Chris stared her in the eye. “Why me?”
Cissie shook her head. “I don’t know. The watch chooses the people it wants to send. When Moira or I come into close proximity of someone, and the hands start to turn, we know that person is meant to time travel.”
Chris frowned and shook his head. None of this was making any sense. “But why? Why am I here?”
A soft smile spread across Cissie’s face. “Through our timepieces, it is possible for someone to find their heart’s true match. Sometimes two people are meant to be together who may have been kept apart by time. We help bring them together.”
Chris swiped his hand across his face. This was absurd. “So, you’re saying I came here to find someone I’m supposed to be with? You’re like a time travel dating service? What if I don’t want to find someone?”
Cissie smiled indulgently. “I think you already have, Mr. Hawley.”
Chris stared, for lack of words. What Cissie Durham said soaked into him like the parched ground in Francine’s vegetable garden when it received some water. Her words flooded him, and filled him with an absolute conviction that she was right. He’d felt it, that undeniable connection he shared with Francine. The crazy idea that he wanted to stay and take care of her long-term had popped into his mind on more than one occasion.
“Can I get back to the future?” he blurted.
Cissie tilted her head to study him. “If you choose not to stay, I can send you back. It should work, but in order for me to do so, you have to be at the boarding house, in the room through which you came the first time.” She glanced at her watch. “The watch lets me know when your time to decide is up.”
“What do you mean?”
“When the hands slow down, it means you must reach a decision. Once they stop completely, you will have to remain in this time, or if I’ve sent you back to the future, you won’t be able to return to this time. It will be final.”
Chris glanced at the watch. “And when are the hands going to stop moving?”
Cissie shrugged. “It’s different for each individual. I have no control over it, so I don’t know when your time to decide will be up. All I know is when the hands slow down, your time will be limited and you will have to make a choice before it’s too late.”
Chris ran his hand through his hair. He’d wrestled with a decision for days. He’d been happier in the few short weeks he’d been here than ever before. Francine understood him and always seemed to know what he needed without having to ask. She listened without judging. He had feelings for her he’d never had for anyone before. She was perfect . . . his heart’s true match. Yet, there were things he had to sort through in the future. He couldn’t simply disappear for good.
“What’s gonna happen if the judge finds me guilty?”
Cissie glanced at him for several seconds before she answered.
“You might hang if you’re found guilty of murder. I won’t let that happen, Mr. Hawley. Somehow, I’ll get you sent home.”
Chris laughed. He shook his head. “I wanted to die after the accident.”
The door to the jailhouse opened, and Sheriff Stanton walked in, followed closely by Francine. She rushed to the jail cell and reached through the bars. Chris wrapped his fingers around her hand and held tight.
“Chris, I know you didn’t kill Lester. I don’t care what I have to say to the judge, but I’m not going to let them convict you of something you didn’t do.”
Chris smiled at her. If only the sheriff and Cissie weren’t standing in the room right now. It would be so easy to kiss the girl who’d become more important than anything.
He glanced at Cissie Durham. His eyes fell on the watch around her neck, and the hands he’d found so irritating when he’d met Moira Lockhart. Now, he needed them to keep moving while he decided what to do. His gaze returned to Francine.
“For the last six months, I’ve wanted to die” he murmured, looking into her tear-filled eyes. “But lately, I’ve found a reason to live again.”
Chapter 12
“It’s almost time.”
Cissie Durham glanced at the clock standing in the corner of the small café that was part of her boarding house. She sat across from Frannie at one of the tables, sipping a cup of tea.
Frannie’s eye fell to the ribbon the woman wore around her neck. The timepiece that hung from it was concealed under her shawl. When she’d seen it two days ago, it hadn’t appeared to be working properly. Most of the time, Cissie had kept the watch hidden beneath her shawl or dress, but it had been out in plain sight when she’d been at the jail and the hands had been in constant motion.
Frannie held one hand over her belly, while the other gripped her teacup. The baby had been especially restless all morning, no doubt due to her own nervousness. Today was Chris’s hearing. It was nearly time to head to the courthouse at the other end of town, where the judge would preside over Chris’s fate.
Cissie reached her hand across the table and touched Frannie’s hand. She smiled.
“Nothing is going to happen to Chris, at least not today. The judge is going to listen to the evidence and then decide if there’s even a need for a real trial.”
“There is no need for a trial because he’s innocent.”
Cissie patted her hand. The proprietress of the boarding house had been friendly and had showered her with hospitality over the last couple of days, letting Frannie stay in one of the upstairs rooms, and providing her with meals. She would have slept out on the bench in front of the jailhouse if need be. She was not going to go back to the farm without knowing what was going to happen to Chris.
Yesterday, the sheriff had only allowed her two short visits to bring Chris breakfast and supper. He’d always been present and not given them time alone, so she’d had little time to speak to him. Chris had told her to stop worrying, that everything was going to work itself out. There had been so much left unspoken between them.
Chris had asked her how she was feeling, if her accommodations with Cissie were comfortable enough for her, and if Cissie was treating her well. He’d not said a word about his own predicament.
Cissie had taken her to see the banker yesterday to sign papers that would give her sole ownership of the farm. The man, Martin Paine, had been excessively rude. He’d announced that he’d wanted to buy the farm from her, but Cissie had immediately intervened, saying the farm was worth much more than what Paine was offering. Not that she would have sold the place. It was her home, and it’s where she would raise her baby. At least she’d found out that Lester had owned the place outright, but there wasn’t any additional money in the bank for other things.
These were matters that could be dealt with later. Making sure Chris would be released from jail was the most immediate concern, which had led her to thoughts of what would happen afterward. Would Chris have gone back to his own time already if he hadn’t been arrested?
Frannie sat up straighter in her seat across from Cissie. She’d put off asking the questions nagging her long enough. It was almost time to head to the courthouse for the hearing, so it was now or never.
“How do you know Chris Hawley, Miss Durham?”
Cissie looked at her as if she was expecting the question. She raised her tea cup to her lips, drinking slowly, then set it back in its saucer.
“I don’t really know him at all. He refused to talk to me the day he arrived in Heartsbridge.” She leaned forward. “What has he told you?”
Frannie glanced at her hands she clasped together in front of her. Her heart sped up. Asking someone she hardly knew about something as absurd as time travel was awkward at best.
“He told me you’re the person who knows how to send him home.”
Frannie squeezed her hands tighter, then raised her eyes to meet Cissie Durham’s stare. She held her breath. “He says he came from a time in the future.”
Cissie tightened her lips. Her head shook slightly. She didn’t look pleased at all.
“If he hadn’t lef
t town the day he arrived, he would have known not to talk to anyone about such things.” She stared across the table. “Promise me, Frannie, that you won’t say a word to anyone about this.”
Frannie’s eyes widened. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat.
“So, it’s true? Chris comes from the future?”
Cissie gave a slow nod of her head. “All I will tell you is yes, it’s true. Can you accept that?”
Frannie blinked away the stinging in her eyes. Chris was going to leave as soon as he was released from jail.
“Why haven’t you sent him back to his time?” she blurted.
Cissie chuckled. “It doesn’t work that way. He must be here, at the boarding house, in order for time travel to work. This place is connected to my watch.” She pulled the watch out from under her shawl. The hands were still spinning. Cissie glanced up at Frannie.
“As I’ve told Chris Hawley, before the hands stop moving, he will have to decide whether to remain here or return home. Please understand that I can’t talk about this anymore. Only the person doing the time traveling is supposed to know.”
Cissie stood. “It’s almost nine o’clock. I think we should get going.”
Frannie braced her hands on the table to stand. There was really nothing else she needed to know. Chris Hawley had come into her life in the most unexpected way, and that’s exactly how he would leave. What reason would he have to stay here?
She followed Cissie out the door, and they headed up the street to the other end of town. The sheriff’s office was located there, and the courthouse where the hearing would take place was a short distance beyond that.
“I won’t tell anyone your secret. No one would believe it anyway.”
Cissie smiled at her and nodded in satisfaction.
Many people had already made their way to the courthouse. A hearing or a trial was a big event, apparently. Cissie maneuvered her along past several people and managed to secure a couple of seats near the front of the room. People talked in loud voices, and Frannie averted her gaze when Herbert Blake leered at her from several benches away.
The crowd grew louder when Sheriff Stanton arrived, leading Chris to the front of the room. His eyes instantly found her. Frannie smiled to cover up her nerves. Chris grinned and nodded. He looked completely at ease, but he had to be nervous about what would happen here today. Frannie rested her hand on her belly, forcing breath into her lungs.
Everyone stood when the judge arrived through the back door. Frannie struggled to her feet with Cissie’s help, then sat again. Her heart pounded hard enough to make her head hurt. The judge rambled on about what was going to happen at this hearing, then asked Chris to stand and tell his story. He had to hit his gavel on the desk when Herbert Blake yelled out several times, calling Chris a liar.
“I was visiting Cissie Durham, who I know through her relative, Moira Lockhart.” Chris stood tall in front of the judge, giving his statement. His words resonated through the quiet room, sounding confident and self-assured.
“Moira Lockhart recommended Heartsbridge as a place where I could find what I was looking for.”
“And what would that be, Mr. Hawley?” the judge asked.
There was a slight hesitation. “I recently lost someone close to me. I needed a change of scenery, and a fresh start.”
“You came to Heartsbridge, but you left town right away. Why?”
“I wasn’t feeling well. I thought perhaps it was a mistake that I was here. Someone gave me a ride out of town. When it started to rain, I found shelter in a barn, which turned out to be at the Eaton farm. I never saw Lester Eaton again after we got into a fight in front of the saloon.”
“And why were you fighting?”
Chris scoffed. “I was heading up the sidewalk when he came out of the saloon. Neither one of us was paying attention, and we ran into each other. I apologized, but he took a swing at me and challenged me to a fight.”
“You threatened him,” Blake called out.
The judge hit his gavel on the desk several times. “That’s enough, Mr. Blake. I will not tolerate any more outbursts from you.”
Chris turned, a satisfied smile on his face as he stared at Blake. Before he faced forward again, his eyes lingered on Frannie. Her hand went to her mouth to keep her lips from quivering. Chris winked at her. Next to her, Cissie squeezed her arm.
“You’ve been at the Eaton farm for several weeks now. Why did you stay there if you were heading out of town?” the judge continued.
“I was sick for nearly a week. Francine Eaton cared for me. After I was feeling better, she told me her husband was dead, so I helped her out at her place to repay her for taking care of me.”
The judge looked at her at that moment. “You’re excused, Mr. Hawley. I’d like to hear from Mrs. Eaton next.”
Frannie’s heart jumped in her chest. Cissie helped her to her feet and led her to stand before the judge. Her legs were weak as pudding. After she’d sworn to tell the truth and given her name, the judge smiled at her.
“Mrs. Eaton, why didn’t you tell Sheriff Stanton that the man he was looking for as a suspect in your husband’s death was on your property? And weren’t you worried when he didn’t come home the day before?”
Frannie swallowed. “My husband had a habit of being gone for days at a time, so it wasn’t unusual. I didn’t think Sheriff Stanton was talking about Mr. Hawley when he brought me the news of Lester’s death. Mr. Hawley was very ill when I found him in my barn. It took nearly a week to get him well. There’s no possible way he could have killed Lester.”
“How far is the old creek road from your farm, Mrs. Eaton?”
Frannie wrung her hands in front of her. Her palms were clammy and sweaty. Hadn’t she told the judge enough?
“Maybe a couple of miles.”
“So it is possible that Mr. Hawley could have met up with your husband, killed him, then sought refuge in your barn.”
Frannie stared at the judge. Her heart sank. Did he really think Chris could have killed Lester? She inhaled a deep breath and squared her shoulders.
“Judge Thornton . . . Your Honor . . . Chris Hawley is the kindest, most considerate man I’ve ever met. He wouldn’t hurt anyone, let alone kill someone. He’s kept me safe from getting trampled by a horse, and helped fix up the farm that Lester neglected.”
Frannie looked at the judge, who studied her intently, then glanced over her shoulder at Chris before adding, “And, I don’t know what I would have done without him when I thought my labor was starting. I don’t know what I’ll do without him if you keep him in jail, or if he . . . leaves.”
She turned slightly so she could fully look at him, while not being rude to the judge. Chris stared at her from across the space that separated them. He rose to his feet, but the sheriff placed his hand on his shoulder, telling him in no uncertain terms to sit back down.
“Well it’s clear what’s going on here, ain’t it?” Herbert Blake called from the other end of the room. “The two of them out on that farm all alone. Together. I bet she was in on it, too. Maybe even had her husband killed.”
Chris leapt to his feet again and the sheriff had to physically restrain him while the judge pounded his gavel on the podium.
“Sheriff Stanton, have your deputy remove that man. I’ve warned him enough times to keep quiet. He is in contempt.” Pointing the gavel at Blake, the judge added, “Leave this room at once. One more word out of you, and I will have you behind bars.”
Frannie stared, wide-eyed, from the judge to Chris while people murmured all around. The judge continued to pound his gavel, demanding order and quiet. Frannie’s gaze returned to Chris, who’d sat back in his chair, but his body was still tense. Their eyes met. The anger vanished from his face, replaced by something far more intense, yet much more tender.
Frannie swallowed. In that moment, time stood still. Everything became crystal clear. Her feelings for this man were more powerful than a tornado, and had grabbed hold of he
r just as fiercely. She loved him, and tears filled her eyes. She was a woman heavy with child, and a recent widow. She had no business thinking about another man, but none of that mattered. She loved him, yet she couldn’t tell him, because he was from another time and would soon return to the life he knew.
“Is there anyone else who would like to add to what’s already been said?” Judge Thornton called over the voices of the people in the room. The space quieted instantly. People looked at each other and those standing around them.
One man stood, looking nervous.
“Tom Barton, Your Honor. I run the saloon. I just want to say that Lester Eaton liked to drink. He was a frequent patron of my saloon. I ain’t saying he was drunk the day he died, but more than likely he was.”
Several people around him murmured and nodded their agreement.
The judge looked at the man.
“Thank you, Mr. Barton.” The judge glanced around the room again. “Anyone else?”
No one else spoke. The judge’s features softened as he looked at Frannie. “You may take your seat, Mrs. Eaton.”
Frannie nodded, and walked back to her seat next to Cissie. Her entire body shook. What would happen now? She kept her eyes on Chris, who also looked at her. It was impossible to read the expression on his face.
“Mr. Hawley.”
Frannie’s eyes darted to the judge at his sharp words. Chris pivoted to face him, turning his back to her. Cissie reached over and grabbed hold of Frannie’s hand.
The judge cleared his throat. “I’ve listened to the evidence Sheriff Stanton presented to me in this case, as well as testimony from several members of this community.” He glanced across the room, his eyes slowly looking from Chris to Frannie, and to the other people present. “And I’ve come to the conclusion that there is nothing to substantiate Mr. Blake’s claims that foul play was involved in Lester Eaton’s death. I believe the man died from an unfortunate accident.” He moved his sharp gaze back to Chris, and banged his gavel on the podium. “You are free to go.”
Timeless Healing (Timeless Hearts Book 4) Page 11
