A quiver of fear trembled in Eva’s voice, overshadowing her impatience. Willow set the plate on the table and then gently rubbed her friend’s shoulders. “You’ll be just fine. The baby will be here in a little while, and all will be well.”
“I get so scared sometimes. When the baby stops moving around, I think that it’s gone like the last one.”
“Hush now. You shouldn’t think like that. Everything will happen the way it’s supposed to. Now go over there and rest. I’m here to help, and I can’t do that with you underfoot.”
Willow folded her arms across her chest and watched while Eva followed her suggestion. Once the mother-to-be settled in the rocking chair, Willow finished her task of cleaning up the dining area. She pushed the remains of Eva’s meal into the pail and then turned to Thor’s plate. Most of the food had been eaten, but not all.
The man had shoveled the meal in as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks instead of days. She couldn’t see herself tossing his plate to the pigs, considering how hungry he had been earlier. She draped a napkin over his plate and set the plate on the stove to keep it warm.
Tending to the remains of Thor’s meal made her thoughts drift to him. A few minutes had passed since he stormed from the cabin. Despite his flirtatious manner, he appeared to be a gentleman. Surely, he would not leave without saying goodbye.
Her stomach fluttered unhappily. An urgent need to see for herself that in his whirlwind of emotion he had not left overcame her. She grabbed the pail of leftovers and called out to Eva, “I’ll be right back.”
Willow paid little attention to the squealing pigs as she tossed their food into the trough. If her lack of conversation saddened them, she failed to notice. Shading her squinting eyes from the afternoon sun, she searched the yard for any sign of Thor. Silently, she cursed her limited eyesight and her forgetfulness. Remembering her spectacles would make life more manageable.
“Looking for me?”
Her skirt brushed against him as she whipped around. Willow’s flesh tingled from the caress of his breath, so warm against her cheek. Heat flowed from his body to hers even though a few inches separated them.
Willow lifted her chin to look boldly into his eyes. His earlier wild disposition appeared subdued. Concern, confusion, and a hint of avid interest filled his intense stare.
Her heart pounded. Never had one person baffled and affected her so. This stranger’s power over her senses frighteningly excited her.
“I—I was feeding the pigs.”
“Liar.”
He reached for the pail, his hand sliding over hers. Strong, caressing fingertips lingered on her knuckles far longer than necessary. A tingling sensation coursed through her hand and caused her to gasp in surprise. She stepped back and turned away.
The handle of the pail clattered. From the sound, she knew that he had set it on the ground. He crossed in front of her. His hand tugged on the fence railing of the pigpen, testing the wood’s sturdiness. Soon after, he pulled himself up and sat on the wooden plank.
“I saw you looking around after you fed the pigs.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “Listen, Willow, I hope I didn’t offend you at the creek. I have a habit of acting on impulse.”
“You didn’t scare me.” His quiet admission oddly flattered her. “Your candor surprised me is all, sir.”
“Please, don’t do that. Don’t call me Sir. Call me Thor.”
Her breath lodged in her throat. “Even with freedom, there are still some liberties that are not extended to me.”
An unpleasant scowl darkened his face, but he nodded in acceptance. “What about in private? You don’t have to be so formal with me. It’s not necessary.”
“Very well.” She found herself trusting him. Looking down at the tuffs of grass near her feet, she murmured, “In private.”
Willow dawdled near the fence. With her task of feeding the pigs completed, she had no real reason for remaining outside. Yet, she couldn’t leave.
The earlier questions about his possible involvement in the anti-slavery movement tormented her. She wanted desperately to get answers for them. The unknown strengthened her hesitation.
What if he were a spy? The movement demanded secrecy. She dared not let anything slip. If he were not for the cause, many lives would be endangered. Perhaps, it would be best to leave her questions unanswered.
Words of departure rested on the tip of her tongue, then she discovered him watching her. The heat of his gaze burned into her straight through to her heart. She couldn’t look away even if she wanted to.
“I’m sorry for my actions at the table. You set a fine meal, and I almost ruined it. It’s just that…well, I needed to know.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have a real reason.” He broke his stare to look at the trail. “I’ve been out here trying to figure out what happened and what brought me here. I keep waiting for Cal to wake me up and tell me to quit dreaming. But when I look at you and this place,” he said, turning his gaze to her again, “I know this is all real. I just don’t know what I’m doing here, Willow. I just don’t know.”
“You’re Mr. Anders’s relation, you said. Aren’t you visiting him and Miss Eva?”
“Maybe that’s it,” he said quietly, “But I know they’ll be fine. I can’t see them as the reason for this hurdle through time.”
“Hurdle through time? I don’t understand.”
His eyes darkened. The piercing stare returned. “I think you do. You may not realize it all at first, but deep down you know that I’m not like most of the men around here. I’m not like any of the men you know.”
“Sir!”
Thor jumped from the fence. He didn’t touch her, but the look on his face told her he wanted to. Roughly, he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I didn’t mean it in that way, Willow. I meant in how I act. To you, I must seem forward and brash. I’m not shy about my attraction to you despite the difference in our skin color. My time made me the man that I am, and I’m not ashamed of it. I just wish I knew why I’m here.”
His statements bordered on insanity, but the truth resonated in his declaration. He simply was unlike any white man she knew.
His clothing resembled the general store’s offering, but the material was finer, softer. His shoes were odd, white with a slash of red on both sides. His way with words…the intensity of his emotion… Everything about him left her dumbfounded.
“I don’t know what to say to ease your mind. How did you come to be near the creek if you hadn’t intended to visit Miss Eva and Mr. Anders? Isn’t Mr. Anders your kin?”
“I stayed up all night, working on a watch my Pop gave me. He and my brother, Cal, went fishing and I took a walk. I sat down near the old creek and checked the pocket watch. It was still working when I fell asleep. The next thing I know, someone’s humming,” he answered. “Yes, Anders and Eva are family, and since I’m here now, I guess I’m supposed to visit them.”
“You said that your time was different. What did you mean by that?”
“I’m from the future. The year was 1985 where I come from.”
“That’s over a hundred years from now! Maybe you should come back inside to finish your plate.”
She spun on her heel, intent on grabbing the pail and going back inside the cabin. His ramblings were almost un-Christian.
Nineteen hundred and eighty-five?
Time travel was simply impossible! Passage from the South to the North was hazardous enough. His journey must have been harrowing for him to fabricate such tall tales. Surely, a heaping plate of collards and hot water cornbread would settle him and calm his senses.
Willow never reached the bucket. Thor grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. “I’m not so hungry that I’m hallucinating. I can give you proof.”
She looked pointedly at his hand. After he released her, she met his gaze and said, “Proof.”
“Okay. Can you read?”
He hesitated, re
ady if she took flight. When she didn’t move, he stuck his hand into his back pocket. A flat, black pouch made of leather rested in the palm of his hand. He opened it and pulled out a small, square card.
“Look at that.” He gave her the unusual object. “It’s a driver’s license. There’s my birthday. Nineteen fifty-seven was the year I was born. See my color photo. That’s my identification. I have a few credit cards in here, but they won’t mean as much as my driver’s license. Do you believe me now?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’ve never heard about anything like this,” she murmured.
Willow held the card close to her face. Her gaze absorbed the information that the tiny license held. A thumb-sized representation of Thor’s face swam before her eyes. His features were fierce and his blue eyes twinkled.
Quickly she memorized the details before handing the card back. “I suppose I believe you, but I don’t understand it. If you are from the future, what are you doing here? Now?”
“I don’t know!” he exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. “I think the watch brought me here. I went back to the creek to look for it, but it wasn’t there.”
“Well, one thing’s for sure, you can’t tell anyone what you’ve told me and that includes your kin. Talk about coming from the future would raise hackles up on some folks. They’d lock you up or maybe something worse.”
He gave her a faint smile. “We’ll keep it between us then. I knew I could trust you.”
The warmth of his voice sent quivers up and down her spine. Her thoughts spun and her senses reeled, leaving her dizzy and confused. She needed to put some distance between him and the wanton urges he stirred inside her. Stooping down, she grabbed the pail by its handle and swiftly turned to the rear of the cabin.
“I’d best go back inside now. Your plate is warming on the stove should you get hungry again.”
“Thank you, Willow.”
“You’re welcome…Thor.” Then she hurried inside the cabin.
* * *
Thor apologized to the women for his earlier abrupt departure, and then spent the day communing with nature and reacquainting himself with manual labor.
The afternoon sun was warm and its golden beams, energizing. Strangely invigorated, he searched for something to do. The pigpen needed mucking. He grabbed a shovel and went to work. Thor soon found himself working harder than he had since the football training camp of nineteen eighty-four.
The rambunctious pigs rutted and frolicked around him. His rubber-soled athletic shoes failed to provide the necessary traction. Outmatched by the mud and the playful pigs, he slipped. Loud squeals of protest echoed in the quiet air. The women rushed out of the cabin to investigate.
Thor guessed he must have looked a sight to the women. Flat on his behind in a pile of mud with pigs running back and forth in an uproar, he couldn’t fault them for laughing at his predicament.
“Oh, my!” Eva pressed her hand against her mouth as her body shook with mirth. Shaking her head, she waved her hand at Thor before disappearing inside the cabin again.
Willow handled her humor less prettily. Giggles shook her hourglass frame until tears fell from her eyes. While wiping her eyes and pausing to breathe, she slowly made her way from the cabin to the pigpen.
Her attempt to hold her laughter in check and regard Thor with a solemn face lasted all of two seconds. Upon her arrival, Thor tried to stand only to trip over one of the excited pigs. He landed on his backside again.
“Be careful!” Her warning held the distinct tinkle of laughter.
“Was that for the pigs or for me?” he asked with a deep chuckle.
He rolled onto all fours and crawled to her. The fence supported his effort to stand. Air lodged in his chest. The sparkle of amusement in her black eyes and the flash of dimples did the impossible. She appeared even more beautiful than the first time he saw her. His mouth parted, but words failed to come.
In response to his unwavering gaze, her laughter faltered and then abruptly died. As rapid as an electrical storm, awareness charged the air between them. The tip of her pink tongue darted, moistening her full, sensual lips.
Her voice was hoarse and void of humor when she spoke to him. “Both.”
“Excuse me?”
His senses blasted into overload. Her womanly scent, sweet like honeysuckles, filled his nostrils. His mouth watered. An ache to taste her burned inside his gut. The thrill of anticipation made him forget his earlier question.
Her olive black eyes shone with an invitation that Thor couldn’t refuse. He pulled himself over the fence. His intentions must have been obvious as she stepped back and shook her head in disapproval.
“You mustn’t.” Desire and regret filled her tremulous whisper. Her mouth parted to say more, but the sound of pounding hooves, jangling harnesses, and a boisterous voice drowned them out.
The interruption brought a disappointing end to the special moment. Thor watched in silence as Willow moved away to pat the pair of horses and greet the driver of the wagon with a smile. A surge of jealousy soared through him as her lips curved in genuine affection. Through narrowed eyes, Thor glared at the visitor as he climbed down from the wagon.
The man was about twenty years older than Thor. Chestnut brown hair with flashes of silver peaked from underneath his wide-brimmed hat and fell to the top collar of his coat. Lines etched from the corner of his eyes and Thor couldn’t be sure if they were from humor or worry. Although the sun browned his face, the man was white, and he returned Willow’s greeting with a smile.
“I believe you left something this morning.” The stranger pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket and handed them to her. “I’m surprised you were able to find your way without them.”
“Thank you, Reverend.” She hesitated and glanced at Thor before sliding the glasses on. “I hadn’t realized I’d left them until I had come too far to go back. You didn’t have to bring them. I’ll be home tonight.”
He shook his head. “Not tonight. I saw Anders in town just a while ago. He’ll be staying over. Yates told him he’d get his full pay if he finishes adding on the extra room before the week is over. Anders asked me if you could tend to Miss Eva until he comes home. I told him I was sure you could, but of course, the choice is yours.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t want Miss Eva to be here alone.”
“I thought you’d say that.” The man grabbed a parcel from the rear of the wagon and gave it to her. “Olivia packed some of your things just in case your stay is longer than one night. She included your lessons, and she was most particular about those sonnets. I’d get to studying if I were you.” He turned his attention to Thor, looking at him as if he just noticed the younger man. “Now who might you be? You have the look of Magnusen. I reckon you must be kin.”
“Reverend Brown, this is Mr. Thor Magnusen,” Willow introduced in a rush.
Brown’s eyebrow twitched, and he nodded his head once. “Thank you, Miss Elkridge. I ’spect he can tell me the rest. You’d best let Miss Eva know that her Anders won’t be with her tonight. Tell her I’ll bring the supplies in directly.”
“Yes, sir.” Her wide skirt whistled as she turned away and left the men alone.
Thor’s gaze followed her until she was inside the cabin and then he looked at the Reverend. Judging from Willow’s behavior, the man was decent enough, but that didn’t quiet his annoyance at their casual relationship. What was the man to her? Why did they share the same home?
Thor edged closer to the man and his wagon. With his arms folded across his chest, he strained to maintain an even disposition while jealousy gushed inside his veins.
“Reverend Mitchell Brown.” The older man extended his hand with the introduction. “I suppose I’m pleased to meet you, Thor Magnusen, but by the looks of you, I haven’t decided, yet. Anders didn’t mention to me that he was expecting his kinfolk to visit.”
“It was a spur of the moment decision,” Thor answered him after shaking the man’s hand.
“Oh, I see. Well, come on,” he invited with the wave of his hand, “help me unload the wagon. We can get acquainted while performing a good deed for our fellow man.”
Thor sauntered to the rear of the wagon. He had no problems with helping around his ancestors’ home. He would do whatever he could for however long he was there. Until he found that damn watch…
A cool chill swept through him at that thought. How long would he be there? Back in time with his family was strange enough, but what if he never found the timepiece? Hell, what if nothing happened when he found it?
“Something wrong?” Brown rested his large hand firmly on Thor’s shoulder. “You’re looking peaked around the edges.”
Thor pushed his questions aside for later. He offered the older man a thin-lipped smile and shrugged. “Nothing wrong, sir.”
“Good. Let’s get to work then.”
Lumber filled the wagon bed and a medium-sized crate squeezed against the side. The crate held supplies for the home. At a glance, Thor read the labels for wheat flour, sugar, cornmeal, and coffee. Other items rattled and sighed as he lifted the crate from the wagon’s floor and headed for the cabin. Before he could take more than a few steps, the Reverend swiftly relieved him of the wooden box.
“I’ll take this inside. You can get started on the planks.”
The older man crossed the yard and moved toward the cabin. Irritation bristled inside of Thor at the man’s manner. Of course, the good Reverend wanted Thor to start with the heavy work while he rested inside with the ladies and ate a plateful of Willow’s fine cooking.
“Figures,” he mumbled, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
Thor rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Removing lumber from a wagon proved to be easier than cleaning out a pigpen and not as smelly. The repetitious movement even calmed his racing thoughts. Perspiration dampened his brow. The strenuous activity gave him the peace of mind to think things through rationally. As he piled the wood in front of the pigpen, he thought back to his nap and the events that occurred right before and right after it.
He remembered staying awake all night to think about his life. Football was out and something had to replace it. The something hadn’t been revealed to him, but when morning came, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. No, his life wasn’t completely over and would get back on track again.
Love Lasts Forever Page 4
