“A minute and fourteen seconds,” Lucas said, putting his watch away. “How was your ride?”
“Not bad other than I ran into a dust storm between here and Independence Rock. It slowed me down some.” Seth slid off his exhausted horse. He didn’t look a whole lot better himself, but he gave Brianna a jaunty grin as he reached inside his shirt. “I didn’t forget,” he said in a low voice
as he handed her a small bottle. “Here’s the sour-dough starter you asked for.”
“Oh, thank you, Seth. Now I can bake...” Her voice trailed off as she tipped the bottle back and forth. The substance inside didn’t move. “How do you get it out?”
Seth looked surprised. “That’s strange. The stationmaster at Platte River Bridge gave me some of his. It was runny when I put it in the bottle.”
“It must have set up.”
Lucas looked at them curiously. “What’s going on?”
“Uh...nothing.” Brianna started to hide the bottle behind her back, but Lucas’s expression of disbelief stopped her in her tracks. He fully expected her to lie. “...nothing you need to concern yourself about.”
“Everything around here is my concern.”
“Maybe so, but this is a surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises, so you might just as well tell me about it now.”
“I’d rather wait at least until tomorrow.”
“Why? It doesn’t make a bit of difference whether I find out now or later.”
“That’s right, and that’s why I’d just as soon wait.” She clutched the bottle nervously. “I’m not all that sure I can make it work.”
Lucas stared at her for a long moment and then shrugged. “It obviously doesn’t matter what I say. You’ll keep your little secret anyway.”
“Just until tomorrow,” she said as he led the horse away toward the barn.
“Oh, by the way.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “All you have to do is find something to scrape it out of the bottle with. You can get a new batch of sour-dough going with even a little bit of the old.”
There was a moment of stunned silence as his words sank in. He was nearly to the barn when Brianna found her voice. “You just wait, Lucas Daniels. I’ll get you for that!” She thought she heard a deep chuckle as he disappeared into the dark interior of the barn.
It took some ingenuity, but by using part of one of Tom Shaffer’s ballpoint pens, Brianna was able to get enough sourdough out of the bottle to start a new batch. Following the recipe in Anna’s cookbook, she soon had a smooth mixture that smelled a bit like the concoction she had thrown away the first day. Satisfied that she was on the right track, she covered the bowl with a cloth and headed down to the river to get water.
As Brianna filled her bucket, she couldn’t help but think of Billy. She’d never figured out why he made sure she always had water. Even after Lucas brought the big barrel up to the cabin, Billy had kept it filled. She had certainly appreciated it.
With a sigh, Brianna started back up the trail. She hadn’t gone more than twenty yards when she came to an abrupt halt. A swirling blue mist formed on the trail in front of her. Before her eyes, it grew until it was nearly eight feet tall. Slowly, the mist began revolving, gathering near the middle. Toward the center, Brianna could see vague outlines that resembled people.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the apparition was gone. Unable to move, Brianna stood there wide-eyed with shock staring at the place it had been. Either she was losing her mind, or she’d just seen the way home.
CHAPTER 14
(Present day)
Tom jerked awake as the phone next to the bed rang. Though he was disoriented at first, everything came back into sharp focus as Anna shifted in his arms. He had intended to comfort her after her nightmare, not fall asleep. Of course, now he was far too comfortable to even consider going back to the couch.
The phone rang again. Tom snuggled closer into Anna’s warmth and ignored it.
Click... “Hello, you’ve reached Brianna’s phone clone. If you want to talk to the real thing, leave your name and number and she’ll get back to you.”
Tom opened a bleary eye and peered at the clock. Four-fifteen! Only an idiot would call at this time of night. Answering machines ought to be outlawed, especially ones with supposedly clever sayings on them.
Beep... “Tom, if you’re there, answer the phone.”
Tom groaned as he rolled over and picked up the receiver next to the bed. “Christ, Chuck, do you know what time it is?”
“Yep. We’re getting ready to leave for the balloon rally. How come you didn’t answer your cell?”
“It must have died. I forgot to plug it in.” No need to tell Chuck he hadn’t heard it ring because he’d left it in the living room.
“I see you didn’t have enough sense to get a motel room for the night.”
“Did you call me to give me a lecture on morals?”
“Would it do any good?”
“No.”
“Didn’t figure it would. Actually, I promised Sandy I’d call.”
“You think your wife’s disapproval will have any more effect on me than yours?”
“She doesn’t disapprove. In fact, she said it was about time some woman grabbed your interest.”
“You woke me up at four in the morning to tell me your wife approves of my amorous adventures?”
“No, I called to apologize. Sandy reminded me how important this must be for you to turn your back on your dream. I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not particularly comfortable with it. But you’re one of the most level-headed men I know, and I trust your judgment.”
There was a moment of silence as Tom digested the unexpected compliment. “Thanks.”
“Tom?” Chuck’s voice was suddenly hesitant. “This is more than just a torrid love affair, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“You aren’t in any trouble, are you?”
Tom closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. The urge to unburden himself to his older brother was strong. “No, Chuck, it’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“I just hope you have this all worked out by the time we come back through next week.”
“So do I.”
“In the meantime, you have our itinerary. Don’t hesitate to call if you need me.”
“I won’t...thanks, Chuck.”
“Don’t thank me. It was Sandy that read me the riot act.”
Tom smiled in the darkness. “You have a damn smart wife.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. And she’s the best thing I ever did for the family. Just get yourself together by next week, or you’ll have her on your back too,” Chuck said gruffly. “We love you, you know.”
Surprise held Tom’s tongue for a long moment. “Yeah, I love you too.” His voice tripped over the unfamiliar words. “I’ll see you next week.”
“Right. Good-bye.”
Tom hung up the phone thoughtfully.
“Where is she?” Anna asked.
Tom turned his head to look at her. “That wasn’t a she at all. It was my brother, Chuck.”
“No, I mean the woman who woke us up?”
“Oh, that was Brianna, or actually a recording of her voice.”
“What?”
“Look, I’ll show you. It’s a machine that answers her phone.” He rolled over, pushed a button and waited as the sound of Brianna’s message once again filled the room.
“Brianna has a phone to talk to Chuck?”
“She doesn’t even know Chuck.”
“Then why does she have a phone?”
“So she can talk to everybody else who has a phone, which is nearly everyone.” He decided not to bring up how unusual it was for Brianna to have a land line. It would only confuse the issue that much more.
“Everybody has one,” she said in awe. “How does it work?”
“Beats me. It must be electrical.”
“Like a telegraph?”
“Sort of, I guess.”
“And you’re so used having a phone that you take it for granted just like running water and touch lights.”
“Touch lights?”
“Whenever you walk into a room, you touch the wall, and the lights come on.”
Tom propped himself on an elbow and grinned down at her in the moonlight filtering in through the window. “You’re right, we do take things for granted.”
“I want to see all the wonderful inventions you don’t even notice any more. Will you show me?”
If she’d asked for three bars of pure gold right then, he’d have promised to get them for her. “We’ll spend the morning exploring before we go out to Scott’s.”
“Is it time to get up?”
He glanced at the clock. “No, we’ve still got a couple of hours.” He resisted the urge to trace the line of her jaw with his fingers. “Go back to sleep.”
She smiled and curled against his body with a sigh. Tom told himself it meant nothing as he put his arms around her again, that he was merely giving comfort. But he couldn’t deny the intense satisfaction he felt that she’d come willingly back into his embrace.
They woke up again at six. Her shy smile of greeting was nearly Tom’s undoing. He’d never wanted to kiss anybody so badly in his life. This beautiful, demure woman was everything he’d ever wished for.
Half an hour later he discovered she had a stubborn streak that wasn’t quite so endearing. By the time he finally convinced her to trade in her high button shoes for a pair of Brianna’s sandals he was revising his opinion of her sweet, easy-going nature.
They had to wait fifteen minutes to get a table at the restaurant. Their order was eventually taken by a harried waitress who barely had time to smile before she hurried on to her next table. It didn’t matter that they had a long wait for their food. Sitting together in the busy restaurant sipping their morning coffee was a pleasure neither wanted to end too soon.
Everything was so new to Anna. She was equally fascinated by the ice cubes in her water, the plastic flowers in the centerpiece and the revolving ceiling fan.
After breakfast, Tom took her to a huge discount store and shared her wonder as they wandered the aisles looking at the vast array of items for sale. It was an adventure to see his world through her eyes. He told her about jets, the space station, and computers. But she was just as impressed with traffic lights, fire engines, and air conditioning.
Tom parked at the bank, and they went in to get some cash from the automatic teller machine. Anna watched in amazement as the machine rolled out four crisp twenty-dollar bills. From there they walked down the street to an ice cream shop. On the way, Anna exclaimed over the wide cement sidewalks, was scandalized by the women she saw in shorts, and practically knocked Tom off the sidewalk when a man in a bubble-faced helmet rode by on a motorcycle.
The hot caramel and fudge sundae Tom bought her at the ice cream shop was pure inspiration on his part. With the first bite Anna closed her eyes in ecstasy. “This is so good it has to be sinful.”
Tom grinned. “Only if you’re counting calories.”
“I didn’t expect to experience anything so wonderful this side of heaven.”
“Neither did I,” Tom said softly. Watching her enjoy the treat, he felt something tighten in his chest. He knew he’d never meet another woman like her, and their time together was so limited. If Scott was right she could well be out of his life by tonight. The sound of the spoon clattering into the empty dish was like a death knell to his heart. He was missing her already, and she wasn’t even gone.
Anna looked up with a satisfied sigh. Her smile faded when she saw the expression on his face. “Tom, what is it?”
“Nothing really. It’s just been such a good morning, I hate for it to end,” he said, glancing at his watch. “If we’re going to get to Scott’s by one-thirty we better get moving. We need to stop at Brianna’s again then be on our way. Are you ready?”
“I think so.”
“You know,” Tom said a few minutes later when they stopped in front of Brianna’s house, “it might be a good idea to grab a few extra clothes for you just in case.”
“Most of Brianna’s are too small.”
“That figures. From the looks of her refrigerator, she probably starves herself to stay thin. Never mind, there’s bound to be something we can use.”
“I don’t know, most of her dresses are downright indecent and I refuse to wear trousers… What’s that noise?” Anna asked as they stepped into the bedroom.
“It’s the answering machine.” Tom switched off the automatic beeper and pushed the message button. “Maybe Chuck called again.”
“Beep.... Brianna, this is Elizabeth Johnson, Lucas and Anna Daniel’s granddaughter.” Tom and Anna’s eyes met in shocked surprise as the woman’s elderly voice continued. “When my daughter Betsy told me about you and your family research, I suddenly remembered a sapphire ring my Grandma Anna gave me when I was a little girl just before she died. I was to give it to the first grandchild with the name Brianna Marie Daniels. That’s you, my dear. My daughter is sending it with the picture of Lucas and Anna. Betsy doesn’t approve, but she’ll do as I wish. I hope you’ll write to me when you get a chance. I would love to share my memories of Anna and Lucas Daniels with you.”
The machine switched off while Anna and Tom continued to stare at each other. “What do you suppose that means?” Anna asked in a whisper.
“I don’t know.”
“My granddaughter. Oh, Tom, she was so old.” Anna’s eyes filled with tears. “And I d-died when she was just a little girl.”
Tom put his arms around her. “That was another lifetime, Anna.”
“No, Tom, it wasn’t another lifetime. It was mine. I’m n-not su-pposed to be here.”
“Anna,” he said pulling her closer into his embrace. “You’re a young woman with your life ahead of you. Somehow, we’ll get you back where you belong, and you’ll live out your destiny.”
“And what if I can’t get back? What if I’m stuck here forever?”
Pillowing her face against his shoulder, he stroked the back of her head. Unbidden, an image of what could be arose in his mind. “Would that really be so bad?”
“You can’t be serious!” She pulled back and looked at him. “I don’t have the faintest idea how to live here.” She gestured toward the closet. “I can’t even dress myself.”
“You’d learn.”
“How?”
He tenderly brushed the hair back from her face. “I’d be here to teach you.”
“Oh, Tom.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “But we mustn’t even think of it.”
“Why not? You and Lucas haven’t met yet. We wouldn’t be hurting him.”
“If it were just the three of us...but it’s not. All this time I’ve been feeling sorry for myself and haven’t even considered how much worse it must be for Brianna. Not only is she having to get along without all this,” Anna said, gesturing to the room, “she can’t even tell anyone what’s happened to her.”
“No, I guess not. They’d think she’d lost her mind.”
“And if I’m not there to be her grandmother, that sweet little old lady we just heard on the phone will probably never be born.”
Tom sighed. “I know, Anna, and I promise I’ll do everything I can to get you back where you belong.” But he couldn’t do anything about the traitorous corner of his heart that hoped they would fail.
CHAPTER 15
“Stage is comin’ in, Brianna,” Seth said, sticking his head in the door. “Want me to help you carry the grub out?”
“If you wouldn’t mind. You get the cookies and the coffee, and I’ll grab the sandwiches.”
“Those sandwiches are about the best idea you’ve had yet.”
“I hope so. Lucas thinks I cooked way too much of the antelope Billy shot yesterday, but I figured I could sell what we don’t eat before it spoils.”
Seth gri
nned. “We ate half of it for supper last night.”
“It seemed a shame to turn it all into jerky when everybody enjoys fresh meat so much. I hope he’s wrong about how much will go to waste.”
“Lucas was just surprised. I don’t think he was expecting such a huge roast.”
“I did get a little carried away,” Brianna conceded. ‘and I sort of forgot we don’t have a refrigerator,’ she added to herself. Oh, how she hated to admit that Lucas might be right. The sandwiches had been an inspiration to save face.
“Quite a feast you have set out today,” Lucas commented as he joined them.
“Now you see why I fixed such a big roast last night,” Brianna said. “Those poor stage passengers haven’t had a meal since Fort Bridger. By the time they get here, they’re half starved.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Funny, you’ve been doing this for five weeks now and you’ve never worried about anybody starving before.”
“This is the first time Billy has shot anything big enough to share.”
“That’s because Billy doesn’t like to waste meat. He wouldn’t have shot the antelope if it hadn’t been injured.” Lucas grabbed a cookie and returned to the horses as the stage rumbled into the yard. “I just hope the stage is full and everyone’s hungry,” he called over his shoulder.
“Sure, you do,” Brianna muttered under her breath.
“Don’t worry, Brianna,” Seth put in. “Once it gets cold, Billy and me will keep you well supplied with fresh meat.”
“What I’d really like is a couple of chickens and a good milk cow. “
“Afraid I can’t help you there.” With a wave and a grin, Seth headed for the barn as the passengers began to get off the stage.
“Make sure you save some of that for me, Mrs. Daniels,” the driver called out. “Got a whole stage full today. Reckon they’ll eat it all before Lucas and I finish changing the horses.”
“It’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready, Jack.”
The first passengers arrived at her makeshift lunch counter, and Brianna turned on her charm. She had decided early on that payment would be voluntary. For one thing, she didn’t have the faintest idea what to charge and refused to show her ignorance by asking Lucas. It didn’t take her long to realize that western men, starved for female attention, were likely to pay more than she asked anyway. There was an occasional customer who left nothing, but for the most part they were very generous.
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