“You’re wrong.” She moved close to him and rested her hand on his arm. “Please stay.”
He winced. “I have to go. I don’t belong here. I’m sorry.”
Before she could further protest, he strode away from her. He knew she watched him, but he refused to look back because he knew if he did, he’d end up running back to her. His hand wrapped around the time travel device in his pocket. Fargo. He had to get to Fargo. He entered the train station. It was small but Blake was nowhere in sight, and the train came to a stop.
He glanced out the window and clenched his jaw, refusing to let the image of Penelope still watching him change his mind. He’d come too far to turn back now. He’d find a way to make it up to her. He’d bury the gold where she could find it. Her future would be secure. He’d do one thing right in life before he died.
***
Ted returned to town the following Thursday, chastising himself for being eager to see Megan. After all, she told Esther and Miriam that she wanted an annulment. As if being married to him was the worst thing that happened to her! He hoped that spending a week in jail knocked some sense into her. Maybe she’d appreciate him now that she spent some time alone.
He stopped at Mrs. Baxter’s house and paid for the damages before he went to the jail. Aaron was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk and his hat hanging over his eyes. Ted couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard the man snoring. So much for a lawman protecting and serving the community.
Ted tapped the man’s boots.
Aaron immediately woke up. His feet hit the floor and he sat up straight within a second.
Ted blinked in surprise. He had to admit that Aaron had amazing reflexes. “Sleeping on the job?”
The marshal scoffed. “I was testing you.”
“Sure,” he sarcastically replied.
“I wanted to see if you’d steal my keys and help your wife escape.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Now Aaron was the one who smirked. “That’s what you think.”
“And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?”
He stood up and gathered the keys resting on his desk. “It means that your wife is not happy with you.”
“What else is new?”
“I don’t mean that she’s upset. I mean that she’s fuming. I think I even saw foam coming out of her mouth.”
Ted rolled his eyes. Leave it to Aaron to give him a hard time. “I got paid today, so I gave the money to Mrs. Baxter. Now I’m here to take Megan home, which you said I could do once Mrs. Baxter got paid.”
“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Ted followed the marshal to the cell where Megan slept.
“It’s the only time she’s quiet,” Aaron whispered. He slipped the key into the lock and turned it. “Rise and shine, Mrs. Jacob. You’re free!” He opened the door.
Megan stirred on her cot.
Ted smiled at the sight of her. She’s such a beautiful woman.
Her eyelids fluttered open and she sat up. As soon as she saw him, she glared at him.
Surprised, he stepped back. Okay. Maybe she was a little upset.
“I can’t believe you actually left me here all week, Ted!”
He nudged Aaron in the side. “Do you think we should keep her locked up for another week? You know, until she calms down?”
“Don’t you dare!” She raced out of the cell and slapped Ted.
“What’s that for?” Ted demanded, pressing his hand to his cheek.
“For leaving me here to rot, you jerk!” Then she slapped Aaron. “And that’s for refusing Esther and Miriam’s offer to pay my bail.”
She stormed past them.
Ted went after her. “You’re welcome,” he said, letting his irritation flow out of his voice.
She continued her fast pace but glanced over her shoulder. “Do I need to thank you?”
“Yes. I kept you safe from the world. You know, so you wouldn’t cause any major destruction to the future.” Since his legs were longer than hers, he was able to catch up to her before she reached the wagon. “Now I’m here to take you home where I can lock you in your bedroom.”
She shot him a dirty look before she grabbed the seat of the wagon and pulled herself up. Her foot slipped and she groaned. “I’m a woman, you know.”
He crossed his arms and shrugged. “So?”
Though she gripped the seat so hard her knuckles turned white, he could tell that she was going to fall. He waited for her to ask him for help. All she had to do was say one nice word to him, and he’d gladly assist her. But it appeared that she was too stubborn for such a feat, and so she lost her grip and fell onto the dusty road.
She coughed as the dust circulated around her.
Cursing his soft heart, he picked her up and placed her on the wagon seat.
“Get away from me!”
He released her, and though she ordered him to do it, she must not have prepared for it since she tumbled against him.
She groaned and struggled to maintain her balance. When she finally found it, she wiped her dusty hands on her dress. “I feel disgusting. I haven’t bathed in over a week.”
“Well,” he began, patting her leg, “if you ask nice enough, I’ll take care of that for you.”
She shoved his hand away. “I can do it myself.”
“You can’t get home by yourself. Do you want to stay here in town?” He set a hand on his hip and waited for her to respond.
“No. I want to go home. All of my clean clothes are there.”
“Then you’d better be nice to me or I might dump you off in a field somewhere on the way back.”
She gasped and turned to him. “You wouldn’t!”
He shrugged. No, he wouldn’t, but she didn’t have to know that. “I left you in prison, didn’t I?”
“You’re a despicable man.”
He walked to his side of the wagon. “I’ve been called worse.”
“I just bet you have. I wish I could talk to all of your ex-girlfriends. I’m sure we’d have a lot in common.”
“Yes, you would.” He hopped up in the seat and leaned so close to her that she shifted back. “None of you had sex with me.”
“That’s all you men want. Well, if it’s that important to you, then release me from this marriage and go find someone who’s willing to marry you and have all your babies who will eventually ruin mankind because they weren’t supposed to be born.”
“You know, I should annul this marriage. It’s not a real one anyway.”
She nodded. “That’s my thinking on it too.”
“No. You’re thinking on it is that we might have a kid who’s going to blow up the world.”
She turned from him so that he got a good look at her rigid back.
He released the brake and picked up the reins. “I have a surprise for you, honey. I’m staying married to you just so I can annoy you every day for the rest of your life.”
The horses moved forward.
She didn’t respond, so he focused on the road.
Why did he think that she’d be happy to see him? Why did he think she’d see the error of her ways and realize that she couldn’t hide from the world for the rest of her life? Why did he think she might want to live a normal and happy life with him? And, the most pressing question of all, why did he love her?
As soon as he stopped in front of their house, she scrambled out of the wagon and ran into the home, ignoring a barking Buddy who seemed happy to see her. Wow. She hadn’t been home for one second before she returned to her hide-from-the-world routine. He was actually impressed that she could move so fast. If she took track in high school, she probably left everyone else in the dust.
After he put the horses in the barn, he went to the house which he and Richie finished painting yesterday. He thought she might like to see it looking brand new. He’d even gotten rid of the weeds around the place. But no, she didn’t notice his efforts to make her happy.
Then he realized that she was either taking a bath in the river or was in the outhouse. Well, he’d let her be alone so she could cool down. In the meantime, he decided to cook dinner. Thirty minutes passed and she still hadn’t returned. Maybe she did start a hike into town.
Just as he thought he’d go and check out the river, she returned with her shirt and shorts on and her damp hair falling nicely around her shoulders. She carried a towel, her dirty dress and a bar of soap.
“What are you wearing?” he asked, turning from the cookstove where he was frying steaks.
“The same clothes I wore when we got here. You know, 21st century clothes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s July, and I’m burning up. I can’t keep wearing a long dress all the time. If I’m in town, I’ll wear it, but when it’s just us out here, I’m wearing something comfortable and light.”
“But…You can’t.”
“Why not?”
How could he explain it to her? He couldn’t exactly tell her that looking at her bare legs and the shirt that hugged her breasts gave him an erection. He didn’t understand why it should arouse him. He’d seen women dressed in shorts and shirts all the time while growing up, and it wasn’t like she was wearing short shorts. She was wearing modest clothing. Except, after being surrounded by women whose dresses covered them from their necks to their ankles, he didn’t expect to see any of them in shorts and a shirt.
He sighed and flipped the steaks over. “You just can’t. We don’t live in the future anymore.”
“This is my house too, Ted. If I want to wear this, I will.”
“But it’s like you’re wearing nothing.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
She opened her eyes and gave him a pleading look. “Sound like everyone else in this time. I can’t take it.”
“I think we’re going to have to adjust to how they do things. We are a part of this time now.”
“Maybe, but I don’t have to suffer through it. I’m tired of sweating all the time.” She walked toward the staircase before she glanced back at him. “End of discussion.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course, she’d insist on wearing whatever she wanted. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. If he could have sex with her, then he could enjoy the view. As it was though, she was going to send him to an early grave.
Chapter Fourteen
The next day, Megan decided to wash the clothes in the river. The August sun beat down on her, and what she needed was to use the most efficient method for doing the dreaded chore. Being inside a hot kitchen doing laundry, wringing the clothes and scrubbing them, was the last thing she wanted to do. If she was going to suffer through this, she wanted to be as cool as possible. Still in her shorts and shirt, she lugged the basket full of dirty clothes to the river with her soap. She heard of women beating clothes on rocks and washing them that way, and though she considered using rocks, she dragged the washboard along.
She dumped the laundry on the river bank and took the washboard and soap with her into the gentle current. The cool temperature of the water was just the thing her hot skin needed. She set upon her task, scrubbing each item on the washboard before rinsing it in the river and wringing it by hand. Then she tossed it in the basket. Once she was done with all the clothes, she’d hang them up on the clothesline. Just as she finished wringing the last shirt, Ted called out to her.
She glanced over her shoulder and grumbled. Couldn’t he leave her alone? Hadn’t she put up with enough humiliation because of him? What other man left his wife in prison for a week? He was lucky she was doing his laundry, and the only reason she did that was because he still cooked for her.
“I can carry that basket for you,” he offered as he reached the riverbank.
She hesitated but then realized she’d be stupid to take on the task by herself. Wet clothes meant a heavy load. “Alright.”
“Don’t sound too enthusiastic.”
She cleared her throat and let out a high-pitched sickeningly sweet reply. “Alright.”
He gave her a pointed look. “Ha ha.” He picked up the basket.
She put her shoes back on and gathered the washboard and soap. “What are you doing home so early?” she asked as she walked with him across the field.
“I’ve been told to go home and work on my marriage. Apparently, word has spread about your wanting an annulment.”
“I didn’t spread it. I was caged in a cell.”
“Honey, you cage yourself in our home. What makes you think a cell is any different? Besides the bars, that is.”
“I’m not caging myself in. I just did laundry.”
“By yourself. You refuse to interact with anyone,” he said.
“That’s not true. I’m interacting with you, aren’t I?”
“Only because I live here. You have to deal with me whether you like it or not.”
She sighed. “And I don’t like it.” That was a lie. She did like him. She liked him way too much.
“I thought that being in prison would show you what you’re doing by cutting yourself off from your friends. They miss you, you know.”
They reached the clothesline where a bucket of clothespins waited for her. He put the basket on the ground, and she picked up a shirt and some pins.
“I don’t want to interfere in their lives,” she said, hanging up the shirt despite her shaking hands. She hated it when they had this discussion. It was just a bitter reminder of the things she had to give up in order to keep the future right on course.
“Don’t you think we’re here for a reason?”
She shook her head and laughed. “No. We’re here because of some sick cosmic joke.”
“I don’t believe that. I think we’re meant to be here.”
She picked up a dress and pinned it to the line. “If we were meant to be here, we would have been born in this time.”
“Miracles happen all the time. Maybe this is ours.”
She paused and gave him a good look. “You think being trapped here is a miracle?”
His eyes met hers, and her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t recall a time when any man looked at her with such tenderness.
“I never would have met you any other way,” he whispered. “In case you’re wondering why I haven’t given you the annulment, it’s because I want to be with you. As much as you drive me crazy, I love you.”
“I drive you crazy?”
“Yes. Crazy.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not exactly a shining endorsement.”
“It is. None of the other women I went out with were as feisty as you.” He leaned forward and smiled. “I happen to like that about you.”
She didn’t know how to respond. What man liked a woman who gave him a hard time? Maybe he was the one who was crazy. She pinned up a pair of pants.
“Here. I’ll help.” He reached in and grabbed another shirt and a pair of his underwear and hung them on the line.
She hesitated to speak but she needed to confide in someone, and he was the only one for miles. She took a deep breath and concentrated on hanging up the stockings. “Monday was my birthday.”
He stopped and peered over the line at her. “Really? Why didn’t you say anything?”
Shrugging, she finished with the stockings and bent down to grab his socks. “No one was there to celebrate the day.”
He went under the line and stood next to her. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t a very nice birthday gift I gave you, was it?”
Pretending that his concern didn’t affect her as much as it did, she blinked back her tears and hung up the socks. “It wasn’t a big deal. I mean, once a woman turns twenty-nine, birthdays become a liability.”
“That’s not true.” He looked her up and down. “How old are you anyway?”
“Thirty-five.”
“Huh. And here I thought you were forty.”
She gasped and got ready to clobber him with one of the socks.
He held up his hand to stop her and laughed. “Come on, Meg. I knew you weren’t forty. I thought you were in your early thirties. I wouldn’t have guessed you were thirty-five.”
She relaxed. “You’re telling me the truth?”
“Yes.” He leaned forward and kissed her.
She took a step back, blushing despite herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the kiss. She did. She just didn’t expect it. “What was that for?”
“It’s your birthday kiss. Every year, you get a kiss.”
“No. You get a birthday spanking. You know, you get a light tap on the butt for every year of your life, plus one to grow on.”
“My mistake.”
She bent down to get the last item of clothing and felt his hand rub her behind. She jerked up and pressed her hand where his had just been. “You’re taking way too many liberties, Ted.”
“Too many liberties? With my wife? Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
“We were forced to marry.”
“So? That doesn’t make it any less real.”
She shook her head and pinned the skirt on the line. “There. All done.”
“You did a great job.”
When she looked at him and saw his expression, she realized he was telling her the truth. “Thank you.”
“I know all this work hasn’t been easy for you. It’s not like you have a washer and dryer. I also like the shirt you made me.” He smiled at her. “I appreciate your work.”
Feeling unexpectedly shy, she smiled in return. “Thank you. Again. And thanks for cooking.”
“Well, if I didn’t, I think Esther would have my hide. The woman has changed her opinion on the man cooking. She now thinks that in our case, it’s a necessity.”
Megan laughed and threw the washboard and soap into the empty basket. “That’s because I almost burned the kitchen down. After the third time, she gave up.”
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