gelding, he was in the parlor, holding the skirt up to his waist.
Megan wanted to figure out a good length for it, and so he waited as she stuck pins to designate where the hem would be. He never felt so ridiculous in his entire life. Why had he agreed to this again? Oh yeah. He wanted her to go to the barn dance that upcoming Friday, and there was no other way she’d go unless he did this for her. He suddenly questioned whether or not he wanted to go to the supper and dance that badly.
He stood on a chair while she made a slow circle around him.
“I’m almost done,” she told him. She put another pin in place.
“Good because it’s hard to stay still this long.” That wasn’t why he wanted to be done. He wanted to get off the chair and feel like a man again.
“Well, I have to admit that I actually like sewing this skirt,” she said as she pulled part of the skirt toward her. “Good. It’s straight. I don’t want one side of the skirt to be lower than the other. That’s why I chose the plaid pattern. As long as I stay along the lines, I’ll be doing it right.”
“Isn’t this going to be too short?” He noticed that women wore skirts and dresses that reached their ankles.
“Yes but June will be here next week and that means it’s going to be hot. I want to be cool. At least, as cool as possible. Besides, I’ll just wear this skirt around here. Believe me, I wouldn’t dare wear this in public. I had enough of men staring at me when I wore the shorts.”
He chuckled at the memory.
“I’m glad someone can find amusement in it.”
He shrugged. “At least it turned out alright.”
“I don’t know. We still haven’t figured out how to get back home.” She stuck in another pin and reached in her small basket for another one.
“Are you still eager to get back?”
“Of course. Aren’t you?”
He decided not to respond.
“I miss TVs and computers,” she said. “I also miss the ability to wear shorts without making people think the worst.”
“It’s not so bad here.”
“No, I guess it’s not, but like my father always said, ‘It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there’.”
He looked out the window in front of him and noted the fields that had turned green due to the rainfall they’d had that month. Whenever he took a moment to study the land, he felt as if everything was right with the world. Streaks of pinks, yellows and purples painted the sky, giving him the view that no artist could master. Everything was so peaceful out here. It was the perfect place to live.
“I have two more pins to go and then I’m done,” she told him.
“What if we can’t get back? What if we have to stay here for the rest of our lives? Can you learn to be content?”
She glanced up at him, brushing back her bangs. “I’m not giving up on getting back until all my resources have been exhausted.”
“You’re really going to keep going on the train every weekend?”
Picking up a pin, she folded back a piece of the cotton gray and pink fabric and made sure it was even with the rest of the skirt. “Maybe it doesn’t work every Saturday. Maybe the moon has to be aligned just right to create some sort of wormhole or something.”
He sighed. He’d gone along with her every Saturday. Not because he wanted to return to the future but because he didn’t want to live without her. He criticized himself for getting attached to her like he had. She’d laugh if she knew how important she’d become to him in the short time they’d known each other.
She stuck the pin in and picked up another one from the basket. “This is the last one and then you can go back to being a boy,” she joked.
“That’s good. Someone needs to be the man of the house.”
She smiled but didn’t respond. Once she finished, she stood straight up. “There. I think this will work.”
“How long is it supposed to be?”
“It’ll go past my knees but above the ankles.”
He stepped out of the skirt and handed it to her. “Are you going to hem it tonight?”
“I thought I’d get a head start on it.” She collected the basket of sewing supplies and went to the rocking chair by the window. Setting the basket on the small round table next to her, she sat down and put the skirt in her lap. “I’m going to make some more shorts once I get the hang of this. Shorts will be more of a challenge.”
The idea of seeing in her shorts shouldn’t have been as intriguing as it suddenly seemed. He’d seen women in shorts all of his life, and most of the shorts were shorter than the pair she had. Still, there was something about seeing her legs exposed that excited him. Shrugging the thought off, he slipped his boots on by the front door.
“Are you going to check on Independence?”
“Yes. I have to make sure he gets enough to eat.”
She glanced up from the needle and thread, and he noted the twinkle in her eyes. “You better be careful. Buddy will get jealous.”
He grinned as he opened the front door. Buddy jumped up from the porch step and ran over to him. “He’s helping me.”
“He follows you, you mean.”
The dog barked and wagged his tail, eager for Ted to go outside.
“You know what they say, a dog is a man’s best friend,” he said.
“Hmm…You have your best friend but I don’t have mine.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”
“Diamonds. A dog is a man’s best friend and a diamond is a woman’s best friend.” She motioned to the happy mutt. “And it seems to me that your best friend ate mine up.”
The dog barked again, pawing at the screen door.
“I’m coming.” With one last look at her as she pulled the thread through the eye of the needle, he promised, “I’ll get you another best friend as soon as I save the money.”
She looked up, her eyes wide with surprise, but he closed the door before she had a chance to respond.
***
The first thing Megan thought when she and Ted arrived at Ray’s barn the following Friday was that she didn’t want to be there. Charles, the obvious leader of the group of Neanderthals, snickered as soon as Ted pulled their horse and buggy next to Esther and Aaron who’d insisted on taking Miriam so Esther could keep a careful eye on her little sister.
Megan still recalled how appalled Esther had been when Miriam let it slip that she hoped to talk to Jason, the man who’d caught her attention the last time. Megan promised to get them talking this time. Promising Miriam such a thing had seemed easy enough in the safety of her home, but now, as she took in the stares and grins of the men as they gathered around Charles, she had the sudden urge to flee.
Ted hopped out of the buggy and actually seemed to skip with joy as he made his way to her. How was it possible that a grown man could enjoy a social activity with the enthusiasm a little boy showed on Christmas morning?
She placed her hand over her stomach. She prayed she wouldn’t vomit.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
No. But she took a deep breath, steadied her shaking hands, and steeled her resolve. She’d do this for Miriam…and Ted, of course. He’d been a good sport about wearing the skirt so she could make it the length she wanted. And Miriam…Well, how else was she going to find a husband? Church was like a miniature Noah’s Ark with people paired up with their spouses, and the poor girl was terribly shy. She barely said boo to the couple of men who’d said hello when Megan joined Miriam and Esther in town earlier that week. Yes. She had to do this for Miriam. And, to a lesser extent, for Ted.
He took her hand and helped her down. “I’ll stay by your si
de all night, if it’ll help you feel better.”
“I don’t need you to hold my hand.” She looked at his hand that was wrapped around hers. “I meant figuratively,” she clarified. She did kind of like it when he held her hand. She noticed a blister along the inside of his thumb. Removing her hand from his, she inspected it. “Does it hurt?”
“Only when I use a rope.”
“You should have told me you had this. I would’ve gotten something to make it heal faster when I was in town today.”
He shrugged. “I’m fine. I’ve suffered worse.”
She released his hand and nodded. Though she couldn’t be sure, she thought he appreciated her concern.
Charles walked over to them and pointed to the dish on the buggy seat. “Is that Ted’s fancy work again?”
The men around him laughed.
Megan narrowed her eyes at him.
“You better watch out,” the annoying blond said, laughing. “She’s got the look of a rattler ready to strike.”
“That’s enough, you two,” Ted interrupted the men before she could give them a piece of her mind. “Megan made this all by herself, but there was something she put in it. Now, I can’t say for sure what it was, but I think she offered a bit to the mouse that was in our food cabinet.”
Charles scoffed.
Playing along, she smiled sweetly and held the dish to him. “I made it especially for you.”
He glanced at the dish and then back at her. Looking uncertain, he looked over at Ted who innocently shrugged. Then a sly smile formed on his lips. “I wouldn’t touch anything you made, ma’am. Word is, you nearly burned down the kitchen. Who knows what you’d do to a man’s stomach?”
“Charles, I think you should back off,” Ted said, his tone firm.
“For you, I will,” he told Ted. “Come on, men. We have to get the barn cleared for the supper.” Glancing back at Megan, he added, “We wouldn’t want to be accused of dawdling when there’s work to be done.”
She huffed and gripped the edges of the metal dish. “I don’t understand it, Ted. Why are you friends with him?”
“I’m not. He owns the farm in that direction.”
“Is he Ray’s friend?”
“I think so, but I don’t see him much. I spend most of my time with Richie and Lou.”
That made her feel better. Seriously, she couldn’t imagine a worst specimen for mankind.
Esther strode over to them as Miriam followed, close behind. “Who is this man that my sister wants to meet?”
Ted excused himself and joined Richie who had just arrived in his wagon. Aaron passed by and shook hands with some of the men who lingered outside the barn.
“Well?” Esther said, her hands folded in front of her.
Megan felt much better now that her friends were here. Maybe she could enjoy the night after all. She smiled at Esther’s quirky behavior. “Is everything in your life business?”
Esther blinked and shook her head. “What?”
“I couldn’t help but notice that you approach everything in life as if it’s a chore.”
“I do not. There are many things I enjoy.”
Miriam laughed. “She’s right. She enjoys hard work.”
Esther shot her an accusing look. “Hard work is good for the soul. It’s the antidote to laziness.”
“While that’s true,” Megan relented, “fun balances people out. You should enjoy yourself tonight and dance with Aaron.”
“I’m not here to have fun. I’m here to see who might be my brother-in-law someday.”
“Okay.” Megan waved the woman forward and entered the crowded barn where people rushed to get ready for the potluck supper. “Over there is Jason Hensley. Before this night is over, he’ll know that Miriam is alive.”
Esther looked at her as if she’d grown a second head. “Of course, Miriam is alive. She’s breathing, isn’t she?”
Realizing her mistake, Megan quickly explained, “It’s a figure of speech. It means that he’ll know she exists.”
“Why wouldn’t she exist? I can see her and talk to her. I can even touch her.” She poked her sister in the arm. “I don’t understand you sometimes, Megan. Your speech is uncanny.”
“Yes.” Megan sighed. “It is.”
Miriam turned to Esther. “The point is that she’ll find a way to introduce us. Then maybe he’ll ask to court me.”
“I already knew that,” Esther snapped as she adjusted her bonnet. “What do you take me for? A simpleton?”
“No. Just a lost cause.” Megan knew she wouldn’t understand her joke so she left the two women and made a beeline for Jason who was using a pitchfork to toss hay into the horses’ troughs.
Jason swung the pitchfork in her direction. Startled, she backed up a step and fell into the pile of hay he’d been gathering the horses’ feed from.
“Oh! I’m sorry.” He put the pitchfork down and reached for her hand to pull her up. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” She brushed the hay off of her dress the best she could before directing her attention to him. “I notice you’re wearing spurs on your boots and wanted to ask about them.” Well, that wasn’t true, but she had to come up with something to discuss so it wouldn’t be apparent that she was trying to fix him up with Miriam. She glanced at Miriam and Esther who kept their distance but watched everything she was doing. Turning back to Jason, she smiled. “So, I always wondered why cowboys wear spurs.”
He looked at his spurs and returned her smile. “They direct the horse to move when I need him to.”
“Really? Do you just nudge the horse with them?”
“Yep. They reinforce commands, but I’m careful when I use them. I don’t want to hurt the horse.”
“Exactly what are the commands?” Not that she cared but it was breaking the ice and she hoped to find a way to ease into introducing him to Miriam.
“Some are basic. Go forward, go left, go right, go lateral, go back.”
“How exciting,” she lied. How she missed cars! “Is it hard to learn to ride a horse?”
“No. I realize that women don’t often ride them but some do. Ray’s wife is an expert horse rider.”
“I couldn’t imagine riding a horse,” she honestly said. “It’s too scary to be on top of something you can’t control.”
He chuckled and adjusted his brown hat. “Nonsense. Anyone can learn to ride. If you have a well-trained horse, learning isn’t a problem. You just need confidence, that’s all.”
Megan was getting frustrated. This wasn’t exactly conductive to an introduction. She decided she’d have to make one of her own. “Miriam, my friend over there,” she waved at her friend who quickly looked away, “wants to learn to ride a horse but she can’t find anyone to teach her.”
“I have a great idea. Why don’t I teach you and then you can teach her?”
She stared at him, not sure why he’d make such a ridiculous offer. Why go about it in such a complicated way? It’d be much easier for him to teach Miriam himself.
Richie ran up to her, gasping for air. “Mrs. Jacob, your husband asked me to come and get you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Can’t it wait? I’m doing something important here.”
“No, it can’t.” Why did Richie look like he was ready to panic?
Jason frowned at her. “You’re married?”
She sighed. “Yes. It was something we were both forced into. It’s a long and boring story.”
“Anyway, she needs to go.” Richie yanked her arm.
“Ow!” she protested.
“It can’t wait.”
She almost tripped twice in an effort to keep up with him, and he wouldn’t let go of her arm until they stood in front of Ted who placed a barrel outside by the barn door.
“There. We got plenty of water for the animals,” Ted said, rubbing his hands together. “What’s next?”
Richie shoved her in Ted’s direction. “You need to spend time with your wife.” Then he walke
d off.
Ted stared after him. “What did he mean by that?”
She shook her head. “Who knows? Something is seriously wrong with him.”
He sighed. “He can be odd.”
“I think I’ll go back in. See you when supper’s ready.”
He nodded and put the lid on the barrel.
She entered the barn and headed over to Esther and Miriam who were helping the women set up the food on the table. She decided to pitch in and do some work too. At least the men were doing their part at this stage of the game. Charles was laughing with some of his faithful followers at the horse stalls. She noted that Aaron was one of his cronies.
She turned to Esther. “Is Aaron friends with Charles?”
Esther finished laying out the cloth napkins and glanced at the group Megan motioned to. “I’m not sure if ‘friends’ is the right word, but they do know each other.”
“Do you like Charles?”
“I hadn’t thought about it. He’s a law abiding citizen, and he’s helped a couple of farmers rein in their wayward cattle. I suppose he’s alright.”
Wonderful. Charles was a good guy, except for when it came to her. Not that she could stand him either but still...it wasn’t fun to be ridiculed.
Megan unwrapped the pie that Ted made and set the dish in the center of the table. She walked over to Miriam. “I was just about to get Jason to offer to give you horse riding lessons when Richie butted in and ruined it.”
“Butted?” Miriam asked.
“Interfered.”
Miriam nodded. “I already know how to ride a horse.”
“Yes, but Jason doesn’t have to know that. I figure that if he gave you horse riding lessons, then it would be a good way for you to spend time with him.”
Miriam’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. “That’s brilliant!”
“I thought so too. And it would have gone according to plan.”
“Except for Richie.”
“Right. I don’t know why he felt the need to interfere.”
“I saw him drag you away. He seemed quite insistent.”
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