Touched by Time

by Zoe Matthews

  Patrick had left for the day with Shaun. They planned on purchasing items they would need for the summer on the ranch.

  Kimberly saw the door to the room which she knew held many items Victoria had collected from the traveling to different time periods. She tried to open the door, but it was locked.

  The day passed quickly. That afternoon Bridget took Colleen on a walk to a nearby park because the girl was having a hard time being inside for so long. During this time, Kimberly was able to read her letter from Nicky.

  The letter was short. Nicky expressed that she was glad Kimberly was okay and happy. She mentioned a few things that were happening in their time, including the job Nicky had taken, to teach summer school for six weeks. She gave updates on Justin and his son, Garrett.

  The last paragraph made Kimberly smile. Nicky mentioned she was interested in maybe being a mail-order bride too, and she hoped that she would be able to see her soon. Kimberly knew that Nicky was using Victoria’s business as an excuse to come visit. She couldn’t picture Nicky being willing to meet a man, sight unseen, and make a commitment to marry him before spending months with him beforehand.

  She did wonder what would happen if Victoria took her seriously and sent her the paperwork. How far would Nicky go?

  ****

  That afternoon, Patrick sought Kimberly out. He had returned from purchasing what he needed for the ranch and he was ready to talk to Kimberly and to make a final decision about their future. He found her sitting on a bench in Victoria’s gardens. The bench was down a fairly long path with plenty of trees to provide shade. There were yellow and white flowers lining either side of the path, along with shrubs directly behind them. The air smelled so fresh and clean next to all the plants, and Kimberly was feeling quite relaxed.

  Kimberly smiled as he approached and she rose to greet him.

  “Have you had a good day so far?” he asked her as he helped her sit down beside him on the bench.

  Kimberly nodded. “Bridget and I helped Victoria get a room ready for Keegan to use when he comes this fall.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad this has worked out for him. I was a bit worried having him board with a family I didn’t know.”

  Kimberly nodded. “What about you? Were you able to purchase everything you needed?”

  “Yes.” Patrick took notice of what Kimberly was wearing. He hadn’t asked her what she had purchased the day before, but Bridget had informed him that she had bought a few more riding pants, and he noticed that she was wearing a pair.

  “Do you want to go riding? Is that why you have riding breaches on?” he asked her.

  Kimberly smiled slightly. “No. I’m wearing them because they are more comfortable than skirts. I’m really not used to wearing dresses so much.”

  Patrick felt confused at her words, but then realized she was talking about her time. “What did you usually wear in… 2005? Don’t women where dresses?” he asked, trying to get used to the idea of saying her time.

  “Women do wear dresses sometimes, but they are shorter and have less fabric. I usually wore pants most of the time,” Kimberly explained. She almost started describing her outfits more in detail, but stopped after seeing the confusion on his face. She realized she would have to take this slow.

  Patrick couldn’t picture what she was describing. To him, it sounded like women in the future wore too little clothing.

  “I want to talk to you about the time travel,” Patrick told her. “I think we need to make a decision. I need to know if you really are willing to stay here, in 1892.”

  Kimberly smiled and nodded her head firmly. “Yes. I like your time period. I love your ranch and your family. I would like to stay here.”

  “What if I decide I don’t want to deal with the situation that you are from the future? What would you do?” Patrick asked curiously, although he wasn’t considering it.

  He was surprised to see tears form in Kimberly’s eyes and she quickly looked away as if to hide her face from him. “Kimberly?”

  “I would have to go back to my time, I guess,” she whispered.

  He took his hand and lifted her face so he could see her eyes. What he saw moved him. He could see her feelings for him. He could tell that she desperately wanted to stay with him. At that moment, he knew he was making the right decision in believing her and her story.

  “I’m going to make this official.” Patrick stood up, then knelt down in front of her, keeping her hands in his own. “Kimberly, will you marry me?”

  He watched as her eyes teared up some more and he wondered at the source, but then he saw a smile spread over her face. “Really? Do you believe me? You do want to marry me?” she asked shakily.

  Patrick nodded. “I had a talk with Collins and he helped me understand a few things. I do believe you, although it is still hard to picture how those keys work.”

  “Yes, I will marry you,” Kimberly threw herself into his arms.

  As Patrick held her, he felt a strong bond growing between them. He cupped her face with his callused hands and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss became the beginning of a link that would hold them together throughout all time.

  “I do have one question,” Patrick told her after their kiss. “What if someday you change your mind? From what I’ve gathered, living in the future is much easier than now.”

  Kimberly reached and touched his face with her hand. His heart pounded when she did this. He realized she always did this when she had something important to say to him.

  “I promise, Patrick, I will not leave you. I am committed to stay in this time and I am committed to you. I don’t want to go back to my time.”

  “What about your friends?” He asked, speaking of Nicky and Justin.

  “I admit, I will miss them, but I have been able to write Nicky a few letters. I think I will be able to stay in touch with them through Victoria and Collins, but even if that ends, your family has become my family, your ranch has become my home. I will never regret my decision to stay here with you.”

  Patrick gathered her into his arms again, and this time he just held her against him. He felt so blessed that this woman had chosen him to be her husband. She was so beautiful, he figured she could have picked whoever she wanted from her time, and she chose him instead.

  “Why did you decide to be a mail-order bride, to come from your time to mine?”

  She chuckled at the memory, and explained, “I first answered the ad on a dare from Nicky. But after I read your first letter, I felt a peace in my heart. I knew this was the direction I should go.”

  Patrick felt a stirring in his soul at her words. He realized that he had felt the same thing when he had read her first response. They were meant to be together, even though Kimberly had to travel so far to make that happen.

  “When would you like to marry?” Patrick asked her.

  “I would like to marry you now, if possible. I would like to go back to your ranch as your wife.”

  A huge grin broke out on Patrick’s face. “Then, that is what we will do.”

  ****

  After Colleen had been put to bed, the rest of the family, along with Victoria and Collins, again gathered in the parlor. Kimberly had told Victoria that afternoon that she and Patrick were officially engaged and wanted to marry before they returned to the ranch. Victoria was very happy to hear the news and was glad that she had been able to work things out with Patrick.

  “I knew you two were meant to be together,” Victoria had told her with a hug.

  Bridget had also been delighted with the news. She immediately started to make plans for the small wedding, which was to be held in two days’ time. Colleen asked if she could wear a new dress. Keegan was thrilled to be gaining another sister and promised her a wedding gift when they returned to the ranch.

  The only person who did not seem delighted with the news was Shaun. Kimberly knew he didn’t trust easily and he treated her with suspicion. He was always polite to her, especially after Keegan recover
ed from his injury so quickly, but he was reserved with her. She knew he had questions about her and also knew that the entire family needed to be told about her history.

  Luckily, Victoria and Collins had agreed, and they planned to tell Patrick’s family that evening.

  They had agreed that Collins would be the one to explain everything about the keys and time travel. Kimberly got the idea that Collins volunteered to do this to protect Victoria from any backlash or negative comments that might be said.

  When Collins started to talk, Kimberly watched Shaun, Keegan, and Bridget carefully, wanting to make sure they understood, wanting to know what they thought of what was being said. Collins started the conversation by explaining how Victoria had come into possession of both keys and the way she learned how they worked. Victoria explained a few of her early trips with time travel, visiting her family home in England and going back further in time to Ireland where she met her grandmother and found the second key.

  Not suprisingly, Shaun’s face grew more and more tense with the story. Bridget, on the other hand, looked fascinated with what Collins described.

  “I knew there was something odd about you,” Shaun accused as he looked at Kimberly. “Time travel just can’t happen. I can’t believe you would just make this all up so you can marry Patrick.”

  Kimberly opened her mouth to defend herself when she felt an arm slide around her shoulders. “Be careful what you say, brother. You don’t know what you are talking about.”

  Keegan’s eyes lit up with interest during Collins story and he immediately wanted to see the keys. “Can I try them out? I promise I will come right back,” he asked with a grin.

  Bridget was a little more reserved with her response, but in the end she said, “Patrick, you have never given me a reason to doubt you, in all our growing up and adult years. Everything you have ever told me was truth. I have no reason to doubt you now. If you say time travel can happen, and you believe Kimberly is from the future, then I believe it, too. Although I’m not sure I’m as eager as Keegan to try them.”

  “At this time, no one will be trying them,” Victoria told everyone with firmness in her voice. “I need to ask everyone in this room to not talk about the keys in public or tell anyone else about them. For your safety, this needs to be kept secret. We are telling you about them for Kimberly’s sake, because she and Patrick are to be married, and we feel it will be easier on everyone if the truth is known, but no one else should know.”

  Chapter 31

  The next day was very busy. Kimberly spent the morning with Bridget and Victoria getting ready for her wedding. Victoria had brought out her wedding dress and asked Kimberly if she would like to wear it. Kimberly instantly fell in love with the gown, even though it was a bit yellow with age. It had a wide neck, showing off her neck with elegance. There was a lace overlay that covered the entire gown, and extended behind the skirt to form a small train. There was a curved "V" just above her hips. Kimberly couldn't imagine finding a dress more suited for the occasion. Bridget agreed to help Kimberly with her hair and Colleen wanted to help choose flowers for the bouquet.

  At one point, Victoria pulled her aside. “I would like to give you a wedding gift. Is there anything you might need?”

  Kimberly shook her head. “I have everything I need. I just wish…”

  “What do you wish?” Victoria asked when Kimberly stopped talking.

  “I wish Nicky could be here. A long time ago we promised we would attend each other’s weddings. I know it isn’t possible, but I do wish she could be here.”

  Victoria didn’t comment and changed the subject, but she remained thoughtful after their conversation.

  ****

  Victoria sent Kimberly out to choose the flowers she wanted for some vases and then went to find Collins. She understood Kimberly’s desire to have her best friend at her wedding and wanted to see if there was a way they could make it happen.

  She found Collins in the kitchen. When she entered, she saw Collins look up and smile. For the first time, Victoria had seen Collins true feelings when he looked at her. She had suspected for some time that Collins had feelings for her, but he was always so formal and reserved around her. She always wondered if he would ever be able to relax around her. It seemed that having Kimberly, Patrick, and his family around made Collins a bit less formal.

  He stood when she walked up to him and she indicated that he could sit back down.

  “Is there something you needed, ma’am?” Collins asked her.

  “Yes, I was wondering what you thought about bringing Nicky here for Kimberly and Patrick’s wedding,” Victorian said. She knew that he would need to agree because he would be the one to go get her and bring her to 1892. She also wanted his opinion on the matter. She had learned to trust his instincts, that they were usually right.

  Collins didn’t answer at first and Victoria started to wonder if he didn’t think it was a good idea but didn’t want to say anything. Finally he spoke. “I think it would be good for Kimberly to have someone she knows here at her wedding, but are you sure this is the right thing to do? Patrick knows the truth, and now his siblings all know. The more people who know about this, the more dangerous it could be.”

  Victoria hadn’t thought of that. She had just been thinking about Kimberly’s desire to have her friend attend her wedding. “I guess it isn’t a good idea.”

  “I didn’t say that. How about this. Ask Kimberly to write Nicky another letter and I will deliver it to her. I will feel Nicky out, see if she will be receptive to the idea. If she is, I will explain to her about the keys and where Kimberly is. If she wants to come, I will bring her. If she doesn’t believe me, most likely she will decide I am just an old man with an old man’s ramblings, and I will leave quietly.”

  “You aren’t an old man,” Victoria smiled at him. For if he was an old man, then she was an old woman.

  So the plan was put in place. Victoria asked Kimberly to write her friend the letter, which Kimberly did with excitement. She was glad for the opportunity to at least let Nicky know of her wedding and how happy she was with Patrick. Victoria also asked Kimberly for the key she had kept hidden for the last month. She watched Kimberly’s face carefully as she placed the key in her hand, making sure the young woman didn’t show any regrets in giving up the last link to her time, but there was none. Kimberly happily returned the key. Kimberly had no idea what Victoria and Collins were planning.

  That evening after dinner was over, Collins quietly left. Using the second key, he pictured the townhouse where Kimberly had lived with Nicky and just that quickly, he was there.

  ****

  Nicky was getting ready for bed when she heard a knock on the door. Justin had just left with Garrett and she figured they had forgotten something, so she opened the door without looking to see who it was. She was surprised to see Collins standing stiffly on her porch.

  “Hi, again,” Nicky greeted him. She wondered why he was here so soon after his last visit. Maybe he had another letter from Kimberly. If he did, maybe that meant that Kimberly was living closer that she thought. Maybe she was still in Denver.

  “Hello, May I come in?” Collins asked, and Nicky stepped aside so he could enter. She invited him to sit down, which he did after she sat down on the couch.

  “So, how is Kimberly?” Nicky asked him.

  “I have another letter from her.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He also took something else out. It looked to be an old-fashioned gold key.

  Nicky accepted the letter, but didn’t open it, wishing to read it privately.

  “I have been sent to tell you that Kimberly and Patrick are going to marry on the morrow.”

  “That’s great, I guess,” Nicky told him. She was surprised for a moment at the short time frame, but relaxed when she remembered how taken Kimberly had sounded when she talked about Patrick in the last letter. Even though she was happy for her friend, she felt a distinct disappointment that she didn't ge
t to be at the wedding, or even meet Patrick. She had always imagined Kimberly asking for her opinion of a man before committing to marry him.

  “I have a story to tell you, if you have the time to listen,” Collins said.

  “Okay, yes, I have time,” Nicky responded.

  “Kimberly is not as far away from you as you think she is. She is just in another time.” Collins seemed to watch her carefully. “She has time traveled to 1892, using a key similar to this one,” Collins held out the key in his hand to show her.

  “Time travel?” Nicky asked with confusion. “There is such a thing as time travel? It’s real?”

  “Yes. Victoria owns another key like this one. Both of them have the power to take the person holding them back in time, forward in time, or to another place in the same time period.”