by Ginger Ring
He pulled back on the reins and their mount stopped in his tracks. “This thing is called a horse. His name is Kadoka or don’t they have them where you hail from?”
“Yes, I’ve seen horses before.” It had all been too much. Unable to keep the tears in any longer, they let loose and she sobbed. Reaching into his pocket, Peterson found a handkerchief and handed it back over his shoulder.
She sniffled and dried her eyes. “Sorry, it’s been a bad day. It started out good and then somewhere along the line...I lost a hundred and some years.” His spine stiffened at her claim. “Are you mad at me?”
“Do you know what those men would have done to you if I hadn’t returned?” His wide shoulders twisted so he could look her in the face.
Rose swallowed. “I could have handled them.” That wasn’t true and they both knew it. She’d been frozen with fear.
“You don’t even know what year it is and you think you can handle four randy drifters?” Peterson clicked his tongue and his palomino quarter horse trotted again.
“I’m not helpless.” In fact she had never felt so vulnerable before in her life.
“That’s debatable,” he grumbled.
“Oh, and I remembered when Bill Hickok got shot. It was August 2nd, 1876.”
“That’s tomorrow.” This time he laughed.
“If you say so. I’m hungry. Can I have something to eat?” Her stomach groaned.
“Do you think I have a cook stove in my saddlebags?”
“Well, I thought maybe you might have some trail mix or a granola bar.”
Suddenly, he turned his horse around. “If we go back to town and get something to eat will you promise not to say anything?”
“Anything about anything?”
“Yes.” The fact she had no money popped in her head again. “I can write you an IOU.”
“I don’t care if you can write your letters or not. I just hope that once we can get some food in you, you might start to remember where you belong.” The village came into view again as they hadn’t gone far.
His words still rang in her ears. Where did she belong? Harvest had held so many promises and now it was just a glimpse of the past. Like he just said, maybe she just needed some food and things would be back to normal. It was probably just heat stroke that was making her crazy and living life in the old days.
As they passed a couple in a horse buggy heading out of town, the prospect of that being true got even dimmer.
6
Seth Peterson’s hopes for a few peaceful days to himself had been dashed as soon as he’d laid eyes on the light haired crazy woman bobbing behind him. No sirree, as long as she was around there would be none of that. It was only a couple miles to his home but he knew his companion was exhausted. They’d shared a quiet lunch at the hotel’s restaurant. It was hard not to stare–she was such a pretty thing. What was he going to do with her once they reached his one-room cabin? He should have left her in town but that didn’t seem right either and who would look after her there.
If she kept squawking like a crazy person, someone might lock her up. Except for her clothes, she appeared normal. The woman was prettier than anyone he’d ever seen, that was for sure. His earlier assumption that she was from a house of ill repute didn’t set well either. At the restaurant, Rose had read the menu written on the blackboard and had even started a tally of what she owed him. Not that he’d ever let her pay but the fact that she knew her letters and sums put her above the usual class of woman that made their living on their backs.
Where had she come from? And why couldn’t he stop thinking about her? He should have just left her in town. He spat off to the side. Damn, he didn’t want to think about it. She wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes with the men that passed through Harvest. Most were on their way to the Black Hills seeking fame and fortune when they struck gold. Some of the soldiers that stopped weren’t any better either. A lot of those were probably deserters from Custer’s crew.
Strands of her hair blew in the breeze and even with her riding behind him, they fluttered by and shone like silver in the sunlight. In all his life he’d never seen anyone like Rose. The incident with the drunken cowboy had her shaking in her moccasins but he could tell she had spirit. Her hair was beautiful. It was so pale yet her skin glowed from the sun. Seth inhaled and again he was filled with the smell of flowers that seemed to surround her. The scent was comforting and calm.
Rose also brought out the warrior in him, the urge to fight anyone that might cause her harm. It was probably just his honor in wanting to protect all that also drove him to want to be a lawman. He should have left her in town for the real sheriff to protect but his deputy said he was out looking for those rustlers. This wasn’t his job even though he wanted it to be. Finally it dawned on him, she was the one he wanted to protect and no one else would do a good enough job.
Hell, when did he start caring about what happened to someone special? Yeah, it was a lawman’s duty to serve and uphold the law but that was a lot easier when you didn’t care. Things were either right or wrong. People were either good or bad. Which one was she? An innocent woman that was lost and alone or someone that worked for the rustlers and hoped to gain another horse for the herd. Until he knew for sure it was best to keep her as close as possible. She couldn’t keep pretending to be crazy forever.
He’d taken a different path than when he found her and traveled to his cabin. A sense of pride filled his chest when his home came into view. It had taken several months of hard work to build the log cabin that sat by the edge of a cool, rippling river. Water was scarce in these parts so it was rare to have the place all to himself. Ample fish swam in it, and mule deer liked to gather there for a cool drink in the evenings. It was peaceful and a great place to be alone. Rose stirred behind him. He wouldn’t be alone now.
“It’s beautiful.” Her breath on his neck hit from out of nowhere.
“I thought you were asleep.” The vision of her long hair spread across his bed popped into his mind and he tried unsuccessfully to wipe it from his mind.
“No, just thinking.”
“About what?” Hopefully it was also what he was thinking about.
“About how and why I’m here.” That answer cooled the response that had spiked below his belt. It was a mistake to bring her here. She was too much of a distraction for someone that had gone without the company of a beautiful young woman for far too long. Yet she was still safer with him than in town.
What could he say to that? Kadoka’s hooves rustled in the tall grass that led to his cabin. It had been a long day and he was tired. Too tired to think about what he wanted to do with the tempting woman but that was easier said than done.
Not used to riding, Rose wobbled to the river bank. Her legs were shaky and sore. Wasn’t it just a few short hours ago, oh wait, years ago that she had been daydreaming about journeying across these hills on horseback? If she wasn’t so scared it might’ve been fun. She inhaled the sweet smell of prairie grass. A fish jumped in the water. Kadoka whinnied as his owner removed his saddle and began to brush him. What should she do next? Stand here and cry about events beyond her control or grasp life by the horns, so to speak?
How many people got the chance to live in another country, let alone another century? Her eyes wandered again to the handsome cowboy and his horse. Seth glanced her way, waved, and smiled. The cover of the last romance novel she’d read came to mind. Sheriff Peterson would look perfect on the front of a western. He stood at least a head taller than her five foot six. His long hair was dark as ink in the setting sun. Even in long sleeves she could see the strong muscles in his arms and shoulders work effortlessly with every stroke of the brush. Seth had a short beard where others in town sported bushy mustaches.
She rung her hands and returned her gaze to the water. The beauty of the countryside was overwhelming as the sun went to sleep on the horizon. If she was daydreaming, no need to worry. She would awaken soon. However, had she really gone back in time
, that was a different story. No friends, no family, and no idea what to do next. The aloneness of the situation hit hard.
A nearby bench beckoned, one obviously made with care by Seth. It was a blessing to have been found by someone with honor. What if a bad man had come across her out in the field? An involuntary shudder shook her body and she rubbed her arms.
Rose jumped when a leather coat was placed around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you but I thought you looked cold.” The man always seemed to show up when she needed something.
“Thank you.” Her fingers reached up to pull the garment closer and she covered his hands with hers. Without letting go she twisted to face him. He’d shed his hat and was gazing down at her as if she was the most important person in the world. Well, that was wishful thinking on her part. The man was gorgeous. In this time and in hers, he would cause any lady’s heart to beat faster. Her fingers still lingered where they touched his and even with the chilly night air, her cheeks heated. Their eyes remained locked until he jerked away. It was just a deer trotting out from behind a tree but his hand was on his gun ready for any threat.
Rose relaxed and pulled the coat tighter. It smelled like him, an intriguing combination of leather, soap, and horses. Why cologne companies thought women liked men to smell like orange blossoms and lemon was beyond her? They should just bottle up the outdoors and call it good. Seth’s hand rested on her shoulder again and her thoughts cleared as if someone was wiping the fog off of glass.
“It may be hotter than hell here during the day but in the evening it gets pretty cool. We best go inside if you’re ready.” He didn’t wait for her answer before walking away. Kadoka munched on grass in the small corral that was next to the cabin. It truly was a beautiful night as the setting sun created every color from red to blue. Looking at the faint star-filled sky, it dawned on her that there were no blinking lights flying across the sky. She’d once read that there were over 35,000 satellites in space and you didn’t have to wait more than fifteen minutes before one could be seen floating. There had been none in sight.
Had she by some strange twist of fate been sent to the past? And what for? Her thoughts had returned to the man inside the cabin. Rose had wished to ride a horse over the prairie and that had happened. Her wish to find Harvest had come true as Seth took her there. Granted it was the town over one hundred years ago but it was still the town.
“What else had I wished for?” she asked the crickets that chirped nearby. Her fingers snapped as it dawned on her. Right before stopping at the historical marker she’d hoped to meet a nice man.
In just a few short hours, Seth had come to her aid out in the endless prairie, fed and clothed her, saved her from a bully, and gave her his coat to stay warm. Not to mention the fact that he was in law enforcement, what was more trustworthy than that? It was still odd to comprehend that she’d traveled back in time but she was running out of excuses. Rose pinched the inside of her forearm hard. Yes, it hurt like the dickens so this wasn’t a dream and that was probably going to leave a bruise.
There was no way the town of Harvest could be a reenactment site either. It was just too accurate. The items in the general store were not mass produced or made in China. Their meal at that only restaurant in town was basic and limited to what was available nearby. Even communication was limited to what small amount of mail that had been delivered to the store while she was there. The town didn’t even have a wire service yet and the nearest train station was miles away. Harvest was in the middle of nowhere. Its only saving grace was the river that ran nearby. Apparently it flooded from time to time so the buildings and homes were built a distance away.
A wolf howled in the distance and she pulled her arms through the sleeves. For whatever reason it happened, she was here and she was going to make the best of it. Rose got to her feet and something rattled in the grass by the shoreline. In a panic she rushed to the cabin and Seth came out to meet her.
“What happened?” His hand sat on the handle of his holstered gun and he grabbed her with the other.
“I think I heard a rattlesnake in the grass.”
With a hand on her lower back he guided her into the warm cabin. “Come inside. No snakes in here.”
Hopefully that was true. As much as she hoped some twist of fate had brought her to the man of her dreams, none of this made any sense yet.
7
Few people had ever visited his cabin and Rose was the first woman to ever set her foot inside. There were ranch houses much grander but this was something he had built with his bare hands. Someday there would be cattle outside. He would have enough in the bank soon to buy a bull and a few cows. As Rose wandered around the small space, he worried what she would think. Was the place she came from fancier? It was important that she like him for the simple man that he was and not for any of the wealth he had in the bank.
A lot of coin will turn the head of the wrong woman. He knew that first hand. The one time he’d courted a woman new to town, he was sure she was the one for him. Until she heard the whispers of his heritage, after that she’d refused to talk to him again and later married the first unattached man that came in on the stage.
“This is nice.” Her voice stopped his mind from wandering.
“Are you hungry?” They’d both eaten hearty in town and even had pie. It was more than he usually ate and the good food had made him eager for a nap.
“No.” She turned and smiled. “Just tired. It’s been a crazy day.”
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the ranch I work for. We’ll ask around and see if there’s been news of your horse or party.”
“There is no horse or party.” Rose pulled out the one chair in the home and he sat on his cot. His coat still hung on her shoulders making her appear even smaller than she was. “I know you think the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor,” she drew a circle in the air by her head with her finger, “but for some reason I’ve been sent back in time.” Hell, Seth didn’t even know what an elevator was.
He exhaled and rested his elbows on his knees. Could it be true? When he was a boy, he’d spent time with some of his mother’s people. They believed in ghosts, spirits, and journeys. Was she on a journey from another time? “Is that how you knew that Hickok might die tomorrow?”
“Yes, I saw it on TV.”
“What’s TV and what’s that other thing you mentioned?” He had to think for a few seconds. “Elevator?” Her explanation of the second sounded like something he’d read about in a paper. It was some kind of pulley system that they used on the docks to get merchandise off ships out east. The platform lifted things to another level. The other thing she mentioned didn’t make a lick of sense. A box that was now flat that had moving pictures and sound coming from it. It just didn’t seem possible. “What about wars?”
“Well, let me think.” Rose shed the coat and he couldn’t help but admire her bare skin and curves. “Did the battle of Little Big Horn happen yet?”
“The Battle of Greasy Grass in Montana territory?”
“Yes, Custer’s Last Stand.”
It was indeed the end of the trail for General Custer and one of the reasons that Seth didn’t venture too far from Harvest. He may be half white but not everyone knew that. A lot of men wore their hair long, Hickok himself did but Seth’s Indian background might not agree with some who’d lost loved ones in the struggle.
“That battle is still fresh in the minds of most in this area. Will there be others to follow?” Sitting Bull had had a vision not too long before the conflict where he’d seen soldiers falling in their camp. Not too long after that, many soldiers did. Even though they were both exhausted, Seth couldn’t help asking more and more questions about the future. She had an answer for everything. Some objects she spoke of were just too hard to believe. Carriages that flew through the sky with people inside but the events she mentioned about wars seemed more than possible.
The details of Wounded Knee we
re too much to grasp. Rose seemed to understand his concern and switched her tales to ones of progress. Advancements in medicine, plentiful food even in the winter months, and something she called technology that still seemed too impossible to understand. Most of what she said made no sense whatsoever but it didn’t seem to matter. He could sit and listen to her all day and that was a first. She was a woman who held his interest and treated him just like any other decent man. Just the sound of her voice warmed his heart and having her in his cabin made it feel like home.
Where did Rose belong? For some reason it felt like she was in the right place with him. For the first time in his life he wanted a woman to belong to him. He still wanted to be a lawman but having the right woman by his side would make anything possible. As far as her being from the future, it still was too hard to believe but only time would tell. Stranger things had happened. Who would have thought that Custer would fall at Little Big Horn, that gold would be found in the Black Hills, and that just a little over ten years ago the country had been divided in a Civil War.
His companion rose, stretched her back, and came to sit on the cot next to him. All that seemed to matter was that she was here.
“What about your man?” He had to know if she was spoken for.
“My what?” Her eyebrows lifted.
“Are you married?”
“Heavens no.” She shuffled backwards on the bed until her back hit the wall. Her shapely legs now out straight and so close he had to calm the urge to reach under her skirt and caress her thigh. “I’m not in a hurry to do that.”
That wasn’t the response he was expecting. Didn’t most young ladies wish to be wed? He was relieved to hear she wasn’t hitched but she’d said she was a schoolmarm. Was her intent to be a spinster as well?
“Not that I don’t want to get married.” He relaxed and moved to sit beside her. “I just haven’t had very good luck. I thought I had found the right one but he stole from me and ruined my good name. From now on any man I get involved with has to be one I can trust 100 percent.”