All My Tomorrows

by Karen D. Badger

  "You don't have to do that, Maggie."

  "No, I don't, but I want to. So, come with me," Maggie said.

  Jordan followed her from the bunkhouse into the kitchen of the farmhouse.

  As they stepped into the kitchen, Maggie turned to Jordan and smiled. "Dinner time is normally a community affair around here, and everyone pitches in — however, I must warn you, if you can't cook, you usually end up doing the dishes."

  Jordan grinned. "Well, I guess I'll be sporting dishpan hands 'cause I burn water."

  Maggie chuckled. "Well, luckily for you, I can cook. In fact, I usually end up doing most of the cooking around here."

  Jordan followed Maggie from room to room as she pointed out areas of the house. After the tour of the living areas was complete, Maggie led Jordan down the hall to the bedrooms. "That's my room," she said, pointing out the first door they passed on the left. "The bathroom is right across the hall, and down here at the end is a suite of rooms that my parents used when they lived here."

  Maggie pushed the door open to her parent's suite. "Okay, let's see," she began as she opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a few T-shirts. "These should fit you." Maggie pulled open another drawer. "Also, here are some blue jeans that Dad sometimes wore. Like I said, he wasn't a large man. He was maybe three or four inches taller than you are, but he was pretty slim. If the cuffs are too long, just roll them up."

  Maggie handed the pile of clothes to Jordan. Then she led Jordan back into the hall to her own bedroom. She pushed the door open and, instantly, the scent of patchouli reached Jordan's nostrils. Jordan inhaled deeply as she stepped into the room. "Hmm," she said unconsciously.

  Maggie noticed Jordan's reaction. "It's patchouli. Do you like it?"

  Jordan looked into Maggie's eyes. "It's my favorite scent," she replied.

  Maggie smiled. "It's my favorite as well."

  Maggie's gaze held Jordan's for a tad longer than would be considered conventional. After a moment, she inhaled deeply and regained her sense of awareness.

  "Underclothes," Maggie said as the open a dresser drawer and pulled out a few pairs of panties, some socks, and a couple of bras. "I'm a 34C. Will that work for you?"

  "Perfect," she replied as she accepted the clothing. "Maggie, I don't know how to thank you enough."

  "No thanks necessary. After all, if you hadn't come along when you did, I probably wouldn't be here. That winch hit the floor exactly where I was standing. It surely would have killed me. I should be thanking you."

  Jordan grinned and shook her head. "You probably would have seen it in time to get out of the way, but like you said, no thanks necessary."

  Again, a silence fell as they stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Jordan broke the reverie. "Ah, I guess I should be getting settled in."

  Maggie snapped out of her trance. "Of course, of course. Oh, let me get you some paper and a pen before you go."

  Maggie retrieved a small journal from the bedside table and handed it to Jordan.

  "Here. This is a spare journal I haven't used yet. I keep diaries myself, you know. I realize how important it is to organize your thoughts at the end of the day."

  Jordan grinned as she accepted the book and pen. "Thank you, Maggie. You know, something told me you were the diary type."

  "Really?"

  "Yes, really," Jordan replied. She added the diary to the growing heap of things tucked under her arm. She looked at Maggie. "So, if you were writing today's entry right now, what would it say?"

  Maggie looked up at the ceiling and squinted her eyes. She raised one hand for emphasis as she spoke. "It would say September 23, 2018. This is the day I almost died. Luckily, my beautiful blue-eyed guardian angel came to my rescue."

  Jordan cleared her throat. "Well, I guess I should go settle in. Thank you again."

  "You are welcome. Can you find your way out?" Maggie asked.

  "No problem," Jordan replied. "This place already feels like home."

  * * *

  Maggie kicked off her boots, stripped off her blue jeans and flannel shirt, and threw everything into a heap by the side of the bed just as Jan entered the room.

  "Wow. Now that's what I call a nice welcome," she exclaimed.

  Maggie walked to her dresser to retrieve a tank top that she slipped over her head.

  Jan frowned. "So I take it you're not interested in making love tonight."

  Maggie stood in front of the dresser and tousled her curly hair in front of the mirror. "Jan, it's been a long day, not to mention a little frightening."

  Jan pretended to be interested in something on the dresser. "How so?"

  "For starters, having a three hundred pound metal winch nearly fall on my head this morning — that's how so. Do you realize I could have been killed? Thank God Jordan was there."

  "There's something odd about that one," Jan replied.

  Maggie tuned to look at her. "Why do you say that?"

  "What do you know about her? Where does she come from? What did she do for a living before she came here? Have you asked her any of those questions yet?"

  "I know that her family raised horses. I know that she is from somewhere around this area, but she hasn't specified exactly where yet. I know she seems to know what she's doing on a farm. I know she's good with her hands, and I know that if she hadn't been here today, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now. For me, that's all I need to know."

  Jan snorted. "I'll bet she's good with her hands."

  Maggie stomped up to Jan and stopped within inches of her. "What exactly to you mean by that?" she demanded.

  "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how attractive she is," Jan said. "Are you going to pursue her like you did me when I first came to work for you?"

  "The way I remember it, that pursuit went both ways," Maggie replied.

  "Yeah, well I'm not sure she's going to be a welcome addition to the crew. She has kind of a know-it-all attitude."

  "Oh, really? Just how much time have you spent with her to come to that conclusion?"

  "I don't need to spend time with her. I think I'm a pretty good judge of character, and she doesn't look like a farmhand to me. She looks more like she should be sitting behind a desk or teaching school or something like that."

  Maggie placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll have you know that she's very capable of working a farm. She inspected the rafter after you said it was probably a weak point in the wood, and she found where someone or something had mechanically cut through the boards."

  "What?" Jan exclaimed. "How the hell did she come to that conclusion? I looked at the boards myself and saw no such thing."

  "Well then, either you didn't really look or you didn't know what you were looking at because she showed it to me. It was clearly cut, not broken and not splintered."

  Jan paced back and forth across the bedroom, clearly agitated. "I don't like what you're implying, Maggie. You shouldn't be letting this Lewis character put those kinds of thoughts in your head. She'll be nothing but trouble for us. Mark my words."

  Maggie intercepted Jan's path as she crossed the room. "Let's get one thing straight, Jan," Maggie said in a stern voice. "When it comes to this farm, there is no us. This is my farm, and I will run it the way I see fit. Is that clear?"

  * * *

  Maggie entered the kitchen carrying several envelopes from the mailbox and noticed Jordan was on the phone. She thumbed through them as she waited for Jordan to finish her phone call.

  "No sir, I inspected the board myself. In my opinion, it looks as if it was cut mechanically. The break was straight and clean instead of jagged and angled as I would expect it to be if the board had snapped under the weight of the winch."

  Jordan paused for a moment. "Okay then," she said. "I'll let Miss Downs know one of your carpenters will be here today around noon to inspect the board. All right. Thank you. Goodbye."

  "What did he say?" Maggie asked without looking up.

  "He
's sending a man over at noon to inspect the beam."

  Maggie threw the last envelope into the bill pile and then looked up at Jordan. "Wow. Daddy never looked that good in those jeans."

  Jordan blushed. "Stop that. You're embarrassing me."

  Maggie crossed her arms in front of her. "Hey, how would you like to accompany me to an auction?"

  Jordan shrugged. "Sure. If you want me to, I'm game."

  "All right then. Give me a minute to freshen up, and I'll be right with you. Help yourself to some lemonade while you wait. I won't be long."

  "Take your time, I'm on the clock," Jordan joked then took the pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator.

  Jan walked in and stopped short when she saw Jordan making herself at home. "Does Maggie know you're helping yourself like that?" she asked curtly.

  "As a matter of fact, she does. I'm actually waiting for her to freshen up. We're going to a horse auction," Jordan replied.

  Anger sparked in Jan's eyes. "I guess it will be a threesome then," she stated briskly.

  Maggie breezed into the kitchen. "Okay, I'm ready."

  She stopped short when she saw Jan.

  "Oh, Jan, I'm glad you're here. The building contractor is sending a man over in about an hour to inspect the damaged rafter. I think it might be beneficial for you to meet with him. I am taking Jordan with me to the Mustang auction. We'll be back later this afternoon."

  Jordan locked eyes with Jan. If looks could have killed, Jordan would be dead.

  CHAPTER 3

  Maggie caught Jordan covertly looking at her as she sat in the passenger seat of Maggie's pickup truck. "Okay, I give up. What do you find so interesting that you feel compelled to stare at me?" she asked.

  Jordan turned red with embarrassment. She covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry. I just can't help myself," she confessed.

  Maggie's interest was piqued. "No, I'm flattered, actually. But why can't you help yourself? Really, I want to know."

  Jordan looked surprised. "You mean you don't know?"

  Maggie glanced at Jordan quickly then turned her attention back to the road. "Know what?" she asked sincerely.

  Jordan shook her head. "Well, I'll be damned. Maggie, you are a beautiful woman. In fact, you are more beautiful in person than in print."

  Maggie frowned. "When exactly did you see me in print?"

  "Ah. Well, I did a little research on you and your farm before I came to apply for the job. I found a picture of you that was taken at some county fair a few years back."

  Maggie appeared to be deep in thought. "Hmm, I see. Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

  "I'm surprised you have to ask that question. I would think you'd have suitors lined up for a mile."

  Maggie chuckled. "Well, it's pretty much common knowledge around town that Jan and I are a couple, so there haven't really been any offers for quite some time now."

  "Did you date much before Jan?"

  "A little, but I had a bad experience with a girl named Jess when I was in my twenties, and that pretty much turned me off to relationships for a while. Jan is my first serious relationship in a long time."

  "How long have you and Jan been together?"

  Maggie thought for a moment before answering. "For about four years."

  "Hmm," Jordan said.

  Maggie tossed her a sideways glance. "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "Well, I guess I just don't see that she's your type."

  Maggie was taken aback by Jordan's comment. "And just why do you feel you're qualified to know what my type is? Hell, you've only been here for two days."

  "You're right. I apologize, but it just doesn't feel right to me. Don't ask me why. It just doesn't."

  "I don't appreciate you talking about Jan that way. I decide what my type is, not you. Jan suits me just fine, thank you very much."

  Maggie and Jordan rode along in silence for a few moments. Finally, the silence became unbearable. "So, what exactly do you think my type is?" Maggie asked.

  Jordan appeared to be deep in thought. "Well, I guess your type would be someone who was your intellectual equal, someone who could give you good advice yet know when not to cross boundaries. That person should complement you physically as well. You are a very beautiful woman. Don't take this the wrong way, but your feminine nature doesn't fit the profile of someone who can run a farm all by herself."

  Maggie glared at Jordan. "Okay, let me get this straight. First you tell me my partner is stupid, and she gives bad advice, and then you have the audacity to imply I can't run a horse farm properly because I'm too feminine?"

  "No. No. That's not what I meant. Look, I'm digging a hole for myself that I won't be able to climb out of if I keep running my mouth, so let's just forget I said anything."

  "Oh, no. You're not getting off that easy, Jordan. Now, explain what you meant."

  Jordan placed her hands on her thighs and dropped her head back to look at the ceiling of the truck. She inhaled deeply then turned her head to look at Maggie. "Okay. Let me just say that most of the feminine women I have known in the past are pretty high-maintenance, and quite frankly, they tend to prefer someone more on the butch side to take care of things for them."

  Maggie slammed her foot down hard on the brake, bringing the truck to a grinding halt on the dusty country road. Jordan nearly went through the windshield. She was only able to stop herself at the last minute by quickly placing both hands on the dash.

  "What the hell?" Jordan exclaimed.

  "Get out," Maggie demanded.

  "What?"

  "I said, get out. You're fired."

  Jordan turned in her seat to face Maggie. "Why am I fired?"

  Maggie leaned across the seat toward Jordan. "You're fired because anyone who doesn't respect who I am and what I can do is not welcome on my farm. Now get your ass out of my truck."

  "When did I say I didn't respect you?" Jordan spat back.

  "You called me high-maintenance." Maggie's voice had risen an octave.

  "Like hell I did."

  "You said that feminine women look for butch women to take care of them," Maggie insisted.

  "Wrong," Jordan shouted back. "I said you don't fit the profile of someone who can run a farm alone. Sheesh, woman. Do you always look for a fight where there isn't one?"

  Both women fell silent. Jordan reached for the door handle and set one foot on the ground before Maggie took her arm.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I'm fired, remember? I'm going back to the farm to collect my things."

  "No. Don't go. Please get back into the truck."

  Jordan looked at her for a few moments, then shifted her weight back into the vehicle and closed the door. She stared straight ahead.

  Maggie had both hands on the steering wheel as she looked out over the hood of the truck. "I'm sorry," she said.

  Jordan continued to sit silently, staring out the windshield.

  Maggie turned in her seat to face Jordan. "I said, I'm sorry. I misunderstood what you said. Forgive me?"

  Jordan tilted her head down and to the left so she was looking at Maggie out of the corner of her eye. "Only if you rehire me," she said, trying to hide a grin.

  "Done," Maggie replied.

  "And give me a raise," Jordan added.

  Maggie's anger immediately erupted again. "Why you…"

  Jordan grinned and leaned forward to face Maggie. She pointed her index finger at the angry redhead. "Got you," she teased.

  "Jesus Christ. You are exasperating."

  "Yeah, but I'll grow on you."

  "Like hell you will," Maggie replied, trying to fight a smile.

  Jordan and Maggie sat staring at each other for several long moments. Try as she might, Maggie was unable to erase the smile from her face. Finally, Jordan broke the standoff.

  "I think we're going to be late for the auction."

  Maggie's head snapped back. "Shit, you're right. Hold on. It's going to be a wild ride."

 
* * *

  "Hi, Mom. How are you and Dad doing?"

  Maggie paced back and forth across the living room as she held her cell phone to her ear. "That's good. Is Daddy's cough getting any better? Great. I'm sure it's just a cold. If it's not gone in another week, promise me you'll take him to the doctor's and have it checked out. Okay? I'll talk to you in a few days then. Give Daddy a big hug for me. Okay, Mom. I love you both. Goodnight."

  Jan placed the book she was reading in her lap. "How are Mom and Dad?" she asked as Maggie sat on the couch with one leg curled under her.

  "They're doing okay. Dad still has a cough, but Mom says it's getting better."

  "That's good. Have they said any more about putting the farm in your name?"

  "Not really. I know Dad hired a lawyer to set things in motion, but it will take a few months before anything is finalized."

  "Still, your parents aren't getting any younger," Jan said.

  "Jan, I said Daddy is taking care of it. Now, I don't want to discuss this anymore."

  Jan raised her hands into the air. "Fine. Whatever you want."

  A tense silence fell between the women. Jan broke it. "So, how was the auction?"

  Maggie placed both feet on the floor. She leaned forward and rested her forearms on her thighs. "Things went great. We were able to secure about a half-dozen mustangs. It appears our Jordan knows her animals. Those horses came from quality stock."

  Jan cocked an eyebrow at Maggie. "Our Jordan?"

  Maggie sighed deeply. "Jan, why do you always have to nitpick everything I say? Look, I don't want a fight. I'm going to bed."

  "Suit yourself," Jan returned as Maggie stomped away.

  By the time Maggie reached their bedroom, she was furious. Why does she always have to have the last word? Sometimes I regret ever becoming involved with that woman.

  * * *

  The next morning, Jordan rose early and headed to the north pasture to mend fences. She worked in the hot sun all day, and by the time she returned to the house, she was in desperate need of a shower. She rode her horse into the barn and dismounted, then took the reins and led the animal into its stall. After feeding and watering the horse, Jordan meticulously brushed him until his coat was gleaming. As she turned to leave, she was startled by Maggie who was standing in the entrance to the stall.