All My Tomorrows

by Karen D. Badger

  "What kind of risk?" Gina asked.

  "Imagine for a moment that word got out about the implant. What do you think it might be worth on the black market?"

  Gina glanced quickly at Jordan then back at the road. "To sell it on the black market, they'd have to take it out of you, wouldn't they?"

  "Exactly, and since I wouldn't willingly allow that, what do you think my life would be worth compared to what could be made by cloning and selling this device?"

  "Holy shit. I never thought of it that way."

  "Hence, the need to keep that piece of information under wraps. What I will be trying to do here is to sell my knowledge and experience without putting my life on the line."

  "So, how is it that you have no identification and no way to prove who you are or what you've accomplished in your life? I mean, you were obviously born, grew up, and went to school. Hell, you're a scientist. There must be some records of your degree somewhere, not to mention medical records from the implant."

  Jordan stared straight ahead, unsure how much she should share with Gina. "There are plenty of records. They're just not accessible to me."

  "What the hell does that mean?"

  "Look, Gina, you are asking questions I can't answer right now."

  "You're not from around here, are you?" Gina asked.

  "I grew up on a farm very near here, Gina. I just can't go into any detail right now."

  "Are you a fugitive or something?"

  "No."

  "Damn it, Jordan. You're not giving me much to go on here. Sam and I are willing to help you, but trust can only go so far."

  "Gina, the more people who know the details, the more paradoxes it creates, and that's not exactly a good thing."

  "You're asking an awful lot of us, Jordan. I mean, the only thing we've got to go on right now is your connection to Maggie, and even that's not good at the moment."

  Jordan nodded. "You're right. You and Sam have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, and I'm sorry that I can't divulge more to you right now. I'm thinking that I need to find a place to stay in Burlington, preferably within walking distance of the lawyer's office. Like I said, I have enough money to live on for several weeks. With any luck, we'll get the funding for the non-profit set up soon and I'll be back on my feet. I'm anxious to get a team together and get the ball rolling on the implant development. There are a lot of people out there who can benefit from the progress I've already realized."

  "And what about Maggie?" Gina asked.

  "What about her?"

  "I thought you loved her."

  "I love her with every fiber of my being, Gina. I would stop at nothing to get her back, but she needs to be a willing participant in that effort, and right now, she's not. And even if she was, I can't spend the rest of my life being her paid farm hand. I need to do something with my life to prove myself worthy of her. I need to prove that I wasn't lying about who I am and where I come from."

  "So you have nothing… no social security number, no driver's license, no credit cards, no cell phone. How the hell did you survive without those things where you come from, Jordan?"

  "I had all those things where I come from. I just don't have them here."

  "Man. You are making no sense at all."

  "I know this all seems very cryptic to you. I guess you can see now why Maggie freaked out and asked me to leave."

  "You got that right," Gina said as she took her eyes off the road for a quick glance at Jordan.

  "Look, Gina, I know you don't know me, and heaven knows, you have no reason to trust me, but I promise you I only came here to save Maggie. I didn't anticipate her rejection… pure and simple, but it happened and now I have no way to go back to where I came from, so I need to make the best of a bad situation. I need to make something of myself and pay my own way."

  "Why can't you go back to where you came from?"

  "The path home is no longer available to me. The door has been closed."

  * * *

  Jordan and Sam stood on the front deck while Gina waited for her in the truck.

  "Jordan, are you sure we can't talk you into staying a little longer, at least until your funding has been granted?" Sam asked.

  Jordan took Sam's hand in her own. "I really appreciate everything you and Gina have done for me, Sam, but I think it would be best if I go. I've overstayed my welcome already."

  "You've been here for less than a week, Jordan," Sam pointed out.

  "Well, I feel like I've taken advantage of you and Gina for long enough. Thanks to your help, I have a nicely furnished studio apartment right across the street from the hospital, and I'm within walking distance of the lawyer's office as well. With any luck, I'll be able to arrange for legal identification soon and will be able to purchase a car and a cell phone."

  "When is your appointment with the spinal institute?"

  "Phyllis set it up for two weeks from now. That should give me enough time to pull together a convincing presentation. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about that meeting."

  "Would you like Gina or me to go with you?"

  "No, that won't be necessary. I've disrupted your lives enough already."

  "It's really no problem."

  Jordan squeezed Sam's hand. "No, really. I'll be fine."

  Sam opened her arms and took Jordan into her warm embrace. "Take care of yourself, Jordan. You have our cell phone numbers if you need anything. Don't hesitate to call, okay?"

  Jordan stepped back out of Sam's arms. "Okay," she said.

  "We're still on for dinner on Friday, right? Gina will pick you up after she closes the office. Bring a change of clothes so you can spend a night or two."

  Jordan grinned. "You are such a mother hen, Sam."

  "I can't help it. It's in my nature to take care of people."

  Jordan descended the three steps between the deck and the driveway then looked back at Sam. "Well, don't ever change. You're perfect just the way you are. I'll see you on Friday."

  * * *

  "Flirting with my wife, are you?" Gina said, a twinkle in her eye.

  Jordan reached for her seatbelt and pulled it across her chest. "Damn right I am. You're a lucky woman, Gina. You have a treasure there. I hope you know that."

  "I most certainly do, my friend. So, did she try to talk you into staying longer?"

  "Oh, yeah."

  "The offer is still open, you know."

  "I know, Gina, and I love you both for being there for me, but I really do need to be on my own. I've taken advantage of you two for long enough."

  "We don't feel that way. There's something about you, Jordan. Something about you that made us trust you right away. It's like we've known you forever, even though it's been less than a week."

  "I feel the same about you and Sam. You two have been a godsend to me since Maggie threw me out. I don't know what I would have done without you."

  "I'll respect your need for secrecy for now, but I expect you to come clean with us when you can. You know you can trust us."

  Jordan nodded. "I know, and yes, as soon as I feel secure and have established myself, you'll be the first ones I tell."

  "Fair enough."

  Gina and Jordan drove on in silence for several minutes.

  "Gina, how often did you see Maggie before I came along?"

  "Every couple of weeks… at least we used to see her that often until Jan became intolerable. Why do you ask?"

  "I'm kind of concerned about her. Unless she's hired a replacement for me, she's pretty much alone on that farm at night. John is there during the day, but he goes home around five."

  "I'll give her a call tonight and check in on her. Do you want her to know you've been staying with us?"

  "I wouldn't bother. I'm not sure she'll care anyway." Jordan bit her bottom lip and looked out the side window to keep herself from crying. She covertly wiped the moisture out of the corner of her eye, a movement not unnoticed by Gina.

  "Are you all right, Jordan?" Gina asked.


  "I miss her," Jordan whispered as her bottom lip trembled.

  "Maybe you should call her."

  "I don't think she wants to hear from me." Jordan inhaled deeply in an attempt to regain control of her emotions. "Damn. I can't believe how much it hurts."

  "You love her, Jordan. I totally get that it hurts."

  "Yeah, well, love sucks."

  "Sometimes it does, my friend. Sometimes it does. Here we are," Gina said as she pulled into the driveway of Jordan's apartment complex. "Are you going to be okay?" Gina asked.

  "How can I not be with friends like you and Sam? I mean, you find me a place to live, you fill my cupboards with food and you put yourselves on call to me twenty-four seven. I'll never be able to repay you."

  Gina reached across the cab of the truck and hugged Jordan tightly. "No repayment necessary, Jord. We're glad to help."

  "Thanks, Gina, and thank Sam for me again too, okay?"

  "Will do. Call if you need anything."

  "I will," Jordan said as she climbed out of the truck and waved as Gina drove away.

  * * *

  Gina tapped the Bluetooth icon on the dashboard monitor and selected speed dial. She had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel as she waited for the call to be picked up. "Damn," she said as the call went to voicemail.

  "Maggie, this is Gina. We need to talk. Call me."

  CHAPTER 19

  "Maggie? Maggie, are you in there?" John called out from the front porch. After waiting several minutes for a response, he turned to walk back toward the barn.

  "John?" Maggie said from behind him. "Is everything okay?"

  John turned around and noticed Maggie standing behind the screen door. She pushed it open as he approached and he instinctively gasped at her appearance. She appeared to have just woken up, despite the fact that it was ten in the morning. She had dark circles under her eyes, her clothes were wrinkled as though she had slept in them, and her hair was unkempt.

  "Maggie, are you okay? You haven't taken Shawny out for his ride for the past two days and I was getting kind of worried about you. Do you need me to call a doctor?"

  Maggie looked around disoriented. "What time is it?" she asked.

  "It's near ten o'clock." John walked closer and could smell alcohol on her. "When's the last time you had something to eat?"

  "I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

  Just then, John heard Maggie's cell phone ring from inside the house. Maggie seemed to be oblivious to the sound.

  "Maggie, this is Gina. We need to talk. Call me."

  "Is there something you need, John?" Maggie asked.

  "No Ma'am. Just checking to see if you're okay."

  "Okay then. I'm going back to bed."

  "Yes, Ma'am."

  John went directly back to the barn and looked up the phone number for Delarm Veterinary Clinic. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number.

  "Delarm Veterinary Clinic, Melinda speaking," the receptionist said.

  "Hi, Melinda. This is John from the Downs farm. I'm looking for Dr. Delarm. Is she in?"

  "She's actually out of the office today. Would you care to leave a message?"

  "Yes, please have her call me. Oh, and please tell her it's urgent."

  "I'll page her right now."

  "Thank you," John said, offering his cell phone number.

  John hung up the phone and paced back and forth across the barn waiting for Gina to call him back. He didn't have long to wait.

  "John, this is Gina. Please tell me Maggie is okay."

  "How did you know?"

  "Is she okay, John?"

  "She hasn't been out of the house for the past two days. Its ten o'clock and I just woke her up by bangin' on her door. Oh, and she smells like alcohol."

  "Has she been like this for very long?"

  "Just since Jordan left three days ago."

  "Damn. I'm on my way, John."

  "Thank you, Miss Gina. She's been in a bad way since Jordan left. Damned, stubborn woman. She was a fool to let that one go."

  "I hear you, John. I'll be there soon."

  * * *

  Gina brought her truck to a screeching halt in front of Maggie's farm house, a cloud of dust billowing in her wake. She threw open the door and ran into the house uninvited.

  "Maggie! Maggie, where the fuck are you?" she shouted as she made her way through the kitchen and living room. Not finding Maggie in either room, she went directly to her bedroom where she found Maggie asleep on the bed. She immediately noticed the large hole in the wall behind the dresser as well as an array of wine bottles on the floor beside the bed. "What the fuck happened in here?"

  Before waking Maggie, she went to the adjoining bathroom and turned the cold water on in the shower. She then went back to the bedroom and shook Maggie awake.

  "Noooo," Maggie whined as Gina shook her.

  "Let's go. Out of bed, Maggie," Gina said. "Come on."

  She pulled Maggie to her feet and dragged her into the bathroom then pushed her into the walk-in shower.

  Maggie screamed in protest. "God damn it. Let go of me, Gina. It's cold!"

  "You're damned right, it's cold. What the fuck were you thinking, Maggie?"

  "Let go of me," Maggie screamed again.

  For the next ten minutes, Gina continued to hold her under the cold spray, soaking both Maggie and herself in the process. Finally, she pulled her out of the shower and sat her on the toilet seat. Maggie sat there shivering uncontrollably as Gina grabbed two towels from the linen closest and wrapped one around each of them.

  "Don't move," she said to Maggie as she went into the living room and started a fire in the fireplace. She returned five minutes later and found Maggie still sitting on the toilet with the towel wrapped tightly around her. She was shivering so loudly, her teeth chattered.

  "Okay, come on. Let's get you out of those wet clothes," Gina said and she led Maggie back into the bedroom and sat her on the bed. Piece by piece, Gina stripped the clothes from Maggie's body until she was totally naked. She then towel-dried her unruly red hair and helped her into a thick terry cloth bathrobe and wool socks.

  "All right, in the living room with you," Gina said. She wrapped her arm around Maggie's waist and led her to the wing-backed chair she had positioned directly in front of the fire. "Sit while I find myself something dry to put on," she said. Before going to change her clothes, she added a large piece of wood to the kindling. "There, that should warm things up a bit."

  Maggie sat in the chair with a blank look on her face, still shivering from the cold shower.

  Gina returned a few minutes later wearing a pair of men's jeans and a button-down flannel shirt she found in the spare bedroom closet. She assumed they belonged to Maggie's father. She squatted down in front of Maggie. "Okay. You wanna tell me what this is all about?"

  For the first time since she got there, Maggie looked directly at her. "You wouldn't understand," she said.

  "Try me."

  Maggie closed her eyes and allowed tears to squeeze between her lashes.

  "Talk to me, Mags."

  Maggie kept her eyes closed and shook her head.

  "This is about Jordan, isn't it?" Gina finally asked.

  Maggie's eyes flew open. "How do you know about Jordan?"

  "Four days ago I was driving down Bostwick Road toward the village and I came across a woman walking with a duffle bag slug over her shoulder. It was late enough in the day that I knew she wouldn't get to town on foot until dark, so I stopped and picked her up. She was a little reluctant to get into the truck at first, but I assured her I wasn't an axe murderer or anything, so finally, she relented. It was obvious to me from the moment she got into the truck that she was an emotional wreck. I pressed her to talk about it and she finally admitted that she had been working for you and that after an argument, you and she parted ways."

  "I'll bet she had plenty to say about how badly I treated her," Maggie said.

  "Quite the contrary.
When she mentioned your name, I told her that Sam and I were good friends with you. She loosened up a bit after that and told me about your brush with death that morning on the ridge by the lake and about how she saved you in the nick of time. She also made it clear that she thought Jan was behind it. Is that true, Maggie?"

  Maggie nodded. "I would have died if she hadn't caught me in time."

  "Anyway, it was apparent to me that she's in love with you and that your falling-out pretty much tore her apart."

  "Did she tell you why we fought?"

  "She mentioned something about you freaking out when she tried to explain to you how she knew you were in danger that morning."

  "You don't know the half of it, Gina."

  "No, you're probably right, so why don't you enlighten me."

  "She's read my diaries, Gina. She was able to quote things from them that not another living soul knows besides me. Gina, my diaries have been hidden between the walls of my bedroom for quite some time now. I tore part of the wall down a few days ago just to verify they were still there… and they are."

  "So that explains the hole in the wall behind your dresser."

  "Gina, she claims she's from the future. She claims she owns my farm eighty-something years from now and she found my diaries while remodeling."

  "Holy shit!"

  "There's more. She broke her back in a horse riding accident when she was sixteen, but she has some sort of bionic device in her back that allows her to walk. She's a freaking scientist, for Christ's sake. At least that's what she claims."

  "Do you believe her?"

  "I don't know what to believe. Apparently, she fell in love with me through my diaries and when she researched the Burlington Free Press archives, she discovered I died four days ago under questionable circumstances. According to her, she's traveled here through time at least four different times, and until this last time, she arrived too late to save me from falling over the cliff."