Secrets of Time

by Zoe Matthews

  “It must have been a rough trip if it made you pass out,” Kimberly commented.

  “Or I passed out from the shock of it all. I had no idea what was going on.”

  “Regardless, a portal does make sense, although I’m not sure how it is connected between our specific time and yours. What are the chances that you can’t get back to your time? What if it takes you to 1942 or the medieval times for that matter?” Shaun asked.

  Megan’s heart sank at Shaun’s words. What if she wasn’t able to go back to her time? Was it even safe to try? She became very silent while everyone else continued to talk about time travel, portals, and golden keys.

  Suddenly she couldn’t take it anymore, stood up, and walked away quickly. Part of her could tell everyone fell silent at her sudden departure, but she didn’t care. Her entire life had just changed all in one moment. Tears came to her eyes as she felt a cold nose hit her hand. Apollo had faithfully followed her. He was tall enough that she could keep her hand on his head as they walked.

  Her tears continued to fall. What was she going to do? What cosmic mistake could have happened just at the time she was on a hike to gather herbs? Why her and not someone else?

  She took off running away from the ranch and along the river. After jogging along the path that ran near the river for a few minutes, she finally slowed down. She stopped to watch the rush of the water move past her and slowly she started to relax.

  She had always loved the sound of running water. She bent down and touched the water with her hand. Apollo jumped into the river and took a long drink. Then he ran downstream a few feet before leaving the river, bounding over to Megan and shook himself hard.

  “Apollo!” Megan laughed as the dog sprinkled her with cold water. She picked up a small stick, threw it into the water, and Apollo barked before jumping in again after it.

  “He looks like he is having fun.”

  Megan turned around at Keegan’s voice. “He is.”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you want to be left alone, I’ll leave, but it really isn’t safe to be by yourself out here.”

  Megan shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but secretly she was thrilled he had followed her. “I don’t mind. I’m done having my breakdown.”

  Keegan’s eyes furrowed. “What do you mean… breakdown?”

  She smiled at another sign that they were both from different time periods. “Let’s just say this entire time travel scenario is hard for me to wrap my head around. I just needed some time to think through things.”

  “I need to get back to Denver to check on my patients. Why don’t you come with me for a few days? My family can try to figure things out here, and you can see what early 20th century Denver looks like.”

  “Where would I stay?” Megan asked.

  “You could stay at my sister’s house or you could stay at mine.”

  “You have a house?”

  “Yes. I… inherited it.”

  From the way Keegan talked, she knew there was more to the story of how he inherited the house but decided to ask her questions another time.

  Without talking herself out of it, she made a decision. “Sure. I’ll come with you to Denver.”

  A smile lit up Keegan’s face, and it made Megan remember a dream she had had a few weeks before she “traveled” to 1902.

  She was inside a large Victorian home. It looked like a house that was at least 50 years old, most likely older, and had been remodeled. She was standing in a room that looked like a sitting room or a parlor. The furniture was old-fashioned but beautiful. She could see out of a large window that was covered with lacy curtains and noticed the grounds were impeccably taken care of. Then she saw the man she always dreamed about. He stood a few feet away from her, dressed in modern clothing.

  “Who are you?” Megan had asked him, realizing she had never asked that question before in her dreams.

  He didn’t say anything but held out his hand for hers.

  “I don’t understand why I keep dreaming about you.”

  “Come find me,” the man said to her with a smile. “It’s time.”

  “Time for what?” Megan asked.

  “You will soon know.”

  Megan didn’t say anything and the man pulled her to him. “I just want a quiet life. If I find you, things will change, my life will change.”

  The man nodded. “You need to live as you were meant to, as you were born to. Are you going to deny yourself that?”

  “Why can’t you find me?” Megan asked as her cheek pressed against his chest. The enormity of the situation overwhelmed her. She closed her eyes as tears started to fall.

  “Because it’s up to you to start it.”

  The man tilted her face to his and slowly pressed his lips to hers. Stars instantly exploded around her. In all the dreams Megan had of this man, he had never kissed her before. The kiss felt so real, it was almost as if it had really happened.

  “All right. I don’t know how, but I will find you,” Megan promised him. When she said these words, the dream faded away.

  The last thing she saw of the man, of Keegan, was his smile, the smile she was looking at right at that moment.

  She had kept her promise to him. She had found him.

  Chapter 11

  For the first time since she traveled back in time, Megan woke up with excitement. She would be traveling with Keegan to Denver today. She knew she should probably be making more of an effort to get back to her own time, but seeing Denver in all its 1900s glory was an opportunity she didn’t want to pass up. How many people get an opportunity to really experience what life was like in the early 1900’s?

  She dressed quickly in a dress Nicky had lent her. It was beige in color with small pink flowers, high necked, long sleeved, and was a little too small for her. She tried to adjust it to make it more comfortable, and then finally resigned herself to the fact that she would just have to get used to the tightness of the material.

  After coming into the kitchen, where the whole family was already gathered for breakfast, she timidly took a seat next to Keegan. Her heart lurched as he looked her way and grinned. His smile was so brilliant and highlighted his handsome features so well, that she couldn’t look away. The same smile from her dreams. She was starting to accept that somehow Keegan was going to be part of her life, at least right now in 1902.

  “Are you ready for today?” Keegan asked her, reaching over to squeeze her hand briefly, too briefly, before returning back to sorting his herbs on the kitchen table.

  “Yes, I think so,” Megan responded. “Do we need to pack a lunch or extra clothing?”

  She knew a two-day stay somewhere away from home would require at least a small suitcase for sanitary needs, as well as several changes of clothes. She was fairly certain that people in this time wore their clothes for a few days before changing them and felt uncomfortable at the thought of wearing this dress for two or three days straight.

  “No. I would imagine the dress you have now will work fine, although you may want to pack a night dress.” Keegan’s cheeks flushed slightly, as though embarrassed at the thought talking to her about a nightgown.

  Megan smiled, loving the fact that such a simple thought would make him blush. The nightdress Kimberly had let her borrow was a thin material, but still went from her collar bones all the way to her ankles.

  If only he knew what most women in my time wore to bed, she thought with a giggle.

  He cleared his throat. “And we should be in town well before our next meal.”

  “Keegan, you’ll have to move your herbs to the table in the living room. Breakfast is just about ready,” Kimberly said as she brought over some biscuits to set on the table.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Keegan replied with a cheeky grin.

  Megan helped him gather his herbs, and move them without mixing them together. She knew she liked to keep her herbs separated and organized and figured he would too.

  After a noisy, but somehow comforta
ble breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Keegan finished sorting his herbs and tying a thin rope around each bundle to keep them organized. They walked together towards the barn, each carrying a bundle with the supplies they needed to bring with them. Keegan helped her saddle Spirit and tied her few belonging to the saddle.

  Apollo, ever faithful, followed at her heels. “Are you ready to see Denver, boy?” Megan bent down to scratch behind his ears, and his tail thumped happily on the ground. She had never seen him so happy. He had loved all the free room he had to roam around the ranch and had already picked up on some of the habits of the other dogs. The day before, Apollo sometimes left her side to play with the other dogs. But today she wanted him to stay with her so when they were ready to leave, he would be nearby. He could follow them along the trail on the way to town.

  Keegan came up behind her, having finished saddling his own horse. “I’ve got to talk to Patrick before I leave. I’m going to go track him down and will be back in a minute.”

  “Okay,” Megan responded, still petting and scratching Apollo.

  Several times that morning, Keegan had made suggestions that everyone could try in order to figure out how the time portal worked. Kimberly and Nicky happily corroborated with him, excited about new ideas that may or may not work. Shaun and Patrick had just sat, confusion flitting across their faces. Tension had poured off Patrick’s shoulders; he didn’t think it was a good idea for Megan to go into town and wanted her back in her own time as quickly as possible. Megan thought it was likely that Keegan was going to reassure his brother that this trip to Denver wouldn’t take long, and Kimberly and Nicky would figure everything out so Megan would soon be on her way back home.

  Megan was surprised when that thought brought a pang of sadness to her. She was enjoying her time here, although she knew she wouldn’t enjoy living here for the rest of her life. She recognized the most likely reason she was enjoying it so much was her interaction with Keegan throughout the days.

  She heard boots crunching the dirt behind her, and stood up to turn around, wiping her now dirty hands on her dress. Apollo would definitely need a bath- or two- when they got home.

  Keegan had a grim look on his face when he walked up. “Everything is all set. I’m ready if you are.”

  “Yes, let’s get going,” Megan responded, instinctively recognizing that the conversation between Keegan and Patrick hadn’t gone well.

  She did her best to jump onto the horse like she had done it all her life. She knew she was getting better but was still awkward compared to Keegan, who was somehow able to swing onto the horse in one fluid motion.

  Keegan clicked his tongue and steered his horse towards town. Spirit followed, encouraged to walk quickly by Apollo, who was trying to practice his herding skills. He eventually got bored of that and started sniffing along the river, which they were riding parallel to.

  “I can’t believe how beautiful it is up here,” Megan commented as she looked around at the tall trees, gurgling river, and the thick grass that swayed in the breeze.

  “Describe what these mountains look like in your time,” Keegan suggested.

  “Well, I suppose they are pretty much the same. The mountains I know have more trails and people in them. Here, it’s like you have your own peaceful world, where you don’t have to worry about anything but your own life. Your own family.”

  She thought of her mother, who tried so hard to please all her customers and Mr. Manning. She was usually so tired by the end of the day, she never got around to taking care of herself. She could use a life like this.

  “I can see how you could think that. I prefer to be around other people where I feel like I can make a difference in multiple lives and not just my own,” Keegan responded tactfully.

  Megan thought about that for a moment and recognized it was likely something her mother would say. “You are right. I’m sure after a while, it could get lonely up here. Can you tell me more about your office? What kind of help do you give people?”

  “We get all sorts of people in our office. Most commonly, we patch up cuts from the hardworking people in town or other injuries. We also treat headaches, back pain, infections, as well as other medical problems.”

  “I wish my mother and I were able to accomplish as much as you do. In my time, herbs are often overlooked in favor of strong medicine. The medicine works well, but often causes harmful side effects, which can lead a lot of people to take more medicine. We can suggest they use different herbs or aromatherapy, but it’s only advice, and we still are obligated to tell them to talk to an actual doctor as well.”

  “What’s aromatherapy?” Keegan asked, cocking his head to the side.

  For the rest of the ride to Denver, they talked about the different herbs and how they could be used. They were both equally fascinated by the differences, and the ride passed quickly. Soon, Megan spotted the town when they were still several miles away.

  “Is that Denver?” she asked with excitement.

  “Yes, it is. We can come around through the edge of town, and stop at my house first to rest the horses, get cleaned up, and eat some lunch.”

  “That sounds good. I should probably let Apollo rest at your house as well.” She glanced at her dog who was walking slowly behind the horses, clearly very tired.

  “Good idea. I have a pen in the back of the house he can stay in. He’s gotten pretty dirty, and if you don’t mind, I would rather him not be inside my house.”

  Megan didn’t blame him at all. Just thinking about the mess she would have to clean up once she took him back to her apartment made her cringe, and she told him as much.

  They guided their horses off the road and onto a grassy field to the left of the town. They passed a few large houses that were off the road a distance away, probably owned by the wealthy who could afford to send servants into town to run their errands for them. Keegan eventually led them down a side street, passing several large houses. Megan looked at them all curiously. They were beautiful and spaced far enough apart that each house probably had at least two acres of its own property. Most of them were built in a Victorian style, which Megan had to admit she had found a particular fondness for while she shopped in all the pawn and antique shops back in her time.

  She figured he would lead her a little further into town before they got to his home when Keegan pointed to a house on the right about a hundred yards away. “That’s my home,” he said with a small amount of pride.

  She was shocked that he owned such a large house but felt it would be rude to say so. She would almost call it a mansion.

  Luckily, he saw her surprise and explained, “I inherited this house from Victoria after she died.” There was sadness in his voice when he spoke of her, and she could tell her death must have been somewhat recent.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. I remember Kimberly and Nicky talking about her and her husband, Collins.” She felt the words were formal but didn’t know how to relate to his experience. She had never known any of her extended family. It had just been her and her mother her whole life. She had never experienced a death from someone who was close to her.

  “It was time. Victoria was in pain more often than not in the last few months of her life, so in a way, it was a relief knowing she is at peace now,” Keegan said softly.

  By this time, they had reached the house, and Megan couldn’t help but admire its beauty. It was a large, white Victorian house with a wraparound porch and large oak shade trees in the front. There were so many windows, she was sure the inside was full of natural light. She couldn’t wait to go inside to see all the details and decor. She slid off the horse, glad that she was able to do so on her own. She stretched her legs as she admired the house.

  She suddenly realized it was the exact house she had been with Keegan in during her last dream. It did look a bit different. It was definitely newer than the house she had seen in her dream. The wood that trimmed the windows were white instead of a light blue, and there was different
furniture on the porch. The trees that surrounded the home weren’t as large, but overall the Victorian home was as beautiful as it had been in her dream. She turned to him to ask a question but was interrupted when a man came out of the house to welcome Keegan.

  “It’s good to have you home, Mr. Callaghan,” he said in a friendly voice.

  He has a butler? Megan couldn’t imagine having help around her place like that.

  “Thank you, Robert. This is Megan. She will be staying with us tonight,” Keegan said, while he handed both horses’ reins over to another man who came around from the back of the house.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Megan. Shall I direct the maid to fix up one of the guest rooms for her?” Robert asked Keegan, clearly trying to figure out the relationship between him and Megan.

  “Yes, thank you,” Keegan said simply before leading Megan into the house.

  Megan blushed a little as the butler walked back into the house. The thought that Robert might have thought she would be staying in Keegan’s bedroom made her uncomfortable, and she was glad Keegan made sure Robert understood they wouldn’t be sharing the same room.

  Before she had another thought on the matter, they were walking through the front door, and another man came up to pat Keegan on the back.

  “I was wondering when you were going to show up again!” he said loudly.

  He was handsome in an old-fashioned rugged way and smiled at her charmingly. Megan couldn’t help but smile back.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keegan frown at her slightly before turning to the man. “We are only staying for a couple days. This is Megan Conway…a family friend. Megan, this is Nathan Young. We met at school, and he is staying here for the time being.”

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Conway.” Nathan came closer, grandly taking her hand to kiss it. She could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was being more playful than romantic, so she laughed at his antics. “Only a couple days? Why not stay a little longer?”