Oh no. Maggie, please don't tell me you are using the defective saddle.
Jordan desperately searched several empty stalls until she came across one containing a magnificent mustang steed. She talked soothingly to the animal as she first threw a blanket and then a saddle over the horse's back.
"Come on, big guy. We've got a job to do."
Minutes later, she led the horse out of the stall and climbed into the saddle. With a quick jab to the horse's ribs, she was on her way at a full gallop across the snowy fields, heading for the western edge of the property bounded by Lake Champlain.
The old woman made her way through the empty farmhouse and stepped onto the porch outside the kitchen door. From her vantage point, she could see Jordan speeding across the plains.
"Godspeed, Jordan. Please reach her in time. This is her last chance. This is our last chance."
Then she slowly descended the stairs and walked toward the barn.
* * *
Jordan agonized about how long it was taking to cover the distance between the house and the lake. In her desperation, she was oblivious to the biting cold that chafed her cheeks while she rode. Nearly a half hour later, the frozen lake came into view. The sight encouraged Jordan to dig in her heels and push her steed nearly beyond its limits as their speed increased and she felt airborne.
Maggie, please stay away from the edge. Please. I'm coming, my love, I'm coming. Please let me reach you in time.
Jordan pushed her mount as hard as she could and almost gave up hope until she spotted Maggie on the horizon, galloping freely across the plains, directly toward the edge of the cliffs.
"Maggie!" she screamed. "Maggie, stop."
Jordan's screams were ineffective. The distance between them and the sound of the crashing surf below the cliffs drowned out any chance that Maggie would hear her.
Jordan silently asked her horse for forgiveness as she dug her heels in once more in an attempt to get just a little more speed out of the animal. Her efforts paid off as she began to close the distance between them. Again, she attempted to call out to Maggie, and again, her efforts were for naught. Finally, when she had closed the distance to within thirty feet, she heard a shot ring out. Maggie's horse suddenly reared up very close to the edge of the cliff.
* * *
"Kale, Jordan left us a message. It's time to bring her home," Andi said as she entered the lab.
"Okay. Let's do this," Kale replied, powering the system up.
"Ten seconds to surge," Andi said. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three two… ready… surge."
* * *
Maggie stood in the saddle in an attempt to steady herself and calm the animal as it continued to rear up.
"Maggie." Jordan shouted once more. She was now only twenty feet from Maggie.
Maggie looked up and saw Jordan just as she lost her footing and began to tumble off the horse.
"No." Jordan screamed, reaching for anything she could cling to. Just as her fingers made contact with the collar of Maggie's jacket, she felt the now-familiar tingling in her body as though every muscle had fallen asleep and was now awakening. She realized immediately what was happening. "Kale. No. Not now. For heaven's sake, not now." she screamed.
* * *
The power surge passed over Kale and Andi as they watched Jordan appear on the platform. Then, the unthinkable happened. Jordan's figure began to fade again as though she were somehow resisting the retrieval.
"Do something!" Andi shouted.
"I… I don't know what to do," Kale said.
They stood by helplessly as Jordan began to fade away. Then, as suddenly as it began, the process reversed itself and Jordan appeared once more on the platform.
"Power down," Andi ordered, running toward Jordan.
Kale powered down the rings as fast as he could. Moments later, he ran toward the machine where Andi had climbed onto the platform and gathered Jordan into her arms. She was rocking the frail, gray-haired Jordan back and forth while cradling her close to her breast.
"Andi?" Kale said softly.
Andi looked at Kale with tear-filled eyes. "She's gone, Kale. She's gone."
CHAPTER 1
SHELBURNE, VERMONT
SEPTEMBER 23, 2018
"Good Morning, John," Maggie said as she entered the barn.
"Mornin', Maggie."
"What's on your agenda today?"
"Well, I'm fixing to repair this pitchfork. The handle is loose. After that, I have some hay bales to stack."
"The wagon with the bales is out in the barn yard. Would you like me to bring them in for you?" Maggie asked.
"No ma'am. I'll take care of it, right after I fix this pitchfork."
"All right then," Maggie said. She shoved her hands deep into the front pockets of her jeans and walked into her horse's stall. "Hey, Shawny. How's my guy this morning?"
John stepped out of the tack room. "Where's that wind coming from? Did you leave the barn door open, Maggie?"
Just then, a flash of light appeared in the area of the barn where the hay bales were stored, drawing John's attention. "What in tarnation—?"
Maggie's exited Shawny's stall a moment later. "John, are you sure you don't want help with the hay?"
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a cracking sound above her head. A split second later, she found herself tackled to the ground as a large metal winch hit the dirt with a resounding thud, right next to her.
"Get off me." Maggie scrambled to her feet. "What the hell happened?" she said as she watched her would-be rescuer also stand and brush herself off.
"John," Maggie screamed. "John, I need you in here, right now."
Maggie circled the heavy winch then looked up at the rafters. "Son of a bitch — I could have been killed," she exclaimed.
John ran into the barn from the tack room, just as a petite woman with short blonde hair entered the barn.
"Maggie. What happened?" John asked.
Maggie pointed at the winch. "That is what happened. John, I need you to inspect the rafter this thing was hanging from. Something caused it to snap, and I want to know what."
"Yes, ma'am," John said.
The petite woman shot a questioning look at Jordan. "What happened?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on Maggie's back.
Maggie rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. I was walking toward Shawny's stall when all of the sudden this woman—" Maggie gestured at Jordan "This woman appeared out of nowhere and tackled me to the floor. The next thing I knew, the winch was sitting in a crater on the floor, exactly where I'd just been standing."
The smaller woman wrapped her arms around Maggie and hugged her. "Thank God you weren't hurt," she said. "I'll investigate this. I promise we'll get to the bottom of it."
Maggie cupped the side of the woman's face and smiled. "Thank you, Jan."
Maggie turned abruptly and looked at Jordan. Her brows knit together as she considered the woman who had saved her life. She watched Jordan shift her weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable under Maggie's intense scrutiny. Maggie extended her hand.
"And you are?" she asked.
"Jordan. Jordan Lewis," she replied as she shook Maggie's hand.
Maggie smiled, clearly aware of the effect she was having on Jordan as she saw Jordan struggle to look away. "Well, Jordan, I guess I am indebted to you. I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't come along when you did, that winch would have killed me."
Jordan inhaled deeply. "You're welcome," she replied. "When I heard the rafter crack, I pretty much acted on instinct."
"Thank God for instinct," Maggie declared. "So, the question is who are you and what were you doing in my barn?"
"Ah… ah… I was actually looking for work," Jordan began, "No one answered the door at the house, so I came to the barn."
Maggie smiled again. "Work, huh? Well, why don't you join me for a glass of lemonade while we talk about it?"
Jordan smiled back at her. "I'd like that."
&nbs
p; * * *
Maggie filled two glasses and handed one to Jordan, who was seated at the kitchen table. Maggie leaned against the cupboard and assessed Jordan as she drank.
"So, Jordan, where are you from?" Maggie asked.
"I'm actually from the area," Jordan replied.
Maggie sipped her drink. "I see. So, what kind of work are you looking for?"
Jordan sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "Well, my parents raised horses, so I have experience in the care and training of horses, and I'm pretty good with my hands," she added.
"Hmm," Maggie murmured as she watched a wide array of expressions cross Jordan's face. "Is it safe to say you'll need to bunk here as well? I mean, assuming I hire you, of course."
Just then, the kitchen door swung open and Jan entered. Both women turned their attention to her.
"Did you find anything?" Maggie asked.
Jan shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. I climbed into the rafters and examined the beams. Odd as it sounds, that particular beam snapped for no apparent reason. It was probably a defective beam."
Maggie frowned. "That seems strange. The winch has been hanging from that beam for the past two years, and there's been no sign of failure. What did John have to say about it?"
Jan shifted her weight from foot to foot. "John didn't look at it. I told him I would take care of it."
Maggie frowned. "Well, I'll call the contractor who built the barn and have him repair it for me."
"I can repair it," Jordan interjected.
Maggie raised her eyebrows. "You can?"
Jordan stood. "Like I said, I'm good with my hands."
Maggie grinned. "Okay." She turned to Jan. "Jan, this is Jordan Lewis, our new ranch hand."
Jordan extended her hand to Jan, who pointedly chose not to shake it.
"I've got to get back to the barn. John needs a hand offloading the feed," Jan said. She turned abruptly and left.
"Humph," Maggie exclaimed as she looked at Jordan. "That's not like her. She's normally so friendly. Please accept my apologies."
Jordan smiled. "No problem. I'm sure she's still just shaken up by your close call."
"Maybe," Maggie replied absently.
"So, if you'll point me in the direction of your tools and wood supply, I'll get to work on that rafter," Jordan offered.
Maggie smiled. "You don't waste any time, do you?"
"No, Ma'am," Jordan replied.
* * *
The broken rafter was just beyond the end of the hayloft but close enough that Jordan was able set up an extension ladder on the floor of the loft and lean it against a rafter adjacent to the break. Once the ladder was in place, Jordan carried up a few pieces of two-by-six lumber and placed them across two rafters in order to create a scaffold for herself.
Jordan was nailing the last plank in place when Maggie appeared in the barn below.
"Hey there," she called up to Jordan. "How's it going?"
Jordan looked down "I've just built the work platform. I'm about to inspect the beam now."
"Do you mind if I join you?" Maggie asked.
"Not at all. Come on up." Jordan climbed down the ladder and waited for Maggie to join her in the loft. "You go ahead of me. I'll hold the ladder," Jordan offered.
"Okay," Maggie said.
Once Maggie was standing securely on the scaffolding, Jordan climbed the ladder and joined her. The platform was relatively narrow, so Jordan had to hold on to Maggie as she shimmied past her in order to get close enough to inspect the break.
"Okay," Jordan said. "Let's see what the problem is here. Hmm… this is odd."
"What is it?" Maggie moved in for a closer look.
"Well, after what Jan said, I expected to see a ragged break. If this was caused by a defect in the beam, the break would most likely be splintered, jagged, and at an angle."
Jordan pointed to the end of the rafter still in place. "Look here. This beam has been cut with a saw. Look at how straight and clean this edge is."
"That is odd," Maggie said. "I wonder who did that… and why?"
Jordan's eyes narrowed. "What I'd like to know is why Jan said there was no apparent reason for the break."
Maggie frowned. "You don't suspect Jan, do you?"
Jordan shrugged. "Maggie, I don't even know Jan, so I'm in no position to judge her. I just think it's odd that she inspected the break and found nothing strange about it."
"Well, to tell you the truth, Jan is really good with the animals, but she doesn't know which end of a hammer to use to drive a nail. I doubt she would have realized the significance of this clean cut. I will call the original contractor and ask him about it. Would you mind talking to him?"
"No," Jordan replied. "Sounds like a good idea. In the meantime, I'll repair this."
Maggie smiled. "Okay. If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it."
"Consider it done." Jordan smiled sweetly at Maggie.
Maggie's gaze lingered on Jordan for several seconds. Finally, she chuckled. "Forgive me for staring, Jordan, but I've never met such a competent woman, especially not one as attractive as you."
Jordan blushed. "Well thank ya, ma'am," she said in a mock southern drawl. She tucked her thumbs into her belt. "Yer not such a bad looker yerself."
Maggie laughed. "And you have a sense of humor as well. A very nice combination. Okay, good luck with the repair. I've got to get ready for a meeting with the Shelburne selectmen in about an hour. If you need anything, ask John."
Jordan nodded at Maggie. "All right then. I'll just take a few measurements here. Do you need help with the ladder?"
"No, I'll be fine. I should be back in a couple of hours. I'll show you around the farm and get you settled into the bunkhouse when I get back. Is that okay?"
"That's fine. Have a good meeting."
Maggie smiled once more. "Thank you. I'll be back soon."
CHAPTER 2
When Maggie returned to the barn later that day, she found Jordan standing in the hook of the winch as John raised her to the rafters and lowered her again. "Okay, John, this time we'll hook onto a pallet of feed and see how that goes."
Maggie leaned quietly against the doorway of the barn and watched Jordan hook the winch to the straps supporting the feed pallet before climbing on top of the bags.
"Okay, John, take it up."
Jordan held on to the rope just above the winch as John slowly raised her and the pallet to the level of the hayloft. "Looks good from here," she announced. "Take it down."
John slowly lowered the pallet to the floor of the barn. When it was stable, Jordan jumped off and turned to John. "Good as new," she proclaimed. "You should be able to unload the feed safely now."
"Thank you, Jordan. Maggie will be happy to know the rafter is fixed."
"Yes, I am very happy," Maggie said from her position by the door.
"Maggie— you're back," Jordan exclaimed. "How long have you been standing there?"
Maggie walked up and linked her arm with Jordan's. "Long enough to watch your acrobatics. Do you always test out your own work like that?"
Maggie led Jordan out of the barn and across the yard.
"Well, I do have a habit of using myself as a test subject. I figure if I put myself at risk, I'll do a better job."
"I like that level of personal commitment," Maggie said. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine."
"Okay, here is the bunkhouse," Maggie said as they mounted the steps to the cabin. Maggie pushed the door open and stepped aside so Jordan could enter first.
"Wow. This is really nice," Jordan observed. She looked around the well-furnished bunkhouse. It was built in an L shape off one side of the farmhouse and extended behind the main house. "Does anyone else live here?"
"No, you are the only one right now, so you get your pick of beds."
"So, I take it John and Jan don't live on the farm."
Maggie smiled. "John lives about a mile down the road. Jan does live here, just not in the bunkh
ouse."
Jordan turned red with embarrassment. "Oh, I… ah… well, that's really none of my business."
Maggie touched Jordan's arm. "No, I don't mind. In fact you should probably know that my lifestyle is a bit unconventional. You see, Jan is my… well, let's just say she's my significant other. Is that going to be a problem for you?"
Jordan said, "No. Why should it? What you do in the privacy of your own home is your business. I do have one question for you though."
"And that is?"
"Considering Jan's status in your household, am I to take instructions from her as well as you?"
Maggie grinned. "Absolutely not. Like I said, Jan is good with the animals, but not very proficient in other things. No, if there is something to be done around here, I will be the one to direct it."
"Well that's a relief," Jordan replied.
Maggie cocked her head to the side. "How so?"
"Because judging by her reaction in the barn earlier today, I don't think she likes me very much."
Maggie chuckled. "Don't let her bother you. She tends to be a bit territorial, but she's all bark and no bite. So, take your pick of the bedrooms and make yourself comfortable. Take a look around, settle in, and let me know if you need anything. Okay?"
Jordan shoved her fingertips into her back pockets. "I don't think I need anything right now. Oh, wait. Maybe some paper and a pen? I like to keep a journal, and I don't have anything with me right now to record today's entries."
"Not a problem. I'll go fetch it for you right now. I assume your diary is in your luggage?"
"Er… yes. My diary is in my luggage. Now that I have a job, I'll send for it. With any luck, it will be here in a couple of days."
Maggie crossed her arms and cocked her head to one side. "So I guess you'll need something to sleep in as well?"
Jordan turned red and looked at the floor. "Well, I thought about washing my things out in the sink tonight and just sleeping in the nude."
"You'll do nothing of the kind. Come with me. I have several old T-shirts here that my Dad left behind when they moved to Florida. Come pick out what you'd like to wear. He wasn't a very big man. There may even be some jeans and shirts of his that you can wear until your luggage arrives. As for the personal items, you're a few inches taller than I am, but it looks like we wear pretty much the same size jeans, so I'm sure I have some underclothes you can wear."
All My Tomorrows Page 2