Sherri held her hand to the back of her neck in an attempt to ease the pain as she raised her head. Although she hadn’t gotten a good look at her surroundings, she definitely wasn’t at home. It just didn’t smell like home.
She caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a large wooden desk piled high with papers. Maybe she was at one of her father’s offices? That didn’t make any sense, and his style was definitely more modern. She froze at the sound of voices coming from nearby.
“I must admit again, this is the most unusual arrangement I’ve ever conducted, Reverend. When you first came to me with your request to find a groom for a young lady in need of a husband, I didn’t believe you. I will say, however, that seeing for myself, I can’t deny it any longer that what you tell me is true.”
“Have the arrangements been made, Mrs. Long?”
“Yes, everything is set, but what if she doesn’t want to do this? It must be a shock to her when she finds out what has happened to her and where she is.”
A slight chuckle came from the man. “Let me worry about that. I’m sure Miss Stucki will be agreeable after I’ve fully explained the situation to her.”
The man’s voice was slightly familiar. It was the old man who’d been sent by her father to drive her home. She’d never heard the woman’s voice before. It was soft and melodious, and had a certain calming effect, even though the woman seemed a bit unsure and hesitant about something.
What were they even talking about? She’d heard the words, but her brain wasn’t making any sense of them. The only sure thing that had registered was that the old man had mentioned her name.
“It looks like she’s awake, Reverend.”
In the next instant, a woman leaned over her. She wore a long dress that looked to have come straight out of a museum. Her friendly smile didn’t disguise the slight uncertainty in her eyes. Her blonde hair was swept back in an attractive bun. Her entire getup made her look like an actress from one of those nineteenth century western shows her mother loved to watch on cable TV.
“My name is Harriett Long. How are you feeling, Miss Stucki?” The woman held her hand against Sherri’s forehead. The concern in her eyes was rather motherly, but she didn’t appear to be that old, maybe early thirties. “What can I do to make you feel more comfortable?”
Sherri blinked, squeezing her eyes shut, then opened them again. She wrinkled her forehead. “A cup of strong coffee and maybe a couple of aspirin.”
The woman glanced over her shoulder, then quickly returned her gaze to Sherri. Her smile this time seemed a bit forced. “I can supply the coffee, but I’m afraid I don’t know what aspirin is.”
Sherri stared. Who doesn’t know about aspirin?
In the next instant, the old man from the night before appeared next to the woman.
“Perhaps you should let me have a word with her, Mrs. Long.”
The woman stepped back, nodding. “Of course.” She smiled back at Sherri. “I’ll have Higgins bring some coffee, and perhaps some toasted bread with butter. It might be good for your stomach.”
Sherri simply nodded for lack of a better response. She could definitely use some aspirin for her pounding headache.
“I assume your head isn’t feeling too well at the moment, but that will soon pass. I’m sure it’s a combination of the wine you drank as well as the potion I gave you.”
Sherri sat up fully. A knitted blanket fell from her shoulders and bunched in her lap. She nearly jumped to her feet. She was dressed in a similar outfit as what the woman, Mrs. Long, was wearing.
“Potion? What did you do to me, old man?” She glanced around the room as a mixture of panic and anger welled up inside her. Nothing looked remotely familiar. Everything in this room looked to be antique. “And where am I?”
Sherri scrambled to find her phone. Her purse was gone, however, and there were no pockets in the dress she was wearing, at least none she’d been able to find among all that material.
The old man put a hand on her shoulder. Sherri shrank away, but an odd sense of calm came over her. As creepy as everything was, this man, whom Harriett Long kept referring to as a reverend, didn’t seem dangerous. That didn’t mean he or the woman were trustworthy. She stared the old man in the eyes.
“Have I been kidnapped?”
The reverend’s smile widened. He shook his head. “No, Miss Stucki. You have not been kidnapped. You are free to go whenever you wish, but first, let me explain. I’m sure you are full of questions, and I completely understand your unease.”
Sherri stood, but her legs were soft as gelatin and just as wobbly. The blood rushed from her head, making her dizzy, and the pounding at her temples increased. She sat back down as the room began to spin.
“You’d best take it easy until you’ve had some coffee and some nourishment. I don’t advise drinking an entire bottle of wine on an empty stomach in the future . . . ah . . from now on.”
How did he know she hadn’t eaten anything last night other than that bite of cheese and a few grapes? Her heart began to pound as adrenaline raced through her limbs. Maybe she was still asleep and this was some weird dream. Dreams were always surreal and made little sense.
“What happened to me, and where did you take me? I need to get ahold of my father.”
“I can do everything to explain where you are, but unfortunately, reaching your father at the moment will be impossible.” The old man sat next to her, and turned so they faced each other.
A tall, thin, dark-haired man walked in at that moment, dressed in a black suit, carrying a tray. He set it on the desk and bowed slightly.
“Coffee, bread, and butter for the lady,” he said in a somber, distinguished voice, then turned and left.
Sherri shook her head. This situation was getting weirder by the second. The aroma of rich coffee drifted through the air, and her stomach growled, but rather than move to reach for the tray, she looked at the reverend.
“Who put you up to this charade?” No matter how much she searched her brain, there wasn’t a single person that came to mind who would play this kind of practical joke on her, and to what purpose?
The old man straightened and cleared his throat. “Miss Stucki,” he began. “I grant second chances to people who have lost their way.”
Sherri’s forehead scrunched. She shook her head. She seemed to be doing a lot of that since waking up. “Second chance? I haven’t lost my way, unless you count me being here, which I still don’t know where ‘here’ is.”
“You are in Beckham, in a house on Rock Creek Road, to be precise.”
“Beckham?” A jolt of dread made her heart flip in her chest. “You were supposed to take me to Boston. You did kidnap me! Whatever it is you want, my father will pay the ransom.”
Panic made her talk faster and raise her voice. She should get off this couch and run out of the room, but the warm hand covering hers kept her rooted to the spot. Not by force, but simply through the old man’s gentle and reassuring touch.
“You have not been kidnapped, Miss Stucki,” he said again. “You told me last evening that you wished there was a place where it was not about money. I have brought you to such a place.”
Sherri glanced around. Although everything looked old in this room, it certainly didn’t look cheap. Everything was ornate and expensive. Her mother loved antiques. She’d be absolutely giddy in a room like this one.
“I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying. There’s no such thing as a place without money. It was just something I said because I wish things were different in my life.”
The old man nodded. “Precisely. And that’s why I have brought you here. If you wish to change things in your life, I can help you. You’ve been granted a second chance, Miss Stucki.”
“Second Chance for what?”
“This is the beginning of your journey to the kind of life you’ve always wanted. You’re looking for better relationships with the ones you love, are you not? Relationships not based on money.”
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Sherri nodded. “I’ve often wondered what it would be like, yes, but what am I supposed to do about it?”
“I can help you find your way.”
Sherri exhaled a loud breath. Extracting information from this man that made sense was like pulling teeth. “I haven’t lost my way. My parents are the ones who’ve lost their way, and all my so-called friends.”
The reverend smiled an indulgent smile, making his blue eyes shimmer in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. “I have brought you to the year 1885. I think you can be of some help to another individual who is struggling with finding his way back on the right path.”
Sherri swallowed at the same time she inhaled. A coughing fit followed. Her hand trembled as she reached for the ornate china cup on the tray and gulped some coffee. It clanked against the saucer when she set it back down. It was definitely time to wake from this silly dream.
She glanced up at the man, then started laughing.
“You’re trying to tell me that I’m two centuries in the past? How many times have you tried to pull that story on unsuspecting people? I realize I was a little bit drunk last night, and still hung over this morning, but I’m not completely stupid.”
The reverend chuckled. “I’ve never questioned your intelligence, Miss Stucki. I’ve helped more people than you and I can count, and they were all as stunned about it as you, and as disbelieving. They all came around, however, when they realized they weren’t dreaming. Some take longer to convince than others, but they all see the truth soon enough.”
Sherri’s mind went blank at the same time a thousand questions flooded her brain. This old man was talking to her matter-of-factly, as if he was having Sunday tea with a dear friend.
She rolled her eyes when her next words dripped from her mouth. “So, you’re saying I’ve time traveled to the past, and you want to give me a do-over at my life?”
The reverend nodded. “What better time to explore the simpler things in life than in the nineteenth century, Miss Stucki? You won’t have to deal with all those creature comforts and exorbitant gadgets and possessions you own.”
Sherri’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t permanent, is it? What if I don’t like it here? What if I want to go home?” She didn’t even believe the old man, so why was she even asking these silly questions. All she was doing was playing along to buy some time to figure out how to get out of here.
The reverend extended his arm in a sweeping motion and pointed his hand at the door. “You can choose to go home now, Miss Stucki, and your life will be the same as it was last night. If, however, you choose to accept my offer of a second chance, once you’ve completed your task, you will be granted the life you’ve always wished for.”
Aha. Finally, they were getting to the catch. “Task? What do I have to do?”
The reverend smiled in satisfaction. “There is a man I want you to meet. Mrs. Harriett Long was gracious enough to arrange for your marriage in order to make that happen.”
Sherri bolted upright. She stood, but it was a mistake. Dizziness overtook her and she swayed. She’d have fallen if the old man hadn’t had quick reflexes and steadied her. Stupid wine. She was never going to touch the stuff again.
“Marriage?” She leaned forward and held her head between her hands. “I just found out my boyfriend lied to me and is cheating on me. I’m not going to marry someone I don’t know.”
The door creaked open at that moment. Sherri glanced up to see Harriett Long come into the room. The woman walked with a limp.
“I would never pair you up with someone I didn’t deem suitable, Miss Stucki. I’m in the business of finding mail order brides for men who are looking for wives.”
Sherri laughed. She sat up straighter, and looked from the reverend to the friendly woman. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Mail order brides? This sounds like something right out of the nineteenth . . . century.” Her eyes widened. These two weren’t kidding. They were totally serious. Her eyes shot back to the reverend.
“But you told me I could go home after I completed some assignment. How am I supposed to marry someone? Are we going to get a divorce at the end?”
“None of my brides have ever divorced their husbands. They’ve all found happiness and bettered their lives.” Harriett looked almost mortified.
The reverend patted Sherri’s hand. “If you choose to return to your time, the marriage will be dissolved as if it never happened. Neither one of you will remember your encounter with the other.”
Sherri fought the urge to pull her hand away, but the sincere smile on his face and his warm touch once again kept her calm enough to take a deep breath and not leap from her seat to bolt out the door. This was all surreal, and she’d wake up sooner or later from this dream. For now, maybe she’d just play along. The idea of having her life changed for the better, for what she’d always dreamed of, was extremely appealing, even if it was just make-believe.
“There is a man who is in need of love and companionship. An event in his life has left him bitter and isolated for too long. I believe that you are the right person to make him see that love is something everyone needs, since it’s the one thing you’ve said you craved as well.”
Sherri’s eyes volleyed between the reverend and Harriett Long. None of this made any sense, but why not? What did she have to lose? Her parents ignored her, her boyfriend cheated on her – with her so-called best friend, no less. If all she had to do in order to get her own life back the way she wanted it was explain all the things she was missing in her life to this mystery guy she was supposed to meet and marry, then it would be worth it. She sucked in a quick breath.
“Fine. I’ll do it. Where do I meet this guy?”
The reverend smiled, and glanced over his shoulder at Harriett. She shook her head slightly, then held out an envelope for Sherri.
“The man you’re supposed to meet lives in a town called Laramie. It’s in Wyoming Territory. This envelope contains your train ticket and money to get you there. I’ve made arrangements to secure your passage to Independence, and from there you will have to purchase another ticket to get you to Laramie.”
Sherri took the envelope from Harriett.
“There’s a letter in there from him. He’s a wealthy cattle owner, looking for a wife who was raised to appreciate high standards of living. You can read it later, but right now, we need to get to the train station so you don’t miss your train.”
Laramie, Wyoming? Sherri stared at the envelope in her hand. She’d toured Europe, and regularly flew from coast to coast in the States, but she’d never considered traveling to any inland state before. She stood, much slower this time.
“I have a bag packed and ready.”
Harriett smiled and held her by the elbow, clearly afraid Sherri would fall down. It was definitely a possibility as she took a tentative step toward the door. The dress she wore was unbearably tight around the waist. Maybe that’s why she had the feeling she’d pass out all the time, and it wasn’t all due to the wine.
The reverend reached the door, and opened it to let her and Harriett leave the room first. Sherri mentally shook her head. This was either the strangest dream she’d ever dreamed, or she was about to do one of the craziest and most unbelievable things in her life.
Chapter 3
The horse snorted as if in answer to the loud blow of a train whistle. Steam from the locomotive billowed in the air, and the engine hissed loudly as the large machine slowly eased to a stop. Alexander Walker let his mount pick its own way across several lines of track, a safe distance from where the train had stopped.
He glanced up to look at the sprawling city of Independence before him. Best to avoid most of the town and take care of business, so he could get to his next job, which was more in his line of work than wrestling steers and cows, which he’d done for the last six months.
As a favor to his former boss, he’d agreed to stop at the train depot to drop off an order for supplies, and to check whether his
latest orders had arrived. After that, he was leaving the city behind as fast as possible. Hundreds of people all in one place simply wasn’t his cup of tea.
He’d experienced enough of that several years ago while going to school in Boston. To this day, it had been a bad decision, for various reasons. He belonged in the mountains where he’d grown up, living off the land away from other folks. Mingling with society brought nothing but aggravation and heartache.
Coming to Independence was nothing more than a reminder of the eastern city that left a bitter taste in his mouth. As soon as he was finished with his current job, he was going back into the mountains for good. Unfortunately, going back to his family was out of the question at the moment. He couldn’t face them after what had happened several years ago, and he didn’t need their pity, either. At least he had a little cabin waiting for him, secluded in the wilderness where no one would disturb him.
Shaking off the direction his mind had wandered, Alexander reined his horse around the depot building and stopped in front of the main office. There was no sense dwelling on the past, and things that had happened. It was done, and the best he could do now was not repeat those mistakes.
Dismounting, he looped the reins around one of several hitching rails, and gave his gelding a pat. The horse snorted again, and bobbed his head up and down.
“I know. I don’t like it much here, either. We’ll get going soon enough, then you can enjoy wide open spaces again.”
Alexander pulled his rifle from the scabbard tied to his saddle and headed into the building. Several people stared at him as he strode back outside to where men were unloading the freight cars. Alexander ignored them. People looking at him with suspicion or curiosity was nothing new. The same thing happened in most towns, whether big or small.
At first glance, being dressed in buckskins and leather moccasins gave him the appearance of being an Indian. His dark hair and the slightly darker complexion of his skin than most white men hinted at his mixed heritage, and his preferred choice of clothing made it even more obvious.
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