Shadows Through Time

by Madeline Baker

  “Will you be at the saloon later?” she asked.

  “I reckon so.” Earlier, she had removed her shoes. Now, she reached down to pick them up, giving him a nice view of her backside.

  “Well, I’ll see you then,” she said, tying first one shoe and then the other. “Thank you for the lesson.”

  He nodded. “My pleasure.”

  After she left, he ran a comb through his hair, scooped the cash off the bed, then grabbed his hat and coat and left the hotel. He had a present to buy before he headed for his usual game at the Square Deal.

  * * * * *

  Kelsey found herself glancing toward the table in the back corner of the saloon time and again. She told herself it didn’t matter whether Reese showed up or not, but she couldn’t stop looking for him, nor could she stifle the rush of excitement she felt when, at last, he entered the saloon. In his striped trousers, white shirt, black hat and long black coat, he looked like he had just stepped off a Missouri riverboat. Catching her attention, he smiled at her, then took his customary seat with his back against the wall.

  The very air in the saloon felt different now that he was here, Kelsey thought, though she didn’t know why that should be. The same miners, outlaws, cowboys and soldiers filled the saloon. The piano player was pounding out the same off-key ballads on the battered upright piano, the notes mingling with the tinkling of shot glasses, the rattle of dice and the soft whisper of cards being shuffled. And over all, the low drone of conversation. Sometimes the men’s voices rose, either in a joyful hoot when someone raked in an exceptionally large pot, or in a flood of obscenities that turned the air blue when one of the men lost a pot he had been sure of winning. A thick haze of gray smoke hung heavy near the ceiling. She tried not to imagine her lungs turning black from all that second-hand smoke.

  The next few hours passed quickly as more and more men sauntered into the saloon. There was no room at the bar, every table was filled. She was surprised to see such a crowd on a week night. Was it a holiday or something? It wasn’t until she overheard two men talking that she realized it was her presence that had drawn the crowd.

  “Told ya, didn’t I?” the first man said smugly. “She’s wearing pink breeches.”

  “Wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t a seen it with my own two eyes,” the second man said. “A gal, in a saloon, in breeches!”

  “Breeches that look like they was painted on,” a third man chimed in.

  Kelsey shook her head, wondering whether to be flattered or angry and then she grinned. If she was the big draw around here, maybe it was time to ask for a raise.

  At eight o’clock, she left the saloon for a much-needed break.

  As he had the night before, Reese followed her outside.

  “Nice night,” he remarked, coming up behind her as she walked along.

  “Yes.” It was more than nice, it was beautiful. And quiet save for the soft strumming of a guitar coming from somewhere in the distance. Millions of stars twinkled in the dark skies. Even the full moon couldn’t dim their brightness. “Have you decided to be my bodyguard?”

  In the moonlight, she saw him lift one shoulder in a negligent shrug. “Pretty girl like yourself shouldn’t go wanderin’ alone in the dark.”

  Pretty? He thought she was pretty? The thought made her smile inwardly. And then her stomach growled.

  “When’s the last time you ate?” he asked.

  “I had a glass of milk and a muffin before I came to work.” Even though Pete was paying for her meals, she usually skipped lunch. She needed cash for clothes and the more she spent on food, the less cash she would have coming when Pete paid her. Tonight, she had skimped on dinner, too.

  “I reckon you’re hungry.”

  “I reckon so,” she replied, and then she laughed. She sounded just like Clint Eastwood.

  “Come on, I haven’t had supper yet.”

  “I already ate,” she said. And then her stomach growled again.

  “Sounds to me like you’re still hungry,” he drawled.

  “Well, I am, but you can’t keep buying me supper.” It was only a token protest. Every meal he bought her meant money in her pocket.

  “Sure I can. Come on.”

  Without waiting to see if she followed, he stepped off the boardwalk and crossed the street.

  After a moment, she followed him. One day she would pay him back, she vowed. No matter how long it took, she would repay him for every cent he had spent on her. He wasn’t her husband and he wasn’t her boyfriend and she hated feeling like she was living on his charity, even though she was.

  The dining room was virtually empty when they arrived. Reese took a table in the back. As usual, he sat with his back against a wall. Curious, she asked why.

  “Let’s just say I’ve got a few enemies who’d just as soon plug me in the back as the front.”

  “What kind of enemies?”

  He snorted softly. “There’s only one kind.”

  “You’re not an outlaw, are you?” she exclaimed. She had wondered about that before and then dismissed it. Of course, he could easily pass for the bad guy, what with that long black hair, the gun that looked so at home on his hip and that aura of danger that surrounded him. Still, it was hard to think of a man who had saved your life as being one of the bad guys.

  “I’m not wanted by the law, if that’s what you mean.” He chuckled. “At least not in Grant’s Crossing.”

  “In other places?”

  He shrugged. “One or two.”

  She stared at him, speechless. What kinds of crimes had he committed? And what was she doing, sitting here eating dinner with a criminal? Good Lord, he could be a bank robber or a murderer…or worse.

  Reese swore softly. Her thoughts were as easy to read as the menu on the table.

  “Take it easy, sweetheart,” he muttered. “Even if I were a killer, I wouldn’t gun you down before supper.”

  “Very funny! Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “You’ve known me for what, three days? Have I done anything to make you think your life’s in danger?”

  “Well, no…”

  “Have I hurt you in any way?”

  Feeling suddenly foolish for what she had been thinking, she shook her head. “No.”

  The waitress sashayed up to their table. “So, Reese,” she asked with a wink, “what’ll it be tonight?”

  “Roast beef, Peggy Jo, and whatever goes with it.”

  Peggy Jo wrote it down on her pad, then looked at Kelsey.

  “I’ll have the same,” Kelsey said. She waited until they were alone, then summoned her courage and asked, “Why are you wanted by the law?”

  “Are we back to that again?”

  “I can’t help being curious. I never met an outlaw before.”

  He grunted softly. “Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”

  One look at his face and she knew she would have to be content with that.

  Silence fell between them. Kelsey stared out the window into the darkness. It was still hard to believe all this was real, that she was stuck here, in the middle of the Old West. Harder still to believe that Papa Joe might be here, too. Tomorrow morning she would search for the door to Nana Mary’s house one more time, even though her hope of finding it had dwindled considerably. If it was possible to find the way back to the future, wouldn’t her grandfather be at home now?

  * * * * *

  Kelsey blew out a sigh of exasperation. She had risen early this morning, gulped down a cup of coffee and left the hotel. She had been searching for over three hours now and all she had to show for it were a bunch of scratches from crawling about in the underbrush. She had tried every door she could manage without arousing suspicion. She had prowled through the outskirts of town, twisted her ankle when she stepped in a gopher hole, snagged the hem of her shirt on a nail. The door had to be here somewhere! But where? It was as if Nana Mary’s house had vanished off the face of the planet, but how could that be? The door had to be s
ome kind of time portal to the past, but how could the door open into the past if the house itself didn’t exist yet?

  It was all so confusing. She was tired and thirsty and hopelessly discouraged. Why had this happened to her? How was she ever going to find her way back home?

  She stood in the scant shade offered by a stunted tree. There had to be an answer. Maybe something to do with timing…maybe the portal only opened at a certain time of the day, she thought, frowning. It had been on a Monday around five o’clock when she stepped through the doorway. Maybe the portal only opened on one particular day and time each week. Or each month. Or, oh Lord, each year.

  Hunger propelled her back toward town. She had been so anxious to look for Nana Mary’s house, she had skipped breakfast. Now, discouragement weighed heavily on her shoulders. What if she had to wait a whole year before she could find the doorway again? And what about her job? They must be missing her at work and at home, too.

  Dark clouds were gathering overhead as she made her way back toward town.

  Wrapping her arms around her middle, she walked faster. She couldn’t afford to get caught in the rain. If her clothes got wet, she didn’t have anything else to wear.

  She reached the hotel one step ahead of the storm. She waved to the clerk on duty, then ran up the stairs to her room, intending to wash her hands and face and finger comb her hair before she went down to get something to eat.

  Opening the door to her room, she stepped inside, only to come to a halt when she saw several packages wrapped in brown paper and string scattered on the bed. Frowning, she picked up the largest one. She turned it over, but there was no card, nothing to indicate who it was from.

  Curious, she tore off the string and peeled back the paper, gasped in surprise when she saw the green gingham dress she had admired in Cosgrove’s Mercantile.

  “Reese.” She murmured his name. It had to be from him. He was the only one who had seen her looking at the dress.

  She opened the other packages. One held a pair of white cotton stockings and garters, a pair of drawers and a chemise. Another held a ruffled petticoat, another held a comb, a brush and a package of hairpins and the next one contained a long white nightgown. The last package held a white shirtwaist and a long brown skirt.

  Kelsey blinked back her tears as she stared at the bounty before her. God bless T. K. Reese, she thought, sniffling. Even if she could afford to repay him for what he had spent, she could never repay him for his thoughtfulness.

  Stepping out of her muddy shoes, she peeled off her grimy jeans, tee shirt and underwear then, using the cold water in the pitcher on the dresser, she quickly washed her hands, face and arms. After drying off, she pulled on the peculiar underwear and the petticoat, then slipped the gingham dress over her head. Except for being a little too long, it fit as if it had been made for her.

  Standing in front of the mirror, Kelsey smiled at her reflection. The color of the dress complemented her hair and eyes, the square neckline was flattering. She couldn’t remember the last time she had worn a long dress. At work, she wore slacks and silk blouses or skirts and jackets. On dates, she dressed casually. On special occasions, she wore cocktail dresses that were short and slinky.

  She brushed her hair until it shone, then sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on her new stockings, thinking that the only thing Reese had neglected to purchase was a pair of shoes.

  She cleaned off her Nikes as best she could and put them on. They didn’t show at all beneath her long skirts.

  Feeling remarkably feminine except for her clunky running shoes, she went downstairs.

  * * * * *

  Reese looked up as Kelsey entered the dining room. Damn, he thought, if she hadn’t been wearing the garb he had bought, he might not have recognized her. The dress emphasized her lush curves, the color made her green eyes glow. She smiled when she saw him. The look went straight to his heart and then arrowed downward where his baser instincts resided.

  “Reese,” she said as she hurried toward him, “I don’t know how to thank you for this.”

  She smoothed her hands over the front of her skirt. “I’ll pay you back, I promise, just as soon as I can.”

  “No need.”

  “But I want to.”

  “Forget it, honey. Seeing you in that dress is payment enough. Sit down and have some breakfast. Or would you rather have dinner?”

  “How do you know I haven’t eaten?”

  “I asked Caro. She said you hadn’t been in yet. Where’d you rush off to so early this morning?”

  “How do you know I went anywhere?”

  “I knocked on your door around ten-thirty.”

  “Checking up on me again?” she asked petulantly.

  He shrugged. “So, where did you go?’

  “I was looking for…” She bit down on her lower lip. She couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d think she was crazy. “I was just out looking around.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “Honey, if you don’t wanna tell me where you’ve been, that’s up to you, but if you wanna make any money playing poker, you’re gonna need to learn how to bluff.” He looked up as Caro approached. “Steak and eggs for me,” he said.

  “I’ll have the same,” Kelsey said, her voice subdued.

  “So, you up for another lesson this mornin’?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He grunted softly. “Got somethin’ better to do?”

  Kelsey shrugged. “I thought I’d go shopping.” She wasn’t really going shopping, but she needed to check the doors inside the shops on the off-chance that one of them would take her back home.

  “Shoppin’, huh?”

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “It’s very annoying that you don’t believe a word I say.”

  “Then don’t lie to me.”

  Too late, she realized her mistake. She couldn’t afford to go shopping and Reese knew it. She didn’t have any money and she didn’t have any credit. Not only that, but she had always been a terrible liar. Why did she have the feeling that Reese was good at it?

  Breakfast was a silent meal. Tension hummed between them. For the first time, she was uncomfortable in his presence. As soon as she finished eating, she murmured a quick thank-you for the meal and fled the hotel.

  As soon as she stepped outside, she knew it was a mistake. A steady downpour had turned the streets to mud and sent everyone inside. She felt a rush of pity for the horses standing out in the rain.

  Hugging herself for warmth, she hurried down the boardwalk to the general store and ducked inside. A bell over the door announced her presence.

  Heat emanated from a big pot-bellied stove beside the front counter. She stood there a moment, basking in the warmth.

  A few moments later, a big, barrel-chested man emerged from a door in the back of the store. He came forward, smiling.

  “A good day to you, miss,” he said, his big voice booming. “Nasty day to be out and about.”

  “Yes, indeed.”

  “I’m Nate Osgood,” he said jovially. “Can I help you find something?”

  “No, I just came in to get out of the rain. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. Stay as long as you like.” He studied her a moment. “You’re new in town, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it’s a nice place.”

  Kelsey nodded.

  “Look around, if you like. Got some new dress patterns over on that table yonder. Got some new fabric, too, fresh from New York City. We even have a few ready-made dresses on a rack at the end of the last aisle.” His gaze moved over her in a quick assessment. “I think we might even have one or two in your size.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kelsey was about to do a little looking around when two men pushed their way into the building, admitting a blast of cold air and a sprinkling of raindrops.

  “Afternoon, gents,” Mr. Osgood said.

  One of the men gru
nted a reply. The other moved toward the shelves, picking up items as he went.

  Kelsey glanced surreptitiously at the man standing near the door. He was tall and lean, with a sweeping mustache and cold brown eyes.

  The second man returned to the counter several minutes later, his arms filled with canned goods. He dumped them on the counter. “I’ll take some of that there jerky, too. And a couple of them cigars.”

  “Yes, sir,” Mr. Osgood said. He added the jerky and the cigars to the pile on the counter, then picked up a piece of paper and a pencil and began adding up the man’s purchases.

  “That won’t be necessary,” the man with the mustache said.

  Mr. Osgood looked up, frowning at the man near the door. “Excuse me…” he began, then blanched when he saw the pistol in the man’s hand.

  “Shut up, old man. Garrett, get the money.”

  The other man, Garrett, went behind the counter and opened the cash drawer.

  Kelsey’s gaze darted between the two men, one hand pressed to her chest. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought she might faint.

  Garrett scooped up the cash and thrust it into his coat pocket. “Hardly worth taking,” he muttered sourly.

  “Maybe you want to put it back,” the first man said with a snarl. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Grunting softly, the man called Garrett pulled his pistol and struck Mr. Osgood across the back of the head. Osgood dropped to the floor without a sound.

  Emerging from behind the counter, Garrett headed for the door.

  The man with the mustache regarded Kelsey through narrowed eyes, then grabbed her by the arm.

  “Colville, what the hell are you doing?” Garrett asked.

  “Taking her with us,” Colville said. “Let’s go.”

  “Are you crazy?” Garrett asked. “We don’t need a woman slowing us down.”

  “Can’t leave her,” Colville said. “She knows who we are. She’ll alert the whole town as soon as we’re gone.” A nasty smile spread over his face. “Besides, she’ll keep me warm later.”