Touched by Time

by Zoe Matthews

  “I’m eight,” the child told her with a grin. _____“I turn nine in three months and ten days.”

  “Counting down, are you?” Kimberly asked her with a smile. She instantly felt a bond with this child. Colleen was a beautiful girl with long almost jet-black hair tied into a braid that hung down her back. She had equally black eyes and tan skin. She looked nothing like Patrick or Bridget with their red curly hair and fair skin, or Shaun with his blond hair and blue eyes.

  Colleen nodded excitedly. “Pa told me I get my very own horse when I turn nine.”

  “That sounds like a great birthday present.”

  “I already have her picked out and Pa is training her.”

  “What is her name?” Kimberly asked.

  “She doesn’t have a name yet. I’m not going to name her until she is mine.”

  Kimberly thought that was a perfectly logical reason for not naming a horse.

  “Shaun trains all of our horses,” Bridget explained. “He also trains horses to sell.”

  Over the next few minutes, Kimberly enjoyed talking with Colleen about her horse. She learned a lot about life on the ranch just talking to the child than she had through Patrick’s letters. Colleen talked about getting up early next morning to take care of chores, and invited Kimberly to help her. She learned there were some chickens in the back, of which Colleen boasted about taking care of.

  Kimberly heard the stomping of feet and then Patrick, Shaun, and a teenage boy came through a back door. All three of them went to a long table that was set up against one of the kitchen walls and started to wash their hands and faces, using some fresh water that was in a basin. For a few minutes, chaos reigned as the family sat down at the table for the meal.

  Patrick said a blessing on the food and then everyone started to eat. Between bites, Patrick introduced her to his younger brother. “This is Keegan,” he waved at him as he said his name, although Kimberly had already figured out who he was. Keegan had short dark brown hair. She found it interesting how different all three males looked from each other, given that they were brothers. She was also surprised that Colleen looked nothing like Shaun and so she figured the child took after her mother, and she briefly wondered where her mother was.

  Kimberly didn’t eat much. She started to feel more and more tired. She wished she could just go to bed, but didn’t feel like it would be polite to say so. She could hear conversation around her, but couldn’t focus on it. She felt a hand on her arm.

  “You look very tired,” Bridget told her with sympathy in her voice. “Why don’t I show you where you will be sleeping? You can get to know everyone tomorrow.”

  Patrick stood when he heard Bridget talking. "Oh, Kimberly, I am sorry. I should have shown you where you will be sleeping earlier." He looked remorseful, so Kimberly smiled at him to let him know she had forgiven him.

  "I can show her the cabin." Bridget told her brother.

  “Thank you,” Kimberly said, her voice shaking. She felt tears form in her eyes at Bridget’s kindness. “I am quite tired.” Kimberly rarely cried and knew the tears were likely from being exhausted.

  “I have traveled before, and I know it can wear a person out,” Bridget said as she led Kimberly outdoors.

  Kimberly wondered what Bridget would say if she knew how far she had really traveled. Very quickly, Bridget opened the door to the small cabin that she had noticed when she first arrived and stepped inside. It was small, only one room, but Kimberly knew she would be comfortable here. She could see her bag sitting on a small bed.

  “I will let you retire for the night,” Bridget told her. “Sleep as long as you need to in the morning.”

  “Thank you so much,” Kimberly told her and watched as Bridget left.

  She hardly had enough strength to take off her dress. She did so, though she decided to just sleep in her underclothes and not bother with the nightgown Mrs. Hilton had given her. She laid down on the small bed and instantly fell asleep.

  Chapter 10

  Nicky came home from school that afternoon feeling exhausted. She absolutely loved to teach, but there were some days where she was glad the day was over. There had been a new student assigned to her schoolroom and he was having a hard time adjusting to his new class and surroundings, doing his best to be disruptive, and letting everyone know he wasn’t happy with his new situation. She knew that his parents had just divorced and his mother had moved into some apartments that were located near the school.

  “Kimberly!” she called as she entered the townhouse she shared with her friend. “Are you home?”

  Silence answered her and she shrugged, thinking that Kimberly had gone out for some reason. Nicky knew Kimberly had quit her job and she wondered if she had received a job interview, even though it was late in the day for one. Kimberly was an excellent nurse and Nicky knew her friend would find a new job quickly.

  But as the late afternoon became evening, Kimberly still hadn’t shown up, and Nicky was starting to get worried. It wasn’t like Kimberly to not let Nicky know what her plans were. She tried to call Kimberly’s cell phone and she heard it ring in Kimberly’s bedroom.

  “Kimberly?” she knocked on the door. “Are you in there? Is everything okay?”

  Again there was only silence and she hesitated a moment before opening the door. Maybe her friend was sick and needed some help.

  But Kimberly wasn’t in her room. Everything looked neat and clean, just like her friend liked to keep it. But something just felt different, not quite right. Then she saw the envelope on Kimberly’s neatly made bed with her name on it.

  Nicky picked up the envelope and for some reason, she was scared of opening it. There was something wrong, she just knew it. She slowly slit open the envelope and was surprised to see quite a bit of money fall out, along with a letter written in Kimberly’s careful handwriting.

  Dear Nicky and Justin,

  When you find this letter, you will know that I am no longer here. I have made the decision to go visit Patrick and get to know him better. If, in 30 days, we both feel it is right, we will marry.

  I am going to ask you both something important. Please do not try to find me. You will not be able to. I cannot tell you exactly where I am, but I know that if you go to Mrs. Victoria Hilton’s home, she will know how to get a message to me if it is important.

  I am sorry about the way I am leaving. You both have been like a brother and sister to me, ever since my parents died, and I will be forever grateful. I can’t really explain to you why I feel I should embark on this new life, but please know that I do feel it is the right decision for me.

  Nicky, I am enclosing enough money to cover my expenses for the next two months. If I do not return, you are welcome to use the rest of the funds in my account as you see fit.

  Love you both always,

  Kimberly

  Nicky sat on Kimberly’s bed in shock. She couldn’t believe what she had just read. Kimberly had just left to go meet a man she had never met before, without making plans ahead of time? This didn’t sound like her friend, who usually took quite a bit of time thinking through things before she made any kind of decision. What was going on? She read through the letter again and then pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to call her brother, Justin. Maybe Kimberly had told him something that she hadn’t shared in the letter.

  When she reached Justin, she quickly told her brother what was going on. He told her he hadn’t heard from her and had no idea where she was.

  “I’ll be over in a few minutes,” Justin told her. “Let me finish feeding Garrett some dinner first.”

  Nicky knew it would be a while before Justin arrived because Garrett was a picky eater and didn’t believe in eating quickly. She spent the next 30 minutes looking through all of Kimberly’s belongings trying to find any hint where she might be, and where Patrick lived.

  “Kimberly, I hope you didn’t get yourself in some serious trouble,” she whispered to herself. Why would she leave suddenly like this? It
was so unlike her.

  Nicky couldn’t find anything that would tell them where Kimberly was. She noticed that all of her clothes were still in the closet and dresser drawers, including her favorite shirts and jeans. She did notice that her colored pencils were gone, along with her pad of paper she kept with her all the time, but other than that, everything that Kimberly owned was still in her room, including her cell phone. Why wouldn’t she have at least taken her phone? And why wouldn’t she need the extra money in her account?

  There was a knock on the front door and Justin stepped inside, ushering Garrett in ahead of him. “Nicky?” he called and she walked into the living room.

  Justin gave her a look. “Let me get Garrett settled with a game and then we can talk in the kitchen.” Nicky nodded, glad that her brother was here. He would know what to do. She went into the kitchen, knowing that she was ready to break down in tears, and she didn’t want to alarm Garrett.

  “Okay, tell me what’s going on,” Justin said to her as he sat down beside her at the small kitchen table. Nicky quickly told him what she knew and gave him the letter Kimberly had left on her bed. She sat silently while he read it, watching as Justin’s face looked surprised and then frustrated.

  “Why would she just leave like this, without talking to us about it first?” Justin asked with frustration.

  “I’m trying to figure that out myself,” Nicky told him. “She has never made a decision like this without at least talking to me about it. I’m afraid something is wrong. What if she was forced to go?”

  “So you don’t have any idea where she is?”

  Nicky shook her head. “She hadn’t even talked to me about this since she wrote that first letter at Mrs. Hilton’s home. I just assumed she decided it wasn’t a good idea. I know I told her that a million times that day.”

  “Maybe that’s why she didn’t talk to you about it, because she knew you weren’t going to approve.”

  “Don’t turn this on me,” Nicky said defensively, folding her arms, and turning away.

  Justin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Sorry, but if you were that insistent this was a dumb idea, I’m not surprised she didn’t tell you what she was doing.”

  Nicky waved her hand at him and changed the subject. “What are we going to do? I think we should call the police. I still think maybe she was forced to leave.”

  “Judging from this note, I don’t think she was forced to leave.” Justin picked up the letter and waved it at her. “She even left you money for her expenses.”

  Nicky ignored Justin’s reasoning. “I think we should call the police, or at least go to Mrs. Hilton’s home and see if she will tell us where Kimberly is.”

  Justin sighed again and pulled out his cell phone. Very quickly he was talking to police dispatch, and after being put on hold a few times, listening briefly to someone on the other end, he hung up.

  “The police won’t do anything about it until she is missing for 48 hours.”

  “Seriously!” Nicky screeched. “Something really bad could happen to her in 48 hours!”

  “Just repeating what they said,” Justin told her. Nicky felt a presence behind her and saw Garrett sliding into a chair beside his dad.

  “Is something wrong?” Garrett asked in a small voice. Nicky felt remorse that she hadn’t kept her emotions under control. The last thing she wanted was for Garrett to worry about Kimberly.

  “Nothing, bud,” Justin rubbed the top of Garrett’s head with his hand, mussing his hair. “Kimberly isn’t here right now and Nicky is worried about her.”

  “Oh,” Garrett looked confused at his words. “Maybe you should just call her then.”

  Nicky turned her attention to Justin. “Can we drive out to Mrs. Hilton’s house tomorrow if she hasn’t come home by then?”

  Justin hesitated and then nodded. “Yes, let’s do that. I guess her house is a good as place as any to look for her.” He looked at his son. “I really need to get Garrett home. He has some homework he needs to get done and it’s almost his bedtime.”

  “Ah, dad, can’t we stay for a while?” Garrett whined, but stopped at Justin’s look. Soon they both were gone, leaving Nicky alone in the townhouse. She was frustrated that the police weren’t willing to help, and wanted to start looking for Kimberly that night. At least Justin was taking her concerns seriously and was willing to drive to Mrs. Hilton’s home the next day. Hopefully, by tomorrow evening Kimberly would be back here where she belonged.

  Chapter 11

  Kimberly woke up the next morning feeling very rested, much better than she had the night before. She laid on the bed for a while and looked around the small cabin. It looked to be about 12 feet wide and maybe 10 feet long. There was little furniture in the cabin, just the bed she slept on, a small wood stove in a corner, and a large trunk that had been placed against a wall under a small window that had faded blue flowered curtains covering it. This cabin would definitely be only for sleeping in. There was a large colorful braided rug on the floor, much like the one that she saw in the larger cabin. The cabin had been made of logs that had what looked to be gray clay between each log.

  She got up and looked carefully at the bed. A mattress had been placed on top of some ropes that had been strung up. She remembered reading about these types of beds in her novels. It didn’t look very comfortable, but she had gotten a good night sleep. She put on the dress Patrick had purchased for her the day before. It was a simple but sturdy light blue dress, with long sleeves and a high neck. She tied an apron on as well, thinking she would probably get dirty throughout the day. She saw some pegs that lined the wall that the trunk was against so she used these to hang up the rest of the dresses. She opened the trunk and saw that there were a few folded quilts in it, along with some scraps of fabric. She took a piece of fabric and wrapped the key in it. Then she placed the key on the bottom of the trunk, under the quilts, along with her drawing supplies and medical kit. She hoped they would be safe there and no one would come in, look in there, and find them. She stored the carpetbag under the bed.

  She noticed a small pail of water on the stove, although the stove wasn’t lit. She used a towel that was nearby and washed her face and arms and then brushed and braided her hair. Soon she was ready for the day and what it would bring.

  She wondered what time it was and hoped it wasn’t too late in the day. She was starving and hoped she woke up in time for breakfast. She left the cabin and walked to the back door. She wasn’t sure if she should just walk in or knock, so she decided to knock. The door opened and she saw the entire family at the table eating breakfast.

  “Hello, Kimberly,” Bridget greeted her as she opened the door. “You don’t need to knock. Come in for breakfast.”

  Kimberly said hello and smiled at everyone as she sat down next to Patrick. Soon there was a plate full of food in front of her. There was bacon, biscuits, and scrambled eggs, along with a bowl of what looked to be oatmeal. There was so much food, she didn’t know if she would be able to eat it all. In her time, all she ever ate was a bowl of cereal and maybe a piece of toast or fruit for breakfast.

  “Did you sleep well?” Patrick asked her with a smile. She noticed him eying her dress and hair, and felt self-conscious. She worried she had put something on wrong, then she made eye contact with him. She saw a sparkle of fondness in his eyes, and looked away with a blush on her cheeks.

  “Yes, thank you,” Kimberly responded as she ate a bite of eggs.

  “Is the cabin to your liking?” Patrick asked.

  “Of course,” Kimberly nodded. “It is very comfortable.” She looked around at all the family members. Colleen was still in her nightgown and she had her head leaning against one of her hands as she ate with the other. She looked like she was still half asleep. Kimberly chuckled softly as she compared this to the excitement Colleen had shown when she had met her the day before. Shaun and Keegan were talking about the plans for the day with Patrick and she quietly listened as she ate
.

  “Can you tell me what everyone does on the ranch?” Kimberly asked when there was a pause in the conversation.

  “Sure,” Patrick told her, looking pleased at her interest. “I’m over the cattle and the general running of this ranch. I also raise cattle dogs. Everyone actually helps wherever they are needed, but Shaun also works with the horses.”

  Kimberly nodded at his words. “Yes, Colleen told me yesterday that she gets a horse you’re training.” She looked at Shaun who glanced at her and then back at his food without answering her. Instantly, she got a definite impression Shaun didn’t want her there.

  “Keegan doesn’t have a specific job. He just helps wherever we need him to,” Patrick continued.

  “I take care of the house and cooking, along with the garden and chickens. Colleen helps me. She is a great helper, aren’t you dear?” Bridget said, addressing the child.