River of Time

by Zoe Matthews

  After leaving the ranch and starting the trip to the cave, Nicky noticed that Shaun kept Colleen by his side, even though she could tell the girl wanted to ride ahead. Nicky knew that Shaun was concerned that Golin might show up again. They followed the path along the river, and, after a while, Nicky saw the path that they had traveled on to go to the Indian village went to the left, but this time they stayed moving along a less used path that went to the right.

  Sometimes, they had to stop and lead the horses through some thick brush, and Nicky could tell that hardly anyone used the path that they were on. It took most of the morning to get to the cave, and Nicky enjoyed the ride.

  She noticed she wasn’t as sore as she had been when they had ridden to the Indian village. She felt pride that she was acclimating so quickly. She really enjoyed horseback riding. Shaun had given her a different horse this time; Nicky had requested a horse with a little more spirit, now that she had gotten used to riding Honey. The new horse didn’t follow the other horses exactly, but he seemed to have a sixth sense of what Nicky wanted to do, so she didn’t have to try hard to tell him which way she wanted him to go.

  When they finally stopped, Keegan pointed to a small, round opening that was located about halfway up a mountain in front of them. Nicky could see that it was partially hidden by thick brush and was hard to see unless you were looking for it. She admitted to herself that it was a perfect place to hide the keys.

  Patrick decided that they eat lunch before attempting to climb to the cave. Shaun handed Nicky the saddlebag that had been tied to his horse, so she started to pass out the food. Bridget had made thick, beef sandwiches for each of them along with slices of cheese and apples. It was a simple meal and Nicky thoroughly enjoyed it. She couldn’t believe how hungry she was. After cleaning up the lunch and putting leftovers back into the saddlebag, the men made sure the horses were tied securely in the shade of some, large trees, and the group started to climb the mountain.

  It was fairly steep and rocky, and Nicky marveled how agile Colleen was, as she scurried around the loose rocks, and soon she was ahead of the group. Shaun had to call out to her to wait for the rest of them. Shaun stayed close to Nicky, and she knew he was making sure she could climb the mountain with ease. Nicky had worn her tennis shoes from her time, and so she had no problem climbing up the mountain. The cave was farther up the mountain than Nicky had guessed, when she had first seen it. Finally, they were standing in front of the opening. Patrick went in first to make sure it was safe, and he soon hollered to them that they could come inside.

  As Nicky’s eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, she could see that the ground was covered with loose rocks and dirt. It felt damp, and she could hear water trickling in the distance. The area just inside the entrance of the cave was large, and Nicky could see that it grew smaller and tighter, as the cave went back into the mountain. She stood off to the side watching as Patrick, Shaun, and Keegan discussed possible hiding places. They finally settled on a little crevice that seemed to have been built in the side of the cave just for the box.

  Patrick pulled the box out of the bag that he had in his hand and pushed it into the crevice to see if it would fit. It slid in easily, as if the crevice had been built or formed just for the box. Patrick pulled it out again and made sure the keys were both inside in their rightful places. Nicky watched, as he lifted one that had become unwrapped and he covered it with a soft cloth. Setting it back inside, he did the same with the other until both of them were now together, each wrapped in its own soft cloth. Keegan was busily gathering rocks from the bottom of the cave floor, and Nicky started to help. Colleen sat at the entrance of the cave, refusing to go any further inside.

  After gathering enough rocks, Patrick turned to Nicky, as he held the box in his hands. “I need to make sure that you really do want to stay. This would be your last chance to return back to your time, until we come back again in a few weeks.”

  “Yes, I want to stay,” Nicky said firmly.

  Patrick glanced at Shaun, as if confirming that his brother was okay with the idea, then turned and slid the box into its spot. The three men then started to move rocks around the small opening, until the box could no longer be seen. When they were done, even Nicky was impressed with how they had arranged the rocks. It looked like the rocks had been placed there naturally, caused by a small rock slide. No one who came into the cave would suspect that something was hidden behind them.

  Soon the group was on their way back to the ranch. Patrick and Keegan rode far ahead of Shaun and Nicky, with Colleen riding Spirit between them. Nicky enjoyed listening to the chatter, as Colleen talked about whatever entered her mind. She marveled that Colleen had fully and easily accepted the power of the keys.

  They returned to the ranch finding that all was well. Bridget had spent the afternoon making many loaves of bread and the process had made the cabin very hot, so the family ate their evening meal outdoors on the porch.

  Victoria and Collins let everyone know that they were going to go back to Denver and their home the next morning. Kimberly told them the family understood they wanted to return to Denver, but they were welcome to come and visit the ranch anytime they desired. She promised them that they would do everything in their power to keep the keys safe.

  The next morning Victoria and Collins left, but not before Collins pulled Nicky aside to let her know that he would be returning in the first week of August to help her get back home.

  Chapter 18

  The rest of the summer went by quickly. Nicky enjoyed the slow pace the family lived in. Pretty much the same things were done daily, but surprisingly the days were never boring. Bridget had breakfast ready early each morning, and then the men went out to do their work around the ranch. Patrick spent his time taking care of the cattle and his dogs. Shaun continued to work with his horses, and he quickly had all the horses he had bought at the beginning of summer trained to be ridden. Nicky learned that the next step in the horses’ schooling was to train them to work with cattle, and she enjoyed standing against the fence to watch him work.

  Keegan helped wherever he was needed. Nicky learned that Keegan had no desire to stay on the ranch. He enjoyed school, and Nicky spent one morning with him listening to his plans to be a doctor. He had many questions about how modern medicine was practiced in her time and was fascinated with some of her knowledge. Keegan also showed her some of his wooden carvings that he had made of small animals.

  Nicky spent another day at the Indian village with Shaun and Colleen. Shaun had told Nicky that the Indians would be leaving for their winter grounds in the south within a month, and he always took Colleen to say goodbye to her grandmother and uncle before they left.

  One clear, sunny morning after breakfast, she looked around for something to do, and she noticed Bridget bending in the family’s garden to pull some weeds. She decided to help; maybe she could get to know Bridget a bit better. Bridget seemed to keep to herself quite a bit, although she was always around, ready to help Kimberly with the babies or make a meal.

  “Can I help?” Nicky asked, as she approached Bridget.

  Bridget looked up as she tossed a weed she had pulled out of the ground aside in a growing pile of other weeds.

  “If you would like,” Bridget agreed, as she bent to yank another weed out of the ground. “I know you only have a few days left. I wouldn’t feel bad if you spent them with Shaun.”

  Nicky couldn’t tell by Bridget’s tone of voice if she approved of her growing friendship with her brother. She bent down next to Bridget and started to pull out the unwanted plants. “I’ve enjoyed this time on your ranch. It’s been nice to see Kimberly again and I’m so glad I was here for the twins’ births.”

  Bridget sighed, as she turned to look at her. “I have to admit, I wasn’t happy that you showed up, but I was glad you were here for the births. I wouldn’t have known what to do. I’m afraid, if I had been the only one here, little Richard wouldn’t have made it.”

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p; Nicky shrugged. “I spent last winter learning how to help women with home births. You never will know though how you would have done. Maybe instinct would have kicked in, and Richard would have been fine.”

  The two women continued to pull weeds for a few minutes in silence. “Can I ask you a question? I’m sure it’s none of my business, but I’d like to know,” Bridget asked.

  “Sure,” Nicky answered, looking at Bridget curiously.

  “Are you in love with Shaun?”

  Nicky hesitated, not sure if she wanted to admit her feelings to this woman, and, if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t totally sure what her feelings were for Shaun.

  “Why do you ask?”

  Bridget looked away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”

  “Can I ask you a question, before I answer yours?”

  Bridget nodded.

  “Are you happy living on this ranch, out here in the middle of the mountains?” At Bridget’s sharp intake of breath, she hurried on. “I think this part of Colorado is beautiful. I can see why this area was chosen by your father. But you hardly ever leave it. Don’t you wish you could marry? How can you meet anyone if you only go into Denver every few months, and even then only stay for a short while?”

  Bridget smiled slightly. “Patrick actually encouraged me last year to leave, to move to Denver and get a job in one of the restaurants, so I could meet someone. I remember being angry at him. I told him I wasn’t ever going to leave this ranch, unless the man showed up on our doorstep.”

  Bridget stood tall, as she turned a full circle, looking at her family’s ranch. “I love it up here. Up until lately, I’ve been content living here and looking after my brothers. I couldn’t picture myself living anywhere else.”

  “But now…” Nicky asked, when Bridget hesitated.

  “Now, as I see Patrick with Kimberly and now Shaun with you, I can tell there is something missing from my life. What if I am giving up any chances of marriage, because I’m too stubborn to consider a different life?”

  “I’m sure Victoria wouldn’t mind if you lived with her in Denver,” Nicky suggested. “Maybe you could spend the winter down there, just give it a chance. Keegan would also be there, wouldn’t he? So you’d be with at least one brother.”

  “I don’t know,” Bridget sighed and bent to pull another weed out of the ground. “Kimberly just had twins. I don’t know if I should leave her without some help.”

  “She will have Patrick to help her,” Nicky pointed out.

  Bridget shrugged. “It’s something to think about anyway.” She turned to look at Nicky. “I answered your question.”

  Nicky nodded with a grin. “And I’ll answer yours, to the best of my ability anyway. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about Shaun.”

  Just as Nicky spoke those words, emotions flooded through her, and she knew what she had just said wasn’t true. She knew exactly how she felt about Shaun. She had fallen in love with him, but she wasn’t going to speak those words to Bridget. Shaun should be the first one to hear them, not his sister.

  Nicky sank to the ground, holding a forgotten weed in her hands. Could love just sneak up on someone that quickly? One moment she had no idea what she felt for Shaun, and, then suddenly, she knew. The very thought scared her but also thrilled her. She would hold these new feelings in her heart, until it was time to give them to him.

  “Your face tells me all I need to know,” Bridget chuckled softly.

  “I’m leaving in a few days,” Nicky pointed out. “I promised my brother…”

  “I know you promised your brother you would return to your time. I can tell promises mean everything to you. Let me ask you another question. Would you be happy living here, in 1893 like Kimberly chose to? Would you have no problem giving up your time for Shaun?”

  “I know that Shaun would never come to my time. He wouldn’t fit in there. He is meant to be here. I know that, if anything were to work out between us, I would need to be willing to stay,” Nicky admitted.

  “And would you?” Bridget asked again.

  “It’s something I need to think about,” Nicky told her.

  “I must point out that Colleen comes with Shaun.”

  Nicky turned to her almost fiercely. “I have no problem with Colleen. She’s a joy to have around. I started to love her, when she sent her first picture to me.”

  Bridget smiled with satisfaction. “That’s good. Some people would have a hard time accepting her, because she’s...”

  Nicky interrupted her almost angrily. “The fact that she’s part Indian makes no difference to me. This is one subject that is very different in our separate times.”

  Bridget nodded again, secretly pleased that Nicky had gotten angry. It showed her true feelings for the girl. She glanced at the sun and then stood, brushing the dirt from her skirt. “I need to get lunch ready.”

  “I’ll keep weeding, if that’s alright,” Nicky offered.

  “Sure, the more you pull, the less I have to.”

  Bridget walked away, and Nicky watched her for a few moments before bending to pull another weed. She was glad she was able to talk with Bridget; their conversation helped her understand the woman better. She showed a strong love for her family. That was very likely why she hadn’t started her own life. Nicky hoped that Bridget would think about her suggestion about spending the winter in Denver. Every woman needed a chance to start her own family.

  As she continued to work, she thought of her conversation with Bridget and her realization that she had fallen in love with Shaun. She admitted to herself that she did want to stay in this time with him. She only had a few days left before she needed to go back to her time. She had to go because of her promise to her brother, but what if there was a chance that she could return and marry Shaun like Kimberly had married Patrick? After pondering the question for some time, she finally decided that the best thing to do was to confront Shaun with her feelings. She knew Shaun cared for her. When they were together he seemed to always find a reason to touch her, although never inappropriately. He had kissed her a few more times, and each time Nicky recognized the feelings between them were growing stronger. But were the feelings strong enough to bridge the time differences between them?

  One of the things that they had started to do together after dinner was to take a short walk. Most of the time they ended up in what she had started to call their ‘special place’ that was near the river. They would talk about things that were going on around the ranch. Sometimes Colleen would join them. Nicky never minded, for she enjoyed the child’s presence.

  Later that afternoon, Nicky went to look for Shaun and saw him in the corral working with a horse, as usual. She decided that it was as good a time as any to talk to him about her feelings.

  “I would like to talk with you,” Nicky told him, when she was finally able to get his attention. “Can we take a walk for a few minutes?”

  Shaun looked happy to see her and agreed. “This horse needs a break anyway,” he said, as he jumped over the wooden fence.

  Without talking about their destination, they both automatically started to walk towards the river. As she walked next to Shaun, she noticed how nervous she was. What if he didn’t feel the same as she did? She felt relieved when Shaun finally brought up the subject of her leaving.

  “We are going to miss you when you go,” Shaun commented, as if he was talking about the weather. Nicky’s heart fell at his words; it was obvious he was not thinking about the possibility of her staying, or at the very least, returning.

  “I do have something I want to talk to you about,” Nicky said, trying to keep her nervousness out of her voice. “Can we sit on those rocks over there?”

  Shaun hesitated. It was almost as if he knew what she had to say, and, after seeing that she had sat down on a rock herself, Shaun came to join her.

  “Are you thinking you want to stay?” Shaun asked outright.

  Nicky shook her head. “I promised my brother I
would return, but...”

  “But what?” Shaun demanded.

  Nicky looked off into the distance. “It’s hard to know exactly what is appropriate here. Should I tell you what I’m feeling? In my time women are more forward, more open about their feelings when it comes to a man.”

  “I’ve never been one to care much about what is proper. What are you feeling?” Shaun asked.

  “I would like to know what you think about the possibility of me returning.”

  “Don’t you have a job in your time that you have to go back to? Do you mean return immediately or next summer?”

  “I would want to return immediately. I would need to talk with my brother, so I could say goodbye to him and my parents. I would need to let the school know I would not be returning.”

  “Why do you want to come back?” Shaun asked.

  Nicky took a deep breath. Should she just tell him? “I have fallen in love with you, and I am willing to live here in your time.” She said the words quickly, knowing, if she hesitated, she would have not said them at all.

  Shaun stood up abruptly. “You don’t know what you’re saying, what you’re giving up. I have heard about all the wonderful things that you have in your time. Why would you want to give that up to live basically in a primitive setting, compared to your time? I know Kimberly did, but her situation is different.”

  “How is it different?” Nicky asked.

  “Kimberly came specifically to marry Patrick. You did not. You came to just visit. I was okay with you coming, because I knew that you would be going back.”

  Nicky did her best to keep tears running down her face, but to no avail. “I thought that you had feelings for me.”

  “I do have feelings for you but not enough to ask you to stay, to give up your own time, your own family. I think you should return. And I don’t think you should come back.”