by Diane Darcy
Melissa snapped. “We have to get back! Today! Now tell me what you know!”
Richard shook his head at her, a look of disapproval on his face.
Jeremy crossed his legs at the ankle in front of him. “So what? Now you’re interested in my science presentation all of a sudden?”
The old man sat on the log beside a glaring Jessica and simply listened.
Melissa took another deep breath. “How often between blue moons, Jeremy?”
Jeremy smiled a not very nice smile. “The average is usually two-and-a-half-years. Sometimes three.”
Melissa gasped.
Jeremy smirked. “But sometimes it’s closer than that.”
Melissa felt weak. “What about us? What about now? Will we have to wait two-and-a-half-years?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I didn’t say that.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Then what are you saying?”
“Well, if you were listening last night, you’d remember I told you I memorized the blue moons since 1850 for extra credit. Of course you didn’t want to hear about it then, so you probably won’t now.”
The old man raised his hand, but Melissa ignored him. “Tell me. Tell me about 1887.”
“I have to go through the whole list from the beginning or I might forget.” Jeremy stretched. “Do you want to hear it now, or are you too busy?”
Melissa’s jaw ached from gritting her teeth. “Jeremy, please will you recite the blue moon schedule that you memorized?”
Jeremy smiled. “Sure. Okay, here it goes...July, 1852. May, 1855. December, 1857...”
Melissa listened to his singsong cadence and by the time Jeremy got to July, 1882, she was ready to scream.
“January, 1885. March, 1885. July, 1887,” he paused.
Melissa stilled. “What! When? When is the next one?”
He grinned, apparently having received the reaction he was looking for. “October thirty-first, 1887. Halloween night. Cool, huh?”
Melissa could barely breathe. “Three months?” she whispered. “The next blue moon is in three months? We can’t go home today?”
Horror engulfed her. How could she possibly stay in this dirty, nasty place for three months? “It’s just not possible.”
Jeremy smiled. “Could be worse. Could be for a lot longer.”
Yes. She needed to focus on that. At least it wasn’t a life sentence. Or even a two-and-a-half or three year sentence. She looked at the cabin and the surrounding area.
Could she do this for three months and keep her sanity? What choice did she have?
They’d need money of course. With a pang she realized she’d have to sell her wedding ring. She didn’t know if she could force herself to part with it. But it was worth a fortune and could easily...
Melissa looked down at her ring finger. Her empty ring finger. A tight, sick feeling enveloped her. She tried to suck in air.
She’d taken her ring off.
For the first time in fourteen years she’d taken her ring off. It was on the bureau at home. She glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, felt her earrings, and her heart sank. Trendy costume jewelry. There would be no money.
Barely able to breathe, Melissa glanced around wildly. “Could there be another way back? There’s got to be another way back. The moon is practically full for a week. Why can’t we go home tonight?”
Jeremy shrugged. “That’s not how blue moons work, Mom. There’s only one.”
“You don’t know that! Richard?”
Jessica started to sniffle, and Richard shook his head and shrugged.
Tears burned her eyes.
The old man raised his hand again. “You could ride out to Smithfield and catch a train if you need to get somewhere.”
“Will you just shut up!”
The old man crossed his arms and murmured about bossy, pig-headed, nekkid women.
Pushing a fist to her mouth, she turned, walked a few feet away and took a deep breath. She needed to look at this logically. At least she wasn’t stuck here permanently. She’d liken the experience to her apprenticeship with Xavier. That had been horrible and she’d gotten through it. Heck, she’d survived and come out on top. If she could do that, she could do anything, including living in this backward hole. Everything would be just fine.
She choked on her tears.
So if that were true, why did she have the sinking feeling that her apprenticeship was going to look like a walk in the park compared to this?
Chapter Five
Richard rose and walked toward Melissa. She obviously needed comfort. Even as he thought it, he felt a stab of guilt as he admitted to himself he was glad to have the opportunity to console her. Melissa was always in control, and seeing her so uncertain actually made him feel useful. He was good at fixing things, right? He placed gentle hands on her shoulders. “Melissa?”
She jerked away.
Hurt bit into him and he let his hands drop to his sides. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” She walked off.
He nodded and clenched his teeth hard. So much for being good at fixing things.
“Dad?” Jessica tugged on his sleeve. “We’re going to be all right, aren’t we?”
He gazed into his daughter’s big blue eyes. Sometimes she seemed so grown up, and at other times, like now, he still saw so much of the child in her. He reached out and touched her blonde hair. “Yes, Pumpkin. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” She smiled and ran off with Jeremy.
He’d told her the truth. They would be fine. He’d make sure of it. He glanced back at Melissa, wondering how to help her, and wishing that comforting her was as simple. Money would be her number one concern, and the least he could do was alleviate that worry.
Richard turned and saw Sully, still sitting on the log, and realized the blue moon conversation must have seemed very strange to him. “We must seem, um, different to you.”
Sully eyed him. “That’s to be expected, you being city folk and all.”
Richard rubbed his neck. “Do I need to explain anything?”
“Don’t want no details. Folks’s business is their own.”
At his innocent tone, Richard suppressed a smile. If Sully truly believed that, he wouldn’t be sitting where he was at that precise moment. But Richard was glad he had no explaining to do and decided to change the subject.
Richard glanced at the cabin again. “So, you built this all on your own?”
“Pretty much. I used to live in town. I still have a house there, but Louisa died and my son took off, so...” Sully shrugged. “I like it out here. Now all I gots to do is finish up a few things.”
Richard could see pride in his gaze. Richard would love nothing more than to stay here for the next three months, help Sully with the finish work on his cabin and talk to him about his life. But he knew that wasn’t feasible. “I don’t suppose you know of anyone hiring? I need a job.”
Sully nodded and looked relieved. No doubt he wasn’t excited about the way they’d descended on him and was hoping they’d leave soon. “I had you figured for the type of man who pulls his own load. The MacPhersons might be hiring.”
“Doing what?”
“Ranch work. It’s a cattle ranch. The property starts about three miles from here. “You got experience?”
Richard didn’t. He didn’t know anything about cattle, but somehow doubted there was much demand for a restoration expert in the area.
Sudden excitement built in his chest as the lyrics to the Toby Keith song, ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy,’ started to run through his head. His grin widened. “I can learn fast.”
“Hmm.” Sully looked doubtful. “Tell you what. You and yours can sleep at my place ‘til you get settled. I’m glad of the comp’ny. You’ll have to clean out the loft first. After you’re done, head on down the road and ask for a job. The Widow MacPherson owes me a favor. Tell her I sent you and you’ll get the job.”
Richard grinned. “Thanks.”
The tw
o of them headed back to the cabin and Richard mentally adjusted a cowboy hat atop his head. Yep, this was going to work out just fine.
* * *
Melissa hauled the fourth and last blanket up the ladder and set it on top of the others at the edge of the loft floor. Three rungs up, she peered into the dark interior of the loft. Were they really supposed to sleep in there? Granted, Richard had cleaned it thoroughly before he’d left, but still, new spiders were probably creeping through the sod roof and setting up house at that very moment.
She glanced at her wrist out of habit, and wished again she’d worn a watch. She also noticed her ring finger was bare and her heart clenched unexpectedly. She glanced back toward the door.
Richard had been gone forever. He just had to get the job. Maybe they could even leave tonight and wouldn’t have to sleep here at all. She searched the dark interior once more, positive she saw movement crawling within.
“You sure you don’t want the bed?”
Melissa closed her eyes as Sully’s raspy voice interrupted her thoughts. The guy was a broken record. She leaned down so she could see him where he sat at the table, and pasted on a fake smile. “Yes, I’m still quite sure.”
She’d sleep beside Richard and the kids on the hard plank floor. She had more faith in the cleanliness of the loft than she did in Sully’s bedcovers. Or the rest of the cabin for that matter. As much pride as the old guy took in his place, she’d have thought he’d clean it once in a while.
She fingered a blanket. At least the quilts seemed clean. And they actually smelled good too; like cedar. She could only hope they weren’t full of bugs. Sully had retrieved them from a trunk in the corner, mumbling something about his wife, who must have made them.
She ran her hand over the material and, even in the weak light, was impressed in spite of herself. The design was exquisite; collector quality. It was the type of quilt you’d find in a ritzy upscale shop on Rodeo Drive. She traced the pattern with one finger. Off-white blocks, green holly, red berries and rosebuds, a continuous red vine with yellow grapes and leaves running around the border. The stitching was beautiful, and obviously the work of an exceptionally talented needleworker.
A whining sound from below reminded her that Zeke waited. Ever since she’d put the miserable mutt in its place, he’d followed her around, slobbering on her whenever it had the chance. Her trendy white outfit had the stains to prove it. She’d just stay perched a while longer, like she was in a safety zone. She didn’t want to go up, but she didn’t want to go down either.
Laughter erupted at the table where the twins sat with the old man. He seemed to be teaching them how to gamble and they were fascinated. She ought to put a stop to Sully’s corruption of her children, but they seemed to be having fun, and they weren’t bothering her, so she let them be. Besides, with four of them inside the cabin, the quarters seemed even smaller. Claustrophobic. So at least the kids were sitting still.
She inhaled, caught a whiff of stew and her stomach rumbled. Sully had fed the children stew for dinner, and it actually smelled good. But she could wait a while longer, especially if it meant she could avoid accepting food from a man who had no soap to wash his hands with.
The kids laughed again and Melissa blinked moisture from her eyes. No one but her seemed to care they weren’t home. The horror of the place was lost on them; even the outhouse hadn’t fazed the kids. Jessica had actually joked about it. Melissa’s stomach lurched as she thought of the horrible experience she’d gone through. Twice.
Sully’s chair scraped across the floor as he tried to get a look at her face. “You sure you don’t want to join us? I could teach you to gamble too.”
Teach her? Huh. She was an expert, but had no intention of sharing that information. A nagging pain started in her temples. Would the guy shut up already? She supposed he was trying to be a good host, but she just wanted to be left alone. “No, thank you.” Her voice was singsong sweet.
“If you’re worried because you got no money, then you could use that there bracelet to wager with.”
Melissa glanced at the gold and silver bracelet dangling on her wrist. It wasn’t her Oscar de la Renta original, but over her dead body would he get his grimy paws on it. “I’m fine.”
“Well, would you want to trade for it?”
“No.” What did he want her bracelet for? Did he have a lady friend? The thought made her shudder.
“Well, what if--”
”No, no, no! I don’t want to gamble, I don’t want to trade! I just want to stand here and pretend I’m clean!”
Sully was silent for a moment, and Melissa was relieved. Good. He’d finally got the point.
“But what if--”
Melissa clenched her teeth just as a knock sounded on the door. Richard! She climbed down the three rungs, but wasn’t fast enough.
Sully had already reached the door, opened it, gone outside, and shut the door with a scrape of wood.
What was that about? She tried the door, but it didn’t open. She pounded on the wood. “Richard? The door is stuck. Can you get it open?”
No response.
She pounded again.
Suddenly, the door opened so fast that she almost fell.
Sully stuck his head inside. “My neighbor is here. You cain’t come outside in your unmentionables.”
A large face appeared in the dirty window, and Melissa jumped back, startled. She quickly straightened her spine. Maybe the neighbor could help them out of this horrible situation. Networking was something she understood. The more people you knew, the more potential for opportunities. Surely that would be true even in this backward century? She pulled on the door-latch, but Sully held firm.
“Open this door!”
It opened and he stuck his head in the room again. “Put on the dress and you can come outside.”
“I am not wearing that dress!”
“Then you ain’t coming outside. Do you want to shame yer husband with yer loose ways?”
He slammed the door shut again.
The kids laughed, then quickly smothered the sounds when Melissa rounded on them with a glare.
She stomped over to the chest, retrieved the orange dress laying on top, pulled it over her head, buttoned the top button in the back, and stomped back to the door and knocked. “I’m decent!”
The door opened, Sully looked her over, smiled, and opened the door all the way.
Melissa stepped outside, only to have her hopes dashed. The guy was even worse than Sully.
A large, bearded, muscular man in his early forties or so, he had a bush of grey and brown hair bunched under a beat-up cowboy hat. He wore brown slacks and a tan shirt with disgusting sweat circles under each arm. He quickly hid a whisky bottle behind his back, then simply ogled her.
Melissa was disappointed, but unsurprised that Sully had such low friends.
Sully gestured toward the behemoth. “Mrs. Kendal, this here is Jed Peterson.”
Jed quickly took off his hat, revealing the matted, unwashed state of his hair. “Nice to meet you ma’am. Missus? You married then?” His disappointment was obvious.
“Yes I am.” Never in her life had she been so relieved by that fact.
“It’s gambling night. Jed’s here for the party,” said Sully.
Melissa stared at him and dread crawled up her spine. “What do you mean?”
“I mean we’re gambling, just like we do every Monday night. Henry’s coming too. You girls might need to bed down early. We’ll try to keep it quiet.”
Melissa stared at Sully in horror. His smelly friends were joining them in the cramped quarters? And here she’d thought things couldn’t get any worse. Feeling trapped, Melissa looked around as if to find a way out.
Something moved at the top of the hill and Melissa turned her head. Hope died quickly as another nasty-looking man came down the hill, disgusting and dirty, a big smile on his face.
Where was Richard? She wanted out of there, out of that place. Maybe she
should take the kids, start walking and hope to meet Richard on the way.
“How far is it to the ranch?”
“About three miles.”
She considered it for a moment, looked at her high-heeled shoes, then turned and walked back into the cabin. She didn’t have a choice–-hadn’t from the moment she’d woken up that morning.
She’d simply go to sleep. That was her only escape from this nightmare. Even the hard floor of the loft seemed like a sanctuary at the moment. Besides, the way she saw it, the spiders had to be a better option than the vermin.
* * *
Richard topped the hill and saw Melissa, wearing the old- fashioned dress, walking toward the door of the cabin. Sully and two rough-looking men stood behind her. With the cabin in the background, it looked like a scene from a Louis L’Amour novel. He cupped his hands over his mouth. “Hello the house!” He grinned. He’d always wanted to say that.
Focusing on Melissa, he headed down the hill, excited to share his news and set her mind at ease. She turned and he tried to gauge her mood.
A sudden smile animated her face.
She looked happy to see him, very happy, an expression he hadn’t seen directed toward himself in a long, long while. He liked it! His grin widened as she ran to meet him and he opened his arms.
She stopped short.
Heat warmed his neck and he let his arms drop. Their discussion of divorce--just the night before?--flashed through his mind, and he felt the pain of her rejection once more. His gazed dropped to her clothes, but wisely, he didn’t mention the dress.
“So, what happened?” she asked impatiently.
Richard tried a smile, determined to recapture his good mood. “I got the job.”
Both her hands flew up. “That’s wonderful!”
“And it includes a place to live!”
She closed her eyes for a moment, relief evident on her face. Her eyes popped open. “How much money will you make?”
The dreaded question. He’d been hoping she wouldn’t ask right away, but should have known better. “Ah--” He tugged at his ear. “Thirty dollars--”
”A day?” Melissa’s shock was evident. “That’s ridiculous!”
