All My Tomorrows

by Karen D. Badger

  "It sounds interesting. You'll have to tell me about it some time. But right now, I'm going to kick your butt in a race to that outbuilding over there."

  Maggie dug her heels into the side of her horse and galloped across the field.

  "Hey, No fair," Jordan called. She kicked her own horse into gear. Jordan pushed her horse as fast as she dared and slowly closed the distance between them, but was unable to catch up before Maggie reined her horse to a stop at the hitching post in front of the barn. She was out of breath by the time she caught up.

  Maggie grinned broadly. "Not bad for a femme, huh?"

  Jordan pulled her horse along side Maggie's and leaned forward until her face was within inches of the redhead's. "A sneaky femme, maybe. That was no fair."

  "I never claimed to be fair," Maggie replied. She climbed out of the saddle and tied her horse to the hitch. Maggie glanced at the stunned look on Jordan's face. "Are you coming?"

  Jordan dismounted and tied her horse next to Maggie's.

  Maggie waited for Jordan to join her before entering the barn. "We've set up an office of sorts in this barn for the contractors. They are also storing the raw materials in here."

  Jordan looked around at the rough lumber that was organized by board width and length. There were piles of boards stacked neatly in each of the horse stalls as well as in the loft. "I take it you don't use this barn for livestock?" she asked.

  "Not right now. It's kind of small for what I am planning," Maggie replied.

  Jordan crossed her arms. "And what exactly are you planning?"

  "A breeding center for Mustangs. The new barn will be large enough to board several studs and mares and will include a special birthing wing."

  "I see. Where will the new barn be erected?"

  "Right next to this one, actually. I'll reuse this space as a supply shed. As you can see it's not really big enough for anything else," Maggie explained.

  "I see," Jordan remarked as she walked around. When she reached the opposite side of the room, she turned and faced Maggie. "So, Maggie, I have a question for you. The Vermont state horse is the Morgan. Why the passion for Mustangs?"

  Maggie's smile brought a twinkle to her green eyes. "Why Mustangs? I like their spirit. They remind me of me, actually… fiery disposition and hard to tame."

  Jordan cocked an eyebrow and walked toward Maggie. "You're hard to tame, huh? Well, I've broken a few spirited fillies in my time."

  Maggie took two steps forward and stopped directly in front of Jordan. She put her hands on her denim-clad hips and looked up into Jordan's face. "Oh, you have, have you?"

  "Yes, I have."

  "Maggie. Are you in there?" said a decidedly male voice from outside the barn.

  "Shit. It's Dave," Maggie exclaimed.

  "Dave?" Jordan asked.

  "Dave is the contractor I told you I was meeting here, remember? Why else did you think I asked you to come out here with me?" Maggie looked toward the barn door. "I'm in here, Dave."

  Just then, the door to the barn swung open and admitted a large, lumberjack-looking, barrel-chested man. "There you are," he said. "Sorry I'm late."

  "I'm not," Jordan said under her breath, just loud enough for Maggie to hear.

  Maggie, who had been standing in front of Jordan, gently kicked her shin.

  "Ow!" Jordan's complaint drew the man's attention.

  Maggie immediately stepped in. "Dave, this is Jordan Lewis. She started working for me a few days ago. She's the one who checked out the rafter that broke in the main barn."

  Jordan extended her hand to meet Dave's. "Nice to meet you," she said as her hand disappeared into the much larger one presented to her.

  "Likewise," Dave said as he released Jordan's hand. He then turned to Maggie. "So, I have the new plans if you'd like to go over them."

  "Yes. Please." Maggie replied as Dave unfolded the blueprints on a nearby desk.

  For the next hour, the three of them poured over the plans, and made minor changes to the location of a few walls and windows.

  "Okay, I'd say that just about wraps it up," Dave said.

  "Good. When do we break ground?" Maggie asked.

  "I can have a crew here on Monday. Is that soon enough?"

  Maggie clapped her hands together. "Wonderful." She glanced at her watch. "Wow. It's already noon. Where does the time go? You're welcome to come back to the house for lunch if you'd like, Dave."

  "Thanks for the offer, Maggie, but I have another appointment at one."

  Dave extended his hand to Jordan once again. "Jordan, it was nice meeting you. Oh, and by the way, I agree with your assessment on the rafter. That board was cut mechanically. Natural weak points in wood don't break that cleanly. I'm not sure if that cut was made before or after the rafter was up, but it was definitely created manually."

  Jordan nodded. "That's exactly what I thought. Thanks for verifying it."

  "No problem. I've got to run. I'll be here with the crew first thing Monday morning."

  "Thank you, Dave," Maggie said. "Have a great weekend."

  Jordan and Maggie watched Dave leave. As soon as the barn door closed behind him, Jordan looked at Maggie pensively. "So exactly why did you ask me out here?"

  "Maggie? Maggie, where are you?"

  Maggie threw her hands into the air at the sound of Jan's voice. "Is this freaking Grand Central Station or something?" she complained angrily. "In here, Jan," she called.

  Jan pulled the barn door open and stepped inside. When she saw Jordan, she crossed her arms in front of her. "Humph. When I saw two horses tethered outside, I kind of figured she was with you."

  "Jordan and I just went over the blueprints for the new barn with Dave. She actually made several good suggestions. So what brings you here, Jan?"

  "I was in the house pouring a glass of lemonade when the phone rang. I let the answering machine pick it up and couldn't help but overhear the message being left. Your father's lawyer called. He left a message for you to call him back. It has something to do with the deed to the farm," Jan explained.

  Maggie frowned. "Hmm, I wonder what that's all about?"

  "I don't know, but I thought you might want to call him back right way. Maybe Dad needs some information from us or something."

  "Maybe," Maggie responded.

  An uncomfortable silence fell over the trio as Maggie waited for Jan to leave. When it became obvious that no one was moving, she addressed Jan directly. "Is there anything else you need, Jan?"

  Jan shifted from foot to foot. "Well, I was wondering if you're coming home for lunch."

  "I have a few more items to go over with Jordan. We'll be along soon. Why don't you get a head start?" Maggie suggested.

  Jan approached the table with the blueprints spread out on it. "Actually, I'd like to see the changes you've made in the layout. After all, the design contains my input as well."

  "I'm going to head back to the house," Jordan said. "John could use some help with the feed delivery."

  Maggie tried to stop Jordan from leaving. "Why don't we ride back together and get some lunch?"

  "No, I think I'm going to skip lunch today. I'll see you back at the house."

  With regret, Maggie watched Jordan leave while Jan remained bent over the blueprints with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

  * * *

  "Mr. Pritchard, I don't see why my father needs to name a second beneficiary on the deed to the farm. Yes, I know none of us will live forever, but I still don't see why he… look, just send me the paperwork, okay? I want to see exactly how it's worded. All right. Thank you."

  Maggie hung up the phone. A deep frown creased her forehead.

  "What did he want?" Jan asked anxiously.

  "He said Daddy added a second beneficiary to the deed. Apparently, someone put it into his head that he needed a backup in the event I died before he did. Where on earth did he get that harebrained idea?"

  Jan shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me, but I guess it makes sense." />
  "Well, it makes no sense to me. If he deeds the farm to me, it is up to me to name a beneficiary I'd want to leave it to, not him. I'll just review the paperwork and if I don't like what it says, I'll get Daddy to change it." Maggie yawned loudly. "Damn. I'm beat. I'm going to bed."

  Jan looked at her watch. "It's a little early for me to turn in. I think I'll read for a while. I'll be in soon."

  "Suit yourself." Maggie replied.

  As soon as Maggie stepped into her darkened bedroom, her attention was drawn to the light shining from the bunkhouse. She walked to the window and stood beside it. From her vantage point, she could see Jordan writing something at the desk.

  What kind of spell have you cast over me, Jordan Lewis? Why do you enchant me so?

  * * *

  Maggie paced back and forth across the bedroom trying to decide out how to break the news to Jan. In her heart, she knew their relationship had been on a downhill spiral for some time, but she had not been able to summon the courage to end it. She was still pacing when Jan finally came to bed.

  "You're still up. I expected to find you asleep," Jan said.

  Maggie wrapped her hands around her middle. "Jan, we need to talk."

  Jan's face grew ashen. She sat on the edge of the bed. "I've been expecting this. You're attracted to her, aren't you?"

  Maggie raised her hands out to the sides. "Jan, this is not about Jordan, it's about our relationship no longer working. It's about you being presumptuous. It's about you taking me for granted. It's about you taking liberties you shouldn't be taking."

  Jan rose to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. "What the hell does that mean?"

  Maggie ran her hand over her forehead. "Jan, I feel like you are trying to control me. It seems that you are making plans and decisions that I clearly should be making, or at the very least, we should be making together."

  "You're talking in riddles, Maggie. What decisions you are talking about?"

  "Let me give you a few examples, Jan. You told Jordan we were getting married and planned to have a baby… and you are being oddly persistent about the deed to the farm. What are you up to, Jan? Something doesn't feel right about that."

  Jan paced back and forth, clearly agitated. "This isn't about us getting married, Maggie, and this isn't about the deed to the farm. This is about Jordan and you know it. You're attracted to her, aren't you?"

  Here's your chance, Maggie. Be honest with her. Don't blow it.

  Maggie sighed and threw her hands up. "I don't know what to say, Jan. Yes, I'm attracted to her. I can't help it."

  Jan sat on the edge of the bed. "Goddamn it. I knew it."

  Maggie walked a few feet away and then turned around. "I tried to resist what I was feeling, Jan, but I couldn't. There is something about her that draws me in. I feel like we have known each other forever."

  "Have you slept with her?"

  "How can you even ask me that question? No, I haven't slept with her."

  Jan stood once more and crossed her arms. "So what does this mean for me?" she asked. "I love this farm. I have put my heart and soul into training the horses for the past few years. In some ways, I feel like this place is my own. Please don't ask me to leave all of this, behind."

  Maggie rubbed her hands across her face in a gesture of frustration. "Jan, I appreciate everything you've done for me and I have nothing but good things to say about what you've done for the farm, but I don't know if it's fair to ask you to stay, especially considering…"

  "Especially considering how you feel about Jordan?" Jan finished Maggie's sentence.

  Maggie dropped her chin to her chest. "Like I said, Jan, this isn't about Jordan. I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

  "Do you want me to leave, Maggie?"

  "I'm not asking you to leave if you don't want to. You are right. You have worked hard to make this farm a success."

  Jan stood and walked to the closet to retrieve a suitcase that she carried to the bed. "Okay. I will respect your wishes, Maggie. Like I said, I don't want to walk away from everything I have worked for over the past four years, so if it's all right with you, I'll just move into the bunkhouse with Jordan for now."

  Maggie's eyes grew wide. "Do you really think that's a good idea, Jan?"

  Jan paused on one of her several trips back and forth between the chest of drawers and suitcase. "Well, if this is not about Jordan, then that shouldn't be a problem, should it? And besides, if I want to stay, I don't see that I have any other choice."

  "Okay," Maggie said softly before leaving the room.

  * * *

  Jordan felt a chill in the air as she made her way across the barnyard. Considering it was late November, she knew it was only a matter of time before early snow fell. She pushed the door open and stepped into the warmth and immediately turned her back to the room to take her jacket off and hang it on a hook beside the door. When she turned around, she met Jan face to face. Her eyes widened with surprise.

  "Hey, roomie," Jan said.

  Jordan frowned. "Roomie?" she asked.

  "That's right. Thanks to you, Maggie has no use for me in her bed anymore."

  Jordan walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, taking a swig from the bottle.

  Jan rose to her feet. "Well, no matter. Just know I have my eye on you. Don't make the mistake of getting in my way, understand? I don't take kindly to anyone who gets in my way."

  Jordan walked directly up to Jan and leaned down toward the shorter woman. "Look, I don't know what's up with you and Maggie, but don't make the mistake of threatening me. Understand? I don't take kindly to anyone who threatens me." Jordan walked away and went to her room.

  CHAPTER 5

  Jordan reached forward, turned off the water and drew back the shower curtain. As she squeezed the water out of her hair, she heard a loud incessant pounding on the front door of the bunkhouse. Who the hell could that be? She grabbed her towel, wrapped it around herself, and cautiously made her way to the door. "Who is it?" she called out.

  "Maggie. I've brought a few things that Jan forgot at the house. May I come in?"

  Jordan opened the door and stood there, one hand holding the towel together above her breasts.

  Maggie's eyes opened wide. "Oh. I see I caught you at a bad time. I'll come back later," she said, turning to go.

  "No. No, it's all right. Come in." Jordan stepped aside and allowed Maggie to enter the bunkhouse.

  Maggie held a bag of clothing in front of her. "Jan left these at the house last night. Is she here?"

  "No, she's already gone to the barn. That was a nice little surprise you sent my way last night."

  "Oh," Maggie exclaimed. "I'm sorry about that, but she offered to stay in the bunkhouse, and I wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to break things off with her without a fight."

  "Maggie, you really put me in an awkward situation. What were you thinking?"

  Maggie reached out to touch Jordan's arm. "I'm sorry, Jordan. I had to do it. It wasn't fair to continue the charade. Things haven't been good between us for a while now."

  "So, why here? Why didn't she just leave?"

  Maggie shoved her hands into her pockets. "She didn't want to go… and to tell you the truth, she's good at what she does and I really didn't want to lose her."

  Jordan shivered.

  "Jordan, you're cold. As much as I like seeing you in just a towel, you really should dry yourself off and get dressed."

  Jordan smiled. "You're right. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." She turned around and began to walk toward the bedroom.

  "God, Jordan. What happened?" Maggie exclaimed.

  Jordan stopped short. She looked at Maggie questioningly. "What do you mean?"

  Maggie took several steps toward Jordan then stopped in front of her. "Turn around," she said.

  Jordan did as asked and turned her back to Maggie. The towel hung loose and low on Jordan's back. Jordan stood
as still as possible as she felt Maggie's breath very close to her still-wet skin.

  "What happened to you?" Maggie whispered as she traced the length of Jordan's scar from the middle of her back to where it disappeared behind the towel just above her bottom.

  Jordan shivered, more from Maggie's touch than from the cool air on her back.

  "Horse riding accident. I was sixteen at the time," Jordan replied.

  Maggie traced the scar once more, but this time, ventured beyond the towel barrier. Jordan stood very still.

  Suddenly, Maggie's hand became very still as her fingers encountered a foreign object. "Jordan, what is this?" Maggie asked as she pulled the towel down lower on Jordan's back. "It vibrates," she exclaimed. "What is it, some kind of sex toy?"

  Jordan chuckled as she reached back and held Maggie's hand against the implant bulging through her skin.

  "The vibration you are feeling is due to an alternating electrical charge coming from an energy storage unit… kind of like a power pack. The small box-like structure bulging from the skin is a spinal implant."

  Maggie quickly retracted her hand. "A spinal implant? You mean like bionic parts?"

  "Kind of," Jordan replied. "You see, the horse riding accident I mentioned a moment ago? I was paralyzed from the waist down. The implant restores mobility."

  Maggie walked a few feet away from Jordan then turned around. She placed one hand on her hip while she rubbed her forehead with the other. "You're paralyzed?"

  "I was until the implant. I guess you could technically say I still am."

  "Do you have any feeling below your waist?" Maggie asked.

  "Well, so far, no. No sensation on the skin at least. I will admit however, when you kissed me, I felt some very distinct fluttering deep within my abdomen."

  "I… I never knew something like this was possible. You're paralyzed, yet you can walk. I didn't know science had advanced that far already."

  "Maggie, there are things you don't know about me that I promise I will explain when the time is right. Please just trust me for now, okay?"

  Maggie frowned. "Trust you? Hell, I don't even know you. Jordan, this is a major deal. How long did you think you would be able to hide this from me?"